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The tech giant was facing pressure to pull the feature after it made repeated mistakes.

Many Chinese users on RedNote say it is the first time they have been able to speak directly to Americans online.

Ofcom is issuing industry guidance which sets out the tech adult websites must use to check ages.

It hoped to turn 60,000 roadside green cabinets into chargers - but now says it will focus on wifi instead.

Could there be ways to bypass the ban - and could president-elect Donald Trump find a way to stop the law?

The complaint filed to a US federal court alleges Musk saved $150m at the expense of Twitter shareholders.

The tech giant accounts for 90% of web searches in the UK - the regulator will probe whether that harms consumers and rivals.

The firm has repeatedly said it will not sell its US operation as it face a 19 January deadline.

Leading tech firms are said to have committed £14bn towards the project, which could create more than 13,000 jobs.

A swarm of "TikTok refugees" has made RedNote the most downloaded app on Apple's US App Store.

The tech giant has asked investors to reject a proposal from a conservative group to end its DEI policies.

Peter Kyle responds as internet safety campaigner Ian Russell says laws to protect children need fixing.

Users will no longer be able to opt out of political content from people they do not follow.

The body's co-chair says moving to community notes could have a big impact on gender rights and minority groups.

Meta says its platforms will instead rely on "community notes" from its users, an approach pioneered by X.

Ann Altman filed a lawsuit alleging her brother sexually abused her between 1997 and 2006.

China's embassy in Washington branded the move as an "unreasonable suppression" of its firms.

Apple has pledged improvements to its news summarising tool, but critics say it is dangerous and needs to be withdrawn.

It comes days after former UK deputy PM Sir Nick Clegg left his top job at the social media giant.

An AI-generated notification says the teen has won the tournament before the final is even played.

The announcement was part of Mr Huang's address at CES, an annual technology show in Las Vegas.

The tech giant denies wrongdoing after being accused of eavesdropping on customers.

Rival technology giant Huawei has also cut smartphone prices in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holiday.

The ruling marks a significant moment in the long running battle over how to regulate internet providers.

He will be replaced by Republican Joel Kaplan, a former White House deputy chief of staff under President Bush.

From space junk gel to hologram surgery, the team had lots of intriguing predictions. Which, if any, came true?

US authorities allege he was responsible for the collapse of two coins, prompting a massive crypto sell-off.

Two big releases will dominate the industry next year, but they're not the only games in town.

How a very popular puzzle that was first invented 50 years ago may have certain wellbeing benefits

It's another sign the industry is moving away from owning games - some fear that means gamers having to "shell out more."

Computer scientist Craig Wright was given a suspended prison sentence for what was described as "legal nonsense."

The US wants the app to be sold or banned because of what it says are links to the Chinese state.

This edition is all about facts, the future and finding our way.

Tech Life is at CES in Las Vegas, one of the world’s biggest consumer tech shows.

Want to know what’s in store for the tech world in 2025? Tech Life has got you covered.

We look back at the high and lows of another fascinating twelve months in tech

How tech is transforming the way the world works, learns and plays

Cyber warfare, aerodynamic tech in athletics and the new Indiana Jones.

Tech Life meets leading AI scientist Sasha Luccioni, one of the BBC’s 100 Women 2024.

Should more AI be used to help GPs with consultations and administrative work?

Pharmaceutical firms are turning to AI to find new molecules that might be able to tackle disease.

AI can spot patterns in the data from blood tests that can give an early warning of disease.

With vast amounts of data do draw on, AI should be able to come up with good gift ideas, but does it?

Making games is hard and, in 2024, getting people to buy them is another challenge.

Music lovers are buying up old cassette, CD and record players and getting them fixed.

Thermal imaging tech has become cheaper and homeowners are using it to track down heat loss.

Hi-tech coatings make all sorts of high performance engineering, like jet engines, possible.

India produces only a tiny fraction of the world's cocoa beans, but that could be changing.

It can be hard to find good advice on how to make homes more energy efficient.

Big mining firms are switching to driverless trucks and other autonomous equipment.

Start-up firms are looking for ways to dye clothes using less water and heat.

Paints now promise to make your house cooler, warmer, or simply peel off.

Greener software could make devices last longer and use less electricity.

As more AI tools are rolled out, some argue they are contributing to employee burnout.

In Iceland scientists plan to drill down to magma to understand it and use it for energy production.

Falling launch costs have given African nations a chance to send their own satellites into orbit.

As Wimbledon scraps human line judges, sport insiders suggest how we can make games more exciting.

Hear from the team who test security by breaking into secure facilities.

From ex-policemen to former physicists, cyber-security firms search outside the industry for staff.

Educational website reviews

Sudoku is a logic-based number puzzle that does not involve arithmetic. Although first published in an American puzzle magazine in 1979, Sudoku gained popularity in Japan in 1986 before becoming an international craze in 2005. The goal is to enter […]

Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) was first observed in 1868 to honor the soldiers of the Civil War. Its origins can be traced back to General John A. Logan who proclaimed: “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated […]

The history of American Mother’s Day can be traced to 1870 when Julia Ward Howe (author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic) called upon mothers to put an end to war. But it wasn’t until 1912 that West Virginia […]

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) is one of the greatest composers in history. His work marked a turning point for composers, who had previously written primarily for religious services, to teach, or to entertain at social functions. But Beethoven’s […]

“April showers bring May flowers.” Perhaps this is why May is National Flower Month. Indulge your green thumb with this week’s website picks about flowers.

God of War Just a couple of years ago, Sony had a dozen new live service games in development, but that number keeps dropping. It was already down to six by the end of 2023, before the well-received launch of Helldivers II and the disaster that was Concord in 2024. Now, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier has confirmed with Sony that two unannounced live service projects have been canceled. One was from Syphon Filter and Days Gone developer Bend Games, while Schreier reports the other shuttered title was a live-service God of War game that Bluepoint Games “has been working on for the last couple of years.” Bluepoint Games is one of several developers Sony acquired in recent years as it was building up a queue of live service projects, with many ports and remasters under its belt, including Demon’s Souls, the first three Uncharted games, Shadow of the Colossus, and others. Now, Schreier says the studios won’t close, but there’s no word yet on what their next projects will be. The live service approach to gaming once seemed wide open following the success of Fortnite and other titles, but games like Concord, Anthem, and Redfall have shown how difficult it can be. At Sony alone, the list of canceled service titles Bloomberg has already reported on included the Spider-Man game revealed by the Insomniac ransomware breach, Twisted Metal, and a Destiny-linked game from Bungie called Payback. However, we’re still expecting to hear more about Bungie’s revived Marathon extraction shooter and Fairgames, a PvP heist title from Haven Studios. PlayStation did not say whether the cancellations will lead to layoffs but did say the studios will not close. A spokesperson for PlayStation tells Bloomberg the company is working with Bend and Bluepoint to determine their next projects — Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) 2025-01-16T23:13:09.439Z

Screenshot: SpaceX SpaceX successfully caught its Super Heavy booster for the second time. During Starship’s 7th test flight from Boca Chica, Texas, Super Heavy descended into the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms, allowing it to grab the booster. Despite the successful catch, SpaceX lost communications with the Starship spacecraft mounted atop the booster. “It successfully separated from the Super Heavy booster, but during that ascent phase, a couple of the engines dropped out, and then shortly thereafter, we lost communication with the vehicle,” SpaceX’s Kate Tice said during the stream. “We are assuming that we have lost the ship.” According to SpaceX, “Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn,” but said teams are still going over the data to find out why. Several people who said they were on the islands of Turks and Caicos said they saw the Starship’s re-entry debris and posted videos of it on social media. @cnnbrk @CNN @cnni @Pardon_Me_22 appears to be a meteor shower over Turks and Caicos this evening.. Wow!!! Flew right over @ClubMedTurkoise pic.twitter.com/OL7vq8vbkH — Joshua Johnson (@JoshAJohnson10) January 16, 2025 This just happened in the sky over #turksandcaicos ☄️ ‍♀️ #Aliens #meteor #firework??? pic.twitter.com/OwodvImSVC — Sally Alington (@sallyethos) January 16, 2025 This version of Starship featured “major improvements to reliability and performance” this time around, making the vehicle slightly taller, according to SpaceX. Along with a redesigned propulsion system and an improved flight computer, this flight featured a new heat shield with “Multiple metallic tile options, including one with active cooling” to test alternative materials and a “backup layer to protect from missing or damaged tiles.” Before the flight, SpaceX also said that on the Starship’s upper stage, “a significant number of tiles will be removed to stress-test vulnerable areas across the vehicle,” but it’s unknown if this was a factor in its destruction. The Super Heavy booster in this test was also the first one to reuse a Raptor engine from a previous flight test. Mechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster! pic.twitter.com/aq91TloYzY — SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 16, 2025 At 403 feet tall, Starship is the biggest launch vehicle ever. It’s made up of two parts: the Starship spacecraft, which is designed to carry crew and cargo into orbit, and the Super Heavy Booster, which comes with 33 SpaceX Raptor engines that help propel Starship into space. Both the Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy booster are reusable. Last year, SpaceX’s launch tower successfully caught its Super Heavy following launch. During its seventh test flight, Starship was supposed to deploy 10 Starlink “simulators” for the first time. These mock satellites are the same size and weight as Starlink’s actual internet satellites, but they weren’t supposed to stay in space. Instead, they would’ve had the “same suborbital trajectory as Starship” and would “demise upon entry.” Update, January 16th: Noted the outcome of the flight and added videos of the debris over Turks and Caicos.

Garmins aren’t just multisport behemoths anymore. | Illustration by Will Joel / The Verge Garmin may be best known for its hardcore fitness watches, but it’s got an extensive line of lifestyle offerings, too. Read the full story at The Verge.

The Pokémon Company It’s coming a little later than we initially thought, but The Pokémon Company (TCPi) has finally announced when Pokémon TCG Pocket’s long-awaited trading functionality is rolling out. Today, TCPi revealed that, along with Pokémon TCG Pocket’s next set of cards, the game’s trading feature is set to launch later this month. TCPi didn’t specify an exact date in its statement about the update, but it did explain that trading will involve some restrictions and costs. In order to swap cards, people will first have to be friends with one another in the game. Trades can only occur if players are offering up cards with the same rarity, meaning that you won’t be able to trade powerful EX cards for more common ones that are easier to pull. Additionally, TCPi trading is limited to cards that have rarities of 1-4 diamonds or a single star full-art cards, and TCPi noted that “items must be consumed in order to trade.” It’s not clear which particular items players will need for trades, but it feels likely that the process will involve spending Poké gold, one of Pocket’s multiple in-game currencies that can be purchased in exchange for real money. The item requirement sounds like logical (but not exactly welcome) way for Pocket to generate even more revenue given how easy it is to accumulate certain duplicates from every set. In a follow-up post to X, Pocket’s official account stated that it was hearing people’s immediate concerns about how this is all going to work in practice, and encouraged everyone to provide more feedback once the feature is out.

Image: Sony Sony announced a collection of black PlayStation 5 accessories in the midst of CES last week, and you can now preorder them ahead of their release date on February 20th. The new DualSense Edge controller ($199.99), Pulse Elite headset ($149.99), Pulse Explore wireless earbuds ($199.99), and PlayStation Portal ($199.99) are all available for preorder from Sony, Amazon, and a string of other retailers starting today. Sony’s new PS5 accessories are just as sleek as the black DualSense controller Sony released in 2021. The PS Portal now sports black buttons like the DualSense Edge, while retaining the slick black accents found on the white model. The Pulse Explore earbuds, meanwhile, now come with a jet-black charging case, while the Pulse Elite headset comes with a black charging hanger and a felt carrying case. Despite the new look, none of the accessories introduce new features. The black PS Portal is the same handheld remote player we reviewed in 2023, with the same lengthy battery life and limitations as the white model (except it now supports cloud streaming). The new Pulse Explore and Pulse Elite support Sony’s low latency lossless wireless audio codec and are compatible with the PS5, PS Portal, Windows PCs, and macOS. As for the black DualSense Edge, the wireless gamepad continues to offer deep customization and great software integration with the PS5.

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge General Motors and its subsidiary OnStar are banned from selling customer geolocation and driving behavior data for five years, the Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday. The settlement comes after a New York Times investigation found that GM had been collecting micro-details about its customers’ driving habits, including acceleration, braking, and trip length — and then selling it to insurance companies and third-party data brokers like LexisNexis and Verisk. Clueless vehicle owners were then left wondering why their insurance premiums were going up. For example, one consumer told a GM customer service representative that “[w]hen I signed up for this, it was so OnStar could track me. They said nothing about reporting it to a third party. Nothing. […] You guys are affecting our bottom line. I pay you, now you’re making me pay more to my insurance company.” “I pay you, now you’re making me pay more to my insurance company.” FTC accused GM of using a “misleading enrollment process” to get vehicle owners to sign up for its OnStar connected vehicle service and Smart Driver feature. The automaker failed to disclose to customers that it was collecting their data, nor did GM seek out their consent to sell it to third parties. After the Times exposed the practice, GM said it was discontinuing its OnStar Smart Driver program. “GM monitored and sold people’s precise geolocation data and driver behavior information, sometimes as often as every three seconds,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement. “With this action, the FTC is safeguarding Americans’ privacy and protecting people from unchecked surveillance.” The settlement also requires GM to obtain consent from customers before collecting their driving behavior data, and allow them to request and delete their data if they choose. GM said in an unsigned statement that it was committed to customer privacy.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images The Biden administration says it will leave it to incoming President Donald Trump to figure out how to deal with the mess of the TikTok ban, ABC News reports. “Our position on this has been clear: TikTok should continue to operate under American ownership,” a White House official told ABC News. “Given the timing of when it goes into effect over a holiday weekend a day before inauguration, it will be up to the next administration to implement.” But don’t get too excited just yet. Even though Trump has offered vague promises to save TikTok, there’s still not much he can do to eliminate the huge monetary risk companies like Apple and Google could face so long as the law is on the books. And for that matter, the same goes for Biden — unless he formally extends the timeline for a sale of TikTok by Chinese owner ByteDance by up to 90 days before the ban take effect. The White House statement to ABC does not appear to suggest that Biden plans to take that route, and the Biden administration did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for clarification. But technically, to grant an extension, Biden would need to see progress toward a sale. So far, according to multiple reports, ByteDance has been focused on fighting the law, rather than exploring potential buyers. Even so, a handful of Democratic lawmakers led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) — who is trying to get Congress to extend the deadline — pleaded in a letter to Biden to use the 90 day extension. While TikTok itself is not mandated by the law to shut down, it may still choose to go dark as it’s reportedly planned if it fears its US service providers including Oracle might choose not to risk helping it operate or update. TikTok, Oracle, Apple, and Google have not yet said publicly how they plan to handle Sunday’s deadline. We also still haven’t heard from the Supreme Court — which seemed poised to uphold the law and just said on Thursday that it “may announce opinions” at 10AM ET on Friday — but since it’s so far declined to pause it, the ban will at least technically take effect on Sunday, whether or not anyone else chooses to do something about it.

Apple’s latest iPad Mini is currently on sale for an all-time low of $399. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge While the best iPad deals usually land during major sale events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day, many great iPad deals are attainable outside those times. The day-to-day discounts may come and go like changing winds, but there’s often something to be saved, particularly on the more affordable iPads. The most recent iPad Pro and iPad Air are also starting to see substantial price reductions, and you can even save a bit on Apple’s new iPad Mini. It’s difficult to know where exactly you can find the most notable iPad deals unless you’re scouring the major retailers on a daily basis. But that’s often what our deal hunters at The Verge are doing each and every day, so let us help you out. Below, we’ve listed the best deals you can get on each iPad model that is currently available, from the cheapo ninth-gen iPad of 2021 to the latest models equipped with Apple’s powerful M2 and M4 chips. The best iPad (2021) deals Announced alongside the iPhone 13 way back in 2021, the ninth-gen iPad is Apple’s aging entry-level tablet, one that’s still great at carrying out everyday tasks despite having been discontinued. The ninth-gen model originally started at $329 with Wi-Fi and 64GB of storage, which arguably makes the newer 10th-gen model the better deal if you don’t need a home button or a headphone jack, as it now starts at $349 and is often on sale for even less. The last-gen iPad has been receiving a steep discount for quite a while, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find in most configurations. In fact, we’d recommend you buy the base 10th-gen iPad instead, which is only $10 more than the lowest price we’re currently seeing for the 2021 iPad. That said, Amazon and Best Buy are selling the step-up 256GB variant for $399.99 ($80 off). That’s not the best deal we’ve seen, considering it’s been as low as $280 before, but that’s still a bit cheaper than the comparable 2022 model. A last-gen model is still worth considering The last-gen iPad uses an A13 Bionic processor and a 12MP wide-angle camera with Center Stage, a feature designed to keep you framed up and centered while on video calls. The tablet also carries over a number of features from its predecessor, such as the 10.2-inch display, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the home button, and a smart connector for connecting a smart keyboard. The best iPad (2022) deals Although the newer 10th-gen iPad came out in late 2022, it’s still an excellent tablet — one we consider to be the best value for most people (once Apple dropped its price). The latest iPad modernizes the design with a switch to USB-C, uniform bezels with no home button, a side power button with a fingerprint sensor, and a larger display, but it eliminates the 3.5mm headphone jack. In the past, you could often buy Apple’s latest entry-level iPad for $349 ($100 off its initial launch price) — which is now the MSRP. Right now, however, the base model with 64GB of storage is on sale at Amazon and Walmart in select colors for $299 ($50 off), which is $50 more than its all-time low. Amazon and B&H Photo are selling the 256GB model with Wi-Fi for $469 ($30 off), which is about $60 more than its best price to date. The best iPad Mini (2024) deals The new seventh-gen iPad Mini is similar to the outgoing model but comes with faster Wi-Fi and USB-C speeds, support for the Apple Pencil Pro, and a newer A17 Pro processor with 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence. Otherwise, it boasts nearly identical specs and features as the last-gen model, meaning it has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, a USB-C port, and options for 5G. It may not be worth upgrading if you already own a sixth-gen Mini, but newcomers to the category should appreciate the upgrades. The 2024 iPad Mini starts at $499 with 128GB of storage, which was the price for the previous generation’s 64GB model. Electing for 256GB of storage brings the price up to $599, and the cellular models start at $649. These are some big numbers for a small iPad, and the larger iPad Air might be worth considering if you prefer your dollar to go further with more screen real estate. But if you want an Apple tablet in the smallest possible form factor, this is where the action is. Right now, you can get the 128GB base model with Wi-Fi at Amazon and Best Buy for $399 ($100 off), which is the lowest price we’ve seen. You can also get the 256GB variant at Amazon and Best Buy starting at $499 ($100 off), which is its best price to date. The best iPad Air (2024) deals The 2024 iPad Air doesn’t feature any groundbreaking changes compared to the 2022 release, but notably, there is now a 13-inch configuration in addition to a base 11-inch model. Apple also added Wi-Fi 6E radios and upgraded the chipset to M2, which enables the hover feature when using Apple’s latest styluses. You can use the newer iPad Air with the Apple Pencil Pro and both previous-gen Magic Keyboards, too. The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599, while the comparable 13-inch model starts at $799. Deals for the 2024 iPad Air started to appear before the latest model even hit store shelves. Right now, you can pick up the 11-inch base model with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi at Amazon and B&H Photo for $549 ($50 off), which is $50 more than its all-time low. As for the 13-inch iPad Air with 128GB of storage, Amazon and B&H Photo are selling it in select colors starting at $729 ($70 off), which is $30 more than its best price to date. The best iPad Pro (2024) deals Compared to the latest iPad Air, the 2024 iPad Pro is a far more impressive upgrade. The 11- and 13-inch models start at $999 and $1,299, respectively, and they are the first Apple devices to feature the company’s latest M4 chip, which brings moderate performance gains and dedicated hardware for on-device Apple Intelligence processing. The new Pro models can claim other firsts, too, such as being the first iPad models with OLED displays and the lightest Pros yet, which is true for both sizes. They also feature repositioned front-facing cameras that sit along the horizontal edge, which prevent you from looking as though you’re staring off into space on a video call. As for deals, the 11-inch iPad Pro with Wi-Fi / 256GB of storage is on sale at Amazon for $899 ($100 off), which nearly matches its lowest price to date. The sleek and super-thin 13-inch model, meanwhile, is on sale in its 256GB base configuration at Amazon for $1,195 ($105 off), which remains its second-best price to date.

Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge Apple has temporarily stopped showing notification summaries for news and entertainment apps as part of the iOS 18.3 developer beta released Thursday, according to reports from MacRumors and 9to5Mac. The Apple Intelligence-powered feature was criticized after it inaccurately summarized content from outlets such as the BBC. Apple will reenable the notifications “with a future software update” as it continues to work on the feature, 9to5Mac reports. In the new beta, Apple will make it clear that the notification summary feature is a beta and “may contain errors.” Additionally, 9to5Mac says Apple will let you disable notifications for specific apps from the lock screen or Notification Center in iOS 18.3 by “swiping, tapping ‘Options,’ then choosing the ‘Turn Off Summaries.’” The company will also use italicized text on the lock screen to make it easier to tell notification summaries and standard notifications apart. The Verge reached out to Apple with a request for more information about these changes but didn’t immediately hear back. Last month, the BBC called out Apple after the company’s notification summary feature wrongly summarized its coverage of the UnitedHealth shooter, suggesting the outlet reported that Luigi Mangione shot himself. Apple later said it would roll out an update to “further clarify when the text being displayed is summarization provided by Apple Intelligence.”

The last-gen Series 9, which isn’t all that different from the Series 10, is on sale starting at $279. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge In September, Apple launched its latest smartwatch, introducing the Apple Watch Series 10 alongside a black rendition of the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Each wearable has its own pros and cons, as does the second-gen Apple Watch SE, but the recent introduction of the new wearables also means there are now more Apple Watch models on the market than ever before — and a lot more deals to be had. But with all of those options, which one should you pick? Generally speaking, you want to buy the newest watch you can afford so that it continues to receive software updates from Apple. The latest update, watchOS 11, launched in September on the Apple Watch Series 6 and newer, ultimately leaving those still using an older Series 4 or Series 5 behind. That being said, picking up a watch from the latest (or a recent) generation ensures you’re getting a smartwatch with an updated design, a robust number of features, and plenty of sensors. Now, let’s get to the deals. The best Apple Watch Series 10 deals The Apple Watch Series 10 represents the latest wearable in Apple’s flagship Series lineup. It features the new S10 SiP chip, faster charging, and a wide-angle OLED display that’s brighter, larger, and easier to read than that of previous models. It weighs half as much as the Ultra, too, and is about 30 percent thinner despite its new 42mm and 46mm sizing. Other upgrades include an added depth and water temperature sensor, as well as a new FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection feature, the latter of which is also available on the last-gen Series 9 and Ultra 2. While the improvements are certainly welcome, the Series 10 isn’t a vast departure from the prior model, the Series 9. That being said, it’s only on sale at Amazon and Walmart right now in the 42mm sizing with GPS starting at $383.28 (about $15 off) — a far cry from its all-time low of $329. The GPS-equipped model, meanwhile, is on sale at Amazon and Walmart in the 46mm variant for $411.91 (about $17 off), while the LTE models can be had at Amazon and Walmart starting at $479.36 (about $20 off). Read our Apple Watch Series 10 review. The best Apple Watch Series 9 deals In 2023, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 9 alongside the second-gen Ultra. It uses Apple’s last-gen S9 SiP chip and a second-gen ultra wideband chip, which allows for onboard Siri processing and precision finding with select iPhone models. It also features a brighter, 2,000-nit display and support for Apple’s nifty “double tap” feature — two minor additions that are also present on the Series 10. The Series 9 has been out for more than a year, but certain configurations have become increasingly difficult to find with the arrival of Apple’s latest watch. Luckily, the GPS-equipped Series 9 is still on sale in the 45mm configuration at Walmart starting at $279 ($150 off), or at Amazon and Best Buy in the 41mm sizing starting at $309 ($90 off). There are also a handful of deals to be had on the LTE models with cellular connectivity, though none of them undercut the current price of the LTE-equipped Series 10 model by much, hence their exclusion here. Read our Apple Watch Series 9 review. The best Apple Watch SE deals The Apple Watch SE received a refresh in late 2022. It has the same chipset as the Series 8, which is great, but with fewer sensors, no always-on display, and a slightly outdated design compared to the Series 8, Series 9, and Series 10. Those omissions might take this out of the running for some people, but it still may be exactly what you’re after. Best of all, it starts at $249 for the 40mm Wi-Fi / GPS model, which is $30 less than the previous generation’s baseline cost. Opting for cellular connectivity bumps the starting price up to $299 for the 40mm size (44mm adds $20 to each configuration). At the moment, the best deals on the latest Apple Watch SE can be found at Amazon and Walmart, where you can pick the 40mm model with GPS for $199 ($50 off). The 44mm configuration, meanwhile, is available at Amazon and Walmart for $229 ($50 off). If you want the LTE configuration, the 40mm configuration is currently on sale at Amazon and Walmart for $249 ($50 off), or in the larger 44mm sizing at Amazon and Walmart for $279 ($50 off), its typical sale price. Read our Apple Watch SE (second-gen) review. The best Apple Watch Ultra 2 deals The latest Apple Watch Ultra launched at $799 in September with GPS and LTE support, much like the original model. The ultra-capable smartwatch has the most features, sensors, and ruggedness of any Apple Watch model available thus far, along with a display that’s 50 percent brighter than the first Ultra. The 49mm smartwatch also packs Apple’s S9 SiP and second-gen ultra wideband chips, just like the Apple Watch Series 9, while maintaining long-lasting battery life, precise GPS tracking, and a bevy of diving-friendly sensors. In recent months, we saw the Apple Watch Ultra 2 dip to as low as $642 ($157 off) in select configurations. Right now, however, it’s only on sale at Amazon with a Trail Loop starting at $749 ($50 off) or with an Alpine Loop starting at $759 ($40 off). You can also pick it up at Amazon with an Ocean Band starting at $734.89 (about $64 off), which is about $45 more than the lowest price we’ve seen on the elastomer-equipped model. Read our Apple Watch Ultra 2 review. A note on the more premium models While all of the Apple Watch models and colorways covered here are encased in aluminum (except the Ultra 2, which has a titanium build), Apple does make a more premium range built out of stainless steel and titanium. These offerings are functionally and aesthetically similar to their aluminum counterparts, with slightly refined colors and finishings — polished for the stainless steel and brushed for the titanium. However, they start at much steeper prices of $699 and above. They, too, can often be found on sale, but they’re never discounted as low as the standard base models, so we don’t include them here.