If you’re looking for great deals on electronics this week, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to save. We’re seeing nice prices on laptops, headphones, routers, and even the brand new Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra phone.

Before you spring into action, though, keep in mind that Amazon’s two-day Prime Day sales event kicks off Oct. 13 and that Target and Walmart are planning to respond with events of their own. So be sure to ask for a price-match guarantee for anything you buy now.
And, yes, a discount on a product isn’t a great deal if that product doesn’t perform as desired. So we look beyond the price to find savings on items that have scored well in CR’s rigorous tests. Here, we’ve identified the week’s best offers on items tested in CR’s labs.

Headphones and Speakers
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd-Gen.) Smart Speaker 2-Pack
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$39.98
In stock
Was: $99.98
Amazon
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Late last week, Amazon unveiled an Echo Dot with an all-new spherical design. This is the older hockey-puck-like version. The music playback doesn’t sound the best, but you can use the auxiliary jack to connect the device to a better speaker for your tunes and still get easy access to Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa for voice-command help with drafting the grocery list and staying up to date on the weather. And, thanks to this early Prime Day promotion, you can now save $60 on a two-pack. Just add two Dots to your cart and use the code “DOTPRIME2PK” at check out.

CR’s test results: Amazon Echo Dot 3rd-generation smart speaker

Apple AirPods Pro True Wireless Earphones
PRICE

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$219.00
In stock
Was: $249.00
Amazon
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$219.00
In stock
Was: $249.00
Walmart
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$224.95
In stock
Was: $249.95
B&H Photo
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  The AirPods Pro reduce unwanted distractions with active noise cancellation and provide interchangeable ear insert tips. The sound quality should satisfy even critical listeners of music and movie soundtracks. We recently saw the price for the earbuds dip to $200, but these options are still nice.

CR’s test results: Apple AirPods Pro earphones

Jabra Elite Active 65t True Wireless Headphones
PRICE

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$119.99
In stock
Was: $139.99
Best Buy
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Like the AirPods above, this sports-oriented model has a true wireless design, which means the earpieces are totally untethered. In fact, you can use the right-hand earpiece alone to listen to music or podcasts. The model delivers high-quality audio and comes with convenient features, such as a quick-charge function that boosts your battery for an extra 1.5 hours in little more than 15 minutes, according to Jabra. The advertised battery life of up to 5 hours falls in the midrange for true wireless models.

CR’s test results: Jabra Elite Active 65t headphones

Marshall Stanmore II Smart Speaker
PRICE

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$249.99
In stock
Was: $399.99
Amazon
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$249.99
In stock
Was: $399.99
Best Buy
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This Amazon Alexa-powered smart speaker is a great choice if you want something unique to enhance your décor, and it recently dropped an extra $70. It’s designed to mirror the look of Marshall’s iconic guitar amplifiers. Our testers found the knobs to be well-placed, clearly labeled, and easy to use. The sound quality is less refined than that of rival speakers, with a somewhat boomy bass and a midrange that’s slightly congested, but the unit provides enough volume to fill a large room.

CR’s test results: Marshall Stanmore II Voice smart speaker

Microsoft Surface Headphones
PRICE

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LOWEST
$179.10
In stock
Was: $198.50
Amazon
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$192.99
In stock
Was: $349.99
Best Buy
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These headphones usually sell for about $100 less than comparable options from Sony and Bose, but they’re marked down even more at Amazon and Best Buy right now. According to our testers, this model is great for listening to music and watching movies, which means you can transition from work to relaxation with ease.

CR’s test results: Microsoft Surface headphones

Printers
HP LaserJet Monochrome Printer
PRICE

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LOWEST
$178.90
In stock
Was: $298.90
Amazon
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$178.99
In stock
Was: $298.99
Best Buy
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$179.99
In stock
Was: $299.99
Adorama
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  This black-and-white laser printer is a great value, especially at the sale price. It’s best suited for low-volume users. It prints on both sides of the page and takes up little space. Just note that it accepts only HP toner cartridges and does not connect via WiFi. To print remotely from a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, you need to use a mobile app. Just note that if you order from Amazon, it might not ship for a few weeks.

CR’s test results: HP LaserJet Pro M404dn printer

Computers and Tablets
Acer 17-Inch Nitro 5 Laptop
PRICE

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$791.99
In stock
Was: $879.99
Best Buy
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If you’re into gaming, consider the Acer Nitro. It’s one of the best laptops of 2020, according to CR’s testers, with impressive specs for a device at this price, including a dedicated Nvidia graphics card, an Intel Core i5 processor, and plenty of memory and storage. It’s a little heavy, but that’s no surprise, given the 17.3-inch screen.

CR’s test results: Acer Nitro 5 AN517-51-56YW laptop

Apple 16-Inch MacBook Pro Laptop
PRICE

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$2149.00
In stock
Was: $2399.99
Amazon
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$2149.00
In stock
Was: $2399.00
B&H Photo
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Yes, the new MacBook Pro is expensive, but you can now get one at a decent discount. The laptop combines raw power with a sleek package and an improved keyboard for consumers who need more oomph than the MacBook Air offers. It delivers strong performance and is fully capable of handling the most demanding tasks. (The model we tested had 12 gigabytes of memory; this one has 16GB.)

CR’s test results: Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch laptop

HP 13-Inch Envy Laptop
PRICE

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$855.00
In stock
Was: $899.99
Amazon
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This is a well-equipped laptop for the price, with a bright 4K touch-screen display, an Intel Core i7 processor, 8 gigabytes of memory, and a whopping 512GB of solid-state storage. The step up from an i5 to an i7 processor helps with heavy-duty tasks, such as editing high-resolution video—though you might find a 13-inch screen somewhat small for that job.

CR’s test results: HP Envy 13-AQ1013DX laptop

LG 14-Inch Gram Laptop
PRICE

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LOWEST
$1045.00
In stock
Was: $1199.99
Amazon
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$1046.99
In stock
Was: $1199.99
B&H Photo
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The LG Gram practically defines thin-and-light design. The 14-inch version weighs a feathery 2.2 pounds—you almost want to hold it down if the wind kicks up. Better yet, it logged 19.5 hours’ worth of battery life in our web-browsing tests. (For video watching, the figure is closer to 9 hours.)

CR’s test results: LG Gram 14 (2020) laptop

Microsoft 12-Inch Surface Pro 7 Laptop
PRICE

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$759.00
In stock
Was: $899.00
Amazon
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With fast processing speeds and a convenient touch screen, the Surface Pro 7 does very well in our tests. Keep in mind that the keyboard, which detaches so that you can use the touch screen as a tablet, costs an additional $130.

CR’s test results: Microsoft Surface Pro 7 (Core i5) laptop

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
PRICE

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$279.99
In stock
Was: $349.99
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$279.99
In stock
Was: $349.99
B&H Photo
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$279.99
In stock
Was: $349.99
Samsung
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  That’s a good price for a good tablet. In addition to admiring the large, high-resolution display, our testers gave the 10.4-inch device top marks for performance and portability. You won’t run into a slowdown while using apps or browsing the web, and the battery should last between 10 and 12 hours, depending on the task at hand. (Watching high-res movies is more demanding than shopping online.) The model we tested had 128 gigabytes of storage. This one has only 64GB. But you can quickly and easily expand that using a microSD memory card.

CR’s test results: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite tablet (128GB)

Home-Theater Equipment
LG 60-Inch 4K Smart TV
PRICE

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$449.99
In stock
Was: $499.99
Target
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LG’s entry-level 4K set from 2019 does well in terms of overall picture quality, though it doesn’t deliver a compelling high dynamic range, or HDR, experience (which generally produces enhanced contrast and brighter highlights). The viewing angle is somewhat limited, too, so this set might not be your best option for movie night in a family room.

CR’s test results: LG 60UM6900PUA 60-inch 4K smart TV

TCL 65-Inch 8 Series 4K TV
PRICE

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$1299.99
In stock
Was: $1999.99
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If you’re in the market for a big-screen TV at a decent price, this is a good option. The set has impressive 4K picture quality, and the built-in speakers deliver solid sound, a rare quality in any TV these days. It’s one of the brightest sets we’ve tested, but it loses a few points for limited viewing angles.

CR’s test results: TCL 65Q825 4K smart TV

Routers
Linksys Mesh Wireless Router
PRICE

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$355.98
In stock
Was: $399.99
Amazon
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Ideal for large houses, this three-unit mesh router system offers automatic firmware updates and easy setup via smartphone app, plus admirable WiFi signal relay at a full range of distances, according to our testers.

CR’s test results: Linksys Velop AC6600 (3-pack) wireless router

Netgear Nighthawk Wireless Router
PRICE

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$139.00
In stock
Was: $189.99
Walmart
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This model is well-suited to small and midsized homes in need of reliable wireless internet for the school year. In addition to solid performance, it delivers the protection of automatic firmware updates and is easy to set up via a smartphone app. It started at $190, then dropped to around $160, before reaching this price.

CR’s test results: Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 (R7000) wireless router

Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers
Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS only)
PRICE

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$169.00
In stock
Was: $199.00
Amazon
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That’s a great price for an Apple Watch. The Series 3, introduced in 2017, has a smaller watch face than newer models. It’s also missing a few cutting-edge features: the fall detection and do-it-yourself electrocardiogram in the Series 4, the always-on display, international emergency calling, and the compass app rolled out with the Series 5, and the blood-oxygen sensor in the new Series 6. Otherwise, it’s a solid performer. CR tested the 38-mm version with GPS and cellular. This one is 42 mm and GPS-only.

Garmin Forerunner 35 Fitness Tracker
PRICE

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$99.00
In stock
Was: $119.99
Amazon
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Though technically a fitness tracker, this model feels like a watch. And it’s now priced $20 less than usual in all four colors (black is a few dollars cheaper, too). It has built-in GPS and a 1.3-inch monochrome display that shows your step count and real-time heart rate. Claimed battery life is nine days.

CR’s test results: Garmin Forerunner 35 fitness tracker

Smartphones
Google Pixel 4
PRICE

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$549.00
In stock
Was: $749.00
Amazon
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Google recently discontinued the Pixel 4 and 4 XL, opening the door for great deals on the two models. The 4 has a top-notch screen, a nice rear camera setup (featuring an extra zoom lens and optical image stabilization), and wireless charging capability. The battery life is a little short, though, at 20.5 hours. This is the price for the 64-gigabyte model. If you prefer more storage space, the 128GB version is on sale, too.

CR’s test results: Google Pixel 4 smartphone (64GB)

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra
PRICE

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$1049.99
In stock
Was: $1299.99
Best Buy
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This is a terrific deal on the new 5G-compatible Galaxy Note20 Ultra, one of the highest-scoring smartphones in our ratings. The OLED display is slightly bigger and brighter than the one on last year’s model. The battery life clocks in at a significantly improved 36.5 hours. And the top-notch camera setup includes a 5x lens.

If you’d prefer the Galaxy Note20 model, that one’s on sale, too, for $750.

CR’s test results: Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G smartphone