It’s that time of the year again to head back to campus (or practice distance learning, whichever it may be) and if you still haven’t shopped for your school stuff yet, you’re in luck. Amazon is holding its annual back-to-school sale and is offering several products on the cheap. Right now, you can get the Amazon Kindle, Apple iPad Mini, and Sony WH-XB900N noise-canceling headphones, starting from just $70. Hurry and take advantage of these deals today or risk major disappointment.
Kindle — $70, was $90
While most people use an Amazon Kindle for reading for pleasure, it’s actually a great tool for studying as well. Students benefit from the fact that a Kindle has the capacity to carry all the essential books, research, and notes that they need for their classes in a tiny, 6-inch tablet that they can easily shove into their pocket or bag. 4GB of memory might not seem much, but an ebook file doesn’t really require too much storage space. You’ll be able to store literally hundreds of digital tomes in it. If you grow weary of reading a book, you can easily switch to listening to an Audible audiobook by connecting a pair of Bluetooth speakers to it. The Kindle’s 6-inch touchscreen, surprisingly, resembles paper, thanks to its E Ink technology. It’s like you’re reading an actual book, but with the added convenience of being able to adjust the screen brightness so you can read at night. While it isn’t the highest definition of screens with just 167 pixels per inch (ppi) compared to the Paperwhite’s and Oasis’ 300 ppi, its hard to complain considering this is the most affordable Kindle that you can buy – exactly what students on a tight budget need. Right now, you can get the Kindle for just $70 instead of the usual $90 at Amazon.
Sony WH-XB900N Noise-Canceling Headphones – $148, was $248
It is crucial for students to invest in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones for the very obvious reason that it will allow them to study distraction-free. Whether you need them to study for a final exam, or are doing SAT prep, noise-canceling headphones let you focus by eliminating unwanted background noise. Unfortunately, these specialized headphones tend to be pretty pricey. We’ve got great news for you. One of the best (if not THE best) makers of noise-canceling headphones in the world, Sony, is offering the budget-friendly WH-XB900N at Amazon for just $148 instead of the usual $248 – a huge $100 off. The WH-XB900N shares many features with Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM3, including active noise canceling, touch-sensitive playback controls, and super long battery life – minus the $350 price tag. While the all-plastic frame is the clear compromise to reduce the cost, they do seem pretty sturdy. Plus, the memory foam cushioning ensures that your ears won’t hurt even with extended use. Sony claims that the WH-XB900N’s battery life can last up to 30 hours with active noise canceling turned on. That’s insanely long, more than enough time to attend 2 days’ worth of online classes and lectures and listen to podcasts, TED talks, and audiobooks. What’s more, both Alexa and Google Assistant are onboard to answer all your questions hands-free. While the WH-XB900N’s sound signature has way too much bass for our liking, they still sound pretty good for almost all music genres, especially if you’re partial to rap and hip-hop. Finally, noise-canceling is spectacular for a relatively low-cost pair of ANC headphones. Using the Sony Headphones Connect app, you’ll be able to control the amount of ambient noise that these headphones would let in. Can’t afford the WH-1000XM3’s premium price tag? The Sony WH-XB900N are a fantastic alternative. Get them for just $148 at Amazon.
Apple iPad Mini — $350, was $399
The iPad Pro is the best tablet that money can buy. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford its $750 price tag, especially students. If you’re in a bit of a budget constraint, the iPad Mini is your next best option. While its 7.9-inch screen is certainly small, it has the benefit of being extremely lightweight at just 0.66 pounds. Your wrists won’t grow weary even with one-handed operation for a very long time. What’s more, it is surprisingly as powerful as the pricier iPad Air, featuring the same the A12 Bionic processor underneath the hood. While it won’t perform as well as the latest iPad Pro’s A12X Bionic chip, it’s still impressively fast and will easily blaze through everyday schoolwork like research and document writing. You can even do some light editing jobs on Adobe Photoshop or Premiere Rush and won’t experience any issues.
Unfortunately, the iPad Mini isn’t compatible with Apple’s smart keyboard. You can, however, purchase any third-party Bluetooth keyboard, which are quite inexpensive. And with first-gen Apple Pencil support, you’d be able to use this tablet not just for note-taking but also for drawing and doodling – as long as you don’t mind the small screen real estate. If you don’t have the money to splurge on an iPad Air or iPad Pro but require almost the same level of performance, you can opt for the iPad Mini instead for just $350 (down from $399) at Amazon.
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