The HomePod and HomePod Mini are both receiving a rare discount

With most of the Apple news this week revolving around the new M3 MacBook Air and Apple’s ongoing app store kerfuffles in the EU, it’s not surprising that Best Buy’s current promos on the HomePod Mini and second-gen HomePod have slipped under the radar. That’s a shame, however, given the smart speakers are on sale for $79.99 ($20 off) and $269.99 ($30 off), respectively, which doesn’t happen often.

If you’re deciding between Apple’s latest Siri-based smart speakers, there are a few things to consider. The latest HomePod is essentially a rehash of the original model from 2018, only this time, it comes with support for spatial audio, the new Matter standard, and temperature and humidity sensing. The pint-size HomePod Mini, meanwhile, packs the same features and smart home prowess, though, understandably, it doesn’t prioritize sound quality as much as the full-size model, even if it does sound quite good for its size and put out more bass than similar smart speakers of its stature.

Sound quality aside, the biggest selling point of both speakers is their deep integration with the rest of Apple’s ecosystem (and Apple Home). You can easily hand off music from an iPhone to either, and because they work in tandem with iOS, you can ask both the HomePod and the Mini to place a phone call, read messages, hit you with calendar invites, or even locate family members via Apple’s Find My feature.

Now, if only the HomePod had a real display.

Read our HomePod (second-gen) and HomePod Mini reviews.

I could work from literally anywhere, but I’m usually confined to my desk because of the speed and convenience my multi-monitor setup adds to my workflow. Sure, I could solve that with one of the dreamy dual-screen laptops making waves, but I can’t responsibly justify the splurge, and I’m a MacBook guy when it comes to laptops. A portable monitor like the Asus ZenScreen MB166C can get the job done much cheaper, however, especially since it’s on sale at Amazon for $98.19 (about $41 off).

The 15.6-inch ZenScreen is a USB-C monitor with an IPS full HD display that’s bright enough to use in sunlight and offers nice viewing angles. It accepts power and can transmit 60Hz video over the same cable thanks to DisplayPort Alt, which is almost mandatory for frustration-free deployment. I’ve tested a few of these basic monitors, but none were as sleek or satisfying to view as Asus’ 1080p option. At 0.46 inches, it’s thin enough to slip into the same compartment as my laptop, at least when using roomier bags, and it ships with a handy protective sleeve. Plus, if you’re one of the few people who would find it useful to mount one on a tripod, there’s a quarter-inch thread on its underside to do so.

More deals to celebrate payday

• Now until March 31st (or while supplies last), you can buy a three-foot AmazonBasics USB-C cable at Woot for just $3.99 ($6 off). We’ve seen comparable 60W two-packs from other trusted brands go for between $10 and $15 at their cheapest, so this is a great value.
• If you’ve been looking for a physical copy of Bayonetta 3, you can currently pick one up at Best Buy for $30.99 ($29 off). The Nintendo Switch title draws inspiration from Devil May Cry’s quick, skill-based combat with an original story, though, The Verge’s Ash Parrish felt the plot was a little bit of a letdown in the final moments. Nonetheless, at this price, it’s worth deciding for yourself, especially if you liked the previous titles. Read our review.
• There’s no good reason to lose your most important belongings when you can get a four-pack of Apple AirTags for $78.99 ($21 off) at Amazon and Walmart. You can slip a couple of them into your everyday carry or use one of the many AirTag holders available to attach them to a set of keys or your pet. Just keep in mind that you’ll need an iPhone 11 or newer to use Apple’s Precision Finding feature, which guides you to your item’s location using a compass. Read our hands-on impressions.
• You can buy an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D for $388.99 ($75 off) at Newegg with offer code CLDDQ554. You don’t need such a beefy processor for pure gaming, but the 12-core, 24-thread chip offers great overhead for streaming or heavy creative or engineering workloads. It’s an AM5 processor, though, so you’ll need a newer motherboard with support for AMD Zen 4 architecture.

Brandon Widder contributed to this post.