About Taylor Kerns
Taylor was an amateur phone nerd for the better part of a decade prior to joining Android Police in 2018, where he's since authored more than a thousand articles about all things Android. Taylor serves as Gadgets Editor, and you'll see his byline on editorials, reviews, comparative buyer's guides, and technical explainers, as well as the occasional piece of breaking news. He's got soft spots for personal audio, wearable tech, smart lights, and mobile photography. There's a good chance he's carrying a Pixel phone right now. In his time away from AP, you'll probably catch Taylor hanging out with his two dogs, playing Xbox, or out shooting with his beloved Fuji X-T5. Send him memes and fan mail at taylor@androidpolice.com.
Latest Articles
We didn't expect this $18 Echo Pop and smart bulb bundle to last past Black Friday
You can control the smart bulb with the Echo speaker!
Entry-level smart speakers have been extremely affordable lately: Nest Minis and Echo Dots are practically free anymore, with Google and Amazon giving them out like candy for various promotions over the years. Still, this Cyber Monday weekend smart speaker deal bears mentioning: right now, for $18, you can get an Echo Pop speaker and a full-color TP-Link smart light bulb. At full price, this bundle would cost $63, making for a savings of $45 — 71% off.
Google's Pixel Tablet is much easier to recommend at $100 off
The two-in-one is actually a great bargain at $400
The Google Pixel Tablet comes bundled with a charging dock that addresses a couple of common tablet problems. While other tablets might sit in a drawer or collect dust on an end table when they're not in use, the Pixel Tablet, perched on its Charging Speaker Dock, acts as a smart display and digital photo frame. That dock also means the Pixel Tablet won't ever have a dead battery when you reach for it. It's a really neat idea, and for Black Friday, it's down to a very appealing price: $400, a full $100 off MSRP.
The Fitbit Charge 6 for $100 might be my favorite deal of the year
Fitbit's newest tracker is already deeply discounted
As more and more tech-savvy wrists are occupied by smartwatches every year, the dedicated fitness tracker category has started to seem pretty stagnant. But for people who just want something that tracks steps and tells time, fitness trackers still make a lot of sense — and the Fitbit Charge 6 does both perfectly well. The Charge 6 is only a few months old now, but it's already $60 off for Black Friday, bringing it down to an extremely tempting $100 price point. This might just be one of the best deals we'll see this holiday season.
Black Friday makes the first-gen Pixel Watch the one to buy
It's 90% as good as the second generation for 60% the price
Google's Pixel Watch 2 is my favorite smartwatch right now. That's partially because of the ways that it improves on the original, especially when it comes to battery life. But honestly, the first-gen Pixel Watch is very nearly as good — and for Black Friday, it's way down to $200. That's $80 less than its cost lately, and a whopping $150 cheaper than the current-gen model, making it an excellent way to get in on Wear OS 4 on the cheap.
This $10 metal mesh band is my favorite Pixel Watch 2 accessory
It's made by a company you've never heard of, but this band looks great and the price is right
The Pixel Watch 2, like the first generation before it, uses a unique band mechanism that helps create a seamless profile, with straps clicking into place in such a way that they almost look like they're a permanent part of the watch. It's really neat, but it also means you can't use standard watch bands — only bands made specifically for the Pixel Watch will fit. Google's first-party metal mesh band is an extremely handsome option, but it also retails for a blistering $130. Luckily, I found a pretty decent alternative on Amazon for all of 10 bucks. It's certainly not perfect, but for a savings of nearly 92 percent compared to the first-party option, I think it's close enough for a lot of people.
How to clean and care for your wireless earbuds
Take care of your earbuds as you look after your smartphone
Wireless earbuds have become a must-have accessory in recent years, as smartphone manufacturers have done their level best to kill off the 3.5mm headphone jack entirely. Unlike a few years ago, you won't have to spend a lot to own a pair of wireless earbuds: there are plenty of good, cheap true wireless earbuds to choose from. But even inexpensive tech needs taken care of to go the distance.
I tried Google Home's new 'Help me script' feature, and it doesn't seem all that helpful
A promising idea, but my early impressions aren't very positive
I was excited about Google Home's script editor feature: as my smart home collection has ballooned, the idea of more context-dependent automations with more of my devices working together in novel ways (changing thermostat settings based on the season! turning on the lights when the front door opens after sunset!) has gotten to be very appealing. When I finally tried whipping up my own automation scripts, though, I found it was more technical than I'd expected and gave it up the same afternoon, vowing to someday figure it out. I never did.
We all need to chill about Magic Editor
AI is troubling, but the Pixel 8's Magic Editor is the least of my worries
Last week, the Washington Post ran an opinion piece that proclaimed, rather boldly, that Google’s ad campaign for the Pixel 8 series "encapsulates all the horrors of our moment and gleefully promises to make them worse.” The phones’ “main selling point” — that they feature AI-powered photo manipulation tools — is, the piece intimates, a microcosm of the troubled, post-truth times we live in. “The message here is unmistakable,” Matt Bai writes. “Don’t be a prisoner to unsatisfying reality. Just make it whatever you want it to be.”
Best cheap true wireless earbuds in 2024
These exceptional earbuds won't break the bank while still delivering quality
There's the old adage that says, "You get what you pay for," and that certainly applies to earbuds. Even the best cheap true wireless earbuds won't have the uncompromising sound quality and effective active noise cancellation received with premium earbuds like the Sony 1000XM5s. It all comes down to how much you're ready to spend. However, if you're okay with tempering your expectations a bit, there are options. You'll even find earbuds with Bluetooth 5.2, ANC, and surprisingly good fidelity — for the price, that is.
The Pixel Watch 2 needs gesture controls — and not just to compete with Apple
Alternative control options are a big deal for accessibility, too
Last week, as part of the watchOS 10.1 update, Apple added a feature it calls "double tap" to its latest wearables, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2. The new-to-Apple feature, which the company touts as made possible by its latest S9 SiP wearable chipset, lets you perform various actions on Apple Watch by tapping your fingers together. This may seem familiar to some Wear OS fans: the Galaxy Watch series has similar options squirreled away in its settings that allow you to assign different actions to different gestures. But as nice as it is to revel in a little Android-did-it-first smugness about Apple features, I'm mostly feeling jealous — and maybe a little concerned — that the Pixel Watch 2 I wear doesn't offer any gesture control options at all.
11 Venmo tips and tricks for easy transfers
Learn how to get the most out of the Venmo cash app with these tips and tricks
Venmo is a go-to payment app and digital wallet that takes the stress out of sending money to friends, family, and other contacts in a few quick taps. The app is easy to set up and a breeze to use when splitting cab fare, paying a friend back for food, or managing shared household bills. While you might be a Venmo pro, chances are there are some hidden features you didn't know existed, including handy functions and safety tools.
Fitbit Charge 6 review: Do you really need a smartwatch?
Quality fitness tracking, more Google than ever
At a time when it seems like dedicated fitness trackers as a category are getting stale, the Fitbit Charge 6 feels surprisingly relevant. The Charge 6 is actually $20 less expensive than the last-gen Charge 5 was, but at an MSRP of $160, it's still approaching cheap smartwatch territory. It also packs in more Google-centric smartwatch-like functionality than Fitbit's previous trackers have, though, with support for both Google Wallet and Google Maps, all while maintaining the multi-day battery life central to the proper fitness tracker experience. If you can get past the tiny, narrow display, there's a lot to like here.
Ultrahuman Ring Air review: A subscription-free Oura alternative
Unobtrusive health tracking without a fee in sight
Smart rings still aren't nearly as ubiquitous as smartwatches or other wrist-based fitness wearables. Still, the category has been slowly and steadily growing since Oura more or less defined it with its first-generation ring nearly a decade ago. The Ring Air is the first smart ring from India-based Ultrahuman, founded in 2019. Compared to the third-generation Oura Ring, the young company's entry into the smart ring market is a little rough and ready. But Ultrahuman's pricing model — a one-time payment with no monthly fee required for full functionality — might make it the smart ring to get for the subscription-averse.
Google Pixel Watch 2 review: The watch we wanted last year
Reliable battery life and improved fitness tracking, wrapped up in a near-identical package
The original Google Pixel Watch was my favorite smartwatch last year, but I've always felt that opinion was against my better judgment. Google's first smartwatch looked fantastic and performed very well, but at a premium price of $350, its weak battery life just took too much babysitting to make it a solid recommendation for most people.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs. Sony WF-1000XM4: The best of the buds?
They're both winners, but for different reasons
Samsung and Sony are two of the most established names in electronics, each making great wireless earbuds. Sony's flagship WF-1000XM4 have been the gold standard for ANC earbuds since they debuted in 2021, but the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have a lot going for them, too — including a more svelte form factor. It's not an easy decision, especially when the Sony buds are on sale (which they often are). Here, we'll try to make your choice a little simpler.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen): Easy choice
The choice depends almost entirely on the phone you have
Every major device manufacturer offers their take on wireless earbuds to complement the smartphones they offer. Giants in the industry don't get much bigger than Samsung and Apple; both make an array of earbuds to complement their bigger-ticket devices, and each provides a Pro model for the most discerning listeners.
Google Pixel Tablet: Price, release date, specs, and news
Google's newest tablet is on sale now
The Google Pixel Tablet is Google's first new tablet hardware since 2018. First teased at Google I/O 2022 and released nearly a year later in June 2023, the tablet is bundled with a charging dock that helps it act as a smart display while keeping its battery topped up. There's a lot to wrap your head around with this hybrid device, and we're here to help. Here's what you need to know about the Pixel Tablet.
The Pixel 8's new exposure controls make taking good photos harder
Pixel Camera ditches the exposure controls we've had since 2019, and I really miss them
The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have been out for a couple of weeks now, and most of us here at AP like them quite a bit. True to the Pixel lineage, Google's newest phones are extremely competent pocket cameras, debuting the latest Pixel Camera app that introduces some sorely needed organization to Google's myriad camera features. But the new Google camera experience also changes the way exposure controls work, and even after hundreds of photos, I'm still not on board.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs. Google Pixel Buds Pro: Which premium buds are best for you?
Two of the biggest names in Android have Pro earbuds, and we're comparing them here
In the world of wireless earbuds, there are many brands vying to be the undisputed champion of premium, noise canceling sound. Samsung and Google each have incredible options, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Google’s Pixel Buds Pro.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro vs. Galaxy Watch 4 Classic: Old school meets modern minimalism
Are premium materials and a bigger battery enough reason to drop hundreds on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro?
Even though the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic has been released, deals can still be found on older Samsung smartwatches that will save you a few dollars.