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The best early Target Circle Deal Days deals: Best Apple deal Apple Watch Series 11 $349.99 (save $50) Get Deal Best headphones deal Sony WH-1000XM5 $299.99 (save $100) Get Deal Best laptop deal 14-inch HP HD Touchscreen Notebook $299.99 (save $300) Get Deal

Target Circle Deal Days officially runs Oct. 6–7. If those dates sound familiar, it's because Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days (aka October Prime Day) falls on the exact same days.

Target originally introduced its Circle sale in 2019 to compete with Amazon's once-a-year summer event. Now that Amazon has stretched its sales calendar into the fall, Target is right there with them, dropping early holiday discounts for Circle members (it's free to join!) well before Black Friday even enters the chat.

SEE ALSO: 4 early Prime Day iPhone deals: We found the new iPhone 18 Pro for free (yes, really)

But you don't have to wait for Oct. 6 to find a good deal. Target already has a handful of early discounts live for Circle members. Here are the best early Target Circle deals you can shop now.

Best Target Apple deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) $349.99 at Target
$399.99 Save $50   Get Deal Why we like it

As you all know, we love a good Apple deal. Right now, you can get the Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) for $349.99, down from $399.99, at Target. That's a $50 discount, and it's the best deal you'll find on this watch right now — Best Buy's charging $499 (over the retail price), and Amazon doesn't even have it in stock.

The lowest price we've ever seen was $279 back in June, so it's definitely possible it could drop to that price again during Prime Day. But if you'd rather not wait, you can get it today for $50 off (not too shabby for a 2025 model).

More Apple deals

• Apple AirPods 4 (without ANC) — $99.99 $129.99 (save $30)

• Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) — $149.99 $179.99 (save $30)

Best Target headphones deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM5 $299.99 at Target
$399.99 Save $100   Get Deal Why we like it

We're a little obsessed with the Sony XM5 headphones. Mashable's Deputy Shopping Editor, Miller Kern, awarded them a Mashable Choice Award in 2022, and we're still talking about them today thanks to their sleek design, noise cancelation, and "unbeatable sound quality."

And right now, you can get them for $299.99, down from $399.99. (Amazon has them for $298, if you want to save an extra buck.) That said, we did see these headphones drop to $198 during June's Prime Day event. It's totally up to you if you want to wait and see if Amazon hits that price again next week, but if you don't want to risk missing out, grabbing them for $100 off at Target today is a safe play.

Sony XM5 vs. XM6: See how they compare

More headphones deals

• JBL Tune 530BT — $39.99 $59.99 (save $20)

• Beats Solo Buds — $69.99 $79.99 (save $10)

• Beats Studio Pro — $249.99 $399.99 (save $100)

Best Target laptop deal Opens in a new window Credit: HP 14-inch HP HD Touchscreen Notebook (Intel N150, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) + HP Wireless Mouse + One Year M365 Subscription $299.99 at Target
$599.99 Save $300   Get Deal Why we like it

If you're looking for a budget-friendly laptop that doesn't skimp on features, the 14-inch HP HD Touchscreen Notebook (Intel N150, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) is currently on sale for (wait for it) $299.99 at Target. That's the lowest price we've ever tracked for this laptop.

That's honestly a crazy-good deal for a touchscreen laptop that comes with a wireless mouse and a one-year M365 subscription. It's also in a super cute colorway (Winter Lavender), which usually costs more, so this is def a deal we'd recommend jumping on.

Note: Amazon is matching this deal, but if you want to save even more and don't care about the extras (aka the mouse and M365 subscription), you can get it in Natural Silver at Best Buy for $219.99.

More laptop deals

• 15.6-inch Refurbished Acer 315 Chromebook (Intel Celeron N4500 1.10GHz, 4GB RAM, 64GB FLASH) — $193.76 $279.99 (save $86.23)

• 14-inch HP Essential (Intel Celeron N4500, 16GB RAM, 64GB eMMC) — $359.99 $599.98 (save $239.99)

• 15.6-inch Lenovo V15 G4 (Ryzen 5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $789.99 $1,316.65 (save $526.66)

TL;DR: Watch USA vs. Mexico in an International Friendly for free on TV Azteca. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are a number of really interesting soccer fixtures taking place this weekend, but USA vs. Mexico has got to be one of the best. This rivalry is always entertaining, and you know both sides will be desperate to claim a win. There's nothing friendly about this fixture.

USA are coming into this game off a convincing 4-2 win over Chile. Mexico were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Peru, but they'll be confident of producing an improved performance here.

If you're interested in watching USA vs. Mexico in an International Friendly from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is USA vs. Mexico?

USA vs. Mexico in an International Friendly kicks off at 10 p.m. ET on Oct. 3. This fixture takes place at the State Farm Stadium.

How to watch USA vs. Mexico for free

USA vs. Mexico in an International Friendly is available to live stream for free on TV Azteca.

TV Azteca is geo-restricted to Mexico, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Mexico, meaning you can live stream USA vs. Mexico for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream USA vs. Mexico for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Mexico

4. Visit TV Azteca

5. Watch USA vs. Mexico for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch USA vs. Mexico without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for TV Azteca?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on TV Azteca, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Mexico

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream USA vs. Mexico for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Argentina vs. Burkina Faso in an International Friendly for free on Telefe. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

All the attention is on Lionel Messi's farewell fixture against Benin, but Argentina actually have another game to play before that emotional moment.

Argentina face off against Burkina Faso this weekend at the Estadio Monumental. They're coming off a comfortable victory over Bolivia and will expect another win here. Burkina Faso aren't weak opposition, but most fans will expect them to come up short here.

If you're interested in watching Argentina vs. Burkina Faso in an International Friendly from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Argentina vs. Burkina Faso?

Argentina vs. Burkina Faso in an International Friendly kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Oct. 3. This fixture takes place at the Estadio Monumental.

How to watch Argentina vs. Burkina Faso for free

Argentina vs. Burkina Faso in an International Friendly is available to live stream for free on Telefe.

Telefe is geo-restricted to Argentina, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Argentina, meaning you can live stream Argentina vs. Burkina Faso for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Argentina vs. Burkina Faso for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Argentina

4. Visit Telefe

5. Watch Argentina vs. Burkina Faso for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Argentina vs. Burkina Faso without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Telefe?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Telefe, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Argentina

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Argentina vs. Burkina Faso for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Don't say Amazon never gave you anything. Aside from the usual perks of being a Prime member (free delivery, exclusive deals, Prime Video access, Grubhub+, etc.), Amazon also offers subscription services for music and reading: Amazon Music Unlimited and Kindle Unlimited. And as a Prime member, there's a good chance you can get these services for free — at least for a limited time.

If you haven't already explored what Amazon's subscriptions for Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Music Unlimited have to offer, now's the perfect opportunity. With Prime Big Deal Days on the horizon, Amazon is dishing out deals left and right, including on its subscription services.

Here's everything you need to know to get both Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Music Unlimited for free this season.

What is Kindle Unlimited?

Kindle Unlimited is a paid subscription service offered by Amazon to feed your reading habit. It's basically like Amazon's own library service, where you can borrow up to 20 books at a time (magazines don't count). Libby, the free library app, works pretty similarly. The main differences, besides the cost, are that there are no wait times for popular books and no time limits on borrowing books. You don't actually even need a Kindle device to use Kindle Unlimited.

The Kindle Unlimited library doesn't offer every book you can dream of; it has a rotating lineup. But as a paying subscriber myself, I can vouch for its lineup being pretty stacked. Amazon says there are over 5 million digital books, audiobooks, comics, manga, and magazines across all genres in the Kindle Unlimited library.

How to get Kindle Unlimited for free

In the lead-up to the Prime Big Deal Days (aka October Prime Day) sale, Amazon is running a Kindle Unlimited promo that lets Prime members get their first three months free. The deal is available for both new and eligible returning subscribers who are also Prime members. If you're not a Prime member, there's still time to sign up and lock in this promotional offer. You'll have until the October Prime Day event wraps up on Oct. 8 to sign up for free.

Once the promotional offer ends, you'll be automatically charged full price unless you cancel.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kindle Unlimited Kindle Unlimited Free for 3 months (with Prime) Get Deal How much does Kindle Unlimited cost?

A Kindle Unlimited subscription costs $11.99 per month. There's only one membership tier and no annual memberships offered. There's typically a 30-day free trial available to new users, except during major events like Prime Day and Black Friday when that is extended to three months.

What is Amazon Music Unlimited?

As the name suggests, Amazon Music Unlimited is an unlimited music streaming service similar to Apple Music or Spotify. It features a massive music catalog that you can listen to ad-free, on demand, and in high quality with HD and spatial audio. It also includes plenty of ad-free podcasts and one free audiobook per month via Audible.

How to get Amazon Music Unlimited for free

Like Kindle Unlimited, Amazon Music Unlimited is running a promo in the lead-up to the October Prime Day event. Prime members can lock in four free months of Amazon Music Unlimited's Individual Plan. Unlike the Kindle Unlimited offer, however, non-Prime members can also get a free three-month subscription. Either way, the deal is a limited-time offer available only to new subscribers. Just head to Amazon.com/music or download the app to get the deal.

Once your four (or three) months are up, you'll automatically be charged the full subscription cost unless you cancel. Set your calendar alerts now.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Music Unlimited Free for 4 months (with Prime) Get Deal How much does Amazon Music Unlimited cost?

If you're a Prime member, Amazon Music Unlimited will cost you $11.99 per month for an Individual Plan. Not a Prime member? You'll pay a dollar more per month. There are also options for a Family Plan for $21.99 per month, a Single Device Plan for $6.99 per month, and a Student Plan for $5.99 per month.

I have a confession and some good news. First, a confession: While watching Godzilla Minus Zero in a theater, I squealed and screamed in excitement loudly and repeatedly. I even threw my hands up at one point, as if I were going down the sharp hill of a rollercoaster ride. Now, good news: No one was any the wiser to my giddy noise. (And I wasn’t the only one whose hands took flight!) 

The sequel to the critically acclaimed and fan-revered Godzilla Minus One offers a soundscape so rich in roars, along with a booming score, that I could barely hear my own screams. And bonus good news: You will likely echo my enthralled reaction, because Godzilla Minus Zero is awesome, in the classical sense of the word. 

Godzilla Minus Zero is a sensational sequel.  Hidetaka Yoshioka returns as Noda in "Godzilla Minus Zero." Credit: GKIDS

Godzilla Minus One writer/director Takashi Yamazaki returns, picking up his kaiju saga two years after the events of the last film. In Godzilla Minus Zero, Japanese pilot Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is now a celebrated hero because of his ace flying in the final assault on Godzilla, which sent the massive monster back to the depths of the Pacific Ocean. His love, Noriko (Minami Hamabe), has healed from her wounds from Godzilla's attack, but wears a conspicuous eye patch. And their gleeful daughter, Akiko (Sae Nagatani), is the envy of a scrappy flock of war orphans cared for by their gruff but compassionate neighbor, Sumiko Ōta (Sakura Ando). 

Meanwhile, friend of the family and silver fox with gorgeous hair Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka) has been promoted to the head of a military unit dedicated to eliminating future kaiju threats. So, when a new creature rises, taking flight with a terrifying ferocity, Noda turns to some old friends for help. 

Harkening back to the early Godzilla movies, Yamazaki balances scenes of massive monster destruction with sequences of human drama. The post-World War II melodrama in the first film revolved around Shikishima, a disgraced kamikaze pilot who was at first too cowardly to sacrifice himself for the greater good. In the finale, he finally risked his life to topple Godzilla — and he survived! And this time, the public opinion on such an escape shifted in his favor. 

In its sequel, he is challenged to risk their safety to build a better future for Akiko. After the long battle for Shikishima to even acknowledge the love his family cobbled together in the ruins of war, it's a thrill to see him so openly affectionate with both — and a brutal blow to realize he is once again risking everything to preserve them. 

Godzilla Minus Zero goes harder than any Godzilla movie before.  Noriko (Minami Hamabe) wears an eyepatch in "Godzilla Minus Zero." Credit: GKIDS

In the franchise's 70-year history, Godzilla Minus Zero is the first of these films to be rated R. Yamazaki uses this as an opportunity to turn jaded adult viewers into giddy kids again, freshly awed by the might of these monsters. 

As has been teased in advertising around the movie, Godzilla Minus Zero sees the rise of Ghidorah, an extraterrestrial dragon with wings and gravity beams that allow it to lift buildings from their foundations and drop them like bombs. Far from the clunky costumed actors of the original films, Yamazaki's crew has built a monster that is seamlessly realized and absolutely electrifying. 

First, Ghidorah attacks Matsumoto City, turning the daily lives of civilians into a waking nightmare. These scenes of devastation are exciting and disturbing, reconfiguring the gruesome realities of war with a sci-fi bend that makes them distinctly harrowing. But things get even more intense when Godzilla returns for a monster-versus-monster battle. In these sequences, the R rating allows Yamazaki to take the damage against these iconic creatures to a jaw-dropping extreme. The gore is shocking and exciting in these sequences. But elsewhere, graphic violence is used for a more humane purpose. 

Echoing the previous movie's message about the horrors of war, Godzilla Minus Zero introduces new character who is a hibakusha (a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing). Through his perspective, the graphic evisceration of atomic weaponry is made horrifyingly clear. Men, women, and children melted and scorched beyond recognition. It is soberingly horrendous. 

This is a brilliant balance of violence. With the monsters, the battles resurrect the wonder I experienced watching those original movies on battered VHS tapes, lying belly down on my friend’s fuzzy living room carpeting. Then, the toll taken on human bodies demands audiences recognize the difference between these fun fantasies of violence and the terrible truth of it in the name of war. 

Knitted together with outstanding visual effects and an earnest ensemble, Godzilla Minus Zero is truly epic. It demands to be seen in theaters, where its visuals can hit like an atomic breath and its soundscape can rattle your very bones. 

Let yourself be swallowed by that roar. You won't regret it. 

Godzilla Minus Zero was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival. The movie opens in theaters and IMAX on Nov. 6. 

TL;DR: Get things done more efficiently with this Microsoft Project Professional 2024 lifetime license for Windows, on sale now for just $49.97 (reg. $1,129.99) through Oct. 4.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Project Professional 2024: Lifetime License for Windows $49.97
$1,129.99 Save $1,080.02   Get Deal

Calendars can show you when a project is due, but dates don’t really help you figure out how all the pieces need to fit together. That’s where Microsoft Project Professional 2024 comes in, serving as your very own personal project assistant to help you plan, execute, and complete projects.

Right now, you can lock in a Microsoft Project Professional 2024 lifetime license for Windows for just $49.97 until tomorrow, Oct. 4, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Getting a project done requires more than a basic to-do list. Microsoft Project Professional 2024 serves as your own project management tool, helping you take your tasks from start to finish.

Microsoft Project Professional 2024’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to get started. It’s packed with pre-built templates ready to help keep your projects on track. Submit timesheets to see how much time has been spent on project and non-project work, or look at intuitive baselines that let you track and compare your actual progress against the original plan.

If you’re more visual, Microsoft Project Professional 2024 makes it easy to view complex schedules with multiple built-in timelines. It also allows you to run what-if scenarios.

Collaborating with others is easy with Microsoft Project Professional 2024 — just hover over your team members’ names to see their online status and then start a chat or call with them on Microsoft Teams.

This lifetime license for Windows is tied to your PC, not your Microsoft account, so you can enjoy permanent access on your device.

Snag this Microsoft Project Professional 2024 lifetime license for Windows for just $49.97 through tomorrow.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to the 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan is $99.99 (reg. $540). That’s 81% off, and it includes 4 million credits per month for a long list of AI models.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $99.99
$540 Save $440.01   Get Deal

One AI writes cleaner copy. Another handles code better. A third is stronger in research. Keeping up with which one does what, and paying for each, gets old quickly.

1min.AI puts them in one app, so you can stop guessing. For a limited time, the Advanced Business Plan is $99.99 for life.

You can chat with models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Mistral, and Cohere, including GPT-5.5 Pro, Claude 4.6 Sonnet, and Gemini 3.1 Pro. Try the same prompt across a few of them and keep the answer you like. For more on how these models compare, check out Mashable’s [AI coverage](INTERNAL LINK: Mashable AI category page).

1min.AI also includes task-specific tools like a summarizer, paraphraser, and grammar checker. It also has image tools for generation, upscaling, and background removal.

There are PDF and document tools, plus audio and video features such as text-to-speech, transcription, and text-to-video. The plan supports up to 20 team members and works on the web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Here’s the catch. Everything runs on credits. The plan includes 4 million per month, plus up to 450,000 more if you log in daily. That works out to roughly 1.1 million words or about 1,186 images per month. Heavier tasks like video use credits much faster, and flagship models may burn through them quicker. You’ll also need to redeem your code within 30 days of purchase.

If you use AI often and want to stop switching between apps, this is worth a look. Get a lifetime subscription to the 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for $99.99 (reg. $540).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel Verity has been adapted into a star-studded movie, headlined by Anne Hathaway, Josh Hartnett, and Dakota Johnson. Together, this trio makes up a torrid love triangle defined as much by dark desires as by lies and manipulation. So, in the end, who are we meant to believe?

Mashable is going full spoilers. Proceed with caution.

What's Verity about? Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

Verity centers on Lowen Ashleigh (Johnson), a novelist who's been published but largely overlooked. However, a life-changing career opportunity presents itself when a publisher asks her to ghostwrite three novels for best-selling novelist Verity Crawford (Hathaway), who writes all her books from the perspective of their villains. Part of the job entails traveling to the Crawford home, which is a remote cabin near a lake, to go through Verity's office and files for notes on how the series should continue.

Why can't Verity just send along notes? Following a car crash, Verity cannot walk or talk. So, her husband Jeremy (Hartnett) invites Lowen to stay with them and their young son Crew (Brady Wagner), while she goes through the notes. During her time in the cabin, Lowen not only begins to be enchanted by Verity's home, child, and husband, but also uncovers a manuscript called So Be It. Written by Verity, this appears to be a memoir where the author confesses her darkest thoughts.

Spooked by this memoir, Lowen begins to suspect that Verity is not actually injured as she appears. Could she be sneaking around the house when no one's looking? And to what end?

What's in Verity's memoir, So Be It? Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

The story unfurled in the memoir begins with the night Verity met Jeremy at a party. She recounts how obsessed they became with each other, and how devastated she was when he would go off to work. So, she began to write a novel, filling her days with a fictional version of him named Lane.

According to So Be It, Jeremy is in awe of her when he reads the first novel. But outside the memoir, he tells Lowen that he never read another of his wife's Noble Virtues books, because he didn't like getting into her head like that. This is reflected in So Be It.

In the memoir, Verity equates his refusal to read her other work as a form of rejection. The more major blow, though, is how he loves their not-yet-born twins more than her. While pressing his face to her bulging belly, he says that his love for their children is unconditional, not like their love, which is "conditional." Verity's eyes well up as she says she loves Jeremy unconditionally, and he placatingly agrees. But here, a dark seed appears to be planted: the resentment of her children.

Other flashbacks show how Verity neglects her children, focusing instead on her own pleasures, like napping and writing novels. Over years, this selfishness festers to a murderous loathing of the kids, whom her husband loves more than her. So, she plots to drown them with a canoe ride in the lake — with no life vests.

Her son Crew survives, but her daughter Harper drowns. And to her dismay, this tragedy doesn't send Jeremy back into her arms, but into a depressive funk. The manuscript's title comes from her final confession, which begins with "So be it." She plans to kill herself by driving into a tree.

Lowen reads this final section with shock, believing that this is exactly what happened leading up to Verity's current circumstance. From there, she decides Verity is a villain, like the ones in her Noble Virtues novels, and so Lowen feels emboldened to steal the lifestyle that she feels Verity doesn't "deserve."

How does Verity end? Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

Lowen turns the manuscript over to Jeremy. He reads the seeming confession and, in a fit of rage, kills Verity by suffocating her.

Far from a helpless witness, Lowen gives him advice on how to "make it look like an accident" so they can get away with murder, and start a new life together. After dumping the dead wife in the lake, the pair hook up, resulting in Lowen getting pregnant.

Seven months later, Lowen boasts a big, pregnant belly as Jeremy and his son Crew tidy up the cabin preparing to move somewhere else with her. It's during the last look at the house that Crew reveals his secret hiding spot, where he's been keeping his secret drawings — and where his mother hid a letter to Jeremy.

What's in Verity's hidden letter? Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

Another version of Verity appears in the handwritten letter Lowen finds at the end of the film. Here, she tells Jeremy that if he's found this letter, it means she and Crew are far away and safe.

In the letter, she says So Be It was not a confession but a coping method. The idea came years before from her publisher, who'd suggested getting into the mindset of a villain with a writing exercise of creating a diary about her everyday life with a "sinister" tone. Verity found this exercise helpful in writing her novels. Then, once Harper drowned, she used it as a way to explore her grief. She didn't expect Jeremy to find it and believe it was true.

In the letter, she laments that he hadn't read her writing in years. Why would he have looked at the open file on her computer? Why would he not give her a chance to explain? Instead, the letter alleges, Jeremy committed to fatal vengeance. He drugged her and put her in a vehicle, setting up to kill her through a car crash, just like in So Be It.

When she awoke from the crash, she decided to play being paralyzed until she could escape with Crew. Verity feared that if she told anyone what happened, Jeremy would turn over the memoir to the authorities as if it were a confession, and she might be arrested for Harper's death and separated from her only surviving child.

Lowen reads this, horrified, gripping her pregnant belly. Did she kill an innocent woman to steal a wife-abusing murderer?

Which version of Verity is real?

Both Hoover's novel and director Michael Showalter's movie end with Lowen wondering which version of Verity is the true one. Notably, Verity's name means truth. But let's regard the clues. The first involves access.

In the film, Lowen finds the manuscript for So Be It in Verity's desk, tucked away inside a packet of cigarettes on a jump drive. The manuscript, while seeming to confess to being a bad mother and a child murderer, is not password-protected.

By contrast, the handwritten letter, scribbled out across pages torn from a notebook, is hidden within the floorboards of the lake house, which no one but Crew knew was a hiding place.

The access to these items suggests the letter was the secret, while the memoir was something Verity didn't think she needed to hide. An alternate reading could be that Jeremy, who gave Lowen full access to his wife's office after liking her book, planted the jump drive where he thought she might find it. But the preserved pages under the floorboards suggest he didn't know about the letter at all.

The second curious element of So Be It versus the letter is how Showalter depicts Verity in the flashbacks of each. For the memoir, she is always flawlessly groomed, her hair long and shining, draped over snug dresses or cashmere cardigans the color of fresh blood. Her skin is radiant. Her expressions are theatrically arch, recalling the psycho-biddy theatrics of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. And to that end, from her bold red lips comes an accent that is vaguely Transatlantic, emphasizing that Verity as a villain is a larger-than-life character, enhanced by Lowen's fantasy.

By contrast, the Verity shown in the letter's flashbacks is far less fantastical. Verity's skin is blotchy. Her eyes aren't sharp but clouded with tears. Her mouth is not a painted smile, but a pained frown of grief. This Verity looks more like the version Lowen saw around the house, stripped of her veneer of glamour and impenetrability.

Then there's one little moment that feels like a tipping point into which version of Verity rings most true.

Once Lowen reveals to Jeremy the memoir manuscript, he barrels into the bedroom bellowing at Verity, demanding to know if she's faking her infirmity. At first, she's still and stoic, as she was when Lowen tested her by stabbing her palm with a pushpin. But then, her facade cracks. She puts out an open palm toward her husband in a gesture of pause, and begs him not to hurt her. He then throttles her.

This simple, panicked request reflects the Verity of the still-undiscovered letter, which would accuse her husband of attacking her and trying to murder her because he believed she'd killed their daughter. She doesn't smirk or seduce to wiggle her way out of this conflict; she begs for mercy. That doesn't seem in like with the So Be It Verity. It seems the fearful reaction of a woman who knows exactly how dangerous the man in her life is.

Of course, the truth could lie somewhere in between. And for Lowen, believing the truth is more complicated might be the only way she can sleep at night... especially sharing a bed with Jeremy.

Verity is now in theaters.

Early October Prime Day tech deals at a glance: Best Amazon device deal Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus $37.99 (save $22) Get Deal Best AirPods deal Apple AirPods 4 $99 (save $30) Get Deal Best smartwatch deal Garmin vívoactive 6 (42mm) $229.99 (save $70) Get Deal Best laptop deal Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) $3,499 (save $600) Get Deal Best TV deal Amazon 55-inch Ember QLED Series Fire TV $489.99 (save $100) Get Deal Best gaming deal "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (Nintendo Switch 2) $59.88 (save $10.11) Get Deal Best Memory Deal SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD $256.98 (save $43.51) Get Deal Best Deal Under $50 Ugreen Nexode Pro 10000mAh 45W Mini Power Bank $37.97 (save $17.02) Get Deal Best Deal Under $25 Apple AirTag (2nd Gen) $24 (save $5) Get Deal Best Subscription Deal Audible $0.99 for 4 months (+$20 Audible credit) Get Deal

Mashable's discerning reporters and editors are constantly testing the latest gadgets, from e-readers to headphones, laptops, phones, power stations, smart rings, and portable speakers. This year, many of our favorite products have been besieged by price hikes as a result of the ongoing memory crisis. Fortunately, Amazon is about to bring tech shoppers some relief in the form of Prime Big Deal Days, better known as October Prime Day.

Set for Oct. 6 and 7, Prime Big Deal Days is a 48-hour sale for members of Amazon's Prime program. Often referred to as "October Prime Day," it serves as Amazon's unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. We've been covering the event since its inception in 2022, back when it was still called the Prime Early Access Sale. And this year, we'll be keeping an extra close eye on the best early Prime Day tech deals.

SEE ALSO: Try Amazon Prime for free for 30 days to get access to October Prime Day 2026

In the lead-up to the sale, Amazon is already offering some steep discounts on select devices from brands like Apple, TCL, Garmin, Beats, and Sony. After spending hours poring over these deals, we've identified the best early Prime Day deals that are so good, we'd buy them ourselves.

How do we pick these deals? We look for products we recommend at record-low prices (or close to them). We use price-tracking tools like camelcamelcamel to see if Amazon's discounts are actually better than usual, then cross-check them with other retailers' listings to make sure they're not cheaper elsewhere. (Walmart and Target are both gearing up to host their own October sales, FYI.) You can add our picks to your cart with confidence. And if we expect prices to drop lower in the days ahead, we'll be sure to tell you that.

So, without any further ado, these are the best early October Prime Day deals we've spotted so far.

$99 AirPods (a Prime Day classic)

It wouldn't be an Amazon Prime event without some $99 AirPods. But, ironically, before the sale officially begins, you can also grab these earbuds for $99 at Walmart. That could change come Oct. 6, as Amazon may be holding back some inventory for Prime Big Deal Days.

Apple's fourth-generation earbuds have excellent audio quality, a comfortable fit, and a five-hour battery life. The newer AirPods 5 sound even better and add ANC, but this pair is still a great option for iOS users on a budget. (Read Mashable's review.)

Note: The AirPods 4 dipped down to $69 last Black Friday, but $99 is their lowest price so far in 2026. Plus, they probably won't be in stock much longer now that their successors have launched.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $99 at Walmart
$129 Save $30   Get Deal Take $600 off Apple's most powerful laptop

If you're a professional creative, developer, or AI enthusiast who needs a compact new laptop for work, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better option than the 14-inch, M5 Max-powered MacBook Pro. (The M5 Max is Apple's most powerful laptop chip to date.) The "base" configuration with 36GB of RAM and 2TB of storage got a $500 price increase back in June, which bumped it from $3,599 to $4,099. But right now, Amazon has it on sale for just $3,499 — a $600 savings. It's even cheaper than before.

I should mention that Amazon's MacBook Pro discounts have capped out around $400 during its past Prime events. Suffice to say, this is a very good deal that probably won't last long.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) $3,499 at Amazon
$4,099 Save $600   Get Deal Cheaper-than-ever Fire tablets

Two of Amazon's own Fire tablets are already on sale for record-low prices ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. Take your pick from the compact Fire HD 8 with 64GB of storage — our favorite Fire tablet overall — or the big-screened Fire HD 10 with 32GB of storage, nicer cameras, and a sharper display. (Both have 13-hour battery lives.) They're now up to 53% off for Prime members.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 8 (64GB) $79.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $50.00 Prime membership required. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB) $72.99
$154.99 Save $82.00 Prime membership required. Get Deal Get 46% off a 4K streaming stick

Amazon's Fire tablets have been safe from price hikes so far, but the retailer raised the prices of all its Fire TV streaming sticks by at least $5 in August. The 4K Plus model went from $49.99 to $69.99. Nevertheless, Amazon will sell it to you for just $37.99 right now. (You can also try the coupon code STREAM4K, as we've seen it work at times this week.)

FWIW, this is Amazon's cheapest media player with support for Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, Nvidia Geforce Now, and Alexa Home Theater (a surround sound feature that works with Echo devices).

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus $37.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $32.00   Get Deal A new all-time low on an Apple Watch alternative

Garmin's vívoactive 6 is a lightweight fitness smartwatch with an AMOLED display and an 11-day battery life. It supports features like constant heart rate readings, stress tracking, and sleep coaching. Our friends over at Lifehacker, one of our sister sites, gave it a stellar 4.5/5 review, calling it "a great watch for somebody who wants to track their steps and activity."

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin vívoactive 6 (42mm) $229.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $70   Get Deal A huge discount on a huge QLED TV

The 65-inch TCL QM8L is the best QLED TV for most people, according to Leah Stodart, our former TV expert. She praised its "superb peak brightness, detailed picture quality, and fantastic glare handling." (QLED TVs in general "are ideal for people whose TV usage happens mostly in the daytime, especially watching sports," to quote her TV specs guide.)

Right now, the 85-inch QM8L is available for $2,797.99, which is a good price. However, we do expect this TV to go on sale for $2,497.99 or less once October Prime Day begins Oct. 6, so hold out if you can.

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 Affordable Fire TVs

The best early Prime Day tech deals always include savings on Amazon's own devices, like the affordable 40-inch Ember Fire TV. This TV has a high-definition HDR10+ display and doubles as an Alexa smart speaker for your home. The 28% discount drops the price to a very affordable $179.99, its lowest-ever price.

And if you're looking for a cheap TV with a little bit more oomph, the 50-inch QLED Ember Fire TV is currently $100 off.

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 Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Ember 55-inch QLED Series Fire TV $489.99 at Amazon
$589.99 Save $100   Get Deal Save $10 when you preorder the 'Ocarina of Time' remake

Nintendo's upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 will be one of the year's biggest gaming releases (after GTA 6, obviously). Preordering the physical edition will normally cost you $69.99 — it's $10 more than the digital version — but Amazon has it on sale for $59.88 ahead of its Nov. 5 launch. The first print run has special packaging with foil cover art, so don't dawdle.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (Nintendo Switch 2) $59.88 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $10.11   Get Deal DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo

Our tech editor reviewed this classic DJI vlogging camera when it first came out. At the time, we called it the perfect camera for social creators, and we were right. Since then, this camera has become a very common sight at tech events, conferences, and anywhere else streamers and creators get together.

The new DJI Osmo Pocket 4 can be hard to find in the United States, but the previous-gen version is hardly out of date. This gimbal camera shoots gorgeous 4K vertical and horizontal video, and uses the built-in gimbal for tracking and motion stabilization.

Read our review of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 camera.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo $549 at Amazon
$629 Save $80   Get Deal Best deal under $50: Ugreen power bank

Whether you're on team Android or iOS, this power bank will give your smartphone a second life. This has not been a good year to buy a new phone, thanks to rising prices, so if your battery is holding on for dear life, just slip this power bank into your purse or backpack and avoid low-battery anxiety. It charges your phone via an included USB-C cable at a speedy 45W.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ugreen Ugreen Nexode Pro 10000mAh 45W Mini Power Bank $37.97 at Amazon
$54.99 Save $17.02   Get Deal Best deal under $25: Apple AirTags

Apple released a new generation of AirTag trackers this year, the AirTag 2. The popular Apple tracker is already at an all-time low price, and we don't expect it to get any cheaper in the days ahead. You can also grab the 4-pack on sale for $89, though we're hoping that price drops to $79.99 soon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag (2nd Gen) $24 at Amazon
$29 Save $5   Get Deal Best deal under $15: Amazon smart plug

This little gadget always goes on sale during Amazon sales, and so we're hardly surprised that it's one of the retailer's early Prime Day deals for October 2026. You can add this smart plug to your cart for just $12.98, a nearly 50% discount. If you're trying to spend every last penny of an Amazon gift card, go ahead and add it to your shopping cart.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Smart Plug $12.98 at Amazon
$24.99 Save $12.01   Get Deal Deals on SanDisk memory products

The global memory crisis has led to rising costs for smartphones, laptops, and gaming consoles, but it's been a disaster for SD cards and hard drives. So, while the discounts aren't as huge as they were in past years, you can find savings on these memory products during October Prime Big Deal Days. We've found a bunch of early Prime Day deals on portable SSDs and hard drives, and we expect even more savings to come.

Case in point: The SanDisk Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Card Express is currently $40 off. Likewise, you can save $40 on the popular SanDisk Extreme portable SSD with 1TB of storage.

Opens in a new window Credit: SanDisk SanDisk microSD Express Card for Switch 2, 512GB $159.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $40   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: SanDisk Sandisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD $256.98 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $43.01   Get Deal Best subscription deal

This exclusive deal is for Prime members only, and it's a good one. For a limited time, Prime members can sign up for four months of Audible for just $0.99. You'll also get a $20 Audible credit to spend as you like.

Our advice? Take advantage of this deal and set a calendar reminder three months and 29 days in the future.

Opens in a new window Credit: Audible Audible $0.99 for 4 months + $20 Audible credit Get Deal Cheap wireless earbuds for under $25

If you're hoping to buy flagship-quality noise-cancelling earbuds, then wait for Prime Big Deal Days to begin, as we're expecting big discounts on Apple, Sony, and Bose earbuds. However, if you're prone to losing earbuds and just need something simple for everyday use, the popular Anker Soundcore P30i Earbuds are already at a record-low price of $24.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Soundcore P30i Noise-Cancelling Earbuds $24.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $25.00   Get Deal Deals to watch: Bose QuietComfort headphones and earbuds on sale

We've made no secret of the fact that we love Bose headphones and earbuds here at Mashable. The brand makes the most comfortable headphones we've ever tested, and the brand's popular QuietComfort line recently got refreshed.

Earlier this week, you could get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) and the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (Gen 2) for $50 off, but this deal has ended. However, we are very confident these products will get even bigger discounts when the Prime Big Deal Days sale starts on Tuesday, Oct. 6

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) $249.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (Gen 2) $399.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $50   Get Deal More Apple deals to watch

Some of the best early Prime Day tech deals so far are on Apple's iPads — or, at least, they were. As of this weekend, Apple's iPads are no longer on sale. That's the bad news. The good news is we fully expect the base iPad, the M4 iPad Air, and hopefully the M5 iPad Pro to get discounts in the coming days.

In the meantime, check out our guide to all of the October Prime Day iPad deals we expect this year.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Air (M4), 11 inches $649 at Amazon
$749 Save $100   Get Deal

Digger is not the movie it appears to be at first glance. And if you walked out of the theater feeling baffled, we're here for you. 

Co-written and directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Digger begins as a political satire in the vein of Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

Funny enough, Iñárritu has previously mirrored such title structures with films like BiRDMAN or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. But here, he goes with just Digger. 

Tom Cruise, almost unrecognizable in masterfully applied head-to-toe prosthetics, stars as Digger Rockwell, a third-generation oil tycoon who is more concerned with the health of his festering cat than the environment.

The film's first act follows Digger as he learns that a drilling site of his in Greenland has caused an enormous ice shelf to break off, which could result in devastation to a European coastline. However, as Digger takes a moment to talk man-to-man to a snarling president (John Goodman), something strange happens that turns the movie on its head.

What's the big spoiler in Digger? 

Though the trailer makes Digger seem like a fairly straightforward narrative feature with farcical humor, a bit of production design reveals its truth. As the president and Digger talk about the former's rectal cancer diagnosis, a tree in the view of the bay window falls. Then, a voice comes over loudspeaker, and an enormous man appears over the horizon to grab the tree and place it back where it stood. 

Just like that, the artifice in Digger reveals that Cruise is not playing Digger Rockwell but an actor named Curtis. It is Curtis who is playing Digger Rockwell in a play, and that play is called Fuel Fools.

The man on the horizon is not a giant, but seems so as he fixes the model backdrop that's projected on a green screen behind the stage's setting of Digger's home. While that happens, Curtis will storm offstage to check his phone (a futuristic bauble that can project video calls onto his dressing room mirror). Like Iñárritu's Birdman, this film's actor anti-hero has a strained relationship with his wife and daughter, the latter of whom has left him a phone message before her flight takes off. 

Curtis is the star of the 25th anniversary production of Fuel Fools, which will be described as a "cult hit" that was originally produced on a black box stage with three actors performing a series of monologues. However, as the enveloping setting of Digger suggests, this revival production is going to unusual extremes to immerse the audience in this farce.

The film's sets often appear to have four sides, standard for a narrative feature. So, once the theatrical production element is revealed, you may well wonder where the in-world audience is supposed to be. Iñárritu breaks from the story of the play throughout Digger to reveal just that, exposing one set after another, along with more details about why this production is this garish.

Jesse Plemons' role in Digger is another spoiler.  Credit: Seoju Park / Warner Bros. Entertainment

During Curtis' first break from the play, he is intruded upon by a stiff, redheaded man (Plemons), who commends him for really understanding the complexity of the character. Curtis understands this is one of the investors in the show, and so tries to be cordial about the intrusion.

In future breaks, where Curtis argues with the play's director Hannah (Sophie Wilde), it's made clear that Digger is not a fictional character within the world of this film. Instead, he was a historical figure who did cause an ecological disaster that did catastrophically impact the world. This play was presumably written after the dust settled, slightly more than 25 years ago. Fuel Fools was conceived as a farce that would invite the audience to laugh at the wealthy and powerful men who traded the future of the planet for money, without regret or restraint. They made the world worse, but at least, the film seems to suggest, we can laugh at them now that we've survived them.

In Digger's climax, Plemons is revealed to be not just a producer of the play, not just a fan of Curtis and his portrayal of Digger, but the real-life Digger's nephew Kenny. Previous to this, Kenny (as played by a child actor) appears in the play in a living room scene, cuddling Digger's decrepit cat. Plemons' Kenny recalls to Curtis seeing the play when it first premiered, and how it felt to see an audience cheer at his late uncle's downfall. He wanted to bring that back, but on an epic scale, sparing no expense (and generally ignoring how theater and film function differently).

While it's possible the Rockwell fortune endured even Digger's world-changing mistakes, a subplot involving Curtis' daughter going missing suggests that Kenny has made a fortune with a mysterious security firm. Kenny might be independently wealthy now. But in any regard, he's wealthy enough to remount a satire about what a complicated clown his uncle was. 

What happened to the real Digger and his world? Credit: Seoju Park / Warner Bros. Entertainment

The end of Fuel Fools sees Digger, his sister Emma (Sandra Hüller), her young son Kenny, Digger's mother, and the president's widow all living on an oil rig in the middle of the ocean. At this point, Digger still employs his assistant (Emma D'Arcy) and a kitchen staff to cook his meals. But as we see his maid skedaddle with a suitcase, a new reality settles in for the tycoon. Portions of his staff have raided the place, making off with provisions and gold bars. 

Far from the opulent (and tacky as hell) home from the first act, Digger ends up remote and powerless to boss people around with his affluence any longer. So, the play ends with him leaping into the ocean in an act of suicide. Special effects allow for the theatrical audience to watch Curtis-as-Digger as he sinks to the bottom of the sea, at which they cheer wildly. The bubbles of his breath through the water echo the methane he carelessly released through his drilling to horrendous ends.

Then, after the curtain call, where Curtis takes to the stage dripping with make-up meant to look like oil, the audience puts on gas masks as the PA system warns of the threat level outside.

Digger ends outside the theater, with audience members walking out into lower Manhattan, where the streets are flooded knee-deep. People scavenge in the dark water for resources, while those on the sidewalk go about their own business. Cars are abandoned in the muck, and military squadrons patrol. This is the ravaged world left behind by Digger Rockwell, where he is remembered as a powerful clown. 

Digger is now in theaters.

The best early Prime Day MicroSD, portable SSD, and internal SSD deals: Best SSD deal Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB PCIe 4.0 $389.99 (save $250) Get Deal Best Rugged SSD deal SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD $269.97 (save $30.02) Get Deal Best Internal SSD deal Samsung Internal SSD 990 2TB NVMe $369.99 (save $160) Get Deal Best MicroSD deal SanDisk 512GB microSD Express Card $129.99 (save $19.01) Get Deal Best Travel-Friendly SSD deal Samsung T7 2TB Portable SSD $389.99 (save $160) Get Deal

Thanks to the global memory crisis known as "RAMageddon," prices on memory products like internal drives, external SSDs, and high-capacity flash storage have continued to climb. It’s been a relentless up, up, and up trajectory as enterprise demand squeezes consumer supply.

High-speed NVMe drives, rugged external SSDs, microSD cards, and hard drives are Prime Day staples that matter more than ever amid RAMageddon. We did some digging and found the best early Prime Day deals in the solid-state category right now. If you've been waiting to expand your PC build, give your PS5 some breathing room, or secure your off-site backups, now is the time to take advantage of these SSD offers from top-tier brands like Samsung, SanDisk, and more.

Best SSD deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB PCIe 4.0 $389.99 at Amazon
$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.

Best rugged SSD deal Opens in a new window Credit: SanDisk SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD $269.97 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $30.02   Get Deal Why we like it

Pocket-sized, ridiculously fast, and virtually indestructible, the SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD is engineered for harsh travel conditions that would destroy standard desktop drives. It nearly doubles the speed of previous generations, so you can back up thousands of photos in less than a minute, while offering full weather resistance to rain and spills, and hardware encryption to keep your private documents locked down tighter than a vault.

Best travel-friendly SSD deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung T7 2TB Portable SSD $389.99
$549.99 Save $160   Get Deal Why we like it

The Samsung T7 is built for life on the move. Weighing under two ounces and barely larger than a credit card, it slips into a pocket or backpack pouch without taking up space in your carry-on. Its solid aluminum unibody design handles the bumps of travel with ease, featuring shock resistance that withstands drops from up to 6 feet. With transfer speeds up to 1,050 MB/s, you can offload massive 4K travel footage, photo backups, or offline media libraries in seconds. You can even plug it directly into an iPhone 15 Pro (or newer) to record high-res video straight to the drive while on location.

More SSD and hard drive deals

MicroSDs

• SanDisk 32GB Ultra microSDHC — $20.48 $23 (save $2.52)

• SanDisk 128GB High Endurance Video microSDXC — $36.99 $60.99 (save $24)

• 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)

• SanDisk 1TB Portable SSD — $159.99 $220.99 (save $61)

• Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB — $229.99 $274.99 (save $45)

• Samsung T9 Portable SSD 2TB — $979.99 $1,144.99 (save $165)

Portable HDDs

• UnionSine 500GB Ultra Slim Portable External Hard Drive — $35.49 $39.43 (save $3.94)

• 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 — $236.70 $274.99 (save $38.29)

• WD 6TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive — $259.95 $319.99 (save $60.04)

Internal hard drives

• Western Digital 1TB WD Blue Mobile Hard Drive — $129.99 $144.99 (save $15)

• Samsung 2TB SSD 990 Pro — $389.99 $639.99 (save $250)

The best early October Prime Day Deals at a glance: Best headphone deal Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) $319 (save $40) Get Deal Best Amazon device deal Amazon Echo Dot $39.99 (save $40) Get Deal Best TV deal Amazon Ember 55-inch Artline QLED 4K TV $499.99 (Save $400) Get Deal Best Deal Under $50 Soundcore P30i by Anker noise-cancelling earbuds $24.99 (save $25) Get Deal Best power station deal Bluetti Elite 100 V2 $499 (Save $400) Get Deal Best Memory deal SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD $251.93 (Save $48.06) Get Deal Best smartwatch deal Garmin Vivoactive 5 $181.97 (save $118.02) Get Deal Best Lego Deal Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement $62.04 (save $47.95) Get Deal Best Apple deal to watch Apple AirPods Pro 3 $234 (save $15) Get Deal Best for Prime members Audible $0.99 per month for 4 months + $20 Audible credit Get Deal

Amazon's next Prime sale is 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.

The best October Prime Day deals will be your chance 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. Seasonal sales like Prime Big Deal Days (and later Black Friday) should cancel out some of those markups.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime in time for the next Prime Day

As we gear up for fall, Amazon is already dropping early October Prime Day deals, and we've sifted through hundreds to find the best ones for you. A quick word of warning that 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. You can also check out our guide to the top October Prime Day tech deals for more savings.

Deals marked with a ✅ are Mashable editor favorites. Deals marked with a strikethrough are no longer available but could return once the sale starts.

Best headphone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort (2nd Gen) Headphones $319 at Amazon
$359 Save $40   Get Deal Why we like it

Ahead of October Prime Day, we spotted the first deal on the second-generation Bose QuietComfort headphones. Mashable's audio expert Bethany Allard says that the Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) are the best combination of comfort, noise cancellation, sound quality, and value. And right now, they're on sale for the first time ever and an even better value as they're 11% off. Get them for $319, and save $40 on the headphones that are usually $359.

More headphone deals

• JBL Tune 730BT headphones — $59.95 $89.95 (save $30)

• Beats Solo 4 wireless headphones — $149.95 $199.95 (save $50)

More wireless earbuds deals

• Soundcore P30i by Anker noise-cancelling earbuds — $24.99 $49.99 (save $25) ✅

• Beats Fit Pro (1st Gen) sports earbuds — $124.95 $199.95 (save $75)

• Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 — $189.99 $229 (save $39.01) ✅

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) — $249.99 $299 (save $49.01) ✅

Best Apple deal to watch Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 3 ✅ $234 at Amazon
$249 Save $15   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 $234, a $15 discount. The price isn't bad for an early deal, but we recommend waiting for Prime Big Deal Days to begin, when we expect the price to drop to $199 or lower. 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 deals

AirPods

• Apple AirPods 4 — $99 $129.99 (save $30.99)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $509.99 $549 (save $39.01)

iPads

• Apple iPad (A16, 128GB, WiFi) — $427 $449 (save $22)

• Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) — $1,299 $1,499 (save $200)

• Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) — $1,899 $2,099 (save $200)

MacBooks

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,449 $1,599 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,839 $1,999 (save $160) ✅

• Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 48GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $4,499 $4,999 (save $500)

Apple 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) ✅

Best Amazon device deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Dot $39.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $40.00   Get Deal Why we like it

Finally! Amazon's Echo devices are officially on sale ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. Right now, grab the Amazon Echo Dot for just $39.99. While that's not the lowest sale price we've ever spotted on the Echo Dot, it's the best price since Amazon increased prices on its devices.

The Echo Dot is a perfectly compact smart speaker. Plus, it's compatible with Alexa+, a smarter home assistant that helps you do everything from meal planning to booking dinner reservations.

More Amazon device deals

Echo devices

• Amazon Echo Glow — $22.99 $29.99 (save $7)

• Amazon Echo Show 5 — $59.99 $99.99 (save $40)

• Amazon Echo Dot Max — $79.99 $119.99 (save $40)

• Amazon Echo Show 11 — $149.99 $249.99 (save $100)

• Amazon Echo Show 21 — $349.99 $499.99 (save $150)

Fire tablets

• Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB) — $72.99 $154.99 (save $82)

• Amazon Fire HD 8 (64GB) — $79.99 $129.99 (save $50) ✅

• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (64GB) — $94.99 $169.99 (save $75)

Fire TV Sticks

• 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 — $19.99 $34.99 (save $15)

• 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 Mini Pan-Tilt Camera — $23.99 $39.99 (save $16)

• Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera — $39.99 $99.99 (save $60)

• Blink Outdoor 4 (5+camera system) + 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)

Best TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Ember 55-inch Artline QLED 4K TV ✅ $499.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $400   Get Deal Why we like it

"If you want an aesthetic TV that doubles as artwork on your wall, but don't quite have the budget for Samsung's The Frame, Amazon's new Ember Artline TVs are a solid alternative. The 55-inch model is on sale for less than $500 ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, which is 44% off and its best price on record. While Amazon's art TV isn't quite as impressive in the specs department as Samsung's, it does offer a free art gallery and a wide selection of frame options at no extra cost. It's not our top pick at full price, but at $400 off? It's hard to pass up." — Christina Buff, Mashable Contributor

More TV deals

Under 50-inch TV deals

• Amazon Ember 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV — $179.99 $249.99 (save $70) ✅

• Roku 43-inch Select Series 4K TV — $179.99 $249.99 (save $70)

• 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 — $159.99 $299.99 (save $140)

• 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)

• 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 — $597.99 $999.99 (save $402)

• Toshiba 65-inch G700 ArtVision QLED 4K TV — $1,097.99 $1,999.99 (save $902)

• 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) ✅

• 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 S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,998.99 $3,999.99 (save $2,001)

• TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,797.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,202)

Over 85-inch TV deals

• Hisense 100-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,996.96 $2,999.99 (save $1,003.03)

• TCL 98-inch QM7L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

Best outdoor deal Opens in a new window Credit: Coleman Coleman Sundome 4-Person Camping Tent $81.68 at Amazon
$117.99 Save $36.31   Get Deal Why we like it

This four-person Coleman tent, designed for warm-weather camping, sets up easily in 10 minutes and has an E-port to run power inside. It's marked down to just $81.68 right now, which is a 31% savings and its lowest price of the year so far. It was about $2 more expensive during Amazon's summer Prime Day sale.

More outdoor deals

Cooler deals

• Igloo Trailmate Cooler (50 quart) — $99.99 $119.99 (save $20)

• Coleman Marine Cooler (100 quart) — $119.99 $134.99 (save $15)

• Igloo Maxcold Glide (110 quart) — $152.99 $179.99 (save $54)

• Yeti Roadie 15 (tropical pink) — $160 $200 (save $40)

• Ninja FrostVault (Spanish moss, 50 quart) — $199.99 $249.99 (save $50)

Camping deals

• Coleman Triton 2-Burner Propane Stove — $83.99 $129.99 (save $46)

• Kelty Trash Pak — $90.93 $129.95 (save $39.02)

• Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight One Pot Cook Set — $99.95 $114.95 (save $15)

• Jackery SolarSaga 40W Air — $108.99 $129 (save $20.01)

• Renogy 100W Portable Solar Panel — $109.99 $124.99 (save $15)

• Klymit Insulated Double V Inflatable Sleeping Pad — $136.19 $179.99 (save $43.80)

• Coleman 4-Person Instant Cabin — $149.99 $218.49 (save $68.50)

• Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT Ultralight Camping Pad — $199.95 $239.95 (save $40)

• Big Agnes Copper Spur HighVolume Ultralight Tent (2 person) — $444.56 $599.95 (save $155.39)

Best power station deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bluetti Bluetti Elite 100 V2 ✅ $499 at Amazon
$899 Save $400   Get Deal Why we like it

"Ahead of [October] 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 deals

• Jackery Explorer 300 — $259 $289 (save $30) ✅

• Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 — $499.99 $599 (save $99.01) ✅

• Jackery HomePower 1000 v2 — $549 $649 (save $100) ✅

• 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 — $679.99 $1,199 (save $519.01)

• 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 — $2,479.99 $2,799.99 (save $320)

Best memory and SSD deals Opens in a new window Credit: SanDisk SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD ✅ $256.98 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $43.01   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: SanDisk SanDisk 512GB microSD Express Card for Nintendo Switch 2 $159.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $40   Get Deal Why we like it

"SanDisk is a favorite of mine when buying memory products, and I use their Extreme portable SSDs to back up my own photo and video collection. (As a tech editor, I take a lot of photos and videos.) Thanks to RAMageddon, you have to take any opportunity you can find to save on portable SSDs, flash drives, microSD cards, and hard drives. Already, some of SanDisk's most popular memory products are on sale, like their microSD Express card for the Switch 2 and the new version of their popular Extreme drive." — Timothy Beck Werth, Mashable Tech Editor

More SSD and hard drive deals

MicroSDs

• SanDisk 128GB High Endurance Video microSDXC — $36.99 $60.99 (save $24)

Portable SSDs

• SanDisk 500GB Portable SSD — $109.99 $128.99 (save $19)

• Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB — $229.99 $274.99 (save $45)

• Samsung T9 Portable SSD 2TB — $984.93 $1,144.99 (save $160.06)

Portable HDDs

• Seagate 2TB Portable Hard Drive — $129.99 $149.99 (save $20)

Internal hard drives

• Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB, PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 — $389.99 $639.99 (save $250) ✅

Best fitness tracker and smartwatch deal Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Vivoactive 5 $181.97 at Amazon
$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.

Best Lego deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement $62.04 at Amazon
$109.99 Save $47.95   Get Deal Why we like it

"The Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement is an absolute delight for adult builders, with its 1,161 pieces coming together to create a display of 14 flowers (including camellias, peonies, hydrangeas, baby’s breath, ranunculus, bouvardia, and lilies) in a white vase. If it's one you've had on your radar, Amazon has a sweet little early October Prime Day treat for you: it's currently at its lowest-ever price of $62.04. It's retiring soon, making now an excellent time to grab it for less.

It's not the only Botanicals deal we've spotted, either. You can see even more of our favorite floral sets on sale below." — Hannah Hoolihan, Mashable Contributor

More Lego deals

• Lego City Advent Calendar 2026 — $25 $34.99 (save $9.99)

• Lego Botanicals Flowering Cactus — $27.95 $34.99 (save $7.04)

• Lego Botanicals Succulents — $34.99 $49.99 (save $15)

• Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2026 — $35 $44.99 (save $9.99)

• Lego Marvel Advent Calendar 2026 — $35 $44.99 (save $9.99)

• Lego Super Mario: Mario Kart — Wario & King Boo — $39.95 $49.99 (save $10.04)

• Lego Star Wars Darth Vader Bust — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• Lego Super Mario: Mario Kart — Interactive Mario & Standard Kart — $41.99 $54.99 (save $13)

• Lego Super Mario: Mario Kart Baby Peach & Grand Prix Set Home Circuit — $44.79 $79.99 (save $35.20 with on-page coupon)

• Lego Star Wars SMART Play: Yoda’s Hut and Jedi Training — $49.99 $69.99 (save $20)

• Lego Botanicals Hibiscus Flower — $55.95 $69.99 (save $14.04)

• Lego Star Wars SMART Play: Mos Eisley Cantina — $63.95 $79.99 (save $16.04)

• Lego Star Wars: Andor K-2SO Security Droid — $71.99 $89.99 (save $18)

• Lego Star Wars SMART Play: Millennium Falcon — $79.95 $99.99 (save $20.04)

Best streaming and subscription deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Audible $0.99/month for four months + free $20 credit Get Deal Why we like it

Right now, Prime members can save 80% on four months of Amazon's audiobook service, paying just $0.99 for their first four months. On top of that, you get a free $20 credit to spend on the title(s) of your choice.

Your membership lets you download one audiobook 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 deals

• Kindle Unlimited — 3 months free

• Amazon Music Unlimited — 4 months free with Prime

• Save $20 on your next Grubhub+ order with Prime

• Buy or lease a new car, get a $1,500 gift card for free with Prime

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

The best early October Prime Day TV deals: Best budget TV deal Amazon Ember 55-inch 4-Series 4K TV $279.99 (save $180) Get Deal Best art TV deal Amazon Ember 55-inch Artline QLED 4K TV $499.99 (save $400) Get Deal Best QLED TV Deal The Toshiba 65-inch G700 Series ArtVision 4K QLED Smart Fire TV $1097.99 (save $200) Get Deal Best Roku TV deal Roku 65-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV $449.99 (save $200) Get Deal Best small TV deal Amazon Ember 43-inch 4-Series 4K TV $199.99 (save $130) Get Deal Best OLED TV deal Samsung 65-inch S90H OLED 4K TV $1,697.99 (save $1,002) Get Deal

October Prime Day is almost here, and Amazon’s TV deals have been coming in hot and fast. Prime Big Deal Days officially runs from Oct. 6 through Oct. 7, but some major discounts have landed early on TVs from Samsung, Toshiba, Roku, Amazon, and more.

Along with all the other amazing tech deals we've seen so far, this is an especially good time to shop for a new TV, as plenty of 2026 models have now been around long enough to start seeing serious price cuts. We’ve rounded up the best early October Prime Day TV deals you can shop right now, from budget-friendly options under $500 to premium OLED and QLED models. However, be sure to keep checking back as the sale gets closer, because we’ll be updating this page with the latest offers.

Best budget TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Ember 55-inch 4-Series 4K TV $279.99 at Amazon
$459.99 Save $180   Get Deal Why we like it

As much as we might drool over 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 among the few tech products that have gotten cheaper over the past five years, and even budget TVs offer fairly impressive displays and sound.

The Amazon Ember 4-Series 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 clocking in at under $300, this 55-inch TV has a 4K HDR10+ display, WiFi 6 support, a speedy quad-core processor, 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.

Best OLED TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV $1,697.99 at Amazon
$1,897.99 Save $200   Get Deal Why we like it

Combining immersive deep blacks and the contrast known to come from Glare Flare OLED technology, the Samsung S90H is another great Prime Day bargain if making the jump to an OLED TV has been on your radar — now only $1,697.77.

Its selling point is the NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, which uses 128 neural networks to enhance picture and sound, while 4K AI Upscaling Pro sharpens lower-resolution content. Gamers also get unique benefits thanks to the Motion Xcelerator 165Hz, NVIDIA G-SYNC, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support for smoother, lower-latency play.

Best QLED TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Toshiba The Toshiba 65-inch G700 Series ArtVision 4K QLED Smart Fire TV $1,097.99 at Amazon
$1,297.99 Save $200   Get Deal Why we like it

The Toshiba G700 combines the punchy color of a QLED with the especially stylish design you'd normally expect from an art TV. Its anti-glare screen and included White Oak frame help it blend into your living room, while the Ambient Mode can cycle through more than 3,000 free artworks when you're not watching.

Plus, when it comes to specs, you get a native 165Hz refresh rate for smoother gaming and sports, REGZA Engine ZRi picture processing, DTS Virtual:X, and Fire TV built in. Now at $1,097.99, this 65-inch model is at its lowest-ever price ahead of Amazon's Prime Day — confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel.

Best art TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Ember 55-inch Artline QLED 4K TV $499.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $400   Get Deal Why we like it

If you want an aesthetic TV that doubles as artwork on your wall, but don't quite have the budget for Samsung's The Frame, Amazon's new Ember Artline TVs are a solid alternative. The 55-inch model is on sale for less than $500 ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, which is 44% off and its best price on record. While Amazon's art TV isn't quite as impressive in the specs department as Samsung's, it does offer a free art gallery and a wide selection of frame options at no extra cost. It's not our top pick at full price, but at $400 off? It's hard to pass up.

Best Roku TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku 65-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV $449.99 at Amazon
$649.99 Save $200   Get Deal Why we like it

Not everyone is a fan of the Fire TV ecosystem, and we get it. I'm a Roku fan, and this deal on the 65-inch Roku Plus Series TV shaves $200 off ahead of October Prime Day. While I do think we could see an even better price as the official sale nears, this is still a solid discount that puts a 65-inch Mini-LED QLED in your living room for less than $500. Mini-LED backlighting and local dimming enable finer tuning of the bright, detailed 4K QLED display. It also features Dolby Atmos sound, Roku Smart Picture, and a delightfully simple interface.

More early October Prime Day TV dealsUnder 50-inch TV deals

• Insignia 40-inch F40 HD TV — $99 $119.99 (save $20.99)

• Roku 43-Inch Select Series 4K TV — $179.99 $249.99 (save $70)

• Amazon Ember 40-inch 2-Series HD TV — $179.99 $249.99 (save $70)

• Amazon Ember 43-inch 4-Series 4K TV — $199.99 $329.99 (save $130)

• 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 — $159.99 $299.99 (save $140)

• Hisense 55-inch E6 Hi-QLED 4K TV — $299.99 $429.99 (save $130)

• Amazon Ember 55-inch Omni Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $449.99 $819.99 (save $370)

• Hisense 50-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $449.99 $699.99 (save $250)

• Amazon Ember 55-inch Omni QLED 4K TV — $489.99 $589.99 (save $100)

• Amazon Ember 55-inch Artline QLED 4K TV — $499.99 $899.99 (save $400)

• Hisense 50-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $1,299.99 (save $502)

• LG 55-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,299.99 (save $400)

• Samsung 55-inch The Frame LS03F QLED 4K TV — $997.99 $1,097.99 (save $100)

65-inch TV deals

• Insignia 65-inch QF Series QLED 4K TV — $299.99 $349.99 (save $50)

• Roku 65-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV — $449.99 $649.99 (save $200)

• Hisense 65-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $597.99 $999.99 (save $402)

• Amazon Ember 65-inch Omni QLED 4K TV — $709.99 $849.99 (save $140)

• Amazon Ember 65-inch Artline QLED 4K TV — $799.98 $1,099.99 (save $300.01)

• Amazon Ember 65-inch Omni Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $799.99 $1,089.99 (save $290)

• Toshiba 65-inch G700 ArtVision QLED 4K TV — $1,097.99 $1,999.99 (save $902)

• LG 65-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,799.99 (save $700)

• 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)

75-inch TV deals

• Samsung 75-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $547.99 $729.99 (save $182)

• Amazon Ember 75-inch Omni QLED 4K TV — $989.99 $1,199.99 (save $210)

• Amazon Ember 75-inch Omni Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $999.99 $1,499.99 (save $500)

80 to 85-inch TV deals

• TCL 85 Inch Class QM6K Series Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $897.99 $1,097.99 (save $200)

• Amazon Ember 85-inch Omni Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,759.99 $2,099.99 (save $340)

• Hisense 85-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $2,197.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,802)

Over 85-inch TV deals

• Hisense 100-inch Class E6 Series QLED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV — $1,399.99 $1,749.99 (save $400)

• Hisense 100-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,996.96 $2,999.99 (save $1,003.03)

• TCL 98-inch QM7L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

Early October Prime Day iPad deals at a glance: Best budget iPad deal Apple iPad (A16, WiFi, 128GB) $427 (save $22) Get Deal Best iPad mini deal Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFi, 128GB) $569 (save $30) Get Deal Best iPad Air deal iPad Air 11-inch (M4, WiFi) $807 (save $42) Get Deal Best iPad Pro deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 (save $200) Get Deal

Fall has just begun, but the holiday shopping season is already heating up. No longer do things kick off on Black Friday: Amazon's annual Prime Big Deal Days on Oct. 6 and 7 will be your first chance to start scoring year-end deals.

Ahead of October Prime Day, Mashable's team of shopping experts is tracking all the best early price drops across top brands, especially Apple. When it comes to iPads, early deals are a bit hit-or-miss. While many baseline models are seeing modest $20 to $30 markdowns, a select few, including the powerful M4 iPad Air configurations and the M5 iPad Pro setups, have dropped low enough to justify hitting "add to cart" before the official event even begins.

SEE ALSO: October Prime Day Apple deals guide: Buy now or wait?

Below, we've rounded up the best early October Prime Day iPad deals we could find. We've also made some predictions for the iPad deals we're likely to see next week based on our experience covering Prime Big Deal Days in the past. Decide for yourself if you're willing to wait for them; even the meager savings now are still something to celebrate, considering all iPads got price hikes this summer.

Save up to $30 on the regular iPad

The standard iPad with the A16 chip is our favorite Apple tablet for budget shoppers. "Even though its tech is basic compared to the advanced iPad Air and Pro," writes Mashable's Samantha Mangino, "it's great for someone who wants a portable screen for streaming, playing games, and reading." It's rated for up to six hours of battery life.

Ahead of Amazon's sale, the base iPad with 128GB of storage is $30 off with or without cellular connectivity. It was $70 off last Prime Big Deal Days, so it could dip further to $379 next week (normally $449).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad (A16, WiFi, 128GB) $427 at Amazon
$449 Save $22   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad (A16, WiFi + cellular, 128GB) $569 at Amazon
$599 Save $30   Get Deal Take up to $30 off the iPad mini

If you wish e-readers were more powerful, more versatile, and equipped with way more storage, get Apple's smallest iPad instead. The iPad mini's compact size and anti-reflective display make it our favorite tablet for reading.

The iPad mini also saw a $70 discount during Prime Big Deal Days 2025, so we think it will drop to $529 when this year's sale begins on Oct. 6 (typically $599). Right now, the base model is up to $30 off, depending on whether you'd like cellular connectivity.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple ipad mini $569 at Apple
$599 Save $30   Get Deal Skip the pro pricing on Apple's newest M4 power tablet with $42 off

In his 4.5-star review, Mashable’s Timothy Beck Werth called the M4 iPad Air "a tablet that thinks it's an AI laptop," making it a great pick for students, artists, and creators. It has the same super-light aluminum body and bright Liquid Retina screen as last year's model.

Where it wins is speed: the new M4 processor and upgraded smart chip make AI tools like fast voice-note transcription and photo editing happen almost instantly. While Timothy pointed out that it only offers "iterative upgrades over last year's model" and can feel "overpowered for casual users", that is exactly why this price drop makes sense.

Paying full retail for an incremental spec bump can be a hard sell, but catching it on sale makes the extra speed, 256GB of storage, and creator-grade power completely worth the tag.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4, WiFi) $807 at Amazon
$849 Save $42   Get Deal Save $200 on select M4 iPad Pros

If you're a professional creative in the market for an iPad Pro, consider buying last year's M4 model instead of the freshest M5 version, which just has a newer chip and newer wireless connectivity tech (WiFi and Bluetooth). The best early October Prime Day iPad deals we've seen feature $200 discounts on two upgraded M4 iPad Pros: One is a 13-inch model with 512GB of storage; the other is an 11-incher with 2TB of storage and a nano-texture display. Both of them are sitting at some of their lowest prices of the year so far. If anything, they might get $50 cheaper during Prime Big Day Deals... if they don't sell out first.

Prefer an M5 iPad Pro for future-proofing's sake? Amazon's deals on both sizes max out at $100 off right now. Come Prime Big Deal Days, they could be up to $200 off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $200   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) $1,899 at Amazon
$2,099 Save $200   Get Deal More iPad Pro deals

• Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,139 $1,199 (save $60)

• Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,427 $1,499 (save $72)

• Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 512GB) — $1,614 $1,699 (save $85)

• Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 512GB Cellular) — $1,804 $1,899 (save $95)

TL;DR: The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is $1,000 off this weekend with T-Mobile. To claim this offer, switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 18 Pro for $1,000 off   Shop Now

After months and months of speculation, rumors, and leaks, Apple finally announced new iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods, and more. It's all very exciting, but it's the iPhones that really get the people going.

Like everyone else, we dug deep into all the specs and features to give you an insight into exactly what these new flagship devices offer. Now that the dust has settled, the focus naturally switches to deals — and there are a couple of standout options worth highlighting right now:

• Apple iPhone 18 Pro — $1,000 off when you switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.

• Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max — $1,000 off when you switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.

The bad news is the completely "free" doorbuster deal is gone, but taking $1,000 off the $1,199.99 list price knocks your monthly payment down to just $5.56 per month over 36 months for the iPhone 18 Pro. To qualify, you can either switch to an Experience Beyond plan and port over your existing number or trade in an eligible device in any condition on a qualifying plan. The choice is yours.

The full savings are distributed as monthly credits over a 36-month payment plan. As long as you intend to stay locked into T-Mobile for three years, taking a huge chunk off Apple's premier hardware is one of the smartest ways to upgrade without a major hit to your budget.

Keep in mind that T-Mobile requires you to pay local sales tax on the phone's full retail value upfront, plus a standard $35 device connection fee per line at checkout.

Save $1,000 on the Apple iPhone 18 Pro and Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max at T-Mobile

The best early October Prime Day deals on power stations: Best Jackery deal Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 $499 (save $60) Get Deal Best Ecoflow deal Ecoflow Delta 3 Classic with 220W Solar Panel $699 (save $400) Get Deal Best Bluetti deal Bluetti Elite 100 V2 $499 (save $400) Get Deal Best Anker deal Anker Solix C1000 $449.98 (save $150.01) Get Deal Best DJI deal DJI Power 1000 v2 $419.99 (save $280) Get Deal Best camping deal Jackery Explorer 1500 Ultra $1,079 (save $120) Get Deal Best refrigerator backup deal Anker Solix S2000 $679.99 (save $699.01) Get Deal

You can't go wrong with a portable power station, especially as we come into colder, and more storm-prone months.

They're great for camping or road trips, keeping your gadgets running when you're away from a plug socket. Portable power stations come in all shapes, sizes, and price points, with some costing well into the thousands. It's not exactly an everyday purchase, so when sales events like Prime Day roll around, it's a great excuse to make a big purchase.

Prime Day officially runs from October 6-7, but we've been keeping an eye on the early deals you can get now. There are discounts on seriously powerful models that can serve as a perfect backup power source for your refrigerator, as well as other models that will keep your personal devices charged and online.

SEE ALSO: 20+ of the best early October Prime Day deals: We found live deals on Apple, Nintendo, and Garmin

With Prime Big Deal Days coming up on October 6-7, Amazon has already started cutting prices on some popular power stations, so now is a great time to pick one up at a lower-than-usual price. Below, we've rounded up the best early deals worth checking out.

A great beginner model from Jackery

For those new to portable power, Jackery makes some of the most beginner-friendly and uncomplicated models. The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is a compact, portable power station with a 1,070Wh capacity and 1,500W output, making it suitable for powering devices such as fridges, electric pots, and other appliances. It can also go from empty to fully charged in an hour with emergency charging switched on, and the LFP battery is designed to retain more than 70% of its capacity after 4,000 charge cycles. Plus, it weighs under 24 pounds, so it's easy to carry around the house or the campground.

If you don't love the traditional black and orange look of Jackery portable power stations, the Explorer 1000 v2 comes in a modern cream color called dune white. That version is also on sale for $499 ahead of Prime Day, marked down from its list price of $589.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 $499 at Amazon
$559 Save $60   Get Deal A classic EcoFlow station with a solar panel

One of the major benefits of a portable power station is the ability to recharge using solar power. The EcoFlow Delta 3 Classic bundle with a 220W solar panel is a great choice ahead of Prime Day. You'll get the 1,024Wh portable power station with a 1,800W output that can power even big appliances like fridges. It has X-Boost providing up to 2,600W for higher-power devices, and can charge to 80% in 45 minutes via AC.

With full sun, EcoFlow says the Delta 3 Classic can recharge in about 6 hours with the 220W solar panel. Of course, you can also recharge using standard wall power or a generator. When plugged into a wall outlet, the EcoFlow can reach 80% capacity in just 45 minutes.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ecoflow Ecoflow Delta 3 Classic with 220W Solar Panel $699 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $400   Get Deal A Bluetti power station with major solar recharging power

Ahead of Prime Day, this Bluetti Elite 100 v2 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.

But one of the highlights of the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 is its ability to connect with up to 1,000W of solar power. That's a massive amount of solar compatibility for a portable power station in the 1kWh range. If you have access to both 1,000W of solar and full sun, the Elite 100 V2 will recharge in just 70 minutes.

The 10-millisecond UPS (uninterruptible power supply) also makes this 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 Bluetti will take over providing power within 10 milliseconds of losing wall power.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bluetti Bluetti Elite 100 V2 $499 at Amazon
$899 Save $400   Get Deal An Anker deal on one of Mashable's favorite models

This unit has a 1,056Wh capacity and 2,400W output, with 11 ports for powering multiple devices and appliances. It can reach 80% charge in 43 minutes with UltraFast charging enabled through the Anker app. It's built a LiFePO4 battery, so it's designed to last a long time, up to 10 years, which is around 3,000 battery cycles.

The original Anker Solix C1000 also has a few advantages over the new C1000 Gen 2. For starters, the older model has a built-in light bar, which is incredibly useful when camping or carrying the power station around the house during a power outage. The original C1000 is also expandable to add 1,056Wh of power, doubling its capacity.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C1000 $449.98 at Amazon
$599.99 Save $150.01   Get Deal A portable power station that doesn't mind the rain

If you plan on heading out for fall camping, you might run into some rain or dewy mornings. The Jackery Explorer 1500 Ultra isn't afraid of getting wet, so it's perfect for all-season camping. It carries an IP65 rating, which means it's both water- and dust-proof. Jackery also tested this model for drops, and it'll be just fine when it takes a tumble of about three feet or less.

Important stats include a 1,536Wh battery capacity, a metal cooling base, and protective covers for all ports. This is also a great model for using in a dusty workshop since the air intake is located toward the top of the unit rather than near the bottom, which tends to suck up dust or wood shavings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 1500 Ultra $1,079 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $120   Get Deal Backup for your refrigerator

When the power goes out at home, a major worry is keeping food from going bad. Now that grocery prices have gone wild, the thought of having to toss it all out is worrying. Instead, plug the fridge into the Anker Solix S2000, which packs a massive 2,010Wh of battery capacity. Anker says this can keep a standard refrigerator on for up to 35 hours. Keep in mind that the exact number will depend on factors such as your fridge's capacity, the kitchen's ambient temperature, and how full the refrigerator is.

The Anker Solix S2000 has AC ports on both the front and the back of the station, so you can plug the fridge into the back and keep the front ports open for other kitchen appliances like the coffee maker.

During Prime Day in July, we saw this model drop to an incredible price of $599, which means it's possible it'll drop again next week when the sale officially kicks off on Oct. 6.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Solix Anker Solix S2000 $679.99 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $519.01   Get Deal Backup power designed for creators

We all know DJI as the brand that launched drones into our everyday lives, as well as the company that makes excellent creator cameras and mics. But DJI also makes a stellar lineup of portable power stations. Often, they're on sale at such a competitive price that anyone should consider them a frontrunner for portable power, especially for those who have DJI drones.

The DJI Power 1000 v2 comes with a solid 1,024Wh battery capacity with a peak output of 2,600W. It has your standard AC ports, USB-C, and USB-A, but it also features dual SDC ports that can fast-charge DJI drone batteries. This feature makes it incredibly friendly for content creators. Additionally, it's super quiet, operating as low as 26 decibels, making recording video or audio near the power station no big deal.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Power 1000 V2 $399.46
$449.99 Save $50.53   Get Deal An older Jackery model with a solar panel at a great price

These days, a huge number of Jackery portable power stations are on their second version, or v2. Most of them have improvements such as lighter weight, faster charging, and a USB-C port that can handle more power. But this doesn't mean you have to count out older models. The Jackery Explorer 300 still has plenty of great features for a 293Wh portable power station.

For starters, it weighs only about 7 pounds and has a 100W USB-C port. Jackery mentions that the battery can recharge a phone about 13 times. But one of the best parts about this deal is the inclusion of a 40W solar panel. The Jackery SolarSaga 40W air is a compact panel that measures about the size of a sheet of paper and weighs under two pounds.

On its own, the SolarSaga 40W Air solar panel costs $129 at full price, although it's on sale for $108.99. Given this pricing, snagging both the Jackery Explorer 300 and the 40W Air solar panel for $339 is a great option.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 300 with Jackery SolarSaga 40W Air $339 at Amazon
$379 Save $40   Get Deal Whole-home backup ahead of storm season

For those who live in an area prone to hurricanes or ice storms, the Anker Solix F3000 could be a lifesaver. Its massive 3,072Wh capacity means you can keep almost everything in your home powered up, from the refrigerator to lamps and the coffee maker. Plus, it has the capacity for major expansion to 24kWh.

Thanks to the 30amp plug, you could even do a load of laundry with the Solix F3000 or take it along in the RV. Plus, the Anker can power gadgets while recharging, and, even better for storm situations, you can recharge it via a generator in a bit over an hour.

Of course, Anker added durable wheels and a telescoping handle to this model since the 3kWh battery weighs about 91 pounds.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Solix Anker Solix F3000 $1,399.99 at Amazon
$1,699 Save $299.01   Get Deal A petite model for a weekend of camping

Not everyone needs or wants major power backup. For short trips to the campground for a few nights or for using at home during short outages, the Anker Solix C300 is packed with useful features. The 288Wh capacity will recharge small gadgets like cell phones and earbuds while camping, and the carrying strap makes it ideal for transporting at the campsite.

The Solix C300 comes with four USB-C ports, including two that support 140W, allowing you to recharge your MacBook Pro at the campsite. Plus, you can recharge the Solix power station in 2.5 hours via the car socket. The pop-up lantern adds to the campsite-friendliness of this model.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Solix Anker Solix C300 $199.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $50   Get Deal A refurbished model at an incredible price

We already mentioned the benefits of buying the Jackery Explorer 300 with a 40W solar panel, but if you don't mind buying used and you don't want the solar panel, this deal is pretty awesome. A renewed version of the Jackery Explorer 300 is on sale at Amazon for only $156. It's certified by Amazon's renewal program to retain at least 80% of its original battery capacity.

This isn't the fanciest or newest model, but if you're looking for a more affordable way to get into the portable power station game, this could be your ticket.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Refurbished Jackery Explorer 300 $156 at Amazon
$259 Save $103   Get Deal A Bluetti that doesn't mind the cold

Most batteries don't perform well in deep chills, but the Bluetti Pioneer Na is designed specifically to be cold-proof. It can safely recharge your devices and tools at temperatures as low as -13 degrees. That makes it ideal for ice fishing, working in an uninsulated shed or garage in the winter, or leaving for the cabin.

Instead of using lithium-ion battery cells, the Bluetti Pioneer Na uses sodium-ion cells, which are not only better suited to cold weather but also avoid using rarer metals like lithium and cobalt.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bluetti Bluetti Pioneer Na $799 at Bluetti
$899 Save $100   Get Deal

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale is just around the corner — and so are some excellent Apple deals, no doubt. This 48-hour "October Prime Day" serves as Amazon's kickoff to the Black Friday/holiday shopping season, which is the best time to find discounts on popular Apple devices, among many other tech products. This year, it will double as some year-end relief from RAMageddon price increases.

While the sale isn't scheduled to begin until Oct. 6, Amazon is already rolling out some early October Prime Day deals on select gadgets, including most AirPods, Apple Watches, iPads, and MacBooks. That raises the question: If you're thinking about upgrading from an older Apple device to a newer model, should you start adding items to your cart now or hold off for a bit?

SEE ALSO: Amazon announces dates for Prime Big Deal Days, its 48-hour 'October Prime Day' sale

The answer depends on the exact product you're eyeing. Having covered Amazon's sales for years now, I think most of its current Apple deals will get much better on Oct. 6 and 7, when Prime Big Deal Days is officially live. However, a couple of the deals are worth grabbing immediately. In fact, you might miss out if you wait too long.

Read on to find out which six Apple deals I'd add to my cart ASAP, and which others I'm hoping to see once Prime Big Deal Days starts. I've come up with some October Prime Day discount predictions for every current Apple product based on their pricing histories and Amazon's deal patterns. I'm also keeping an eye on rivaling retailers like Walmart and Best Buy to see if they can one-up their offers. (Check back for updates as we get closer to the sale.)

The only Apple deals I'd shop before October Prime Day Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $99 at Walmart
$129 Save $30   Get Deal

Apple's last-gen earbuds are getting harder to find in stock following this month's launch of the AirPods 5. Amazon's $99 deal on new pairs is gone, leaving only used options starting at $84.55.

If you're after the base model, your best move right now is Walmart, where new pairs are still available for $99 (normally $129) — matching their lowest price of the year. However, if active noise cancellation is a priority, you can get the ANC version for $129.99 at Best Buy.

While the standard version lacks ANC, misses out on Live Translation, and doesn't sound quite as refined as its successor, it's still a great option for budget shoppers who want a reliable set of wireless earbuds without paying full price.

Read Mashable's review of the Apple AirPods 4.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $389.99 at Amazon
$399 Save $9.01   Get Deal

Apple's latest flagship smartwatch hit shelves in mid-September alongside the AirPods 5, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and iPhone 18 Pros. It has an upgraded chipset and sensors that support better heart rate monitoring, a new Readiness feature, and new Audio Intelligence tools. Amazon is currently selling it for $389.99, which is almost $10 off its usual sticker price of $399. That discount isn't huge, but it's probably not going to get any bigger once Prime Big Deal Days starts. Its predecessor, the Series 11, was also only $10 off during its first Prime Big Deal Days.

Check out our breakdown of all the differences between the Apple Watch Series 12 and Series 11.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm) $779.99 at Amazon
$799 Save $19.01   Get Deal

Similarly, the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4 isn't heavily discounted but probably won't get any cheaper than it currently is, if history repeats itself. Last year, during Prime Big Deal Days, the last-generation Apple Watch Ultra 3 was marked down to $779.99 (normally $799). Ahead of this year's sale, the Ultra 4 is already matching that. Its upgrades include a faster processor, a longer battery life, and a new heart rate monitoring system; it has the same new health and fitness features as the Series 12.

Read Mashable's review of the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) $1,899 at Amazon
$2,099 Save $200   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $200   Get Deal

Amazon still has a couple of older M4 iPad Pros in stock and on sale at deep discounts. One is an 11-inch model with a nano-texture (matte) display and 2TB storage; the other is a 13-inch model with Apple's standard display and 512GB of storage. They're marked down to $1,899 and $1,299, respectively, which is a $200 savings either way. (For reference, they were $250 off and $100 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025.) They're significantly cheaper than their newer M5 counterparts right now, so I can see them selling out well before this year's October Prime Day.

Read Mashable's review of the 13-inch Apple iPad Air (M4).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) $3,499 at Amazon
$4,099 Save $600   Get Deal

This beefy MacBook Pro, powered by Apple's most powerful laptop chip, is ideal for advanced users like professional video editors and developers. MacBooks don't normally get discounts of more than $300 to $400 during Amazon's Prime events, so at $600 off, this one's a no-brainer buy. I should also mention that this exact configuration cost $3,599 before Apple raised its MacBook prices in June — this discount negates that and then some.

October Prime Day AirPods deals to watch

• Apple AirPods 5: The latest flagship AirPods debuted in mid-September, and they're currently stuck at full price. (The standard models retail for $129, while the ones with a wireless charging case cost $149.) They should get cheaper next month, but not by much. The AirPods 4 only saw a small $10 discount during their first Prime Big Deal Days in 2024, so I think they'll probably go for $119 and $139, respectively.

• Apple AirPods Pro 3: The AirPods Pro 3 have better ANC than the regular AirPods 5, plus a longer battery life, an added heart rate sensor, and an exclusive Hearing Aid mode. They're down to $234 right now — a 6% savings — but there's a strong chance they'll dip even lower for October's festivities. Amazon could revive its record-low price of $169, which last appeared right before June's Prime Day sale.

• Apple AirPods Pro Max 2: Apple's over-ear headphones are currently on sale for $479 (or $70 off their $549 MSRP), but I'd wait. We saw them fall to $399 a couple of months ago on Prime Day — an impressive 27% savings.

Read our reviews of the AirPods 5, the AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods Max 2. Plus, find out where they ranked on our guides to the best wireless earbuds and the best noise-canceling headphones.

The best early October Prime Day AirPods deals for now: Apple AirPods 4 $99 (save $30 at Walmart) Get Deal Apple AirPods 5 $129 Shop Now Apple AirPods 5 with wireless charging case $149 Shop Now Apple AirPods Pro Max 2 $509.99 (save $39.01) Get Deal October Prime Day Apple Watch deals to watch

• Apple Watch SE 3: Normally $249, Apple's budget smartwatch has been as cheap as $189.99 before — a savings of just under $60. It's definitely not worth buying now at $239, or only $10 off.

The best early October Prime Day Apple Watch deals for now: Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) $239 (save $10) Shop Now Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) $349.99 (save $50) Get Deal Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $389.99 (save $9.01) Get Deal Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm) $779.99 (save $19.01) Get Deal October Prime Day MacBook deals to watch

• Apple MacBook Neo: The cheapest MacBook hasn't gotten any major discounts at major retailers since its March release. (Its current sale price of $689 on Amazon, or $10 off, is its all-time low there.) There's no world where Amazon matches the Apple Store's $100 student discount for Prime Big Deal Days, IMO, but maybe we'll see it hit $649 for the first time next month. It's due for better deals now that it's more than six months old.

• Apple MacBook Air: The sky blue 13-inch M5 MacBook Air was $150 off at the time of writing, but don't add it to your cart yet. Both sizes of last year's M4 MacBook Air were $200 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025. If Amazon matched that offer in the coming weeks, it would erase the M5 Air's recent price hike. For reference, the 13-inch one usually starts at $1,299, while the 15-inch size typically starts at $1,499; snag them as soon as you catch them at $1,099 and $1,299, respectively.

• Apple MacBook Pro: The 14-inch, M5-powered base model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is $160 off right now, but I think Amazon might sell it for $1,799, or $200 off, come Prime Big Deal Days. That's the discount its equally configured predecessor got last fall. (It wouldn't fully cancel the MacBook Pro's recent $300 price increase, but it would be a welcome deal regardless. We haven't spotted it on sale for less than $1,849 since June.)

Read our reviews of the Apple MacBook Neo, the M5 MacBook Air, and the M5 MacBook Pro. Plus, find out which MacBook is best for you.

The best early October Prime Day MacBook deals for now: Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $689 (save $10) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,449 (save $150) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,399 (save $100) Shop Now Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,839 (save $160) Get Deal Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) $3,499 (save $600) Get Deal October Prime Day iPad deals to watch

• Apple iPad: Apple's flagship tablet is on sale for $427 in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days (usually $449), which is a skip. Wait to see if Amazon matches or beats its $70 discount from last year's sale, which would bring it down to just $379.

• Apple iPad mini: The smallest, most portable iPad was also $70 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025, so it's worth adding to your cart if you see it drop to $529 or lower next month. It's now on sale for $569 (only $30 off).

• Apple iPad Air: Amazon randomly shifted the list prices for both sizes of the latest M4 iPad Air, so technically, both models are $20 off right now. You can grab the 11-inch version for $729 and the 13-inch version for $929 (down from their original retail prices of $749 and $949). It's a tiny markdown compared to the $100 price cuts we saw recently, but last October, Amazon dropped the previous-gen models by $150 during Prime Big Deal Days. If Amazon replicates that $150 discount off the original list price next month, the 11-inch model would fall to $599, and the 13-inch would drop to $799.

• Apple iPad Pro: The 11-inch base configuration of the M4 iPad Pro was $100 off during last year's Prime Big Deal Days, while the 13-inch base model was $200 off. Amazon isn't matching those offers just yet: The smaller size is now $1,139, only $60 off, while the 13-inch one is now $1,399, or $100 off (not bad, but it could be even better). Ideally, they'll soon hit $1,099 and $1,299 or less.

Read our reviews of the iPad mini, the M4 iPad Air, and the M5 iPad Pro. Not sure which iPad to buy? Allow us to offer some guidance.

The best early October Prime Day iPad deals for now: Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) $427 (save $22) Get Deal Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFi, 128GB) $569 (save $30) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB $729 (save $20) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) $929 (save $20) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) $1,899 (save $200) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 (save $200) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $1,139 (save $60) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $1,399 (save $100) Get Deal October Prime Day Apple accessory deals to watch

• Apple AirTags (4-Pack): Currently on sale for $89 (normally $99). We frequently see this 4-pack drop to $69 or $79 during major Amazon events, so it's worth holding off a few more weeks to save an extra $5 or $10.

• Apple Pencil Pro: Down to $99 (normally $129). This $30 discount is a pretty good deal. The lowest we've ever seen Amazon let it go for was $89.99 in Oct. of 2024.

• Apple MagSafe Charger: On sale for $39.99 (normally $49). It doesn't usually drop below $29 (though we did see it at $28 in June), so the current price is reasonable if you need a wireless charger right away, though a slightly better deal is likely during the sale.

Watch for Apple Gift Card bundles: Keep an eye out for gift card promos as we get closer to Oct. 6. Target and Best Buy frequently run deals where buying a $100 Apple Gift Card gets you a $15 credit back. It's essentially free money if you already plan on paying for iCloud, Apple Music, or future hardware upgrades.

TL;DR: Watch Spain vs. Czechia in the Nations League for free on RTVE. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The UEFA Nations League is still in its early stages, but Spain already look tough to beat. They overcame a stubborn England side and then beat Croatia 4-1.

Now Space face Czechia at the Estadio Municipal Carlos Tartiere. Czechia will need to do something special to take something off the World Cup winners.

If you're interested in watching Spain vs. Czechia in the Nations League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Spain vs. Czechia?

Spain vs. Czechia in the Nations League kicks off at 2.45 p.m. ET on Oct. 3. This fixture takes place at the Estadio Municipal Carlos Tartiere.

How to watch Spain vs. Czechia for free

Spain vs. Czechia in the Nations League is available to live stream for free on RTVE.

RTVE is geo-restricted to Spain, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Spain, meaning you can live stream Spain vs. Czechia for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Spain vs. Czechia for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Spain

4. Visit RTVE

5. Watch Spain vs. Czechia for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Spain vs. Czechia without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RTVE?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTVE, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Spain

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Spain vs. Czechia for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Fire.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

BLAZE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Royal.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 3, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

REGAL

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A blacksmithing tool.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 3, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 3, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

ANVIL

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Cranky.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

FUSSY

Final Hurdle hint

Loose.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

BAGGY

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It's the Third Quarter phase of the lunar cycle tonight, which means we'll see roughly half of the Moon's surface lit up from Earth. It also means there's still plenty of its surface illuminated to be able to spot some of the Moon's craters and other surface features.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Oct. 3, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Third Quarter phase, with 53% of its surface visible.

With just your naked eye, tonight you can see the Copernicus Crater, the Aristarchus Plateau, and the Mare Imbrium. If you have binoculars, you can also spot the Archimedes, Alphonsus and Gassendi Craters. Finally, if you have access to a telescope, you'll see the Apollo 13 landing spot and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon takes around 29.5 days to orbit Earth, and as it moves through this cycle, we see different amounts of its sunlit side from here. That's what creates the Moon's different phases, from a thin crescent through to a half Moon and, eventually, the Full Moon. Once it reaches the Full Moon, the cycle starts over again. NASA explains that the phase we see depends on the Moon's position in relation to Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it's not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.