The payday wishlist – what we'd spend our money on this week (August 11)

James Pickard
·7 min read
Samsung OLED TV, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Apple Watch SE, Surface Pro 9 and Fire Tab 11 Max on a yellow background
Samsung OLED TV, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Apple Watch SE, Surface Pro 9 and Fire Tab 11 Max on a yellow background

Another week and another list of tech that's got our fingers hovering over that buy button. If you've got the itch for a bit of spending, too, here's what caught our attention this time.

Obviously, the big event is the launch of Samsung's latest foldables (as well as the Galaxy Tab S9 and Galaxy Watch 6). Retailers and networks have moved from the busy preorders phase to the hectic deals phase. There are lots of offers out there if you're looking to switch up your device - but we've got the best one right here.

Alongside that are a pair of products that feature high up in our guides to the best TVs and best smartwatches. There's one pricey premium option for those that want the very best from their home display and one for the everyday wearable user looking for excellent value for money.

And then we're finishing up with a couple of good buys from the ongoing back to school sales. Whether you need a reasonable tablet or a high-performance laptop then we've got you covered with a couple of standout deals.

Happy shopping!

1. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

August 11 marked the release of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, and while countless retailers and networks are promoting their introductory offers, it's hard to pick out the best deals from all the noise.

Fortunately, we've got our phone deals guru Alex Whitelock to help. He's picked out this little gem on the new foldable that includes up to $1,000 off the handset when you trade in. The same deal applies to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, too, so it's a great way to save a huge chunk of change on either device.

Overall, it's one of the best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 deals available right now, though you can check out our roundup for even more offers.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: up to $1,000 off with a trade-in, plus free Galaxy Watch 6 at Verizon
Both new and existing customers can get a healthy trade-in rebate of up to $1,000 on the brand-new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 foldable today at Verizon. The upgrade criteria here is particularly generous when compared to Verizon deals on other devices and you can also bundle in a free Galaxy Watch 6 and get $420 off a Galaxy Tab S9 Plus. These device savings are a great bonus but note that you'll need to pay for the lines separately, so it's not an outright freebie. See this same deal on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 here.View Deal

2. Apple Watch SE

When it comes to value for money the Apple Watch SE is one of the best smartwatches you can buy. Most users, especially iPhone users on a budget, get everything they need from this wearable for a fraction of the cost of the Apple Watch 8.

Sure, it may lack some extras such as an always-on display, an ECG, and blood oxygen tracking, but the Apple Watch SE 2 still has a wide range of key health and fitness features – plus potentially life-saving additions like Car Crash Detection. Round that off with impressive battery life, a comfortable fit and a swish design, and it lands in that sweet spot of price and performance.

Apple Watch SE (GPS, 40mm): was $249 now $219 at Amazon
The 2022 Apple Watch SE is on sale for $219 at Amazon right now. That's the lowest price we've ever seen for it, making it the best-value Apple Watch you can buy currently. While the Apple Watch SE lacks all the bells and whistles found on the Apple Watch 8, it still packs a fast processor, great battery life, and new health and fitness features.View Deal

3. Samsung S95C

The Samsung S95C is an incredible OLED TV that we graded five stars out of five when we reviewed it at launch - and it's now available for its lowest price yet.

Sure, it's still going to make a serious dent in your bank balance, but this is a premium TV with some of the best technology money can buy inside. It delivers bright and vibrant images, spectacular contrast, and impressive performance whether you're streaming movies or gaming on current-gen consoles. Honestly, I really want one too.

Samsung S95C 55-inch 4K OLED TV: was $2,499 now $2,299 at Samsung
The S95C isn't just one of the best TVs that Samsung makes; it's one of the best OLED TVs on the market right now, and it's on sale for a record-low price of $2,299. It's pricey, but our Samsung S95C review awarded a gorgeous display five stars out of five thanks to its exceptional brightness, color volume, and sharpness. This is a flagship display with a flagship price, but it's a TV that gets an easy recommendation thanks to its outstanding picture quality.View Deal

4. Amazon Fire Max 11

The Amazon Fire Max 11 is the latest tablet in the range of devices from the retailer. Where the majority of other options in the lineup are definitely more skewed towards low-budget tablets for general everyday use, this is the first attempt at a more powerful and performance-hungry slate.

It does that while still leaning into its affordability edge by being considerably cheaper than the iPad that it's trying to compete against. It may not stack up exactly against its Apple rival, but it's still a good buy at this price if you want one of the best cheap tablets that doesn't compromise too much on performance.

Amazon Fire Max 11 (64GB): was $229.99 now $179.99 at Amazon
Amazon's latest Fire tablet is also its most capable and most direct iPad rival. You'd usually pay over $200 for this premium Fire slate, but this offer shaves almost 20% off the asking price. It was an extra $40 cheaper during Prime Day, but that offer was only available to Prime members and this discount is the first one that's been available to all.View Deal

5. Microsoft Surface Pro 9

I'm looking over at my ageing Microsoft Surface Pro 6 as I type this and I'm very tempted to upgrade to the latest version because of this latest deal as part of the Best Buy anniversary sale.

The problem with most Microsoft Surface Pro deals is that they rarely include the near-essential Surface Pro Keyboard Cover as part of the price. So, you may save a couple of hundred dollars on the laptop-tablet hybrid but then still have to fork out another $200 on top so you can effectively use it as a workstation.

Well, just pop over to Best Buy where you can get $100 off the Surface Pro 9 and get a Surface Pro Signature Keyboard Cover included for free - that's an extra $180 saving. If you're feeling fancy and like a doodle, you could get the version with the Surface Slim Pen 2 as well for $100, instead of the usual price of $279.99.

Definitely one of this week's best laptop deals, especially for those after a powerful and flexible device in the back to school sales.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9: was $1,099.99 now $999.99 at Best Buy
The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is a refined version of previous Surface Pro laptops. With a more polished look and curvier edges, it also has a bright and colorful, high-resolution, 13-inch Pixel Sense screen. With this discount and free keyboard bundled in, it's terrific value for money for such a thin and lightweight 2-in-1 laptop for work, school and productivity tasks.View Deal