All Android phones come with the Google app and Google Assistant preinstalled. Ideally, that should be enough for your digital assistant needs, especially considering that the Big G's solution is one of the best around. However, budget and high-end Samsung Galaxy phones come with Bixby — bundled with One UI — on top of Google's defaults.
Best cheap true wireless earbuds in 2023
These exceptional earbuds won't break the bank while still delivering quality
You don’t have to spend lots of money to get a great pair of wireless earbuds. While some of the best wireless earbuds may be out of reach for many, there are quite a few options that punch far above their weight. For $100 or less (sometimes far less), you can get the ideal pair of earbuds for yourself, even if that includes having one of those premium features like active noise cancellation (ANC).
Nothing's first phone, aptly named Nothing Phone 1, was available in the UK, Europe, Japan, and India. As a US tech nerd, I was jealous. Competition in the Android space isn't quite as diverse here as it is in the places you can easily buy the Phone 1, and beyond its unique styling, Nothing's inaugural phone was widely praised as a good device at a good price. It felt like we were missing out.
Prime Day 2023: 12 of the best headphones and earbuds deals still available
There's still time to treat your ears to something nice this week
Amazon Prime Day 2023 has come and gone, and as you'd expect, a lot of deals ended with the event. But not all of them! A lot of great headphones and earbuds are still discounted in the wake of Prime Day. Earbuds from Samsung, Google, Beats, and more are still available at great prices, and you can even get a couple of post-Prime Day deals on high-end headphones from Sennheiser and Bowers & Wilkins. Here are all the best headphone and earbud deals you can still get today.
How to use your phone's manual camera settings
Got a specific photo look in mind? Manual camera settings might be the way to go
Mobile photography is generally a simple experience for the user. Just point and shoot. But even the best phones can fail to capture a scene the way you would expect. However, on many Android devices, it's possible to dial in the look of your photos with manual camera settings. Those settings aren't always easy to understand. We compiled this list of common manual camera settings, what they do, and how to use them to get the perfect shot.
My go-to Wear OS recommendation is an absolute steal for Prime Day
The best price on the best Wear OS watch
Wear OS is more exciting than it's been in years, with great watches available from a number of manufacturers. But Samsung, who kicked off the ongoing Wear OS renaissance back in 2021 with the Galaxy Watch 4, still leads with its Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series. With killer performance and build quality, up-to-date software, and a quality 60Hz display, the Galaxy Watch 5 is my absolute favorite Wear OS watch right now — and at a new low price of just $152, it's a crazy good deal for Prime Day.
The Nothing Phone 2 has me excited about midrange phones again
Hands-on with Nothing's promising new $600 phone
After months of hype-building leaks and teasers, Nothing has finally launched its second phone, the Nothing Phone 2. The Phone 2 marks a big step forward for Nothing: while the company’s previous phone, the Phone 1, was only available in the UK, Europe, Japan, and India, the Phone 2 is the company’s first to be officially available in the infamously tough-to-crack US market. I’ve been using the phone about a week and a half, and while I can’t share a full review just yet, I do have some early impressions.
This $250 Prime Day deal finally makes the Pixel Watch worth buying
Distinctive hardware and the latest Wear OS for just $250
Prime Day is a fantastic time to pick up discounted tech — especially gadgets that might feel overpriced at MSRP. In the Wear OS space, the Google Pixel Watch is a prime example (eh?). While we like Google's first smartwatch quite a bit, we also know that at its full price of $350, it's not a practical option compared to lower-cost alternatives. But for Prime Day, the Pixel Watch is down to $250. That's a whole $100 off, making this the lowest price we've ever seen on the wearable and one of the best Prime Day smartwatch deals this year.
Best budget Android phones 2023
These days, you don't have to pay through the nose to get a decent phone
It wasn't long ago that buying a budget smartphone meant you were probably in for a bad time: crummy performance, paltry update support, and maybe even Micro-USB charging (the horror!). These days, not so much. Some of the best cheap Android phones start under 200 bucks, and they're not that different from the absolute best Android flagship phones we recommend.
Android has a reputation for being less than ideal when it comes to tablets. While it's true that Apple's iPadOS enjoys access to more apps that are optimized for big screens, the best Android tablets are often outstanding pieces of hardware. And with appealing options from Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and more, the Android tablet space is looking more exciting than it has in years.
How to set up Google Maps on your Fitbit Sense 2 or Versa 4
The Sense 2 and Versa 4 don't have Google Assistant, but they have Maps
The watch-style Fitbit Sense 2 and Fitbit Versa 4 were released in 2022, just months before the Google Pixel Watch. Sporting high prices compared to most fitness trackers and limited functionality compared to full-fledged smartwatches, the Sense and Versa aren't as easy to recommend as many of our favorite fitness trackers. However, they have a unique and useful feature among fitness trackers. They come with Google Maps integration that delivers detailed navigation directions to your wrist. Here's how to set it up.
Best fitness trackers in 2023
The top tech to track both your fitness and health in one handy device
Fitness trackers allow you to monitor your health, exercise regimen, how well you sleep, your overall step count, and so much more. These are no longer basic step counters, and most of the best fitness trackers come with powerful heart rate monitors and a plethora of other health tracking tech that can ensure you're at peak physical fitness.
One UI 5.1, Samsung's newest Android 13-based software experience, debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S23 series and has since made its way to phones in the Galaxy S22 and S21 series, among others. Samsung has become something of a software update hero in the Android world. Samsung's previous mobile software, One UI 5, wasn't a big change coming from One UI 4.1, and One UI 5.1 is an even more iterative update. Given that, you might be wondering what's changed. Here's everything you need to know about One UI 5.1.
Wear OS 4: The next big smartwatch update explained
The next version of Wear OS is already in Developer Preview
Google and Samsung have done a lot of heavy lifting to revitalize the Wear OS scene. Wear OS 3, which debuted on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series, breathed new life into Google's wearable platform with new functionality and a fresh coat of paint. While it took nearly seven years to reach version 3.0 of the platform, Wear OS 4 is already available as a Developer Preview and is expected to be available on both new and existing watches in the coming months. Here's everything we know about the latest and greatest in Wear OS.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: News, leaks, pricing, and release window
Everything you need to know about Samsung's latest watches
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series is among the best Wear OS devices on the market today, but of course, Samsung's not resting on its laurels. The company's fast at work on its next wearables, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 series, which could be officially unveiled as soon as this month. Officially, we don't know a whole lot about the watches just yet — but we've seen plenty of unofficial details from credible sources. Read on to see all the latest.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 vs. Galaxy Watch 4 Classic: Last gen price, current-gen performance
Samsung's new smartwatches haven't made the Galaxy Watch 4 series obsolete, but which should you buy?
Since the release of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, the previous-gen Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic aren't Samsung's top-of-the-line wearables anymore. Even so, Samsung's 2021 smartwatches haven't been made obsolete by the newer models; the Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic are still among the best Android smartwatches you can buy, and increasingly frequent discounts make them all the more ap$pealing.
All companies that make good Android phones have their own matching earbuds, and there are also options from legacy audio brands like Bose and Sennheiser, not to mention companies you may be less familiar with. Good true wireless earbuds are a dime a dozen these days. Figuratively, that is — top-of-the-line earbuds can be a major investment. Before you put your money down, know that we're here to help with this short list of the best wireless earbuds in various categories. These are our top true wireless earbud recommendations today.
WiiM Pro review: The Chromecast Audio Ultra we never got
Add all kinds of streaming smarts to your dumb speakers
Smart speakers are a dime a dozen anymore, and a lot of them sound great. But many of us still have regular ol' dumb speakers kicking around, plenty of which easily outperform their smarter cousins on audio quality. The $149 WiiM Pro streamer bridges that functionality gap by adding support for streaming audio through Chromecast, Alexa, AirPlay, and more to legacy audio setups. It won't appeal to everyone, but I think this thing is great: it's more or less the Chromecast Audio Ultra I've always wanted Google to make.
Google purchased fitness tracker legend Fitbit in 2019. In September 2022, Google announced that beginning in 2023, standalone Fitbit accounts will be phased out. This means Fitbit users eventually need to transfer their data to Google accounts to continue using Fitbit services. If you have a legacy Fitbit account, you still have time before you have to make the switch. But you can do it now. If you intend to use Fitbit in the future, you might as well get a head start. Here's how to transfer your Fitbit data into your Google account.
We first heard about Google's return to the tablet form factor, the Pixel Tablet, way back at Google I/O 2022. Then we got a full reveal at I/O 2023 alongside the Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold. The Pixel Tablet is now here and ready to buy. The release date was June 20 for the part tablet, part smart display device.