It’s unfortunate, but many video doorbells require you to lock yourself into one platform’s smart home ecosystem to really make the most of them. Thankfully, there’s at least one video doorbell that works well with any smart home platform: the Arlo Essential Wired Doorbell. And right now, it’s on sale in white for $59.49 (about $91 off) at Amazon. If you prefer another retailer (or color), you can also buy it in black at Verizon for $64.99.
Not only is Arlo’s video doorbell compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and even Apple Home, but it works well with many of these platforms. In fact, you can even use it to view live feeds from the Google Home app, which is a rarity for a non-Google camera. It also shares the same high video resolution as Amazon’s Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 — our top pick when it comes to wired doorbells — along with smart alerts for people and packages. Although it’s not nearly as fast or reliable, the Arlo does come with features the Pro 2 lacks, including smart alerts for animals and vehicles as well as a wider 180-degree field of view that’ll capture your entire porch.
Just be mindful that the doorbell doesn’t support HomeKit Secure Video and thus you’ll need to buy the Arlo SmartHub ($100) to integrate it into Apple Home. Also, be aware that you’ll need to pay $4.99 a month for cloud video storage, interactive notifications, and other perks. If that’s not a problem, though, Arlo’s budget option is a great pick that will help you keep tabs on your porch well.
Apple may not have released an updated iMac alongside the 15-inch MacBook Air and new Mac Studio this week, but at least the latest model continues to drop in price. Right now, for instance, Apple’s M1-powered iMac has returned to its all-time low at Woot, where you can pick it up in silver or pink with an eight-core GPU and 256GB of storage for $979.99 ($519 off). Woot is also selling the silver model with a seven-core GPU for $899.99 ($399 off), but note these are “open box” models, which means they’ll arrive in the original packaging but have previously been opened. They also only carry a 90-day warranty from Woot, as opposed to Apple’s standard one-year warranty.
If you’re looking for an attractive-looking family desktop, however, the 2021 iMac remains an excellent all-in-one machine. It comes with everything you’ll need to get started, including a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, and a 24-inch display. Plus, it boasts a 1080p webcam and a terrific six-speaker sound system. Admittedly, it’s not for creative professionals or power users who may find some specs limiting, but if all you need is a good-performing desktop that’s suitable for everyday work, you’ll be more than happy with the latest iMac.
Read our M1 iMac review.
If you’re in the market for a smart display, Amazon’s second-gen Echo Show 8 is currently available for half off at Amazon, where you can pick it up for a new low of $64.99 when you use promo code SHOW8 at checkout. Best Buy and Target are also discounting the smart display, albeit selling it for $74.99 instead, which is still one of its better prices to date.
Amazon’s versatile, Alexa-enabled smart display offers a lot of value for your money. With its spacious 8-inch screen and 13-megapixel camera, you can use it to comfortably make Zoom calls and stream a variety of video content. You can also use it to perform a wealth of other voice-enabled tasks, giving you a quick means of controlling your smart lighting, catching up on the news, and playing the latest tracks from T-Swift.
Read our Echo Show 8 review.
We wrote about Sonos’ Father’s Day promo earlier this month, but it’s worth flagging again since you only have through tomorrow, June 18th, to score a discount on the company’s impressive line of smart speakers and soundbars. Right now, for example, you can pick up the pint-sized Sonos Roam from Best Buy, Target, and Sonos for $134.25 (about $45 off). In addition to offering good sound quality and a rugged design, the portable smart speaker offers support for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s AirPlay 2.
Alternatively, if you’re looking to splurge on a quality soundbar, you can also buy the Sonos Arc from Sonos, Best Buy, and Target for $719.20 (about $181 off). That’s the best price we’ve seen this year on the Arc, which delivers immersive, powerful sound and Dolby Atmos support.
Read our Sonos Roam and Sonos Arc reviews.
Some other ways to save this Saturday
- Costco members can buy Apple’s third-gen AirPods with a MagSafe Charging Case for $139.99 through June 18th. Non-members can also get a discount when they pay a five percent surcharge, which raises the price to $146.99. Unlike their predecessor, the third-gen earbuds tout water- and sweat-resistance, as well as shorter stems. Read our review.
- If you’re looking for a good Kindle alternative, the Kobo Libra 2 is on sale for $169.99 ($20 off) at Kobo as a part of Kobo’s ongoing summer sale. This is my favorite e-reader, one that’s devoid of ads and offers physical page-turning buttons alongside waterproofing and a crisp 300ppi display. The only drawback is that, like all Kobo e-readers, you can’t easily read Kindle ebooks on it.
- Speaking of good Costco deals, members can purchase a $100 Nintendo eShop gift card for just $79.99 through June 18th. Now is also a particularly good time to do so, namely because Nintendo’s so-called “Hyper Max Sale” runs through the end of next week.
- The latest Tile Mate is on sale for around $20 ($5 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. The platform-agnostic Bluetooth tracker is a handy little travel gadget, one that’ll help you keep tabs on your luggage and other personal belongings from up to 250 feet away. It’s also a good budget-friendly Father’s Day gift that should arrive ahead of the holiday if you buy it from Walmart or pick it up in-store from Best Buy.
