The Verge - Good Deals

Good Deal: Panasonic 42-inch plasma smart TV for $399.99

2013-05-15T13:41:58Z

Panasonic may be getting out of the plasma TV business, but among its remaining models are some of the best deals around. Right now, Sears is selling one of the company's 42-inch Viera models with a 1080p display and smart TV functionality, including support for Hulu and Netflix, for only $399.99 — down $330 from its list price. The set wasn't a bad deal before the discount, and it's unquestionably a good deal now. While many consumers may have been scared off of plasma TVs because of issues with earlier models, like screen burn-in, newer generations have just about done away with this and often offer wider viewing angles and deeper blacks than LCD panels.

Good Deal: HTC First on sale for 99 cents with two-year contract at AT&T

2013-05-08T18:06:13Z

Stock Android and LTE data speeds for a buck. That's what awaits anyone who takes advantage of AT&T's just announced sale on the HTC First. The inaugural Facebook Home device is just 99 cents (on contract, naturally) for a limited time; launched last month, it's usually $99.99. Even when you factor in the First's mediocre camera and midrange internals though, it's hard to complain about this price point. If you're a heavy Facebook user, there's no better-suited phone out there. And if you decide to disable Facebook's Android skin (or merely use it as your lock screen) you'll get the stock Android experience in a form factor that's actually comfortable in one hand — complete with LTE. We only hope that AT&T's quick discount isn't a sign of retail troubles for the First.

Good Deal: Nook HD for $149, Nook HD+ for $179

2013-05-05T16:08:01Z

After years of focusing on its own content stores, Barnes & Noble has added Google Play support to its Nook tablet line — turning the Nook HD and Nook HD+ into fairly capable cheap Android tablets. Now, Barnes & Noble has knocked down the in-store and online price of both substantially for Mother's Day. From today until May 12th, the 8GB 7-inch Nook HD is selling for $149, down from its usual $199, and a 16GB version (normally $229) is $179. The 9-inch Nook HD+, meanwhile, is $179 for a 16GB version and $209 for a 32GB one, compared to $269 and $299.

As we noted in our reviews, both the HD and the HD+ have great displays and design, though this was balanced by poor speakers and a limited selection of apps in Barnes & Noble's curated store. Barnes & Noble has had a similar deal running in the UK, and it's instituted fire-sale pricing of its Simple Touch e-reader before. But with full support for Play and Google's app ecosystem just added, there's something to set the Nook apart from competitor Amazon.

Good Deal: Barnes & Noble drops Nook Simple Touch to £29 in the UK

2013-04-30T14:43:19Z

Barnes & Noble's once-promising digital business is struggling to compete with Amazon and Apple, which is perhaps why the company is slashing the prices across its range of Nook readers and tablets in the UK. As part of the "Get London Reading" initiative, the company has dropped the price of the Nook Simple Touch to £29 from £79, with the Simple Touch GlowLight seeing a similar cut from £109 to £69. The 7-inch Nook HD has also been reduced and is now priced at £129 (from £159), with the 9-inch Nook HD+ coming down £179 (from £229). That makes the bookseller's entire lineup cheaper than rival Amazon and Apple devices for a limited time. Barnes & Noble has opened orders for the Nook Simple Touch on its website, but the rest of the range is only available via Barnes & Noble's retail partners, which includes Argos, ASDA, Blackwell’s, Foyles, Currys and PC World, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, and Very.

Good deal: Acer's Aspire S7 ultrabook drops to just $899

2013-04-19T08:25:55Z

There's no denying that the Acer Aspire S7 is an attractive-looking machine. It's a super-thin ultrabook with a 1080p display that rotates 180 degrees, and when we reviewed it, we found there was a lot to love. If you can look past the weak speakers, limited 4GB RAM, and pretty dismal battery life, the S7 is the perfect minimalist notebook.

One thing stopping us from overlooking the S7's faults was its slightly high price tag — the 11.6-inch model launched at $1,199, while a fully-specced 13.3-inch machine would set you back $1,649 — but the Microsoft Store is running a promotion that takes care of that. You can now pick up the 11.6-inch S7 for just $899, while the Core i5 and Core i7 13.3-inch models will set you back $999 and $1299, respectively. Although you've been able to pick up the laptops at below-retail prices on sites like Amazon for some time, Microsoft's deal — valid for a "limited time only" — is still around $200 cheaper than we've seen elsewhere.

Good Deal: Solar weather app free on iOS today

2013-04-05T13:33:55Z

Solar's $0.99 price-tag didn't put us off buying it when it launched last year, but you'll have no excuse not to try out Hollr Inc's slick weather app now it is free to download. Blending an attractively minimal design with an intuitive and useful UI, Solar won't give you granular details such as wind direction and the level of humidity, but if you simply want to check the temperature, see if it's going to rain, or view the forecast for the next few days then it's a great choice. We have reached out to see how long the app will be free for, but haven't heard back yet, so if you're interested in trying it out, head to the App Store.

Good Deal: third-generation iPads starting at $314.99 from Best Buy

2013-04-03T20:44:05Z

If you've wanted to pick up a full-size iPad but have never quite been able to stomach the $499 entry fee, Best Buy has a pretty excellent deal going right now. All varieties of the third-generation iPad are selling for a steep discount over at the Best Buy clearance site. The 16GB Wi-Fi only models start at only $314.99 — less than an iPad mini. That's even less than Apple's refurbished models, and the good deals are available for every model. The high-end, 64GB models with LTE connectivity on AT&T (unfortunately, Verizon models are not available) are selling for $545.99, nearly $300 less than the original price.

Of course, these models are a year old now and don't have the Lightning connector and faster processor that Apple added in its fall iPad refresh last year —but the third-generation iPad wasn't exactly a performance slouch. While some may only want the latest and greatest, these iPads should be excellent performers for the majority of people in market for a tablet. If you're interested, act quickly — there's no telling how long these deals will last.

Good Deal: get Sony's entry-level NEX-F3 camera with 18-55mm lens for only $369

2013-04-01T12:42:54Z

Autofocus and dynamic range quibbles aside, Sony's NEX-F3 still makes for a fine entry-level mirrorless camera. When we took at look at it last year, we came away impressed with its ease of use, build quality, and overall image output. So long as your photo habits don't call for the added features found in the NEX-5R, NEX-6, and NEX-7, the NEX-F3 really isn't a bad choice — especially for the price Amazon is charging today. The online retailer is featuring the camera as its Gold Box deal of the day for only $369, a savings of $129 over the standard rate. As part of the package you'll also get Sony's capable 18-55mm kit lens. From there your options are limitless, since the NEX cameras can utilize a wide array of existing glass so long as you get the right adapter. For now, your most pressing decision is picking between black and silver.

Google drops price of entire Nik photography plugin collection to $149

2013-03-26T04:45:35Z

Google might have acquired photo software marker Nik primarily for its Snapseed mobile app, but it also got the company’s well-regarded suite of desktop software in the deal. And just like it made Snapseed free on mobile, it’s now taking a big chunk out of the price tag of Nik’s other apps, offering the six-plugin Nik Collection for $149, down 70 percent from its previous price of $499.95.

The package includes everything from Viveza 2 for making selective color adjustments (pictured above) to Silver Efex Pro 2 for recreating film-like black and white looks with your digital images. And the single $149 price tag will let you use the software with Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, or Apple’s Aperture on both Windows and OS X. Best of all, if you’ve bought any of the plugins in the past five years, Google will let you download the whole package for free. If you do any creative photo work in the apps mentioned above, the collection is definitely worth checking out, and there’s a 15-day free trial if you want to try before you buy.

Good Deal: 'Mass Effect' PC trilogy for $25

2013-03-10T22:31:03Z

Mass Effect 3 turned one year old this week, and EA's Origin store is celebrating by dropping the trilogy's price for the PC by more than half to $25. If you don't need to pick up the entire trilogy, the individual titles are available for half-off: the original game is priced at $7, while Mass Effect 2 & 3 cost $10 each. Picking up the entire trilogy as one set will also get you the Bring Down the Sky and Pinnacle Station DLC additions. If you were putting off learning the series' ending, now might be the time to find out.