Today's best deals: Google Nest Hub, Apple TV 4K, and more

The best deals of the day: Google Nest Hub, Apple TV 4K, and moreZoom Ars-Technica

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the web's best tech deals includes a steep discount on Google's Nest Hub, as the 7-inch smart display is down to $55 at multiple retailers. We've seen a handful of discounts on the device over the past few months, but this deal matches the lowest price we've tracked at $45 off Google's MSRP.

We have positively reviewed the latest Nest Hub after its launch last year, finding it particularly useful as a bedside companion. The device includes an optional sleep tracking feature, which in our tests works surprisingly well, providing largely accurate and consistent data on how long you're in bed, how long it takes you to fall asleep, the number of times you get out of bed, and when you wake up, among other details. The approach here is more about detailing whether you're getting enough sleep than digging deep into the weeds about your sleep quality, but it works, and the whole process should be more comfortable than keeping a tracking smartwatch on. sleep or attached fitness clothing. overnight. There's a caveat, though: while the feature is currently free, Google plans to roll it into Fitbit's $10-a-month Premium service next year.

Besides the sleep-tracking hook, the Nest Hub does pretty much all the other stuff you'd expect Google Assistant to do (answer search queries, control smart home devices, show recipes in the kitchen, etc.), whether we generally find more useful in this class of device than Amazon's Alexa. The device's built-in speakers, while not stunning in a vacuum, are improved enough over the first-gen model to make casual music or streaming podcasts non-aggravating. The 1024×600 resolution screen isn't particularly sharp either, but it's enough to get by on a 7-inch touchscreen. The hardware as a whole doesn't draw too much attention on its own, and while you probably know where you stand when it comes to privacy concerns inherent in all voice assistant-based devices, the Nest Hub omits any sort of built-in cameras, which might give you extra peace of mind.

In general, smart displays like the Nest Hub are still far from essential devices for most people, but if you think the conveniences they can be worth it, it's good value for money for a well-rounded model. If you want a bigger smart display, note that the 10-inch Nest Hub Max is also on sale for a minimum of $170, though this model doesn't come with sleep tracking functionality.

If you have no interest in leaving another Google device in your home, however, our roundup has plenty of other great deals. The Apple TV 4K could benefit from an upgrade in the coming months, but the current model is still perfectly capable of meeting most streaming needs, avoids the ad-laden user interfaces of cheaper platforms and pairs smoothly with other Apple devices. It's currently discounted to $130, which is a bit above the all-time low we saw on Amazon Prime Day, but still marks a $50 reduction from Apple's MSRP.

> Beyond that, Amazon affiliate Woot is taking $25 off select models of

Today's best deals: Google Nest Hub, Apple TV 4K, and more
The best deals of the day: Google Nest Hub, Apple TV 4K, and moreZoom Ars-Technica

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the web's best tech deals includes a steep discount on Google's Nest Hub, as the 7-inch smart display is down to $55 at multiple retailers. We've seen a handful of discounts on the device over the past few months, but this deal matches the lowest price we've tracked at $45 off Google's MSRP.

We have positively reviewed the latest Nest Hub after its launch last year, finding it particularly useful as a bedside companion. The device includes an optional sleep tracking feature, which in our tests works surprisingly well, providing largely accurate and consistent data on how long you're in bed, how long it takes you to fall asleep, the number of times you get out of bed, and when you wake up, among other details. The approach here is more about detailing whether you're getting enough sleep than digging deep into the weeds about your sleep quality, but it works, and the whole process should be more comfortable than keeping a tracking smartwatch on. sleep or attached fitness clothing. overnight. There's a caveat, though: while the feature is currently free, Google plans to roll it into Fitbit's $10-a-month Premium service next year.

Besides the sleep-tracking hook, the Nest Hub does pretty much all the other stuff you'd expect Google Assistant to do (answer search queries, control smart home devices, show recipes in the kitchen, etc.), whether we generally find more useful in this class of device than Amazon's Alexa. The device's built-in speakers, while not stunning in a vacuum, are improved enough over the first-gen model to make casual music or streaming podcasts non-aggravating. The 1024×600 resolution screen isn't particularly sharp either, but it's enough to get by on a 7-inch touchscreen. The hardware as a whole doesn't draw too much attention on its own, and while you probably know where you stand when it comes to privacy concerns inherent in all voice assistant-based devices, the Nest Hub omits any sort of built-in cameras, which might give you extra peace of mind.

In general, smart displays like the Nest Hub are still far from essential devices for most people, but if you think the conveniences they can be worth it, it's good value for money for a well-rounded model. If you want a bigger smart display, note that the 10-inch Nest Hub Max is also on sale for a minimum of $170, though this model doesn't come with sleep tracking functionality.

If you have no interest in leaving another Google device in your home, however, our roundup has plenty of other great deals. The Apple TV 4K could benefit from an upgrade in the coming months, but the current model is still perfectly capable of meeting most streaming needs, avoids the ad-laden user interfaces of cheaper platforms and pairs smoothly with other Apple devices. It's currently discounted to $130, which is a bit above the all-time low we saw on Amazon Prime Day, but still marks a $50 reduction from Apple's MSRP.

> Beyond that, Amazon affiliate Woot is taking $25 off select models of

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