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Humane AI Pin review roundup: an undercooked flop that’s way ahead of its time

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The Humane AI Pin is a fascinating little device for gadget fans. If you missed its reveal in November 2023, it’s a tiny wearable computer with a built-in AI assistant, camera, and a little projector that blasts its UI onto your hand. Unfortunately, it’s also pretty terrible, according to the internet’s first reviews, which have landed in the past few days.

It’s rare for tech reviews, from both traditional media and YouTubers, to be so unanimous in their criticism of a much-hyped product. “The worst product I’ve ever reviewed… for now” concluded Marques Brownlee. Ouch. Meanwhile, Engadget branded it “the solution to none of technology’s problems”, while The Verge simply said that the AI Pin was “not even close”.

Naturally, these scathing verdicts create some added fascination about a $699 device that also requires a $ 24-a-month subscription. Yet few of the reviews think the AI Pin is completely without merit. Many praise its hardware design, which is solid aluminum and clips to your chest thanks to a magnetic ‘battery booster’ that goes inside your clothing. On the few occasions that it did work seamlessly, it also gave reviewers a little glimpse of a refreshingly screen-less future.

A person wearing the Humane AI Pin on a camouflaged jacket

(Image credit: Humane)

But beyond the specific features – many of which don’t seem to work reliably enough yet – the most interesting thing about these Humane AI Pin reviews is their broad conclusions about AI gadgets. In short, our phones aren’t going anywhere for a long time, and, as Bloomberg’s review concluded, “the AI device revolution isn’t going to kill the smartphone”. We haven’t yet reviewed the Rabbit R1, but that will probably hold true for a while yet.  



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India is booming — but there are worries ahead for basic science

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Some 970 million people in India will head to the ballot box starting on 19 April in a general election that polls predict will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), win a third five-year term. Many scientists in India are hopeful that the next five years could bring greater spending on applied science. But some have also expressed concerns. Among these are that funding is not increasing in line with India’s booming economy, and that the government’s top-down control of science, as some researchers see it, allows them little say in how money is allocated.

More money

Modi first became India’s prime minister in 2014. Since then, the total pot of money for research and development has increased. But relative to India’s gross domestic product (GDP), spending on R&D dropped from 0.71% in 2014–15 to 0.64% in 2020–21, the most recent financial year for which data are available (see ‘Stagnant funding pool’). This continues a decades-long trend that began under Modi’s predecessor, Manmohan Singh, and is lower than for some of India’s peers: China spent 2.4% of GDP on R&D in 2021, Brazil spent 1.3% and Russia spent 1.1%.

Public funding that fails to keep up with growing GDP is a particularly acute problem for science in India, because the government is the main funder of research, says Rohini Godbole, a particle physicist at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Government funding accounts for some 60% of R&D spending. By contrast, in the United States, just 20% of total R&D spending comes from the government — with industry and philanthropy contributing the rest.

Stagnant funding pool: Line chart showing India's R&D budget has not grown while the incumbent coalition has been in power.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

The relative lack of funds hasn’t stopped India from making big strides forward: in 2023, the nation became only the fourth in the world to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon. Scientists note that this was done at a fraction of the budget of other missions. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) “is known as one of the most frugal organizations in the world”, says Venni Krishna, a science-policy researcher at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney. They’re “doing a fantastic job”. Researchers in India have also contributed to significant advances in developing drugs and vaccines.

But researchers say that other areas of research have been hampered by funding shortfalls, despite announcements that have suggested the opposite. “The government is serious in terms of their policy pronouncements. But when it comes to putting the money in, it’s been very conservative,” says Krishna.

In August 2023, the government passed a bill to set up the National Research Foundation (NRF), modelled on the US National Science Foundation — a move that many researchers applauded. The government promised 500 billion rupees (US$6 billion) for the NRF over 5 years, 28% of which — some 140 billion rupees — would come from public funds, and the rest from private and philanthropic sources. But the government spent only 2.6 billion rupees on the NRF in 2023–24, according to India’s Ministry of Finance. “This is a very, very negligible amount of money,” says Ramvilas Ghosh, a researcher who studies the diversity of marine organisms at Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies in Kochi.

For 2024–25, the government allocated 20 billion rupees for the NRF, still short of its initial commitment, and it has not clarified where the private funding will come from, says Ghosh.

Another project affected by a funding shortfall is the National Quantum Mission. In 2023, the government promised 60 billion rupees for this over eight years, in an attempt to build quantum computers and develop quantum communications, metrology and materials. The government spent 50 million rupees on the mission in 2023–24, and committed 4.8 billion for 2024–25.

Nature asked representatives of the Indian government for clarification on funding arrangements, but received no response.

More basic science

Indian scientists are part of some prominent international collaborations, including CERN, which operates Europe’s particle-physics laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland, and ITER, an international nuclear-fusion project based in Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, France. But progress on similar, home-grown initiatives in basic-science has been slow over the past decade. When the international LIGO collaboration announced in 2016 that it had made the first direct detection of gravitational waves, Modi posted on social media that he hoped India would move forwards with a detector of its own. But it took another seven years for LIGO-India to be approved by the country’s cabinet. “Progress is still slow,” says Godbole.

This image provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation shows the Vikram lander, taken by the Pragyan rover, on the surface of the moon on Aug. 30, 2023.

India landed a spacecraft on the Moon at a fraction of the cost of other nations.Credit: ISRO via AP/Alamy

An Indian neutrino observatory, approved in 2015, has stalled because of environmental concerns over the site’s location. “Even if it takes off, its relevance is going to be marginal, because of the number of years that went by,” says Godbole.

Part of that might reflect changing priorities. Science is seen increasingly as a tool for development, Godbole says, meaning more funds for technological innovation and socially relevant research at the cost of basic research. Umesh Waghmare, a theoretical and applied physicist at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore says that the current science ecosystem incentivizes applied research, from funding to new awards for technological innovation and missions focused on developing devices. A Modi win is likely to speed up this push for more applied and translational research, says Waghmare, who is also president of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore.

More autonomy

But the government could usefully loosen its tight grip over funding decisions, with high-level government officials having more of an advisory role, and more decision-making powers being given to scientific committees, says Waghmare. “Significantly greater autonomy is essential,” he says.

The NRF is headed by the Prime Minister, ministers and secretaries of government departments, as well as representatives of the business and scientific community picked by the Prime Minister.

And when it comes to public funds, the same rules that govern the construction of large projects such as railways or bridges also apply to smaller research projects, which is “rather unfair”, says Shekhar Mande, former director-general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in Pune.

Even when researchers have been allocated money, it’s been difficult for them to spend all of it, says Shailja Vaidya Gupta, who served as a senior adviser at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India between 2019 and 2021. That’s because administrative and financial rules for hiring staff, and for purchasing equipment and laboratory supplies, are complex and constantly changing, she explains.

In 2023–24, only an estimated 65 billion of the 106 billion rupees initially allocated for the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Biotechnology was spent. Gupta hopes that the government will trust researchers more, and will allow them greater flexibility in how they spend their budgets. A large part of ISRO’s success was a result of the decades of administrative and financial autonomy that it was afforded, which offers a model to follow, says Gupta.

As in India’s previous general election in 2019, science has not featured heavily on the 2024 campaign trail. Researchers say they don’t expect to see substantial changes to science policy, whatever the result. “Science is not at all part of the political discourse,” says Achal Agrawal, who founded the Indian Research Watchdog, a volunteer group for investigating research integrity. In that sense, the elections starting next week are unlikely to provide a big turning point for Indian science. “Whether Modi wins or loses, it is going to be more of the same.”

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Some of the best 2024 Macs are still ahead of us

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After Apple’s thunderous launch of the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips a few months ago, these chips are expected to roll out as spec bumps in the MacStudio, Mac Pro and Mac mini later this year.

And an M4 MacBook Pro is a possibility for this fall.

What to expect from Mac in 2024: M3 here, there and everywhere

Throughout the rest of 2024, Apple is expected to finish updating its Mac lineup to the new M3 chip that debuted in November in the MacBook Pro and iMac.

The year started with the processor going into both the 13-inch and 15-inch versions of the MacBook Air.

But we’re still looking ahead to Apple bringing the M3 and M3 Pro to the Mac mini, with the high-end M3 Max chip and expected M3 Ultra chip headed for the Mac Studio desktop and Mac Pro tower. And there just might be an M4 MacBook Pro in the fall.

None of these machines are expected to be significantly redesigned or changed in price.

Table of contents:

  1. Mac mini M3 and M3 Pro
  2. Mac Studio M3 and Mac Pro M3
  3. MacBook Pro M4

Mac mini M3 and M3 Pro

Mac mini sitting on desk alongside LG display, LaCie hard drive, Model F keyboard and Magic Trackpad
The Mac mini is a popular choice for a modular setup.
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

The Mac mini with M3 and Mac mini with M3 Pro could debut at any time — even at WWDC24. These new models would replace the existing M2 and M2 Pro models at the same prices, with the M3 and M3 Pro chips first seen on the MacBook Pro.

Today, there’s no way to get the power of the M3 chip in the cheaper desktop form factor. If you want Apple’s latest and greatest, you must pay a roughly $700 premium for an iMac or MacBook Pro.

The Mac mini is far from the most glamorous Mac in the lineup. However, its modular form factor makes it a top pick for independent creators, small businesses and server farms.

Mac Studio M3 and Mac Pro M3

Apple Mac Studio with M2 Max or M2 Ultra next to Apple Mac Pro with M2 Ultra.
Apple’s high-end desktop Macs are not a priority for the company. That much should hold steady through 2024.
Photo: Apple

According to Bloomberg, the Mac Studio and Mac Pro will not receive updates until late 2024 or early 2025. However, a more recent report from a different source indicated the Mac Studio is on Apple’s agenda for around the middle of this year.

Any delay would likely be the result of limited manufacturing capacity of the three-nanometer process, a cutting-edge technology used to make the M3 family of chips. As the Mac Studio and Mac Pro are the lowest-volume sellers, with the highest-spec and highest-complexity chips, they will be the last to ship — just like before.

The two high-end macOS desktops likely will receive the M3 Max chip and introduce a new M3 Ultra chip, with double the specs and performance. The M3 Ultra, then, should be configurable up to a 32-core CPU, 80-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine and 256GB of unified memory.

MacBook Pro M4

The top two new MacBook Pro models now come in a space black aluminum finish.
The M3 MacBook Pro will remain the latest and greatest for another year at least.
Photo: Apple

Will Apple debut updated MacBook Pros with M4 chips before the end of 2024? It’s highly unlikely Apple will begin rolling out M4 chips before the M3 generation is finished. If you’re waiting for a MacBook Pro with M4, you may have to wait until March or June of 2025.

Apple’s M4 chip reportedly will be manufactured using an “enhanced” three-nanometer process that is likely to bring a significant boost to performance per watt. Apple could tune this to either increase performance with the same battery life, maintain performance with a significant bump in battery life, or strike a balance somewhere in the middle.

I suspect M4 will be the first “must-have” Mac upgrade for anyone still on an M1-generation chip.



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New iPad Model Spotted in Regulatory Database Ahead of Launch

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One new iPad model has appeared in Indian regulatory filings ahead of its expected announcement next month.

ipad pro 2022
The listing, spotted by 91Mobiles, appeared in the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) database with the model number A2386. This does not correlate with any existing Apple device.

91Mobiles and several other sites have erroneously suggested that A2387 is also a new ‌iPad‌ model, but it actually relates to the battery for the current- and previous-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. A2386, on the other hand, is a new listing likely for a battery in one of the new iPads.

It is not clear whether this device is a new iPad Air or ‌iPad Pro‌, but both product lines are expected to be refreshed in May. New ‌iPad‌ models have been thought to be on the brink of launch for several weeks, and the latest regulatory filing seems to cement expectations that they will appear relatively soon.

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Google Chrome gets ARM optimization ahead of Snapdragon-powered Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge launch

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Google has announced that it has started rolling out the stable version of Google Chrome that is optimized for computers using ARM processors. More specifically, Google has hinted that it has made the newest version of its web browser that performs much faster and smoother on the upcoming Snapdragon X Elite processor.

This will benefit not only Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Book 4 laptop with the Snapdragon X Elite chip but also existing Galaxy Book laptops with previous-generation Snapdragon chips.

ARM-optimized stable Google Chrome is available for download

Google Chrome Windows 11 ARM

The new Google Chrome version optimized for ARM and Snapdragon X Elite processor is now available for download. Google and Qualcomm have worked closely on this optimization, and they say that it offers “a dramatic performance improvement.” The ARM-optimized version of Google Chrome has been in beta testing since January 2024, and people who have tested it on computers with ARM-based processors and Windows 11 OS have reported significant performance improvements in terms of smoothness and speed.

Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm Inc., said, “The new version of Google Chrome will help cement Snapdragon X Elite’s role as the premier platform for Windows computing starting in mid-2024.” He added, “As we enter the era of the AI PC, we can’t wait to see Chrome shine by taking advantage of the powerful Snapdragon X Elite system.

Samsung confirmed after the announcement of the Snapdragon X Elite that it is making a device based on the new chipset. A few weeks ago, it was revealed that the device could be named the Galaxy Book 4 Edge. A recent report claimed that the Galaxy Book 4 Edge features a 14-inch screen, the Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD. It could be priced at €1,800 in Europe.

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New Apple Pencil With Vision Pro Support in Testing Ahead of visionOS 2

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While the Apple Pencil is currently compatible with iPads only, a future version of the accessory may work with Apple’s Vision Pro headset.

Apple Vision Pro and Apple Pencil Feature
Apple has internally tested a new Apple Pencil with visionOS support, according to a source familiar with the matter. This would allow the Apple Pencil to be used with drawing apps on the Vision Pro, such as Freeform and Pixelmator.

No specific details are known about this project, but one possibility is that users would be able to draw with the Apple Pencil on a desk or another flat surface, and the drawing would appear in the open visionOS app. This would essentially turn a person’s surroundings into a giant canvas, complete with pressure and tilt sensitivity.

A new Apple Pencil is rumored to launch alongside new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in April, but we have not confirmed if it will support visionOS.

Apple Pencil compatibility with the Vision Pro would also require updated software, but it is unclear which version might add support. The first beta of visionOS 1.2 will likely be made available to developers as early as this week, and Apple is expected to announce visionOS 2 at its annual developers conference WWDC in June.

As with any product that Apple develops, there is no guarantee that the company will move forward with releasing an Apple Pencil with visionOS support.

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Tim Cook Visits China Ahead of New Apple Store Opening in Shanghai

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Apple CEO Tim Cook is touring Shanghai, China this week, meeting with retail employees, suppliers, developers, the film industry, and others. He has been sharing photos from his trip on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

Tim Cook Shanghai
Cook’s visit is timed with the upcoming grand opening of Apple’s new Jing’an store in Shanghai on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. local time.

Apple provided more details about the store in a recent press release.

Apple JinganApple Jingan
“Located next to the landmark Jing’an Temple, Apple Jing’an is a must-see destination in Shanghai,” said Apple. “Approaching the store through a grove of maple trees that line the upper plaza, visitors are treated to a stunning view of the temple. As customers descend down the stairs, they pass by terracing, double-curved walls that extend forward in a circle to form amphitheater seating that will host Today at Apple sessions specially created for Apple Jing’an to celebrate the community and its creators.”

A custom wallpaper with a flower-like Apple logo is available for download for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the store’s page.

Apple Jingan WallpaperApple Jingan Wallpaper
Those who attend the grand opening of Apple Jing’an will receive a custom tote bag, pin, and Apple logo sticker, according to Michael Steeber’s weekly newsletter about Apple’s retail stores. His newsletter provides a closer look at the store’s design.

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The Google Pixel Tablet is up to $150 off ahead of the Amazon Big Spring Sale

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The Google Pixel Tablet is one of the better options for those dead set on an Android slate, as it doubles as a sort of smart display when hooked up to an included charging speaker dock. If you’ve been interested, now looks like a decent time to take the plunge: The 11-inch tablet is back down to $399 at multiple retailers, including Amazon, Target and the Google Store.

Google ran this deal a few times toward the end of last year, but it matches the lowest price we’ve seen and comes in $100 below the 128GB model’s usual going rate. If you need more storage, the 256GB version is $150 off and available for $449, another all-time low. The offer comes as part of a wider spate of sales on Google devices and just ahead of Amazon’s “Big Spring Sale” sales event. Google says these deals will run through April 3.

Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget

This matches the lowest price to date for Google’s 11-inch tablet. 

$399 at Amazon

My colleague Cherlynn Low gave the Pixel Tablet a score of 85 in her review last June, and we note the device in our tablet buying guide. The aforementioned dock is really what helps it stand out: Plop the tablet onto that and it becomes something akin to a detachable Nest Hub Max. It doesn’t have all the same functionality, but you can use it to control smart home devices, showcase photos, stream music with the improved speakers, cast video from your phone and so on. It all makes this the rare tablet that can be useful even when when you aren’t holding it.

Without the dock, the Pixel Tablet isn’t quite as remarkable: Its LCD display is limited to a basic 60Hz refresh rate, its Tensor G2 chip is now a generation old and Google doesn’t support it with a custom-made keyboard or stylus. The screen’s rectangular 16:10 aspect ratio may take a bit to get used to as well. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9, the top Android pick in our guide, costs a few hundred extra but has more premium hardware and better tools for getting work done. And all Android tablets still lag behind Apple’s iPadOS when it comes to optimizing apps for large displays.

That said, even if it’s not superlative, the Pixel Tablet is still perfectly solid for web browsing, streaming video and playing games. Unlike the iPad, it also supports multiple user profiles, so it’s a good choice if you want share one tablet with everyone in your family. Google says it’ll supply OS updates through June 2026 and security updates through June 2028. There’s at least some chance that a follow-up device is in the works, but for now, this is a decent deal if you want a big-screen Android device.

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New iPad Air Now Shipping From China Ahead of Announcement

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The next-generation iPad Air is now reportedly shipping to the United States and other countries in preparation for launch.

iPad Air 5
The rumor comes from the leaker known as “Instant Digital,” who claims that manufacturers in China are now shipping the 2024 iPad Air in two sizes to overseas locations. “Everything is ready” for launch, the Weibo user says.

The sixth-generation ‌iPad Air‌ is rumored to feature the M2 chip, a redesigned rear camera, and specification upgrades like Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E. Most significantly, the ‌iPad Air‌ is expected to come in two sizes for the first time, just like the Apple Watch, iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. One of the size options will be the same as the previous two generations at 10.9-inches, while the new addition to the lineup will apparently mirror the ‌iPad Pro‌’s 12.9-inch model.

Recent reports coming out of Asia suggest that Apple will announce new iPad models on Tuesday, March 26. According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple plans to release new ‌iPad Air‌ and ‌iPad Pro‌ models around the end of March or in April. The latest indications suggest that the new ‌iPad Pro‌ are now more likely to see a launch in April.

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Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

The iPhone is Apple’s top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we’re expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be…

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23″>claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an…

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C…

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Apple’s new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until “deeper” into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I’ve repeatedly said that new…

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple’s flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple’s iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company’s more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%…

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. …

macOS Sonoma 14.4: Reasons Not to Update

Since Apple unveiled macOS Sonoma 14.4 on March 7, the transition to the latest software update has not been entirely smooth for everyone, and a number of issues have been reported by users that significantly impact their daily workflow. This article lists the most prominent challenges users have faced since updating to macOS Sonoma 14.4, and offers potential solutions where available. USB…

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Amazon is slashing Fire tablets ahead of its Big Spring sale – prices from $64.99

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Amazon’s highly anticipated Big Spring Sale officially kicks off on Wednesday, but the retailer is giving us an early treat by slashing the price on its best-selling Fire tablets. For a limited time, you can score record-low prices on Amazon’s Fire tablet range, with deals starting at just $64.99.

Shop more early deals at Amazon

I’ve listed all the best Fire tablet deals below, including everything from Amazon’s popular Fire 7 Kids tablet to the powerful Fire Max 11. Some highlights include the Fire HD 8 tablet on sale for $64.99, Amazon’s all-new Fire HD 10 Kids tablet marked down to $149.99, and the iPad-like Fire Max 11 on sale for $199.99 – the lowest-ever price.

Keep in mind that Amazon’s Fire tablets are rarely on sale outside of holiday sales like Prime Day, and today’s discounts are very impressive. If you’re looking to shop for more early bargains, you can visit our main Amazon Big Spring Sale roundup.

Amazon Spring sale: today’s best Fire tablet deals

Shop more offers with our roundup of the best cheap Fire Tablet deals and sales. If you’re interested in iPad offers, you can also see the best cheap iPad deals happening right now.

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