We’re now halfway through the work week, and all of today’s best deals are up for grabs courtesy of 9to5Toys. Leading the pack, the very first discount has arrived on Apple’s just-refreshed HomePod 2 at $279. From there, you can run Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on the iPad Air 5 while pocketing $99 in savings. Or go look at this refurbished sale at Woot on Apple’s M2 MacBook Air at $499 off. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.
Apple’s just-refreshed HomePod 2 sees very first discount
B&H today is now offering the very first chance to save on Apple’s just-released HomePod 2. Having hit the scene just before spring this year, the new addition to its Siri-enabled smart speaker stable is now finally seeing some savings attached. Apple’s HomePod 2 now sells for $279 shipped for the white model, delivering a $20 price cut from the usual $299 going rate. This is not only a new all-time low, but the only discount we’ve seen so far. The Midnight black model sells for $289, as well.
Apple’s new HomePod 2 delivers much of the same hi-fi listening as before, just with a refreshed build to go alongside the second-generation status. There’s still Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support to complement the beamforming sound and room sensing tech that automatically tunes drivers to your surroundings. New this time around is onboard Thread and Matter support to complement all of Siri’s smart home prowess, as well as a U1 chip for quick music handoff. Apple has built a temperature and humidity sensor into the speaker, all of which is powered by a new S7 chip that results in better sounding audio than the original model. Get the full scoop in our launch coverage.
iPad Air 5 now runs Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro at $99 off
Apple today finally announced that Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro would be coming to iPad, with the hitch that only devices with an M1 chip will be supported. Whether you’re looking to upgrade from an incompatible model or just make the switch to iPadOS for another part of your workflow, Apple’s latest iPad Air 5 is worth a closer look. The regularly $599 device comes powered by an M1 chip and is now marked down to an all-time low. Courtesy of Amazon, the Wi-Fi 64GB capacity is now selling for $500 across three of the different colorways. That’s $99 off the going rate and marking a return to the best price yet just in time to run the two professional programs that just launched from on iPad from Apple.
Bringing all of the M1 power to a more affordable form-factor, Apple’s iPad Air 5 is an even better value with some savings attached. It notably features 10.9-inch Retina display, with True Tone, P3 wide color, and an antireflective coating being applied to the canvas. Apple Pencil 2 support is of course onboard, alongside other stables in the iPadOS lineup like Touch ID in the power button and a 12MP Ultra Wide front camera comes backed by Center Stage support. And before you say that the 64GB of storage is too little for Final Cut Pro, the USB-C support means you can plug in and edit right off an SSD. Learn more about iPad Air 5 over in our coverage.
Save $499 on M2 MacBook Air
Woot today has now launched its latest refurbished Apple sale, this time putting MacBooks in the spotlight. Marking down some of the latest Apple Silicon devices alongside deeper discounts on older models, everything ships for free for Prime members. A $6 delivery fee will apply otherwise. A favorite amongst the savings and easily the most notable offer is delivering one of the very first chances to save on a refurbished M2 MacBook Air from a trusted retailer. Normally you’d pay $1,299 for Apple’s latest portable macOS machine, but right now pricing starts from $800. There are three different conditions, including scratch and dent, refurbished, and open box, offering a few different ways to get in on the savings without paying for a new model. Regardless, there are some of the best discounts yet at up to $499 off.
Apple’s M2 MacBook Air did the unthinkable when it launched last year, following up its beloved M1 predecessor with much of the same popularity. All thanks to the second-generation Apple Silicon performance, the updated M2 chip pairs with a refreshed exterior that brings some of the pro form-factor cues over to the thin and light. The 13-inch Liquid Retina Display sports a 500-nit brightness to complete the P3 wide color support and pairs with a 1080p FaceTime camera with three-mic array and Spatial Audio-enabled speakers. Though the real highlight has to be the return of MagSafe charging, which pairs with other I/O like dual Thunderbolt ports. Learn more about the entry-level configuration’s performance.
Best trade-in deals
9to5Mac also keeps tabs on all the best trade-in deals on iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, and more every month. Be sure to check out this month’s best trade-in deals when you decide it’s time to upgrade your device, or simply head over to our trade-in partner directly if you want to recycle, trade, or sell your used devices for cash and support 9to5Mac along the way!
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