It’s been a surprisingly good year for Android tablets, with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 series and the Google Pixel Tablet both having launched within the past couple of months. The OnePlus Pad also arrived earlier this year, and though it might not carry the same clout as a Google or Samsung tablet, it’s a solid device that’s available from OnePlus right now with a free OnePlus Stylo stylus for $429.99 ($50 off).
For the money, OnePlus’ first tablet packs a bit of punch. The 11.6-inch slate is less expensive than competing devices from Google, Apple, and Samsung, yet it comes with an array of high-end features, including a quad-speaker system and a pixel-dense LCD display that refreshes at up to 144Hz. It also features a 7:5 aspect ratio that’s comfortable to use in both landscape and portrait orientation, along with 128GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and a snappy MediaTek chip that can handle all of the typical tablet things (streaming, web browsing, etc.).
Being a OnePlus product, it’s not going to integrate with other device ecosystems particularly well or offer the same level of software features as options from Apple or Samsung, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a tablet with better specs for the price.
Now, let’s just hope you like the color green.
If you want a compact smart speaker for your desk or nightstand, there are only a few options really worth considering right now. Unsurprisingly, Amazon’s third-gen Echo Show 5 is our go-to recommendation for those locked into Amazon’s Alexa ecosystem — one you can currently pick up on sale at Amazon for $64.99 ($25 off) with a free Sengled smart bulb.
Like the last-gen Echo Show 5, the latest model provides everything expected of an Alexa-equipped speaker. You can use it to quickly check the weather and play music or use it as a security device or smart alarm clock that can be snoozed with just a tap. The third-gen model just introduces quicker performance, better mics, and a redesigned speaker system, the latter of which delivers slightly better clarity. I wouldn’t say the sound is leagues better than the second-gen model, but honestly, it’s still impressive for a single 1.75-inch driver.
It’s ironic that Starfield, a game set in space, is taking up all the oxygen in the room this week. However, if you’re a Nintendo Switch gamer who couldn’t care less for Bethesda’s forthcoming RPG, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is still on sale at Amazon and Walmart for just $49.87 (about $20 off), nearly matching its all-time low.
For the uninitiated, Tears of the Kingdom is the wildly inventive follow-up to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a game that defined the Switch upon its release in 2017. The open-world RPG isn’t quite as wondrous as its predecessor, yet, thanks to its sweeping landscapes and a clever building mechanic that lets you construct everything from gliders to fire-spouting robots, it remains a charming game that’s tough to put down, no matter how many Korok seeds you have in the bag.
