Technologies

Apple’s Impressive AirPods Max Are Now $100 Off at These Retailers for Prime Day

Few headphones are more premium than Apple’s AirPods Max, and this deal slashes the price to just $450.

While Amazon Prime Day isn’t officially underway just yet, that hasn’t stopped the deals from starting to roll in. From everyday essentials to must-have tech, you can save on just about everything. A prime (pun, unfortunately, intended) example is this current discount on some of the best wireless headphones around: Apple’s updated AirPods Max with USB-C.

Right now, you can get $100 off every color, slashing the price to just $450.. While that’s still a sizable price tag, there’s no denying that the quality makes the price worth it. And did we mention they come in cool colors? Best Buy is matching the same $450 price, and you also get three months of Apple Music thrown in if you go that route. The catch is that we don’t know how long these prices are going to stick around.

These headphones’ features are essentially identical to the previous AirPods Max, albeit with a USB-C port instead of the previous Lightning port. The switch means that the same charging cable can be used across all of Apple’s latest hardware releases, including iPads, Macs, iPhones and their accessories.

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You can expect strong active noise cancellation performance as well as instant device pairing and switching, thanks to Apple’s H1 chip. Support for personalized spatial audio and the excellent transparency mode is also included.

Not sure these AirPods Max are the right option for you? Our collection of the best wireless headphone deals is sure to have something for everyone.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones (Navy):

$298 (save $50)
Soundcore Life Q20 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):

$40 (save $20)
Beats Studio Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):

$300 (save $51)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$299 (save $151)
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$220 (save $180)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

This deal matches the lowest price we’ve seen on these headphones of late, and we don’t expect them to get any cheaper anytime soon. That means that this deal is worth taking advantage of while it’s still available.

Technologies

You Could Be Getting a US-Only Replacement TikTok App Ahead of Possible September Sale

A US-only version of TikTok is in development with plans to replace the current version for American users, according to a report in The Information.

TikTok owner ByteDance is working on a new US-only version of its popular vertical video app that would replace the current one ahead of a September deadline for the Chinese company to divest ownership in the US, The Information reports.

Citing anonymous sources, the site reports that the new app, codenamed «M2» would launch on Sept. 5 and would require users in the US to switch from the existing app to the new one. President Donald Trump recently extended a deadline for the owner to sell off its US-based TikTok assets to Sept. 17. Earlier this month, Trump said he found a buyer for the company, a group of «very, very wealthy people.»

The administration has continued to extend deadlines for TikTok to remain operational since January. The company reportedly has 170 million users in the US.

A representative for TikTok did not immediately return a request for comment.

According to the story, the reason for the new app version is also due to an Apple App Store restriction that does not allow multiple versions of an app for different regions to appear in the same listing.

What this means for you

If the report is accurate, it would mean that at the very least, anybody who uses the TikTok mobile app would eventually be required to migrate to a new US-centric app version.

But there’s likely to be a lengthy grace period, according to The Information’s sources: the old app may not disappear completely until March 2026, giving TikTok users six months to make the transition.

Still, it could be disruptive for those whose business or brand relies on the platform. «Anytime there is a migration or a major feature revamp on any network, it certainly creates work and worry,» says Jennie Smythe, an author and founder and CEO of Girlilla Marketing, which has worked with clients including Willie Nelson, Terry Crews and Iliza Shlesinger.

«There are concerns that audiences will also make the move and if the migration will be worth the effort,» Smythe told CNET in an email. «The bigger concern besides the migration are the features and data that will be available to us in the creator economy as well as the audience restrictions (i.e. is our content/audience also restricted to US only?).»

It’s unclear if the new app would include any other major changes or improvements over the existing app or if it would restrict or filter viewing content from other regions in ways that differ from the current version.

Technologies

Score the Google Pixel 9A for Just $449, Back to Its All-Time Low

Grab one of our favorite budget-friendly phones at an even better price this Prime Day.

Ready to upgrade to a new phone? Now is the perfect time to take the leap. The Google Pixel 9A just dropped back down to its all-time lowest price. It has a lot to offer, which is why it’s among the best Pixel phones on the market and our favorite Android phone for the value.

If you’re looking for a Pixel 9A deals to save you some cash on your upgrade, there are several options out there. But for an unlocked model that doesn’t lock you into a multi-year contract Amazon has a Prime Day deal you won’t want to miss. Right now the already-affordable Pixel 9A has been slashed to just $449. That’s a $50 savings and a return to the lowest price we’ve seen on this model. Not a fan of Amazon? This deal is also available at Best Buy and directly from the Google Store.

There have been some design changes with the Pixel 9A, but change doesn’t have to be bad. Some highlights are its bright screen and solid camera performance. It has a lower RAM than the baseline Pixel 9, but it has the same display size, processor and AI features. It’s also worth noting that this particular phone lacks Satellite SOS connectivity, which is available on the rest of the Pixel 9 lineup. We have a breakdown to help you compare the 9A with the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro.

CNET expert Patrick Holland also found the Pixel 9A cameras to be the clear winner against Apple’s budget phone, the iPhone 16E, in large part to its three camera setup featuring a wide, ultrawide and selfie cam. He noted that, «the Pixel 9A really pushes the dynamic range in its images. The phone captures more details in the shadows but really aggressively brightens them too.»

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In his review, Patrick Holland also observed that, «the Pixel 9A’s 5,100-mAh battery is the largest on any Pixel phone. But compared with the Pixel 8A, it also has a bigger screen that maxes out at 2,700-nits brightness, a more powerful processor and onboard AI processing. The result is just an OK battery life that was almost the same as last year’s Pixel 8A. Typically, I got around a single day’s use on a charge.»

That probably works for a lot of buyers, but you can decide which specs are the most important to splurge on. That said, at under $500 you’ll get a lot of value for the price — especially in the age of impending tariffs.

MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G 128GB Unlocked Phone (Awesome Black):

$350 (save $50)
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE 128GB Unlocked AI Phone (Gray):

$525 (save $125)
Moto G Stylus 5G 256GB Unlocked Phone(2024 Model, Caramel Latte):

$300 (save $100)
Apple iPhone 14 128GB Unlocked Phone (Refurbished, Midnight):

$334 (save $295)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

For a budget-friendly phone, Google’s Pixel 9A has a lot to offer. We love the phone at full price, so nabbing it for under $450 is a great deal. It’s currently back down to the lowest price we’ve found on this model so far, and we don’t anticipate it will drop lower any time soon. With AI features, solid camera performance and plenty of other goodies, this phone is packed with value. But this deal could end at any time, so we recommend making your purchase soon to lock in this low price.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for July 7, #757

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle No. 757 for July 7.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle could be tricky, but it’s not as tough as yesterday’s bizarre purple category («ending with homophones of parts of the leg»). Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Tells secret stuff.

Green group hint: Memorable event.

Blue group hint: Moves on the court.

Purple group hint: Peak, summit.