About Karthik Iyer
A senior evergreen writer at XDA Developers serving up reviews, buying guides, deals, and more on laptops, PC hardware, and smartphones that you care about. He's been covering the computing and smartphone industry for over seven years now and has worked with various brands to establish an authority in the technology space. Before joining XDA Developers, Karthik was a senior reviewer at Digit, a popular tech magazine in India. You will likely find him yelling at his monitors while playing an online shooter in his free time.
What tech products or categories are you most passionate about?
Everything that remotely falls under the umbrella of technology gets me excited, but I've been directing my attention more towards the day-to-day computing devices like laptops, desktops, and smartphones that are shaping the future.
How long have you been interested in technology?
I may have started covering the technology space "officially" in 2016, but I've been obsessed with technology and gadgets for as long as I can remember. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Motorola Razr V3 in 2006, shortly after which I started writing about technology on my blog.
What was your first computer?
I've been dabbling with computing devices for as long as I can remember, but it wasn't until 2010 that I built my first computer. It coincided with the launch of Intel's 2010 Core processor family, and I vividly remember how excited I was to finish the build and install a copy of GTA IV. The good old days when choosing the right component or finding a stable game to run wasn't a chore.
Latest Articles
Best Prime Day tablet deals: 11 amazing deals that are still active
Good tablets can be a tough sell thanks to their high price tags, but these deals shave hundreds of dollars off the best ones.
When you need something bigger than your phone but smaller than a laptop, a great tablet is a common solution. Most of us already have high-end smartphones and quality laptops, so spending extra cash on a tablet might be hard to justify. That's why it's a good idea to wait to buy a tablet until there's a good sale. Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale has officially ended, but you can still save on a lot of quality options from Samsung, Amazon, Apple, and more. A lot of these deals are just as good as the ones we'd usually see during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so grab them while you still can.
Hurry! There's still time to save more than 50% on this excellent 4K TV stick
A solid deal on one of the best media streaming devices out there.
If you don't want to spend too much money to replace your old TV or if you're simply looking to upgrade your streaming device, then don't miss out on this deal on Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K. It's an excellent streaming device that brings content from the top video streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and more, under one roof, and it's currently over 50% off for Amazon's October Prime Day. It's a great device overall and simply too good to pass for $23.
Save up to $130 on these Asus graphics cards for Prime Day
Grab these GPUs at their lowest prices.
If there's one component that can single-handedly add hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars to your PC cost, it's GPU. But that doesn't mean you can skimp on this particular part as it can make or break your rig, causing unwanted bottlenecks. The best thing you can do instead is wait for the right deal and snag a unit at a cheaper price. Amazon is currently having a pre-holiday sale right now with tons of deals on CPUs and GPUs. I stumbled upon a few amazing deals on Asus graphics cards that are too good to pass, so I've highlighted them below.
These Asus Z790 motherboards are down to their lowest price for Prime Day
Save big on your new PC build with these Asus motherboards deals.
Asus is considered second-to-none in the motherboards space, with a ton of its mid-range and high-end boards making it to our list of the best motherboards right now. A lot of these Asus boards, however, tend to be a bit on the expensive side, costing upwards of $600. Thankfully, they're frequently discounted to go easy on your wallet, so you really have to keep an eye on the best deals. In fact, two of the best Asus Z790 motherboards are discounted right now as a part of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale, and you can save as much as $69 on your purchase.
Prime Day can help you save up to $46 on these top-rated Intel CPU and GPUs
You won't want to miss out on those deals on some high-ranking products
The CPU and GPU are two of the most important components of a PC, and Intel has a couple of deals on both to lure you into joining Team Blue during the ongoing Prime Day sale. The company's Core i7-13700K from its 13th-generation lineup and the Arc A750 Limited Edition GPU have both landed on the Prime Day chopping block with discounted prices. They both rank among the best CPUs and GPUs in 2023 and are perfectly capable of delivering solid results when paired with the right CPU/GPU combo. The discounted prices for Prime Day make them even better, so don't let them fly under your radar.
Sony's budget gaming headset is back to its lowest price for Prime Day
Grab this excellent wired headset that works with both PC and PS5.
Amazon's second Prime Day sale of year is live right now, offering tons of deals across different product categories, including PC gaming accessories. We've already highlighted some solid deals on gaming peripherals, but if you're still looking for a reliable pair of headsets for gaming, then check out the INZONE H3 headset. This budget headset, which usually goes for $100, is down to just $58 right now as a part of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 is already discounted thanks to this fantastic deal
Apple's top-tier smartwatch is cheaper, just in time for Amazon's Prime Day sale.
The new Apple Watch Ultra 2 is barely a month old, but it's already discounted, just in time for Amazon's Prime Big Deals Day sale. That's right, you can grab the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $750 from Amazon for a limited time. The $50 savings on its usual price of $800 may not seem like much, but it's the first discount we're seeing for this particular watch, that too within a month of its official release. The $750 pricing is only applicable for a few case and band combination, but there are plenty of options to choose from.
Some of Corsair's best PC cases are up to 63% off this Prime Day
Build the PC of your dreams with these Corsair cases.
Corsair is a popular name in the enthusiast PC hardware space and is home to some high-quality components, including SSDs, CPU coolers, and more. It also has an excellent array of PC cases that rank among the best in our recommendation list. Some of these cases, however, are a bit on the expensive side, which is why you must snag them when they're discounted. Thankfully, a few of our favorite Corsair PC cases have made it to the Prime Day deals roster this year, saving you as much as $100. Let's dive in!
3 ways Intel Meteor Lake chips can improve future laptops
Expect huge power savings and improved graphics performance, for starters.
You may have heard a thing or two about Intel's new Meteor Lake chips recently. The company shared a lot about how they'll represent a major architectural shift for laptops and greatly improve your overall experience. From new tile technology to whole new cores, let's take a look at the most important changes that'll impact future laptops.
Best Samsung Galaxy S22 cases in 2023
The Galaxy S22 might be last year's phone, but that's no reason to forgo putting a case on it. Here are some of the best options.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 may not be the latest phone in the Galaxy S series roster, but it remains a solid choice for those who are looking for a compact and reliable phone that'll serve well for many years to come thanks to Samsung's software support. It also looks just as stylish as the Galaxy S23 or the Galaxy S23 FE that came out recently, as they all pretty much the same fit and finish overall. That also means you should cover your Galaxy S22 with a case to protect it from accidental drops and scuffs.
Asus Prime AP201 MicroATX case review: Cool, compact, and clean
A capable small tower with good airflow.
My quest to find the "perfect" PC case ended when I stumbled upon the Asus Prime AP201 a few weeks back. Good airflow and compact form factor were high up on my list of things to consider when I set out to build my new gaming PC, and this particular MicroATX enclosure lived up to those expectations and delivered more for just $80. It's not without its flaws, though, and it's far from the best deal in the world of PC cases where options like the MSI MAG Forge 112R and the Corsair 4000D Airflow exist, but it offers plenty of great features that — in my opinion — make it a great small tower in 2023.
How to clean and maintain your mechanical keyboard
Don't let the layer or dirt or gunk spell disaster on your mechanical keyboard.
Cleaning a mechanical keyboard can be quite the task as it sits there on your desk, constantly collecting dust particles, lint, and hair, among other things, over time. Not to mention, the keycaps on your keyboard also start to shine or get greasy over time as you continue to type with greasy or sweaty fingers. Seriously, take it from someone who builds mechanical keyboards for a hobby and spends a lot of time clearing tortilla chips and bread crumbs from them quite often. I can't stress how important it is to clean and maintain your keyboard to ensure it works as intended for a long time.
Best Android phones for $300 or less in 2024
Want a new phone without spending a ton of money? There are some great options that cost less than $300 right now.
Smartphones have gotten a lot better over the years, and thankfully, not all of them will cost you an arm and leg now. That's right, you can buy some great phones for $300 or even less as long as you don't mind giving up on all the fancy features and sticking with the one or two that are most important to you. I recommend turning to Android phones if you're in the market to buy one of the top-rated phones without breaking the bank, as the budget Android space is constantly swarmed by a ton of options. In fact, there are plenty of good handsets to choose from, which is why I decided to shortlist some of the best Android phones under $300 for you.
Pixel Watch 2: Price, release date, and everything you need to know
The Pixel Watch had a lot of potential, but how's the Pixel Watch 2 going to fare? Here's what you need to know.
The Pixel Watch was a decent first attempt at a smartwatch from Google. It made it onto our favorite smartwatch list because it left a strong impression that made us cautiously optimistic about the next iteration, not because it was perfect.
Google Pixel 8 series: Price, release date, and everything you need to know
Google's new flagships are official, but what can you expect beyond some incremental changes? We've got the rundown.
Google announced the new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro at its annual Made by Google hardware event today, alongside the new Pixel Watch 2. These two phones have been unofficially making rounds on the internet for quite some time now, but we finally have all the official information. Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro bring a slew of improvements over the existing models to deliver a better experience overall, so let's take a quick at these phones to see what's changed this year.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Rumors, leaks, and things we'd like to see
Samsung's foldables have plenty of room for improvements, so let's see what's in store for us.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a great foldable phone, but it's safe to say that it's not pushing the envelope in any way. Unlike the Galaxy Z Flip 5, the Fold 5 is only a minor improvement over its predecessor. The improvements definitely add up to make it a better phone, but they're not enough to make you feel any differently about the Fold 5 if you weren't convinced by the Galaxy Z Fold 4, to begin with.
These are the five things you should do after building your PC
Don't let anything go unnoticed on your first boot
So you just spent weeks — if not months — scouring the internet to find the best CPUs, GPUs, and other components so you can build a brand-new PC. Firstly, congratulations on your new tower. Building a PC might seem like a Herculean task at first, especially if you're a beginner, but it's a very rewarding process, and you almost always end up with a much better PC compared to what you may have grabbed from a store.
4 reasons why foldable laptops are better than folding phones
They're more practical and useful, for starters
The new Spectre Fold marks HP's entry into the world of foldable laptops, where it joins the likes of the Lenovo X1 Fold and the Asus ZenBook 17 OLED. This space is still relatively new and somewhat of an uncharted territory, especially because there aren't too many foldable laptops out in the wild right now. This is in direct contrast to the foldable phone industry, which has more options like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Pixel Fold.
Budget home/office work PC build guide: These are the best parts for a $450 build
In this PC building guide, we'll discuss the best PC parts you can grab for a budget home or office PC build for $450.
Although the desktop is geared towards gaming more than ever, the way modern PCs have evolved has arguably done much for normal stuff and work-related tasks. In fact, while PC gaming has been made expensive by the rising prices of good graphics cards, it's almost the opposite for a standard home or office PC, which doesn't require a graphics card in most cases.
OnePlus Open: Rumors, leaks, and everything you need to know
OnePlus is expected to launch its first foldable soon. While we don't know a lot just yet, some leakers have shed light on what's to come.
OnePlus is a little late to the party, but it's finally gearing up to jump on the foldable phone bandwagon. The company recently confirmed that it's working on at least one new foldable phone, which it plans to launch sometime this year. OnePlus hasn't shared any details about this officially, but there is a lot that we already know about it, thanks to all the leaks and rumors. If you're excited for what's to come, read on to learn all the details we have on OnePlus' flagship foldable so far.