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Google's inaugural Pixel Tablet could finally hit store shelves this June
The tablet may launch alongside the Pixel Fold
We've heard plenty about the Google Pixel Tablet since its half-tease, half-announcement at Google I/O 2022 — most of it from leaks. Now, 9to5Google reports it's caught wind of a potential release date for the tablet/smart home hub hybrid: the tablet should hit store shelves in June, potentially alongside the Pixel Fold.
Philips Hue Smart Plug review: No Bridge, no buy
A great addition for Hue households, but not a good standalone smart plug
Practically every smart home company you can think of offers at least one smart plug: Amazon, Govee, TP-Link, Wyze, and others all make plugs to add smarts to dumb devices. Philips Hue, the long-reigning top dog in the smart lighting space, also offers a smart plug in the creatively named Philips Hue Smart Plug. At $35, it's a very good smart plug — if you're already set up with Hue, anyway.
So you made the switch from iOS and bought a new Android phone. First off, welcome! You're in for a treat. Assuming you don't want to start from scratch on your new device, you may want to bring some of your old stuff over from your iPhone. The prospect of migrating your data from one ecosystem to another may seem daunting, but modern Android phones make it a painless process.
Practically every piece of tech that goes on your wrist can, in some way, track your sleep: smartwatches and fitness trackers from Garmin, Samsung, Fossil, Google (including Fitbit), and others can all keep tabs on your nightly rest. But solutions like these require charging and wearing a watch to bed can be uncomfortable.
Google's killing these smart home products — but there's a happy ending for users
The Dropcam and the Nest Secure are going dark next year, but Google is offering replacements
Google is ending support for two legacy smart home products next year. According to emails sent by Google today, both the Dropcam security camera and the Nest Secure home security system will stop functioning in one year, on April 8, 2024. The company is softening the blow with discounts on more modern replacements — including vouchers for free Nest Cams and ADT security systems.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs. Galaxy Buds Pro: Should you upgrade?
Modest year-over-year updates and a high MSRP say probably not
Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are one of our favorite pairs of earbuds and the sequel to the first-generation Galaxy Buds Pro. Like many of Samsung's hardware releases for the past couple of years, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are more of a refinement than a reinvention of the previous model — to the point where you might have some trouble telling the two apart. Read on to get a better idea of what differentiates the two sets — and whether upgrading from the Buds Pro to the Buds 2 Pro makes sense.
Your Samsung Galaxy Watch is now a heart rate monitor for Peloton
The new functionality is rolling out starting today
Fitness functionality is front and center in most of the best smartwatches; they all track steps and activity in hopes of helping wearers reach their fitness goals. Now, Samsung's announced a new partnership to that end. Starting today, you can pair your Wear OS Samsung Galaxy Watch to your Peloton equipment to show your heart rate as tracked by your watch on your bike or treadmill.
OnePlus impressed us with last year's Nord Buds, a $39 pair of true wireless earbuds that, despite their super-budget price, were actually pretty good. Now, the company's announced the sequel: the Nord Buds 2 come in at a still-very-budget $59, but have a big-ticket feature not found in the first generation: active noise cancellation.
14 best Android and One UI software tips for your Samsung Galaxy phone
Finding all the features and options in One UI can be a bit of a chore, so let us help you out
We're big fans of Samsung phones. Samsung Galaxy devices make up a huge chunk of the U.S. Android market, and for a good reason. Samsung makes some of the best phones you can buy, and its hardware is second to none in the Android space. Still, Galaxy phones come with some unique software quirks. However, it's easy to mitigate a lot of them. If you're frustrated with the way your Samsung phone's software works, read on for our top tips on how to make it more manageable.
Nothing Ear 2 review: Better sound, same crummy battery life
A step in the right direction, but Nothing's still got some kinks to iron out
Nothing's first pair of earbuds, the Ear 1, came to market in 2021 with a unique look and a very appealing $99 price tag. After a midlife price increase, though, they started to look a little dubious, with average sound and weak battery life.
While the tech industry at large has embraced USB-C as the standard for charging and data, Apple's been dragging its feet. The company's transitioned all its laptops and tablets to USB-C, but current-gen iPhones and most Apple accessories still use the company's proprietary Lightning connector. But that, too, is changing: Apple is reluctantly complying with EU regulations and has confirmed it will release an iPhone with USB-C. As reported by TechRadar, according to a pair of new leaks, the company is also working on a pair of AirPods that come with a USB-C charging case.
Latest Google Pixel Tablet leak is all about that base
The Pixel Tablet Stand looks like the bottom half of a Nest Hub
The Google Pixel Tablet is due out sometime this year, and we already know a lot about it. Google hasn't said much officially, but leaks have revealed plenty, from internal components to display details to info about its dual functionality as a tablet and smart home hub. On that last front: leaker SnoopyTech has tweeted a series of images of what they claim to be the Pixel Tablet's charging dock, and it's... about what you'd expect.
It's hard to paint the Samsung Galaxy S23+ as an exciting phone. The upgrades from last year are minor: it's got slightly faster performance, longer battery life, and a mildly refined look.
Nothing's Ear 2 buds are available starting today
Offering a handful of improvements at the same $149 price
We've known for some time that the Nothing Ear 2 were set to be formally announced today — and thanks to some very thorough leaks, we had a good idea of what to look forward to. But now, as anticipated, the buds are official. The Nothing Ear 2 are indeed the minor update from the previous generation we were expecting, but there are some noteworthy improvements here for the same $149 MSRP.
Jabra's new Elite 4 earbuds come with ANC and an appealing $100 price tag
They're basically the Jabra Elite 3 with some added features
Jabra makes some of our favorite earbuds — the company's Elite 3 and Elite 5 buds represent some of the best options you'll find at their respective price points. Today, Jabra's announcing another pair of midrangers in the Elite 4. At a hundred bucks, the new buds are very similar to the Elite 3, with a couple of key new additions — chiefly, active noise cancellation.
Spotify's hi-fi tier is still coming — eventually
'We’re going to do it in a way where it makes sense for us and for our listeners'
Spotify announced plans for a high-fidelity tier way back in early 2021. Since then, we haven't heard much about it. At the beginning of 2022, Spotify issued a non-update, saying that it appreciated excitement about the feature but didn't have timing details to share. Now, in an interview with The Verge, Spotify co-president Gustav Söderström has said that the feature is still still in the works, but the company is also still tight-lipped about when we can expect to see it.
Samsung Galaxy S22: Our top 5 cameras tips you'll want to try today
Including a whole second camera app!
Samsung's smartphone cameras are up there with the best in the business; the company's flagships are always jockeying with the likes of the Google Pixel 7 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro for best smartphone camera honors. Modern Samsung phones have a lot of camera features that aren't entirely obvious at first blush — some squirreled away in a whole second camera app. Looking to make the most of your phone's camera lenses? Here are our top five tips
One of Fitbit Premium's biggest perks is now free
You don't have to pay to see your own data anymore
Fitbit's $10-a-month subscription service, Fitbit Premium, confers a handful of benefits, including detailed sleep analysis (complete with animal-themed Sleep Profiles) and Fitbit's Daily Readiness Score that aims to quantify how prepared you are for activity each morning. Starting today, though, the free Fitbit experience is getting a little more appealing: Google's announced that Fitbit's Health Metrics Dashboard is now a free feature.
Almost every pair of good wireless headphones and the best wireless earbuds come with active noise cancellation (ANC). That's a good thing. The world around us is a loud place, and sometimes you need to drown it out. Wherever you use those earbuds or headphones, whether at home, on the job, in the city, or on public transit, your listening experience will be better if less external sound makes it into your head.ANC helps accomplish that. With the press of a button, ANC headphones muffle incoming noise, letting you better enjoy the sounds you want to listen to. When it's effective, it's incredible. Dialing down the ambient noise around you like you'd adjust your media volume is an uncanny experience. But the way it works is even wilder.
The Google Pixel Watch is pricey for a Wear OS watch, coming in at a starting MSRP of $350. Taken with its conspicuously high-end styling, the watch's price puts it firmly in premium territory. Now, thanks to an analysis by Counterpoint Research, we know how much of that primo price tag is going to materials: a cool $123.