Why You Can Trust CNET The Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch hits an all-time low: $180 (Update: Expired)
Plus: A sweet Star Trek movie deal and your chance to win a Galaxy S10 Plus!
Hey, a smartwatch that actually looks like a watch? Nice.
Michigan cheeps! I have two more library programs coming up, including a new one on cord-cutting! First, I'll be at the Warren Public Library (Civic Center) tomorrow, April 9, at 6:30 p.m. The topic: My favorite ways to save money when shopping online.
Then, this Saturday, April 13, join me at the Ypsilanti District Library at 3 p.m. to learn everything I know about cord-cutting -- by which I mean saving money on TV and movies , of course. Both programs will end with a raffle, so come on out to learn new things and maybe win a prize!
Gear up for less
If the Apple Watch is the de facto choice for iPhone users, I'd say Samsung's Gear range of watches is the top pick for Galaxy owners. It also tends to be a pricey pick, which is why I'm excited by this deal.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, Amazon has the Samsung Gear S3 (Frontier) smartwatch for $179.99 when you clip the on-page coupon, which shaves $49.01 off the regular price. The Gear S3 originally sold for $350, and this deal puts it $10 below the lowest price to date. Update: Sorry to say the coupon option is now gone. However, if you're a Costco member, you can get the S3 for the same $180 price there.
Let me note straight away that the Gear S3 works with many other Android-powered phones, and it can even work with iPhones -- though functionality is limited there. (You can get text-message notifications, for example, but you can't reply to them.)
The Gear S3 debuted just over two years ago, which begs the question: Hasn't it already been succeeded by a Gear S4? Sort of: Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch last summer, effectively killing the Gear branding in favor of this new nomenclature.
But is the S3 too out of date? Hardly. Just as the one-generation-old Series 3 is now the best Apple Watch deal, here we have a perfectly cromulent Samsung watch for close to 50% off its original price.
I'm not intimately familiar with it, so I'll steer you to Scott Stein's Gear S3 review for all the important details. The key things to know: For better or worse, it runs Samsung's Tizen OS, not Android Wear . It's an extremely attractive watch, one that supports Samsung Pay and LTE and Spotify streaming. And it has a 4.2-star average rating from over 3,000 Amazon customers.
At this price, I think it's a steal.
Read more: The best smartwatches for 2019
Own the first 10 Star Trek movies for $30
I'm not sure how much longer this deal will be alive (I first spotted it over the weekend), but for a limited time, Vudu is offering the Star Trek 1-10 Collection for $29.99. The nets you everything from Star Trek: The Motion Picture to Star Trek: Nemesis. Most of these movies sell for $10 apiece, so this is a $120 value.
They're not all gems, but 10 Star Trek movies for $30? Yes, please.
Because I shared this deal with you, I'm now entitled to rank the movies. Obviously Wrath of Khan comes first, and I'm going to put Search for Spock (which is way better than most people give it credit for) and The Voyage Home side by side, because the whole three-movie arc works so well.
First Contact is also excellent, and I have a special fondness for The Undiscovered Country. Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Generations and Insurrection are OK. But The Final Frontier and Nemesis: total misfires.
Discuss.
Your chance to win a Galaxy S10 Plus!
Our friends at ZDNet have a killer giveaway going on: Your chance to win a Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus with 1TB of storage. That phone has an approximate retail value of $1,600 -- and it's freakin' awesome, according to CNET's review.
You've got until April 24 to get your entries in. Start by filling out a simple form, then hit up social media if you want to score extra entries. Good luck!
Read More: All the latest Amazon coupons
Read More: All the latest Vudu coupons
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