Alex Whitelock

Back-to-school laptop sales at Walmart and Best Buy are nearing their end, but several gaming machines remain discounted. The recommendations range from the budget HP Victus with an RTX 3050 to the high-end Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S with an RTX 5070 Ti and OLED display. The Gigabyte Gaming A16 is highlighted as the strongest value, offering an RTX 5070, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage for $1,249, while the MSI Cyborg and Lenovo Legion 5i provide mid-range alternatives with different trade-offs.

Total Wireless is offering the iPhone 17e at no additional device cost when customers sign up for a new line on its $60-per-month All Access plan for 24 months, without requiring a trade-in. The plan includes Verizon Wideband 5G data, 10GB of hotspot data, and Disney+ Premium. Customers who prefer to avoid a 24-month commitment can buy the phone for $399 with a three-month plan, though that option requires a substantial upfront payment. The iPhone 17e starts at $599 and improves on the iPhone 16e with the A19 chip, 256GB of base storage, MagSafe support, faster wireless charging, and updated camera features.

The LG Store is offering the 34-inch LG 34GS95QE-B curved OLED gaming monitor for $799.99, reduced by $500 from its $1,299.99 price. The monitor combines a 1440p W-OLED panel, an 800R curve, 240Hz refresh rate, 0.3ms response time, and Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync support. Although TechRadar has not reviewed this model directly, a similar LG OLED monitor received strong praise, leading to a recommendation for gamers seeking an immersive, high-end display.

Older Apple devices professionally refurbished by Back Market could offer substantial savings for college students. Recommended deals include the MacBook Air M2 at $726, MacBook Air M1 at $671, iPad Pro M2 at roughly $579–$613, iPad Air 5 at about $328, and iPad 10 at $284. The article emphasizes that these models remain capable for studying, browsing, streaming and other everyday tasks, while Back Market’s one-year warranty distinguishes the listings from ordinary second-hand marketplace purchases.

Amazon is offering a $100 gift card with every Google Pixel 11 preorder, across all colors and storage capacities. The bonus can be combined with Amazon’s trade-in discount of up to $600, making it a flexible option for buyers who want an unlocked phone, although carrier promotions offer larger rebates. T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T advertise discounts of up to $1,100 or more with eligible plans and trade-ins, while Google and Google Fi provide additional trade-in, service, and store-credit incentives.

T-Mobile's opening preorder promotions make the Google Pixel 11 available without a trade-in when paired with an eligible new line, including the more affordable Essentials plan. The Pixel 11 Pro XL is also included with a new line on the Experience Beyond plan, while trade-ins can provide discounts of up to $1,100 or $1,300 on higher-tier plans. T-Mobile is additionally offering $300 off the cellular Google Pixel Watch 5 with a new Watch Plus line.

A curated guide to 2026 back-to-school technology discounts from retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Dell, Apple and Walmart. The recommendations cover budget and premium laptops, headphones and earbuds, coffee makers, vacuums, smartphones, smartwatches, home cameras, internet service and TVs. The guide emphasizes value, student discounts, battery life and performance, while noting when current prices are good but not historical lows.

Amazon has reduced the Apple AirPods Pro 3 from $249 to $189.99, their lowest price since Prime Day and one of the best discounts available recently. The earbuds are praised for excellent noise cancellation, sound quality, improved comfort, heart-rate and workout tracking, and Live Translation. Drawbacks include approximately 5.5 hours of battery life and the need for a recent iPhone, particularly an iPhone 15 or newer with Apple Intelligence, to use the full feature set.

TechRadar retail editor Alex Whitelock recommends five discounted gaming laptops suitable for college students, emphasizing their ability to handle both gaming and study workloads. The deals include the Gigabyte A16 at $1,159.99, Asus TUF F16 at $1,299.99, Gigabyte Aero X16 at $1,329.99, Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 at $1,599.99, and Alienware 15 at $1,639.99. The Aero X16 is singled out as the best overall deal because it combines 32GB of RAM, an RTX 5070, a Ryzen 7 processor, and a 1600p display, while the Zephyrus G14 is recommended for students prioritizing portability and design.

Verizon is offering the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for $60 per month on a 48-month contract without requiring a trade-in, alongside six months of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Buyers may also receive a Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Tab S10 FE at no additional device cost, although each accessory requires an additional cellular line. The promotion is tied to the phone’s preorder period and may end when the Fold 8 officially launches, while trade-in customers can receive up to $1,100 off.

TechRadar retail editor Alex Whitelock highlights discounted Best Buy products for students, including AirPods, Apple Watches, tablets, Chromebooks, televisions, and gaming and productivity laptops. The strongest recommendations are the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation, Asus Zenbook 14, and TCL QM6K TV, while the remaining options span budget basics such as the HP Chromebook and Samsung tablet to higher-performance gaming machines from Lenovo and Acer.