Earlier this week Samsung US offered discounts on the Galaxy Tab S9 series – those are still available, by the way. The 2023 slates received the new Galaxy AI as an update, which brought them into the spotlight again. But grabbing the 2022 Ultra may be a better deal.
The base Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra with 8/128GB configuration (there’s a microSD slot) is down to $700, while the 12/256GB version is on clearance at $750. For comparison, a 12/256GB Tab S9 Ultra is $1,070.
Both slates feature large 14.6” 120Hz AMOLED displays and 11,200mAh batteries with 45W fast charging. Where they differ is the chipset – Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 for the older model and Gen 2 for the newer one – along with things like IP68 dust and water resistance that were added last year. It’s up to you whether those things are worth $300 extra.
Samsung US also had some carrier deals with up to $1,000 trade-in credit for the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5. If your contract is up, you should check out the previous post. If not, you can pick up a 512GB Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 for $900 from Amazon (it is $1,120 on Samsung.com and even the 256GB version is $1,000 before trade-ins are applied).
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is still quite pricey, costing $1,400 for a 12/256GB unit. Of course, the Z 6 generation is a couple of months away as Samsung to schedule the launch to coincide with the Olympics. There’s talk of cheaper FE and more premium Ultra models.
Or you can go with the OnePlus Open at $1,500 (this is with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage). This one features LTPO displays inside and out and a 64MP 3x tele camera (vs. 10MP 3x on the Galaxy), plus a 48MP ultra wide (vs. 12MP).
Samsung declined to launch the Galaxy A55 in the US and the A35 isn’t available yet. This leaves you with two options for a phone in this class – last year’s Galaxy A54 and Galaxy S23 FE.
The S23 FE has the more premium build with an aluminum frame (the A54 uses plastic) and a more powerful chipset – Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 vs. Exynos 1380. It also boasts a a tele camera, an 8MP module with a 3x lens. However, the 8:28h active use rating is quite disappointing compared to 11:15h for the A54. The A54 also has expandable storage. If the Galaxy A55 was available, it would have been the one to go for. But without it, the older A54 is probably the better option – certainly when there is a $200 gap in price to the S23 FE.
OnePlus is one of the few makers of foldable phones that sells in the US and it makes tablets too. The OnePlus Pad has an 11.61” IPS LCD, a good quality panel with 10-bit colors, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. It runs at up to 144Hz and the Dimensity 9000 has a fairly powerful GPU for gaming. With quad speakers and a 9,510mAh battery with 67W charging, the Pad is great for entertainment (and work too).
Besides new foldables, Samsung is expected to finally launch its smart ring at the Olympics. But the Galaxy Ring is far from the first smart ring. Oura has been at it for a while and released the third generation back in 2021.
You can grab the silver version for $300, but there are other colorways to match your look. You should either go to the store or pick up the sizing kit for $10 – rings aren’t like smart bands with adjustable straps. But just like a smart band, the Oura Ring can track your heart rate and blood oxygen, the quality of your sleep and reads body temperature to offer women’s cycle prediction 30 days in advance.
Smartphone gaming is the most profitable segment right now, but dedicated portable consoles carved out a niche for themselves. The Asus ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1) was briefly available for $300 on Best Buy. The price is now back up to $400, but keep in mind that this model launched at $600. Anyway, you can still get an open box unit for $300 and play all the Windows games that you can’t run on your phone (other than with streaming, that is).
Asus ROG Ally
AMD Ryzen Z1, 7″ 120Hz 1080p LCD, 512GB
$100/$200 off
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