Eliana Willis

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Is Amazon running a July 4th sale?Amazon isn’t likely to run a specific, site-wide sale for Independence Day, as the annual Prime Day sale kicks off on July 8. But you’re likely to find markdowns on both high-end and budget-friendly TVs anyway, as brands like Samsung, LG, and Hisense are already offering discounts in the lead-up to Prime Day. Walmart has already announced July 4th markdowns across the site, though it’s mostly home goods like clothing, bed linens, and seasonal summer items. There are a few tech deals available, but we may have to wait until July 4th itself to see the best TV deals go live. Best Buy is planning on running a Black Friday in July sale to compete with Prime Day, with early markdowns available across the site on everything you need to upgrade your home theater.Is July 4th a good time to buy a TV? While most July 4th sales are focused on moving inventory for seasonal items and home goods, with the holiday being so close to the usual time frame for Amazon’s annual Prime Day sale event, as well as competing sales from Best Buy and other retailers. However, you can expect to find early markdowns on TVs from big brands like LG and Sony as well as mid-range options like Hisense, TCL, and even Roku. What is the best TV? I’ve chosen the Samsung S95D as my pick for the best TV that you can buy overall in 2025. With signature OLED picture quality as well as a max refresh rate of 144Hz, you’ll experience smoother action and more lifelike images. And with both Dolby Atmos virtual surround sound and Samsung’s object-tracking sound technology, you’ll get 3D audio that follows the on-screen action. Though if you’d like to ask the audience, ZDNET readers have gravitated toward the LG G4 OLED as their number one fan-favorite TV. And it’s easy to see why with its incredible picture quality, Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision HDR support, as well as support for both AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync VRR for console gaming. More

How did I choose these July 4th deals? Not all deals are created equal. Since 4th of July is better known for lawn and garden deals, I only chose discounts on laptops myself or another ZDNET team member has tested and can vouch for. What are the best July 4th deals?ZDNET’s experts searched through July 4th deals across retailers to find the best discounts by category. These are the best deals live now:What are the tariffs in the US? The recent US tariffs on imports from countries like China, Vietnam, and India aim to boost domestic manufacturing but are likely to drive up prices on consumer electronics. Products like smartphones, laptops, and TVs may become more expensive as companies rethink global supply chains and weigh the cost of shifting production.CNET: Tariff Pricing Tracker: We’re Watching 11 Products You Might Need to BuyLaptops and PCs are also hit hard by the new US tariffs, with import duties potentially increasing prices by up to 35%. Many major brands still rely on Chinese and Vietnamese factories for assembly, meaning consumers could soon pay significantly more for everything from budget Chromebooks to high-end gaming rigs. These tariffs may accelerate efforts to move production to regions like Mexico or India, but shoppers can expect higher costs and fewer discounts in the short term.Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.    More

When is July 4th? Independence Day in the US is on Thursday, July 4, and while most of the holiday deals drop around that time, major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Target often kick things off early.How did I choose these July 4th Day deals? I focused on deals that not only saved you a notable amount of money (especially if it’s on a phone that typically isn’t discounted) but were on devices that I’ve personally tested and recommended. Whether it’s a non-Pro iPhone or a budget Android device, I’ve spent enough time throughout the market to know what’s truly worth investing in.What are the best July 4th deals?ZDNET’s experts searched through July 4th deals across retailers to find the best discounts by category. These are the best deals live:What are the tariffs in the US? The recent US tariffs on imports from countries like China, Vietnam, and India aim to boost domestic manufacturing but are likely to drive up prices on consumer electronics. Products like smartphones, laptops, and TVs may become more expensive as companies rethink global supply chains and weigh the cost of shifting production.CNET: Tariff Pricing Tracker: We’re Watching 11 Products You Might Need to BuyThe new US tariffs also hit laptops and PCs hard, with import duties potentially increasing prices by up to 35%. Many major brands still rely on Chinese and Vietnamese factories for assembly, meaning consumers could soon pay significantly more for everything from budget Chromebooks to high-end gaming rigs. These tariffs may accelerate efforts to move production to regions like Mexico or India, but shoppers can expect higher costs and fewer discounts in the short term.Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.    More

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<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Amazon Kindle Scribe is on sale for $259 for the 16GB version, the lowest price we’ve seen yet. It combines the familiar features of the Kindle e-reader with a bright display and a suite of premium note-taking features. The aforementioned features have a bit of a learning curve to fully […] More

It’s time for stars, stripes, and savings: Before Amazon Prime Day kicks off next week, you’ll find plenty of Fourth of July sales to shop this weekend. Also: The best Walmart deals to compete with Prime Day: TVs, headphones, laptops, and moreFrom TVs, to outdoor, home, tech, and more, there are tons of seasonal savings to scoop up during the holiday weekend, as well as several major retailers like Amazon More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETDid someone on Reddit just uncover one of the best-kept secrets of Samsung Galaxy phones? OneUI, the software launcher that powers Samsung phones, is best known for its abundance of features — so much so that you’ll either never use some of them because there’s simply too much, or they’re just hidden from plain sight.Also: The best Samsung phones to buy in 2025A recent discovery may take the crown for best hidden feature. The feature is called “Connectivity Labs,” and it’s only accessible with a secret gesture within your phone’s Wi-Fi settings. Cool, right? The capabilities within Connectivity Labs are even cooler; they include a home Wi-Fi inspection tool, AI-powered mobile data switching, developer options, and more. Here’s how to access them, which Samsung models are compatible, and some of the best features you should start using.How to turn on Connectivity Labs on a Samsung phoneWhat you’ll need: A Samsung phone running OneUI 6 or newer (anything after the Galaxy S20 series). More