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Samsung's improved Gear VR is available for pre-order
Samsung said its improved, cheaper Gear VR would arrive sometime in November, and it's clearly making good on its promise. Best Buy has started taking pre-orders for the virtual reality headset -- plunk down $100 and you should get your Gear VR on November 20th. It's not quite as low-cost as it sounds, since you'll need one of Samsung's 2015 flagship phones (such as a Galaxy S6 variant or the Galaxy Note 5) to make it work. Still, it might be worth the investment if you've been itching to try modern VR at home.
Vizio's high-end 4K TVs are on sale at (some) Best Buy stores
After more than a year of waiting Vizio finally opened up orders for two models from its "Reference Series" line, and now it's expanding the rollout. At Best Buy's Magnolia Design Center locations (they're a bit more limited than the regular Magnolia in-store units you're probably used to seeing, here's a list), well-heeled buyers can order up a $6,000 65-inch Ultra High Definition TV packing Dolby's HDR tech, or go big with the $130,000 120-inch model. Of course, at that price, some of you may want to window shop before making a purchase, and a rep told one AVS Forum poster that they may have in-store samples coming. This close to CES you may want to wait for what 2016's TVs have to offer, but Netflix has that ultra wide color tech, 384 LED lighting zones plus UHD apps from Netflix, Amazon and Vudu.
Best Buy hopes same-day delivery will fend off Amazon
Online retailers like Amazon are putting the pressure on brick-and-mortar retail spaces by offering cheap and speedy delivery of goods, with same-day -- and in some cases one-hour -- deliveries to metro areas around the country. In a bid to keep up with the competition, Best Buy is testing a same-day delivery service with the help of delivery service Deliv. Currently being tested in San Francisco, same-day delivery will cost Best Buy customers the same amount as one-day business express shipping. The company is marketing the service to online shoppers as an alternative to its in-store pickup option. It will be interesting to see whether people in San Fransico will continue to collect their goods from a physical store when they can now opt to get it delivered to them -- probably as they stream Amazon Prime Video from the comfort of their sofa.
Introducing Nokia... wait, Best Buy... no, PlayStation Theatre
With a revolving door of owners, the Best Buy Theatre in Times Square (previously the Nokia Theatre) has been taken over by Sony Computer Entertainment. The newly branded PlayStation Theatre is set to offer live performances and hold events showcasing the latest products on offer. Vice president of marketing John Koller noted "We are looking forward to exploring significant cultural moments at PlayStation Theater." Let's hope this one sticks.
Verizon and AT&T are opening mini-stores in 250 Best Buys
Best Buy announced a pair of independent agreements on Tuesday with both Verizon and AT&T, according to Re/Code. The deal will reportedly see both brands receive dedicated floor space within 250 of the electronics chain's locations by the end of the year. In many cases, both AT&T and Verizon outlets will be located in the same Best Buy. Each mini-store will range from 90 to 180 square feet and be staffed by Best Buy Associates specifically trained in each brand's products and services. These agreements follow similar pacts struck with Apple, Samsung and Microsoft (not to mention Best Buy and Macy's), all of whom are angling to reach consumers without having to invest in independent storefronts of their own. Best Buy has not released financial details regarding the agreements. [Image Credit: Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press]
Macy's is testing mini-Best Buys in select stores
If you're planning on doing some holiday shopping at Macy's this fall, you might encounter goods from another retailer. The department store announced today that it would test Best Buy outlets in 10 of its locations starting in November. Best Buy employees will staff the 300-square-foot sections that'll offer a smattering of phones, tablets, wearables, audio gear and more. In terms of brands, Samsung is the only company mentioned by name, but you can likely expect a few more notable choices to be available as well (Beats, Jawbone, etc.). Samsung has dedicated floor space inside Best Buy locations alongside the likes of Apple and Sony after all, so the direct mention isn't too much of a surprise. The store inside a store setups will remain in place into 2016, when Macy's and Best Buy plan to take stock before plotting the best course of action. [Image credit: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Retailers' Apple Pay rival is ready for testing, three years later
Merchant Customer Exchange is an alliance of several of the US' biggest retailers and restaurants, including Wal-Mart and Target, aimed at bringing mobile payments under their own control — and not by tying themselves to a particular tech company. Public tests will finally start in Ohio in the coming weeks, according to the WSJ's sources. Crucially, or hilariously, the tests will start not long after MCX loses its exclusivity deal with retailers. That's why some of them didn't pick up Apple Pay when it launched.
Best Buy will sell the Apple Watch on August 7th
Until now, if you wanted an Apple Watch, you had to buy it in one of three places: online, at the Apple Store or at your nearest high-end luxury goods boutique. If none of those places are convenient, then you'll be happy to learn that the wearable will also be available from Best Buy on August 7th. The store will be the first big national chain to stock the device, and in keeping with its mass-market appeal, won't be stocking the pricey Edition model. It will, however, have both the 38 and 42mm versions of both the Sport and Watch models in 16 different configurations -- not to mention a large supply of nightstands, screen protectors and third-party straps not approved by Apple.
ASUS' slim and sharp ZenPad S tablet arrives in the US
Looks like you didn't have to wait long for ASUS' ZenPad S 8.0 to show up in the US -- Best Buy is now selling the 8-inch Android 5.1 slate for an easy-to-swallow $200. While this isn't the highest-end version (it's carrying 'just' 2GB of RAM and a slower 1.33GHz Atom chip) it's far from a slouch. You're still getting an iPad mini-rivaling 2,048 x 1,536 display, 5-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front cam and 32GB of storage in a frame that's just 0.27 inches thick. You'll have to like ASUS' custom software for the ZenPad S to float your boat, but it's otherwise a solid deal.
Sprint's latest family plan offers two unlimited lines for $100
Sprint is trying to do everything it can to compete with T-Mobile's audacious, budget-friendly plans. As such, the carrier's introducing a new plan called Best Buy One Family, featuring two lines with unlimited data, talk and text for $100 per month -- each additional number (up to eight total) will cost $40. Back in March, Sprint also announced a Best Buy-only plan that gives people a smartphone and all-you-can-have service for a flat monthly rate, so this isn't the first time the network and retailer have teamed up. Naturally, if you're interested in taking advantage of this offer, you'll have to visit a Best Buy or Best Buy Mobile store.
'Super Mario Maker' out September 11th, demo this week at Best Buy
After a year of teasing, Nintendo's finally revealed when we'll get to make side-scrolling Mario levels of our own in Super Mario Maker: September 11th, 2015. Can't wait that long? The gaming giant is partnering with Best Buy again, and tomorrow (June 17th) from 4PM to 9PM local time, select stores will have demo kiosks where you can kick the game's tires. As a reward for you enduring the crowds of kicking fans, you'll snag a 30th anniversary Mario button. Pretty cool, right? Supplies are limited, of course, and Nintendo's set up a website to help you locate where the nearest participating yellow-tag store is. Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Sharp will start making HDTVs with Roku built-in
Until now, the only names that had signed up to be part of Roku's integrated smart TV club were TCL, Hisense and Insignia. If none of those brands floated your boat, however, then you may be relieved to hear that Sharp has now signed to bake the streaming company's hardware into a new range of TVs as well. The company is pledging to knock out both a 42 and a 50-inch 1080p set built from Roku's reference designs. Price-wise, the former is priced at $379.99, while the latter will wind up setting you back $499.99 -- with both available exclusively through Best Buy.
Wii U 'Splatoon' bundle lands at Best Buy on May 29th
Nintendo must be really, really confident that you'll want Splatoon. It's launching a Best Buy-exclusive Wii U bundle that includes the ink-drenched, kid-friendly shooter, Nintendoland and a 32GB Deluxe console for $300. That's a good deal, but a bit of a gamble for a brand new game series -- normally, Nintendo thrives on bundling familiar titles that lure you in based on the name alone. If you're new to the Wii U and don't mind trying something genuinely new, though, you can snag this bundle on May 29th.
Best Buy is shutting down Canada's biggest tech store chain
Best Buy is a mainstay of tech shopping in the US, but it knows that it's small potatoes in Canada -- it kept the country's better-known Future Shop chain going for years after a takeover, even after opening shops of its own. However, the American retailer is now making its presence felt in a big way by shutting down Future Shop altogether. It'll convert 65 of the locations into Best Buy stores within a week, and 66 others are closing immediately.
Samsung's Gear VR makes its retail debut on Friday
Starting on Friday (or March 27, if you prefer) you'll be able to stroll into one of about a hundred Best Buys and walk out with a Gear VR Innovator Edition to combine with your Galaxy Note 4. This isn't the first time Samsung and Best Buy have tied up to promote one particular vision of VR; after all, you've been able to demo a Gear VR headset for about a month now. This is, on the other hand, the latest in a series of inexorable steps meant to push Oculus and Samsung to the very front of the virtual reality wave that's set to come crashing down on us.
Microsoft Band arrives in more US stores and the UK
You no longer have to head to a Microsoft Store in the US to put the Band on your wrist. Microsoft's smart wearable is now available through Amazon, Best Buy and Target in the country at the usual $200 asking price, and it'll go on sale in the UK on April 15th for £170. Fitness-minded Brits can pre-order today, with Amazon, Curry's PC World, Dixons Travel, Harrods and O2 all promising to carry stock. And you won't have to rush quite so quickly to get a Band this time around -- the crew in Redmond is planning both more frequent shipments and larger supplies in each batch, so shortages won't be as common.
Sprint's Best Buy plan gives you a phone and service for a flat rate
Sprint still isn't done inventing new plans and promos in hopes that you'll sign up. Its latest move? It's launching a Best Buy-only plan that gives you both a smartphone and unlimited service for $65 per month if you get an iPhone 6, or $75 if you prefer Android. It's a nice deal if you're looking to avoid up-front hardware costs, although it's primarily for patient types -- you're locked into that phone for two years, and it'll cost you $10 extra per month if you want to upgrade devices every year. If you're happy to hang on to a phone for a while, though, you can swing past a Best Buy to check it out starting on March 1st. [Image credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images]
Best Buy reveals the next Moto E gets 4G and a price cut
Motorola's tactic when launching last year's Moto E was to let it appear on Brazilian retailer FastShop for a few hours, and then whip it away as soon as people began to notice. Looks like it's another case of history repeating with the refreshed version of the low-end handset, with a listing popping up on Best Buy only to disappear shortly afterward. If the since-pulled listing can be believed, however, then the device is about to get around $30 cheaper and significantly more powerful than the 2014 vintage.
Best Buy will let you try Samsung's Gear VR in stores on February 8th
One of the biggest obstacles to buying Samsung's Gear VR is... well, trying the darn thing. How do you know whether or not you'll like this phone-powered virtual reality headset without strapping it on your head first? That won't be too much of a problem in the near future, so long as you live in the right areas. Best Buy is rolling out Gear VR demos to 100 retail stores across the US, starting on February 8th. If you can pay a visit, a staffer will give you a whirlwind tour of the wearable that should help you make an informed decision. Just don't expect to buy the device then and there, no matter how much you're enamored by it -- despite the in-store showcase, you'll still have to visit an online store to bring a Gear VR home.
Samsung's Gear VR headset arrives at Best Buy (but not at retail)
If you've been curious enough about virtual reality to buy Samsung's Gear VR headset, you've had to visit either AT&T's website or Samsung's to pick one up. Not very convenient, is it? Your VR shopping just got a little bit easier, though, as Best Buy has started carrying the $200 wearable in its online store. Yes, you can order Samsung's immersive display (provided you have a Galaxy Note 4, of course) at the same time as you're looking for a discounted TV. Unfortunately, this availability doesn't extend to Best Buy's retail shops -- you'll still have to buy this experimental headgear sight unseen.