Google’s Pixel Buds Pro are 10 percent off for Verge readers

Today marks a lot of things: it’s hump day, it’s iPhone 14 and 14 Pro review day, it’s the second day of our newly redesigned Verge site (don’t worry, I won’t keep counting in every post), and it’s also a day we can bring an exclusive deal just for you, our valued readers.

The Pixel Buds Pro wireless earbuds are discounted between now and September 18th at Wellbots for $180 when you use code VERGE10 at checkout. That’s about a $20 savings on Google’s excellent buds with active noise-canceling, great battery life, and multipoint connectivity. The deal covers three of the four available colors the Pixel Buds Pro are offered in: charcoal, fog, and lemongrass (the best color, obviously). Whichever you pick, you get a white case that charges wirelessly or via USB-C.

Google’s premium buds are the prime choice for anyone using a Pixel phone and will also work great on Samsung and other Android phones. Their transparency mode may not be quite up to the level of other high-end wireless earbuds out there, like Apple’s AirPods Pro, but they make up for it with an intuitive hands-free Google Assistant integration and a more affordable price point. Read our review.

If Google products aren’t your jam, or if you use an iPhone, we’ve got another solid earbud deal for you. The Beats Fit Pro are on sale at Amazon for their usual price of $199.95, but they come with a $25 Amazon gift card. It’s not the Fit Pro’s best deal ever, like when we saw them get a raw discount of $40 back during Prime Day, but sales on these awesome buds are not the most common occurrence.

The Beats Fit Pro are some of the best earbuds you can buy, especially if you’re even remotely into fitness. The built-in fins can keep the Fit Pro securely in your ears, even on a bumpy run, and they have ANC and sound quality that rivals the AirPods Pro. Sadly, the chunky case they come with doesn’t support wireless charging, but at least it has USB-C charging and not Lightning. Read our review.

Speaking of Apple users, the latest deal prices on 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros with the M1 Pro processor are absolutely fantastic for power users and creatives. You can get multiple versions of the 2021 model for $400 off.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro in its base configuration normally costs $1,999 with a 512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM, but it’s currently $1,599 at Best Buy. Even in that entry-level model, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is an incredibly capable machine for photographers, videographers, designers, and more. The port selection on it and its 16-inch sibling is the best that Apple has offered in years, including MagSafe charging that frees up one of its three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI-out, and a full-size SD card reader.

The 16-inch model has all of that, plus a bigger screen (though both sizes have a notch like older iPhones). It normally starts at $2,499 with a 10-core M1 Pro CPU, 512GB SSD, and 16GB of RAM, but you can buy it for $2,099 at Best Buy and Amazon. If these configurations of either the 14- or 16-inch models don’t have enough storage for you, the Best Buy listings allow you to step up to 1TB and still reap the same $400 savings. Read our review.

The feature-rich Turtle Beach Recon wired controller for Xbox and PC is on sale for $44.95 at Amazon or $44.99 at Target (about $15 off). This drops it within $5 of Turtle Beach’s React-R controller, its budget-minded model that has fewer features. The Recon may not be wireless like the stock Xbox controller, but it’s a formidable controller for playing online competitive shooters without spending astronomical prices. It’s comfy in the hands with nice contours and some rubbery grips, and it features two programmable rear buttons to help keep your thumb on the right stick for fewer interruptions in aiming.

One of the best features of the Recon — and why I chose it as a standout for shooters in our buying guide — is the Superhuman Hearing mode it offers while using it with wired headsets. It alters the mix to amplify sounds like enemy footsteps and distant gunfire. Will it make you better at Halo Infinite or Call of Duty? Maybe not, but it might give you the slightest, tiniest edge in a tense battle. Read our review.

Hump Day bonus deals:

• GameFly is running one of its pre-owned games blowout sales, and it’s worth perusing through the catalog for deals on used games like Elden Ring on PS5 for $34.99, Mario Strikers: Battle League on Nintendo Switch for $34.99, and more.
• Those earbud deals up top are great, but what if you want some buds on a much, much tighter budget? Well, how about just $34.99 for wireless neckbuds? Woot is still selling the Beats Flex for roughly half off when you use code FLEXIT at checkout for an additional $5 off. They’re not as fancy as true wireless earbuds since they have hardware that hangs around your neck, but they have excellent battery life and USB-C charging and are great for working out. Read our review.
• The original Apple Pencil is down to its lowest price of $69.99 (about $29 off) at Amazon. This stylus may not be as sleek as the magnetically charging second-generation model, but it’s a great value if you have a compatible iPad. The current base (ninth-gen) model is one example among many that support the original Apple Pencil.
• Woot has new stock of unlocked Google Pixel 5 phones for $399.99 ($300 off its original price when it launched in 2020). This is still an excellent phone for using Android 13, though it may see its final OS and security updates in October 2023. Read our review.