All of Thursday’s best deals are now live and headlined by a chance to save $199 on the still very popular and quite compelling M1 MacBook Air. It’s then joined by this VOCOlinc HomeKit Smart Plug, which is worth adding to your Siri setup at just $8. And if you need a workstation upgrade, OWC’s metal Thunderbolt docks are now $50 off. Hit the jump for all of the best deals and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.
Save $199 on Apple’s oh-so popular M1 MacBook Air
The dust has settled on all of Apple’s big reveals for the start of the year, and now Best Buy offers Apple’s 13-inch M1 MacBook Air 256GB for $800 as a more affordable alternative to those flagship debuts. Still typically retailing for $999 these days, though currently marked down to $899 at Amazon, you’re looking at a $199 discount as well as a match of our previous mentions from throughout the holiday shopping season last year. It comes within $1 of that mention which also matches the all-time low, making today’s offer the second-best we’ve seen to date.
While it isn’t that all-new version of Apple’s most portable MacBook, there is still something to be said for just how good of a value the original M1 MacBook Air still is, especially with as steep of a discount attached as you’ll find. Centered around a 13-inch Retina display with Apple Silicon under the hood, there’s also a pair of Thunderbolt ports supplemented by Wi-Fi 6 as well as 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. Get a better idea of its performance in our hands-on review.
If you’re looking for more insight on why the M1 MacBook Air is worth considering over its newer M2 counterpart, we took a more in-depth look at how the two stack up right here. Despite all of the love and fanfare around the newer version, our main takeaway was just how compelling the M1 MacBook Air still is for most users, especially those who want a more affordable package that’s even more portable than its predecessor. Especially at $349 below the M2 model.
Just $8 scores you this VOCOlinc HomeKit Smart Plug
Amazon is now offering the VOCOlinc HomeKit Smart Plug for $8. Normally fetching $13, you can now score a Siri-enabled smart plug for 35% off. This is the second-best we’ve seen to date at within $0.50 of the all-time low last set in September, and the best since. Delivering an affordable way to have Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant control lamps and appliances, this smart plug pairs right to your Wi-Fi, ditching the need for an external hub.
It’s quite rare to see an offering anywhere in this price range with HomeKit out of the box, which can be used to schedule and automate the smart plug alongside controlling over voice commands. We’ve reviewed other VOCOlinc HomeKit gear in the past, for a better idea of what to expect from the brand, too.
OWC now taking $50 off metal Thunderbolt docks
From now through this time next week, OWC is slashing up to $50 off a range of its Thunderbolt docking stations with deals starting from $100. One standout here is the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock at $250. This model has sold for as much as $340 on Amazon but regularly fetches $280 these days. You’re looking at a match for the Amazon low at $10 under our previous mention and at least $30 in savings.
Designed to convert your laptop into “a workstation powerhouse,” it delivers a pair of Thunderbolt ports, 10Gb/s USB-C, five USB-A ports at 5Gb/s, Mini DisplayPort, micro/SD card readers, 3.5mm audio, Ethernet, and more inside of an aluminum design. Alongside 85W of power passthrough for charging your device, it can also support a single 5K monitor or a pair of 4K displays.
Anker’s new Soundcore Liberty 4 earbuds now down to $130
Having launched last fall as one of the first pair of earbuds on the market not from the likes of Apple, Google, or Samsung to deliver Spatial Audio, the new Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 arrived with more than just immersive listening. Now on sale for one of the very first times, Amazon is dropping the recently-released true wireless earbuds down to $130 in two different styles. Normally fetching $150, this is only the third discount to date at $20 off. It’s the second-best price yet and was only beaten once before in a short-lived sale back in December.
Anker’s latest Soundcore Liberty 4 earbuds arrive as its latest flagship true wireless listening experience and are spec’d to match. Active noise cancellation is of course a nice touch, but not quite as enticing as Special Audio support. There’s also 9-hour battery life supplemented by an extra 20 from the Qi-enabled charging case, which rounds out the package that you can read about in our hands-on review with built-in heart rate monitoring.
Logitech’s MX Keys Advanced keyboard for Mac sees first discount in months
Amazon is now offering the Logitech MX Keys Advanced Wireless Keyboard for Mac at $104. Delivering the first discount since back in November from the usual $120 price tag, you’re looking at $16 in savings. In those past 2 months, this is the first chance to save and comes within $2 of that Black Friday mention to deliver one of the best Amazon offers yet.
Logitech’s MX Keys Advanced is one of the more popular workstation upgrades on the market for Macs thanks to its premium build with matching Space Gray finish. Alongside a macOS keyboard layout, this model sports a backlit design with both Bluetooth and the USB wireless receiver connectivity backed by FLOW support rounding out the package to switch between various devices in your setup. Our hands-on review offers a better idea of what to expect.
Best trade-in deals
9to5Mac also keeps tabs on all the best trade-in deals on iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, and more every month. Be sure to check out this month’s best trade-in deals when you decide it’s time to upgrade your device, or simply head over to our trade-in partner directly if you want to recycle, trade, or sell your used devices for cash and support 9to5Mac along the way!
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