Start your college year off right with must-have tech. (iStock)
Start your college year off with the right tools for success. Beyond the essential laptop, a host of innovative tech gadgets like a smart notebook or a smartwatch can significantly enhance your productivity, organization and overall well-being as a college student.
This guide has must-have tech essentials that will help you tackle your studies, manage your schedule and even maintain your health.
Apple 2025 MacBook Air 13-inch laptop: on sale for $799 (20% off)
Original price: $999
The new and improved MacBook Air has better sound, visuals and a more advanced camera. (Amazon)
The 2025 version of the MacBook Air, powered by Apple's cutting-edge M4 chip, delivers a significant performance leap over its predecessors. It features a stunning 13.6-inch screen and an enhanced FaceTime camera that keeps you in frame during video calls as you move around the room.
With an impressive 18 hours of battery life, you can leave the charger behind whether you're traveling, working remotely, or studying on campus. The latest MacBook Air also boasts an improved sound system and the vibrant Retina display for a better user experience.
What else you should buy: A fast charger with multiple ports will keep all your devices juiced up, while a case will keep it protected.
Laptop Screen Extender – 14-inch: on sale for $179.99 (31% off)
Original price: $259.99
This laptop screen extender is easy to carry in a backpack. (Amazon)
This 14-inch portable monitor offers a convenient way to expand your laptop's display, making multitasking easier. The monitor features a 1920x1080 resolution for a clear and sharp visual experience. It is designed to work with Windows, MacBooks, Android, PS5, Xbox and more.
Get your portable monitor delivered the next day if you are a Prime member. If you're not a Prime member, sign up or start a free trial.
Apple iPad 10: on sale for $299 (14% off)
Original price: $349
This powerhouse iPad has a great screen. (Amazon)
The 11-inch iPad is the ultimate affordable tablet, complete with an A16 chip, delivering an incredibly fast user experience. The retina 11-inch display rivals the competition thanks to its True Tone adjustments that automatically adjust the screen depending on where you are and the conditions to give you the best picture. There’s an impressive 128 GB of storage, all the way up to 512 GB.
An artist's dream, the iPad 10 has a compatible Apple Pencil that makes drawing ultra-realistic. Note that the iPad 10 doesn’t support the newest Apple Pencil Pro. The magic keyboard folio turns your iPad into a fully functioning laptop and detaches and attaches with a simple click.
Apple AirPods Pro 2: on sale for $169 (32% off)
Original price: $249
Apple AirPods Pro 2 wireless Earbuds feature pro-level noise cancellation. (Amazon)
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are the top of the line AirPods, and have Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which blocks out background noise when you need to focus. They also boast a smart hearing aid function that’ll give you a clinical grade hearing test through an iPhone, then tweak the sound to give you a boost if you need it. They’ll last for six hours on a single charge, and the case will also charge them for 30 hours of life in total.
What else you should buy: A portable charger ensures your devices stay powered up no matter where you are.
Apple AirTags: on sale for $79.98 (19% off)
Original price: $99
Keep track of where your things are with this device. (Amazon)
Apple AirTags are an excellent way to keep tabs on your valuable belongings. Simply attach the compact tracking device to any item you want to monitor after a quick tap to connect it to your iPhone or iPad.
If you misplace an item with an AirTag, you have a couple of options: you can make the tag's built-in speaker play a sound, or use the Find My app to pinpoint its location. You can activate Lost Mode when you realize your item is missing, and you’ll automatically be notified when it’s detected on the Find My network.
If you don't want to buy four, you can also get a single AirTag for just $23.
What else you should buy: There are a whole range of holders for AirTags, from keyring holders to wallets and even badge holders.
Apple Watch Series 10: on sale for $299 (25% off)
Original price: $399
For a more complete Apple Watch, go with the Series 10. (Amazon)
For a more complete Apple Watch, go with the Series 10. It has a larger display that makes it easier to manage calls, texts and apps. You also get faster charging. The battery charges 80% in just 30 minutes.
On top of these features, you get more advanced health insights like the ability to take an ECG, and reproductive health insights.
An Apple Watch Series 10 is crack-resistant and water-resistant, so you can go swimming with it on, making it the ideal fitness watch for swimmers. You can track the intensity of your workouts and get advanced metrics for a wide range of different workouts.
Bose QuietComfort headphones: on sale for $229 (34% off)
Original price: $349
Bose headphones are popular for their comfort and sound quality. (Amazon)
Bose QuietComfort headphones are incredibly lightweight and comfortable, perfect for long listening sessions, travel or extended work periods. The ear cups are soft and the clamping force is well-judged. They offer active noise cancellation and their design allows them to fold compactly. They’ll last 24 hours with a single charge and a quick 15-minute charge can provide several hours of listening.
Anker Nano 3-in-1 portable charger: $44.99
Pack a portable charger in your backpack. (Amazon)
The Anker Nano 3-in-1 portable 10,000 mAh power bank stands out with its clever design, featuring a built-in, foldable AC plug that allows it to double as a wall charger, eliminating the need for a separate adapter. It comes integrated with a USB-C cable and an additional USB-C port.
Crucial X9 Pro: on sale for $129.99 (28% off)
Original price: $179.99
Slip this external drive into your backpack for on-the-go storage. (Amazon)
An external SSD provides fast and durable storage for multimedia projects and backups. The Crucial X9 Pro offers a great balance of speed and portability. It is small and light enough to easily slip into a backpack.
Logitech Bluetooth wireless keyboard: $49.99
This keypad fits in your backpack. (Amazon)
The Pop Icon Keys keyboard offers a comfortable and compact typing experience, boasting impressive battery life. Plus, it can seamlessly pair with and switch between up to three Bluetooth devices, making multitasking a breeze.
Smart notebook: $37.99
Save trees and streamline note-taking with this smart notebook. (Amazon)
The Rocketbook Planner & Notebook, on sale at Amazon, has 42 pages that connect to cloud services and seven different page templates. It also has project management, calendar and standard note-taking pages.
Bluetooth lock: $38.99
Use a smart lock to protect valuables. (Amazon)
Use your fingerprint or app to unlock this padlock. The app also allows users to authorize and monitor unlocking records from anywhere, putting control in your hands. It's a tech-forward way to secure personal items in a dorm room or school locker.
For more deals, visit www.foxnews.com/deals
Secure travel router: on sale for $73.84 (32% off)
Original price: $107.99
Piggyback on public networks safely with this pocket router. (Amazon)
This pocket-sized router is great for connecting to public places when you're on the go. Think coffee shops and airports. Use it as your own secure router with OpenVPN and WireGuard, which come pre-installed into the device.
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