Technology
Motorola's US phone lineup is woefully limited—and it's hurting Android
Motorola makes great phones like the Razr Fold, but its U.S. presence is... bleak. Beyond foldables, you're limited to value-for-money budget Android phones and just one current mid-tier model, the Edge. There's not much variety in conventional phones, and no option at all if you want a flagship.
How to get a "This PC" shortcut on the desktop in Windows 11
If you've used Windows for a long time, you probably remember the "My Computer" icon sitting on your desktop, ready to give you access to your drives and folders. These days, Windows calls it "This PC," but Windows 11 doesn't put the icon on your desktop by default. If you want that familiar icon back, you can add it in a few clicks.
Milwaukee tools Home Depot shoppers keep buying again and again
It's no secret that Milwaukee makes some of the best power tools on the market, but certain models are far more popular than others. It's not just about the price tag, either, as there are specific combo kits or standalone tools that deliver incredible power, value, and usefulness.
Microsoft and PC vendors drop the Copilot+ PC label that didn't made sense
If you've questioned why Microsoft has insisted on branding computers as Copilot+ PCs, you're not alone. Microsoft and Qualcomm have acknowledged that they and their PC partners are dropping the label from their systems.
3 award-winning Netflix movies to watch this weekend (September 25-27)
Netflix's collection of movies spans years and genres, and I always find myself digging through its catalog for interesting additions to my watch list. This time around, I found three award-winning, widely acclaimed movies that are worth every second.
I ran DLSS 5 on one of the "most realistic" games of the 2000s, and the results weren't as horrifying as I expected
When DLSS 5 first launched, the general reaction was lukewarm at best and highly polarized—critics complained that it slopified every game's art direction and left everything looking conspicuously generic. Of course, that didn't stop modders from attempting to get DLSS 5 running on every single game ever released, even ones that definitely shouldn't support it.
This is the only smartwatch band I’ll ever use
I've tried them all. Silicone, metal, and everything in between. Official and unofficial. And yet, I keep coming back to one specific kind of band with every smartwatch I've owned.
I hunted down the top early October Prime Day MacBook deals: Save $600 on on the M5 Pro
Genuinely good MacBook deals have been harder to come by in the wake of Apple's summer price hikes. But I have a feeling that will change during Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon's 48-hour fall savings event for Prime members on Oct. 6 and 7.
"October Prime Day," as the sale is often called, serves as Amazon's unofficial kickoff for the holiday shopping season. Last year, it brought us $200 discounts on the MacBook Air and savings of up to $400 on select MacBook Pros — the same sorts of deals we later saw on Black Friday 2025. If Amazon replicated those offers next month, we'd be seeing our lowest MacBook prices since Apple's markups took effect.
In the weeks leading up to Prime Big Deal Days, most MacBooks are already on sale (including the budget MacBook Neo, if only by $10). I wouldn't add most of them to your cart just yet, since they'll probably get bigger discounts once the sale starts. That said, we've gathered up all of the best early Prime Day MacBook deals for you.
The best October Prime Day deals on the MacBook Air (so far) Opens in a new window Credit: M5 MacBook Air in midnight black Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,649 at Amazon$1,799 Save $150 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,449 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $150 Get Deal
If you need a new Apple laptop, and you need it now, you can save $150 on the new generation of M5 MacBook Airs at Amazon (Walmart is matching Amazon on select models and colors). If you can hold off, we do expect these MacBooks to get a $200 discount when the Prime Big Deal Days sale begins Oct. 6. Students and teachers can also check the Apple Store for education discounts.
The newest M5-powered MacBook is a Mashable Choice product, with one of the highest ratings of any product we've tested this year. In his review, Mashable's tech editor found that the M5 chip is ridiculously powerful (probably more powerful than the average Air customer really needs). The new MacBooks also have a fantastic display, a great-sounding speaker system, Touch ID, and the new Center Stage webcam.
More MacBook Air dealsApple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,254 $1,299 (save $45)
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,449 $1,599 (save $150)
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,649 $1,799 (save $150)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,424.54 $1,499 (save $74.46)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,727 $1,799 (save $72)
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,922 $1,999 (save $77)
$4,099 Save $600 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) $3,799 at Amazon
$4,399 Save $600 Get Deal
So far, the best early Prime Day MacBook deals are all on Apple's Pro models, particularly the ones with the most processing power. The M5 Max chip is Apple's most powerful laptop CPU to date. It's designed to handle the ultra-demanding workloads of "pro users" like "3D animators, app developers, and AI researchers," according to a company press release.
Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, you can save a whopping $600 on both sizes of the M5 Max-powered MacBook Pros with a hulking 36GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. The 14-inch model is marked down to $3,499 (normally $4,099), while the 16-inch one comes out to $3,799 (typically $4,399). It should be noted that both laptops originally cost $100 more at launch.
As mentioned earlier, Amazon's October Prime Day MacBook Pro deals usually max out at $400ish. With that in mind, I can't see these deals getting any better down the road.
More MacBook Pro dealsApple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $1,999 (save $150)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,072 $2,199 (save $127)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,354 $2,499 (save $145)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $2,818.99 $2,999 (save $180.01)
Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,258.99 $2,399 (save $140.01)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,799 $2,999 (save $200)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $3,367 $3,599 (save $232)
Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 48GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $4,499 $4,999 (save $500)
Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $689 $699 (save $10)
Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $789.99 $799 (save $9.01)
5 more legendary free, open-source apps that are better than their expensive paid alternatives
Free, open-source software makes the world go round, but the open-source community also creates some of the best apps out there, many of which trump their paid alternatives. We recently shared five standout examples of free and open-source apps that hold their ground against their paid rivals, and today I'm sharing another batch of fantastic FOSS apps that are completely free and better than what you'd pay for.
Android Auto ruined my audio quality, and this is the only app that fixed it
I find it fascinating that Android Auto can be amazing for a long time, but then I suddenly notice something going subtly wrong. Maybe it's the sudden appearance of Gemini trying to get me to write songs with it while I drive. Or the cable comes loose a bunch of times, and I lose connection (I switched to Android Auto Wirelessbecause of this issue). Sometimes, it's a navigation issue. It can be hit-and-miss. Recently, I was using Android Auto and noticed some dips in audio quality. I looked into it and found an app that took care of the issue for me.
Windows finally let me rip Bing out of my desktop. The speed boost is undeniable
Windows 11 has long baked Bing into local search, and escaping it meant editing the registry. Version 26H2 finally adds a proper toggle. Here is what search looked like before, how much faster it feels now, and whether switching Bing off is worth it.
Tesla employees accuse supervisors of using racist slurs. The company doubled down in court.
Tesla lawyers are in court, defending auto factory employees against accusations they used racist slurs, discriminated against employees of color in evaluations, and engaged in other anti-Black behavior that created an unsafe environment for workers.
The lawsuit, brought by the state of California on behalf of dozens of Black Tesla employees, was filed in 2022 and claims management at Tesla's flagship factory — located in Fremont, California — violated the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act by creating a hostile environment.
It's the first employee lawsuit against the electric vehicle company to go to trial through a state agency, reported the Guardian. Remarks began Monday.
SEE ALSO: Kids aren't learning to type anymoreCourt documents include photographs of neo-Nazi imagery drawn on factory furniture and bathroom walls, as well as explicitly racist language etched into employee areas — including the phrase "go back to Africa" and the N-word.
Employees testified that supervisors referred to lynchings in conversations with Black workers, and the factory was often referred to as "slaveship," "the plantation," and "The Elon Slave Labor Association" ("TESLA"). One employee said they heard nearly 100 slurs in a single day.
In response, Tesla's legal team defended its employees and reportedly justified the use of racially-charged language.
"The state of California attacks the way many Black people greet each other," said Tesla's lead lawyer, Tyree Jones, in his initial remarks. "It’s offensive." Jones argued the N-word was a "term of respect and endearment," and provided examples of its use within the Black community that he argued wouldn't constitute its classification as a "racial slur."
In 2021, Tesla was ordered to pay $136.9 million to a former contractor who claimed the company ignored complaints of racist behavior by factory employees. A federal jury found Tesla guilty of enabling an unsafe work environment and negligently overseeing its staff.
In addition to explicitly racist behavior by employees, the latest lawsuit describes an allegedly "segregated" workplace in which Black workers were paid and promoted less, while being more frequently terminated. California is seeking financial damages and changes to Tesla's labor practices.
"These experiences cannot be dismissed as a few bad apples… hundreds of complaints to Tesla and [the Civil Rights Department] will show these experiences were not isolated," said California Civil Rights Department lawyer Brett Watson.
YouTube Music has 6 features my friends won't admit are good
Picking a music-streaming service can invite a little peer pressure, especially since I pay for YouTube Music Premium. I get it. Spotify and Apple Music dominate these conversations. My friends who use Spotify give me a look that says they feel slightly sorry for me, while the Apple crowd assumes I’m just defaulting to whatever Google bundles into Android.
Resident Evil turns video game frustration into its best running joke
There are plenty of monsters in Zach Cregger's Resident Evil. But perhaps no enemy proves more formidable than the humble padlock.
Early in the movie, Bryan (Austin Abrams) is trying to escape a farm when he reaches a gate secured with a massive padlock stamped with a Diamond emblem. He's armed with a rifle, so the solution seems obvious enough: shoot the lock and move on. Except the bullets do nothing. So Bryan tries the next most logical solution and rams the gate with the farmer's truck. The gate wins.
Adding insult to injury, the key he needed was nearby the whole time, under the sun visor. He just didn't find it until after he'd totaled the truck.
SEE ALSO: Does 'Resident Evil' have a post-credit scene? Everything you need to know before watching.It's the beginning of one of Resident Evil's funniest running jokes. Bryan keeps encountering padlocks as he makes his way through the movie, becoming increasingly exasperated every time another one prevents him from getting where he needs to go. Eventually, he snaps: "What is with all the fuckin' padlocks, man?"
Anyone who's spent enough time playing Resident Evil already knows the answer. It doesn't matter that you have a gun. It doesn't matter that you've spent the last several hours blasting through amalgamation monsters. If the game wants you to find a key, you're finding the damn key.
And Cregger knows exactly what he's doing.
Resident Evil understands the absurdity of video game logic Austin Abrams and Zach Cregger behind the scenes of Resident Evil. Credit: Sony PicturesCregger has been explicit that his Resident Evil isn't trying to recreate the plot of any particular game in Capcom's horror franchise. Instead, he's interested in recreating the experience of playing one. That means limited ammunition, healing items, increasingly powerful weapons, and, yes, repeatedly facing locked doors that prevent you from progressing until you find whatever key or keycard the game has decided you need.
"Some of them I wouldn't even think of as Easter eggs," Cregger told Steve Goldman of Rolling Stone when asked about the movie's references to the games. He specifically pointed to "padlocks and the search for keys and keycards" as something that's "really baked into playing the games," alongside healing items, ammunition, and weapon progression.
"All of that is like the DNA of the games that is in the movie," he said.
SEE ALSO: How 'The Last of Us' successfully translates the game's best mechanics to TVThat's an important distinction. Putting a green herb or typewriter somewhere in the background is an Easter egg. Making your protagonist desperately search for a key while standing in front of a lock he has already shot and unsuccessfully rammed with a truck is adapting a game mechanic. Because in a video game, that padlock isn't really a padlock. It's a progression system.
Bryan learns the rules of Resident Evil the hard way. Credit: Sony PicturesLocked doors have been fundamental to Resident Evil since the beginning. Exploring the franchise's mansions, police stations, and villages frequently means discovering places you can't access yet, hunting down keys and other items, solving puzzles, and eventually backtracking once you have what you need. Resident Evil 2, for example, scatters suit-themed keys throughout the Raccoon City Police Department, with different doors requiring the Spade, Diamond, Club, or Heart Key.
The lock tells the player, "You can't go here yet." The missing key gives them a reason to explore somewhere else. So finding it doesn't just open a door; it opens another part of the game.
View on ThreadsIt makes perfect sense as game design. According to virtually every other form of logic, however, it is completely ridiculous. Your character can be carrying enough firepower to take down a mutated bioweapon, but a padlock might as well be indestructible. The player knows there's an obvious solution. The game knows there's an obvious solution. But that's not the solution you're supposed to use.
Cregger's movie makes that implicit agreement between player and game explicit by giving us a character who doesn't know the rules.
Bryan isn't Leon S. Kennedy. He's a medical courier who Cregger described to Rolling Stone as "more suited to sitting on the couch playing Resident Evil than surviving an actual Resident Evil experience." So when Bryan encounters a locked gate, he reacts like someone in the real world rather than as a player who knows he's in a survival horror game. He shoots it. When that doesn't work, he drives a truck into it.
Neither works, because that's not how Resident Evil works.
The padlock isn't just an Easter egg. It's gameplay. Unfortunately, bullets can't solve every problem. Credit: Sony PicturesIn an interview with Dread Central, Cregger acknowledged that some of the games' more elaborate puzzles wouldn't necessarily translate to a movie he wanted to keep moving at a breakneck pace. Instead, the padlocks offered a shorthand.
Bryan "does come up against padlocks throughout the movie, and he's got to try and navigate those," Cregger said. "So I'm kind of like tipping my hat to those sorts of things."
Resident Evil also finds other ways to recreate the rhythms of playing Resident Evil. During a Reddit AMA before the film's release, Cregger talked about making ammunition matter as Bryan gradually acquires more powerful weapons. "I love the resource management aspect of the games, and it was really important to me to bring that to the movie," he wrote.
That same attention to gameplay shows up everywhere, from healing items to cinematographer Dariusz Wolski's shifting camera perspectives. But the padlocks might be the funniest expression of it, precisely because they take something Resident Evil players have long accepted and make its absurdity impossible to ignore.
View on ThreadsCregger isn't just showing fans something they remember from Resident Evil. He's recreating the particular frustration of playing it.
In a 2025 Reddit thread about the series' conveniently indestructible obstacles, one player recalled encountering a door they couldn't open because its knob was broken. "Meanwhile, I have a shotgun and a grenade launcher in my arsenal," they wrote. Another joked about the absurdity of firing endless rockets at a wooden door only to eventually accept, "Damn, guess I need to go around."
A year earlier, another fan put the problem even more succinctly: "Half of Resident Evil would be skipped if everyone did a Barry and just shot the locks off the door." That's basically the joke Cregger has turned into a movie.
Video games depend on these little agreements between player and developer. A locked door isn't always just a locked door. It's an instruction, a puzzle. You don't spend the entire game asking why your heavily armed protagonist can't simply destroy it because you understand what it's actually telling you: You're not supposed to go there yet.
Put that logic into a live-action movie, though, and suddenly you have Bryan, a guy who looks at the arbitrary rules Resident Evil players have spent nearly 30 years accepting and asks the obvious question: Why can't I just shoot the lock?
That's the kind of thing video game adaptations don't always capture. It's easy enough to recreate the monsters, weapons, locations, and camera angles we recognize. It's harder to recreate the feeling of playing the game — wasting a bullet you desperately needed, finding a better weapon at exactly the right moment, or discovering yet another locked door.
Cregger gets that those little frustrations are part of Resident Evil, too.
Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.
Google Fi promo gives you 75% off plans—here's how you qualify
Google Fi is now trivially inexpensive, provided you take advantage of a rare deal. Google has a limited-time promotion that cuts 75% off plan prices for a year, but only if you meet certain conditions.
6 modular 3D-printed projects to build and customize this weekend (Sep 25 - 27)
Modular 3D-printed models are designed with customization and future expansion in mind. By adding additional modules or printing just the parts you need, you can expand on a project in the future or make something that feels tailored to you.
We found rare October Prime Day TV deals on TCL, LG, and Samsung: Save up to $1,000
Another Amazon Prime Day is upon us. Well, kind of. Prime Big Deal Days, which runs from Oct. 6 through Oct. 7, isn't quite as massive as Amazon's flagship summer sale, but it serves as an unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season.
Casually called October Prime Day, the fall sale features deals on all sorts of tech — just like Prime Day proper. TVs, in particular, tend to see pretty big price drops now that new models have been on the market for about six months. In other words, if you're in need of a new TV, you can find a 2026 model for a steal during October Prime Day.
We've rounded up the best early October Prime Day TV deals from brands like TCL, LG, Hisense, Fire TV, and Samsung that you can shop now, but be sure to check back as the official Prime Big Deal Days sale nears for more.
Best TCL TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV $2,497.99 at Amazon$3,999.99 Save $1,502 Get Deal Why we like it
Mashable's TV expert is a big fan of TCL's QM8L SQD-Mini-LED TVs. She named it our favorite QLED TV for most people, highlighting its "superb peak brightness, detailed picture quality, and fantastic glare handling" in her review. It's one of the brightest TVs you can buy in 2026, period, which is thanks in part to its "super quantum dot mini LEDs" (aka the SQD part of its name). On a normal day, the 85-inch model costs $3,999.99, but ahead of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, it's down to $2,497.99. That's its lowest price on record.
Best LG TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV $1,599.99 at Amazon$2,699.99 Save $1,100.00 Get Deal Why we like it
OLED TVs are known for their elite contrast and often extreme price tags. However, the LG C6 is what Mashable's TV expert calls the "best affordable OLED TV," compared to competitors' prices. It's also her top pick for an OLED TV for most people. It features inky blacks, stark contrast (of course), improved audio, peak brightness, and a higher refresh rate than its predecessor, and overall, incredible picture quality. At just under $1,600, the 65-inch model is over $1,000 cheaper than its list price ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. We've actually seen it drop even lower before, so we'll be keeping an eye out as the official sale nears.
Best Hisense TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV $847.99 at Amazon$1,499.99 Save $652 Get Deal Why we like it
The Hisense U7 series delivers Mini-LED performance you'd expect on higher-priced models. It packs a 165Hz refresh rate, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos audio, a Google TV with a Gemini interface, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Its backlighting features full-array local dimming as well, which means clusters of tiny LED bulbs precisely control brightness levels within specific sections of your screen for more accuracy and depth. The U7 is a step up from our favorite budget TV of 2026, but with this massive price drop, it's actually a much better deal. At $847.99, the 65-inch model is already $2 cheaper than it was on Prime Day proper back in June.
Best Samsung TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 65-inch S90H OLED 4K TV $1,697.99 at Amazon$2,699.99 Save $1,002.00 Get Deal Why we like it
The S90H is the mid-range OLED from Samsung's 2026 lineup and just a step down from our favorite OLED of the year (the S95H). Compared to last year's model, the S90H gets a brightness bump and an upgraded anti-reflection display. It also supports 4K at 165Hz, NVIDIA G-SYNC, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.
Usually pretty pricey at $2,699.99 for the 65-inch model, you can shave over $1,000 ahead of October Prime Day and pick it up for just $1,697.99. That's only $100 shy of its all-time low. The stock at Amazon is running low, so I suggest grabbing it ASAP. Otherwise, Best Buy has the same model for just $2 more.
Best budget TV deal
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Ember 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV $179.99 at Amazon$249.99 Save $70 Get Deal Why we like it
As much as we might drool over the LG C6 OLED TV or Sony's new flagship Bravia 7 II True RGB TV, when it comes time to actually add a TV to our shopping cart, we often have to lower our expectations. The good news: TVs are one of the only tech products that have gotten cheaper over the past five years, and even budget TVs offer fairly impressive displays and sound.
The Amazon Ember 40-inch Fire TV is a good starter TV if you're on a budget, and that's why it's one of the best October Prime Day TV deals we've found so far. Despite costing less than $200, this TV has a high definition, HDR10+ display and doubles as an Alexa smart speaker. If you're already in the Amazon ecosystem and OLEDs aren't in your budget, don't overthink this one.
More early October Prime Day TV dealsUnder 50-inch TV dealsRoku 43-Inch Select Series 4K TV — $179.99 $249.99 (save $70)
LG 43-inch QNED73B Mini-LED QNED 4K TV — $299.99 $359.99 (save $60)
Sony 48-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K TV — $1,098 $1,299.99 (save $201.99)
Insignia 50-inch F50 4K TV — $179.99 $299.99 (save $120)
Hisense 55-inch E6SR Hi-QLED 4K TV — $299.99 $449.99 (save $150)
Samsung 55-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $299.99 $347.99 (save $48)
Hisense 50-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $1,299.99 (save $502)
TCL 55-inch NXTVISION QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $999.99 (save $202)
LG 55-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,299.99 (save $400)
Roku 65-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV — $449.99 $649.99 (save $200)
Hisense 65-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $649.99 $999.99 (save $350)
LG 65-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,799.99 (save $700)
Toshiba 65-inch G700 ArtVision QLED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,999.99 (save $900)
Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,197.99 $1,999.99 (save $802)
Samsung 65-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $1,397.99 $1,999.99 (save $602)
TCL 65-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,497.99 $2,499.99 (save $1,002)
Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD QLED 4K TV — $2,498 $3,299.99 (save $801.99)
Samsung 75-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $547.99 $729.99 (save $182)
Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro Hi-QLED Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,297.99 $1,999.99 (save $702)
Hisense 85-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $2,197.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,802)
Hisense 100-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,996.97 $2,999.99 (save $1,003.02)
Hisense 100-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $2,999.99 (save $502)
TCL 98-inch QM7L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)
TCL 98-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $3,997.99 $5,999.99 (save $2,002)
Amazon has the Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar on sale for $10 off
SAVE $9.99: The Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar is on sale at Amazon for $35, down from the list price of $44.99. That's a 22% discount and the lowest price we've seen at Amazon.
Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar $35 at Amazon$44.99 Save $9.99 Get Deal
We're all gearing up for Amazon's October Prime Day event, but it's never too early to start thinking about the holiday season. If you like to celebrate with an Advent Calendar, check out this shockingly good deal at Amazon.
As of Sept. 25, the Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar is on sale at Amazon for $35, marked down from the list price of $44.99. That's a 22% discount and the lowest price we've seen at Amazon.
If you have a Disney princess fan in your home, the Lego Advent Calendar is a slam dunk. It contains 290 pieces spread out over 24 days of surprises. Some of our favorite princesses are included in the 2026 version, like Ariel, Cinderella, Moana, and Mulan. Of course, some of their sidekicks are also in on the celebration, like Sebastian, Pua, and little Gus Gus decked out in reindeer antlers.
SEE ALSO: Don't wait for Lego deals: We found early Prime Day deals on Lego Star Wars, Lego Pokémon, and moreNot only does this serve as an Advent calendar, but the Disney Princess version of the Lego calendar also doubles as a board game. The buildable spinner allows for up to eight players to take part in a Disney Lego game.
While it's sitting at a record-low price, get ready for the holiday season with the Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar.
20+ of the best early October Prime Day deals: We found live deals on Apple, Nintendo, and Garmin
Amazon's next Prime Day is officially on the horizon. Its fall savings event, Prime Big Deal Days (aka "October Prime Day") is coming Oct. 6 and 7, with competing festivities at Target and Walmart.
Prime Big Deal Days will be an opportunity to get a head start on your Black Friday wishlist — and to get some relief from the RAMageddon price hikes impacting the tech industry this year. For its part, Amazon increased the prices of nearly two dozen Kindles, Fire TV Sticks, Echo smart speakers, and eero routers this summer because of rising component costs. Its upcoming seasonal deals should cancel out some of those markups.
SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime in time for the next Prime DayAs we gear up for fall, Amazon is already dropping early October Prime Day deals, and we've rounded up the best ones below. Savings are fluctuating quickly; for example, Fire Sticks were heavily discounted last week and are now full price. We're still holding out for more deals, considering Amazon Echo devices and Kindle e-readers have yet to go on sale.
Finally, a word of warning: We do expect prices to drop even lower on select Apple products when the sale starts Oct. 6, so you might want to hold out until then. In the meantime, we'll be regularly updating our picks in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days.
Products marked with a ✅ were personally tested and recommended by a member of the Mashable team.
Best headphone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Studio Pro ✅ $169.95 at Amazon$349.99 Save $180.04 Get Deal Why we like it
Ahead of October Prime Day, you can save 51% on the Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones. Usually, $349.99, the premium headphones are now just $169.95. Beats is all about audio, and these cans provide support for lossless audio. Similar to AirPods, Beats products also offer seamless connectivity to iOS devices.
More headphone dealsJBL Tune 530BT headphones — $39.95 $59.95 (save $20)
JBL Tune 730BT headphones — $59.95 $89.95 (save $30)
CMF by Nothing headphones — $69 $79 (save $10)
Nothing Ear (3) earbuds — $129 $149 (save $20)
Beats Solo 4 wireless headphones — $129.95 $199.95 (save $70)
Skullcandy Crusher 720 headphones — $139.99 $209.99 (save $70)
Beats Powerbeats Fit sports earbuds — $169.95 $199.99 (save $30.04)
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 — $189.99 $229 (save $39.01) ✅
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $199.95 $249.99 (save $50.04) ✅
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) — $249.99 $299 (save $49.01) ✅
$249 Save $50 Get Deal Why we like it
The basic AirPods just got an upgrade with the new AirPods 5, and last year's Apple AirPods Pro 3 are back on sale. Ahead of October Prime Day, shop the Apple AirPods Pro 3 for $199, a $50 discount. The earbuds have ANC, a more comfortable fit, and bring live translation to the AirPods experience. They're perfect for commuters and even measure your heart rate, which is great for athletes who love a good workout playlist.
More early Prime Day Apple dealsAirPods
Apple AirPods Max 2 — $479 $549 (save $70) ✅
iPads
Apple iPad (A16, 128GB, WiFi) — $399 $449 (save $50) ✅
Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, 128GB, WiFi) — $649 $749 (save $100) ✅
Apple Watch
Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS 44mm) — $249 $279 (save $30) ✅
MacBooks
Apple MacBook Pro (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $1,999 (save $150) ✅
Apple MacBook Pro (M5 Max, 48GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $4,499 $4,999 (save $500)
Accessories
Apple MagSafe Charger — $39.99 $49 (save $9.01) ✅
Apple Pencil USB-C — $69.98 $79 (save $9.02) ✅
Apple AirTag 2 (4-pack) — $89 $99 (save $10) ✅
$154.99 Save $82.00 Get Deal Why we like it
It's no surprise that the best early October Prime Day deals include plenty of Amazon's own gadgets. Case in point: you can grab this HD tablet with 32GB of storage for 50% off. In the midst of a global memory crisis, a $73 tablet sounds pretty appealing to us. This 10-inch tablet has a lightweight design, a decently long battery life, and a crisp, colorful display. According to the Amazon price-tracking site camelcamelcamel, it's never been this cheap before.
More Amazon device dealsFire tablets
Amazon Fire HD 8 (64GB) — $84.99 $129.99 (save $45) ✅
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (64GB) — $94.99 $169.99 (save $75)
Echo devices
Amazon Echo Glow — $22.99 $29.99 (save $7)
Fire TVs
Amazon Fire TV Stick HD — $15.99 $39.99 (save $24)
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select — $17.99 $49.99 (save $32)
Amazon Fire TV Stick Voice Remote Pro — $24.99 $34.99 (save $10)
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $37.99 $69.99 (save $32)
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max — $44.99 $84.99 (save $40)
Amazon Fire TV Cube — $89.99 $199.99 (save $110)
Blink cameras
Blink Video Doorbell — $21.99 $49.99 (save $28)
Blink Mini Pan-Tilt Camera — $23.99 $39.99 (save $16)
Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera — $39.99 $99.99 (save $60)
Blink Outdoor 4 and Battery Doorbell — $104.99 $369.98 (save $264.99)
Smart home
Amazon Smart Plug — $12.98 $24.99 (save $12.01)
Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor — $46.99 $69.99 (save $23)
Amazon Smart Thermostat — $56.99 $79.99 (save $23)
$1,499.99 Save $652 Get Deal Why we like it
"The Hisense U7 series delivers Mini-LED performance you'd expect on higher-priced models. It packs a 165Hz refresh rate, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos audio, a Google TV with a Gemini interface, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Its backlighting features full-array local dimming as well, which means clusters of tiny LED bulbs precisely control brightness levels within specific sections of your screen for more accuracy and depth. The U7 is a step up from our favorite budget TV of 2026, but with this massive price drop, it's actually a much better deal. At $847.99, the 65-inch model is already $2 cheaper than it was on Prime Day proper back in June." — Christina Buff, Mashable Contributor
More TV dealsUnder 50-inch TV deals
Roku 43-Inch Select Series 4K TV — $179.99 $249.99 (save $70)
LG 43-inch QNED73B Mini-LED QNED 4K TV — $299.99 $359.99 (save $60)
Sony 48-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K TV — $1,098 $1,299.99 (save $201.99)
50 to 55-inch TV deals
Insignia 50-inch F50 4K TV — $179.99 $299.99 (save $120)
Hisense 55-inch E6SR Hi-QLED 4K TV — $299.99 $449.99 (save $150)
Samsung 55-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $299.99 $347.99 (save $48)
Hisense 50-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $1,299.99 (save $502)
TCL 55-inch NXTVISION QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $999.99 (save $202)
LG 55-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,299.99 (save $400)
65-inch TV deals
Roku 65-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV — $449.99 $649.99 (save $200)
Hisense 65-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $649.99 $999.99 (save $350)
LG 65-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,799.99 (save $700)
Toshiba 65-inch G700 ArtVision QLED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,999.99 (save $900)
Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,197.99 $1,999.99 (save $802)
Samsung 65-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $1,397.99 $1,999.99 (save $602)
TCL 65-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,497.99 $2,499.99 (save $1,002)
LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV — $1,599.99 $2,699.99 (save $1,100)
Samsung 65-inch S90H OLED 4K TV — $1,697.99 $2,699.99 (save $1,002)
Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD QLED 4K TV — $2,498 $3,299.99 (save $801.99)
75-inch TV deals
Samsung 75-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $547.99 $729.99 (save $182)
80 to 85-inch TV deals
Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro Hi-QLED Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,297.99 $1,999.99 (save $702)
Hisense 85-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $2,197.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,802)
TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)
Over 85-inch TV deals
Hisense 100-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,996.97 $2,999.99 (save $1,003.02)
Hisense 100-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $2,999.99 (save $502)
TCL 98-inch QM7L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)
TCL 98-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $3,997.99 $5,999.99 (save $2,002)
$899 Save $400 Get Deal Why we like it
"Ahead of Prime Day, this Bluetti power unit has $400 off the list price. It comes with a 1,024Wh capacity and 1,800W output, with 11 ports so you can charge multiple devices at once. It can also fully recharge in about 70 minutes with TurboBoost AC charging, making it a great option for last-minute use.
The 10-millisecond UPS (uninterruptible power supply) means this is a great model for plugging into your workstation or the WiFi router at home when a storm threatens to take out grid power. A 10 UPS means the Ecoflow will take over providing power within 10 milliseconds of losing wall power." — Lois Mackenzie, Mashable Contributor
More power station dealsJackery Explorer 300 — $258 $289 (save $30)
Bluetti Elite 30 V2 — $279.99 $449 (save $169.01)
Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 — $499.99 $599 (save $99.01)
Jackery HomePower 1000 v2 — $549 $649 (save $100)
Ecoflow Delta 3 Plus — $654 $899 (save $245)
Bluetti Elite 100 V2 with 200W Solar Panel — $698.98 $999 (save $300.02)
Jackery Solar Generator 1000 v2 and 200W Solar Panel — $699 $879 (save $180)
Anker Solix S2000 — $699.99 $1,199 (save $499.01)
Bluetti FridgePower — $898.97 $1,499 (save $600.03)
Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 — $898.99 $999 (save $100.01)
Bluetti Elite 200 V2 — $899 $1,199 (save $300)
Ecoflow Delta 2 Max — $1,029 $1,399 (save $370)
Bluetti Elite 300 — $1,098.99 $1,499 (save $400.01)
Jackery HomePower 3000 — $1,349 $1,499 (save $150)
Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus — $1,709 $1,899 (save $190)
Anker Solix F3800 — $2,499.98 $2,799.99 (save $300.01)
$639.99 Save $250 Get Deal Why we like it
"The Samsung 990 PRO delivers top-tier sequential speeds up to 7,450 MB/s, effectively maxing out what a PCIe 4.0 slot can process. That translates directly to faster boot times, near-instant game loading on PC or PS5, and smooth handling of large 4K video renders. It also runs more power-efficiently than its predecessor, so it stays stable under heavy continuous workloads. With a solid five-year warranty and a huge price drop, it’s one of the best value-for-money storage upgrades you can buy right now." — Soumya Kumar, Mashable Contributor
More SSD and hard drive dealsMicroSDs
SanDisk 32GB Ultra microSDHC — $20.80 $23 (save $2.20)
SanDisk 128GB High Endurance Video microSDXC — $36.99 $60.99 (save $24)
SanDisk 256GB Ultra microSD Card + Adapter — $48.24 $53.08 (save $4.84)
SanDisk 512GB microSD Express Card for Nintendo Switch 2 — $159.99 $199.99 (save $40)
Portable SSDs
SanDisk 500GB Portable SSD — $109.99 $128.99 (save $19)
SanDisk 500GB Extreme Portable SSD — $159.99 $185.99 (save $26)
Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB — $229.99 $274.99 (save $45)
Samsung T9 Portable SSD 2TB — $981.87 $1,144.99 (save $163.12)
Portable HDDs
UnionSine 500GB Ultra Slim Portable External Hard Drive — $37.46 $39.43 (save $1.97)
Seagate 2TB Portable Hard Drive — $129.99 $149.99 (save $20)
WD 5TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive — $213 $284.99 (save $71.99)
Western Digital 5TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive — $237.99 $274.99 (save $37)
WD 6TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive — $259.95 $319.99 (save $60.04)
Internal hard drives
Western Digital 1TB WD Blue PC Internal Hard Drive — $119 $134.99 (save $15.99)
Western Digital 1TB WD Blue Mobile Hard Drive — $129 $144.99 (save $15.99)
$299.99 Save $118.02 Get Deal Why we like it
Many runners believe Garmin is the gold standard of smartwatches and fitness trackers. And ahead of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, you can grab the Garmin Vivoactive 5 for just $181.97. That saves you over $118 off its retail price.
The Vivoactive 5 features an AMOLED display and up to 11 days of battery life, so you can wear it around the clock. It provides energy monitoring and a sleep score, so you get personalized tips to improve your sleep. Plus, it has 80 built-in types of sport tracking.
More fitness tracker and smartwatch dealsCMF by Nothing Watch 3 Pro — $69 $79 (save $10)
Garmin Lily 2 — $210.99 $249.99 (save $39)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, 40mm — $259.99 $299.99 (save $40) ✅
Google Pixel Watch 4, 41mm — $329.99 $449.99 (save $120)
$79.99 Save $24.02 Get Deal Why we like it
The Nintendo Customer Appreciation Sale is a great chance to save on Switch games and accessories, and it runs through Sept. 26. Amazon is undercutting Nintendo, Walmart, and Best Buy by a whopping $0.02 with this deal, but we're not complaining.
This wireless controller offers better controls for many types of games (on both Switch 1 and Switch 2) than the standard Nintendo Joy-Con controllers, and this is your chance to grab it at its lowest-ever price.
More deals on toys and gamesLego Classic Creative Suitcase 10713 — $11.80 $19.99 (save $8.19)
Nintendo Joy-Con (single) — $31.49 $44.99 (save $13.50)
Lego Botanicals Succulents 10309 — $34.99 $49.99 (save $15)
Metroid Dread Nintendo Switch (Digital Code) — $41.97 $59.99 (save $18.02)
Right now, Prime members can save 80% on four months of Amazon's audiobook service, paying just $0.99 for their first four months. Your membership lets you download one title per month. including classics, new releases, and BookTok faves like the ACOTAR series. And if 99 cents feels a little high, you can also sign up for a 30-day free trial.
More Amazon subscription dealsKindle Unlimited — 3 months free
Amazon Music Unlimited — 4 months free with Prime
Buy or lease a new car, get a $1,500 gift card for free with Prime
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Switching to a dual-mouse setup is the best thing I’ve done this year
After almost two decades of using gaming mice, I switched to an ergonomic mouse about a month ago. The move is already paying dividends because my Logitech MX Master 3S is super comfortable to use, but I still decided to keep my Logitech G305 and switch to a dual mouse setup. Here’s why.
