Google has lifted the veil on the Pixel 11 series, and it's a fun color story across the board. The good news is, the base and Pro models share dimensions once again, measuring 6.0 in (height) x 2.8 in (width) x 0.3 in (depth), so the best Google Pixel 11 cases and the best Google Pixel 11 Pro cases are one and the same.

You might have spotted many first and third-party cases for the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro being sold separately. Don't worry about that, because you can use cases for either phone on the other. This just makes the color range even wider, so go ham on these awesome cases!

Dress up your Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro in a sleek, sturdy number

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The Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro case drip is too good

Hats off to the first and third-party case makers for the Google Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro, because the sheer variety of cases available is phenomenal. There are hundreds more where these came from, but I have selected only the best pick of the crop, especially considering the small nature of the two Pixel 11 models.

No matter your budget or your priority, there's an excellent Pixel 11 case for you on this list. Whether you want a clear magnetic case or something made of high-grade leather, I've got you covered.

If you don't know how to choose the right Pixel 11 case, think of your budget, whether you want the case to be heavy or light, and if you need extras like a stand or ring. The best overall Google Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro case is easily Google's own Pixelsnap Case, as it matches the Pixel 11 colorways perfectly, is made of recycled plastic, has a soft lining inside, and has Pixelsnap support. Not to mention, Google promises everyday drop and scratch resistance. It's good enough for any Pixel 11 or 11 Pro owner.

There are plenty of epic alternatives if you don't want to go with a first-party pick, including both tough cases and slim cases. Sift through the categories and find the right pick for your needs from the picks I've listed in this guide. Happy hunting!

What you need to know

• One UI 9 Beta 5 is rolling out for enrolled Galaxy S26 testers in a few overseas regions with a 1.1GB download.
• The patch carries a handful of fixes, alongside the August security update.
• However, rumors on social media claim Samsung has started developing One UI 9.5 for the Galaxy S26, despite the main upgrade still in the Beta Program.

There's a lot happening today (Aug 12), but that's not stopping Samsung's beta program. Enrolled users, beware: Beta 5 is here.

This morning, the folks at SamMobile spotted the arrival of One UI 9 Beta 5 for the Galaxy S26 series. Currently, the beta has only been spotted in overseas countries: the U.K., South Korea, and India. This isn't unusual, as Samsung usually begins spreading its availability out little by little. Users in the U.S. should prepare for it to arrive later this week, if not the next. One UI 9 Beta 5 reportedly carries a 1.1GB download and the August 2026 security patch.

The publication highlights Samsung's patch notes, which highlight a few important fixes. It's fixing a "white screen" and "app freeze," which would occur for users when viewing "some menus" in Settings. What's more, Samsung is fixing a camera app issue when opened from the lock screen. Some users encountered lag or a black screen when attempting to open it.

Another fix is rolling out for the bottom floating bar when using the Phone app. Samsung received reports of it not appearing properly, which was reportedly patched. The remainder of the fixes are as follows:

• Improved issue where a blank screen is temporarily visible when entering the recent files list in the My Files app
• Improved issue where 1×1 size shortcuts are not added to the bottom bar of the home screen
• Improved issue where the preview screen position is misaligned or flickers in the Video Editor and Photo Editor
• Improved issue where the screen intermittently flickers in certain situations
• Fixed Wi-Fi connection errors and improved connection stability

If you're enrolled in the One UI 9 Beta Program, keep your eyes out for the update in your respective region.

While this is interesting and gets us closer to launch for the Galaxy S26, rumors are already looking ahead to One UI 9.5. On X, tipster Tarun Vats reports that Samsung has started developing One UI 9.5 for the Galaxy S26 (via GSMArena). Vats says the early build sports version ending CZH1. Samsung has started development on its next major software update even earlier this time. Vats and users on X were quick to highlight Samsung's earlier schedule.

Vats reminds us that One UI 8.5's development began around September, before the Beta Program started for the Galaxy S25 in December. It's hard to forget that One UI 8.5 was heavily delayed throughout its Beta Program. Here's hoping that Samsung can avoid that this time around. Vats adds that Samsung likely won't roll out One UI 9.5 any time soon, meaning we may see it arrive around April or May 2027.

The beta rolls on

It's been nearly a month since the last One UI 9 beta. In mid-July, Samsung rolled out One UI 9 Beta 4, which included a host of fixes for early Android 17 problems. Much like what we're receiving in August, the July patch was ~1.25GB. One fix aimed to solve an issue with the S26 Ultra's Privacy Display routine. The feature would occasionally "not operate normally" while a routine was running. Other fixes involved an unstable UI for Live Notifications and other performance problems for the Quick Settings.

Google's 2026 flagship lineup has been revealed, and Android enthusiasts all over the globe are rushing to find the best Pixel 11 preorder deals before the phones' August 20th release date.

Not one to be outdone by the competition, T-Mobile has apparently decided to just give away the new Pixel phones for free, and all you need to do is add a line with an eligible data plan. That includes the base model Google Pixel 11, the super-powered Pixel 11 Pro, and the massive Pixel 11 Pro XL. No trade-in required!

It's unusual to find a preorder deal this simple on announcement day, but I'm not about to start complaining. Keep reading for everything you need to know about T-Mobile's Google Pixel 11 preorder deals.

• See my complete guide to preordering the Google Pixel 11 series

Google's makes only one, large-form foldable every year. This time around, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold comes in just two colors, which is the same as every other Pixel foldable ever released. The shades aren't even radically different from the previous-gen Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which came in a light green option and another gray-ish colorway.

While the Pixel 11 Pro Fold doesn't come in a lighter colorway, it does offer one safe and one bold option, so anyone looking to own it is sure to be pleased. These are your options.

Your choice is simple: It's either green or black

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When picking a Pixel 11 Pro Fold color, ask yourself how much storage you want first

The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold comes in two colors, with one being a staple black colorway and the other being a more fun option. Obsidian is the classic black hue that is favored by many, and it is also the only Pixel 11 Pro Fold that is offered with 1TB storage. This actually makes your decision a little easier, even if it displeases some folks.

Right off the bat, you can eliminate the Pixel 11 Pro Fold in Olive if you want 1TB onboard. It makes sense to want that much memory if you're going to shell out two grand on a smartphone. You don't upgrade a phone like this every year either, so a generous amount of storage is a dire need for many.

However, if you're happy with 256GB and 512GB options, and prefer to be more daring in your choices, Olive is all style and glamour. This deep green Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold colorway comes with golden hardware, giving it an incredibly chic and luxurious air. If you want to make a statement, this is certainly the color to get.

Google just announced its 2026 lineup of Pixel devices earlier today, but there are already plenty of preorder deals available if you know where to look. 

The Google Pixel Watch 5 isn't getting quite as much attention as the flagship phones, but I just found something interesting at Amazon: if you preorder the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold ahead of the phone's August 20th release date, you'll get the Android smartwatch for 100% free.

This is pretty shocking for an upcoming device that's almost certain to rank among the best Android smartwatches released this year. If you want the latest and greatest in Pixel technology, now's your chance to get an innovative foldable phone AND a Pixel watch in one fell swoop, days before their official launch. 

Get a FREE Pixel Watch 5 when you preorder the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold at Amazon

The new-and-improved Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold boasts two gorgeous Super Actua OLED displays with a sturdy folding hinge, IP68 water/dust resistance rating, and scratch-resistant glass. Under the hood, the foldable phone also comes equipped with the powerful Tensor G6 processor, 16GB of RAM, and up to 30 hours of battery life on a single charge, all while weighing 10% less than the previous generation.

The Pixel Watch 5, while not a massive upgrade from its predecessor, is a lovely watch with a sleek design and a suite of new software features. It still boasts IP68 durability with an efficient Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip, plus you get a ton of accurate health and fitness tracking features, 64GB of onboard storage, and up to 48 hours of battery life on a single charge. 

This Amazon deal isn't for everyone, but if you were planning to preorder the Pixel 11 Pro Fold unlocked anyway, it's a great way to become fully equipped with the latest Google tech in a single instant. 

The Google Pixel 11 series consists of the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL. The large-form foldable, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, was also launched alongside the three main devices. The lowest tier flagship, the Pixel 11, comes in slightly different colors, whereas the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL share the same shades.

If you're wondering which Google Pixel 11 color you should buy, you've come to the right place. Allow me to walk you through all the colorways of the Pixel 11 trio to help you decide.

The petite little Pixel 11 comes in four lively colors

The Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL come in the exact same squad of colors

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Making the final decision about the right Pixel 11 colorway

All Google Pixel 11 models come with either 256GB or 512GB of storage, so you don't have to take that into consideration when thinking about which color to buy. However, when looking at the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL, only Canyon and Obsidian come with 1TB, while all the colors are available in 256GB and 512GB variants. This complicates things, as you're stuck with only two colors if you want to max out storage when buying a Pixel 11 series phone.

I'll make this really simple for you. If you want a Pixel 11 device with 1TB of storage, your only option is the Pixel 11 Pro or Pixel 11 Pro XL in Canyon or Obsidian. Naturally, the 11 Pro is cheaper, but the Pixel 11 Pro XL has a larger display, bigger battery, and faster wired charging.

Those of you who are interested in 256GB or 512GB variants will be happy to know that all colorways of the Pixel 11 are open for you to pick from. Know that Obsidian is the only matte shade across all Pixel 11 models, so that's another factor that makes your choice clear cut. If you don't want a glossy phone, pick Obsidian, the only color that's available on all three Pixel 11 models.

If you're looking for bolder shades, the basic Pixel 11 is better for you as it comes in a hot pink Hibiscus and bright green Pistachio. Canyon is another exciting colorway that is anything but dull, and Google paired it with 1TB memory on both the Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL. And remember, it's your hard-earned money, so don't be shy about your choice. Pick a colorway that excites you!

Charging speed of the Pixel 11 Pro Fold has improved, but at a big cost

Google is boasting about how the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is the thinnest and lightest foldable it has produced, yet, but these gains have come at the cost of battery capacity. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold has a 4,750mAh battery, which is 265mAh less than the 10 Pro Fold. While the weight has dropped drastically to 239 grams (from 258 grams), it's still not as light as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra at 215 grams.

Battery life claims for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold seem to be the same as the 10 Pro Fold, where Google is promising "24+ hours" on one charge. Fast wired charging is the same as well as the previous model. The only real improvement that I can see if the addition of Qi2 (25W) wireless charging.

Google seems to be banking on the efficiency of the Tensor G6 SoC to make up for the loss in battery capacity, and I really hope it works out for its own sake. Google is on the back foot here when it comes to battery technology as Samsung and Motorola have both embraced silicon carbon battery tech for its respective 2026 foldables. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra packs a 5,000mAh battery capacity, while the Razr Fold has a 6,000mAh battery.

I think Google took a big gamble here, putting a smaller battery in the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Given its long-standing struggle trying to get Tensor to play nice with apps and its history with temperamental updates, this could go either way. I'm not sure if the Pixel 11 Pro Fold will make it to the list of the best Google Pixel phones, but maybe it will do better next year.

Everything to know about the Google Pixel 11's battery and charging specs

Google unveiled the Pixel 11 series during its star-studded Made by Google event on August 12. Google is giving all three models a boost in battery life and wireless charging speeds, but it has also made some questionable changes to battery capacity in a few of them.

Let's start with the Pixel 11. Compared to the Pixel 10's 4,970mAh battery, the 11's battery gets a minor bump to 4,985mAh. Google now promises more than 30 hours of battery life for the 11, which is slightly higher than the 24 hour claim for the Pixel 10.

Fast charging time appears to be the same though as the Pixel 11 is rated to charge up to 55% in half an hour. Wireless charging speed for the Pixel 11 gets a big boost as it's now up to 25% faster, thanks to Qi2 (25W) support. The Pixel 10 only supported up to 15W Qi2 charging.

The Pixel 11 Pro gets a 4,850mAh battery, which is actually smaller than the Pixel 10 Pro's 4,870mAh battery, though not by much. Wired charging claims for the 11 Pro are similar to the Pixel 11, but wireless charging is now up to 29% faster when compared to the 10 Pro.

Lastly, the Pixel 11 Pro XL gets the biggest reduction in battery capacity, to 5,115mAh, compared to the 5,200mAh in the 10 Pro XL. That's a big 85mAh difference. Just like the 10 Pro XL, the 11 Pro XL can once again charge the quickest in a 30-minute dash, all the way up to 75%. Wireless charging speed has also improved up to 17% compared to the 10 Pro XL, but the latter already supported Qi2 (25W).

The slightly smaller battery capacities in the Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL doesn't seem to have affected Google's battery life claims, and I'm hoping the same is true during real-world usage as well. The improved efficiency claims of the Tensor G6 and faster wireless charging should help the Pixel 11 series become the best Google Pixel phones we've seen, yet.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold Qi2 wireless charging: Everything you need to know

After a barrage of leaks and rumors over the past few months, the Google Pixel 11 series is finally official. Just like last year, we have four top-tier smartphones, with the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold spearheading the line-up.

Even though it looks mostly identical to its predecessor, Google's newest foldable packs in a handful of noteworthy upgrades in comparison to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Helmed by the new Google Tensor G6 SoC, the device is claimed to be capable of delivering faster AI-powered experiences and improved general performance, all while being up to 20 percent more power-efficient than the previous-gen silicon. You also get a slightly larger cover display that can now dial down its refresh rate to a mere 1Hz, just like the inner foldable screen. But of course, all this good stuff needs power to be actually useful, so the question is, what (if any) improvements have been made in the battery and charging department?

Well, for starters, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold packs a 4,750mAh battery, which is actually a downgrade compared to the 5,015mAh powerpack of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Even so, it's worth noting that we were impressed with the last-generation foldable's endurance, so we're quite hopeful things will be the same (if not better) this time around, considering the energy-efficient chipset. Wired charging speed has also remained unchanged at a maximum of 30W, and you'll still need to buy a USB-C wall charger powerful enough to deliver that much juice.

However, you'll be happy to know that the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold fully supports Qi2 magnetic wireless charging and is (unsurprisingly) compatible with Google's Pixelsnap ecosystem of accessories, and third-party offerings. More importantly, the foldable can be juiced up wirelessly at up to 25W due to compliance with the Qi2.2 standard; this is a nice upgrade over the 15W wireless charging speed of the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

All things considered, the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold seems (at least, on paper) to be a worthwhile contender to the recently introduced Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 duo, as well as other top-of-the-line foldable phones available in the market. That said, we'll reserve our verdict until we've put this thing through its paces.

Everything you need to know about Galaxy Z Fold 8 durability

First things first, no smartphone is completely waterproof. Many flagships are water resistant, but this does not mean they are fully protected against liquid ingress. Instead, the water-resistance level of a phone is measured using the International Protection (IP) standard. When you look at an IP rating like IP68 or IP69, the first digit signifies the device's dust protection while the second digit denotes the device's liquid protection.

IP68 and IP69 are currently the highest levels of the International Protection (IP) standard. The "6" in IP68 and IP69 means a device is completely dustproof. The number "8" as the second digit means a device can withstand submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater depth for up to 30 minutes. The number "9" as the second digit in IP69 means a device could survive high-pressure and high-temperature water jets in addition to the submersion depth and duration specified by the "8" in IP68.

With that background in place, we can evaluate the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's IP48 certification. This rating means neither the Galaxy Z Fold 8 nor the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra are completely dustproof. Instead, both devices are merely protected against the ingress of dust particles larger than 1mm in size. But what about their water resistance?

The "8" in IP48 indeed means the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra both meet the highest International Protection (IP) level for submersion. Both phones can withstand submersion in up to 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. Note that your mileage may vary with salt water submersion (like in the ocean) or chlorinated water submersion (like in a pool). Additionally, these phones do not support IPX9, meaning they are not protected against high-temperature or high-pressure water jets.

Keep in mind that water resistance is not a permanent condition. Samsung only guarantees IP48 certification when your device leaves the factory and arrives at your door. As the company explains in a support document, you can expect the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's water resistance to diminish over time.

To sum up, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra are highly water-resistant. However, this doesn't mean you should rush to use your foldables in the water. The phones' IP48 ratings only guarantee water resistance in specific conditions, and only at the time you buy them. Every drop wears down the rubber seals inside your phone that keep liquid out, and the seals degrade over time even if kept in perfect condition.

Google Pixel 11 Qi2 wireless charging support: Here's what you need to know

If you've been thinking about getting a flagship Android phone soon, you just got a few more fantastic options to select from, as the latest Google Pixel 11 series has arrived. The line-up includes three feature-loaded slab-style smartphones, as well as a premium foldable. As you'd expect, all the devices bring a bunch of upgrades over their respective predecessors, both in terms of hardware and software.

When it comes to external design, the Pixel 11, the Pixel 11 Pro, and the Pixel 11 Pro XL are dead ringers for the trio they succeed, right down to dimensions. Arguably the biggest "Hilight" (pun intended) here is the multi-colored ambient LED array on the camera bar. Exclusive to the "Pro" models, the LEDs glow softly to provide you visual cues for interacting with the phone when it's lying face down. All three devices are powered by Google's freshest Tensor G6 SoC, which is claimed to be up to 20 percent more energy-efficient over the previous-gen chipset. Even then, everything from the triple-lens camera setups to the bevy of AI-powered goodies needs juice to work, so let's talk about battery and charging.

While the Pixel 11 does have a bigger battery compared to the Pixel 10, the Pixel 11 Pro and the Pixel 11 Pro XL oddly have smaller powerpacks compared to the Pixel 10 Pro and the Pixel 10 Pro XL, respectively. Also, wired charging speeds continue to remain the same (up to 30W on the Pixel 11 and the Pixel 11 Pro, and up to 45W on the Pixel 11 Pro XL) on the trio, provided you have/buy a USB-C wall charger up to the task.

However, it's wireless charging where some improvements have been made. All three smartphones comply with the faster Qi2.2 standard and support up to 25W wireless charging speeds, which should result in quicker top-ups. Also, integrated magnets allow full compatibility with Google's Pixelsnap and a range of other Qi2 accessories.

These might seem like modest enhancements, but we have no doubt the Pixel 11 family still has more than enough to take on some of the best Android phones in the business. Once we review them thoroughly, we'll have a better idea about the overall performance of the three smartphones in everyday usage scenarios.

The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold has landed, and there are already several impressive preorder deals to check out ahead of the phone's August 20th release date. From trade-in opportunities to free gift cards, keep reading for all of the best Pixel 11 Pro Fold preorder deals on the web (so far).

The long-awaited Pixel 11 Pro Fold comes equipped with the new Tensor G6 processor, 16GB of RAM, and one of the most advanced camera systems ever built into a foldable phone. It's also thinner and lighter than its predecessor while sporting a new reinforced hinge and IP68 durability straight out of the box.

At $1,899 for the 256GB configuration, the Pixel phone is also pretty expensive, which is why the following preorder deals are so essential. Keep reading for the best offers so far, and don't forget to check back later: I'll keep adding new deals to this list as they go live throughout the week.

Quick links

• Made by Google 2026: the latest updates from the event LIVE
• The best Google Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro preorder deals
  
• T-Mobile: TBA
• Verizon: Up to $1,100 off with trade-in, new line
• AT&T: TBA
• Amazon: free $350 gift card with preorder
• Best Buy: free $350 gift card with preorder
• Google Store: Up to $1,000 off with trade-in

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold deals

FAQ

When does the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold come out?

Just like the rest of the Pixel 11 lineup, the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold is set to hit store shelves on August 20th. That means you have just over a week to explore the best preorder deals before they're gone.

How much does the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold cost?

The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold starts at $1,899 for the 256GB configuration. That's obviously not cheap, but I was delighted to see that the foldable phone didn't receive a price increase this year (unlike some 2026 phones). All Pixel 11 series devices also come with six free months of the Google AI Pro plan.

How does the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold compare to other foldable phones?

The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold is being presented as the ultimate multitasking device, coming complete with the new Tensor G6 processor, 16GB of RAM, and useful productivity features like Split Screen and Drag & Drop.

You get two gorgeous Super Actua displays that are 20% brighter than last year's Pixel 10 Pro Fold, plus an upgraded hinge, scratch-resistant glass, and a design that's 10% lighter than the previous generation. The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold is also equipped with an upgraded battery that's supposed to last up to 30 hours on a single charge.

These are some bold claims from Google, but we'll need to test the phone ourselves before we can attest to their veracity. If they're accurate, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold might be the best foldable phone that the company has ever produced.

After months of leaks and rumors, the Google Pixel 11 lineup has finally been unveiled with an August 20th release date. Whether you want the base model Pixel 11, the powerful Pixel 11 Pro, or the super-sized Pixel 11 Pro XL, there are already a few preorder deals that could get you one of these AI-powered flagships for cheap (or even free) if you play your cards right.

The new generation of Pixel phones takes the stellar foundation of the Google Pixel 10 series and adds a new processor, an upgraded camera system, and a set of stylish new color variants. The Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL also feature the new HiLight LED system, a fancy light array around the camera bar that's sure to turn heads.

Another bit of good news is that, other than the Pixel 11 Pro XL (which now starts at $1,299), Google's 2026 lineup wasn't hit with a price increase this year. Still, the phones aren't exactly cheap, which is why the following preorder deals are so important. Whether you're looking for a trade-in opportunity or a free gift card, keep reading for all of the best Pixel 11 preorder deals on the web (so far).

Quick links

• Made by Google 2026: the latest updates from the event LIVE
• Google Pixel 11 hands-on review
• The best Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold preorder deals
  
• T-Mobile: FREE Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro with eligible line
• Verizon: FREE Pixel 11 with eligible trade-in, new line
• AT&T: Pixel 11 phones from $5.43/month
• Amazon: free gift cards worth up to $200
• Best Buy: free gift cards worth up to $200
• Google Store: up to $600 off with trade-in
• Xfinity Mobile: FREE Pixel 11 with trade-in, new line

Google Pixel 11 deals

Google Pixel 11 Pro deals

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL deals

FAQ

When does the Google Pixel 11 come out?

The three main phones in the Google Pixel 11 lineup will hit store shelves on August 20th, giving you a little over a week to take advantage of the preorder deals in this guide.

How much does the Google Pixel 11 series cost?

The base model Google Pixel 11 is set to retail for $899 / €999, while the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL will cost $1,099 / €1,199 and $1,299 / €1,399, respectively. The 128GB storage configuration has been removed with the Pixel 11 series, which means all three phones now start with 256GB of onboard storage.

The Google Pixel 11 Pro XL is the only phone in the flagship lineup to receive a price hike this year, selling for $100 more than its predecessor.

Which Google Pixel 11 phone should I choose?

It depends on what you're looking for! If you want something compact and affordable, the base model Google Pixel 11 is a great choice, with a stunning display, Tensor G6 processor, and a seven-year software promise.

If you want the same size but more power, you can upgrade to the Google Pixel 11 Pro and get a brighter display, better cameras, and the new HiLight LED light array. Last but not least, the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL takes the foundation of the Pixel 11 Pro and supersizes it, adding a 6.8-inch display with a larger battery and up to 16GB of RAM. Despite the higher cost, it's a great choice if you like using large phones (consider it Google's answer to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra).

No matter which device you choose, you're getting a powerful AI-boosted Android phone with an efficient Tensor G6 chipset, at least 12GB of RAM, and seven years of OS and security upgrades guaranteed.

I already own the Pixel 10. Should I upgrade to the Google Pixel 11?

This is always a tough question whenever new phones come out. On the one hand, I'm generally of the opinion that manufacturers don't need to be producing new phones every single year, particularly when most flagship releases come with seven years of OS upgrades as standard.

If you already own the Google Pixel 10, you won't see a massive upgrade with the Pixel 11. I'd only jump to the new phone if you're particularly interested in the latest and greatest Pixel experience.

If, on the other hand, you own an older device and can score a good deal through the channels listed above, then by all means go for it. After all, these phones are sure to rank among the best Android phones ever built, so you won't be disappointed.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Pricing and availability

While there are plenty of differences between these two foldables, the one area where they're similar is the pricing. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold starts at $1,899, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra costs the same for the 256GB model. Both foldables are available with up to 1TB of storage, and come with decent trade-in offers if you're in the U.S.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Design

Both brands have their own visual identity, and that's reflected in their latest foldables. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold looks nearly identical to its predecessor, and other than a slightly redesign around the rear camera island, the design is unchanged.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra shares a lot of similarities with last year's Z Fold 7, and that's a good thing. It's also 23g lighter than the Pixel 11 Pro Fold at 215g, and that makes a difference. And at just 8.9mm folded, it is a lot thinner than the Pixel 11 Pro Fold's 10.1mm. Clearly, Samsung has the advantage when it comes to quantifiable metrics, but I prefer the in-hand feel of the Pixel; Google's foldable has a rounded design that nestles better in the hand, and I like the design a little better.

Both foldables have 6.5-inch OLED outer panels and 8-inch OLED inner panels, and they have the same 120Hz refresh. I'll need to do qualitative testing, but the Pixel 11 Pro Fold should be brighter in real-world usage — this was the case last year as well. Both phones have a crease that isn't noticeable, and neither is quite as good as the Find N6 at this.

Google also wins when it comes to ingress protection; the Pixel 11 Pro Fold gets IP68 dust and water resistance, while the Z Fold 8 Ultra is IP48. I'm guessing the added resilience contributed to the increase in weight.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Hardware and cameras

Like previous years, Samsung absolutely dominates the hardware side of things. Thanks to a bigger 5,000mAh battery, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra manages to last a day without issues. Google put a smaller 4,750mAh battery in the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and I still don't understand why it did that — a bigger battery is always preferable.

There's also the small matter of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra being faster than the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and even though Google went with the Tensor G6 this year, it isn't quite on the same level as Qualcomm's best silicon.

Samsung arguably has better cameras; the 200MP main camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra stands out, and is one of the best you can get on a foldable today. Google is using a new 48MP camera on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold (thankfully), and it's safe to say that it will be much better than what we got in the last two years.

That said, Google hasn't changed the auxiliary sensors, and Samsung has a distinct advantage. Google is touting unique features like Magic Capture and Camera Looks to differentiate its cameras, and I'll test how the foldable holds up against the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Find N6 soon.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Software

Google always had the edge with software, and that isn't changing. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold debuts with Gemini Intelligence, an agentic AI that handles mundane tasks on your behalf. I'll have to use it to see if it's any good at doing so, but when it comes to on-device AI, there isn't another brand that can measure up to what Google is doing.

Samsung has its own suite of Galaxy AI features, and they're great in their own right. One UI 9 based on Android 17 also has a lot to like, but I prefer Google's take on software.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Which should you buy?

Samsung continues to lead the way in foldable tech, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is a grand showcase. It has better battery life, cameras, and a sleeker design, and is the safe bet.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold may not look like it, but it is a good all-rounder too, and it's the one I'd want to use even if it doesn't have the best cameras or class-leading battery.

What you need to know

• With the Pixel 11 launch upon us, Google highlights a plethora of features, such as Gemini's Rambler for voice input, cutting out filler words, and "multi-step task" action.
• Gemini will also produce useful information as it happens, so if you're talking to a friend about a trip, the AI would offer flight details and more.
• The Pixel camera plays a major role, providing even quicker Instant Night Sight and "Camera Look," which lets users choose the ideal aesthetic for every photo they take.

The Pixel 11 series is finally here, and Google is highlighting a handful of features that tie its eventful debut together.

As you might expect, Gemini is taking center stage on Google's Pixel 11 series. The company highlights several updates for the phones that bring "personalized updates" with everyday tasks. Gemini Intelligence is taking a step forward on the Pixel 11 with the capability to handle "multi-step tasks" across "your favorite apps." Since Gemini Intelligence is expanding to over 40 apps with the Pixel 11, the company foresees even more usefulness from this personalized feature.

Rambler, Gemini's voice input feature, is included in this. Rambler can remove filler words from your speech, such as "um" or "ah." What's new with Rambler joins a set of updates for Gboard on the Pixel 11. Sign-to-text is the app's next major feature that lets users who rely on sign language uniquely send messages.

On a helpful note, Google says Gemini can "offer timely, helpful information through easily glanceable cards in the apps you’re already using." It states that, if you're talking about a trip with a friend, Gemini might produce a card on your screen with booking details, stating whether your flight is on time or delayed. More suggestions based on the conversations you're having will be a constant for Gemini, whether you're chatting about a trip or about dinner.

Google teases one more thing: location-based insights. This is only launching in preview for now in the Gemini app. Google states that you might see insights about a restaurant you're at. If so, on your lock screen, Gemini would push menu items or where people commonly sit.

So much for this camera

You can't forget the Pixel 11's camera. The phones boast a series of camera-focused updates that should help users, such as "Camera Looks." Users can set how their pictures look by default, choosing among Natural, Shadows, and Vanilla (golden-glow aesthetic). If you're looking for "Natural," Google says you'll find more relaxed details, while "Shadows" offers deeper contrast. The options don't end there, as the Pixel 11 offers even more camera aesthetics: Digi, Black Tie, Minimal, Editorial, Classic, and Velvet.

You should always try to have enough light when you're taking pictures, but for moments when you don't, that's where the Pixel 11's Low-Light capabilities come into play. Instant Night Sight on the Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL is ~4.5 times faster. Elsewhere, the Creator Suite has been enhanced to help content creators quickly find tools in the camera's viewfinder. Users can then save their content (i.e., captured videos) to video project folders for safekeeping.

Then, we have Magic Capture. Google says this feature is designed for those "blink-and-you’ll-miss-it baby smiles, playful pets, or hard-to-get action shots." Magic Capture leans on the phone's on-device intelligence and Gemini to capture 400 frames or "high-quality" 12MP photos that are ready to share. What's more, it will also provide a video for users.

Circle to Search is also headed to the Pixel camera, and real-time audio and video translations arrive for Live Translate.

I think it’s time Google branched out to give people what they need — a Pixel Watch Pro. And I’m saying this because, after playing with the Pixel Watch 5, I’m not sure why the company keeps putting out a new version of the watch every year when not much has really changed.

I want to be very clear: I love the Pixel Watch. I mean, I broke the news that the very first Pixel Watch was found in a restaurant. So you can imagine my excitement when I see new Pixel Watches every year. But now it’s starting to get boring.

Not much has changed, nothing exciting is happening, and the number of Wear OS updates and upgrades doesn’t justify the price increase of the Watch.

Still the same watch

While the form factor of the watch remains the same, Google did come up with some new watch band colors, including olive-toned, magenta-toned, and frost-toned, to match the new Pixel 11 base colors.

Google also didn’t update its chip to the Snapdragon Wear Elite, as Samsung did with its Galaxy Watches. Instead, the new Pixel Watch 5 is still using the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 “Accelerated,” which seems to be a boosted version of the same chip from the Pixel Watch 4.

The look and feel of the new watch is literally the same as the past two generations, and in my opinion nothing really has changed. That’s not fully a bad thing; the Pixel Watch is one of the more gorgeous smartwatches on the market. However, it’s starting to get bland, and something new needs to happen here.

New features might make the watch worth it

If you were to get the Watch 5, the only reason you should get it is because of the new Gemini and Wear OS features. And many of these features are probably going to take a while to trickle down to the other watches.

The new Insulin Resistance Trends and Blood Pressure Trends features are incredibly compelling. Both have never been on any Pixel Watch before, and both are active features to help monitor your health trends. When I was at my content capture, both features were not available to try out, as they were not ready yet. But I am certain that when the Watch is ready to be shipped, it will be available.

I will also note that my Google rep told me it takes about a month of daily tracking to get trend results, so even if that feature was there at content capture, it would be hard to test without at least 30 days of testing.

Android Central’s Derrek Lee is also very excited about the newly upgraded workout experience, which now includes weight and rep tracking as well as rest timers and a workout builder, making the Watch 5 a more well-rounded fitness companion.

Generative Watch Faces: Your next bff

Honestly, the thing I was most excited about was the new Generative Watch Faces feature. This feature is going to be so fun to play around with, and it uses Google’s Nano Banana to generate.

I tested the feature by asking the watch face to generate pink unicorns, and it actually did. It was super cute and fun, and I think this will be a game-changer for people who like custom watch faces and want to have fun with what their watch looks like.

It’s time for a Pixel Watch Pro

As much as I love the Pixel Watch, it’s time for Google to upgrade what it's doing. I like the new workout features and some of the other features I mentioned above, but I think it’s time Google launched a Pro version of its watches.

It could be something similar to the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 or the Apple Watch Ultra 3, a watch that is much more rugged and geared to serious workout enthusiasts or athletes. In my opinion, the watch could have a deeper focus on fitness and offer something even more compelling for those who would pay the money for it.

As an example, I currently own a Garmin Forerunner 970, and I sought out this watch because I am training for a half marathon. I knew that my training would involve deep stats and workout details that a regular watch might not suffice for. And I think it’s for this very reason Google needs to think about expanding its watch family.

I don’t hate the Pixel, and I think maybe after reading this you might think that, and that is far from how I feel. I love the Pixel; I think it is a robust watch with really great features, but Gen 5 feels boring and flat. I want something more, and I know Google is capable of it.

What you need to know

• The Pixel Watch 5 looks almost identical to the Pixel Watch 4 and keeps the same W5 Gen 2 chip.
• Google calls it the W5 Gen 2 Accelerated, but the underlying hardware remains essentially unchanged.
• You still get 41mm and 45mm models, with Bluetooth, NFC, UWB, and LTE options.
• New tools for insulin and blood pressure management add meaningful functionality.

Google's smartwatches are slowly gaining momentum, but you wouldn't be able to tell each model apart. That's particularly true this year with the Pixel Watch 5; I read the press release Google shared ahead of launch, and I still don't understand what's new.

The Pixel Watch 5 looks identical to last year's Pixel Watch 4. It has the exact same hardware as well, and Google didn't bother using Qualcomm's Snapdragon Elite Wear platform, which is short-sighted. It instead has the same W5 Gen 2 as last year, but it's now called the Gen 2 Accelerated, so make of that what you will.

Like previous years, you get two sizes: 41mm and 45mm. There's Bluetooth, NFC, UWB, and Satellite SOS in select countries, and Google will continue to sell cellular-enabled LTE models. You get similar colors as last year, and the chassis is made out of recycled materials, just like Google's phones. There are new bands though, and they're in vibrant colors.

You still get 5ATM and IP68 water resistance, and it should hold up to everyday wear and tear just as well as its predecessors.

That doesn't mean there isn't anything new. Google is debuting features to manage insulin and blood pressure resistance, and they're bound to be useful. There's a slate of new Gemini features as well, along with everything new in Wear OS. Here's the full list of the watch's health and fitness features:

• Health Guardian suite (Irregular Rhythm Notifications / AFib, high/low heart rate alerts)
• Monthly blood pressure trends & insulin resistance trends
• Multi-path optical heart rate sensor & SpO2 monitoring
• ECG app & Skin conductance (cEDA) tracking
• Far-field skin temperature sensor
• Google Health Coach integration (powered by Gemini)
• 50+ tracked exercises with custom HIIT/strength routine syncing
• Readiness Score & Key Metrics post-workout view
• Sleep Breathing Quality (minute-by-minute SpO2 analysis)
• Stage tracking (Awake, REM, Light, Deep) & Sleep Score
• Bedtime Automations, Smart Wake Alarms, Morning Brief
• Breathing Emergency Detection (EU only)
• Loss of Pulse alerts
• Satellite SOS communication
• Safety Check, Emergency Sharing, Fall Detection, Car Crash Detection

Oh, and I like the feature that lets you generate watch faces using AI, and it is pretty cool. But that alone doesn't justify buying a new watch, and the Pixel Watch 4 should get the feature anyway at some point in the future.

If the Pixel Watch 5 doesn't look particularly noteworthy, it's because the hardware itself hasn't changed to any measurable degree. This is like the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025 all over again, and Google needs to do better to differentiate its smartwatch -- as AC EiC Shruti Shekar said in her hands-on post, it's time we got a Pixel Watch Pro.

What you need to know

• The Pixel 11 Pro Fold goes official, and it is nearly 10% lighter and about 1mm thinner than its predecessor.
• A glass-fiber composite back, ceramic outer cover glass, and new gearless hinge make the Fold three times more durable than the previous model.
• HiLight is one of the headline features, designed to use different colors for calls from favorite contacts and provide visual cues when Gemini is being used hands-free.
• The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is up for preorder and arrives on August 20.

If you were hoping Google would chase Samsung down the rabbit hole of razor-thin foldables, you're about to be disappointed. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is here, and while it’s much lighter and thinner than its predecessor, it’s not trying to win a slimming contest with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which weighs 201g.

Google says the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is nearly 10% lighter and about 1mm thinner than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, along with a new hinge and stronger materials. That said, it does weigh 239g, so Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is still a lot more portable. Samsung’s new Fold is also 9.7mm thick when closed versus the Pixel’s 10.1mm.

Google’s answer is durability. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold has a glass-fiber composite back, a ceramic cover glass on the outer display, and a new gearless hinge. The company says the combo makes it three-times more durable than its predecessor, while the bigger bend radius and thicker inner glass of the hinge are meant to improve the crease. The phone still has an IP68 rating, too.

The screens have been upgraded. You get a 6.5-inch 1080 x 2342 outer OLED and an 8-inch 2076 x 2152 inner OLED that both run from 1Hz to 120Hz and peak at 3,600 nits.

Powerful hardware

Inside, Google stuffs the Fold with 16GB of RAM, Tensor G6, and up to 1TB of Zoned UFS storage, a new flash storage technology for mobile devices that segregates data into separate logical “zones” to enhance long-term performance and boost storage longevity.

The battery capacity is 4,750mAh and is rated for over 24 hours, and 30W wired charging will supposedly get you to 50% in around 30 minutes. Pixelsnap also supports up to 25W Qi2.2 wireless charging.

Photography gets a substantial push, too. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold has a 48MP main camera, a 10.5MP ultrawide with autofocus and macro focus, and a 10.8MP 5x telephoto, with up to 30x Super Zoom. That gives Google a clear zoom-focused angle against Samsung’s dual 50MP rear cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which offers up to 10x digital zoom.

Google is also making the new Fold feel more like a real productivity tool. App bubbles are designed for the big screen, and Split Screen, Drag and Drop, Instant View, and improved Made You Look animations are still here. The new sign-to-text translation leverages the camera, Gboard, and Live Transcribe to convert American Sign Language into text on the outer display.

Then there's HiLight, a new LED system built around the camera flash. It can flicker in a variety of colors for calls from your favorite contacts and provide visual cues during hands-free Gemini interactions, with more notification features coming soon.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is available to preorder now in Olive and Obsidian colorways. It starts at $1,899 and will be released on August 20.

What you need to know

• The Pixel 11 series is officially announced and available for preorder now, hitting shelves on August 20.
• Prices jumped by $100 across the board, but base storage doubled to 256GB with 12GB RAM standard, meaning most models cost the same per gigabyte as last year.
• All models run on the new Tensor G6 chip (built on a 2nm process with a new MediaTek modem) designed to boost power and solve long-standing connectivity issues.
• Screen sizes stay at 6.3 inches (Pro) and 6.8 inches (Pro XL) with higher peak brightness and standout colors like Canyon (orange) and matte Obsidian.

After months of leaks and teasers, the Pixel 11 series is official. The new phones made their debut ahead of the annual Made by Google event; Google is doing things a little differently this year by releasing details of the phones well ahead of the launch, and you can actually pre-order the devices now. Weird, I know.

Anyway, let's get to the devices. I'll charitably call the Pixel 11 a tame upgrade, as not much has changed this year. It has a similar design, same cameras, similar connectivity as the Pixel 10, and a battery that's about the same size.

Thankfully, the Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL get a few upgrades. There's a new 50MP main camera that should take much better photos, and they're joined by dual 48MP wide-angle and tele lenses; these are unchanged.

There's plenty of new camera features. Google is debuting a Magic Capture mode that lets you get the best photo in any situation, and there's Camera Looks to alter the look of your photos to a greater extent. Oh, and Circle to Search is getting built into the camera, so you can easily look up stuff with ease.

Panel sizes are unchanged, so you get a 6.3-inch OLED on the Pixel 11 Pro and 6.8 inches on the Pro XL. Google says they get brighter, and while it's unlikely you'll see the 3,600-nit figure, the Pixel 10 Pro did a great job in this regard, and I don't see why it would be any different this year.

There are bold new color choices, and the Pixel 11 in particular looks great. I like the Canyon variant of the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL, and the orange hue looks delightful. And if you're team all-matte, you should get the Obsidian model.

Google is using 12GB of RAM as standard this year, indicative of the ongoing RAM crisis that's affecting every tech brand right now. But on the plus side, all models come with 256GB of storage, even the base Pixel 11.

What I like is that all models are powered by the new Tensor G6. I'll have to get my hands on the phones to determine if long-standing hardware issues have been addressed, but it is positive to see Google make some headway. The G6 is built on a 2nm node, uses new cores, and a new MediaTek modem, so it shouldn't have any connectivity issues (fingers crossed).

Google's main strength is the software, and Gemini Intelligence takes center stage with the Pixel 11. The idea of an agentic AI that can handle tasks on its own is pretty cool, but the feature is limited to the U.S.; other countries still get a few new Gemini tricks, but not the task-handling part.

Prices have increased by $100 across the board, with the Pixel 11 starting at $899, the Pixel 11 Pro at $1,099, and the Pixel 11 Pro XL at $1,299. The good news is that with the base storage going up to 256GB, you're not paying any higher than last year, other than with the 11 Pro XL. The phones are now on preorder, and will go on sale starting August 20. We'll have plenty to talk about the Pixel 11, and if you want more right now, head to the hands-on post.

I get excited every year when we know there’s going to be new Google Pixel phones. I'm even more excited about these phones because I consider them the base hardware for other Android OEMs to follow. I got to try Google’s new Pixel 11 series, and nearly everything about this year’s phones is perfect, except that nothing really has changed with the hardware. So you may be thinking…are these phones even worth it?

In my opinion, this year is the year Google really should be focusing on perfecting Gemini, and these phones are proof in the pudding. Google spent less time on hardware modifications and more time refining, tweaking, and perfecting Gemini.

I think that’s what the future of smartphones is going to be. You’re either going to gravitate towards a dumb phone that has no access to anything AI-related, or you’re going to want a phone that makes your life easier.

Here are my initial thoughts after spending some hands-on time with the Pixel 11 series.

• We already found the best Google Pixel 11 preorder deals so you don't have to

The Pro and Pro XL are Pro-ing and Pro XL-ing

Anytime anyone asks me about which Pixel device they should get, I always recommend going Pro over the base model. Why? Because why not? Because the Pro phones are spectacular: convenient, beautiful, and packed with tools that I promise will make you question why you haven’t gone Pro before. And you can get it in the same size as the base, so you might as well go Pro.

The Pro and Pro XL models are basically the exact same models as last year, but really what you’re paying for is the hardware improvements and software upgrades.

If you’re going to get one of these devices, go for the Canyon or Olive variant. Google knocked it out of the ballpark with the new color options. I’ve generally liked the regular black, but these colors are gorgeous, and I love them so much!

At my content capture in Toronto, Canada, I spent time watching how some of these new features came to life.

I think HiLight is a pretty cool feature, but was it absolutely necessary? Probably not. That being said, watching my Google rep show me how it works was pretty cool. The feature itself is a small glowing LED light that is emitted on the camera bar. It turns on when you trigger Gemini, and you can use it for notifications as well.

As the Pro XL was face down on the table, my Google rep spoke out, “Hey Google, can you tell me the weather in Toronto?” Flashing between white and blue as Gemini was thinking, it responded without my Google rep ever having to lift his phone.

With Pixel devices, my attention is usually on the camera, and this year the features are exceptional.

I know my colleague Nick Sutrich will particularly enjoy playing around with Magic Capture. This new feature captures a moving subject and breaks it down into a sequence of sharp, crystal-clear still photos.

I also found the new Translate Video in real time super fascinating. My Google rep showed me a video in Spanish, and as the woman started speaking, the voice I heard was that of a person who dubbed the video into English.

Finally, my absolute favorite feature just got a huge upgrade. Circle to Search in camera mode. You can now take a picture within the Camera and directly use Circle to Search, a very convenient feature.

I’ll also add that the new devices have even more zoom capabilities: the base has 30x zoom, while the Pro models have 120x zoom.

The Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099, which is $100 more than last year’s Pixel 10 Pro, but you also get more base storage at 256GB, so the pricing still matches last year’s. Meanwhile, the Pixel 11 Pro XL now starts at $1,299 for the same base 256GB storage, so it gets a bit of a price bump, which should be no surprise given the current industry trends.

The Pixel 11 is cute, vibrant, fun, and that’s really what it’s about

I can’t really say much about the base Pixel 11 model because it really didn’t feel like it changed much from previous years. What did catch my eye was the colors.

Google really outdid itself with the fun and vibrant colors. I’m not a huge fan of pink, but the bright magenta pink stood out, and to me, if you were to give your teenage kid or even a young adult one of these phones, then I approve!

While other companies have launched phones this year with mild and muted colors, which I love and appreciate, I think Google had a little fun this year, and I’m glad they did.

Why I never care for the base model is because if I’m going to spend the money on a phone, I want it to have Pro features, and the base model rarely gets them. That said, like the Pro models, the base model is powered by the Tensor G6 with 12GB of RAM, so you’ll still get many of the same features, with some exceptions. That includes the new Gemini Intelligence, which lets the AI handle tasks for you or make suggestions based on your interactions in Messages, At a Glance, and other areas.

However, you’re missing out on other features, like the 120x zoom and HiLight, to name a couple. So, if you're getting this phone for your kid and want them to have a good experience without spending too much or exposing them to too much AI, this is the phone they should be getting.

If you asked me a few years ago about my thoughts on foldable devices, I would have given you the stank face and said they suck. I would then proceed to convince you that foldable devices feel cheap and aren’t worth the money.

I have since completely changed my mind on them. In the past two years alone, I have seen some of the most premium-looking and feeling foldables on the market. And, while I think Google has always nailed it when it comes to their foldables, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold really isn’t a nominal difference from what it was last year.

I had some early hands-on time with the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and while there are a few upgrades, overall, I thought the phone itself was pretty much identical to its predecessor.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this is the year Google needs to focus on perfecting Gemini, and it did. I am glad that Google decided to really ensure that what you’re getting in the Pro models of the phones is what you’re really paying for.

Go thin or go home

This year’s trend across all companies making foldable devices is: how can we make our foldables even thinner? I much prefer a curvaceous body, but on a phone, I don’t want to compromise on thickness. The thinner the better, so long as the phone itself feels premium and comfortable.

The 11 Pro Fold is about 1mm thinner than its predecessor, which says one thing to me: companies are going to keep trying to push the boundaries to see how thin they can make a foldable without compromising on features.

You might not think this is going far enough, especially following the recent launch of the even thinner Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. However, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold still has some things going for it that the Ultra doesn’t have, such as built-in Qi2 magnetic charging, which definitely adds to its thickness.

But in addition to making the phone thinner, Google also launched the Pixel 11 Pro Fold in a new colorway. The beautiful Olive variant similar to the Pro and Pro XL models. And my god, the color is stunning. Holding it feels so sexy; it is truly a beautiful phone.

Crease? What crease?

Part of why I really didn’t like foldable devices in the past is because the inside screen has to be some sort of plastic; it can’t be glass; that is the only way it’s going to be a device that can fold. But I found that this felt so tacky and low-grade, and when you’re spending an arm and a leg for a device, why would you want a big screen that looked…cheap?

I can say without a doubt that the Pixel 11 Pro Fold’s crease is near non-existent. And even the actual feel of the screen feels so lush, premium, and gorgeous. After closing and opening the phone a few times, you can barely tell that there’s a crease, and I think that the phone itself feels so exquisite.

When folded laptop style on your desk, I can see how convenient it would be to watch YouTube videos and whatnot.

That said, using the Pixel 11 Pro Fold while folded flat still feels a bit awkward to me. I get the appeal of doing it; you have a much larger screen, and I think if you folded it flat and held it in your hands, you’d be fine. But when placed on a table, that protruding camera bump makes your camera feel like a wobbly table that annoyingly moves around when you’re sitting at it.

Features galore

Like the Pixel 11 Pro phones, the Fold will also get all of the same premium features that are super fun to use.

HiLight is going to be a fun feature to use when you want to ask Gemini something or when you get notifications. The feature itself is a small LED glowing light that emits from the LED module on the camera bar.

Google also highlights a new sign language-to-text feature for Google Translate, and while I didn’t get to try this during my hands-on, it’s a very compelling feature that should make Pixels much more accessible.

I can’t stop thinking about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

It’s been a busy several weeks of new launches, and coming from just having played around with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra…I can’t help but say that I think that phone has my heart.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is much thinner than the Pixel 11 Pro Fold; it’s sleeker, and I actually think it looks and feels like a much more premium device than the Pro Fold. This isn’t me hating on the 11 Pro Fold at all… but when I was at my content capture, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Z Fold 8 Ultra.

I kinda felt like I was cheating on it with the 11 Pro Fold. I kept thinking about the beautiful deep purple color variant, and how gorgeous she was as a device.

Thinking so much about the Z Fold 8 Ultra and the smaller Fold 8 made me wonder if Google needs to think about how it plans on evolving the form factor of its foldable. And maybe that’s something the company wants to think about for 2027. Because I will say, as gorgeous as the 11 Pro Fold is, it’s still boring. And if I am thinking about a different device the whole time, then something is wrong.

What you need to know

• The Pixel Tag debuts alongside the Pixel 11 series as Google’s first in-house Bluetooth tracker.
• The thin, oval-shaped Pixel Tag weighs just 11.8g and carries an IP67 rating, but it lacks a built-in keyring hole.
• Google taps its network of more than 1 billion Android devices to help locate lost items beyond Bluetooth range.
• UWB and Bluetooth Channel Sounding provide distance and directional guidance, with UWB working up to 50 meters from the paired phone.

Google is finally stepping into the Bluetooth tracker race. The search giant has unveiled the Pixel Tag along with its Pixel 11 series at today’s Made by Google event.

The Pixel Tag combines the Find Hub network with Ultra Wideband and Bluetooth Channel Sounding. It’s a departure from the circular disk design of its competitors and takes a thin oval pebble-like shape in a color simply called "Fog." It weighs roughly 0.4 ounces and has an IP67 water and dust resistance rating.

However, there’s one very major design choice that could split opinions: there’s no dedicated keyring hole. Like the AirTag, you’ll need to purchase a separate case to attach it to your keys.

Software-wise, the Pixel Tag is tightly integrated with Google’s Find Hub network. It’s basically a more advanced Find My Device system that leverages a network of over a billion Android devices to create a crowdsourcing location network. It employs Fast Pair for quick setup.

The basics are familiar if you’ve been using a Bluetooth tracker. Attach the Pixel Tag to your keys, wallet, or luggage, then use the Find Hub app to find it on a map or trigger the built-in speaker to sound.

Google also lets you share a tag with up to 10 people, which could come in handy for shared keys, bags, or other household items. Setup is handled through Android’s Fast Pair and works with phones running Android 9 or newer.

Compatible Android phones can use Ultra Wideband and Bluetooth Channel Sounding for precision finding, providing distance and directional cues instead of making you wander around while listening for a beep. Channel Sounding requires Android 16 and Bluetooth 6.0, while UWB precision finding requires a compatible UWB-enabled Android device and works up to 50 meters away from the paired phone.

But what really makes the Pixel Tag stand out is the built-in button that lets you ring your phone in reverse. You don’t get that on the AirTag.

The Pixel Tag measures 28 x 46.1 x 5.4mm, weighs 11.8g with its battery, carries an IP67 rating, and uses a replaceable CR2032 cell rated for more than a year.

Google will sell the Pixel Tag for $29, or four for $99, starting November 11. It works with Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds, so Google’s greater device ecosystem can help you locate your stuff.

What you need to know

• The Pixel Buds Pro 2 now actively adjust noise cancellation in real time to counteract subtle shifts or seal slips during movement.
• Audio settings like EQ adjustments (such as boosting bass) can now be toggled on demand using simple voice commands.
• Tapping an earbud activates near real-time listening for over 70 languages, while your connected Pixel phone can broadcast your spoken response back in the target language.

Google’s new earbuds are leaving hardware updates behind in favor of smarter software tricks. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Buds 2a, which debuted today alongside the Pixel 11 series, are receiving a set of hands-free features to make the earbuds much more adaptable for daily use starting this fall.

The big upgrade is Dynamic ANC, which addresses a surprisingly common issue with earbuds: your fit can change while you’re wearing them. The first-generation Pixel Buds Pro used the standard Silent Seal tech for active noise canceling.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 can now handle slight changes to the seal to keep noise cancelation stronger. That sounds like a useful extension of the Pro 2's existing ANC system, which Google says already cancels up to twice as much noise as the original Pixel Buds Pro.

Google is bringing Gemini closer to the controls, too. You can use your voice to change settings, like telling Google to turn up the bass without having to grab your phone.

Sleep tracking is getting a Pixel ecosystem boost. A Pixel Watch can detect when you’ve gone to sleep and pause playback, turn off touch controls, and mute notifications.

Live Translate is another major leap forward. Pressing the Buds switches you to listening mode so you can get the gist of more than 70 languages in near real time without handling your phone. You can also speak normally and have your Pixel phone say the translated response to the other person.

The hardware is still familiar. The Pro 2 is 27% smaller and 24% lighter than the original Pixel Buds Pro, and it comes with Google’s Tensor A1 chip and a redesigned fit.

Additionally, there's a new Olive finish. Orders will open August 12, with software features rolling out starting in September.

What you need to know

• Compatible Pixel phones can now share contacts, photos, videos, and more when you bring two devices together.
• Exchanging contacts works straight from the home screen via an instant two-way exchange, while sending media requires just opening the Share Sheet and bumping phones.
• The feature goes live starting today for Pixel 6 and newer devices, with Samsung's new Fold 8 and Flip 8 lineup next in line.

Google is making it easier to share content between Android devices. Starting today, compatible Pixel phones can use Quick Share to exchange contact information, photos, videos, and more simply by bringing the devices close together.

The new tap-to-share feature builds on Quick Share, Google's existing Android sharing system, but removes some of the usual friction. Now, you don’t have to go digging through menus when you’re exchanging contact info. From the home screen, pair two compatible Android devices and they can start a two-way exchange.

Media sharing is a little bit different. On your phone, open the Share Sheet, then move the two devices together to send the selected photos or videos. Google says the feature is meant to make it easier to share between Android phones, especially when you’re passing content or contact info to someone nearby.

There is one catch: availability is limited for now. Google says the feature is rolling out for Pixel 6 and newer devices starting today. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Flip 8 are next, with support coming soon.

However, Google has plans to continue expanding the new feature. The company says tap-to-share will be rolled out to more Android devices by the end of the year. That would make Quick Share a much more natural part of the Android experience, especially when you’re sending something to the person standing right beside you.

What you need to know

• The Nintendo Switch 2 could finally get its first major special edition, with leaked packaging pointing to a Zelda 40th anniversary console.
• The leaked console features a dark aesthetic with gold and green accents, paired with a gold Triforce dock and matching black-and-teal Joy-Con controllers.
• A standalone Switch 2 Pro Controller was also leaked, mirroring the console's color scheme with gold triggers, shoulder buttons, and a central Triforce crest.

Nintendo's Switch 2 has been missing something the original console had in spades: flashy special editions. But that could finally change, as leaked images supposedly show a Zelda-themed Switch 2 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the franchise, complete with matching accessories.

Photos posted on X by @CentroLeaks show what appears to be retail packaging for a limited edition Nintendo Switch 2 console and a standalone Switch 2 Pro Controller, both celebrating Zelda's milestone year.

The leaked console looks like it'll have a dark design with gold and green Zelda-inspired accents, making it look far more collector-focused than Nintendo's standard Switch 2.

There’s also a dock featuring a large gold Triforce, with matching designs printed into the Joy-Con 2 controllers. A second matching Switch 2 Pro Controller also leaked, matching the esthetic with gold shoulder buttons and a golden Triforce in the middle.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of Nintendo planning to release a limited edition Nintendo Switch 2 console and matching Pro Controller as a celebration of The Legend of Zelda’s 40th anniversary. These hardware accessories were expected to be released alongside the rumored Ocarina of Time Remake later in 2026, but an insider had clarified that the designs were franchise-themed and not specifically tied to the Ocarina of Time game.

That’s logical, considering the franchise milestone approaching in 2026. But the Ocarina of Time remake may still be a perfect launch window, though Nintendo still hasn't confirmed a release date for the hardware.

The timing would also mark Nintendo’s first major Switch 2 special edition since the console’s launch. That might make this way more appealing than just purchasing another Pro Controller for longtime Zelda fans.

Again, Nintendo has yet to officially reveal the console, controller, price, or availability. For now, the leaked images are the best evidence yet that the long-rumored Zelda hardware may be real after all.

What you need to know

• Meta announces that its neural handwriting is now rolling out in its EAP (Early Access Program) for the Ray-Ban Display.
• Users are recommended to write with their index finger on a stable surface, and allow the AI to correct any typos or mistakes.
• Meta confirmed this was on the way for the Ray-Ban Display in December.

Meta's neural band is an important part of its smart glasses experience. It brings convenience, and Meta says it's offering a new feature in Early Access for silent AI interactions.

If you've got a pair of Meta smart glasses, the company has announced a silent handwriting feature in Early Access using the Neural Band. In a press release, Meta says users can write "AI queries with their index finger when their display is on." It states users can get answers to questions, play a song, pull up directions, and more without much effort—just a finger. Meta went into more detail about this EAP (Early Access Program) feature.

If you're interested, Meta says users must ensure their Neural Band is paired with their glasses and that everything is updated, as well as enroll in the EAP. To enable neural handwriting, head to Meta AI app > Settings > select your glasses > Early Access > toggle Meta AI with neural handwriting. For the "best results," Meta recommends users write with their index finger. It states you should "anchor your wrist on a hard surface and use your index finger to write." What's more, you should write in print, not cursive.

To ensure the Neural Band and neural handwriting feature captures what you're writing properly, you should write smoothly and at a consistent pace. Meta says users shouldn't worry about typos, nor should they wait for their HUD to catch up to what they've written. Continue regardless, and Meta AI will automatically fix any errors.

Neural handwriting is headed to the Meta Ray-Ban Display in the EAP.

Writing in the air

It was teased in December 2025, and now it's finally here. Meta confirmed late last year that it planned to empower its Ray-Ban Display further with "virtual" handwriting. We've now seen this arrive as neural handwriting. This EMG handwriting feature was confirmed to leverage the Neural Band with the user's drawing and gesture inputs. The company also teased Instagram Reel support for its glasses, too.

The neural band was an object of interest for Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich last year, too. To him, it felt like a true device straight out of a Sci-fi movie. To Meta, the sEMG band (neural band) is a requirement for "true AR smart glasses products." Users wouldn't need to rely on a screen to type their commands. The band captures your muscle movements to act out what you're writing or capture your gestures. It's silent and completely hands-free (technically).

Android Central's Take

The neural band is pretty cool, I have to admit. But bringing this "virtual" or neural handwriting just seems like the next logical step for Meta. It can already capture gesture for scrolling through song lists, why not do more? Why not make it so writing a quick message or asking its AI is effortless with single movements?

What you need to know

• Samsung announced that its Hearing Aid feature for the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and 4 Pro has been FDA-cleared.
• It states this will work alongside its Hearing Test, which lets users use "clinical-grade, pure-tone audiometry" to test their hearing and see clear results.
• Samsung says Hearing Test and Hearing Aid will arrive on the Buds 3 Pro and 4 Pro in the U.S. and other approved markets in Q4 2026.

Samsung announces that a major accessibility feature for its Galaxy Buds has cleared a key governmental hurdle.

The company announced this morning (Aug 11) that its Hearing Aid feature for the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and 4 Pro has been FDA-cleared. Samsung says this enables the previously mentioned devices "to serve as an over-the-counter hearing aid for adults (18 or older) with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss."

For users, this means you'll have access to the Galaxy Buds' Hearing Test, alongside this Hearing Aid feature. Hearing Test is self-administered from the Galaxy Buds menu in your Settings. Samsung says it uses "clinical-grade, pure-tone audiometry" to test your hearing in each ear. Hearing Test is also said to highlight any "hearing deficits." Your Galaxy Buds will generate an "audiogram" that Samsung says mirrors what you'd receive from a professional test.

Once completed, your test will categorize your results in one of the following categories: mild, moderate, severe, or profound.

Your Galaxy Buds will then use your Hearing Test results to fine-tune its Hearing Aid feature. It might boost "high frequencies, surrounding whispers, or distant voices." The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and 4 Pro benefit from familiar true hearing aid features, such as "noise elimination and beamforming." Hearing Test and the Hearing Aid feature for the Buds 3 Pro and 4 Pro will arrive on Galaxy devices in Q4 2026 in the U.S. and other approved markets.

Hear the world around you

Samsung has continued to focus on the user's hearing health ever since its huge Health app update in June. In the spirit of being proactive, Samsung announced Hearing Health. It will leverage your Galaxy Watch, phone, and Buds to monitor the noise level around you. If loud noises are a constant, your Galaxy Watch would let you know and urge you to make changes. The idea is to help users better preserve their hearing for the long term.

This capability was announced for the revamped app, which includes a lot of new health features for current and upcoming Galaxy devices. For example, the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 feature this new Hearing Health feature right out of the box. Samsung reiterates that users can keep tabs on their Hearing Health from the Health app, and now these new features are on the way for the Galaxy Buds to take things further.

Android Central's Take

Preserving your hearing is incredibly important. It's one of those things that if you lose it, it's hard to get back. This is even more important, given that we love earbuds. It's easy to pop those in and start listening while working, reading, or walking. But we've got to be conscious about our noise level. You never want those earbuds too loud. That's something we all learned when we were kids, right?

What you need to know

• Motorola has confirmed 50+ devices for the stable Android 17 update.
• Newer Razr and Edge models are expected to receive Android 17 before older devices.
• Several Moto G models, including the G Stylus 2026, G Power 2026, G87, G86, G77, G67, G57, G47, and G37, are eligible.

Motorola has just announced a massive list of more than 50 devices that will be getting the stable Android 17 update, and the rollout has already started. But before you start clicking the "Check for updates" button, you need to know who gets it first and who’s stuck waiting.

The stable rollout has already begun with the Motorola Edge 2025, with newer premium devices like the Razr 70 series and Edge 70 lineup likely to be given priority, as per the company's announcement on its Spanish website. Motorola says the update will roll out gradually to other eligible models in the coming weeks and months.

Interestingly, this rollout has been in the works for months. Motorola’s Android 17 beta program started just days after Google released Android 17 Beta 1 in February, putting it ahead of a few rival Android brands. This was notable as Motorola was still working on rolling out Android 16, with some eligible phones still waiting months for the last big update.

The confirmed Android 17 roster is a massive one. It includes the Motorola Signature and a long list of Razr models, as follows:

• Motorola Razr 70 Ultra
• Motorola Razr 70 Plus
• Motorola Razr 70
• Motorola Razr Ultra 2026
• Motorola Razr+ 2026
• Motorola Razr 2026
• Motorola Razr Fold 2026
• Motorola Razr Fold 2025
• Motorola Razr 60 Ultra
• Motorola Razr 60s
• Motorola Razr 60d
• Motorola Razr 60
• Motorola Razr Ultra 2025
• Motorola Razr+ 2025
• Motorola Razr 2025
• Motorola Razr 50 Ultra
• Motorola Razr+ 2024

The Edge series also gets the same treatment, covering the Edge 70 family, Edge 2026, Edge 2025, Edge 60 series, and Edge 50 Ultra.

• Motorola Edge 2026
• Motorola Edge 70 Pro+
• Motorola Edge 70 Pro
• Motorola Edge 70 Max
• Motorola Edge 70 Neo
• Motorola Edge 70 Plus
• Motorola Edge 70 Fusion+
• Motorola Edge 70 Fusion
• Motorola Edge 70
• Motorola Edge 2025
• Motorola Edge 60 Stylus
• Motorola Edge 60 Pro
• Motorola Edge 60 Fusion
• Motorola Edge 60
• Motorola Edge 50 Ultra
• Motorola Edge 60

Even the cheaper Moto G phones from Motorola aren’t being left behind. The list also includes:

• Moto G Stylus 2026
• Moto G Power 2026
• Moto G Play 2026
• Moto G 2026
• Moto G 2025
• Moto G Power 2025
• Moto G Stylus 2025
• Moto G Max
• Moto G87
• Moto G86
• Moto G86 Power
• Moto G77
• Moto G77 Power
• Moto G67
• Moto G57
• Moto G57 Power
• Moto G47
• Moto G37
• Moto G37 Power

Motorola’s Android 17-based HelloUI update introduces Live Updates in a Dynamic Island style, the Qira Moto AI assistant, lock-screen customization options, resizable Quick Settings tiles, refreshed haptics, tinted icons, and a redesigned volume panel.

Remember, rollouts will differ by region and carrier. If your Motorola is on the list, you should eventually see the update pop up under Settings > System > System updates.

TL;DR: Head to WellBots and you can score a straight $300 off the XGIMI Horizon Ultra projector when you use the code 300SAVE at checkout. Supplies are limited, however, so act fast. 

In the age of 4K projectors, dropping a ton of cash on a smart TV no longer seems like the wisest decision. This is particularly true when products like the XGIMI Horizon Ultra are hanging around. 

We gave this projector a 4.5/5-star rating when we reviewed it a few years back, highlighting its vibrant and crystal-clear picture quality, stylish design, and Dolby Vision integration. Depending on where you shop, the Horizon Ultra can cost as much as $1,699, but WellBots is currently selling the projector for a reasonable $1,149. Slap on this discount using the code 300SAVE at checkout and you'll drop the device down to only $849. 

Get my favorite 4K projector for as little as $849 with this exclusive code

Even though it initially dropped back in 2023, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra continues to reign as one of the best 4K projectors on the market. The stylish device utilizes a hybrid laser and LED system to produce images that are consistently clear, bright, and vibrant. 

The Horizon Ultra is able to dynamically adjust the picture depending on the surface that it's being projected on, while the auto focus feature ensures that your content looks as crisp as possible. You get Dolby Vision and HDR/SDR support, in addition to a Gaming display mode that drops the latency to as low as 18ms. There are also display modes for movies, TV shows, sports, and Custom (which lets you finetune settings to your preference). The smart home device is also equipped with two USB 2.0 ports, two HDMI ports, ethernet, and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi 6 support, so connecting to your favorite streaming devices or consoles should never be an issue. 

The projector's built-in speakers aren't exactly mind blowing, so you might want to invest in a soundbar to make the most out of the device. Fortunately, you just saved $300 by using the code above, so adding in some speakers shouldn't be the end of the world. Needless to say, if you want a home theater upgrade without the physical constraints of a smart TV, XGIMI's Horizon Ultra is a great product to consider — especially at this price. 

What you need to know

• Samsung just uploaded a One UI 9 Watch test firmware (L500XXU2ZZH2) for the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic to its servers.
• The new firmware specifically targets the Watch 8 Classic, making it one of the first older models (outside the new Watch 9 series) to get public beta access.
• This build runs on a newer bootloader version. Once you install it, rolling back to the previous software won't be possible.

Samsung is moving closer to bringing One UI 9 Watch to older Galaxy smartwatches, and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic seems to be among the first to receive it. A new test build has appeared on Samsung’s test servers, which could be a sign that a public beta could be launched soon.

As per the screenshots shared by Tarun Vats on X, Samsung has uploaded the firmware with build number L500XXU2ZZH2/L500OXM2ZZH2 for the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic. Just because the software is ready doesn’t mean the beta will be available quite yet, but it’s a strong indication that Samsung is preparing to get things started soon.

Samsung's smartwatch software usually goes through a few internal builds before it makes it to users. The test-server listing also suggests that downgrade might not be possible after the update is installed, and the new firmware seems to be built on a newer bootloader version.

This is important for anyone looking to get into the beta early. The software is still in testing, so expect unfinished features, bugs, and compatibility issues. If you rely on your smartwatch for notifications, exercise, or health monitoring, it might not be the best idea to put it on your everyday watch.

While Samsung hasn’t made an official statement regarding the beta program, the leaked build suggests that the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic could be one of the first devices, apart from the Galaxy Watch 9 series, to get access.

There is a bigger reason to follow this rollout. Samsung's Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 already ship with One UI 9 Watch based on Wear OS 7, so there's little reason for Samsung to now withhold the update from older models. If Samsung holds to its usual rollout pattern, the beta could be here in the next few weeks.

Back to school season is here, and if you're looking to get equipped with the latest Android tech before the semester starts, you're in luck: Amazon just launched a sale that's slashing prices on dozens of our favorite devices.

Whether you're interested in a new smartphone, a laptop for studying, or a pair of noise-cancelling headphones to block out all distractions, all of the best Android deals from Amazon's sale can be found in this guide.

Of course, Amazon isn't the only retailer launching student-friendly deals ahead of the fall semester. You can find all of the latest shopping advice and deal coverage by yours truly by keeping an eye on our Back to School 2026 landing page. Didn't find anything today? Check back later: I'll keep adding relevant Amazon deals to this list for as long as it makes sense to do so.

• See the full list of deals during Amazon's Back to School sale

Smartphones

Laptops and tablets

Wearables

Headphones and earbuds

So, you need a pair of ANC earbuds. Recommendations usually start with the pairs that match your smartphone: AirPods, Pixel Buds, Galaxy Buds, OnePlus Buds, or Moto Buds. If you opt for a pair of ANC earbuds from a trusted audio brand instead, you're likely choosing between Sony and Bose. I've used both the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) for months, and they're the best of the best when it comes to active noise-cancellation power.

But there can only be one best. So, I decided to take the flagship Sony and Bose earbuds to three noisy places to see how each one cancels out unwanted sound. This isn't a lab test or a benchmark — it's a real-world showdown that reflects how the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) perform in everyday scenarios. While it was close, there was one pair of ANC earbuds I consistently preferred for its ANC power.

How the specs compare

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (Gen 2) use eight onboard microphones — four per earbud — to cancel out sound. Bose is using new AI-powered algorithms for active noise cancellation, but we don't know the specifics. The Sony WF-1000XM6 also has eight microphones split evenly between the two earbuds. Sony uses a custom QN3e processor for noise cancelation, and it's said to be 3x faster than its predecessor.

For this test, I took the Bose and Sony earbuds to loud places and tested their ANC performance. I placed the earbuds in my ears and listened for active noise cancellation without any music playing. Then, I raised the volume to a modest 50% and started playing music to see how environmental noise is perceived at a comfortable listening level.

This test is purely gauging the earbuds' ANC chops. It ignores sound quality, battery life, call quality, and other features, but every detail is covered in our full reviews of the Sony WF-1000XM6 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (Gen 2).

I wore Sony and Bose earbuds in a noisy coffee shop

The first place I took the Sony and Bose earbuds to was my local coffee shop. I'm regularly working from a cafe, and it's a great environment. Good vibes, superb lattes, and free Wi-Fi. The one problem every digital nomad has run into is the noise. Loud espresso machines, constant chatter, and noisy foot traffic can quickly lead to distractions. The obvious solution to this issue is a pair of ANC earbuds, and that's why I brought the WF-1000XM6 and the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (Gen 2) along with me.

Active noise cancellation works best with consistent noise, which is why environments like a coffee shop can trip up ANC earbuds. Sudden bursts of loud conversation or intermittent machinery can pierce the ANC barrier. When I wore the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (Gen 2) without music playing, most background noise and the radio music turned to silence. However, I could still hear laughter, the espresso machine screeching, and chairs sliding around.

I then switched to the WF-1000XM6, but Sony's earbuds struggled to cancel out the mid-frequency environmental noise. Without music playing through my earbuds, I could still hear the music from the overhead radio speakers and make out nearby conversations. Interestingly, the high-pitched sounds that broke through Bose's ANC bubble were suppressed by the Sony earbuds.

Starting to play music through each pair of earbuds at 50% volume made their flaws virtually indistinguishable. With music playing, the Sony WF-1000XM6 blocked out nearly all audible background noise. The same was mostly true of the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (Gen 2), except for lighter tracks with strong vocals and minimal production.

In this test, I preferred the ANC power of the Bose earbuds. I really didn't like that the Sony earbuds did little to block out the chatter and background music in the coffee shop, which can be distracting.

I wore Sony and Bose earbuds under a rumbling AC unit

Your air conditioning unit might be producing the loudest sound in your home. I live in the Arizona desert, so my AC is running almost nonstop this time of year. Using a sound measurement tool, I recorded my AC's noise level to be 60 decibels. That's quite loud, so I sat right underneath my air conditioner and put the Bose and Sony earbuds in my ears. These low-frequency hums and rumbles coming from your AC unit pose a challenge for even the best ANC earbuds.

Both earbuds nearly canceled out the AC unit's loud noise, but the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (Gen 2) did a better job. While the Sony WF-1000XM6 made the noise less irritating, it was still there. The Bose earbuds, by comparison, made the AC unit sound silent — even without music playing. After choosing a song and setting the volume at 50%, neither pair of earbuds had a problem blocking out the annoying rumble of my air conditioner.

In this test, the win goes to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (Gen 2). Based on the results of the first two tests, it seems like the Sony WF-1000XM6 isn't quite as good at negating low- and mid-frequency sounds.

I wore Sony and Bose earbuds throughout a crowded shopping mall

For the final test, I took the Bose and Sony earbuds to the loudest place I could think of: a crowded shopping mall on a Friday night. I walked through a supermarket, a food court, and the concourse to get a feel for how each pair of earbuds responded to the noisy environments. Unlike the first two tests, which relied heavily on low- and mid-frequency background noise, the most challenging sounds to cancel out here were in the high-frequency range.

Sony's WF-1000XM6 earbuds actually did a better job blocking out the conversations and chatter around me in the wall, and I have a hunch as to why. There was so much talking going on that all the voices blended together into a kind of white noise the Sony buds easily canceled out. This could be why the WF-1000XM6 stopped voices in their tracks here, but didn't perform as well in the less-crowded coffee shop.

In the food court, the Sony earbuds' ability to block out higher-end sounds shined. The sizzle of frying pans and the clanking of utensils were mitigated by the WF-1000XM6, whereas they were much easier to hear through the Bose earbuds. Even at 50% volume, I could still hear some of those high-pitched noises while wearing the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (Gen 2).

The two pairs of earbuds didn't stand a chance at canceling out the infrequent PA announcements in the food court, but this isn't surprising. Overall, the Sony earbuds won in the mall. The chatter all blending together, paired with the high-pitched nuisance sounds, gave the WF-1000XM6 the perfect environment to put its ANC strengths on display.

Verdict

Looking back on my week of ANC testing both the Bose and Sony earbuds, the winner on paper seems clear. More often than not, the Bose earbuds canceled out noise better than the Sony earbuds. Still, I'm not ready to write off the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds. I actually enjoyed wearing them for active noise cancellation more than the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (Gen 2), because the Sony earbuds are decidedly more comfortable.

They're smaller, and don't make as tight of a seal in your ear as the Bose earbuds. Perceived ANC power has as much to do with passive sound isolation as it does active algorithmic cancellation. The very reason the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (Gen 2) performed well might also be the reason I wanted to pull them out of my ears during longer listening sessions. While I found the Bose earbuds canceled out more noise on most tests, I'd reach for the Sony earbuds for their comfort anyway.

What you need to know

• The Minimal Phone 2 swaps the original’s E Ink panel for a 3.92-inch 90Hz AMOLED display.
• You still get the physical keyboard, now upgraded with backlighting, remappable shortcuts, and metal dome switches.
• A curved aluminum body replaces the original’s boxy shell, while the front camera moves above the display.

The company that built a phone around making screens deliberately boring just gave its sequel a gorgeous OLED panel. Yes, the Minimal Phone 2 has ditched the E Ink display that made the original what it was and replaced it with a 3.92-inch 90Hz AMOLED screen.

Why the sudden U-turn? Because the original model with an E Ink panel, while great for reducing distractions, was genuinely painful to use. Owners complained of ghosting, sluggish animations, and a display that made anything but reading text a chore.

The Minimal Company seems to have decided that this intentional friction doesn’t have to mean unusable. Founder Armen Youssefian had posted the first renders of the sequel on X, which already hinted at a full visual overhaul.

Thank goodness, the physical QWERTY keyboard survives the transition, but now it sports backlit keys and remappable shortcuts and employs metal dome switches. The design language also changed from a blocky, sharp-edged shell to a curved aluminum body in black or silver. The front-facing camera was finally moved to a sensible place above the display, rather than hiding near the Alt key.

Under the hood, the phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 with 8GB RAM and up to 512GB storage, per the company’s Kickstarter listing. You also get a physical mute switch, NFC, and, surprisingly, a 3.5mm headphone jack. But this old-school charm comes in a noticeably smaller footprint than its predecessor.

There is a lot we still do not understand. Questions remain about pricing and launch date. The company first opened a waitlist for early-bird access, but the phone has since moved to crowdfunding, giving potential buyers a more clear-cut way to back it.

The Kickstarter campaign has already exceeded its goal, raising more than $650,000 from over 1,000 backers. So, this thing is happening. The big question is: Does an AMOLED screen on a "minimal" phone defeat the entire purpose or finally make the QWERTY-powered experience actually usable daily? We’ll see when it releases to consumers, but if you’ve been itching for a modern BlackBerry-esque device without the E Ink compromise, this could be your play.

Usually, when a new smartphone model is about to come out, our advice is simple: wait. Either you end up liking the new one or get a sweet discount on the old one. Thanks to the AI boom, that isn't a cardinal rule anymore. Older models aren't seeing the drastic price decreases we're used to, and new models are more likely to launch with higher prices than ever before. So, if you're in the market for a new Pixel phone, should you wait or buy now?

Google is set to launch the Pixel 11 this week, but there's a case for buying your next Pixel phone right now. We've seen recent discounts on every mainline Pixel 10 phone, and there's one attractive Pixel model with a price that could make you forget about the Pixel 11 series entirely. That said, if you don't want to miss out on your chance to score the latest and greatest Pixel, the Pixel 11 might be worth the wait. As you can see, there's a lot to consider, so let's break down the cases for buying a Pixel now or waiting for the Pixel 11.

The case for buying a Google Pixel 10 now

If you like the Pixel 10 series as-is and want to avoid a potential price hike, there's certainly a reason to buy one of Google's phones now. Since the Pixel 11 series is expected to shed the 128GB model and make the 256GB configuration the default, some phones will cost more. According to pricing leaks, the Pixel 11 will start at $899, the Pixel 11 Pro will cost $1,099, and the Pixel 11 Pro XL will cost $1,299. That's quite the jump — $100 more for every non-foldable phone.

This puts the Pixel 11 Pro XL in the same tier as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, which costs $1,299 as well. Of course, we'll have to see what the Pixel 11 Pro XL holds, but that might give prospective buyers pause. Samsung flagships typically offer better performance with fast Snapdragon chips that trounce Google's Tensor chips in benchmarks. If you have $1,299 to spend, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is often the default pick, and Google will have to prove the Pixel 11 Pro XL belongs in that conversation.

Those that aren't eager to spend $100 more for the Pixel 11 series might be better off buying a Pixel 10 phone now. The Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL are both slightly discounted on Amazon currently, but the deal looks better when you consider the impending possibility of a Pixel 11 price hike. The Pixel 10 isn't seeing major discounts at the moment. I see the case for buying a Pixel 10 now, but it would sting knowing we just saw major Pixel 10 deals during Prime Day.

The Pixel 10 series' price history makes me less inclined to buy the three mainline models now. The budget Pixel 10a is a different story, though. It's discounted to just $424 at the Google Store right now. This is the best bang-for-your-buck Android phone on the market, and it's a breath of fresh air at a time when flagship prices keep rising. If you think the Pixel 10a's budget hardware would meet your needs, I think it's worth buying now instead of waiting for the Pixel 11.

The case for waiting for the Google Pixel 11

We're always looking toward the next best thing, and the Pixel 11 appears to be just that. Leaks and rumors paint an early picture of what the Google Pixel 11 might look like, and how it would improve on the Pixel 10 series. It's a good bet that the Pixel 11 will be powered by the Tensor G6 chipset, which could be built on a 2nm process to improve processing power and efficiency. The design looks similar to the Pixel 10, according to renders, but we're on the lookout for potential display, battery, and camera upgrades.

The question you should ask yourself is: what does the Pixel 11 series have to upgrade to make it worth the rumored $100 price hike? If your wishlist includes super-fast charging or Snapdragon-like performance, you might be underwhelmed. In that case, you may be better off buying a Pixel 10 or Galaxy S26 series phone instead. But if you have more modest aspirations, like better optimizations and slightly improved hardware, the Pixel 11 could be worth the wait.

One neat Pixel 11 rumor is that the phone could sport a glow light on the back, possibly called Pixel Glow or Pixel HiLight. It'd be a novelty similar to that of Nothing's Glyph Interface. For those tired of iPhones, Pixels, and Galaxys all looking mostly the same, a quirk like this could make the Pixel 11 worth waiting for.

Specs and rumors aside, you should wait for the Pixel 11 if you want to take advantage of carrier promotions, trade-in deals, or pre-order deals. There are pros and cons to carrier promos and trade-ins — you enter a restrictive carrier contract and/or give up your old device in exchange for massive savings on a new one. Not everyone should enter into a carrier contract to get the Pixel 11.

However, if you're willing to make that decision, you will likely get the Pixel 11 for cheaper than a Pixel 10 currently costs at full price.

How I'd spend my money

If I were in the market for a new phone, I'd take a long look at whether the Google Pixel 10a could meet my needs. I tested that phone for weeks this year, and it offers long battery life, decent performance, and solid hardware for a fraction of the price of new flagships. You can get one brand-new from Google for about a third of what the flagship Pixel 11 Pro XL will likely cost. To me, it's a no-brainer if you can live with the device's few compromises.

If you're more interested in the mainline Pixel 10 or Pixel 11 models, waiting is probably your best strategy. The Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL all saw major and enticing discounts over the summer, but the current deals are uninspiring by comparison. Instead of taking a small discount and getting a last-gen device, it's worth waiting for the Pixel 11.

There is a chance the Pixel 10 goes on sale again, especially as we approach Black Friday season. Or, you could be impressed by what Google has to offer and snag a Pixel 11 when it's available.

Made by Google 2026 is almost here — this is where the Pixel 11 will be officially revealed. Stay tuned for our coverage leading up to, throughout, and following the event, which begins Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. EDT.

TL;DR: T-Mobile will give you the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 for FREE when you add a line with the Watch Plan Plus 2.0 plan.

Samsung's newest smartwatches finally hit store shelves last week, but if you weren't being vigilant, you could've completely missed that one of the best Galaxy Watch 9 deals is still going strong at T-Mobile.

This leftover preorder offer will get you the flagship smartwatch for completely FREE when you add a line with Watch Plan Plus 2.0 on the carrier's site. No trade-in required!

That's a whopping $430 in savings on the 40mm version of the watch. Need something bigger? You can apply the same discount to the 44mm version or even the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 if you need a bit more power. The choice is yours. 

Samsung's newest smartwatch is FREE at T-Mobile

• See my guide to the best T-Mobile deals of August 2026

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 takes the foundation of its excellent predecessor and adds a new Snapdragon processor and a larger battery without increasing the size or weight. The result is a sleek, lightweight smartwatch that doesn't skimp on premium specs and innovative Galaxy AI software features. 

Just like the Galaxy Watch 8, the new model still features a vibrant AMOLED display with 32GB of onboard storage, plus you get dual-band GPS tracking, IP68 with 5ATM water resistance, and a powerful BioActive sensor with ultra-accurate health and fitness tracking capabilities.

So what's the catch? Well, as I mentioned above, you'll need to pay the $35 activation fee and sign up for the Watch Plan Plus 2.0 plan to enjoy the $430 discount. This plan costs just $15 per month and gives you unlimited talk, text, and data directly from your smartwatch, in addition to unlimited texting and 5GB of data in over 215 countries worldwide (15GB of data in Mexico and Canada). 

What you need to know

• Hands-on images show the matte black model and "Dune" retail box for the Pixel 11 Pro XL.
• The images were apparently sourced from carrier demo units arriving in the US ahead of the August 12 launch.
• A larger LED module on the camera bar dubbed "HiLight" could act as an RGB notification light, even when the phone is face down.

Google usually tries to keep its flagship hardware under wraps until launch day, but carrier store inventory has spoiled the surprise yet again. Just days before the official Made by Google event, hands-on images of the Pixel 11 Pro XL have emerged online, giving us a look at the real-world design of Google’s upcoming flagship phone.

Images posted by @PixelNewsHub on X reveal what are claimed to be carrier demo units on their way to US stores. The images give us a crisp look at an all-matte black model, as well as retail packaging for a fresh colorway rumored to be either “Dune” or “Canyon.”

The design is very similar to last year’s, but upon closer inspection, there are some hardware updates. The lenses on the camera bar look to protrude a lot more this time around. Then there’s the larger LED module, which Google apparently calls "HiLight."

Previous leaks hint that the HiLight LED is an RGB notification light that sits on the camera bar and keeps lighting up even when your phone is face down. Gemini is also supposed to give visual alerts for certain contacts or pulse when you message it.

Of course, no Pixel launch would be complete without a little bit of drama. Reports from Turkey say that black market copies of the boxed Pixel 11 Pro XL are already available for $1,700, a bit above the rumored starting price of $1,299.

That said, it appears that Google is sticking with the familiar Pixel silhouette, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But with the Tensor G6 chipset, a rumored $899 base model price (and no more 128GB option), and this mysterious HiLight feature, the Pixel 11 series has some questions to answer. We will know all for sure on August 12.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 surprised me. As someone who has not been a big fan of book-style foldables and generally prefers flip phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 seems to flip everything on its head. In fact, given its small stature, it sits somewhere in the Goldilocks zone between both types of foldables.

I think this is why I like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 so much. I was ready to dismiss the new design when I saw leaks of the phone, but as soon as I put it in my hand, something clicked, and in my two weeks of testing, the phone has been a joy to use. Between the pocketability, the performance, and the price, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 might be the ideal foldable phone for most buyers, although you'll have to deal with a few compromises.

It's a little strange that Samsung popularized the current foldable design, only to shift to a form factor that few others have tried and abandoned. That said, Samsung's iteration seems to take the design a bit further by incorporating a shorter chassis and wider displays.

The result is a phone that feels admittedly very different from what we're used to, especially following the advent of taller smartphone displays. But holding the phone sort of puts the whole thing into perspective; it's thin and light, and nearly the entire phone fits in the palm of my hand. That's important for reachability, something that taller smartphones seem to have forgotten is still important.

It's literally the size of my passport, and it fits in my pocket better than any other smartphone I've used in recent years, including flip phones like the Motorola Razr Ultra.

Part of my original concern was how apps would scale to this odd 16:10 aspect ratio on the external display, and my concerns were mostly unfounded, although not completely.

Vertical videos are still watchable on the external display, and while the minimum black bars on the sides may annoy some, I don't mind them. I actually like that the app’s UI elements are pushed away from the video. Watching longer-form videos like movies, TV shows, and YouTube also feels pretty natural on the external display.

The downside of having such a short, wide external display is that app content is a bit condensed, and there are times when I find myself scrolling more than I normally would because of the lack of vertical real estate.

This can be addressed somewhat when you open the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to reveal the surprisingly seamless and tablet-like display.

The wider aspect ratio reminds me of how I felt when I first saw the Galaxy Z TriFold: this is exactly how a foldable phone should feel, like a phone when closed and a tablet when open. It also helps that the new Titanium Flex display makes for a barely noticeable crease. If Apple's been waiting to get rid of the crease for its eventual foldable, now is definitely the time.

Videos are also a joy to watch on the larger display, and there are fewer black bars on the top and bottom, at least compared to the Ultra.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 also acts like a tablet when it's open. That means apps like Gmail, YouTube Music, and Chrome open in tablet mode, and you can pull up a taskbar of apps at the bottom from just about any screen.

Oddly enough, there's no support for the Flex Mode panel, which is on both the Fold 8 Ultra and Flip 8. That's because the hinge can't really be freely adjusted to stay at different angles, especially beyond 90 degrees. It's a bit of a missed opportunity for viewing content.

But the wider display means better multitasking. One thing I love about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is that you can use three apps side by side, instead of having one app take up a full side and two apps split in half on the other. And of course you can drag and drop content between apps and resize them to your liking.

Another benefit the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has over the more square Ultra is that the wider display gives you more options for app layouts. Sure, I can use apps like Instagram or read ebooks in a horizontal orientation, but I can turn the phone and use the app vertically so that certain content fits the screen better.

Of course, not all apps will scale very well on either display. That mostly goes for games, and while some like Honkai: Star Rail look just fine on either panel, Pokémon Go doesn't look very good on the inner display. Scaling is very awkward for this game and for a lot of other vertically oriented games as well, and you're like I'm going to have to fiddle around with the scaling options to find a fit that works for you.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy and base 12GB of RAM help the Fold 8 perform just as well as you'd expect, with no hiccups. That said, I notice that the phone gets pretty warm, mostly when gaming, and I imagine it's due to the phone's small stature.

The small chassis also means there's not much room for a huge battery. The 4,800mAh battery should get you through most of the day, although now that Samsung is using silicone carbon batteries, I feel that the company could have squeezed in its larger-capacity unit. After all, the smaller Razr Ultra 2026 squeezed in a 5,000mAh battery with much faster charging.

There are plenty of AI features scattered throughout One UI 9, although admittedly they're the least interesting thing about the Galaxy Z Fold 8. If you can stand using Samsung Keyboard, which is still pretty bad, you'll get access to many of Samsung's Galaxy AI features like writing tools, translation, and Gemini Intelligence.

When I receive a message, for instance, the AI will suggest responses based on the conversation, and even gave me prompts in German when a friend of mine texted “Danke," which I found pretty fun. It also suggests certain actions, like opening my calendar when my friend asked if I was back in town after a long trip, or sending my location when another friend asked how my trip was going.

And of course, with Gemini intelligence, you can have it perform actions on your behalf, and it supports even more apps than before.

One of the highlight features on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is My FanCam, which can pinpoint a person in a video and focus on them, allowing you to crop out the rest of the video so that it's social media-ready. It's actually quite ingenious, and the result is often better than I expect.

The phone does a good job keeping up with the subject, wherever they happen to be in the video, although the camera movements can be a bit wobbly when tracking subjects. Still, it saves me a ton of time having to edit the videos manually.

As for the cameras, the dual 50MP sensors on the back can capture decent images, and you can see my Galaxy Z Fold 8 camera review/comparison for more on that. There is no telephoto sensor, which is also likely due to the phone's limited space. On the plus side, Samsung included new video capture features the creators will love, such as the ability to capture LOG video or add LUTs to give your videos a dramatic look.

This is one of the things I loved about using LG smartphones like the V30, so I'm glad to see it here.

Should you buy the Galaxy Z Fold 8?

Th writing has been on the wall for some time that the era of modern flip phones may be coming to an end. Samsung hasn't said anything about it, but reports have pointed to the rising popularity of book-style foldables, so much so that even Motorola has joined the party.

If there's one phone that I can see killing the flip phone and taking foldables truly mainstream, it's the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It may not have all the Ultra features of its sibling, but it brings much of that added utility of a larger foldable to a smaller, more pocketable, and much more affordable form factor. And it's a damn joy to use.

Qualcomm is making major strides in mobile processing by introducing custom Oryon cores in a smartphone processor. Now, the generational improvements have made their way across Qualcomm's chip portfolio — even to processors that don't bear the "Elite" branding.

This makes it tricky to compare the performance capabilities across smartphone models and chip generations. For instance, Motorola's new Razr Ultra 2026 is powered by the last-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. By comparison, the Razr Fold runs on a newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 mobile platform, just the non-Elite version.

I wanted to see whether an older Elite chip or a newer "base" chip offered better performance, so I put the Razr Ultra 2026 and the Razr Fold through a six-text benchmark gauntlet. The results weren't what I expected.

How I tested the Razr flagships

I put the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 and the Motorola Razr Fold through a series of six tests, each designed to gauge a specific aspect of device performance. To test CPU performance, which affects how snappy your device feels when opening apps and during basic use, I used both Geekbench 6 and Geekbench 7. For on-device AI testing, I ran Geekbench AI and its TensorFlow Lite framework. To see how the phones handled gaming and graphics-based tests, I ran 3DMark's Wild Life Extreme benchmark and stress test.

I ran each benchmark test three times, starting the next run immediately after the first one finished. This provides a clean average of the results that is more representative of real-world performance than a single run. Running the benchmark trials in quick succession hints at how the Razr Ultra 2026 and the Motorola Razr Fold handle sustained loads, and whether the phones experience major thermal throttling.

After completing three runs of each benchmark test, I allowed the phones to cool down before beginning the next test. This ensures the strain of former tests isn't impacting the performance of a current test.

CPU and AI benchmark performance

The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip inside the Razr Ultra 2026 features two prime CPU cores that can be clocked up to 4.32GHz, plus six more performance CPU cores that can reach 3.53GHz. Meanwhile, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip inside the Razr Fold is built on newer Oryon Gen 3 prime CPU cores, but they are only clocked at up to 3.8GHz. The processor's six performance CPU cores can hit up to 3.32GHz.

So, the older Elite chip offers higher clock speeds, and the base Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip has newer prime cores. Since the two chips have the same number of prime and performance CPU cores, the Razr Ultra 2026 and the Razr Fold's benchmark results should be in the same ballpark. Let's see how they turned out.

In Geekbench 6, the older Snapdragon 8 Elite chip consistently beat the newer base Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor by a few hundred points in single-core CPU performance. The Razr Fold averaged a 2,593 single-core score, whereas the Razr Ultra 2026 averaged a 2,791 single-core score. This kind of performance is what makes your phone feel fast when opening apps, loading webpages, or navigating the UI. Despite the Razr Ultra 2026's older chip and constrained form factor, the Elite processor still wins here.

As for multi-core performance, the Razr Fold manages to pull more out of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5's eight CPU cores. The newer, base chip's best benchmark run resulted in a multi-core score of 8,809, and an average of 8,559. The Razr Ultra 2026 was notably behind, putting up an 8,268 multi-core score. Essentially, this means the Razr Fold's non-Elite chip will be better for multitasking and parallel workloads than the Razr Ultra 2026's older Elite chip — at least as configured here.

In terms of performance trends, each phone unsurprisingly posted its best result on the first try. However, the three CPU tests didn't cause either phone to noticeably throttle. The results for the second and third trials weren't too far off what we saw in the first run.

Geekbench 6 is widely used for smartphone comparisons and chip benchmarking, but Geekbench 7 is here. This updated test offers "both new and improved workloads to measure the performance of your CPUs and GPUs." In other words, it's better built to test how phones and chips will handle the demanding AI and media workflows used in 2026.

The results painted a different picture. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip in the Razr Fold was better at multi-core performance in the Geekbench 6 test, the opposite was true using the Geekbench 7 benchmark. The older Snapdragon 8 Elite processor in the Razr Ultra 2026 posted multi-core scores as much as over 1,000 points higher than the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip in the Razr Fold.

Single-core performance was about the same across the two phones and chips. The shift in multi-core performance does beg the question: Is the older Elite chip actually better-positioned for modern multitasking?

If you care about on-device AI performance, it seems having a newer chip is more important than having an "Elite" one. The base Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 averaged a Geekbench AI quantized score of 3,932, whereas the Snapdragon 8 Elite was further behind with an average score of 3,245.

GPU benchmark performance

Perhaps the most surprising part of this test was seeing the difference in GPU performance between the two Motorola flagships. I used 3D Mark's Wild Life Extreme, a 4K UHD gaming benchmark, to push each phone and processor to its limits in a one-minute test. The results were clear: the older Elite chip in the Razr Ultra 2026 is better for gaming and graphics-heavy tasks.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor in the Razr Ultra 2026 averaged 32.36 frames per second across the three minute-long trials. Meanwhile, the Razr Fold could only muster a 25.04 average FPS. The final scores showed the same result: the Razr Ultra 2026 averaged a 5,404 overall score, while the Razr Fold averaged a 4,181 overall score. I should note that I ran every test on the Razr Fold's cover display, so the foldable wasn't being penalized for having a larger internal screen.

Keen-eyed readers will notice that the Razr Ultra 2026's graphics performance really started to tail off in the third trial. Frame rates dipped under 30FPS, and the overall score was nearly 1,000 points lower than the first trial. This is a sign of thermal throttling, and it's a foreshadowing of what happened in our final test.

Before that, though, we have the Geekbench 7 GPU benchmark results. Oddly, each phone performed at its worst in the first trial run. Performance stabilized in the second and third runs, which is the opposite of what we're used to seeing. The Razr Fold had the highest-scoring trial, but the Razr Ultra 2026 finished with a higher average score.

Stress test results

My final test was 3DMark's Wild Life Extreme stress test. It's one of my favorite tests to run on phones, because it's excellent at showing how they will perform under sustained heavy loads.

Specifically, the Wild Life Extreme stress test forces phones to render high-resolution 4K UHD game visuals for 20 minutes. Rather than providing a single score at the end, the stress test shows how performance and temperature changed over time throughout the 20-minute test.

I planned to make a big chart showing how the Razr Fold and Razr Ultra 2026 performed under heavy loads, but I couldn't. That's because the Razr Ultra 2026 couldn't finish the stress test without overheating, and it didn't even come close.

Just a few minutes into each stress test attempt, the Razr Ultra 2026 overheated and force-stopped the Wild Life Extreme stress test. This is certainly a bad result, and it's a sign that the Elite chip might be a tad bit too powerful for the small form factor of a clamshell foldable.

The Razr Fold and its Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip did complete the stress test with 56.5% stability. This isn't the best I've seen, but it isn't the worst either. The phone's highest stress test loop score was 4,946, and the lowest was 2,801, so there's a lot of fluctuation. It does thermal throttle, but hey, it finished.

The stress test results (or lack thereof) show why we can't just stop at classic benchmarks when evaluating phones and chips. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip in the Razr Ultra 2026 is better in benchmarks, but the stress test failure proves you'll never be able to maximize it in sustained loads.

Verdict

Overall, it's clear that whether a phone has an Elite chip or not shouldn't factor highly into your purchasing decision. It's true that the older Snapdragon 8 Elite chip did outperform the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chips on a few occasions. However, the newer design of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 helped it come out ahead in on-device AI performance. If anything, the takeaway here is that a base Snapdragon chip is better than an Elite chip that runs too hot for your phone to handle.

"Hold on, hold on. What's going on here?" my coach asked as he noticed me wearing four watches before I went out running. I often wear two watches to the gym because I'm constantly comparing them, but I've never worn four before, and that was clearly enough to raise eyebrows.

After explaining the article you're currently reading, in which I wear four smartwatches through a series of tests, he laughed and told me I must have a fun job. Indeed, I do! But the results of the test should be a real help to anyone looking to buy a smartwatch this year (and help save some money in the process).

So stick with me as I run through my past week, in which I wore four smartwatches to sleep, every time I ran during my half-marathon Spartan training, and during a full 5K Spartan race over the weekend.

Starting off with a good night's sleep

I would never recommend sleeping with four smartwatches on, but I will say that it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as I had been dreading. Most smartwatches collect the same sleep data, but every so often you'll find a watch that does something different. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, for example, included a skin temperature measurement, measured against a baseline it had determined in the past 2 weeks since I started wearing it.

Of all the watches I wore, the Honor Watch 6 showed the least data. Most of it is holed up in a sleep analysis section that gives you percentages and glanceable "normal," "high," and "low" ranges so you don't have to dive deep. That's good because I couldn't figure out how to dive deep into this data.

The OnePlus Watch 3 43mm offered a better look at the data, but it didn't include as many data points (like SpO2 or breathing quality). The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 did a great overall job, but it seems like it's a bit more sensitive to my restless sleep than the other watches.

Overall, I felt like the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro's data was the most accurate. I know I woke up more than 2 times (which the Honor and OnePlus watches say), but there's no chance I was up 18 times as Samsung suggests. The T-Rex 3 Pro has a temperature sensor onboard, but apparently, it doesn't include this data for sleep. Weird choice, but that terrible 54 sleep score lines up with how I felt when I woke up, not the 72 Samsung gave me.

Time for a run (or four)

I began training for a Spartan Beast a few weeks ago using Amazfit's incredible running coach feature because I already felt confident in the watch's ability to accurately measure everything. Since I had already been comparing the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro to every other watch I've worn over the past few years, it made sense to keep it on for this comparison.

My intuition wasn't wrong. Looking at the map data above, where I ran 2.5 miles over two loops around this Walmart and the surrounding business park, things look pretty even until you zoom in. I broke off sections of the track so you can see the GPS tracking discrepancies between the watches.

Overall, the OnePlus Watch 3 43mm was the least accurate (genuinely a surprise to me), while the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro tied for first. The Honor Watch 6 also did an excellent job, but there were two points on the map with notable tree cover that showed me running in the road instead of on the sidewalk, while the other two kept me on the side of the road.

As I dove deeper into the rest of the data, I found a consistent pattern among all four watches. In each data point, there was a clear outlier. The Honor Watch 6, for example, got the altitude all wrong, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 completely fumbled the cadence measurement.

The OnePlus Watch 3 43mm had some very strange spikes and dips in speed, almost assuredly owing to the GPS tracking issues I mentioned earlier, while all four watches tied for heart rate accuracy. Notably, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro didn't show up as an outlier on any of the data points, owing to its excellent overall accuracy.

One Spartan Race to finish it off

As I approached the Spartan Race, it was clear that Amazfit and Samsung were leading the pack here. Since I had to wear an RFID bracelet and a separate time bracelet for the race, I only had room for two smartwatches, so this was going to be between the winners.

I don't see any obvious discrepancies in the GPS data between the two watches. Clearly, each is slightly different from the other, but it's impossible to tell which one is right since this is a trail course. I'll give this section a tie.

You'll need to click the expand button on the image above and zoom in to see all the details, but once you do, you'll understand why Amazfit did a better job of tracking this race. In the heart rate data, you'll see three points where the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 did something weird. Just after 9:20 and around 10:05, it registered a far lower heart rate than I actually had.

Then, around 10:46-10:50, it seems to have failed to get a heart rate at all. Strangely enough, that same lapse in data also appears in the speed and cadence graphs. While both watches were dead-on with speed data and mostly similar with altitude, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 wildly messed up my running cadence, which happened during other runs I've gone on with this watch, too.

This particular Spartan Race was both very busy and extremely muddy, causing quite a bit of backup at each obstacle. On the cadence graph, you can see where the Amazefit T-Rex 3 Pro properly measured me not moving while waiting in line, yet the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 seems to think these moments didn't happen. Trust me, I was frustrated enough to remember them, and that's enough to give the T-Rex 3 Pro the win.

Truly amaze

The Amazefit T-Rex 3 Pro has been my go-to smartwatch for the past two years, and it's no wonder, with the results I've seen over the past week. While several watches have caught my attention since then, this one is consistently the most reliable and one of the most feature-rich.

Aside from being a great watch, the Zepp app that powers the experience is second to none. The UI is excellent; it's got a ton of amazing features (like this AI-powered food logging feature), and the subscription is only necessary if you want additional AI-powered insights, which I haven't typically used in the past. All in all, it's easily my favorite workout companion and an experience I think fitness fans will love.

Samsung makes some of the best camera phones in the ever-shrinking North American market. With the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra hitting the market, I decided to take their cameras for a spin, taking 1,000 photos between both phones to get a good idea of how they perform.

Beyond just testing the cameras of Samsung's newest foldables, I also took the time to compare the camera performance to two of my favorite foldables: the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 and Razr Fold. Motorola has come a long way, and the Fold has proven that the company knows how to make a good camera.

How I tested them

I've been testing the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra since their launch on July 22. I captured photos in various scenarios and environments, using both devices alongside the Razr Ultra 2026 and Razr Fold.

I didn't fiddle with any settings or tap a subject in the viewfinder to adjust the exposure; all of these were just point-and-shoot.

Juggling four phones isn't easy, and it isn't the most scientific method, but I tried to keep things as fair as possible. I made sure to capture photos with the same or similar composition across devices. Still, there may be some slight differences between photos.

Also, for the sake of my sanity (and your time), I'm not uploading all 1,000 photos I captured with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series. However, I have selected a number of images that I think best represent the capabilities of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series in different situations.

Note: Click the expand button in the corner for a better view of the images.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Between the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra, the hardware differences are quite massive. The former sticks to two 50MP cameras, while the latter has a massive 200MP primary sensor and a third telephoto camera. The result is noticeably more detail in the Fold 8 Ultra's images, while the Fold 8 tends to lean a bit softer.

That goes for color as well; images from the Fold 8 Ultra tend to be punchier, while the Fold 8 tends to appear a bit muted. I find I prefer the Ultra's images, although it can go a bit overboard with saturation, especially when it comes to the color red.

This is the complete opposite for the ultrawide sensor, which is punchier on the Fold 8, and I tend to prefer these images over the Fold 8 Ultra's ultrawide.

Both phones do relatively okay when it comes to selfies and portrait images, although I still feel like they lack proper tuning for skin tones like mine.

The Ultra clearly has the upper hand with zoom. The Fold 8 can take 2x shots at optical quality, but anything beyond that and you'll see the quality drop. In most cases, images for the Ultra appear much cleaner, while the Fold 8 can sometimes struggle to produce the necessary detail.

Sometimes the Fold 8 gets it right, and while the AI is clearly putting in some work to make up for the lack of a telephoto camera, things like text can appear sharper on the Fold 8 compared to the more natural processing from the Ultra's optical sensor. Still, the Fold 8 isn't as consistent with zoom shots, and your best bet is to stick with 2x.

Both phones do a decent job with challenging lighting, but I wouldn't say either excels. Photos are often a tad noisy, though this is more of an issue with the base Fold 8 than the Fold 8 Ultra, which often delivers cleaner, more detailed shots.

Overall, both phones have their strengths, and Samsung seems to have improved how its phones capture movement. I really like the ultrawide shots on the Fold 8, but the Fold 8 Ultra unsurprisingly comes out on top, with the 200MP primary camera bringing more vibrancy and detail to images, while the telephoto camera keeps zoom shots relatively clean.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Motorola Razr Ultra 2026

Both the Galaxy Fold 8 and Razr Ultra 2026 have dual 50MP cameras for wide and ultrawide shots. However, both phones handle color and lighting a bit differently. Regarding color reproduction, the Razr Ultra 2026 does a better job of staying true to the scene, while elements (like the sky) can be a bit more dramatic due to the added contrast and detail. The Fold 8 again feels a bit more muted in many scenes, but still does a decent job.

The Razr Ultra 2026 also handles trickier lighting situations a bit better, brightening subjects without adding a ton of noise in the process. However, the caveat is that while it does better with things like neon signs, my unit doesn't seem to like bright street lamps very much, as they can flare up and ruin a scene.

I also tend to prefer selfies on the Galaxy Z Fold 8's external front-facing camera, as the Razr Ultra tends to do some weird overprocessing. However, I find the Razr is better at portrait mode photos.

When it comes to zoom, neither phone excels here, and they tend to trade blows in detail, lighting, and color. Sometimes, I prefer the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and other times the Razr comes out on top. Either way, I don't think there's a winner here, as neither is particularly good beyond 2x zoom.

Overall, I think the Razr Ultra 2026 has the upper hand when it comes to just the point-and-shoot camera experience. That's not to say the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is bad, but there's a general lack of pop in its images. I think the camera could use some additional tuning, perhaps with future updates (which Samsung is good about).

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Motorola Razr Fold

The Fold 8 Ultra's 200MP camera should theoretically come out on top compared to the Razr Fold's 50MP sensor, right? Well, surprisingly, Motorola holds its own. Both phones bring plenty of detail to their images, and while photos from the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra can appear more vibrant, such as when taking photos of the sky or of water, the Razr Fold handles low-light situations better.

As you can see from the photo of the door or the floating planets, the Razr Fold's camera brings more light into a scene while keeping noise levels low. The alleyway also shows how the Razr Fold handles tricky lighting better, as you can see much more clearly into the distance than in the Fold 8 Ultra's photo. And I don't even know what happened with the Carnegie Library; the Fold 8's color is way off.

That said, the Fold 8 handles moving objects better than Motorola's, as the Razr Fold's post-processing can often result in a missed moment or a blurry subject. The Fold 8 Ultra also handles selfies better with its external front camera.

But what I was really curious about was how both phones handle zoom. This was a big highlight of my Motorola Razr Fold camera review, so I wanted to see if the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra was up to the challenge. Shockingly, that doesn't seem to be the case.

At 3x zoom, both phones are neck-and-neck, and unless you need to go any further than this, you should be fine with images from either phone. If you go beyond this point, however, Motorola's AI kicks in and handles a lot of the work, and it does a bang-up job doing it in most cases. Lines are cleaner, text is more legible, and you can see clearer figures of people from off at a distance of even 30x zoom.

That 30x zoom happens to be the limit of the Fold 8 Ultra's zoom capabilities, but perhaps Samsung should have limited it even further, because images at this level are not very usable. You can probably get away with decent 10x zoom photos, but more often than not, the Razr Fold will produce the better photo, regardless of the lighting (although there are some exceptions).

Verdict

Samsung doesn't make bad cameras, but it doesn't make the best cameras either. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra hold their own, and I don't think anyone would be particularly disappointed with either phone's camera.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is clearly not as good as its Ultra sibling, and it even falls behind Motorola's Razr Ultra 2026 in some areas. However, unless you're trying to zoom in really close or take photos in the dark, I think it's more than adequate.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the better of Samsung's latest foldables, and produces great images with vibrant colors and plenty of detail. However, its zoom capabilities leave a lot to be desired, especially compared to the Razr Fold, and I'm hoping Samsung can address this in future updates.

It's official: the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 has landed, and it doesn't disappoint. One problem, however, is that the innovative foldable now boasts a starting price of $1,199.99 for the 256GB configuration, which is $100 more expensive than its predecessor.

Fortunately, I'm already hard at work tracking down the best Galaxy Z Flip 8 deals so you don't have to go searching. The offers aren't quite as good as the promotions we saw during the preorder period, but you can still score some impressive savings if you know where to look. Keep reading for my recommendations on buying the brand new flip phone, and don't forget to check back later to see what's new: I'll keep adding new offers to this list as I find them.

Quick links

• The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra deals
  
• T-Mobile: Get the Z Flip 8 for $100 with eligible plan
• Samsung: up to $600 off with trade-in, free credit
• AT&T: up to $1,000 off with trade-in, new line
• Amazon: free $200 gift card
• Best Buy: free $200 gift card
• Xfinity Mobile: up to $1,000 off with trade-in

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 deals

FAQ

How much does the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 cost?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 will start at $1,199.99 / €1,299.00 / £1,149.00 for the 256GB configuration of the phone. That's $100 more expensive than last year's Galaxy Z Flip 7, which was already more expensive than its predecessor. This price increase is even further proof that no one is exempt from the ongoing RAM crisis, which is why finding good deals is so important nowadays.

I already own the Galaxy Z Flip 7. Is it worth upgrading?

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 and last year's Galaxy Z Flip 7 share a lot of similarities on the design and hardware side, especially at first glance. Both flip phones come with 12GB of RAM and a 4,300mAh battery, and they feature virtually identical camera systems and displays, although the Z Flip 8 does clock in at 8 grams lighter than its predecessor. The Z Flip 8 also uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, which is a bit more powerful than the last generation's Exynos chip.

Do these minor upgrades justify the $100 price increase? It's a tough call, but if you're already happy with your Galaxy Z Flip 7, I see no reason to rush to the store to grab the new phone. On the other hand, if you're a flip phone fanatic, the Z Flip 8 offers one of the best experiences around.

Samsung's new lineup of foldable phones has finally hit store shelves, but if you missed the preorder period, fear not: there are still plenty of Galaxy Z Fold 8 deals that are worth checking out today. Whether you want the ultra-wide Z Fold 8 or the super-powered Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, if you want to save money on these innovative Android phones, all of the web's best offers can be found in this guide.

Unlike some phone releases that feel purely perfunctory, Samsung is really changing things up with its newest book-style foldable phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 sports a brand new form factor that we've compared to a passport, while the brand new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is one of the largest foldables we've ever seen.

These phones aren't just pretty to look at, however. They also feature incredible specs under the hood, with powerful Snapdragon chips, useful AI-boosted software features, and years of guaranteed OS updates. Starting at $1,899, they're also pretty expensive, so I gathered all of the web's best Z Fold 8 deals in this guide. Didn't find anything yet? Check back later: we're sure to see more offers go live in the coming days.

Interested in Samsung's newest clamshell-style flip phone? I also put together a guide to the best Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 deals for your perusal.

Quick links

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 / Fold 8 Ultra hands-on review
  
  Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 deals - quick links
• T-Mobile: FREE Galaxy Z Fold 8 with eligible trade-in, new line
• Verizon: new line savings, trade-in deals
• Samsung: up to $1,000 of trade-in credit
• Amazon: free $350 gift card with purchase
• Best Buy: trade-in savings, free gift cards
• AT&T: FREE Z Fold 8 with eligible trade-in, new line
• Xfinity Mobile: up to $1,000 off with trade-in, new line
  
  Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra deals - quick links
• T-Mobile: up to $1,900 off Z Fold 8 Ultra with trade-in, new line
• Verizon: new line savings, trade-in deals
• Samsung: up to $1,000 of trade-in credit
• Amazon: free $350 gift card with purchase
• Best Buy: trade-in savings, free gift cards
• AT&T: up to $1,900 off with trade-in, new line
• Xfinity Mobile: up to $1,000 off with trade-in, new line

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 deals

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra deals

FAQ

How much does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 cost?

The new wide-style Galaxy Z Fold 8 is set to cost $1,899.99 for the 256GB version, while the Fold 8 Ultra will start at $2,099 USD. Samsung's foldable phones have always been expensive, but the ongoing RAM crisis has contributed to increased prices across the board. It's just one more reason why the above deals are so essential.

How does the Galaxy Z Fold 8 compare to the Z Fold 8 Ultra?

It may sound strange, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is the true successor to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7. Starting at $2,099, the phone boasts virtually identical dimensions to last year's foldable with an upgraded 5,000mAh battery, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and 12GB of RAM for the 256GB and 512GB models. It also weighs just 215 grams, which is the same as last year's model. The fact that Samsung was able to pack a larger battery into the same thin frame as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is impressive, but some folks may be disappointed that the design is otherwise largely unchanged.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, on the other hand, is where things start to look interesting. The phone boasts a 7.6-inch main display and 5.5-inch cover display (both stunning AMOLED, of course), resulting in a device that looks a bit like a passport book. Clocking in at just 201 grams, the Z Fold 8 also comes with the same Snapdragon chip as the Ultra, plus a 4,800mAh battery, the latest AI-boosted software features, and up to 16GB of RAM. Moreover, the Z Fold 8 is $200 cheaper than the Ultra.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 worth it?

It depends! If you already own a foldable phone, such as the Z Fold 7 or the Motorola Razr Fold, there's really no reason to upgrade right away. These OEMs push out new foldable phones every year, so it's okay (and probably financially responsible) for you to skip a generation here and there.

On the other hand, if you want to try the latest in foldable phone technology and you're able to get a good deal that works with your budget, the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra really do offer some of the most innovative Android experiences around.

As I leaned over the railing, heart pounding and hands shaking, I questioned how I ended up here. A flagship $699 phone in hand, ready to be hurled to its death. Let me explain.

I'm big on phone cases and test them for a living. One of the most common business tactics employed by case makers is to advertise their drop protection. Buzzwords like "impact absorption," "heavy-duty," and even "military grade" are thrown around all the time.

Do they actually mean anything? And what even is military grade? I decided to use my Pixel 8 as the sacrificial lamb and put four incredibly well-known and reputable brands to the test.

I wanted to bump these cases around and fling them from the heights the brands claim they can survive, going as far as driving over the toughest case that I found.

The four cases I chose for this drop test are the Poetic Revolution, Dbrand Grip Case, Quad Lock MAG Case, and BURGA Tough Case. These cases range from mid-range to expensive pricing.

Poetic guarantees 20ft military-grade drop protection and full-body rugged defenses.

BURGA promises reliable, everyday protection against drops, bumps, and daily wear, which I'd say should be your average accidental phone drops from your hands.

Quad Lock promises the same everyday protection from its MAG Case.

Lastly, Dbrand assures us that the Grip Case has military-grade impact resistance, but provides no exact figures in terms of drop or impact resistance.

A tumble and roll in the sack to check scratch resistance

To start off, I grabbed a few heavy objects, random things like my power bank and keys, and chucked them in a bag along with the Pixel 8. I shook the bag like it owed me money and repeated the process with each case.

I won't lie, I was a little nervous about the pointy keys and power bank as they are pretty solid metal objects and I usually keep them in separate compartments of my bag to be safe. I was happy to learn that the scratch-proof claims are accurate, but obviously only the back of the phone is protected. Poetic was the only exception to this rule, as it comes with a built-in screen guard. I had a screen protector on, so there were no scratches on the screen with any of the other cases either.

In fact, the only trouble I had during this part of the test was taking off the darn tough cases. Poetic gave me the most trouble, and I ended up cracking a nail taking it off.

The real test — dropped face first onto tiled floors

Finally, the fun part arrived. I decided to drop the tough cases offering everyday protection from 5ft onto hard tiled floors. This is actually more than the typical "military standard" of drop protection.

Expert case maker SUPCASE detailed this standard, where "the phone case undergoes 26 drops from a height of 4 feet onto a plywood surface laid over a concrete base with a steel backing" to qualify.

Each one of the four cases survived unscathed, so for the next test, I moved on to the toughest contender: Poetic.

Unlike BURGA, Dbrand, and Quad Lock, Poetic takes things a lot further and promises heavy-duty 20ft drop resistance, which is about two floors of an average building.

With a mighty heave-ho, I hurled the Pixel 8 in the Poetic Revolution case from the second floor of my parents' house.

The built-in screen guard stayed glued to the top of the phone even after such a terrible drop, but the case itself came off from the impact. However, the Pixel 8 still worked perfectly afterward, with not even a scratch or crack to be found.

The only damage was a barely discernible dent in the camera bar in the front, but it did not interfere in the functional operation. The aesthetics of the phone were largely intact too.

Unbelievably, the phone was still working. The camera lenses didn't shatter. I could still take pictures and make calls.

I decided to test just how impregnable the Poetic Revolution phone case really is and maybe took things too far with the final challenge.

I drove over the Poetic Revolution heavy-duty phone case with a car

And for my last trick, I decided to literally run the Poetic Revolution case over with a car.

My heart was in my mouth as I watched my dad drive over the phone in his MPV that seats seven. I was hesitant before chucking the phone off the second floor, but this was even more frightening.

Once the deed was done, I picked up the phone and...

Hallelujah! The phone was still working! The touchscreen responded as it should, I took a few pictures, sent a voice note on WhatsApp, and watched some YouTube videos.

Sure, the phone was a little dusty, but I washed off the dirt. Everything was as it should be — until I took the case off and checked the backside of the Pixel.

It hurt to see the bottom part of the glass back with spiderweb-like cracks spreading up. Clearly, the Poetic Revolution case has its limits. One must not drive over it with a car, but that's on me. Poetic never said you could.

I am still impressed that this was after multiple back-to-back drop tests, that too in the searing hot 45°C (or 113°F) Arabian summer. I can still use the Pixel 8 to do everything it needs to do. I even washed it with water, though I do not recommend you to do that with a cracked glass back.

It charges fine, the screen works, the cameras are functional, the mic records properly, and the speakers sound as they should. The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules are operating normally too.

All my ruthless drop testing proved that a good case can save your phone from disaster. The bottom line is, always get a good quality phone case. Those drop protection numbers clearly are not marketing slop. Just make sure it's a reliable brand like Poetic, not some off brand knockoff, so you can trust that the brand actually drop tested their case.

Back to school season is upon us again, and if you're in the market for a new laptop, there are plenty of student-friendly Chromebooks worth considering in 2026. We test these devices every year to ensure that they still meet Android Central's rigorous standards, and I was pleased to see that my personal favorite for students on a budget, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, is currently chilling with an impressive $220 discount at Best Buy.

The class-ready Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 just scored an epic discount at Best Buy

Whether you're studying, drawing, or streaming your favorite series after class, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is one of the best Chromebooks for students because of its overall versatility and bang for the buck. 

Straight out of the box, you get a vibrant 14-inch 1080p display with a touchscreen and a durable enough build that you can easily throw the laptop into a backpack or briefcase. The Chromebook will also last up to 18 hours on a single charge, so you don't have to worry about juicing up mid-class or during those long study sessions. 

The IdeaPad Slim 3's MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor with 4GB of RAM is capable enough for studying, streaming, and browsing the web, plus you get plenty of ports (including a microSD card slot) for all of your devices and storage needs. 

So what's the catch? Well, as the saying goes: you get what you pay for. The IdeaPad Slim 3 is a basic laptop that's built for basic tasks, and as it's a 2023 device, you shouldn't expect the latest software features as soon as you boot it up. 

If you want a cheap laptop that's reliable and durable enough to bring with you wherever you go, the Slim 3 is a great pick. But if you want something with a bit more power and innovation under the hood (and you don't mind paying for it), there are plenty of other outstanding Chromebooks to consider this semester. 

It’s been my goal this year to perfect my gardening skills and really hone in on my green thumb. And since becoming a homeowner, the one thing I’m incredibly proud of is the perennial hydrangeas the previous owners planted and that I’ve been taking care of.

But this year I noticed something terribly wrong: one entire side of my perennials wasn't growing as fast, almost seemed to be dying, and didn't look nourished.

I went to Gemini to help me figure out what was going on and how I could fix it, and it took me all of 20 minutes and about a day’s work. And I’m going to tell you the step-by-step procedure I used, not only to fix your hydrangeas but also how you can probably do the same thing for any of your gardening-related queries.

It started with a simple question

I find that when you’re using Gemini, the more specific you are, the better, and if you can include images, it’s even better.

I took pictures of the left and right sides of my garden and asked what was going on with my perennials. I also said that I had no idea how to fix it. Offering Gemini a photo visual of what you are working with can help diagnose exactly what you need to fix.

Gemini indicated that there was a huge night-and-day difference and that it usually comes down to environmental microclimates and resource competition. I liked that it explained exactly what happened: that one side’s growth is affected by its environment versus the other side, and that much of the issue comes from the grass and weed population.

It then gave me a solution. It said that I would have to get rid of the competing properties (grass and weeds) using a weed whacker. Lay a compostable material first, then add fertilizer, and top it off with mulch.

The back and forth

Here’s where it got fun for me and also complicated. I am not a simple person; I like options, and I want to know what exactly I would need to make this project happen successfully. I questioned Gemini what the right compost was, in my case using something high-quality like sheep or cow manure. I asked what kind of mulch I needed, and if I could use yard waste bags as the compostable layer.

I liked that Gemini would push back if I offered a specific kind of mulch and would give me a reason why one is better than another.

The biggest pushback I had was whether I should use a ground fabric liner versus cardboard or yard waste bags. Because I wanted to do this on a budget and effectively.

The quick check with real humans

Here’s the part that I highly recommend you do when you are using Gemini to help you do a DIY project or fix anything at home.

Talk to a professional!

With the information I had (the environmental conditions and the fix), I called the Terra that is near my home to ask questions. Side note: Terra is a garden center for those who don’t live in Ontario and are reading this.

I spoke with a professional, detailing everything, and I did not say I used Gemini, not because I cared what the person would think, but sometimes people have weird feelings about Gemini or any AI use. So I wanted to keep it neutral.

The professional told me exactly what Gemini said, and even when I asked about fabric liner, the professional told me not to use it and that it would not really help with the regrowth of my flowers.

I would recommend doing this step because Gemini can always be wrong. It can also tell you things that might require more steps than usual, and it might also tell you things that might cost more than you think.

The final result

While it took me an entire day to do this project, the actual back-and-forth with Gemini was all of 20-30 mins. And I think that’s super worth it. I love that even after cross-referencing with a gardening professional, I was told the exact same steps, and that I could do it in one day.

The result was so epic because after a few weeks I started seeing that my hydrangeas looked healthier and happier and started blooming too. I am actually pretty impressed with how Gemini was able to help.

And I think you can do this with any home gardening project.

I even used Gemini to help fix the side of my home that leads to the shed.

A few weeks later, I went back into my Gemini and asked if it remembered the conversation I had with it about my hydrangeas, and whether a similar process could be done to the side of the house. Surprisingly, it remembered everything and also told me that the same process could be taken with the side of my home.

I don’t think Gemini needs to be taken too seriously. I think this is the real intention of Gemini, and I think it can totally be helpful.

As I write this, I have 78 devices connected to my home network, including phones, tablets, Windows machines, Android TVs, way too many Govee lights, and other smart home tech. The most important device, however, is my network-attached storage (NAS) system; it houses all my data, acts as my media and music server, and essentially runs my smart home.

So when it comes to selecting a new NAS, I'm exacting in my needs. I'm still using the 100TB home server I set up two years ago with the DiskStation DS1823xs+, but I wanted a new NAS solely as a media server, and there was an obvious choice: UGREEN's DXP4800 Pro.

I tested the DXP4800 Pro when it came out, and it became clear to me that it is a powerful Plex NAS. After the review, I slotted in two 24TB Seagate Exos X24 along with two 22TB IronWolf Pro NAS HDDs, and began transferring media and installing all the utilities and services I rely on every day.

How I tested the DXP4800 Pro

After three and a half months of extensive testing — totaling well over 2,500 hours of use — streaming 4K Plex content on well over a dozen devices, and writing 54TB of data to the drives, I can state with confidence that the DXP4800 Pro is the best all-round media server you can buy in 2026. I'll go into plenty of detail about how I tested the NAS over the last three months, but before I get started, here's a high-level overview of the hardware.

The DXP4800 Pro is a 4-bay NAS with the best internals in its class. It's powered by an Intel Core i3-1315U and has hardware transcoding (ideal for Plex and Jellyfin), 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity and a 2.5 Gigabit connection, 8GB of memory, a 128GB built-in SSD, and two NVMe M.2 SSD slots. The Intel Core i3-1315U platform is a solid choice for NAS servers, and it's no surprise that most manufacturers are using it in their enthusiast models. The DXP4800 Pro is available for $719 on Amazon, and you can also buy it on UGREEN's site.

Putting the DXP4800 Pro through its paces

I started testing the DXP4800 Pro by installing UGOS Pro, UGREEN's web-based software. It has come a long way in the last 12 months and is now at a point where you don’t feel like you’re missing out on any of the basics. After installation, I created a storage pool with the four drives; I recommend using a mirrored configuration if you’re looking to set up a NAS, as that way you’ll maintain data integrity should a drive fail. As I had this data in at least two other locations (I’m obsessive about storage), I just went with JBOD.

Then came setting up all the services I use, and this constituted the bulk of the testing. I installed Plex and Jellyfin to manage media, an instance of Roon to manage my music library, Immich to handle photos, and Tailscale to access the NAS remotely. While Jellyfin and Home Assistant are listed in UGREEN’s app store, they’re installed as containers anyway, so I just relied on Docker to install everything. It’s easier to manage, and I get better insights into how much system resources each service is using.

I prefer installing utilities like Plex and Jellyfin via Docker. I find these instances more stable, and I get the flexibility to make any configuration changes I need. On that note, the 8GB of pre-installed memory makes a big difference. Even with eight services running 24/7 within containers, I had 3.2GB of usable RAM left, with enough headroom to run a VM by allocating 2GB of memory.

That said, I subsequently installed a 16GB DRAM module, boosting the memory to 24GB and giving me much better headroom to work with VMs and other containers. Even if you don't want to go this route, know that the built-in 8GB of memory is more than adequate for most homelab hobby projects.

I took ten days to move the data to the DXP4800 Pro, transferring over 54TB in that time. I was conservative in this regard, as I didn’t want to transfer the entire dataset in one go, and I used rsync to move each category — photos, music, documents, and media — individually. A big chunk of that was my music production library that includes VST instruments and their associated media.

I connected the DS1823xs+ to the DXP4800 Pro using a 10GbE switch to take full advantage of the 10GbE connectivity available on both servers, and I was able to saturate the NAS HDDs' bandwidth quite easily. I got close to the 280MB/s maximum bandwidth of the Exos X24 and IronWolf Pro drives, and I saw aggregate transfers hit as high as 580MB/s — both NAS systems could easily handle six times that bandwidth, so this wasn't a problem at all. This was while moving bigger files; images and documents generally transferred at a much more modest average of around 120MB/s.

Thermal management can become an issue with sustained file transfers, and thankfully, it didn’t prove to be a problem on the DXP4800 Pro. The 140mm fan was effective at moving heat away from the internals, and the drives didn’t exceed 48 degrees Celsius.

What I like about Seagate's NAS HDDs is that they’re designed to run 24/7, and they come with unique features like vibration resistance, which is necessary in a NAS system.

But more than anything else, it’s long-term reliability that matters. While the drives I used in the DXP4800 Pro have now clocked just under 3,000 hours (I still count that as almost new), I've had several IronWolf Pro HDDs in the last decade that have clocked over 50,000 hours of usage, and I haven’t run into any issues with any of these drives yet (thankfully).

After the data transfer came the real test: media streaming. I used Plex predominantly, and the DXP4800 Pro delivered three high-bitrate 4K transcodes simultaneously, which is no small feat. Hardware-assisted transcoding via the built-in Intel Quick Sync platform is limited to Plex Pass users, and if you have older client devices like an early-gen iPad, this feature will come in handy.

However, most newer devices have the requisite media containers and codecs to play media files, so you don't actually need to transcode content most of the time — outside of testing how the NAS holds up in this area, I only had to rely on direct play. That said, if your video is encoded using H.265 and you have a TV or streamer that can't handle the codec, it will need to be transcoded to H.264 to play on the client device, and all of this is done automatically.

The verdict is clear

After playing dozens of hours of footage via Plex and Jellyfin over the last three months, it became clear that the DXP4800 Pro is the best 4-bay Plex NAS.

I did notice higher-than-usual power draw in general, with the NAS idling at 24—28W, going up to 60W when the drives are in use, and exceeding 85W under load. There is plenty of headroom, though, given that you get a 150W power brick, so this is not a problem as such. Averaged over three months, the power usage was well within the limits of a powerful 4-bay server, so I didn't worry about it too much.

Overall, the DXP4800 Pro is without a doubt one of the best 4-bay NAS servers around. The combination of powerful hardware and UGREEN's sensible software choices gives it a leg up over its rivals, and after extensive testing, it has consistently proven to be reliable, which is what I look for the most in a media server.

I went snorkeling a few weeks ago, and it was an eye-opener to just how sedentary my lifestyle has gotten. I have been meaning to get back into shape after completely letting myself go in recent years, and what better way to do that than to start maintaining a food diary on my phone?

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of fitness and wellness apps on the Play Store, but I wanted to kick things off with something easy to use consistently. BitePal and SnapCalorie are two AI calorie-tracking apps that stood out because they both advertise the same thing: take a picture of your food, and the app will log all your calories and macros. Sounds easy enough!

As someone who has never followed a diet plan before, I needed an app that could do the thinking and planning for me, in addition to the tracking. I am the antonym of a gym rat; a home cat, if you will. I decided to spend three days logging everything I consumed as well as my activity data on both apps to help me decide which one would be better in the long run.

Both apps offer the same features at their cores. You can choose the kind of lifestyle you lead, set a goal weight, choose your pace, and the app will use its nutritional database to spit out a diet plan for you to follow, giving you your target macros to hit daily.

You can connect your Google Health data to both apps, so it logs not only your food and water intake but also factors in your activities and workouts. You can also record your workouts and activity info manually if you want.

I like BitePal because it gamifies the entire food-tracking experience and takes the diet plan a step further, including step-by-step recipes that fit your daily goals. The app has a cute virtual pet raccoon that you can name yourself, and based on how well or poorly you're meeting your fitness plan goals, the pet's health fluctuates daily. The entire UI is colorful and fun, but the free plan limits the number of food picture scans, meal tracking, nutritional advice, and pet-related features.

SnapCalorie is a more traditional fitness app with a straightforward UI, which can be boring, but it offers free users unlimited access to food logging tools and features, including barcode scanning and recipe creation and logging. Its AI food photo capture requires you to describe the food in a few words, which helps the AI analyze it more accurately and yield better results. It takes some time to process, but I found it much more accurate than BitePal.

From homemade meals like goat meat biryani to foreign drinks such as Kinza Cola, SnapCalorie was shockingly able to recognize food items a lot better than BitePal. I had to just settle for the closest item BitePal could find, such as substituting the lesser known soda with Sprite. Clearly, the AI picture analyzing tool on SnapCalorie does more extensive research.

I know I can manually add the calories and nutritional values of the items unrecognized by BitePal, but that just defeats the purpose of using an AI food logging app. The entire reason why I want to rely on an app is so I don't have to measure everything I put in my body and go looking for its nutritional info.

When I forgot to record an iced coffee I drank, I used a screenshot of the app I ordered it from and used that on both apps. SnapCalorie found the exact coffee from the specific cafe I ordered it from, pulled the calorie and nutritional info from the internet, and logged it in my food diary. It was amazingly easy!

BitePal couldn't even clock that the iced coffee had milk in it, let alone find the exact drink. Instead, I resorted to manually typing out that additional info once the app created the wrong record based on the screenshot of the coffee. Even though you can edit the name of the food once the AI creates a record based on the image, BitePal lacks the smarts to identify the item properly.

The verdict is in...

After three days of extensive food logging on both apps, I have decided to stick with SnapCalorie for long-term use. The fact that it can recognize foods from different cultures and parts of the world is a vital feature. It also offers all of the most important features of the app with the free basic version.

I can see BitePal being a kid-friendly fitness app, though parents will have to be prepared to pay for it. It's an exciting and interactive way to teach children about the importance of eating clean, consuming the right amount of fiber, calories, and fats in a day, and staying hydrated. Parents can even connect their child's Google Health data from the Fitbit Ace LTE or whatever fitness watch their kids use. The pet raccoon is adorable, and the entire layout and UI are so well done. I just wish the AI food recognition was better, because that's the main purpose of the app.

Interestingly enough, when I was first setting up BitePal and SnapCalorie, both gave me different timelines for me to achieve my goal weight even though I chose the exact same pace, with SnapCalorie giving an earlier date to achieve my target. Based on how much more extensive SnapCalorie's food library and analysis seem to be, I'll be trusting it to help me achieve my goal.

The Google Pixel 11 series is almost here, and while this year's lineup isn't expected to bring any groundbreaking upgrades over the Pixel 10 series, there are still a few notable improvements on the way, including a new MediaTek modem and Google's first 2nm Tensor G6 chipset.

But new smartphone launches aren't just about what's coming next. They're also a good opportunity to look back at the phones we already own and ask an important question: Is it actually worth upgrading?

For many people, that decision comes down to one thing more than anything else: battery life. A phone can still be fast, take great photos, and receive software updates, but once the battery starts struggling to last through the day, it's much easier to justify buying something new.

Google's Pixel phones haven't exactly built a reputation for class-leading battery life, but the company has steadily increased battery capacities over the past few generations while introducing new battery health features designed to preserve long-term battery performance.

So ahead of the Pixel 11 launch, I wanted to see how well recent Pixel batteries have actually held up.

How I set up my battery test

To find out, I picked up three different Pixel phones: the Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro, and the Pixel 10 Pro.

The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro both feature a 4,700mAh battery alongside Google's Tensor G4 processor, while the Pixel 10 Pro packs a slightly larger 4,870mAh cell and the newer Tensor G5, built on a more efficient 3nm process. On paper, the Pixel 10 Pro should have the advantage. It has the newest battery, the largest capacity, and the newest chipset.

The Pixel 9 series is now roughly two years old, while the Pixel 10 Pro has been my primary Android phone for around a year. That makes this a good comparison to see how Pixel batteries hold up over time.

To keep things as fair as possible, I updated all three phones to the latest Android 17 version available, connected them to the same Wi-Fi network, charged each device to 100%, set the displays to roughly the same brightness, and looped the same YouTube video on all until they eventually ran out of battery.

Of course, a continuous video playback test isn't a perfect representation of how people use their phones every day. But it does give every device an identical workload, making it one of the fairest ways to compare battery performance across multiple phones.

How do older Pixel batteries hold up?

I kicked off the test at around 5:45 p.m. with all three phones sitting at 100%.

For the first couple of hours, there was virtually nothing separating them. Each phone dropped by around 8%, leaving all three sitting at roughly 92%.

The first meaningful difference didn't appear until around the four-hour mark. By then, both the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 Pro had dropped to 83%, while the Pixel 9 Pro held a slight lead at 85%.

That trend continued for most of the test. Six hours in, the Pixel 9 sat at 74%, the Pixel 10 Pro at 73%, and the Pixel 9 Pro at 75%. In other words, there was only a two-percentage-point gap between all three phones despite the difference in age.

As the test stretched into the following morning, the gap widened slightly. At around 11 a.m., the Pixel 9 had dropped to 12%, while the Pixel 10 Pro sat at 13%. The Pixel 9 Pro continued to hold onto a small lead at 16%.

The Pixel 9 was the first phone to die at 1:08 p.m. At that point, the Pixel 9 Pro still had around 3% remaining, while the Pixel 10 Pro had just 1% left.

The Pixel 10 Pro eventually shut down at 1:17 p.m., followed by the Pixel 9 Pro at around 1:41 p.m., lasting almost 20 hours from the start of the test.

So what do these results actually tell us?

On paper, the Pixel 10 Pro should have comfortably led the pack. It has the newest battery, the largest capacity, and the Tensor G5 chip, which is built on a more efficient manufacturing process. Yet throughout the test, it remained remarkably close to the two-year-old Pixel 9 series and ultimately finished behind the Pixel 9 Pro.

To me, that's actually a positive sign for older Pixel owners. Despite nearly two years of use, the Pixel 9 Pro kept pace with Google's newer flagship throughout almost the entire test and even managed to outlast it in the end.

One battery test obviously doesn't tell the whole story. Real-world battery life depends on everything from network conditions and screen brightness to the apps you use every day.

Still, I think the results are encouraging. While Pixel phones may not lead the Android market in outright battery life, Google's recent efforts to improve long-term battery health appear to be paying off.

Based on this test, older Pixel batteries seem to be holding up surprisingly well. So if battery life is the only reason you're considering an upgrade, there may not be enough here to justify switching to the Pixel 11 when it arrives next week.

TL;DR: AT&T will give you a free pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses (Gen 2) when you sign up for the 5 GIG fiber internet plan. You'll also get a free $200 reward card.

Fiber internet plans can get pretty expensive, which is why providers like AT&T are eager to provide discounts and free gifts that will soften the blow. Sign up for the 5 GIG internet plan, for instance, and the legendary carrier will give you a free pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses (Gen 2), just for kicks. Sign up online and you'll also be eligible for a $200 reward card. 

The internet plan in question starts at $135 per month, but you can drop that price to as little as $70 per month by using AutoPay, paying in advance, and/or bundling the service with one of AT&T's phone plans. You get the free smart glasses either way. 

It doesn't hurt that the 5 GIG tier is AT&T Fiber's best internet plan, with the highest speeds available, advanced VPN and security features, and unlimited Wi-Fi extenders included with your purchase. Sure, fiber internet may not be for everyone, but if you've been planning to upgrade anyway, now's your chance to get one of the industry's best plans AND a great pair of smart glasses in one fell swoop. Just be sure to confirm that fiber is available in your area before you commit. 

We gave the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) a 4.5/5-star rating when we reviewed them last fall, and it isn't hard to see why. These feature-packed smart glasses boast 32GB of onboard storage for photos and videos, plus you get up to 8 hours of battery life on a single charge (up to 48 hours with the charging case), hi-res photo and video capturing, and integrated AI-boosted software features from Meta AI.