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Best MagSafe accessories for your iPhone in 2023
There are some awesome MagSafe peripherals out there for your iPhone. Here are some you should not miss.
Thanks to MagSafe, today's best iPhones have an array of magnets around the wireless charging coil. This awesome feature makes it possible for a range of exciting accessories to fasten magnetically directly to your device. MagSafe wireless chargers or battery packs can replenish your phone through Qi charging, and when out and about, MagSafe wallets are a great place to keep your credit cards.
Asus Zenfone 10 review: The best small smartphone gets even better
Asus is back with the new Zenfone 10 to try and retain the best small phone crown. Little has changed, but what has really matters here.
Small phones are hard to come by nowadays, with the best options for consumers basically being the regular Samsung Galaxy S23 or one of the smaller iPhone 14 devices. However, the Zenfone 8 started a trend of Asus prioritizing small phones, so last year's Zenfone 9 stayed smaller than both Samsung's and Apple's offerings. Despite rumors to the contrary, the Asus Zenfone 10 retains that smaller 5.9-inch form factor. You won't get any flashy or new features, but you'll get a standard smartphone with a nice design, decent camera, and excellent performance that won't take up a lot of space in your pocket.
Motorola Defy Satellite Link review: This device can be a real lifesaver
Whether lost accidentally or on purpose, messaging for help is vital in an emergency. This device hopes to be that beacon for you when you need it.
I live in an area where connectivity via broadband or cellular can be sparse even when at home, but it's even worse when traveling. In rural Kansas, I regularly drive to areas where I'll have miles of road with zero cellular service. While this has its perks, it also means that should something happen, I wouldn't be able to contact anyone. This is where the Motorola Defy Satellite Link comes in.
The Wear OS relaunch has been a failure
Wear OS spent years on the back burner for Google until Samsung partnered to relaunch it with Wear OS 3. But the platform continues to struggle.
For better or worse, I've been a fan of smartwatches since the Motorola Motoactv in 2011, and my interest hasn't stopped since. While I've dabbled with wearables on other platforms like Tizen OS with Samsung's watches, Zepp OS on Amazfit devices, and watchOS on the Apple Watch 7, there's something specifically about Google's Wear OS platform that continues to draw me back in.
OSOM Privacy Cable review: Switching on unfounded fears
Not only are many USB cables better, but many don't include unnecessary features
There sure are a lot of USB cables. While there are plenty of great options, they generally all do the same job — at least, the modern ones do. They send power and data from one connection point to another. The OSOM Privacy Cable, however, is aiming to bring something different to the space.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic review: An excellent generational mashup
The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic brings back a smartwatch favorite along with a spec bump. It's a great experience, even if it's too familiar
Samsung has long been one of the top smartwatch brands, even before it switched from its in-house Tizen OS to Wear OS back in 2021 with the Galaxy Watch 4 series. That was also the last time we saw the beloved rotating bezel as a way to navigate the watch's UI. Because when last year's high-end smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, was released, it sported a capacitive digital bezel instead of the physical rotating hardware of the Watch 4 Classic. Thankfully, we get both the naming and hardware back on track with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic.
iPadOS 17: Interactive widgets, customizable Lock Screen, and everything you need to know
Apple has finally unveiled all the changes coming to iPadOS 17, including new Lock Screen customizations, interactive widgets, and more.
Apple first revealed iPadOS 17, along with macOS Sonoma, iOS 17, and watchOS 10, during WWDC23. This time around, the company focused on catching up with the iPhone by introducing some features that have been available on iOS for a while. These include the customizable Lock Screen and Health app. But there are still other changes beyond that, and we will be detailing everything you need to know about iPadOS 17 below.
I’m finally adding Android Auto to my wife’s car thanks to this killer Prime Day deal
This Android Auto kit is the upgrade I've been needing, and it's over 50% off.
Ever since I bought a new truck a few years back, and it came with Android Auto, I was hooked and really don't like driving without it now. My family has a second vehicle, which my wife prefers to drive, that is older and doesn't have Android Auto. Not to mention the small display in it has really gone downhill in terms of touch responsiveness (it's resistive, not capacitive), and the brightness is so bad that in bright environments, you can't see the backup camera feed on it. So, for both my sanity and, more importantly, my wife's, I am finally adding Android Auto to her car — and thanks to Prime Day, it's going to be cheap and easy.
Shargeek Retro 67W GaN Charger review: Throwback look with futuristic capabilities
Chargers mostly look the same — unless you have the Shargeek Retro 67W Charger. It's in a class of its own.
Purchasing a wall charger has become more of a necessity these past few years thanks to many of the best phones not coming with one included in the box. Then you have to factor in how devices can charge at different wattages. So buying other chargers is always a good idea. While there are a lot of great fast chargers on the market, none look as cool as the Shargeek Retro 67W GaN Charger.
Tech devices I rely on for my summertime fun
Summer is about adventures without tech, but that doesn't mean you should just leave all your gadgets behind.
When the weather turns warm as we enter summer, many of us spend a lot more time outside. Whether that's going to concerts, hiking, playing sports, camping, or just cookouts at home, our daily habits shift for a while. But even with this added time spent outdoors, we've become so accustomed to having technology and gadgets around that we still tend to find ways to incorporate them into our summer activities.
Google Pixel Fold review: An impressive first attempt
Google's introduction into the foldable world is here, and it's almost everything I could've hoped for.
The Google Pixel Fold, perhaps the most anticipated piece of hardware from Google in a long time, is finally here. While the recently released Pixel Tablet has been another device that's garnered a fair bit of excitement, it's this foldable that's gotten tech fans in a frenzy. Sure, folding a functioning display in half is really cool, but it's also the first in this growing category from Google, with the hope it would bring fan-favorite software, a different shape, and Pixel's photography prowess into the space.
ESR Geo Wallet Stand review: More than meets the eye
ESR might have made the perfect MagSafe wallet with Apple-certified Find My built-in. Oh, and it holds cash — sort of.
We all use a wallet of some kind, but what constitutes a wallet has evolved a lot over the years. I remember at one point carrying one that held not only my cash and cards but also a checkbook. Nowadays, some people don't carry a physical wallet at all, and instead, opt to use a digital option like Google Wallet or Apple Pay. For those times you need to have physical cards with you or just prefer them, there are plenty of slim options out there, including some wallet cases for your phone. But the new ESR Geo Wallet Stand is so much more than that.
Bark Phone review: An excellent phone for kids with an odd way to get it
Bark is well-known amongst parents for its excellent app to keep kids safe on their devices, but now it has a phone of its own.
Bark is known as the go-to app for parental controls for kids' devices, and the Bark Phone is its first all-in-one solution. I have reviewed many of the best smartphones for kids and smartwatches for kids, so although I've never used the Bark App myself, I was interested in checking the new phone out with my two young kids.
3 watchOS 10 features I want to see on Wear OS
Though Wear OS smartwatches are generally my wearable of choice, I do have a few features I want Google to bring over from watchOS
Most of my smartphone life has been on Android. While I did pick up a used iPhone 13 Pro Max and Apple Watch Series 7 for research purposes, I'm still firmly in the green bubble camp. However, I am genuinely envious of how well Apple devices work together across its entire product line.
Gizmo Watch 3 kids smartwatch review: Basic and secure, with a touch of fun
Verizon's latest smartwatch for kids doesn't stray far from its predecessor but makes some meaningful changes for kids and parents.
Smartwatches have become a very common accessory for adults, and kids are beginning to sport these devices too. While you can do a quick search on Amazon or any other retailer, and you'll likely find a sizable list of watches that claim to be for children. Some will be more of a toy, and others will offer connectivity, but you need to be wary of the latter since they can be quite unsafe. However, there are plenty of excellent smartwatches for kids, and the latest Gizmo Watch 3 from Verizon is one of them.
The OnePlus Nord N30 5G is coming to the US with some affordable high end specs
OnePlus is known for pushing the boundaries of price to feature value. The new Nord N30 5G is looking to continue that tradition.
OnePlus is having a pretty impressive 2023, and we're only about halfway through. Between the high-profile releases of the OnePlus 11 and the OnePlus Pad, the company has also shown off the wild OnePlus 11 Concept with Active CryoFlux cooling. Let's not forget there's still the OnePlus V Fold still to come! But even with all of that flash and excitement around the high-end releases and upcoming devices, the budget sector hasn't been forgotten about — until today. OnePlus is opening preorders for the new Nord N30 5G for $300 in the US and $380 in Canada.
The Motorola Razr+ might finally be the flip-style foldable I've been waiting for
While I like the idea of a smaller flip-style foldable, I can't use one because of the cover screen. But the Razr+ might change that.
It's finally happened, and after a fair bit of doubt from many, including myself, Motorola has announced new Razr foldables in the U.S. The company skipped North America in its Razr phone release cycle after 2020, with last year's Razr (2022) being a China-only device and then eventually making its way to Europe.
Motorola Edge+ 2023 review: Boring design aside, this is a flagship worth considering
Motorola didn't push any design boundaries with the new Edge+, but it excels in the areas that really matter.
Motorola is finally bringing a new flagship-level smartphone to the U.S. with the Edge+ (2023). I've reviewed a couple of Motorola's budget devices, the Moto G Play and Moto G Stylus, recently, but it has been quite a long time since I've had the chance to use a phone from the company that actually feels premium. The Edge+ (2023) is replacing last year's Motorola Edge+ with refreshed specs across the board and a more aggressive price point.
TicWatch Pro 5 review: The Wear OS battery king is back and better than ever
While the new TicWatch Pro 5 may look familiar at first glance, there are quite a few changes both in and outside of the Wear OS 3 smartwatch.
I've been a fan of Mobvoi watches since I bought the original TicWatch E on Kickstarter in 2017. But what really locked me into the brand was the first TicWatch Pro, which launched in 2018. One of the key features of this series has been the dual-layer display, where the secondary screen is a monochromatic transparent LED panel that is highly visible in direct light but goes away entirely when the full-color OLED panel is activated. This is what keeps me coming back to TicWatch as my primary driver, and that hasn't changed with the latest model, the TicWatch Pro 5.
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G review: An overachieving budget phone
At $200, the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G outperforms many others in its price range. That's a low bar, but this phone is still an excellent choice.
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is the entry point for what you could call the company's premium budget line, costing just $200. There were, of course, going to be sacrifices to get the phone down to such a low price point. For instance, it has a plastic build with a swirled texture on the back, subpar cameras, and no water resistance rating.