Things have quieted down after last week’s Amazon Big Spring Sale, but there were a number of important announcements this week that are worth keeping an eye on.
For one, Google set an availability date for the Pixel 9a – April 10 for the US. The phone will start at $500 for the 8/128GB model, pricing for the 256GB variant hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Meanwhile, the vanilla Google Pixel 9 is down to $650 for the base 12/128GB model and doubling the storage costs only $50. That still leaves a decent gap between the 9 and 9a and both models use the same Tensor G4 chipset. The Pixel 9 is more capable, however, with a better main camera (50MP 1/1.31” vs. 48MP 1/2.0”) and ultra-wide (48MP vs. 13MP), plus faster charging – 27W wired, 15W wireless vs. 23W and 7.5W – but with a smaller battery (4,700mAh vs. 5,100mAh).
Google Pixel 9
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$150/$200 off
Read our review 12/128GB – $650 at Amazon US 12/256GB – $700 at Amazon US 12/128GB – $550 at Best Buy
Samsung’s premium mid-ranger is even closer – the Galaxy S24 FE is $550 for the 8/128GB model and 256GB storage is $60 more. This model has the more capable Exynos 2400e and a larger 6.7” display. Plus, there’s a dedicated telephoto camera – just an 8MP 3x (75mm), but still. The 12MP ultra-wide is comparable to the Pixel 9a UW camera, but no match for the Pixel 9. The 4,700mAh battery supports 25W wired and 15W wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
$100 off
Read our review 8/128GB – $550 at Amazon US 8/256GB – $610 at Amazon US 8/128GB – $550 at Best Buy
The Galaxy A56 will be available in the US, but at a later date. The Galaxy A36 is already available, though, currently with a $50 gift card from either Amazon or Best Buy in lieu of a discount. The A36 also has a larger 6.7” display (vs. 6.3” on the 9a), but its Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is well behind the Tensor G4 in terms of performance. There’s no telephoto camera here, just a 50MP main (1/1.96”) and an 8MP ultra-wide.
Samsung Galaxy A36
$50 gift card
Read our review 8/128GB – $400 at Amazon US 8/128GB – $400 at Best Buy
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Tab S10 FE duo this week, but the two tablets aren’t available in the US just yet. You can reserve a unit on Samsung.com and score $50 credit. In terms of pricing, the 10.9” Tab S10 FE starts at $600, while the 13.1” Tab S10 FE+ starts at $650 (this is for 128GB Wi-Fi tablets).
You can find the older (from 2023) Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE at just $300 for the base 128GB model and the upgrade to 256GB is $70. The Exynos 1380 is showing its age against the new 1580, but both feature a 10.9” 1440p+ 90Hz LCD and 8,000mAh battery with 45W charging.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE
Wi-Fi
$150 off
128GB – $300 at Best Buy 256GB – $370 at Best Buy 256GB – $370 at Amazon US
The chipset considerations apply to the Galaxy Tab S9+ FE too, but note the size difference – the old model is smaller at 12.4”, while the Tab S10 FE+ is 13.1”. Either way, it’s a 90Hz LCD (with 1600p+ and 1800p+ resolution, respectively). Note that the Tab S9+ FE has an 8MP main and 8MP ultra-wide camera on the back, but the new model has only 13MP main. The batteries on both tablets are 10,090mAh and support 45W charging.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+
Wi-Fi
$180 off
128GB – $420 at Best Buy 256GB – $520 at Best Buy
For $50 more than the price of a 128GB Tab S10 FE+, you can have a 256GB Galaxy Tab S9+ instead. This is with a faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset (GPU performance especially) and a 120Hz OLED display – a 12.4” panel. The battery is the same at 10,090mAh with 45W charging. This one does have an ultra-wide camera. Both the Tab S and Tab S FE tablets have microSD slots.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+
Wi-Fi
$300/$225 off
Read our review 256GB – $700 at Best Buy 512GB – $900 at Best Buy
The current generation 12.4” Samsung tablet is the Galaxy Tab S10+. This one uses a MediaTek chip, Dimensity 9300+, which is about the only difference between Tab S10+ and Tab S9+.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+
Wi-Fi
$175/$150 off
256GB – $825 at Amazon US 512GB – $971 at Amazon US
Nintendo revealed specs for the long-awaited Switch 2 handheld console. It’s bigger than its predecessor with a 7.9” LCD – a 1080p HDR10 panel with 120Hz refresh rate and VRR – and features a new Nvidia chipset with DLSS and ray tracing support. While it’s mainly a portable console, the upgraded chip promises 4K @ 120fps gaming in docked mode.
Nintendo Switch 2
coming soon
Console – $450 at Best Buy w/ MarioKart – $500 at Best Buy
The Nintendo Switch 2 will be available from June 5, but it is already showing up in stores for an early look. Just the console is priced at $450, but you can get the MarioKart World bundle for $50 more. The game on its own will cost $80 (as will many other Switch 2 games, game prices have gone up compared to the original Switch).
MarioKart World
coming soon
$80 at Best Buy
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