Today’s best deals: HBO Max subscriptions, Apple iPads, and more

It’s time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from around the web includes a limited-time promotion on HBO Max subscriptions. As of this writing, new and returning customers to the video streaming service can take 30 percent off a one-year subscription when they pay for the 12 months in advance. This brings the ad-free version of the service down from $150 to $105 (or just under $9 a month) and the ad-supported tier down from $100 to $70 (or just under $6 a month). The promotion technically went live a few weeks ago, but HBO Max says the deal will be available through October 30.

To put the offer into context, new HBO Max owner Warner Bros. Discovery recently started culling content from the service as part of a major cost-cutting drive, even going so far as to cancel high-profile features like Batgirl before their scheduled release. Last month, the company also announced plans to merge HBO Max with the Discovery+ streaming service by the summer of 2023, though it hasn’t clarified what that service will cost or how the merger will affect existing subscribers. The promotion here, then, looks to be a way to stem subscriber losses and lock in more customers for the year ahead.

That said, this is still a fairly sizable discount. And even after shedding dozens of titles, HBO Max still has plenty of worthwhile binge fodder, including Ars-approved series like Hacks, His Dark Materials, and The White Lotus, newer well-reviewed titles like The Rehearsal and Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, and well-known fare like The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. If you aren’t fatigued by the glut of streaming services asking for your attention these days, or if you’ve been looking to give the service a try anyway, this is a decent deal. Just note that the offer can not be used to extend an existing membership.

Beyond that, our roundup also has similar promotions for competing services like Disney+ and Peacock. And if you’ve got enough to stream as it is, we also have lower-than-usual prices on Apple’s iPad and iPad Mini, Wacom drawing tablets, gaming monitors, and tons of video games, among other well-reviewed tech gear. As we write this, we’re also seeing stock available for a PlayStation 5 bundle, though that could change quickly. In any event, you can find our full curated list of deals below.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Featured deals of the day

Electronics deals

Laptop and desktop PC deals

• Asus Zenbook 14 14-inch laptop (Core i5-1240P, 2880×1800 OLED, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $550 ($700) at Best Buy
• Lenovo Yoga 6 13.3-inch 2-in-1 laptop (Ryzen 7 5700U, 1920×1200, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $700 ($850) at Best Buy
• Apple MacBook Air (2022, Midnight) 13.6-inch laptop (Apple M2, 2560×1664, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $1,099 ($1,199) at Amazon, B&H
• Apple MacBook Pro (2021) 14.2-inch laptop (Apple M1 Pro, 3024×1964, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $1,599 ($1,850) at Best Buy
• Apple MacBook Pro (2021) 16.2-inch laptop (Apple M1 Pro, 3456×2234, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for $2,099 ($2,265) at Amazon, Best Buy
• Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 12.4-inch laptop (Core i5-1135G7, 1536×1024, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) for $600 ($685) at Walmart

• Microsoft Surface Pro 8 13-inch tablet PC (Core i5-1135G7, 2880×1920, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) + Surface Pro Keyboard for $900 ($1,025) at Microsoft
• Lenovo Legion 5i Pro (Gen 7) 16-inch gaming laptop (Core i7-12700H, 2560×1600, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU) for $1,599 ($1,950) at Walmart
• WD Black SN850 (1TB) PCIe 4.0 SSD w/ heatsink for $110 ($145) at WD, Newegg
• ViewSonic Elite XG270Q 27-inch gaming monitor (2560×1440, IPS, 165 Hz, G-Sync) for $260 ($375) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Gigabyte M32QC 31.5-inch gaming monitor (2560×1440, VA, 165 Hz, VRR) for $230 ($305) at Amazon, Newegg
• Gigabyte M32Q 32-inch gaming monitor (2560×1440, IPS, 170 Hz, VRR) for $300 ($390) at Amazon, Newegg

TV and home entertainment deals

Video game deals

Accessories and miscellaneous deals