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TL;DR: As of Sept. 22, the Apple iPad Pro (M4) 11-inch is available for $1,899 at Amazon. That's a $200 saving on the regular list price of $2,099.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro (M4) 11-inch $1,899 at AmazonThe Apple M6 chip was recently announced as the latest in Apple's line of powerful processors. But don't sleep on the M4-powered devices that are still out there in the wilds of online shopping. It wasn't so long ago that the M4 was the very best Apple had to offer, and it remains hugely impressive and capable. Which is why we feel obliged to point you towards a discount on the 11-inch Apple iPad Pro (M4) as part of early October Prime Day discounts.
As of Sept. 22, the Apple iPad Pro (M4) 11-inch is marked down to $1,899 at Amazon. That’s a $200 saving on the regular list price of $2,099.
If you're at all interested in this device, now's the time to grab it. It's still early for October Prime Day deals, which runs Oct. 6-7, but we fully expect these last remaining M4 iPads to get snapped up at this price.
And why wouldn't they? This iPad has an Ultra Retina XDR display with Nano-Texture Glass (another way of saying it looks absolutely incredible) and comes equipped with Apple Intelligence. Throw in a massive 2TB storage, WiFi 6E compatibility, and lots more, and you have an iPad that's punching well above its discounted price.
Don't miss the chance to grab the Apple iPad Pro (M4) 11-inch with $200 off.
Apple finally revealed the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at its Sept. 9 "Surprise and Shine" event, alongside the foldable iPhone Duo.
But believe it or not, there are already credible reports and leaks floating around about a potential 20th anniversary "iPhone 20" arriving in fall 2027. If the rumor mill is correct, Apple will skip the iPhone 19 entirely, and this wouldn't be the first time Apple has gotten creative with numbering. The iPhone 20 would commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original model, which was released on June 29, 2007.
To mark 20 years of the iPhone, Apple has reportedly been prepping a major redesign that uses curved glass elements and potentially even a waterfall display.
If you're on the fence about upgrading to the iPhone 18 Pro, then you may want some idea of what next year's iPhone might look like. So, here are the latest iPhone 20 rumors.
SEE ALSO: Apple's new 'Upgrade' program lets you lease a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch like a car iPhone 20: When will it come out?First things first, the release date. Apple always launches its flagship iPhone models in September, and there's currently no reason to think that will change soon.
In other words, it's widely expected that this phone will be announced in early September 2027, followed a week or two later with an official launch. (For reference, the iPhone 18 Pro was announced on Sept. 9 and launches Sept. 18.) The 20th anniversary iPhone is also the perfect opportunity for Apple to do some weird, fun stuff with its signature device.
iPhone 20: What will it look like?This is the big point of interest regarding the iPhone 20, and most of what we know dates back to leaks from last year. In 2025, there were multiple credible reports that the iPhone 20 model would undergo a major redesign that uses significantly more glass than the typical phone.
Bloomberg and The Information both reported in May of last year that it would have an all-glass, edge-to-edge display. Specifically, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the source of more Apple scoops than anyone else on the planet, predicted the iPhone 20 would be a "mostly glass, curved iPhone without any cutouts in the display," and feature "curved glass edges all around." That means curved glass wrapping around the edges of the device, and perhaps more importantly, a seeming lack of a notch or Dynamic Island cutout for the selfie camera.
Other reports point to curves around the four corners of the phone. Also in 2025, Korean outlet ETNews reported the 20th anniversary iPhone will have four-sided bending for a bezel-less full-screen experience.
However, other prominent leakers have thrown cold water on rumors of a radical, waterfall-edge display. On X, leaker Ice Universe said that despite the rumors, the iPhone 20 will not have a true curved display.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.And in 2026, Ice Universe speculated that "a true quad-curved display is unlikely" due to manufacturing challenges, suggesting Apple will opt for a "visual quad-curved" design.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.So, instead of a waterfall display with curved glass on the iPhone, we might get something more like the iPhone Air, with rounder corners and sides, plus a visual effect around the edges similar to what you see on the Apple Watch.
Credit: CNET GroupWe've seen wrap-around and waterfall displays on other devices like TVs, but a more sculptural, curved glass iPhone would definitely stand out in the mobile market.
iPhone 20: The latest leaksApple hasn't updated the display sizes for its iPhone Pro models since 2024. From the iPhone 16 to now, they've measured in at 6.3 inches for each Pro model and 6.9 inches for each Pro Max model. At least one source is indicating that the iPhone 20 will change that, while further shrinking the dynamic island.
A new report from leaker Digital Chat Station suggested that Apple will bump the display sizes and resolution for the iPhone 20 Pro models. Here are the rumored new display specs for those devices:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.iPhone 20 Pro: 6.41-inch display with 2,686 × 1,236 resolution
iPhone 20 Pro Max: 6.96-inch display with 2,912 × 1,340 resolution
Those each represent upgrades of about a tenth of an inch for each device's display size, with higher resolution on each, over the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models. That's not a huge change, but when combined with the functionally bezel-less displays that are rumored to grace the iPhone 20 models, there could definitely be a perception of a lot more screen real estate on next year's iPhone.
Do the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo tell us anything about the iPhone 20?With the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple reduced the size of the Dynamic Island, and the iPhone Duo utilizes an under-display FaceTime camera that doesn't waste any pixels. It will be interesting to see which of these elements are carried forward into the iPhone 20. For what it's worth, the latest Digital Chat Station leak regarding display sizes also suggested Apple would maintain the hole-punch front camera from the 18 Pro models rather than using an under-camera selfie camera like the iPhone Duo.
Apple has clearly embraced curved glass and refracting light in its new Liquid Glass design language, so it would make sense if the iPhone evolved to match accordingly.
iPhone 20: New buttons!Lastly, for now, leaker Instant Digital posted on Weibo late last year that Apple is working on "solid-state" (in other words, non-moving and non-mechanical) buttons for the iPhone 20. The unique feature here would be haptic feedback for power, volume control, and camera control. I could see this being somewhat controversial, like when Apple got rid of the home button, but we'll have to wait and see.
As soon as we learn more about the iPhone 19/iPhone 20, we'll be sure to update this post. If you want to be the first to know about new tech, science, and digital culture news, sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.
Top smartphone deals of the weekSamsung Galaxy S26 FE + $200 Amazon Gift Card — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200)
Google Pixel 11 Pro — $1,019.70 $1,099 (save $79.30)
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — $1,049.99 $1,299.99 (save $250)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 — $1,649.99 $1,899.99 (save $250)
Portable power stations are useful for everything from camping trips to keeping your gadgets running when you're away from a plug socket. They come in a wide range of prices, with some reaching the thousands of dollars. They're not exactly the kind of thing you look to buy every week. But when they're on sale, a discount can make a purchase much easier to justify.
With Prime Big Deal Days coming up on October 6-7, Amazon has already started cutting prices on some popular power stations, so now is a great time to pick one up at a lower-than-usual price. Below, we've rounded up the best early deals worth checking out.
Best Jackery deal Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 $499 at AmazonThe Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is a relatively compact portable power station with a 1,070Wh capacity and 1,500W output, making it suitable for powering devices such as fridges, electric pots, and other appliances. It can also go from empty to fully charged in an hour with emergency charging switched on, and the LFP battery is designed to retain more than 70% of its capacity after 4,000 charge cycles.
More Jackery dealsJackery Explorer 300 — $258 $289 (save $30)
Jackery Solar Generator 1000 v2 and 200W Solar Panel — $699 $879 (save $180)
Jackery HomePower 3000 — $1,349 $1,499 (save $150)
Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus — $1,709 $1,899 (save $190)
The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic has a 1,800W output and can handle even big appliances like fridges. It has X-Boost providing up to 2,600W for higher-power devices, and can charge to 80% in 45 minutes via AC. This deal includes a 220W solar panel, which can help it recharge in around 5.8 hours.
More Ecoflow dealsDelta 3 Plus — $699 $899 (save $200)
Delta 2 Max — $1,029 $1,399 (save $370)
Ahead of Prime Day, this Bluetti power unit has $400 off the list price. It has a 1,024Wh capacity and 1,800W output, with 11 ports so you can charge multiple devices at once. It can also fully recharge in about 70 minutes with TurboBoost AC charging, making it a great option for last-minute use.
More Bluetti dealsElite 30 V2 — $279.99 $449 (save $169.01)
Elite 100 V2 with 200W Solar Panel — $698.98 $999 (save $300.02)
Elite 200 V2 — $899 $1,199 (save $300)
Elite 300 — $1,098.99 $1,499 (save $400.01)
This unit has a 1,056Wh capacity and 2,400W output, with 11 ports for powering multiple devices and appliances. It can reach 80% charge in 43 minutes with UltraFast charging enabled through the Anker app. It's built a LiFePO4 battery, so it's designed to last a long time, up to 10 years, which is around 3,000 battery cycles.
More Anker dealsAnker Solix C1000 Gen 2 — $499.99 $599 (save $99.01)
Anker Solix S2000 — $999.99 $1,199 (save $199.01)
Anker Solix F3800 — $2,499.98 $2,799.99 (save $300.01)
Six years after launching Christian dating app Upward, the conglomerate Match Group is relaunching it as a marriage-focused app for young singles. Upward is now centered around "modern courtship."
"For a generation told to keep things casual and see where they go, saying you want marriage can almost feel countercultural," said Lauren DeFord, director of brand marketing at Match Group, in a press release shared with Mashable. "Built for people dating with marriage in mind, Upward is a home for singles who know what they want, hold strong standards and believe dating should lead somewhere."
SEE ALSO: FBI warned ICE agents of fake 'tradwife' dating profilesThe shift comes amid a deluge of "tradwife" content on social media, of young women rejecting (or claiming to reject) modern attitudes for more traditional gender roles in their relationships. The trend has reached a new peak in 2026 with Yesteryear, a novel about a tradwife influencer who wakes up in 1855, which has been on the New York Times bestsellers list for 23 weeks.
For several years, young adults have also been decrying hookup culture and casual sex, while also reportedly having less sex than in generations past.
Politics also reflects this cultural moment: The Trump administration is encouraging women to have more children while restricting reproductive rights.
And, according to data, young adults want to tie the knot. Match's recent Singles in America survey found that 72 percent of Gen Z want to get married. Match Group research also found that around one in four U.S. singles between 18 and 34 strongly identify with traditional values around family, faith, and community.
"Many countries in the world have matrimony apps, and for whatever reason, the U.S. has never really had one," Match Group's global chief marketing officer, Stephanie Danzi, told Mashable in a Zoom interview. "Upward was almost naturally emerging as a bit of a matrimonial app by the way that people were using it."
Danzi works specifically with the Everyone Everywhere portfolio, which includes affinity dating apps like Upward, Salams (for Muslim users), and HER (for Sapphic users).
At a time when Gen Z is frustrated by the dating scene — particularly dating apps — Match is betting on Upward to fill a gap.
Hinge vs. UpwardHinge, another app in Match Group's portfolio, is "designed to be deleted." Both apps are relationship-focused, Danzi said, but what makes Upward different is its focus on marriage specifically and the timeline for marriage users are looking for.
"Whereas people on Hinge are there with certainly high intent and positive intent, on Upward, it's nearly...99 percent of people want kids," she said. "Essentially, all people are looking for marriage specifically, and for them, marriage is not an if, it's a when."
The average time from match to marriage for an anecdotal sample of couples who met on Upward (and wrote to Match about their relationship) was under one year.
"We hear from our users that they actually feel like they're coming on too strong on an app like Hinge because they are so marriage and kid-oriented," she said. But on Upward, it's the price of entry.
New features for the dating app 'with marriage in mind'While Upward's users are predominantly Christian (given that it was a Christian dating app), Match found that the defining factor was less about religiosity and more about what family looks like and being goal-oriented towards marriage and family.
"On Upward, what we saw is that actually a lot of our prompts that were around, for example, 'what's your favorite Bible verse,' were actually not that popular, and people were spending a lot more time talking about what they wanted out of a family and out of the future," Danzi explained. People of all faiths are welcome on the app, and it's a young crowd: Match told Mashable that the majority of users are under 35.
In addition to refocusing Upward towards marriage, Match has also refreshed the app experience. It now includes "Chivalry Mode," an opt-in experience for users who prefer a more "traditional" first-move dynamic.
When both users in a match opt-in, the man is encouraged to send the first message (and a "high-quality" one, not just "Hey, what's up?"), and his match chooses whether to respond or unmatch. (Gay users are also welcome on Upward, and there are gay users on the app, Danzi said.) The second user then has 72 hours to respond.
As Danzi told Mashable, a man sending the first message isn't compulsory in Chivalry Mode, but the team has seen that the opt-in feature leads to more conversations.
Recently, the dating app Bumble changed its rules so that male users can message female ones first, after launching in 2014 as a "feminist" dating app where "women make the first move."
Also new is the Marriage Timeline feature, which lets users share when they hope to get married — and they can see other users' timelines, as well.
Users can also pick their "Core Values" on the app so potential matches can see their priorities, such as honor, wisdom, integrity, hard work, community, and friendship. According to Match, nearly every Upward member between 18 and 30 surveyed said they want a family, and "family" is the most-selected Core Value on the app. (On other Match Group apps, like Tinder and Hinge, you can signal lifestyle traits and what you're looking for.)
"The old checklist was height and income," Danzi said. "And the new checklist is about values."
Thanks to the global memory crisis known as "RAMageddon," prices on memory products like internal drives, external SSDs, and high-capacity flash storage have continued to climb. It’s been a relentless up, up, and up trajectory as enterprise demand squeezes consumer supply.
High-speed NVMe drives, rugged external SSDs, microSD cards, and hard drives are Prime Day staples that matter more than ever amid RAMageddon. We did some digging and found the best early Prime Day deals in the solid-state category right now. If you've been waiting to expand your PC build, give your PS5 some breathing room, or secure your off-site backups, now is the time to take advantage of these SSD offers from top-tier brands like Samsung, SanDisk, and more.
Best SSD deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB PCIe 4.0 $389.99 at AmazonThe Samsung 990 PRO delivers top-tier sequential speeds up to 7,450 MB/s, effectively maxing out what a PCIe 4.0 slot can process. That translates directly to faster boot times, near-instant game loading on PC or PS5, and smooth handling of large 4K video renders. It also runs more power-efficiently than its predecessor, so it stays stable under heavy continuous workloads. With a solid five-year warranty and a huge price drop, it’s one of the best value-for-money storage upgrades you can buy right now.
Best rugged SSD deal Opens in a new window Credit: SanDisk SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD $265.99 at AmazonPocket-sized, ridiculously fast, and virtually indestructible, the SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD is engineered for harsh travel conditions that would destroy standard desktop drives. It nearly doubles the speed of previous generations, so you can back up thousands of photos in less than a minute, while offering full weather resistance to rain and spills, and hardware encryption to keep your private documents locked down tighter than a vault.
Best travel-friendly SSD deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung T7 2TB Portable SSD $449.99The Samsung T7 is built for life on the move. Weighing under two ounces and barely larger than a credit card, it slips into a pocket or backpack pouch without taking up space in your carry-on. Its solid aluminum unibody design handles the bumps of travel with ease, featuring shock resistance that withstands drops from up to 6 feet. With transfer speeds up to 1,050 MB/s, you can offload massive 4K travel footage, photo backups, or offline media libraries in seconds. You can even plug it directly into an iPhone 15 Pro (or newer) to record high-res video straight to the drive while on location.
More SSD and hard drive dealsMicroSDs
SanDisk 32GB Ultra microSDHC — $20.80 $23 (save $2.20)
SanDisk 128GB High Endurance Video microSDXC — $36.99 $60.99 (save $24)
SanDisk 256GB Ultra microSD Card + Adapter — $48.24 $53.08 (save $4.84)
SanDisk 512GB microSD Express Card for Nintendo Switch 2 — $159.99 $199.99 (save $40)
Portable SSDs
SanDisk 500GB Portable SSD — $109.99 $128.99 (save $19)
SanDisk 500GB Extreme Portable SSD — $159.99 $185.99 (save $26)
Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB — $229.99 $274.99 (save $45)
Samsung T9 Portable SSD 2TB — $981.87 $1,144.99 (save $163.12)
Portable HDDs
UnionSine 500GB Ultra Slim Portable External Hard Drive — $37.46 $39.43 (save $1.97)
Seagate 2TB Portable Hard Drive — $129.99 $149.99 (save $20)
WD 5TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive — $213 $284.99 (save $71.99)
Western Digital 5TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive — $237.99 $274.99 (save $37)
WD 6TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive — $259.95 $319.99 (save $60.04)
Internal hard drives
Western Digital 1TB WD Blue PC Internal Hard Drive — $119 $134.99 (save $15.99)
Western Digital 1TB WD Blue Mobile Hard Drive — $129 $144.99 (save $15.99)
Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale is just around the corner — and so are some excellent Apple deals, no doubt. This 48-hour "October Prime Day" serves as Amazon's kickoff to the Black Friday/holiday shopping season, which is the best time to find discounts on popular Apple devices, among many other tech products. This year, it will double as some year-end relief from RAMageddon price increases.
While the sale isn't scheduled to begin for a few more weeks, Amazon is already rolling out some early October Prime Day deals on select gadgets, including most AirPods, Apple Watches, iPads, and MacBooks. That raises the question: If you're thinking about upgrading from an older Apple device to a newer model, should you start adding items to your cart now or hold off for a bit?
SEE ALSO: Amazon announces dates for Prime Big Deal Days, its 48-hour 'October Prime Day' saleThe answer depends on the exact product you're eyeing. Having covered Amazon's sales for years now, I think most of its current Apple deals will get much better on Oct. 6 and 7, when Prime Big Deal Days is officially live. However, a couple of the deals are worth grabbing immediately. In fact, you might miss out if you wait too long.
Read on to find out which five Apple deals I'd add to my cart ASAP, and which others I'm hoping to see once Prime Big Deal Days starts. I've come up with some October Prime Day discount predictions for every current Apple product based on their pricing histories and Amazon's deal patterns. I'm also keeping an eye on rivaling retailers like Walmart and Best Buy to see if they can one-up their offers.
Check back for updates as we get closer to the sale.
The only Apple deals I'd shop before October Prime Day Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $389.99 at AmazonApple's latest flagship smartwatch hit shelves in mid-September alongside the AirPods 5, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and iPhone 18 Pros. It has an upgraded chipset and sensors that support better heart rate monitoring, a new Readiness feature, and new Audio Intelligence tools. Amazon is currently selling it for $389.99, which is almost $10 off its usual sticker price of $399. That discount isn't huge, but it's probably not going to get any bigger once Prime Big Deal Days starts. Its predecessor, the Series 11, was also only $10 off during its first Prime Big Deal Days.
Check out our breakdown of all the differences between the Apple Watch Series 12 and Series 11.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm) $779.99 at AmazonSimilarly, the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4 isn't heavily discounted but probably won't get any cheaper than it currently is, if history repeats itself. Last year, during Prime Big Deal Days, the last-generation Apple Watch Ultra 3 was marked down to $779.99 (normally $799). Ahead of this year's sale, the Ultra 4 is already matching that. Its upgrades include a faster processor, a longer battery life, and a new heart rate monitoring system; it has the same new health and fitness features as the Series 12.
Read Mashable's review of the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) $1,899 at AmazonAmazon still has a couple of older M4 iPad Pros in stock and on sale at deep discounts. One is an 11-inch model with a nano-texture (matte) display and 2TB storage; the other is a 13-inch model with Apple's standard display and 512GB of storage. They're marked down to $1,899 and $1,299, respectively, which is a $200 savings either way. (For reference, they were $250 off and $100 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025.) They're significantly cheaper than their newer M5 counterparts right now, so I can see them selling out well before this year's October Prime Day.
Read Mashable's review of the 13-inch Apple iPad Air (M4).
October Prime Day AirPods deals to watchApple AirPods 5: The latest flagship AirPods 5 just launched in mid-September, and they're currently stuck at full price. (The standard models retail for $129, while the ones with a wireless charging case cost $149.) They should get cheaper next month, but not by much. The last-gen AirPods 4 only saw a small $10 discount during their first Prime Big Deal Days in 2024, so I think they'll probably go for $119 and $139, respectively.
Apple AirPods Pro 3: The AirPods Pro 3 have better ANC than the regular AirPods 5, plus a longer battery life, an added heart rate sensor, and an exclusive Hearing Aid mode. They're down to $199 right now — a 20% savings — but there's a strong chance they'll dip even lower for October's festivities. Amazon could revive its record-low price of $169, which last appeared right before June's Prime Day sale.
Apple AirPods Pro Max 2: Apple's over-ear headphones are currently on sale for $479 (or $70 off their $549 MSRP), but I'd wait. We saw them fall to $399 a couple of months ago on Prime Day — an impressive 27% savings.
Read our reviews of the AirPods 5, the AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods Max 2. Plus, find out where they ranked on our guides to the best wireless earbuds and the best noise-canceling headphones.
The best early October Prime Day AirPods deals for now: Apple AirPods 5 $129 Shop Now Apple AirPods 5 with wireless charging case $149 Shop Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 $199 (save $50) Get Deal Apple AirPods Pro Max 2 $479 (save $70) Get Deal October Prime Day Apple Watch deals to watchApple Watch SE 3: Normally $249, Apple's budget smartwatch has been as cheap as $189.99 before — a savings of just under $60. It's definitely not worth buying now at $239, or only $10 off.
Apple MacBook Neo: The cheapest MacBook hasn't gotten any major discounts at major retailers since its March release. (Its current sale price of $689 on Amazon, or $10 off, is its all-time low there.) There's no world where Amazon matches the Apple Store's $100 student discount for Prime Big Deal Days, IMO, but maybe we'll see it hit $649 for the first time next month. It's due for better deals now that it's more than six months old.
Apple MacBook Air: One 13-inch M5 MacBook Air variant was $150 off at the time of writing, but don't add it to your cart yet. Both sizes of last year's M4 MacBook Air were $200 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025. If Amazon matched that offer in the coming weeks, it would erase the M5 Air's recent price hike. For reference, the 13-inch one usually starts at $1,299, while the 15-inch size typically starts at $1,499; snag them as soon as you catch them at $1,099 and $1,299, respectively.
Apple MacBook Pro: The 14-inch, M5-powered base model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is $150 off right now, but I think Amazon might sell it for $1,799, or $200 off, come Prime Big Deal Days. That's the discount its equally configured predecessor got last fall. (It wouldn't fully negate the MacBook Pro's recent $300 price increase, but it would be a welcome deal regardless. We haven't spotted it on sale for less than $1,849 since June.)
Read our reviews of the Apple MacBook Neo, the M5 MacBook Air, and the M5 MacBook Pro. Plus, find out which MacBook is best for you.
The best early October Prime Day MacBook deals for now: Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $689 (save $10) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,449 (save $150) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,499 Shop Now Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,849 (save $150) Get Deal October Prime Day iPad deals to watchApple iPad: Apple's flagship tablet is on sale for $399 in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days (usually $449). Wait to see if Amazon matches or beats its $70 discount from last year's sale, which would bring it down to just $379.
Apple iPad mini: The smallest, most portable iPad was also $70 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025, so it's now on sale for $569 (only $30 off). It's worth adding to your cart if you see it drop to $529 or lower.
Apple iPad Air: Both sizes of the latest M4 iPad Air are $100 off right now. That's not bad, but we saw last year's M3 models go on sale for $150 off last October. If Amazon can replicate that for Prime Big Deal Days 2026, it would completely nix the 11-inch version's price hike. That size would return to $599, while the 13-inch model would only be $799 (normally $749 and $949, respectively).
Apple iPad Pro: As mentioned up top, last year's M4 iPad Pros were $100 to $250 off during last year's Prime Big Deal Days — making Amazon's current deals on their successors look pretty pathetic. The 11-inch M5 base model is now $1,139, only $60 off, and the 13-inch model is now $1,427, just $72 off. Ideally, they'll soon hit $1,099 and $1,399 or less, respectively.
Read our reviews of the iPad mini, the M4 iPad Air, and the M5 iPad Pro. Not sure which iPad to buy? Allow us to offer some guidance.
The best early October Prime Day iPad deals for now: Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) $399 (save $50) Get Deal Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFi, 128GB) $569 (save $30) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB $649 (save $100) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) $849 (save $100) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) $1,899 (save $200) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 (save $200) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $1,139 (save $60) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $1,427 (save $72) Get DealTL;DR: Preorders for the first-ever Google Books are live ahead of the Oct. 4 launch. If you preorder any model through Best Buy, a free pair of Google Pixel Buds 2a (a $129 value) will automatically get added to your cart at checkout.
Opens in a new window Credit: Asus Googlebooks at Best Buy Get free Pixel Buds 2a ($129 value) with preorders. Shop NowIf you’ve been waiting to get your hands on the first laptops designed for Gemini Intelligence, your time has officially arrived. Announced earlier this year at Google I/O, Googlebooks are a brand-new class of premium AI laptops built to challenge MacBooks head-to-head. Preorders are live, with official shipments launching Oct. 4 in the U.S.
You can purchase Googlebooks directly from Google, but Best Buy is serving up a major perk for early buyers. If you preorder any of the five launch laptops through Best Buy, you'll automatically score a free pair of Google Pixel Buds 2a (a $129 value) in your cart.
SEE ALSO: Googlebooks dissected: Are they for you?Across all five Googlebooks launch models, you get key hardware and software features like:
Gemini Intelligence — Local NPU acceleration powering tools like Magic Pointer (visual screen queries), Magic Cues (contextual assistance across tasks), Rambler (auto-structured voice capture), and natural-language widget creation.
Device Continuity — Seamless Android integration with file syncing and app casting directly onto your desktop.
Premium Baseline Hardware — Minimum 16GB RAM, up to 14+ hours of battery life, backlit keyboards, touch displays, and lightweight builds.
That baseline power makes any of the five models a solid upgrade, but Best Buy's preorder bonus makes pulling the trigger early a no-brainer.
Google Pixel Buds 2a bring active noise cancellation to Google's entry-level line for the first time. They use custom 11mm speakers so your music sounds clear, plus noise-blocking tech to block out outside distractions. A clever twist-to-adjust design helps lock them securely in your ears for workouts or commutes, while water resistance handles sweat and rain. You also get easy one-tap phone pairing and up to 20 hours of total battery life with the charging case.
As with most retailer bundles, there are a few basic rules to keep in mind for this deal:
Marketplace sellers are excluded — You'll need to buy directly from Best Buy rather than a third-party seller on their site.
Keep both items to keep the discount — If you cancel or return the Googlebook laptop, you won't get to keep the free Pixel Buds 2a for free.
They might ship separately — Don't worry if two different boxes show up on your doorstep. Best Buy often ships bundled items in separate packages.
Stock is limited — The offer applies only to in-stock items while supplies last and can't be combined with other conflicting promotions or applied to previous purchases.
Ready to upgrade? Head over to Best Buy and lock in your Googlebook preorder.
As Mashable's Global Shopping Editor, I spend a lot of time trawling through the best deals on the web. And a good portion of that time is dedicated to sourcing the best deals on DJI. "Why?" I hear you ask. Because Mashable readers (like you) absolutely love the range of creator-friendly tools pumped out by the brand.
Apple remains the most popular brand with Mashable's tech-obsessed readership, but DJI isn't far behind. When we write about DJI's drones, vlogging cameras, mics, and power stations, you read about it and sometimes decide to buy. That data is like gold dust, baby. It tells me that you truly care about DJI. And that means I care.
So with that, I have trawled through hundreds of early October Prime Day deals to bring you the very best from DJI. Here you can find record lows, deals for under $100, and smart savings that could elevate your content.
Best DJI drone deal Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mini 3 $399 at AmazonRight now, you can get the DJI Mini 3 for $399, down from $419. It's not the biggest discount we've ever seen. In fact, this popular drone dropped as low as $299 on Amazon. Honestly, I would be surprised if we didn't see something better as we move closer to October Prime Day. Will we see another all-time low price? That I'm not sure about. Will we see something better than a $20 discount? Surely.
More DJI drone dealsDJI Neo — $169 $199 (save $30)
DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo — $499 $599 (save $100)
DJI Mini 3 — $505.99 $549 (save $43.01)
DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo — $622 $719 (save $97)
DJI Avata 360 — $719 $817.95 (save $98.95)
The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo is down to $549 ahead of October Prime Day. The record low for this stacked bundle is $512, so you're getting a real good price here with weeks still to go until the main event. We might see another price drop as we move closer to Prime Day, but in this case, we wouldn't be surprised if this were the lowest price we get.
The Osmo Pocket 3 vlogging camera features a 1-inch CMOS sensor and records in 4K resolution at 120fps. The Osmo Pocket 3's advanced 3-axis mechanical stabilization delivers impressive stability so you can shoot on the go.
More DJI camera dealsDJI Osmo Action 4 Standard Combo — $239 $299 (save $60)
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 — $439 $499 (save $60)
DJI Osmo 360 Camera Adventure Combo — $594.99 $664.99 (save $70)
The DJI Mic 3 is on sale for $259, down from $329. We've seen better, but it's still a decent price drop. It's early days, OK?
The Mic 3 is a compact wireless microphone system designed for creators, podcasters, and interviewers who need quality audio and portability. It supports up to four transmitters, features adaptive gain control and selectable noise cancellation, and uses dual-band transmission for clear audio in busy environments. You'll also get up to 28 hours of battery life with the charging case, which is always handy.
More DJI mic dealsDJI Mic Mini (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case) — $79 $99 (save $20)
DJI Mic 2 (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case) — $199 $269 (save $70)
The DJI Power 2000 V2 is a popular pick here at Mashable, and it's on sale for under $800 ahead of October Prime Day.
Mashable's Lauren Allain tested this powerhouse last year and noted that it's a "beefy option that’s awesome for camping, backyard parties, or content creators out on projects." Allain added that the "power to physical size ratio is impressive," which is what really matters with these machines. It's all about finding that sweet spot between portability and enough power to keep you moving.
More DJI power station dealsDJI Power 140W GaN Charger — $59.49 $69.99 (save $10.50)
DJI Power 1000 — $419.99 $449.99 (save $30)
Donald Trump has banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, and Jimmy Kimmel has some thoughts on the president "cracking down on that out-of-control first amendment."
"Yeah, why aren't these so-called journalists gushing over how well he's mishandling the war he said was over seven months ago? It's just not right," says Kimmel in the late night clip above.
"As his popularity continues to plummet, Trump's fingers go deeper and deeper into his ears. He does not want to hear bad news. Bad news is fake news to Donald Trump."
Elsewhere, Jon Stewart also had a blunt response to Trump's decision to start banning news outlets.
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The first day of fall is nigh, and you know what that means — October Prime Day is nearly here.
The sale, officially dubbed Prime Big Deal Days, marks the start of the holiday shopping season, which is often a great time to grab tech like AirPods on sale.
There's still some time before the two-day sale kicks off on Oct. 6, but in the lead-up to the main event, our team will be tracking all the best AirPods deals. So far, we haven't seen any price drops on the newly announced AirPods 5 (more on that below). As someone who tests and writes about headphones and earbuds year-round, I get why Apple users are willing to invest in AirPods. As a deals expert, I also much prefer to see folks grab AirPods on sale.
SEE ALSO: Early October Prime Day deals already live: Save on Apple, Beats, Fire TV, and GarminThat's why I've rounded up the three best AirPods deals live so far, plus the three that you can wait on for the time being. Check them out below, and be sure to follow more of Mashable's October Prime Day coverage.
Best AirPods deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $99 at AmazonThe humble AirPods 4. What they lack in active noise cancellation, they make up for in a more appealing price point of $99. With the release of the AirPods 5, these are the last AirPods available without ANC. Maybe that's ideal for you, or maybe you simply appreciate the lower price point. In either case, this is likely the last holiday shopping season you can grab these buds on sale. Just note, they are still far from their record low price of $69, but their availability may be limited as we get further into the shopping season.
More AirPods dealsApple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)
Apple AirPods Max 2 — $479 $549 (save $70)
The AirPods 5 have only received one small deal — a $4 price drop — so far since their release on Sept. 18. Granted, they're still very new to the market, so even that price dip is notable. We're hoping that as we get further into holiday deal season, a slightly more substantial deal comes along.
The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case haven't dropped in price just yet, so we're not holding our breath that they will, especially since they're still brand new. That said, October Prime Day would be a very appropriate time for a surprise deal, so the chance that we see even a small dip isn't zero. At the very least, grabbing them at full price is still likely a better deal than grabbing the AirPods 4 with ANC on sale (more on that below).
The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation look like a good deal at $149 (down from $179), but there's a catch. Their newer analog, the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, has a list price of $149 and comes with an improved feature set, including better active noise cancellation and sound quality, with the same battery life. In other words, the AirPods 4 with ANC would have to be cheaper than $149 for this to be a deal worth picking up.
Donald Trump recently issued a White House ban on several news outlets, including CNN, MS NOW, and Politico — and Jon Stewart has thoughts.
In the Daily Show clip above, the host reacts to footage of the president saying "there's something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stories."
"Have you tried presidenting better?" responds Stewart. "You could ban the press, or you could be a better f***ing president? I mean, give the press something to work with. I mean here's a positive story: I never thought my car could take $140 worth of gas in such a small tank! I had no idea. Hurrah.
"And not for nothing, have we ever had a president just flat out in the Oval Office come out against the Constitution? What kind of a sick country doesn't allow unlimited warrantless search and seizure? I mean, that's not the North Korea I grew up in."
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TL;DR: The Motorola Razr+ is available for free with T-Mobile. To qualify for this deal, activate a new line on an Experience Beyond plan.
Opens in a new window Credit: Motorola T-Mobile: Motorola Razr+ for free Shop NowApple literally just launched new iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods, so why on earth are we talking about Motorola? We know there's a lot of excitement around Apple, but Motorola's foldable phones are quietly impressing. And right now, you can upgrade without spending anything.
The Motorola Razr+ is available for free with T-Mobile, and you don't even need to trade in anything to qualify. The process of claiming is actually pretty straightforward.
To get the new Motorola Razr+ for free with T-Mobile, simply activate a new line on its Experience Beyond plan. The total cost is covered via 36 monthly bill credits. If you cancel or switch carriers before the three-year mark, you’ll owe the remaining balance on the phone’s full retail price. You will need to pay taxes and a one-time $35 connection charge, but that's a small price to pay for a "damn fine phone."
If you really are committed to owning the latest from Apple, you have similar options.
The new Apple iPhone 18 Pro is available for free when you trade in a qualifying device and activate a new line on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond plan. New customers who switch to T-Mobile and keep their existing number can also qualify.
Another Amazon Prime Day is upon us. Well, kind of. Prime Big Deal Days, which runs from Oct. 6 through Oct. 7, isn't quite as massive as Amazon's flagship summer sale, but it serves as an unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season.
Casually called October Prime Day, the fall sale features deals on all sorts of tech — just like Prime Day proper. TVs, in particular, tend to see pretty big price drops now that new models have been on the market for about six months. In other words, if you're in need of a new TV, you can find a 2026 model for a steal during October Prime Day.
We've rounded up some of the best TV deals from brands like TCL, LG, Hisense, and Samsung that you can shop now, but be sure to check back as the official Prime Big Deal Days sale nears.
Best TCL TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV $2,497.99 at AmazonMashable's TV expert is a big fan of TCL's QM8L SQD-Mini-LED TVs. She named it our favorite QLED TV for most people, highlighting its "superb peak brightness, detailed picture quality, and fantastic glare handling" in her review. It's one of the brightest TVs you can buy in 2026, period, which is thanks in part to its "super quantum dot mini LEDs" (aka the SQD part of its name). On a normal day, the 85-inch model costs $3,999.99, but ahead of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, it's down to $2,497.99. That's its lowest price on record.
Best LG TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV $1,599.99 at AmazonOLED TVs are known for their elite contrast and often extreme price tags. However, the LG C6 is what Mashable's TV expert calls the "best affordable OLED TV," compared to competitors' prices. It's also her top pick for an OLED TV for most people. It features inky blacks, stark contrast (of course), improved audio, peak brightness, and a higher refresh rate than its predecessor, and overall, incredible picture quality. At just under $1,600, the 65-inch model is over $1,000 cheaper than its list price ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. We've actually seen it drop even lower before, so we'll be keeping an eye out as the official sale nears.
Best Hisense TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV $847.99 at AmazonThe Hisense U7 series delivers Mini-LED performance you'd expect on higher-priced models. It packs a 165Hz refresh rate, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos audio, a Google TV with a Gemini interface, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Its backlighting features full-array local dimming as well, which means clusters of tiny LED bulbs precisely control brightness levels within specific sections of your screen for more accuracy and depth. The U7 is a step up from our favorite budget TV of 2026, but with this massive price drop, it's actually a much better deal. At $847.99, the 65-inch model is already $2 cheaper than it was on Prime Day proper back in June.
More early October Prime Day TV deals50 to 55-inch TV dealsHisense 55-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $748 $1,298 (save $550)
Hisense 55-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $1,499.99 (save $702)
LG 55-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,299.99 (save $400)
TCL 65-inch QM7L SQD-Mini-LED 4K TV — $897.99 $1,499.99 (save $602)
LG 65-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,799.99 (save $700)
Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,197.99 $1,999.99 (save $802)
Samsung 65-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $1,397.99 $1,999.99 (save $602)
TCL 65-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,497.99 $2,499.99 (save $1,002)
Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD QLED 4K TV — $2,498 $3,299.99 (save $801.99)
Samsung 75-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $547.99 $729.99 (save $182)
Hisense 75-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $1,298.99 $1,999.99 (save $701)
Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro Hi-QLED Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,297.99 $1,999.99 (save $702)
TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)
Hisense 100-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $2,999.99 (save $502)
TCL 98-inch QM7L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)
TCL 98-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $3,997.99 $5,999.99 (save $2,002)
This year's IFA conference was chock-full of cutting-edge technology announcements. One of the highlights was from leading vacuum brand Dreame, who unveiled a fresh range of innovative cleaning devices including a powerful new robovac, the Aqua20 Ultra Roller, an upgrade to their X60 Ultra robot vacuum (which our own Leah Stodart reviewed at 4.5/5 stars earlier this year), and an upgraded steam mop, the T16 Pro TriForce.
Dreame Aqua20 Ultra Roller: Steam-powered deep cleaning Credit: SuppliedThe all-new Aqua20 Ultra Roller combines piping-hot steam, hot water and what Dreame is calling “intelligent roller technology”, to clear up and scrub down your floors until they sparkle. Plus, its extending roller mop reaches up to 8cm outward into corners and narrow spaces, while proactive dirt detection helps identify and address hidden messes.
Key Specs:
180°C Dual High-Temp Steam Mopping: With the blend of high-temperature steam and hot water, any set-in marks and stains are loosened up and wiped away without the need for elbow grease.
40,000Pa Vormax Suction and Hyperstream Detangling DuoBrush: 40,000Pa of Vormax suction power snags loose hair or dust, while the anti-tangle brush head keeps the bristles moving freely.
8cm MopExtend and Mop Cover: Reaches tight corners or spaces to ensure a deep clean. Meanwhile, the additional mop cover prevents your carpets feeling damp or soggy.
ProLeap 10cm Obstacle Clearing: The industry's first FlexiAdapt obstacle crossing system allows Aqua20 Ultra Series to have an obstacle-crossing capability of up to 10cm.
Proactive Light Dirt Detection Technology: Built-in blue light dirt detection designed to detect and clean messes that are difficult to spot with the naked eye.
The Dreame X60 Ultra Extreme is an upgraded version of the base X60 Ultra, which launched at the start of the year. It features Dreame’s first Dual-Joint UltraExtendArms (mechanical arms that extend the side brush out to clean complex corners and other narrow gaps), as well as upgraded navigation thanks to its dual AI camera. Both solid upgrades on what we previously named “the most well-rounded robot vac this year”.
Key Specs:
Dual-Joint UltraExtendArms: A first-of-its-kind for Dreame, these extendable arms allow the side brush to extend up to 12cm, and the mop system to reach up to 18cm. Helpful for corners, under furniture, between floorboards and along the skirtings. .
Dual AI Cameras with Proactive Blue Light: Recognises over 320 objects around your home, preventing furniture, cords, or toys from slowing down or clogging your device while in use.
42,000Pa Vormax Suction Upgrade and Anti-Tangle Brush: With 42,000Pa suction power, the X60 Ultra Extreme will pick up food crumbs, deep-seated dust, or dirt marks in seconds. Meanwhile, the anti-tangle brush prevents loose hair or thread from causing an issue.
ProLeap 10cm Obstacle Clearing: You can rest easy knowing this robot vacuum won’t bump into your belongings with the industry-first FlexiAdapt obstacle crossing system.
Dreame’s non-robovac announcement at IFA was the upgraded T16 Pro TriForce, a wet-and-dry floor cleaner which the company claims will “transform how Australians tackle everyday messes”, thanks to its Triple Water-Driven Force system. This means the device can simultaneously sterilise, wash, and deodorise hard floors, making it an all-in-one cleaner for sticky floors and deeply embedded dirt.
Opens in a new window Credit: Supplied Dreame T16 Pro TriForce AU$1,499 at JB Hi-FiKey Specs:
FoamWash Deodorising: Neutralises any odours (especially pet stains or drink spills) with a spray of mousse-like, floral-fruit scent foam.
SaunaClean Steam Sterilisation: Equipped with 200°C steam sterilisation, deep-rooted stains and bacteria can be penetrated and removed for a fully hygienic clean.
ThermoRinse Hot Water Mopping: 90°C Hot Water mopping using Dreame’s ThermoRinse technology, for cleaning up even stubborn oil and grease stains.
Multi-spectral Sensor Dirt Detection: Uses optical sensors to detect debris and scuffs, automatically adjusting suction power and water flow based on surface conditions.
TangleCut 2.0 Resilient Scraper: Clears shed hair from the brush roller to prevent internal clogs.
Dreame’s latest IFA lineup focuses on automating heavy-duty floor care through higher suction power, high-temperature steam mopping and wider mechanical reach. All three devices – the flagship X60 Ultra Extreme, the Aqua20 Ultra Roller steam mop and the T16 Pro TriForce wet-and-dry vacuum – are available in Australia from JB Hi-Fi, The Good Guys and Dreame’s website.
Amazon is reportedly blocking Meta's new AI agent Muse from shopping. As spotted by GeekWire, people attempting to use Muse to buy products from Amazon are now being served with a warning that doing so violates the online marketplace's terms of use.
SEE ALSO: Google's new tech will let you buy stuff directly from an AI chatbotMeta introduced its personal AI agent Muse earlier this month, billing it as a digital assistant that "doesn't just answer questions, it actually does the work."
"People just tell Muse what needs to get done, and it takes action, powered by Muse Spark, Meta’s most capable model to date, built for real-world agentic work like this," Meta wrote in its Sept. 8 announcement.
Such tasks include shopping, with Muse capable of paying for purchases using Link by Stripe. Meta further stated that it has plans to add Shop Pay as an alternate payment method (as well as 1Password support so you can give its AI the ability to use all your login credentials across all websites, if that was something you wanted to do).
However, at least for now, Amazon won't be one of Muse's preferred retailers. GeekWire reports that consumers trying to use Muse to shop on Amazon have recently begun to see a popup stopping them from doing so.
"Continued access by an unauthorized AI agent violates Amazon's Conditions of Use, to which our customers have agreed," the warning reads.
Amazon's Conditions of Use contains a section specifically relating to autonomous agents such as Muse, stating that they are barred from using its services unless they fulfil several transparency requirements. These include identifying themselves as a specific agent, not imitating or disguising themselves as humans, and not trying to circumvent Amazon's limits regarding how they interact with it. Amazon further reserves the right to limit or block agents' access at its own discretion.
In a statement to GeekWire, an Amazon spokesperson said that third-party applications such as Muse "should operate openly and respect service provider decisions about whether or not to participate." Meta's Muse allegedly fails to identify itself, as well as captures and stores Amazon users' credentials in a potential security concern. According to Amazon, Meta did not inform it that Muse would access its storefront, and as such received no authorisation to do so.
Mashable has reached out to both Amazon and Meta for comment.
Amazon is currently beta testing its own AI shopping agent Buy for Me, which is capable of purchasing products on users' behalf on its own platform as well as from third-party vendors.
Remember making elephant toothpaste in science class? You’d combine water, yeast, soap, hydrogen peroxide, and food coloring, and watch a tower of colorful foam erupt from a beaker. Not long after, the foam would subside, leaving nothing but soapy water and the fond memories of a brief foray into the world of chemistry.
Watching The Love Hypothesis is a lot like that.
Adapted from Ali Hazelwood’s novel of the same name, a BookTok favorite, The Love Hypothesis details the fake dating romance between biology PhD student Olive Smith (Lili Reinhart) and professor Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman). It's full of chemistry, both figurative and literal, and like the elephant toothpaste, it's a bubbly blast that'll have your insides fizzing. Yet despite this pure fun, not to mention two solid leading performances, The Love Hypothesis is missing one key ingredient that would truly make its experiment stick the landing: yearning.
SEE ALSO: Fall movie preview: All the 2026 films you need to know about The Love Hypothesis brings BookTok's fake dating fave to the screen. Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman in "The Love Hypothesis." Credit: Prime VideoLike Hazelwood’s book, itself reworked from her Reylo fanfiction, The Love Hypothesis cannily deploys several beloved romance tropes within the world of STEM academia, with fake dating chiefest among them.
Stanford PhD candidate Olive is a ball of sunshine who's as sweet as the sugar bomb coffees she loves to order. She cares deeply about her research into pancreatic cancer, as well as her found family: fellow students Anh (Rachel Marsh), Jeremy (Nicholas Duvernay), and Malcolm (Jaboukie Young-White). While Olive has harbored a crush on Jeremy, she also knows that he's interested in Anh, and vice versa. However, Anh refuses to date Jeremy because she doesn't want to hurt Olive. For Olive, that leaves her one choice: pretend to be dating someone else so Anh thinks she's over Jeremy.
Olive's lie spirals until she kisses the first man she can find in front of Anh. Unfortunately for her, that man happens to be the brilliant but intimidating Dr. Adam Carlsen. Due to his demanding nature and bluntness verging on rudeness, he's earned the nickname "Dr. Evil." That he only ever dresses in black does nothing to lessen the supervillain vibes. (One music cue tied to Adam sounds like a riff on "The Imperial March," a riff on The Love Hypothesis’ Star Wars roots.)
SEE ALSO: 'Youth' review: HBO's coming-of-middle-age comedy is messy and moving, as only Sharon Horgan canThe pair's kiss could result in disaster. Surprisingly, though, Adam agrees to help Olive with her fake dating ruse. (Notably, he was never her professor, so The Love Hypothesis avoids those power dynamic issues.) This way, Anh and Jeremy will get the chance to get together. The arrangement also benefits Adam. Stanford believes he's a flight risk and might not renew funding for his research. If they know he has a serious girlfriend, they may reconsider. So begins Olive and Adam's fake relationship, which, as decreed by the laws of rom-coms, winds up being not so fake after all.
Avid The Love Hypothesis fans, you'll be happy to know that the film, directed by Claire Scanlon (Set It Up), captures several of the book's beloved details, including the unicorn socks Olive wears during her and Adam’s steamy first night together, aka the infamous Chapter 16. You'll also be overjoyed to see how Reinhart and Bateman bring the Adam-Olive pairing to life. Reinhart falls right into step alongside the leading ladies of rom-coms past, tempering Olive's klutzy quirks — she sweats a lot! — with her deeper desire to prove herself and maintain a lasting community, two needs that stem from a tough upbringing in the foster care system. Bateman, on the other hand, delivers almost every line with a clipped precision, which only makes the moments when Adam softens up around Olive all the clearer.
The two are a delightful pair, especially in classic fake dating scenarios where they have to pretend to truly love each other. A very public coffee shop date leads to squeal-worthy moments of cringe comedy, as do Olive's attempts to loudly fake laugh and flirt with an utterly confused Adam. However, somewhere between these disastrous first "dates" and the intimacy of the much-anticipated Chapter 16 sequence, The Love Hypothesis’s romance loses steam.
The Love Hypothesis could have used more yearning. Tom Bateman and Lili Reinhart in "The Love Hypothesis." Credit: Prime VideoA key component of any fake dating story is the moment the characters realize they may actually have developed real feelings (shout out to To All the Boys I've Loved Before). Cue the yearning, and with it, the angst that if they act on their feelings, they may irreparably damage the genuine connection they’ve developed. It's a delicious trademark of the trope, yet it’s sorely lacking in The Love Hypothesis.
The film sees Olive and Adam growing closer via a heart-to-heart about Olive's late mother, as well as a lode-bearing montage of fake dates and Adam helping Olive with an important presentation. But The Love Hypothesis rarely lets us in on their true feelings, never giving Olive or Adam a moment of interiority to consider their burgeoning romance. (Given that Hazelwood’s book keeps us inside Olive’s head the whole time, this omission feels especially glaring.)
Instead, the movie expects us to make the leap because it expects us to be familiar with fake dating stories in general. "He’s starving," Malcolm remarks while watching Adam’s passionate goodbye kiss to Olive. Yet that level of being romantically famished is hard to find elsewhere in the film. By the time Chapter 16 rolls around, Olive and Adam's sex feels inevitable, but not earned. The same goes for the confessions of love in the third act, itself a wildly disjointed conclusion featuring such a sinister turn, you may get whiplash.
While The Love Hypothesis doesn’t entirely stick its landing, it still finds charm in the comedic chemistry of Olive and Adam’s first “dates.” Similarly to the elephant toothpaste, we'll always have those explosive first moments of the experiment, even if in the end, all we're left with is its watery remains.
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