Although Amazon’s name for its big fall sale is a total mouthful — Prime Big Deal Days — the two-day sale is actually delivering some great bargains for Apple users.
So great, in fact, I spent half the morning scouring Amazon for stuff to buy instead of working (don’t tell anyone).
I’ve always wanted a Beats Pill, even though I already own a small army of Bluetooth speakers, and for just $49 (down from $150), it’s just too good to pass up.
Wait a second, they can be used in a stereo pair! I’ll be right back.
I also scored a pair of AirPods 4 with ANC. I’ve been using my new AirPods Pro 3 (alas, not on sale right now) as hearing aids, and their biggest drawback is the sound-isolating ear tips. I’m very curious to see if the non-isolating AirPods 4 in Transparency mode can function as hearing aids, too, with a bit more ambient sound.
The whole Cult of Mac team has spent the day combing Amazon for the best Apple deals, which we’ve rounded up here.
We’ve also called out the best deals for specific products — not just AirPods, but also MacBooks, iPads, iPhone cases, AirTags and more.
In many cases, these goodies are being offered at their lowest prices ever (you can check using CamelCamelCamel).
The big problem now is my spouse, who maintains an iron grip on the family purse strings and casts a cold eye on unauthorized purchases — i.e., anything and everything that I buy. Hers are exempt, ofc.
Also in today’s newsletter:
The M4 iPad Pro and MacBook Pro are in short, short supply — which means the M5 replacements could launch any day now, maybe as soon as next week.
I have separate antivirus software, VPN and junk cleaner for my Mac — but TotalAV offers all this and more in one tidy package.
I suck at mobile games, probably because I use the on-screen controls instead of a dedicated gaming controller. Here, our resident mobile gaming expert offers an appreciation for the best game controllers from Backbone.
Apple’s Underdogs are back with an amusing new short film poking fun at Microsoft.
Today’s the day in Apple history that the iPhone 4s launched. It’s an interesting model for several reasons: It’s the last one Steve Jobs worked on directly; it debuted Siri; and it went on sale even as its predecessor was still selling boatloads — it arrived at a time when the public was truly going iPhone crazy.
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
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A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team
Cult of Mac’s buyback program
Tweets of the day
New weeks, new iPhone issues
Cosmic Orange iPhones are turning pink
— #Anthony (#@TheGalox_)
3:50 PM • Oct 7, 2025
The perfect blend of past and present.
iPhone (1st Gen) meets iPhone 17 Pro — iOS 26 with that iconic two-tone design. 🍎✨
Retro never looked this powerful.Do you like this modern classic? 👀
— #Apple Club (#@applesclubs)
10:33 AM • Oct 6, 2025
I just got a demo of the new @Meta RayBan Display glasses and they will be an absolute game-changer for the hard of hearing. The real-time captioning and directional mics work nearly perfectly and the person you're talking to can't tell that you're reading their words.
I've
— #Chris Anderson (#@chr1sa)
8:16 PM • Oct 6, 2025
Wallpaper of the day
One more thing ...
Neither of us had any idea that this would go anywhere. Woz is motivated by figuring things out. He concentrated more on the engineering and proceeded to do one of his most brilliant pieces of work, which was the disk drive, another key engineering feat that made the Apple II a possibility. I was trying to build the company — trying to find out what a company was. I don’t think it would have happened without Woz and I don’t think it would have happened without me.
Today’s poll
Do you use a game controller with your iPhone?
Results from yesterday’s poll: Will you try AirPods' Live Translation in the real world?
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