The Buying Game (Issue 6)
It's Prime Day week, but the picks are filled with deals from all kinds of retailers.
TL;DR: The Buying Game consists of me selecting three products worth buying at different price points. Each product is given a Value Score—based on price and function—and then one is crowned the winner at the end.
How I’d spend $500: JMGO PicoPlay
The PicoPlay is a new portable project that can double as a Bluetooth speaker. I've been using this for a few weeks, and like any small projector, it works best at night or in a dark space. But it's great because its 1080p picture quality is solid and it's self-contained. Google TV is built in, so whatever streaming apps you want should be available. Its twisting gimbal also allows it to be positioned to work on a wall or ceiling. When the PicoPlay is set upright, it automatically turns into a Bluetooth speaker.
Price: $299 (link)
Value Score: 5/10
The $449 retail price isn't outrageous for this type of product, but $300 might still be a little high for a device that gets used primarily for slumber parties or a few trips each year. Be aware, there's no battery, so it does need power. (That's not a big problem, though, because adding an internal battery adds bulk and cost without usually providing that much time of use.)
How I’d spend $150: Aura Carver Mat 10-Inch
Aura photo frames are simply the best ones out there. The Carver Mat 10-inch model is large enough to be a good fit for a kitchen, living room, or main bedroom. Beyond the hardware being top-notch, the app experience makes it painless for anyone to get their photos onto the device. Fill the frame with a single photo or multiple ones and the software makes your memories look good.
Price: $141 (link)
Value Score: 8/10
The 21% off sale is one of the things that makes this pick a great value. The other thing is that Aura doesn't charge for photo storage. You can add as many photos and videos as you want and there's no extra service or subscription fee.
How I’d spend $50: Twelve South AirFly Pro
The AirFly Pro is a way to use your wireless headphones or earbuds with airplanes' seat-back entertainment screens. Beyond airplanes, this transmitter can work on gym equipment or pretty much anywhere with a 3.5mm headphone jack. This Pro version allows for two people to connect to it. It can also work as a receiver to connect your phone's audio to a car's auxiliary port.
Price: $41.24 (link)
Value Score: 6/10
The retail price of $54.99 is just a bit high for infrequent use, so this 25% off sale is more in line with its value. If you really only want to connect one pair of earbuds and don't want the extra capabilities, the AirFly SE is down to $28.25.
The winning pick: Aura Carver Mat 10-Inch
While a lot of people could benefit from adding the AirFly Pro to their travel bag, I think the Aura Carver photo frame is the best value.
I've used several Aura frames for years. Each one has been effortless to get set up and use. The products are already at reasonable prices for their quality, so this discount is mostly gravy on top.
Are you looking for even more picks this week? Here are a few things worth considering.
An expensive pick: Hover X1 Drone
This self-flying, selfie-taking drone is a ton of fun. The Hover X1, along with an extra battery and charger, normally sells for $399, but it's on sale for $279 right now. It has several preset flying configurations, so all you have to do is hold it in your hand and press the button to capture 30 or 60 seconds of footage.
There are even more expensive Hover drones, but I like how compact this one is when folded and its ultra-simple operation. You can check out more photos and sample videos from my review.
Don't buy this: BOOX Palma 2
It's not that I don't like the idea of a thin, phone-like e-reader, because I do. The problem is that even on sale, $269.99 is too much for the Boox Palma 2. It's a full-blown E Ink tablet, so its price isn't crazy. It can install most Android apps if you really want it to. I'd love to see a future Palma model ditch the camera and other pricey components and come in around $180.
This week's other interesting deals and product news
- I rounded up some deals on Apple products, discussing which ones are good deals.
- Samsung announced its new folding phones. More thoughts about these later.
- Samsung Frame TVs are 40% off.
- Microsoft's 12-inch Surface Pro 2 is down to $699 for 256GB of storage or $799 for 512GB.
- The Sony ULT Field 5 speaker is 40% off, down to $198. I reviewed it recently.
- The Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) speaker is down to $149.99.
- Bose's SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) is down to $99. This is one of my favorite portable speakers.
- Poster company Sandgrain Studio is offering 20% off, along with free shipping. Use code "Prime"
- Nuphy is offering 20% off some of its mechanical keyboards.
Other links
- 3 things parents should know about Instagram for Teens accounts (PCMag)
- A review of the electric pizza oven with Wi-Fi (How-To Geek)
