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Cameraphone Deals: Note 8 for $908, Essential back to $450, Moto G5 Plus (2/32) for $170

The cameras in smartphones keep getting better and better, they are no longer an afterthought or a marketing gimmick to lure consumers in with a bigger than the competitor megapixel number. Newer models are climbing all over each other in the DxoMark rankings. (as usual, it should go without saying, the Dxomark measurement are only one part of the equation, benchmarks are never the whole answer).

The Orchid Gray version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is now down to $908~ at Amazon by Amazon itself. That’s the lowest I’ve seen it there for the US warranty, US unlocked version.

Meanwhile the Essential Phone by Android’s Andy Rubin is down to $450 again in either color scheme.

Cutting the price even further, you can get the new condition Motorola Moto G5 Plus in the 2/32 configuration (2GB RAM, 32GB storage) for $170 at Costco (members only) and by Amazon itself (limit 3 per customer). This creates an oddball situation at Amazon where the model with Prime Ads actually costs more 🙂

Note that the 64GB version of the Moto G5 Plus has 4GB of RAM (instead of 2GB), that’s part of the price difference, sale or no sale. As with previous generations, these are “all carrier” phones, they work on all four major US carriers.

November 17, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: , , ,

PSA: Samsung Chromebook PRO and PLUS dropping to $450 and $350 next week

I mentioned these earlier in the week in the Chromebook posts, but we have an update on them today!

The official Samsung Black Friday Ad has been revealed and it in they reveal that starting on Saturday their Samsung Chromebook PRO (Intel) will drop to $450 and their PLUS (custom OP1 ARM for ChromeOS) will drop to $350. Both comes with an S-Pen stylus, touchscreen, 360 degree, two USB-C ports (no full size USB), Google Play integration, 3:2 aspect ratio, microoSD card, etc.

So this is the price to meet or beat right now! This give us five more days to research it and decide whether to jump in or not. I am definitely tempted! Both my Chromebook and Android tablet belong in a technology history museum, so this could replace both devices, and would let me do more serious blogging work on the go, not just lightweight stuff.

PS: one lesser known feature of ChromeOS is that you can login to multiple Google accounts at the same time, without having to logout and login over and over. You can even move Windows between the two accounts. Handy if you have work and personal accounts and/or multiple people in the same household using the computer interchangeably (eg during TV binging marathons). See Help page for details.

November 13, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: ,

(ENDED) Wednesday: refurb 28″ 4K Samsung LED Monitor for $230, Etc

These daily deals expired…

[Read more…]

November 1, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With:

In-Stock Now: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (Factory Unlocked USA version) for $950

Flagship time! Hide your wallets! The new condition factory-unlocked USA version with USA warranty of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 smartphone flagship with dual OIS back cameras, in the Orchid Gray color scheme, is, as of the time of writing, in-stock and ready to ship to your front door for $950 at Amazon by Amazon itself. The other color (“Midnight Black”) is only in-stock by 3rd-party sellers.

It is very important when buying phones at Amazon to pay attention to the seller of record and the listing, and also double-check to verify. It is chaos and disorder when it comes to the 3rd-party sellers over there 🙂

But that’s not all. If “Orchid Gray” is not your thing, and you are comfortable with International Variants (not the US model with US warranty but compatible with some GSM carriers – check carrier and frequencies before buying), the “Maple Gold” is in-stock for $950 at B&H Photo, while the “Midnight Black” goes for $1000. These are International versions!

The US versions are not yet in-stock at B&H Photo. B&H Photo will begin accepting orders again Saturday night, so they won’t sell out, giving you time to research the phones 🙂

October 28, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: , ,

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (US version) TOOS at Amazon

The US version with US warranty, factory unlocked, of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 flagship smartphone with its dual OIS back cameras, in the Orchid Gray color scheme is now at the all-encompassing “Temporarily out of stock” status at Amazon, sold and shipped by Amazon itself. This is a step in the right direction (over Pre-Order status without a date) but still not a concrete date. But it’s getting there!

Meanwhile the B&H Photo listings remain in “New Item – Coming Soon” condition. Note that the B&H page has a mix of North American and International variants, so make sure you are looking at the correct model you are interested in.

Speaking of flagships, the Essential Phone is now down to $599 (from $699) in both color schemes, in the new condition factory unlocked with USA warranty model.

BANG FOR THE BUCK ALTERNATIVE

This if you want an uber flagship smartphone. If not, for the same price, you can buy 3-4 units of the Moto G5 Plus with “all carrier” support (the Big Four in the US market) for $240 with Prime Lockscreen Ads or for $300 Factory Unlocked. Note [no pun intended] that the $185/$235 model is with 2GB RAM / 32GB storage, while this $240/$300 model is with 4GB RAM / 64GB storage. The extra RAM is more important, especially if you plan on keeping/using the phone throughout its lifecycle, since apps get more and more bloated as time goes by (even if you don’t upgrade to a newer OS version).

October 22, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: ,

Refurbished Samsung WB1100F superzoom for $150, DJI Phantom 3 Standard for $314, Etc

NewEgg launched what they call the Ultimate Refurbished Sale and it includes:

+ manufacturer refurbished DJI Phantom 3 Standard Quadcopter Aircraft with 3-Axis Gimbal and 2.7k CamerA for $314
+ sold by the official DJI store on NewEgg
+ limit three per customer

+ various refurbished Parrot drones prices ranging from $20 to $70

+ some $100-ish refurbished Chromebooks in the middle of the page

+ and a blast from the past towards the bottom, the refurbished red Samsung WB1100F superzoom for $150 by RedTagCamera thru NewEgg (35x optical zoom)

October 16, 2017 Filed Under: fixed lens cameras, other cameras, samsung Tagged With: , , , ,

Samsung Gear 360 VR camera for $89

The new condition Samsung Gear 360 VR is now down to $89 with free shipping and handling, sold by various 3rd-parties sellers with the orders fulfilled by Amazon, so you get free 2-day Prime shipping if a member. It averages 3.6 out of 5 based on 270+ customer reviews and has almost 200 answered questions.

October 6, 2017 Filed Under: other cameras, samsung Tagged With: ,

Samsung EVO Select U3 microSDXC: 32GB for $13, 64GB for $23, 128GB for $45

If you are a fan of the Samsung EVO Select U3 microSDXC cards, they are currently on sale at amazon.com. The 64GB version goes for $23, while the 32GB version goes for $13, and the 128GB goes for $45. This is the card with SD adapter option. The option with the card readers go for more.

September 17, 2017 Filed Under: memory cards and storage, samsung Tagged With:

Pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Per the Mobile OS Fairness Doctrine, having mentioned the new iPhones, we now have to mention the flagship Android phone with its dual OIS cameras, which, what a coincidence, is also available for pre-order!

FACTORY UNLOCKED

If you prefer factory unlocked, with USA warranty and no carrier strings attached, you can get it for $930 in two color options at B&H Photo and Amazon itself.

Samsung’s own store offers it both factory unlocked, and also in six carrier configurations (the Big Four, plus US Cellular and Comcast/Xfinity) for $930. They also have an optional $300 Trade-In Promotion of qualifying/eligible trade-in phones.

UPDATE: if you are a fan of eBay shopping, they have a variety of listings. Keep in mind, eBay is an open marketplace with all kinds of product conditions and authorized dealer status and international models and such, so be sure to scrutinize each listing before buying!

CARRIER OFFERS

Carriers have a variety of offers with their terms and conditions and restrictions and pitfalls, so be sure to read and understand them before jumping aboard a particular carrier…

There are also some promotions that get you free accessories with early pre-orders. Check each carrier’s various options for details.

AT&T offers a 30-month installment plan with 0% APR on approved credit and such, for $31.67 per month. They have an up to $300 trade-in promotion, fineprint buried at the bottom of that page.

T-Mobile offers an old fashioned “Buy One, Get One FREE” promotion, with their own set of prerequisites and requirements for the promotion.

SPRINT has a “Switch to Sprint” promotion that is $20 per month on the 18-month Sprint FLEX Lease program with monthly bill credits on approved credit, with their prerequisites and restrictions. Note that this is a lease promotion, not a purchase promotion.

Verizon Wireless has a Trade-IN promotion that gets you up to 50% off Galaxy Note 8 with select trade-ins and a monthly payment plan and with other requirements. The 50% off is reserved for ten models (S7*, S8*, iPhone 7*, Pixel XL, etc), while the 35% off is with previous previous generation flagships, and 25% off is three times previous generation models.

September 15, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: , ,

Samsung PRO 850 Series 2.5″ Internal SATA III SSD sale: 256GB for $120, 512GB for $212, Etc

SSD time once again because the data must flow, and flow, and faster and faster it must flow 😉 The new condition Samsung 850 PRO series of Internal SATA III 2.5-inch SSDs is on sale in the various storage denominations at Amazon by Amazon itself with a limit of up to three units per storage option per customer. The 256GB goes for $120, the 512GB for $212, the 1TB for $421, and the 2TB for $898. Each one also has an option to come bundled with a Mount Bundle for +$7.

UPDATE: corrected link!

August 22, 2017 Filed Under: memory cards and storage, samsung Tagged With:

64GB Samsung EVO Select microSDXC for $23

Speaking of storage, the new condition 64GB Samsung EVO Select U3 microSDXC memory card, model MB-ME64GA/AM, is back on sale for $23, in new condition at Amazon by Amazon itself. Meanwhile the 128GB version goes for $45.

If you need additional items to get free shipping (non-Prime members), check our previous AmazonBasics posts.

August 17, 2017 Filed Under: memory cards and storage, samsung Tagged With:

Pre-order new 49″ Samsung 32:9 Curved 4K 144 Hz FreeSync HDR LCD Monitor

If you are a fan of state of the art really-really wide monitors, the new 49″ Samsung 32:9 Curved 4K 144 Hz FreeSync HDR LCD Monitor is now available for pre-ordering for $1500 with free expedited shipping at B&H Photo with a late July 2017 release estimate.

Speaking of Samsung, their Samsung Gear 360 VR camera is on sale for $110 with free shipping with up to three units per customer. This is the US version with US warranty.

July 25, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: ,

Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 for $425 with Trade-IN or $575 without [add $100 for S8+]

Samsung too joined the dual camera party with the Samsung Galaxy S8 flagship introduction. And the prices are dropping. You can now get the Galaxy S8 phone in new condition, unlocked, with USA warranty and no carrier obligations for $575 at B&H Photo and the Samsung website. Make sure you are looking at the US variant if you are switching between colors and such.

On the other hand, if you have an older ex-flagship smartphone that are willing to part with, the samsung website has a $150 off trade-in promotion that would drop the price to $425. Only specific Samsung, iPhones, Pixels and LG phones are eligible for the trade-in promotion.

There is also a parallel promotion on the Galaxy S8+ going for $675 unlocked, or for $525 with a qualifying trade-in at the Samsung website.

PS: note also (yes, pun intended) that the Galaxy Note 8 is expected to be revealed August 23 in 2017 but it’s likely going to be closer to four figures unlocked when it starts rolling out.

July 24, 2017 Filed Under: samsung Tagged With: ,

Samsung Gear 360 VR Camera for $110

If you are part of the Samsung ecosystem, the new condition Samsung Gear 360 VR Camera is on sale $110 with free shipping at Groupon Goods until 7/18/17… Speaking of Groupon, they are currently running a Black Friday Bonanza sale. Because they already used up their Gunsmoke and Love Boat themes? 😉

If you are planning to place a $34.99+ order (to get free shipping), they have $7 Lens-Shaped Coffee Cups.

July 15, 2017 Filed Under: other cameras, samsung Tagged With: ,

Samsung EVO Select U3 MicroSD cards: 128GB for $45, 64GB for $23, 32GB for $13

If you are a fan of the green Samsung EVO Select U3 microSD memory cards, the whole line-up (except for the 256GB) is on sale and in-stock and shipping at Amazon by Amazon itself: the 32GB goes for $13, the 64GB goes for $23, and the 128GB goes for $45. You can buy as many as you like. Free shipping for Prime members or with a $35+ order.

For more Amazon action, check our Prime Day Situation Room which will continue throughout the Prime Day 2017 festivities.

July 7, 2017 Filed Under: memory cards and storage, samsung Tagged With:

Samsung Chromebook Plus Convertible Touch Laptop drops to $379

Temptation time! The Samsung Chromebook PLUS (PLUS = ARM processor; PRO = Intel) Convertible Touch Laptop, model XE513C24-K01US, is on sale for $379 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon itself with a limit of up to three per customer.

Of interest if you want a multi-purpose device, as you get a ChromeOS laptop that can officially run Android apps through Google PLAY, a touchscreen display, a built-in and included Samsung stylus (S-Pen), a non-widescreen aspect ratio, a 360-degree rotating screen, and more.

This will not replace a Photoshop machine, but you can use it for all kinds of other tasks. Also handy when on assignment or when working with others, you can put it in Guest mode or they can login with their own Google account and pick up quickly from where they left off.

The PRO (Intel) model remains at $550 and was the one that got delayed because of hardware and software issues.

PS: I don’t know if the included S-Pen is compatible with (or which) other Samsung devices that have their own version of the S-Pen (phones, tablets, laptops, etc).

PS2: one lesser known feature of ChromeOS is that you can login with multiple Google accounts at the same time and switch between them as needed. You don’t have to login and logout all the time. Handy if you use it for both personal and work, or have one account with paid subscriptions (eg YouTube RED or Music All Access or extra Google Drive storage).

June 14, 2017 Filed Under: samsung Tagged With: ,

Factory Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8+ for $700 with USA warranty

The official Samsung eBay store (yes, almost everyone is on eBay these days), is offering the factory unlocked new condition Samsung Galaxy S8+ (Plus; the larger model), model SM-G955U, in the Midnight Black color scheme, with 64GB on-board storage, for $700 with free shipping and a Samsung USA warranty. Limit up to five per customer.

You own the phone and you can use it on any carrier, it is one of only a few smartphones that are what I call “uber carrier”, they work with all four major USA carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile) and their various MVNOs. There are many benefits to getting an unlocked no-contract phone, but historically Samsung has not been giving their previous unlocked flagship phones OS updates as fast as they did the carrier-branded ones. There’s only one unlocked color at the moment.

On the other hand, if you want an “uber carrier” phone without breaking the bank, B&H Photo comes to the rescue! They offer the Motorola Moto G (4th Generation) for $160 in the 2GB RAM / 16 GB storage) option, or for $200 you can get a better value/performance combo with the 4GB / 64 GB storage. RAM being the more important factor as you have a lot more flexibility in terms of multi-tasking and using big apps.

June 12, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: ,

Orderable Again: Samsung Chromebook PRO for $550

If you are a boldly going early adopter, the Samsung Chromebook PRO is orderable again for $550 at Amazon by Amazon itself. It had returned a few days ago but then quickly became un-orderable again. But as of the time of writing, this is orderable again in the all-encompassing “temporarily out of stock” status.

The difference between this and the $436 PLUS model is that the PRO has an Intel processor versus ARM of the PLUS.

More details on what caused the delays and their plans for the future of the ChromeOS + Android marriage can be found in this Google I/O 2017 Verge post. It turns out the delays were a mix of software and hardware:

“The Chromebook Pro hardware itself needed to be redesigned. Issues with the thermals and antennas meant some things had to get shifted around. Google itself handles the software stack, so it needed to tweak that software as Samsung tweaked the hardware.”

Of photography interest is the combination of the S-Pen (for retouching and such), touchscreen, combination of Android and ChromeOS apps and options, a 3:2 QHD screen (if you prefer to work in this aspect ratio), and such.

Note however that it may take a few weeks/months before everything gels as Android apps are in Beta. On the plus side, it is on a six week update cycle, so fixes will definitely come faster than they do with Android phones.

If I wasn’t a poor blogger I would scoop this up 🙂 Please feel free to send me one 🙂

May 28, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: ,

(ENDED) refurbished Samsung Monitors (12 options)

This daily deal expired…

[Read more…]

May 27, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: ,

In-Stock Now: Samsung Gear 360 4K Spherical VR Camera (2017 Version)

The new Samsung Gear 360 4K Spherical VR Camera (2017 Version) is now in-stock and ready to ship for $230 at Adorama and B&H Photo and Verizon Wireless.

Note that Verizon Wireless has a limited time promotion that gets you a $50 prepaid VISA gift card if you spend $200+ using coupon code 50BACK. Since this is priced at $230, you are eligible for the prepaid VISA gift card. This offer ends 5/29/17.

Another offer running at Verizon Wireless also mentioned under “Description”, gets you the Gear 360 for just $50 IF you purchase it TOGETHER with either the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the S8+ smartphones from Verizon.

May 25, 2017 Filed Under: other cameras, samsung Tagged With: , ,

250GB Samsung T3 Portable External SSD (USB 3.1) for $100

If you are a fan of Samsung’s external SSDs, the 250GB Samsung T3 Portable External SSD (USB 3.1, model MU-PT250B/AM) is currently on sale for $100 with free shipping at Amazon and Samsung’s store and by NewEgg on eBay and B&H Photo.

Speaking of storage, the 3TB Seagate BarraCuda SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive (ST3000DM008) is on sale for $80 with free shipping at Amazon by Amazon itself.

May 22, 2017 Filed Under: memory cards and storage, samsung Tagged With:

500GB SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5″ SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal SSD for $148

More eBay Deals action, this time it is the NewEgg eBay store offering a “See Price at Checkout” promotion on the new condition 500GB SAMSUNG 850 EVO 2.5″ SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal Solid State Drive. When you do the “See Price at Checkout” song and dance, the price drops to $148 with free shipping. Limit three per customer (not the usual limit five NewEgg typically has).

Speaking of eBay Deals, don’t forget the 20% off coupon promotion expires tonight (Thursday night).

May 18, 2017 Filed Under: memory cards and storage, samsung Tagged With: ,

(GONE!?!?!) Pre-order Samsung Chromebook PRO (Intel processor) for $550

As of 5/16/17, the pre-orders disappeared earlier in the day, and now the page itself has been removed, it is a 404 page…

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May 14, 2017 Filed Under: samsung Tagged With: , ,

Now shipping: Factory Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ flagships

If you much prefer to get the new Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ flagships factory unlocked, with Samsung USA warranty and in new condition, there are now in-stock and shipping in limited quantities at the Samsung USA website. The S8 goes for $725 while the S8+ goes for $825.

It is also available for purchase through Samsung Financing on 24-month installment plans with 0% APR on approved credit.

They are also shipping from B&H Photo. The S8 goes for $800 while the S8+ goes for $900.

NOTE that with previous models (eg Galaxy S7), Samsung did not prioritize updates for the unlocked phones. For example, the S7 only just now is getting Nougat (7.0, not even the latest).

May 10, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: , ,

Samsung microSDXC EVO Select U3 cards for $13 (32GB), $23 (64GB), $45 (128GB)

If you are a fan of the Samsung memory cards, the line of the green-ish Samsung microSDXC EVO Select U3 is on sale for $13 in the 32GB option, $23 in the 64GB option and $45 in the 128GB option at Amazon by Amazon itself. This is not a lightning deal.

On the full SD front, the 32GB Sandisk Ultra SDHC C10 UHS-1, model SDSDUNC-032G-GN6IN, continues to be on sale for $10 at Amazon by Amazon itself. Limit up to 3 per customer. It currently “defeats” the 64GB and 128GB in its own sub-line in GB/$.

May 3, 2017 Filed Under: memory cards and storage, samsung Tagged With:

$150 Gift Card and Gear VR Controller with Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ pre-orders

Sam’s Club is offering two freebies when you pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+. You have to follow the steps and the deadlines and requirements of each promotion. Freebie #1 is “Gear VR with Controller” to be sent to you later on by mail. You have to submit your information after purchase at the Samsung promotions website, and then they will mail you the Gear VR. Freebie #2 is a $150 Sam’s Club gift card. To redeem this, you must pick-up and activate your phone at a Sam’s Club store between April 21-30 in 2017. Activations are free April 21-23. Check their website for more details.

March 30, 2017 Filed Under: samsung Tagged With: , ,

(ENDED) Wednesday Streams: Panasonic GH5 B&H and Samsung Unpacked Galaxy S8

The Samsung Unpacked and B&H Photo Panasonic GH5 streams ended, but you can re-watch them at any time in the future…

[Read more…]

March 29, 2017 Filed Under: panasonic, samsung, website news

34-inch Samsung SE790 Curved Ultra-Wide Monitor for $600

While surfing around eBay, trendy at the Trending eBay Deals, the BuyDig ebay store is back with the new condition 34-inch Samsung SE790 Curved Ultra Wide WQHD display offered for $600 with free shipping. Limit five per customer. This has 3440 x 1440 resolution, and various connection options (zoom in on gallery picture #4 to see them).

March 28, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: ,

Samsung 360 Gear VR camera for $190

On the VRography front (okay, VR cameras), the new condition Samsung 360 Gear VR camera is on sale for $190 with free shipping and free returns at Groupon Goods. The sale ends 2/24/17. This ships in two business days. Groupon is trying to improve their shipping speeds, which is a must in the era of Prime and Doordash and Google Express 🙂

February 21, 2017 Filed Under: other cameras, samsung Tagged With: ,

Refurbished Samsung S29E790C Ultra Wide Curved WFHD LED backlit Monitor for $310

If you are a bit of an adventurous shopper, and your world view is wide and slightly curved, there is currently the certified refurbished 29-inch Ultra Wide Curved Samsung S29E790C WFHD LED-backlit Monitor is offered for $310 with free shipping by Woot with the order fulfilled by Amazon. It only has three customer reviews, one is happy, one is happy but the first one was a dead-on-arrival, and the third got the wrong power cord. So there is some risk here. If you are risk averse and start fuming at the thought of having to return/exchange something, you may want to skip it.

The monitor has 2560 x 1080 resolution (21:9), Picture in Picture, HDMI, DisplayPort, VESA, etc. Gallery picture #6 shows the connections on the back but it’s a small picture. Zooming in, it looks like there are three, maybe the two are the HDMI (I’m only guessing).

February 18, 2017 Filed Under: samsung, technology deals Tagged With: ,