Best multipurpose		Anker PowerCore Fusion 10,000		SEE IT	The Anker PowerCore Fusion 10,000 combines the convenience of portable battery and outlet-based charger in a single package.
Best for travel		Belkin Gaming Power Bank with Stand		SEE IT	Belkin’s gaming charger with a stand lets you power up your phone while watching media or playing games.
Best for laptops		Anker 747 Power Bank		SEE IT	The Anker 747 Power Bank power bank pulls out all the stops with its massive charging capacity.

Keeping a portable charger in your car, bag, or pocket prepares you if an emergency arises as you’re running out of power. Say you’re stuck in a raging blizzard, your car in a snowbank on the highway, and you need a tow if you don’t want to stay where you are overnight. No problem, you can just call for roadside assistance, right? That isn’t the case if your phone happens to run out of power and you have no way to charge it back up again. It’s not the case unless you carry a portable power bank, that is. A battery pack to charge your phone, laptop, and other devices can make all the difference when your battery’s nearly dead and draining fast. The right power bank will let you top off all your essential gear to get your devices through the day (or longer). Fortunately, we’ve collected some of the best portable chargers available and sorted them into categories that should fit most people’s needs.

• Best overall: OtterBox Performance Fast Charge Power Bank
• Best multipurpose: Anker PowerCore Fusion 10,000
• Best for travel: Belkin Gaming Power Bank with Stand
• Best with flashlight: superallure Solar Charging Power Bank
• Best with wireless charging: Mophie Charge Stream
• Best large: Goal Zero Sherpa Wireless Portable AC Power Bank
• Best for laptops: Anker 747 Power Bank
• Best budget: INIU Portable Charger

How we chose the best portable chargers

When choosing the best portable chargers, I relied on my years of experience covering the tech industry. I’ve used portable power banks to keep my phone and other devices charged while covering events, conducting interviews, and recording presentations. In addition to my personal and professional testing, we’ve parsed reviews from consumers and other publications to find chargers that have made a strong impression on their owners. 

The best portable chargers: Reviews & Recommendations

Our choices for the best portable chargers run the gamut from small pocket-sized batteries for extending your phone’s battery life to big, beefy chargers that can power a mobile office. Depending on what devices you carry around daily or while traveling, there are different power banks for everyone.

Best overall: OtterBox Performance Fast Charge Power Bank

Amanda Reed

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Why it made the cut: This speedy power bank allows for 3.6x faster charging compared to other portable chargers and can power two devices at once.

Specs

• Dimensions: 6.26x 3.08 x .92 inches
• Weight: 15.3 ounces
• Battery capacity: 20,000 mAh
• Ports: 2 (one USB-C, one USB-A)
• Charging speed: 18W

Pros

• Fast charging
• Can charge two devices at once
• Drop protection

Cons

• Heavy compared to other portable chargers

Otterbox makes some of our favorite MagSafe accessories, so it’s no surprise we love its powerful wired charger as well. The OtterBox Performance Fast Charge Power Bank gives you 20,000 mAh of juice to recharge your tablets and phones. And, with a USB-A port and a fast-charging USB-C port, you can charge two devices at once, no matter what brand. It comes with a USB-A to USB-C cable, so you won’t have to get one on the go, but it works fabulously with others you may have around the house, as we did in the above photo. An LED power indicator shows you how much power you have left, and the power bank is designed for durability thanks to trusted drop protection. Although it’s a little chonky, we’d rather carry around a powerhouse than be left in the dark and uncharged.

Best multipurpose: Anker PowerCore Fusion 10,000

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Anker PowerCore Fusion 10,000 combines the convenience of a portable battery and outlet-based charger in a single package.

Specs

• Dimensions: 4.72 x 3.23 x 1.39 inches
• Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Battery capacity: 10,000mAh
• Ports: One USB-A, one USB-C
• Charging speed: 20W

Pros

• Convenient size
• Doubles as a wall outlet and battery pack
• Charges multiple devices

Cons

• Can be awkward to plug into some sockets

As the best multipurpose portable charger, the Anker PowerCore Fusion 10,000 is especially convenient, even among power banks. It’s a fairly small portable charger with two ports and a 10,000mAh battery, but you can also plug it into an outlet and draw power from there. This is extremely convenient for travelers and rolls two devices into one well-crafted package. Its only downside is that it’s a little larger and heavier than a standard wall-based charger. The shape can also make it awkward to fit into some places, and the weight might cause it to fall out of a loose socket.

Best for travel: Belkin Gaming Power Bank with Stand

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Belkin’s gaming charger with a stand lets you power up your phone while watching media or playing games.

Specs

• Dimensions: 6.21 x 1.56 x 4.02 inches
• Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Battery capacity: 10,000mAh
• Ports: One USB-A, one USB-C
• Charging speed: 12W

Pros

• Stand makes continuing to use the phone while charging more convenient
• Stand is retractable

Cons

• Fast charging is hit or miss

It seems like combining a portable charger and a stand would be a no-brainer, but surprisingly few companies have actually made them. Belkin’s Gaming Power Bank with Stand is the best portable charger for travel. It offers a retractable shelf with a lip that makes it easy to continue enjoying media or games on your phone as it charges. Unfortunately, its fast-charging seems to be hit-or-miss: Some users report speedy refueling, while others aren’t as impressed with how quickly their devices get juiced up. It’s a great charger when you have a few hours to kill and need to top off your phone’s power, but not the most efficient option.

Best with flashlight: superallure Solar Charging Power Bank

superallure

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Why it made the cut: This power bank is powered by the sun and can give you some extra light in the great outdoors if your flashlight decides to take a day off.

Specs

• Dimensions: 7.48 x 4.92 x 1.42 inches
• Weight: 1.15 pounds
• Battery capacity: 43,800 mAh
• Ports: USB-C, USB-A
• Charging speed: 15W

Pros

• Built-in chargers
• Solar-powered
• Built-in flashlight is bright

Cons

• Heavy

Sometimes you don’t need solar generator-level power, but you still need a bit of juice while adventuring the in the great outdoors. This one is solar-powered, Qi wireless charging compatible, and has USB-A and USB-C cords built-in—that’s one less thing in your pack. You can maybe even leave the flashlight at home—this charger also has a built-in flashlight. An IP65 rating makes it dust-resistant, with a bit of waterproofing on top. Plus, it can power 3-5 complete phone charges. Reviews note that customer service is great, and the power bank gave peace of mind while traveling in remote settings.

Best with wireless charging: Mophie Charge Stream

mophie

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Why it made the cut: Ditch the cables entirely with this Qi-enabled wireless portable charger that works across Android and iPhone.

Specs

• Dimensions: 2.72 x 0.63 x 5.19 inches
• Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Battery capacity: 6,040 mAh
• Ports: USB-A, USB-C
• Charging speed: 10W

Pros

• Pass-through charging enabled
• Can charge wirelessly or with a cable
• Can charge two devices at once

Cons

• Shows dirt easily

No cables? No problem, thanks to this wireless power bank from Mophie. You’ll be able to charge using the power of magnets as long as your device is Qi-enabled. Simply place your phone on the portable charger and push the button to begin wireless charging. You can get 48 extra hours of battery depending on what you’re charging, and a USB port allows you to charge another device while using wireless charging. Our only complaint? It tends to show dirt easily. Its powerful charging and wireless transcendence across brands make up for this.

Best large: Goal Zero Sherpa Wireless Portable AC Power Bank

Goal Zero

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Why it made the cut: This large portable charger is like a mini generator in your pack.

Specs

• Dimensions: 7.69 x 5.49 x 1.02 inches
• Weight: 3.19 pounds
• Battery capacity: 25,600 mAh
• Ports: 2 USB-A, 2 USB-C, 1 AC port
• Charging speed: 100W

Pros

• Heavy-duty
• Can charge laptops two times over
• Solar generator power without the size

Cons

• Expensive

We’ve reviewed Goal Zero’s Yeti 1000 Core generator in the past and gave it kudos for its durability and battery capacity. Goal Zero took both of those aspects and packed them into an ever smaller package with its Sherpa Wireless Portable power bank. It’s great if you need major power on the go without needing an entire solar generator. And you’ll get plenty of use out of it: this power bank can charge a smartphone 8 times; a tablet three times; a laptop two times; and a GoPro 18 times. It also supports wireless charging. Talk about a multi-hyphenate. Its aluminum unibody is durable, and it easily integrates with other Goal Zero products, like solar panels. It’s pricey, but we think it’s worth it if you’re looking for a tough portable charger that’s made to last.

Best for laptops: Anker 747 Power Bank

Anker

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Why it made the cut: This sleek laptop power bank can keep you powered in the coffee shop or library.

Specs

• Dimensions: 7.2 x 3.23 x .95 inches
• Weight: 26.4 ounces
• Battery capacity: 26,600 mAh
• Ports: Two USB-A, two USB-C
• Charging speed: 87W

Pros

• Recharges in 2.5 hours
• High voltage protection
• Can charge more than one device at the same time

Cons

• No AC outlet

Those who leave their house to work in a coffee shop know the struggle of trying to find a precious outlet. Worry no longer, thanks to this portable laptop power bank from Anker, which can give your laptop enough juice while you wait for an outlet to open up. It’s built with Anker’s MultiProtect safety system, which combines temperature control and high-voltage protection for a safer charging experience. If you use up the portable charger’s power, fret not—it takes 2.5 hours to reach a full charge. Those who need an AC outlet to use their laptop charger, however, will be out of luck.

Best budget: INIU Portable Charger

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Why it made the cut: The INIU portable charger is cheap and does a fine job powering your phone … plus it has a pawprint-shaped indicator light!

Specs

• Dimensions: 5.2 x 2.7 x 0.5 inches
• Weight: 7 ounces
• Battery capacity: 10,000mAh
• Ports: 2 USB-A, One USB-C
• Charging speed: 15W

Pros

• Has a built-in paw print indicator light
• Extremely affordable
• Cute LED logo

Cons

• Reports of quality assurance issues

Sometimes you just need a product that does exactly what it’s supposed to for as little money as possible. The INIU Portable Charger is affordable and provides a 10,000mAh battery in a very slim form factor. Conveniently, it also has a built-in indicator light which can be a big help in a pinch, and its paw print makes looking at your power bank fun. Unfortunately, there are some reports of dead units, which means customers need to watch out for poor QA. Reports suggest that INIU customer service has done right by users who reported getting a nonfunctional unit, though, shipping out replacements quickly.

What to consider when buying the best portable chargers

Portable chargers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. For many, they’re just random bricks that you plug stuff into, with little to differentiate between them. While they may look the same, there are aspects of a charger’s design that vary, which you should keep in mind when picking one out. 

How much power can it hold? Will it fit in my pocket or my backpack? Does it have the ports to charge all my devices or just my phones? If you know these things, you can buy the right portable charger for your needs:

How big is the battery?

Portable chargers are really just fancy plastic and a circuit board wrapped around a battery. The most important thing you need to know about any portable charger is how big that battery is. Portable chargers measure their power storage in Milliamp Hours (mAh), a unit of measurement that shows how much power a battery can hold. The number of charges it can provide will depend on the specific device, but it’s a good way to get a general sense. 

If you plan to keep a laptop going through your workday or charge many devices simultaneously, you will likely want the largest battery possible, which tends to range between 2,000mAh and 10,000mAh for most users, depending on the devices they cart around.  If you’re just looking to top off your phone to get through a busy day, you can probably get something smaller. More storage translates to a larger, more expensive charger, so that’s definitely good reason to go small if that’s all you need.

How much space does it take up?

As we said, more power means a bigger battery pack. It doesn’t matter how impressive a portable charger’s specs are if it’s a pain to carry around. Power banks range in size from slim and pocket-sized to whopping boxes as big as a book. They can get heavy, too. While it can be tempting to get the biggest, most powerful charger, you will make a better choice if you’re realistic about your needs.

What are you charging?

When you choose a portable charger, you’ll want to remember what you will be using it for. Most people tend to buy chargers to top off their best tablet, new iPhone, Bluetooth headphones, or noise-cancelling earbuds: As a result, most portable battery packs are made for that purpose. If you’re looking to charge something bigger, like a laptop, you should make sure to get a charger that has the right ports for the job. For larger devices, you will also need to make sure the charging rate is actually high enough to replenish your laptop’s battery.

How quickly can it charge your devices?

The second major consideration when buying a portable charger is how fast it charges. Different batteries can charge devices at different rates, depending on the device and the cable used to charge. In general, portable chargers tend to be slower than plugging a device into a wall, but some are faster than others. Check the maximum charging rate, measured in watts (W), to determine how quickly most devices will charge.  For a portable charger, 18 watts is considered a good charging speed. 27 watts is excellent.

Sometimes companies will show a battery’s voltage and amperage rather than a rate in Watts: In that case, multiply the two numbers to get the rate in watts. For example: If a charger serves 5 volts at 2 amps (5V/2A), its charging rate is 10W. (5 x 2 = 10).

How fast does the battery pack charge itself?

It’s also important to look at how long you need to juice each charger back up to full capacity. When you’re in a pinch and pressed for time, knowing you can fall back on a fast-charging portable device offers peace of mind. A good charging rate, for example, is anywhere from 3 hours (111.11 mAh/min) to 4 hours (111.48 mAh/minute), though there have been packs that have charged back up to 100% in just 20 minutes or so. The larger the battery bank, the longer it will need to charge, especially when you factor in larger capacities. This rate may differ from pack to pack if the charger can power other devices. 

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best portable chargers

• Best overall: OtterBox Performance Fast Charge Power Bank
• Best multipurpose: Anker PowerCore Fusion 10,000
• Best for travel: Belkin Gaming Power Bank with Stand
• Best with flashlight: superallure Solar Charging Power Bank
• Best with wireless charging: Mophie Charge Stream
• Best large: Goal Zero Sherpa Wireless Portable AC Power Bank
• Best for laptops: Anker 747 Power Bank
• Best budget: INIU Portable Charger

Possessing the best portable charger can be a real lifesaver under the right circumstances. There isn’t that much to the tech, but there’s still a surprising amount of variation from device to device. It pays to learn their ins and outs to tell the difference, whether you need a slim power bank to get a quick jolt or something massive that can keep a laptop going for days. No matter what, we can all agree on one thing: Nobody likes having a battery die on them.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best portable chargers for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Power computers, phones, earbuds, and more while on the move with approximately 50 percent savings on a two-pack of the InCharge X Max 100W 6-in-1 Charging Cable.

Considering the number of devices that many of us rely on daily, it doesn’t take long to end up with a tangled mess of charging cords that can complicate your efforts. Rather than juggle miscellaneous wires, streamline the process while providing for anytime power needs with an all-in-one charging option.

For a limited time, a two-pack of the InCharge X Max 100W 6-in-1 Charging Cable is available for only $39.99 (reg. $78) with no coupon required. That’s approximately half off the price of a pair of products that are primed to instantly simplify your life.

This versatile charging cable is loaded with solutions to modern needs, including the following six power sources: USB to Lightning, USB to USB-C, USB to Micro-USB, USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to Lightning and USB-C to Micro-USB.

Leave the bundle of cables at home on your next overnight trip or clear off that work desk with a big boost from this centralized charging platform. InCharge’s compatibility extends to iPhones, Android devices, iPads, e-readers, audio speakers, and plenty more.

Reaching five feet and designed with durability against chemical, physical and thermal threats, this 6-in-1 charging cable boasts 200 braided copper wires to produce up to 100W of power.

InCharge carries a rating of five out of five on our store based on verified buyer reviews, including one written this March by Barry J. that reads, “Works as advertised. I don’t need so many cables when traveling. Works for all my devices, iPhone, MacBook, and iPad.”

Pick up a pair of these portable and versatile power options for approximately half of the typical price. Don’t miss this two-pack deal on the InCharge X Max 100W 6-in-1 Charging Cable for only $39.99 (reg. $78).

Prices subject to change.

The post Power several devices with $38 off a two-pack of 6-in-1 charging cables appeared first on Popular Science.

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You’ve probably had to ask  “Can you hear me?” more than once while on a phone call. One of the most vexing frustrations of the modern age is that, despite the rapidly evolving technological landscape, we still have a hard time clearly getting words across during a voice conversation.

Fortunately, your phone is here to help. While your device can’t magically improve your connection, it can help you get more out of it and deploy a few tricks to ensure that you and the person on the other end of the line can hear each other properly.

This feature doesn’t just work in calls made through the Phone app: You can access and apply it in the same way if you’re making voice calls in FaceTime, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or any other calling app on your device.

[Related: How to make voice calls from any device]

When it comes to properly hearing the person you’re speaking to, there’s a volume slider on the Control Center as well, which you can also access simply by using the buttons on the side of your iPhone. Switching to speakerphone might help: On the call screen, choose Audio then Speaker. If you’ve got other Apple devices like iPads or Macs on the same Wi-Fi network and logged into the same Apple ID, you’ll be able to switch to these too via the Audio option on the call screen—a bigger device might have better mics and speakers than your iPhone.

You can also boost call volume on Android via the buttons on the side of your phone, and switching to speakerphone is as easy as on iOS: just tap Speaker on the call screen. If you’re using a Samsung Galaxy phone, you can also head to Settings, then Sounds and vibration, and Sound quality and effects to access two useful features: Dolby Atmos and Adapt sound. The former optimizes voice audio, while the latter tunes the sounds from the phone to your specific hearing abilities.

Pick the Adapt sound option, then tap Adapt sound for and make sure to select either Media and calls or Only calls to make sure you get the benefit on phone calls. Further down you can pick from one of the presets to better match your phone to your hearing—Under 30 years old, 30 to 60 years old, or Over 60 years old—or you can tap Test my hearing to create a customized profile through a series of tests your device runs through connected headphones.

Android has a similar feature to iOS’s Voice Isolation to reduce background noise on calls, but at the time of writing it’s only available with the latest Android 13 update and on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. To access it, head to the Sound & vibration section of Settings, and then tap Clear calling.

Audio quality doesn’t only depend on the settings or hardware on your phone. If cell reception in your area isn’t great, your call won’t sound crisp and could even drop out. If that’s the case, you can make calls over Wi-Fi instead, as long as your carrier supports it (most do). To turn it on on iOS go to Settings, select Phone, and then Wi-Fi Calling.  On Android, go to Settings and tap Network and Internet, Calls and SMS, and then the name of your carrier. Just make sure you’re already logged into whatever Wi-Fi network you want to use before placing the call.

Some apps have audio optimization on by default. For calls made through Zoom, for example, echo cancellation and background noise suppression are the standard: If you think the feature is interfering too much or the app is applying it too aggressively, you can disable it by going to Settings, Meetings, and turning on Use Original Sound.

Messaging apps often have data-saving features that can reduce the bandwidth audio calls use. If you’re in an area with a strong signal, you’ll want to turn off this option to maximize audio fidelity. However, if your phone has a spotty connection, turning these features on can help. They work exactly like lowering the quality of a YouTube video while on a bad Wi-Fi signal—you don’t get an HD image, but at least the footage doesn’t stop to buffer every 3 seconds.  When you turn on data-saving features, your phone will compress and optimize the audio to get it through entirely, albeit in a lower quality. This will allow you to hear more of the conversation instead of having the audio constantly break up, improving the overall quality of the call.

In WhatsApp, for example, tap the three dots (top right) and go to Settings (Android), or tap the Settings button at the bottom right of the screen (iOS). From there, choose Storage and data to find the Use less data for calls toggle switch. Meanwhile, on Signal, tap the three dots (top right) and then go to Settings, Data and storage, and Use less data for calls.

[Related: How to fix spotty cell service in your home]

Signal also has a call relay feature that protects your privacy by rerouting audio calls through Signal’s servers. This makes it harder for someone to tell where you’re calling from, but it also reduces call quality. It’s not on by default, but if you’ve turned it on for any reason, you can disable it by going to the Settings menu and tapping Privacy, and then Advanced.

Microsoft Teams has a noise suppression option that cuts out unwanted background noise from voice calls. Inside the mobile app, tap your avatar (top left), then choose Settings and Calling. You’ll see under the Noise suppression heading there are several options to pick from, depending on how aggressive you want the suppression to be.

As always, keeping your apps and your mobile operating systems up to date is important in terms of making sure you have the latest bug patches and audio optimizations, which often run in the background without you even noticing. To check for Android updates go to System and System update from Settings. Apple users can check for iOS updates by going to General and Software Update from Settings.

The post Tweak these settings for better-sounding phone calls appeared first on Popular Science.

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It might be hard to imagine a world without cell phones, but there was most definitely a time when they remained the stuff of science fiction. That is, until 50 years ago to the day, to be more exact. April 3 marks a half century of cell phones, albeit it took a little while for the technology powering Motorola engineer Martin Cooper’s DynaTAC cell phone to become a ubiquitous facet of everyday life.

Affectionately dubbed “the Brick,” the DynaTAC—short for Dynamic Total Area Coverage—contained 30 circuit boards, stood nine inches tall, and weighed 2.5 pounds. As Smithsonian Magazine notes in its own retrospective published Monday, the first truly mobile phone took approximately 10 hours to fully charge. Even then, conversations were capped at around 35 minutes before the Brick needed to refuel.

[Related: Your checklist for maximum smartphone security.]

It would take another decade for Motorola to release a commercial cell phone. Not many could afford it at a $3,500 price point (roughly $10,600 by today’s standards). Four decades on, and there are now more phones than humans, with 18 billion devices estimated in service by 2025.

Of course, smartphones are now standard pocket accessories, and boast countless more features than Cooper’s original DynaTAC, but the “rudimentary” cell phone isn’t completely dead. In 2021, Pew Research Center estimated around 11 percent of US adults owned an old school cell phone, as opposed to a more advanced smartphone. In fact, there is at least some evidence to show that consumers might increasingly prefer a “dumb phone” alternative to the feeling of 24/7 connectivity and instant contact. At least one report indicates a growing percentage of Gen Z is playing around with retro cell phones that boast limited features.

[Related: Scientists turned a smartphone into an affordable microscope.]

After 50 years and billions of phone calls, it might still be difficult to beat the very first cell phone chat from Cooper himself. As Smithsonian Magazine also recounts in its look back, the engineer and inventor allegedly called up the lead cell phone engineer at Motorola’s rival, AT&T. “I’m calling you from a cell phone. But a real cell phone! Personal, hand-held, portable cell phone,” Cooper recounted of his improvised publicity stunt.

His competitor’s reported response? Stunned silence, along with allegations that the phone call never took place.

The post Happy 50th birthday, cell phones appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best Overall		Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M		SEE IT	Richly detailed sound and a plethora of inputs/outputs combine in the perfect preamp for a high-resolution listening station.
Best DAC/amp Combo		iFi xDSD Gryphon		SEE IT	Naturally outstanding sound, well-implemented analog enhancement modes, and plentiful wired and wireless connectivity make this a compact powerhouse.
Most Portable		THX Onyx		SEE IT	Excellent durability and portability let you get the most out of mobile streaming.

Few things in life can sweep you away and transport you to another time as music can, and few things can bring digital music to you with the transportive power of a good DAC, aka a digital-to-analog converter. The joy and nostalgia that music can bring are hard to overstate, but the feeling will be dulled if you’re relying on stock circuitry built into a basic laptop, tablet, or smartphone, etc. Taking full advantage of music’s expressive power means investing in the components that make it happen. If you’ve already got a good pair of headphones, you need an equally good signal chain, and a DAC is an integral part of that. A DAC’s sole responsibility is to convert the 1s and 0s output by your transport (typically a smartphone streaming music these days) into a signal that your headphones can play. Even though that sounds like a cut-and-dry task, how DACs accomplish this varies, as do the prices, form factors, and features they offer. The best DACs can enhance your listening experience, and we’ve collected the top choices right here to upgrade your listening fast.

• Best overall: Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M
• Best USB: Questyle M15
• Best DAC/amp combo: iFi xDSD Gryphon
• Most portable: THX Onyx
• Best for gaming: Creative Sound Blaster X4
• Best on a budget: JDS Labs Atom DAC+

How we chose the best DACs

Over my years of reviewing tech, I’ve extensively tested a wide array of audio equipment. I cut my teeth reviewing gaming headsets at MMORPG.com and quickly discovered a love for audio that progressed into a full-fledged love of hi-fi. In the seven years since that first review, I’ve graduated from gaming headsets with built-in components to desktop DACs and amps, portable hybrids that combine them both into one, and smartphone dongles that range from $10 to $200. I love diving deep into the world of headphones, and that begins with the gear driving that listening experience. 

To create this list, I drew upon multiple sources: user impressions, deep lists of specifications, and, of course, my own experience with several of the products collected. I also researched the pedigree of the different brands producing DACs today and the real-world experiences being shared in forums and Reddit threads. Together, these sources painted a clear picture of the best choices for different types of listeners chosen for this list.

The best DACs of 2023: Reviews & Recommendations

Now that you know what to look for when shopping for a new DAC, it’s time to choose the best fit for you. Sorting through the masses of different options, some from big brands and some from those that won’t be here in a year, can be confusing. We’ve collected the best choices in five key areas to help cut through the noise.

Best overall: Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M

Tony Ware

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M is an outstanding, fully featured desktop DAC that’s feature-rich and premium without being exorbitant.

Specs

• DAC: Dual ESS ES9028Q2M DACs
• Included amplifier: Up to 300mW for headphones, 4.2 VRMS for speakers
• Bit-depth/sample rate: 32-bit/768kHz
• Format support: PCM, DSD, DoP, MQA
• Bluetooth: Yes, 4.2

Pros

• Dual DACs for balanced sound
• Wired and wireless high-resolution listening
• Wide format support
• Plentiful connectivity options

Cons

• Costs a premium 
• No LDAC

Since its release in 2021, the DacMagic 200M from Cambridge Audio has been a frequent flier on “Best Of” lists due to its outstanding balance of sound, features, and connection options. It’s easy to see why it’s so beloved: With its combination of dual ESS ES9028Q2M DACs, built-in 300mW headphone amp, wired and wireless connectivity, and premium build quality, it’s the kind of device even a veteran audiophile could stay delighted with for years.

While the other DACs on this list content themselves with a single chip, the DacMagic 200M implements a pair of high-quality ESS chips to reduce crosstalk and improve separation between the two channels. The audio sent from the device is impeccably high-resolution with a maximum bitrate of 32-bit/768kHz and support for the PCM, DSD, and MQA formats. It even supports DoP, which stands for “DSD over PCM,” so it can accept DSD files over USB even if your USB port doesn’t know how to handle the data natively. Pair that with dual digital inputs (your choice of optical or coaxial for each), and USB audio-in, and you have a device that can accept audio from just about anywhere for under $500. 

When it comes to sending audio out, the DacMagic 200M has a whole different set of tricks up its sleeves, acting as a preamp perfect if you’re building a components system with a dedicated headphone amp or AV receiver. Turn it to the back and you’ll find RCA jacks and a pair of XLR ports to drive balanced and unbalanced speakers, making this stylish Lunar Grey aluminum enclosure a best desktop DAC aesthetically and functionally. A ground lift switch sits on the other side to eliminate any hum that might be coming from your home electrical system. You can even apply digital filters that fine-tune the already expansive 10Hz to 50kHz frequency response. But that’s not all: under the hood is a built-in headphone amplifier that can enhance the resolution of easily driven bass cannons (like the HiFiMAN HE-R9 pictured) or even fill in at the fringes for demanding, high-impedance headphones (like the richly textured Sennheiser HD 660S2) so you can get listening right away or integrate it into a larger setup. 

Wireless audio does feel like a bit of an afterthought, though. The DacMagic’s Bluetooth receiver only supports version 4.2, and we’re now seeing products sporting a whole version higher (up to Bluetooth 5.3) that offer better reliability and power efficiency. And though it’s great to see the DacMagic have a more-resolving signal than vanilla Bluetooth thanks to its aptX codec, it still falls short of the quality delivered by LDAC or aptX HD/Adaptive found on competing Bluetooth DACs. 

Best DAC/amp combo: iFi xDSD Gryphon

Tony Ware

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Why it made the cut: The iFi xDSD Gryphon is a hybrid that does it all, offering excellent wired and wireless connectivity, a built-in battery, and tons of rich, powerful sound.

Specs

• DAC: Burr-Brown
• Included amplifier: Up to 1000mW 
• Bit-depth/sample rate: 32-bit/768kHz
• Format support: PCM, DSD, DXD, MQA, DoP over S/PDIF
• Bluetooth: Yes, 5.1

Pros

• Outstanding sound quality, whether wired or wireless
• Powerful built-in DAC with 3 selectable digital filters
• Customizable sound with built-in XBass II and XSpace switches
• Informative OLED screen

Cons

• No track controls
• Expensive
• Larger for a portable

At first blush, the iFi xDSD Gryphon might seem expensive at around $600, but it’s hard to find another portable combo DAC/amp that’s quite as full-featured as this one without paying more. With a corrugated metal casing with an OLED display strip on top, outputs, and a control panel at one end and plastic-capped inputs at the other, the flask-sized Gryphon is distinctive aesthetically but truly extraordinary internally.

It features a high-quality 32-bit Burr-Brown chipset (the same one used in a multi-thousand-dollar flagship DAC/amp) with support for all manner of high-end audio, whether standard MP3s presented in HD or proprietary file types like DSD, DXD, or MQA for streaming hi-fi over TIDAL. The Gryphon outputs support balanced (4.4mm) and single-ended (3.5mm) headphones and earphones—no matter how you want to listen, this hybrid DAC is ready to offer a great experience. A Gryphon even holds the distinction of being one of our associate managing editor’s go-to components (pictured above with the equally compact, amply immersive Sennheiser IE 600 and an ASUS ROG Phone—a sweet streaming suite for a personal audio enthusiast).

The magic of the Gryphon lies in its versatility. When fully charged, you can cut the cord and use it for up to 8 hours on the go with Bluetooth streaming over SBC, AAC for iOS, and up to 96kHz using LDAC, LHDC/HWA, or aptX HD/Adaptive on Android devices. Or you plug it in via USB, Coax, or Optical and ensure that no audio bit gets adulterated by wireless compression. Once you’re listening, you can enhance bass and/or upper midrange presence, as well as soundstage, with iFi’s innovative XBass II and XSpace analog enhancements. Connected to your PC over USB-C, it will act as an external soundcard, eliminating the need for a dedicated desk setup—perfect with headphones and, when the Gryphon is accepting a digital source, ports on the back can even be used to feed an external amp or powered monitors. 

The tremendous 1000mW @ 32 ohms of power on offer over its balanced DAC connection also means the Gryphon can drive even very demanding headphones. The single-ended connection is much more limited at 320mW but is still enough to drive the vast majority of cans available today. If you’re a fan of sensitive in-ear monitors (IEMs), don’t worry, because the Gryphon also offers an iEMatch mode (assignable to either output) to prevent hiss from invading your favorite tracks, while maintaining dynamics. As for the tonality, the Gryphon emphasizes not emphasizing any one thing. It respects the symmetry between impact and imaging, staying as articulate as it is energetic. Its sound-shaping features can fatten up the speedy, textured bass, but not to the detriment of organic midrange expression and shimmering treble details. 

Despite checking nearly every box an audiophile could request, there are still a few missing features here. Track controls are completely absent, so you’ll still reach for your smartphone to play or pause. I would have also liked to have seen some belt clip or travel case included because the device is about the same size as a modern smartphone and roughly twice as thick. If you’re carrying anything else in your pocket, the Gryphon isn’t likely to fit. All that said, this DAC-amp combo has set a high standard for transportable hi-fi.

Regarding DACs, iFi offers something for every scenario and budget. Got a smartdevice or laptop with USB-C ports and want a plug-in-play improvement of your audio output? The iFi GO link is a $59 dongle housing an ES9219 USB DAC and S-BAL 3.5mm headphone jack that supports 32-bit/384kHz/DSD256/MQA (and it comes with a Lightning adapter for iPhones). It’s not high-powered, but it is hi-res.

Best USB: Questyle M15

Chris Coke

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Why it made the cut: The Questyle M15 looks as good as it sounds and has power to spare.

Specs

• DAC: ES9281AC
• Included amplifier: 1.895 Vrms (single-ended), 2.624 Vrms (balanced)
• Bit-depth/sample rate: 32-bit/384kHz
• Format support: PCM, DSD, MQA
• Bluetooth: No

Pros

• Rich, warm sound
• Very quiet, low background noise and distortion
• Unique, eye-catching look
• Very pocketable and easy to carry

Cons

• Costly
• Glass panel seems prone to scratching
• No volume rocker or track controls
• Wired only

The Questyle M15 is far from the only USB DAC on our list—everything offers USB connectivity on our list—but it is the most unique pocket DAC on our list thanks to its see-through glass side panel. However, this is not a case of putting form over function—though it is a captivating machined aluminum case. Two colorful LEDs on the circuit board indicate gain level and active bitrate. And what the M15 offers up in aesthetics, it matches in sound quality. The M15 doesn’t come cheap at $249, and usually doesn’t go on sale for much less, but it offers power, portability, and outstanding quality that make it an audiophile favorite and an all-around compelling buy. Whether you’re looking to power sensitive IEMs or even moderately demanding headphones, the M15 is versatile enough to see you through.

The Questyle M15 is small but mighty. It uses the boutique amp designer’s signature CMA (Current Mode Amplifier) SiP modules to offer up 1.895 volts through its single-ended output and 2.624 volts through its 4.4mm balanced connection. While you’ll probably want to use it with IEMs on the go for their easy portability, a physical gain switch on the side offers up the extra juice you’ll need for more demanding over-ear headphones (though we recommend sticking with the high-powered balanced output for less sensitive gear). It supports high-res audio with its ESS ES9281AC DAC, a Sabre chip that supports 32-Bit/384kHz PCM, DSD256 decoding and TIDAL’s highest-quality MQA tracks. And, with short cords terminated in both USB-C and Lightning connectors, it plays nicely with Android or iOS—and it doesn’t draw power until it’s fed signal. This small touch makes a big difference when preserving precious smartphone battery life.

What really sets the M15 apart is how silent it is. There’s no hiss, no white noise hiding behind tracks, so when your music gets quiet, it’s truly noiseless. This black background allows the M15 to step out of the way and remove the barrier between you and your music. Exceptional dynamic range and a pleasant full-bodied warmth highlight the experience, carrying you from quiet refrains to bold crescendos with impressive ease.

Like most things in life, the M15 isn’t perfect. There’s no way around how expensive it is, and at this price, it would be nice to see value-adding features like Bluetooth support, app-based sound customization, or on-board track and volume controls. The glass side-panel, while gorgeous, also seems like a prime target for scratches if you keep anything else in your pocket. Still, if you’re looking for rich sound in a striking package, it’s a great fit.

Most portable: THX Onyx

Razer

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Why it made the cut: Tiny but powerful, the THX Onyx is an extra portable DAC with a great built-in amplifier.

Specs

• DAC: ESS9281 PRO
• Included amplifier: 180mW (THX AAA-78)
• Bit-depth/sample rate: 32-bit/384kHz
• Format support: PCM, DSD, MQA
• Bluetooth: No

Pros

• Excellent audio quality
• Silent background noise
• MQA Support
• Extra durable for extended life

Cons

• Expensive
• Cable is less flexible than many competing dongles
• No track controls

If the name sounds familiar, it should: This is the same THX that’s been blowing away movie theaters with bombastic cinema sound since George Lucas co-founded it in the ’80s. The THX Onyx is a portable DAC with a built-in 180mW amplifier and is the best choice for listening on the go. Not only does it provide crystal clear and highly detailed sound thanks to its ESS9281 PRO DAC module, but it also has a THX AAA amplifier that all but eradicates background noise and distortion. It’s exceptionally good, but at $199, it’s not cheap and offers no track controls, which is a bummer.

But what makes it the best choice for portability compared to the equally packable, recommendable Questyle M15 above? Outstanding durability and the ability to fold over on itself with an invisible magnet clasp. While many other dongle DACs use plastic and weak shielding on their wires, the Onyx’s DAC and USB jack are protected by sturdy aluminum housings. The cable is guarded by silky soft yet durable rubber to ward off fraying and broken wires (though this does make it a touch less flexible). This DAC is made to last the rigors of everyday life.

While it’s not the smallest portable DAC on the market, its ability to fold over on itself adds to its portability. A small magnet near the USB port connects to the DAC, allowing it to lay flat behind your phone. In a second, the Onyx’s 8-inch length turns into a 1.5-inch curl wire, making it exceptionally pocketable.

Best for gaming: Creative Sound Blaster X4

Creative

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Why it made the cut: Made for gaming, the Creative Sound Blaster X4 is packed with features that make for a stellar entertainment experience.

Specs

• DAC: Undisclosed
• Included amplifier: 1.3 – 2.9 VRMs
• Bit-depth/sample rate: 24-bit/192kHz
• Format support: PCM, Surround 7.1, Dolby Digital Live 
• Bluetooth: No

Pros

• Multi-platform support: PS5, PS4, Mobile, Windows, Mac
• Virtual surround sound and other gaming-specific features
• Mic support with built-in communication features
• Plentiful software controls and onboard memory

Cons

• Plastic construction
• Lower resolution
• Limited file format support 

The Creative Sound Blaster X4 is tailor-made for gaming. While other DACs might work, the X4’s plentiful connectivity, built-in presets, rich software suite, and onboard memory make it the go-to choice for gamers who want to level-up their listening experience for under $150. Best of all, it offers native support for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Windows, and even macOS. 

Once taken out of its box, you’ll first notice its bold and easy-to-grab volume knob. The next thing you’ll notice is its sheer amount of inputs and outputs. As a gaming device, there are ports for both a headset and a microphone on the front edge. Around the back is a full set of surround sound speaker ports and line-in, optical line-out, and USB jacks. The X4 comes with several clickable presets to quickly tailor the sound for gaming, music, or movies without ever opening a piece of software.

But it would be best if you planned on using the software suite because that’s where you’ll be able to tap into the full suite of options. A 10-band EQ allows you to tailor the sound and save those to the device. You can also enable gaming-specific features like virtual surround sound, SXFI Battle Mode, and Scout Mode to enhance situational awareness, and even enhance the quality of your microphone with noise removal and a vocal equalizer.

The biggest downside to the Creative Sound Blaster X4 is that, since it leans so heavily into its gaming features, it falls short when it comes to resolution and file support. There is no MQA decoding for high-quality streaming over TIDAL, and quality is limited to 24-bit/192kHz. That’s enough for a great listening experience but definitely falls short of other options on this list. 

Best on a budget: JDS Labs Atom DAC+

JDS Labs

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Why it made the cut: This affordable DAC is a no-muss, no-fuss gateway to great audio on a budget.

Specs

• DAC: ES9018K2M
• Included amplifier: No 
• Bit-depth/sample rate: 32-bit/384kHz
• Format support: PCM, DSD
• Bluetooth: No

Pros

• Simple setup
• Improves upon the popular Atom DAC
• Very affordable

Cons

• Lacks added features
• Plastic construction
• Requires a separate amp

The JDS Labs Atom DAC+ is the successor to one of the company’s most popular products: the original Atom DAC. This time around, the company has changed DAC chips from AKM to ESS, but what really matters is that they’ve managed to fine-tune it to deliver less distortion, more clarity, and improved dynamic range. While the DAC+ doesn’t push any limits with its sample rate, it can deliver a clear, detailed sound on the cheap. 

Coming in at only $119, you have to expect some concessions. There’s no built-in amp, so this device is for conversion only. Buying a matched set with the Atom Amp+ adds another $99 but allows you to stack the devices into a veritable tower of power. Outputs are also limited to only a single pair of RCA jacks. The DAC+ does support TOSLINK-in for optical sound, standard USB Type-B for connecting to a computer, however, and includes an external power brick for clean, consistent power to keep it running smoothly.

Looking for something you can snag with Prime Shipping? Schiit Audio’s Modi 3+ is another great option that supports up to 24/192 resolutions through an ​​AK4490 delta-sigma DAC housed in a sturdy aluminum case with a toggle switch to select between Micro USB, Coax, and Optical inputs. Like the Atom DAC+, there’s no built-in amplifier. Still, Schiit also sells the Magni 3+ to accept the Modi’s output via RCA, and it’s identically sized for easy stacking and powerful enough to drive most headphones.

Things to consider before buying one of the best DACs

Choosing the best DAC can be confusing. Even as someone who has been in the hobby for several years, I still find myself researching the differences between different DACs and their features, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. There are a few key things to remember that can help any DAC shopper. Here are the most important points to consider before pulling the trigger.

Portable or desktop

Do you aim to listen at home or on the go? That should be the first question you ask before seriously shopping for a new DAC. Desktop DACs are often larger and require external power, either over USB or from a standard wall outlet. Portable DACs are much smaller and are made for travel. They sometimes include batteries to preserve the life of your smartphone and may even include a Bluetooth receiver for wireless listening. 

Though you’ll often pay more for the freedom they offer, portable DACs can usually connect to your PC as well, thanks to their USB connectivity. That doesn’t mean they’re exactly the same or the best fit for home listening, however. Since they’re made to be self-enclosed units, DACs like the Chord Mojo 2 and FiiO Q1 won’t integrate with larger audio systems as easily (or at all) and lack connections for dedicated speakers. If all you’re using are headphones and in-ear monitors, a good portable DAC can be a perfect choice, but if you have other audio equipment already, standalone options like the iFi Audio Zen DAC or AudioEngine D1 are a better fit.

What DAC chip does it use?

The job of any DAC is the same: to convert the digital output of a computer or smartdevice into an analog impulse that headphones and speakers can play. This processing is done through a small computer chip, and if you’ve ever plugged in a pair of monitors into a headphone jack, you’ve heard the results. But even though the end goal is the same, not all DACs are created equal or go about their conversion similarly. The first thing to know before hitting that “Buy Now” button is exactly what DAC chipset your device is actually using.

There are several major brands in the DAC world, but very few actually produce their own conversion chips. Instead, they utilize chipsets from other brands, like ESS, AKM, Cirrus-Logic, and Burr-Brown. Like any good tech brand, these companies scale their products to offer different features and match the calibers of DAC they may be implemented in. 

Some of them have better features, like support for boutique file formats or higher-resolution playback. Others offer less measurable noise and distortion (though whether you’ll actually hear the improvement isn’t a given). Many users report certain sound characteristics aligning with different DAC chipsets. ESS DACs, for example, are frequently described as being more resolving, which can mean sharper, more “exciting” treble. Conversely, AKM DACs are “warmer,” which typically means weightier bass with slightly less treble. Some people may love the operating system of their DAP (digital audio player) but aren’t as sold on the output of its headphone jack(s), so they might tether it to a DAC/AMP to enjoy a specific sound signature. It’s important to note that a DAC isn’t intended to color the sound to the noticeable degree of a tube amp, for example, but rather to remove anything taking away from the signal. So don’t expect huge flavor fluctuations between brands on identical settings.

While most DACs clearly label which chip they’re built around, deciphering the differences between chips isn’t always straightforward. It usually means taking a close look at feature and specification lists to determine whether they will make a real-world impact on your listening experience. On the technical side, you’ll need to look at specifications like bit-depth and sample rate. Others, like frequency response and signal-to-noise ratio, are also important to determine the sound’s scope and clarity. Before buying any DAC, it’s a good idea to type that particular chipset into Google and read some expert impressions about its performance and what real listeners like yourself are saying.

But specs aren’t all …

Connectivity and playback options

Two other important considerations when choosing a DAC are its connectivity and playback options. Connectivity refers to its inputs, outputs, and wireless connection options. Can it receive audio the way you’d like to send it: USB, optical, or coaxial? Once it receives that audio, how can it send it back out again? 

The output options are especially key. Depending on the model you’re interested in, you may find that its outputs are either too limited or too plentiful, which means you’re probably paying for features you don’t need. Suppose your amplifier or headphones use a balanced connection (circuitry common for high-end headphones, earphones, and amps pairing conductors that can deliver higher power and lower interference). In that case, it’s also important to double-check that your DAC supports that configuration so everything connects properly and takes full advantage of your equipment. (It is possible to damage incompatible equipment, so match accordingly.) 

Along with that, and directly related to the first consideration we discussed, you need to ensure that the DAC can support the file types and streaming services you would most like to use. Premium streaming service TIDAL’s Master Quality tracks may sound the best to your ears. Still, you’ll need a DAC that can properly decode those files because they use a format known as MQA, or Master Quality Authenticated—a form of compression that “folds” and “unfolds” audio at varying resolution levels to stream higher bitrates efficiently, and not all DACs can take full advantage of it. It can also be wise to think ahead about what you might like to listen to in the future. You might not listen to high-resolution DSD (Direct Stream Digital) files right now, but if you fall deeper into the hobby, you may want the option down the line. Planning ahead may cost a little more upfront but can save you a bundle from buying a whole new DAC in the future.  

Does it include a headphone amplifier?

Even the best DAC is useless without a dedicated amplifier or integrated AV receiver or other means to power the headphones or speakers connected to it. Some DACs, often called hybrids or combos, solve this problem by having an amp built-in. The Chord Hugo 2 is an ultra-high-end version of exactly such a device, but you don’t have to break the bank to find a quality all-in-one solution. Fiio’s E10K Olympus 2 is only $100 and can fulfill your DAC and amp needs in one tiny, affordable box. 

If you do choose a hybrid DAC, be sure to check its output power. Most modern headphones don’t require a lot of juice to drive, but some audiophile favorites and mixing headphones still do, like the Sennheiser HD650, HIFIMAN Sundara, or beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro. Because every headphone is different, it’s difficult to say exactly how much power you’ll need. We recommend putting your headphones through a power calculator to determine how many milliwatts and volts you’ll need for your preferred headphones. 

Price

Finally, we come to the price. The cost of audio gear can range widely, whereas one DAC might be $200, another might be $2,000, even when running similar chipsets. Does that second DAC really sound 10 times better than the first? Probably not (though it’s almost certainly an improvement). So much of the hi-fi hobby is about incremental gains and those margins only become thinner as the price scales up. Diminishing returns are a very real consideration for anyone in the audio hobby.

If you’re new to the world of DACs and amps, it’s wise to set yourself a reasonable budget and stick to it. Just because something is more expensive doesn’t mean it will sound better. This is especially true when you’re early in the hobby and may be unable to hear the difference between two DACs—even when others claim to. Research the options that meet your needs and budget and choose the best option among the bunch. 

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best DACs

• Best overall: Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M
• Best USB: Questyle M15
• Best DAC/amp combo: iFi xDSD Gryphon
• Most portable: THX Onyx
• Best for gaming: Creative Sound Blaster X4
• Best on a budget: JDS Labs Atom DAC+

Choosing a DAC can be a daunting task. There’s a lot to consider and many specs to sort through. At the end of the day, it’s one of the most fundamental upgrades you can make, right alongside buying new headphones and a new amplifier. Since DACs don’t always make as profound an impact on sound quality as other components, you don’t have to feel pressured to spend exorbitant amounts of cash—though they can reveal more layers as you move up the price tiers. Hi-fi is a hobby that can grow with you, and, like the very best of them, there’s always more to experience.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best DACs for 2023, as chosen by experts appeared first on Popular Science.

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Everyone wants the data on their phone to stay private, and Android and iOS come with a variety of security features that will prevent other people from sneaking a peek.

If you suspect someone is snooping on you, there are some simple steps you can follow to secure your information, as well as a few warning signs to look out for to make sure it doesn’t happen in the future.

You can customize lock screen security on Android by going to Settings, Security & privacy, Device lock, and then Screen lock. Meanwhile, from the Settings app on iOS, choose either Touch ID & Passcode or Face ID & Password depending on which biometric security method is built into your iPhone.

[Related: 7 secure messaging apps you should be using]

You should also make sure the screen on your device locks as soon as possible after you’ve stopped using it—otherwise, someone could surreptitiously swipe it while you’re not looking before the locking mechanism kicks in. On Android, open Settings, then go to Display and Screen timeout to set how quickly the screen should turn off—your options go from 15 seconds to 30 minutes. Over in iOS settings, pick Display & Brightness, then Auto-Lock. The shorter the time period you set here, the more secure your data is.

If you need to lend your phone to someone, but still worry about their unfettered access to your handset, know that you can lock people inside one particular app or prevent them from installing anything while you’re not looking. We’ve gone deeper into these features and other similar security options, for both Android and iOS.

Android and iOS don’t allow apps to hide, so even if someone has gained access to your handset to install an app that’s keeping tabs on you, you’ll be able to see it. On Android, go to Settings, Apps, and then See all apps. If you see something you don’t recognize, tap the item on the list and choose Uninstall. Within iOS, just check the main apps list in Settings. As the device’s owner, you can uninstall anything you don’t recognize or trust—you won’t break your phone by removing apps, so don’t hesitate if there’s something you’re unsure about.

If you want to do a bit more detective work, you can check the permissions of any suspicious apps. These will show up when you tap through on the apps list from the screens just mentioned—on Android, tap on an app and go to Permissions; on iOS tap an app name from the main Settings page and check what it’s allowed to access. In terms of notifications, system settings, device monitoring, and other special permissions, Android gives apps slightly more leeway than iOS—you can check up on these by going to Settings and choosing Apps and Special app access.

If you think your phone might have been compromised in some way, make sure you back up all of your data and perform a full reset. This should remove shady apps, block unauthorized access, and put you back in control. From Android’s settings page, choose System, Reset options, and Erase all data (factory reset). On iOS, open Settings, then pick General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, and Reset.

Android handles location sharing with other people through Google Maps. Tap your avatar (top right), then Location sharing to check who can see your location and to stop them, if necessary. You can check your shared photo albums in Google Photos by tapping the Sharing tab at the bottom of the screen, but you’ll need to open up Google Calendar on the web to edit shared calendars. Hover over the name of a calendar on the left sidebar and click the three dots that appear, and on the emerging menu, select Settings and sharing to see who can view your schedule.

Google Families works in a similar way to Apple Family Sharing, with certain notes and calendars marked as accessible by everyone, though no one will be able to see any personal files unless the owner specifically shares them. If you want to leave a family group, open the Play Store app on Android, and tap your avatar (top left). Once you’re there, go to Settings, Family, and Manage family members. Then, in the top right, tap the three dots and Leave family group.

The usual password rules apply: Don’t repeat credentials across multiple accounts and make sure they’re easy for you to remember while remaining impossible for anyone else to guess. This includes even those closest to you, so avoid names, birthdays, and pet names.

Two-step authentication (2FA) is available on most digital accounts, so switch it on wherever you can. For Apple accounts, visit this page and click Account Security; for Google accounts, click your avatar on any of the company’s services, go to Manage account, Security, and click on 2-Step Verification.

It’s a good idea to regularly check how many devices are logging in using your Google or Apple account credentials as well. On Android, open Settings and pick Google, Manage your Google account, and Security. Scroll down and under Your devices you’ll see a list of all the gadgets linked to your Google account. You can remove any of them by tapping on their name, followed by Sign out. On an iPhone, open Settings and tap your name at the top to see devices linked to your account—you can tap on one and then choose Remove from Account to revoke its access to your Apple account.

The post Your checklist for maximum smartphone security appeared first on Popular Science.

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Fluorescence microscopes used to examine samples labeled by fluorescent stains or proteins are an invaluable resource across a variety of laboratories. Unfortunately, a decent one could set you back thousands of dollars, meaning the tools usually stay within well-funded research environments and academic settings. But a team from Minnesota’s Winona State University recently demonstrated that not only can you assemble a decent substitute using the average smartphone or tablet—it will only set you back between $30 and $50.

As detailed today via a proof-of-principle paper published in Scientific Reports, researchers have unveiled their “glowscope,” a small plexiglass and plywood frame clip-on attachment for phones and tablets. The tool utilizes a recreational LED flashlight alongside the device camera’s theater stage lighting filters to ostensibly build a fluorescence microscope accessory. In tests, specimens were illuminated using the LED light while a filter placed over the camera lens omitted certain light wavelengths to enable fluorescent light visualization.

[Related: How to build a solar microscope.]

In their demonstrations, the paper’s authors used their DIY glowscope to provide roughly five-fold magnification on live zebrafish embryos measuring just two-to-three millimeters long. With the embryos’ fluorescent protein expressions, they were able to observe zebrafish spinal cords, hindbrains, and cardiac tissue. From there, researchers were able to measure their subjects’ heart rates, and even the movements of individual heart chambers once they enhanced video clarity through preexisting free software.

Because of their easy assembly and low costs, researchers believe the glowscope could become an extremely useful asset to K-12 schools otherwise lacking the funds for high-tech science tools. Not only that, but the team argues laboratories could even assemble their own glowscopes to complement their existing fluorescence microscopy equipment, thus saving them money, as well.

[Related: Scientists made the highest-ever resolution microscope.]

“Providing students with opportunities to make their own observations, form models and predictions, acquire and interpret data, and use this to revise their models and understanding are common takeaways from life science education studies,” the team wrote in their paper. “Use of devices such as glowscopes… can support these goals of allowing students to learn about science by doing science. In this way, students will build their own understanding of concepts rather than try to absorb information delivered in lecture format.”

You don’t need to go back to junior high school or visit a well-funded laboratory to see a glowscope in action, either. The team even made all their instructions and materials available for readers to assemble their fluorescence microscope filters in the comfort of their own homes—zebrafish not included.

The post Scientists turned a smartphone into an affordable microscope appeared first on Popular Science.

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In numerology, angel numbers are a repeating sequence of numbers you can’t seem to get away from—if you glance at your phone or the clock and keep seeing the same time, the universe might be trying to tell you something. “Two” represents duality and reflection. If you’ve thought, “I need a new phone case and screen protector for my phone,” consider this “pick two products, get 22% off” deal from Otterbox your sign to click “add to cart” before it ends tomorrow.

3-in-1 Charging Station with MagSafe $116.96 (Was $149.95) + iPhone 14 Pro Case for MagSafe Symmetry Series+ Antimicrobial $38.96 (Was $38.96)

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We think a wireless charger and a MagSafe-compliant case are the perfect combo to take advantage of this deal. And this Symmetry Series+ Antimicrobial case for the iPhone 14 and 3-in-1 charging station with MagSafe are the best of those respective things. The case is protective and durable while maintaining the iPhone’s sleek design. And, it’s made for MagSafe (like my personal, but currently not on sale, case, the Otterbox OtterGrip Symmetry Series). This means you won’t have to gamble with compliance upon purchase. The case’s antimicrobial properties also reduce germs to protect the phone’s integrity. Simply place it onto the 3-in-1 charging station to make the MagSafe magic happen. It can also charge your Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 2 simultaneously—talk about multihyphenate.

This sale ends this Friday, Feb. 24, so check out OtterBox’s other top sellers that qualify for the deal. Heads-up, this bundle deal is only available on the OtterBox site. However …

Here are other OtterBox products on sale on Amazon:

• OTTERBOX COMMUTER SERIES Case for Google Pixel 4a 5G (5G ONLY) $16.30 (Was $39.95)
• OtterBox Symmetry Clear Series Case for Google Pixel 4a 5G (5G ONLY) $7.90 (Was $49.95)
• OTTERBOX DEFENDER SERIES SCREENLESS EDITION Case for iPhone 12 mini $18.95 (Was $19.97) 
• OTTERBOX STRADA SERIES Case for Galaxy S21+ $15.90 (Was $22.50)
• OTTERBOX Max Grip Cooling and Antimicrobial Gaming Case for iPhone 11 Pro Max-SQUID INK $25.10 (Was $29.39)
• OTTERBOX Max Grip Cooling and Antimicrobial Gaming Case for iPhone 13 $28.10 (Was $29.76)
• OTTERBOX PREFIX SERIES Case for iPhone 13 mini & iPhone 12 mini-Party pink $25.30 (Was $34.95)
• OTTERBOX PREFIX SERIES Case for iPhone 13 mini & iPhone 12 mini-Clear $26.60 (Was $34.95)
• OtterBox SYMMETRY SERIES CLEAR Case for iPhone 13 Pro-DISNEY PRIDE $26.30 (Was $37.10)
• OtterBox SYMMETRY SERIES CLEAR Case for iPhone 12 & iPhone 12 Pro-MICKEY PRIDE $35.50 (Was $39.13)
• OtterBox SYMMETRY CLEAR SERIES Case for iPhone 11 Pro-COW PRINT $35.20 (Was $49.95)
• OTTERBOX SYMMETRY CLEAR SERIES Case for iPhone 13 Pro-CLEAR $24.20 (Was $49.95)
• OtterBox Otter + POP Symmetry Clear Series Case for iPhone 13 Pro-Limelight (Clear/Green)\ $32.99 (Was $59.95)

The post Pick two OtterBox products and get 22% off with this angelic deal appeared first on Popular Science.

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You’re not imagining things—your phone often doesn’t work as well when stuck in a large crowd. More people means more competing signals and data requests, meaning phones eventually fail to connect with their networks and thus create a backlog of demand. This, in turns, slows down everyone’s speeds while also frequently draining device batteries faster than usual.

However, the days of grimacing at your phone while at a concert or basketball game may soon be behind you, however, thanks to a new development from a research team at MIT.

“Imagine you’re at a party with loud music and you want to listen to your own music using headphones. But the outside noise is so loud that you can’t hear your own music unless you turn on the noise cancellation feature, ” posits Soroush Araei, an MIT graduate student in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and lead author of the project’s paper showcased this week at the International Solid-States Circuits Conference. 

[Related: What happens after the 3G network dies?]

“Well, a similar thing happens with the wireless signals all around us,” he explains. “Devices like your iPhone need to detect signals from WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 5G radio, but these signals can interfere with each other. To detect all the signals, your device needs multiple bulky filters outside the chip, which can be expensive.”

These necessary bulky filters may be more accurate now. Araei’s team developed a new method to bring the filtering technology within the chip itself to cover a large spectrum of frequencies. The improved design could greatly reduce production costs, make devices smaller and more efficient, and potentially even improve battery life.

“In short, our research can make your devices work better with fewer dropped calls or poor connections caused by interference from other devices,” says Araei.

The team’s advances work using something called a “mixer-first architecture” to identify and block unwanted interferences without harming a phone’s performance. In this setup, a radio frequency signal is converted into a lower frequency as soon as it is received by a device. From there, the signal’s digital bits are extracted via an analog-to-digital converter.

As useful as that is, there’s still the issue of harmonic interference to solve, which refers to  signals possessing bandwidths that are multiples of a specific device’s operating frequency. A phone operating at 1 gigahertz (GHz), for example, has harmonic inferences caused by signals at 2, 3, 4(and so on) GHz. During the signal conversion, these harmonic interferences can be virtually indistinguishable from the actual intended frequency, and muck up the whole process.

[Related: AT&T just shut down its 3G network. Here’s how it could affect your car.]

MIT researchers combined the mixer-first architecture alongside other techniques such as capacitor stacking and charge sharing to block harmonic interference issues while not losing any of the desired information.

“People have used these techniques, charge sharing and capacitor stacking, separately before, but never together. We found that both techniques must be done simultaneously to get this benefit. Moreover, we have found out how to do this in a passive way within the mixer without using any additional hardware while maintaining signal integrity and keeping the costs down,” Araei also added.

To test out their new configurations, the team sent out a desired signal alongside harmonic interferences, then measured the novel chip’s abilities. The results were impressive—the upgraded device effectively blocked out the harmonics at a minimal loss of signal strength, while also being able to handle signals over 40 times more powerful than existing, state-of-the-art receivers. And all this from a piece of hardware that is far cheaper, smaller, and less production heavy than what’s currently available. Because it doesn’t require any additional hardware, the new architecture could also soon be manufactured easily at scale for future generations of smartphones, tablets, and laptops. 

The post A new smartphone chip could keep your cell signal alive in crowded places appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 Charging Pad		SEE IT	An Apple enthusiast’s simplest solution for charging all the essentials.
Best charger		Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger		SEE IT	Classy as it is convenient, this compact charger helps simplify packing.
Best battery		OtterBox wireless 5K mAh Power Bank		SEE IT	Two-sided MagSafe compatibility adds versatility to this potent pint-sized battery backup.

If you’ve ever woken up and, groggily lumbering toward the bathroom, started the day by tripping over an iPhone charging cable, you know you felt no shame audibly cheering the first time you used a MagSafe accessory. MagSafe, Apple’s magnetic connector for electronic devices, started as an improvement for MacBook power cords in 2006. But it was with the introduction of the iPhone 12 in 2020 that the MagSafe name became synonymous with the much wider world of wireless power transfer and magnetic attachment products. Having a phone and a MagSafe-compatible charger saves you the problem of having the right cord with the right connector that’s the right length to be lined up just right; when that green circle lights up the iPhone screen, one less worry fills your mind. Not every MagSafe accessory involves power but they do all involve that feeling of security. Here’s our selection of the best MagSafe accessories to make sure your iPhone is fully charged and fastened when and where you need it to be.

• Best overall: Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 Charging Pad
• Best charging dock: Nomad Base One Max
• Best charger: Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger
• Best car mount: Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE Magnetic Wireless Car Charger
• Best phone case: Otterbox OtterGrip Symmetry Series
• Best battery: OtterBox wireless 5K mAh Power Bank

How we chose the best MagSafe accessories

As gadget geeks and serial upgraders, many of us have a recent iPhone. And considering how many devices we regularly test, requiring us to keep track of yet another interconnect, being able to wrangle one less tangle is a godsend. This is why we are both fans and intimate friends with many MagSafe accessories. Combining this firsthand experience with peer recommendations, critical reviews, and user impressions, we put together a list of potential inclusions from top manufacturers—including Belkin, Mophie, OtterBox, and more—then narrowed down the dozens of options to these picks.

The best MagSafe accessories: Reviews & Recommendations

MagSafe is a quality-of-life improvement you didn’t know you needed, but once you have it, you don’t understand why you didn’t this whole time. Here are our top picks for some of the best MagSafe accessories, focusing on accessories that offer charging.

Best overall: Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 charging pad

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Why it made the cut: This unassuming silicone-clad slab packs a sweet suite of Apple device chargers into a low-profile accessory.

Specs

• Dimensions: 9.8 x 5 x 3.66 inches
• Weight: 1.74 pounds
• Power: Up to 15W MagSafe

Pros

• Charges iPhone, Apple Watch, and wireless earbuds simultaneously
• Full 15W MagSafe charging capability
• Apple Watch Series 7 fast charge supported
• Apple Watch can be charged flat or in Nightstand mode

Cons

• Not the cheapest charging pad

Fans of maximized minimalism will love this Belkin 3-in-1 charging stand. It’s an Apple enthusiast’s simplest solution for charging all the essentials, with dedicated spots for a MagSafe-compatible iPhone, an Apple Watch, and wireless-compatible AirPods. 

Despite being a three-device dream, it’s an unassuming silicone-clad slab—available in Black or White with a soft-matte finish and subtle chrome accents—and it’s a lay-flat design that can be easily packed for on-the-go use. The MagSafe iPhone platform offers full 15W charging, with or without an official MagSafe case on your device (an included 40W adapter ensures the full output). While the Watch puck is adjustable, allowing any size Watch to be oriented as an alarm clock in Nightstand mode—and enabling fast charge for compatible Apple Watch Series 8 models. And the AirPods panel includes an LED indicator, so you know the wireless charging is active. 

Stable without being too hefty, the Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE PRO is the top third-party MagSafe charger and fills an important gap in Apple’s own offerings.

Best charging dock: Nomad Base One Max charger

Nomad

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Why it made the cut: Nomad’s Base One Max is a sturdy 2-in-1 Made for iPhone-certified charger made of metal, glass, and soft-touch rubber.

Specs

• Dimensions: 7.44 x 3.54 x 1.8 inches
• Weight: 2 pounds
• Power: Up to 15W MagSafe, Requires 30W charging brick

Pros

• Beautiful design
• Weight keeps it anchored
• Apple Watch charges in Nightstand Mode

Cons

• Pricey
• Doesn’t support Apple Watch 7 fast charge
• Doesn’t come with a charging brick

Nomad’s Base One Max is a hefty 2-in-1 charger that emphasizes design and utility. Available in Carbide or Silver, it features a solid metal and glass design along with subtle soft-touch accents to keep your devices protected, and it looks and feels more like a centerpiece rather than just another accessory.

The integrated Apple Watch charger props up the wearable in Nightstand Mode, while the 15W MFi MagSafe pad provides a satisfying thunk every time you place your iPhone down to charge. The charging pad is also compatible with other Qi-enabled devices so that you can charge your AirPods in between Zoom meetings.

Although the Base One Max is heavy at 2 pounds, its weight allows it to stay anchored when you reach for your device, and the rubber base ensures it won’t move around. The Base One Max comes with a 6-foot braided USB-C cable, but you’ll have to supply your own charging brick. It also doesn’t support fast charge on the Apple Watch.

While the Base One Max is pricey and not as transportable as our best overall pick, its thoughtful, high-quality design makes it one of the most elegant MagSafe options for a designated iPhone charging station.

Best charger: Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger

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Why it made the cut: Simplify your packing without sacrificing anything with this elegant wireless charging solution.

Specs

• Dimensions: 0.4 x 12.3 x 3.2 inches
• Weight: 9.92 ounces
• Power: 7.5W, 15W MagSafe

Pros

• Compact yet complete charging suite
• Sophisticated aesthetics
• Apple Watch can be oriented in Nightstand mode

Cons

• As pricy as a permanent pad, but not as solid

Classy as it is convenient, the Mophie 3-in-1 travel charger with MagSafe is an easily packable trifold charger that comes with all the accessories needed, all tucked within an elegant felt organizer. Inside this backpack, briefcase, or maybe even belt bag-friendly case, you’ll find three pockets for the charger, a 30W USB-C PD wall adapter, and an included 1m USB-C to USB-C cable.

Unfurl the heathered grey fabric-wrapped hub and three pads will be revealed, ​​with a dedicated cradle for AirPods, a magnetized disc for iPhone, and a magnetized puck for Apple Watch. This charger powers all three simultaneously from a single cable plugged into the Watch platform. Perfect for pleasurable jaunts and business trips alike, this stylish set-up starts your devices charging on contact, so you’ll be ready to touch base with all your contacts in the morning.    

Best car mount: Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE Magnetic Wireless Car Charger

Belkin

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Why it made the cut: This vent-mounted charger helps you steer without your iPhone sliding around and driving you crazy. 

Specs

• Dimensions: 1.68 x 3.98 x 5.43 inches
• Weight: 3.35 ounces
• Power: Up to 10W

Pros

• Easily mounted/removed on a vehicle air vent
• Keeps phone secure, accessible, and charged during navigation

Cons

• Requires you to run a cable from the console to charge
• Placement might require some adjusting, based on vent blades

It may not quite be the jetpacks that the future promised, but having a MagSafe mount in the car definitely changed how I travel for the better. Securing my iPhone conveniently as fast, if not faster, than I fasten my own seatbelt, not having to fish out a charging cable, then detaching the phone just as expediently when I get to my destination is perhaps the greatest expression of MagSafe’s life-changing properties. 

Easily clamped to an air vent, the Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE magnetic wireless charging mount holds an iPhone firmly within sight even when traffic patterns shift abruptly. If you must keep an eye on a screen for navigation purposes (I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt you won’t play videos or other distractions while driving), it’s far better to situate your phone in an optimal place to the side of the steering column rather than have you fumbling for it with only one hand on the wheel. 

In addition to firmly holding the phone in place (in either vertical or horizontal orientation), the Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE can be plugged into (what was once) the cigarette lighter with the included 20W USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 car power supply and charge your iPhone while driving. This helps compensate for energy-intensive programs like Waze and Google Maps keeping your display and GPS continually active. The road may be full of bumps, but at least your phone won’t flip or its battery dip with this convenient accessory.  

Best phone case: Otterbox OtterGrip Symmetry Series

Amanda Reed

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Why it made the cut: Enter the world of MagSafe without having to get rid of a phone grip.

Specs

• Dimensions: 6.02 x 3.11 x .53 inches
• Weight: 1.76 ounces
• Power: N/A

Pros

• Combines MagSafe compliance with easy grip
• Durable
• Doesn’t interfere with phone buttons

Cons

• OtterGrip not a complete replacement for the PopSocket
• More of a phone grip than a phone stand

Thanks to increasingly more content and the pixels needed to display it, smartphones have gotten bigger and bigger over the last decade. For people with the small, dainty hands of a 19th-century child working in a watch factory, phone grips like PopSockets provided a handle to prevent some accidental drops and smartphone pinky. However, these add-ons meant that anyone using one could never fully experience the convenience of MagSafe—an iPhone‘s back cover has to be easily accessible so that compatible accessories can sit flush and align their magnetic array. Sure, you can buy a PopSocket that attaches using MagSafe, but then you’re taking it on and off and potentially losing it. That changes with the Otterbox OtterGrip Symmetry Series case, originally announced in January 2023 at CES and now available. The OtterGrip gives you the best of both worlds, allowing you to have an integrated phone grip and use any of the MagSafe chargers, mounts, batteries, etc., you see on this page. Simply pull the grip away from the case to use it, and snap it back in place when you decide to place it on a wireless charger or car mount. The grip also rotates 360 degrees for ergonomics.

The OtterGrip is also incredibly durable without the chonk. Some may think “big, bulky case” when they hear the name OtterBox, but that’s no longer the, well, case. There’s a better “click” on the volume and lock buttons compared to my old Speck Gemshell case, which has a slim profile, all things considered. The OtterGrip is actually slimmer than the Speck Gemshell using a separate phone grip, with higher drop protection.

If you use a PopSocket-like grip for a phone stand, however, you might want to pass on the OtterGrip case—it’s hard to balance the phone and get it to stay in place without the grip snapping back into place. The OtterGrip isn’t a one-to-one replacement for the PopSocket in terms of feeling, and there is some getting used to the experience. But being able to use MagSafe and feel more secure when you’re holding your expensive pocket computer is worth the learning curve.

Best battery: OtterBox wireless 5K mAh power bank

OtterBox

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Why it made the cut: Two-sided MagSafe compatibility adds versatility to this potent pint-sized battery backup.

Specs

• Dimensions: 6.69 x 4.25 x 0.39 inches
• Weight: 6.5 ounces
• Power: 5W Qi, 7.5W MagSafe

Pros

• Magnets on both sides allow connections to a phone and mount simultaneously
• Wireless input and wireless output
• LED indicators for charge status/battery life

Cons

• No magnetic stabilizing strip leaves the opportunity for the power bank to rotate 
• Not the biggest capacity available in a wireless power bank

The Otterbox wireless 5K mAh power bank tops the battery category not only because of what it can hold and also how you can hold it. It doesn’t have the capacity of, say, Belkin’s equally recommendable BOOST↑CHARGE Wireless Charger 10K, but only holding half the charge means it also takes up less space—a huge plus for pocketability (though the battery has the potential to rotate/become unaligned if you’re power-walking with purpose). And 5K is enough to fully recharge any iPhone 13 once (or the iPhone 13 mini twice).

What really stands out with this power bank is that it has MagSafe on both sides, meaning you can attach it to a MagSafe charger with your iPhone simultaneously attached, topping off both in the process. I actually store one on a Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand so it’s primed and ready to easily peel off in case I’m leaving the house without my iPhone at 100%. And if I was without that convenient perch and succumbed to a cable, I could use the bidirectional USB-C port to charge the power bank, as well as to charge my phone.  

Things to consider before buying the best MagSafe accessories

If you have an iPhone 12, iPhone 13, or iPhone 14 of any size/sort, you can access MagSafe. And if you have a debit or credit card, you can access the MagSafe accessories presented here. But before you invest in new accouterments, you might have some questions. And that’s why we’re here.

So, how exactly does MagSafe work?

MagSafe uses a series of internal magnets ringing an iPhone’s charging coil to snap securely to compatible accessories. This assures that any attachments are properly lined up, which is particularly valuable for optimized wireless charging. As for how magnets work in general, that is a tale of electrons spinning and atoms aligning and a miraculous mystery for another time. But when magnetized objects of opposite poles enter each other’s magnetic fields, they are as strongly attracted to each other as a long-time Apple fan is to hearing “… and one more thing.”

Do I need MagSafe accessories?

No. If you are a connoisseur of cables—each one personally, painstakingly labeled as to what it is for—then keep enjoying those curled-up keepsakes and a Jenga-like set of power bricks. USB-A to Lightning, USB-C to Lightning … you do you. Being hardwired to the wall will continue to work … for now (we have no insight into Apple’s plans to discontinue ports on iPhones). And if you always have or prefer to secure your phone in a dashboard-mounted vice while driving, don’t switch up what works for you. So, no, you don’t need MagSafe accessories. But if you’ve gotten tired of trying to find a convenient place to plug in a somehow always slightly too short cable, or finding out that the cable you desperately need to save you from an imminent power-down has a short in it, you definitely may want MagSafe accessories. And don’t even get me started as to how convenient a MagSafe car mount is … (OK, get me started but wait till we get to our top pick in that category, please.)

Do I need a MagSafe case for my iPhone?

To charge wirelessly, no, you don’t need a MagSafe case. But to attach additional accessories to your iPhone while it’s in the case, yes, you need a MagSafe case. Plus the MagSafe system in the case helps alleviate any concerns that it might fall off.

If I buy a MagSafe accessory, does it need to be “Made for MagSafe” to work?

No, though it can’t hurt. There are plenty of “MagSafe compatible” options with the magnetic ring that lets your iPhone snap to them with the precision needed to stay and/or charge properly. We even recommend some. But the “Made for MagSafe” badge does bring some benefits. It means that the device can support 15W charging (12W for iPhone mini models), rather than the 7.5W charging of “MagSafe compatible” alternatives (and more watts=faster charging). To get maximum output, however, be sure you have at least a 20W USB-C PD adapter for the charging pad. In addition, the near-field communication between “Made for MagSafe” charging devices means you get the undeniable satisfaction of seeing your iPhone’s screen light up with the curling green MagSafe animation that guarantees authenticity and efficiency. 

Can I charge anything other than my iPhone with a MagSafe pad?

Sure, you can place anything with Qi-enabled wireless charging on a MagSafe pad and the battery will fill. However, the device won’t snap into place so you won’t know if it’s set down correctly and there’s nothing to stop it from getting knocked off the pad accidentally. There are Android devices, and optional cases, that do have magnetic rings in them, which solves that problem, but Android devices don’t replicate the alert an official MagSafe charger gives when it comes into contact with an iPhone.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best MagSafe accessories

If you’re wired to go wireless and you’re an iPhone owner, MagSafe accessories are the best way to get your fill of features and battery capacity. Matching convenience with efficiency, the best MagSafe accessories are as attached to your pocket computer as you are and can help empower your adventures together.

The post The best MagSafe accessories of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Portable chargers are never out of season. Whether your phone is always running low on charge or it’s a particularly busy day and you need more juice for your last meeting, a portable charger makes a great safety blanket. They’re especially useful in the winter months, when batteries seem to drain even faster than usual. Anker’s portable batteries charge consistently, hold up to the worst of daily life, and fit easily into a purse, backpack, or even a pocket. 

Anker is currently offering sales on a large portion of their inventory. It has a wide range of chargers, from older models at cheaper prices with fewer functions, but also have many fancy new models with interesting innovations, like the MagGo battery that allows for wireless charging. 

Our top pick, however, has to be their upcoming release: the Anker 733 Power Bank, which features not just Anker’s signature sleek look and fast charging capabilities, but doubles as a regular wall outlet. If you’re at home, use it exactly like a normal wall charger, but grab it when you’re heading out to take advantage of the 10,000 mAh battery wherever and whenever you want. The 733 will retail for $100 at release, but a preorder will set you back just $70. 

• Anker 733 Power Bank (featured) $70 (was $100)
• Anker 747 Power Bank $153 (was $180)
• Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 26K for Laptop) $136 (was $160)
• Anker 737 Power Bank (PowerCore 24K) $110 (was $150)
• Anker 521 Magnetic Battery $30 (was $40)
• Anker 525 Power Bank $51 (was $60)
• Anker 537 Power Bank $98 (was $140)
• Anker 633 Magnetic Battery $64 (was $80)
• Anker 622 Magnetic Battery (MagGo) $45 (was $60)
• Anker 337 Power Bank $60 (was $70)

More charging deals

There are, of course, more options available. Amazon has a good collection of portable chargers, and many of them are also on sale at the moment.

• Mregb Solar Power Bank, Solar Charger, 42800mAh Power Bank $30 (was $80) 
• Solar-Charger-Power-Bank – Portable Charger, 43800mAh Qc3.0 Fast Charging $45 (was $100)
• Solar Power Bank 36000mAh, Solar Charger Qi Wireless Built in $34 (was $70)
• Solar Charger 25000mAh, Hiluckey Outdoor USB C Portable Power Bank $38 (was $57)
• Solar Power Bank, Solar Charger 38800mAh, Qi Wireless Charger $20 (was $80)
• Power-Bank-Solar-Portable-Charger – 40000mAh Power Bank Large Capacity $30 (was $198)
• Feeke Solar-Charger-Power-Bank – 36800mAh Portable Charger $20 (was $60)
• Portable Charger with Built-In Cables and AC Wall Plug, VRURC 10000mAh $30 (was $37)
• LOVELEDI Portable-Charger-Power-Bank – 15000mAh Dual USB Power Bank $16 (was $70)
• LOVELEDI Portable-Charger-Power-Bank – 2 Pack 15000mAh Dual USB Power Bank $20 (was $99)
• ROMOSS 30000mAh Power Bank Sense 8+, 18W PD USB C Portable Charger $32 (was $40)
• TG90 Mini Power Bank 4500mah Portable Charger with Built in Cable $23 (was $40)
• Charmast USB C Portable Charger Power Bank, Battery Pack 5000mAh $18 (was $30)
• INIU Portable Charger, 22.5W 20000mAh USB C $28 (was $65)
• Baseus Power Bank, 65W 20000mAh Laptop Portable Charger $51 (was $80)

The post Anker’s latest portable charger is on sale even before its release appeared first on Popular Science.

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Tired of lugging around various gadgets for your tech necessities? The WonderCube Pro: All-In-One Mobile Keyring is a multi-functional device that serves as a one-stop shop for all your mobile device needs. Best yet, it fits comfortably on your keychain, making it a convenient solution.

If you’re on the go regularly for work or for leisure, you’re probably tired of carrying around various cables for all your tech accessories. The WonderCube Pro brings eight smartphone essentials to your fingertips. One of its standout features is its universal connectivity, which allows it to work with all Android and Apple devices. The built-in cable, a 1-inch foldout flexible USB cord that extends up to 3 inches, makes it easy to charge your devices wherever you go while the gold-plated connectors (with USB outlet) ensure quick charge, saving you time and hassle.

The WonderCube Pro also doubles as a phone stand, thanks to its micro-suction cups plate that easily attaches and detaches on the phone’s back panel. The device also works perfectly as a USB flash drive (OTG for Android only), making it an ideal solution for quick file transfer and backup.

In case of an emergency, the WonderCube Pro can be a lifesaver. Simply grab a 9V battery and give your phone a significant boost of up to two to three hours of talk time. The built-in micro-SD card reader supports up to 128GB, making it easy to transfer and back up your files. It also includes a LED torch that can light up darkness whenever you need it. The combination of its eight functions—charge, phone stand, OTG USB, sync, emergency charger, flash memory reader, and LED torch—makes it a versatile device that can simplify your life on the go.

Various publications have praised WonderCube Pro’s various features, with Forbes calling it “Clean, minimalist, and timeless.” And CoolMaterial published, “WonderCube solves all of those issues, and more, in a one-cubic-inch package. On-the-go management just got a whole lot easier.”

The WonderCube Pro: All-In-One Mobile Keyring is now available for a price dropped to $79.95 for a 2-pack and $39.99 for a 1-pack. If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution for your mobile device needs, the WonderCube Pro is definitely worth considering.

Prices subject to change.

The post Stay charged and connected with this all-in-one mobile solution—now on sale appeared first on Popular Science.

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Are you tired of constantly worrying about your phone running out of battery at the most inconvenient times? Whether you’re watching the season finale of your favorite show or trying to order takeout at the end of a long night, it’s essential to have a backup plan for your mobile device. The Speedy Mag Wireless Charger for iPhone offers a hassle-free solution to charging your device quickly and efficiently.

The Speedy Mag Wireless Charger boasts a powerful battery that can quickly and effectively charge your iPhone 12 and newer, as well as all Qi-enabled wireless devices, including Androids. It also features a built-in magnet and metal plate that works seamlessly with the iPhone 12 and up, allowing for instant charging. Measuring 5 inches by 5 inches, the sleek and compact design makes it easy to take with you on the go, eliminating the need to bring pesky cables when traveling or working remotely.

Not only is it convenient, but it also offers built-in safeguards to keep your devices safe and prevent overcharging. Whether at home, at work, or on the road, you can trust that your devices are getting quality charging at lightning speeds without worrying about damage. Reviewed by verified buyers, The Speedy Mag Wireless Charger for iPhone is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars, making it an excellent gift for that tech-loving friend or family member. As Janet Travis reviews, “[I] love that I no longer have to worry about being out and about and my phone battery dying. I pop on this charger, and it keeps my phone charged.”

Normally priced at $119, you can now purchase the Speedy Mag Wireless Charger for iPhone in black at an additional price-drop at only $39.99. That’s 66% off its original price. Streamline your charging experience today with this mighty power source. 

Prices subject to change.

The post Keep your smartphone powered up with this wireless charger, now 66% off appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best for iPhone		Mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad		SEE IT	A 3-in-1 wireless charging pad especially equipped for Apple products.
Best for Samsung		Samsung Wireless Charger Trio		SEE IT	A multi-device charging pad for the desk or the bedside.
Best budget		Yootech Wireless Charger		SEE IT	An affordable pick that can power up any phone.

When Nikola Tesla successfully transmitted electricity through the air in the late 1800s, he dreamed of a wireless electrical grid. While that hasn’t happened, the “Tesla Coils” patented in 1897 helped enable wireless charging for your smartphones and other devices. The best wireless phone chargers have standardized Qi (pronounced “chee”) charging, which works by creating a magnetic field with the use of induction coils, modeled after Tesla’s design. Those coils act sort of like an antenna transmitting energy. Meanwhile, Qi-equipped devices have a built-in coil that is capable of capturing that energy, like a receiver, and turning it into useful power. If all that sounds complicated, we’re with you. Fortunately, finding the best wireless phone charger to meet your needs is much easier: just read on for our top picks!

• Best overall: Anker PowerWave II Pad
• Best for iPhones: Mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad 
• Best for Samsung devices: Samsung Wireless Charger Trio
• Best stylish: Courant Catch:3 Essentials
• Best car charger: iOttie Wireless Car Charger
• Best budget: Yootech Wireless Charger

How we selected the best wireless phone chargers

We compared over 50 wireless phone chargers and narrowed them down to these select few by comparing cost, wattage, compatibility, design, and user impressions. While all our picks have the end function of providing wireless power to your phone and devices, they vary in price point and form factor so you can find the right charger for you. From affordable car chargers to keep you powered on the go all the way to premium models perfect for bedside fueling or office work, you can outfit your space with the gadgets you need to keep fueled day-in and day-out. 

The best wireless phone chargers: Reviews & Recommendations

From the desk to the dashboard, here are the best wireless phone chargers for a power boost wherever you need it.  

Best overall: Anker PowerWave II Pad

Anker

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Why it made the cut: Anker is known for its reliable tech, and this pick is no different—it’s equipped with fast-charging capabilities and universal compatibility to suit any phone. 

Specs

• Wattage: 15 W
• Number of devices: 1
• Dimensions: 3.54 x 3.54 x 0.55 inches

Pros

• Anti-slip design
• Smart charging based on your devices power needs
• Universal compatibility

Cons

• Can only charge one device at a time

No need to fumble with the charging pad or adjust your phone 20 times to produce power—the Anker makes refueling your device effortless with PowerWave tech and an antislip silicone ring to keep your phone secure. This pick is also equipped with Smart Charging, which seamlessly changes between 5W, 7.5W, 10W, and 15W modes depending on your unique device. No need to scour the specs to be sure it’ll suit your specific phone, as this automatic mode will do the heavy lifting for you. The PowerWave is also compatible with all Qi-enabled phones, so whether you’re camp Android or Apple it’ll charge regardless. 

Best for iPhones: Mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad

Mophie

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Why it made the cut: For those deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem, this pick is optimized to charge multiple devices in one go. 

Specs

• Wattage: 7.5W
• Number of devices: 3
• Dimensions: 10.2 x 5.51 x 2.6 inches

Pros

• Nightstand-friendly design
• Charges multiple devices at once
• Optimal for Apple products

Cons

• Not the fastest option available for iPhone 12 and newer

Apple users who want technology accessible from the nightstand should consider the Mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad, which has space for your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods and can even charge through a case that’s 3 millimeters thick. The Apple Watch holder is angled to best take advantage of Apple Nightstand Mode, which essentially lets the watch double as a nightstand alarm clock. The Mophie 3-in-1 delivers 7.5W of power via Qi charging technology, though it’s optimized for iPhone 11 and older, so iPhone 12 or 13 users may want to consider a wireless phone charger like the Apple MagSafe Charger for a faster boost. Mophie says its wireless charging pad, while designed for Apple products, does offer universal wireless charging that’s compatible with other Qi-charging devices. Prefer something more sculptural? This tree-like MagSafe-equipped Belkin 3-in-1 fast-charging solution lets you suspend an iPhone 12 or 13 plus an Apple Watch in any orientation. But if you’re not an iPhone customer, this Mophie Wireless Charging Pad may be better—plus it’ll fit an extra device.

Best for Samsung devices: Samsung Wireless Charger Trio

Samsung

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Why it made the cut: Fuel all your Samsung devices with this pick—outfitted with fast charging modes to refuel in a pinch. 

Specs

• Wattage: 12W
• Number of devices: 3
• Dimensions: 2 x 4 x 10 inches

Pros

• Fast charging capability
• LED light to indicate charging
• Seamless design

Cons

• Not compatible with other brands

This Samsung Wireless Charger can hold up to three devices so you can power up all your products in one place. Plus, it’s designed with six coils so you can put your device nearly anywhere on the pad and it’ll charge, so you don’t have to worry about lining anything up. Nor do you have to work too hard to figure out how much juice you have, thanks to built-in LED lights that show your power level. The Samsung wireless charger works with devices from a variety of manufacturers, but with fast-charge compatible devices—like the Samsung Galaxy Note phones 10 and up—it’ll work even better, supplying up to 15W of power.  

Best stylish: Courant Catch:3 Essentials

Courant

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Why it made the cut: This wireless charging station and catch-all tray blends seamlessly into your decor. 

Specs

• Wattage: 10W
• Number of devices: 1
• Dimensions: 11 x 8 x .6 inches

Pros

• Compatible with Android and Apple
• Weighted so it won’t slip
• Comes in leather and linen options

Cons

• Only charges one device at a time

Have you ever lost your wireless headphones only to discover that they’re uncharged once found? Solve both of those problems with one stylish product. This combo wireless charger and catch-all tray from Courant comes in either Italian leather or Belgian linen, which adds an elevated flair to your entryway or bedside table. However, this wireless charger isn’t just a pretty face. It’s smart too, thanks to Qi certification for 10W charging and a three-coil large charging area for easy, fast alignment. It’s Blue Angel certified, meaning you won’t have to worry about its impact on the environment. Although it can only charge one device wirelessly, it comes with an additional USB-A port to charge additional devices. If you’re looking for a design-forward, “looks more expensive than it is” wireless charger, the Courant Catch:3 Essentials is for you.

Best car charger: iOttie Wireless Car Charger 

iOttie

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Why it made the cut: This affordable pick can mount any type of phone with its auto-sensing mount system for easy, hands-free charging. 

Specs

• Wattage: 10W
• Number of devices: 1
• Dimensions: 5.91 x 3.15 x 5.91 inches

Pros

• Universal compatibility
• Auto-sensing features
• Adjustable pivot 

Cons

• Only charges one device

When you’re driving, you don’t want to be fiddling with your phone. But if you’re out of power and rely on your phone’s GPS navigation in order to reach your destination, you have to recharge somehow. This wireless phone charger for car use features a proximity sensor that will open the arms to grab hold of your phone when it gets near. Then the Qi wireless charging system will supply up to 10W of power to an Android phone and up to 7.5W to iPhones. The suction cup mounting promises a secure hold to your windshield or dashboard, with two telescoping knobs enabling the perfect fit, and side buttons supplying a one-touch release of your device.

Best budget: Yootech Wireless Charger

Yootech

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Why it made the cut: With multiple charging modes to suit different devices, this affordable pick is versatile enough to suit any phone. 

Specs

• Wattage: 10 W
• Number of devices: 1
• Dimensions: 3.19 x 3.59 x 4.48 inches

Pros

• Multiple charging modes
• Affordable cost
• Multiple charging orientations

Cons

• Can only charge one device at a time

For a third of the price of some of the other best wireless phone chargers on the market, this Yootech wireless charger presents a powerful option. The wireless charging stand will supply 7.5W to Apple devices, 10W to Samsung devices, and 5W to other Google phones and Qi-equipped picks. More than 11,000 raters on Amazon give this sleek, though somewhat basic-looking wireless charging stand an average rating of 4.6 stars.  

What to consider when buying the best wireless phone chargers

While you don’t have to be an electrical engineer to find the best wireless phone charger, here are some important factors to keep in mind.

What’s the wattage?

Most smartphones power up wirelessly at between 5 and 10 watts. However, some models, especially newer phones like the iPhone 13, can push the pace to 20 watts. When searching for the best wireless phone charger, the fastest charging speeds will come from finding Qi chargers that can match the capacity of your phone. So if your phone can charge at 10W, but your wireless charger can only reach 7.5W, you won’t reach top speed. It’s also important to note that some of the best wireless phone chargers work better with some devices than they do others. Smartphone brand can make a difference but so can model type, since newer phones tend to be equipped with faster charging capabilities.    

The ins and outs of ups and downs

Wireless phone chargers can lie flat or stand tall. They can also mount in your car. Wireless charging stands tend to work well if you want to be able to use your phone while it’s charging, while flat wireless chargers may give you the option of charging more devices at once. Some wireless charging pads include stands for smartwatches that stand in such a way that you can use your smartwatch as an alarm clock. You could also use your smartphone for a similar purpose with a wireless charging stand. A wireless phone charger for car use affixes to your windshield or dash and plugs into your car’s auxiliary power outlet or USB ports so you can power up from the road.  

Was it made for you?

Some wireless car chargers are made of wood, others recycled material, others marble. Some wireless chargers have fabric finishes or leather layering. Some wireless chargers are even invisible. There’s no doubt a charger to match your style. But most wireless chargers look more like the pieces of technology they are, featuring plastic casing over the coils. 

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best wireless phone chargers 

Perhaps someday Tesla’s wireless electrical grid will be possible. But, for now, he’s at least helped us to be able to power our smartphones without cords. The best wireless phone chargers will meet your phone’s full charging potential and provide a power boost when and where you want it. That concept isn’t exactly electromagnetism. 

The post The best wireless phone chargers of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

The iPhone is one of the most popular pocket-friendly computers on the planet, and while its functions are innumerable, accessories can help you get even more out of the device. The most basic accessories will prevent the handset from getting damaged accidentally. In contrast, others will improve the performance of its cameras or turn the device into a credible mobile podcast recorder. The options, however, may feel overwhelming for new iPhone owners, so we’ve put together this list of some essential iPhone accessories if you were recently gifted or upgraded to Apple’s signature smartphone.

Most of the accessories we’re recommending are compatible with any iPhone released in the past three to five years, but some—cases specifically—are designed for a specific model. We’ve chosen to highlight the iPhone 14 version of those accessories, though case and screen-protector manufacturers have the same offerings for multiple phone versions.

A case that gets better with age: Nomad Modern Leather Case

Nomad

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Choosing the right iPhone case will depend on your color, material, and size preferences, which is why we have an entire guide with over a dozen recommendations. That said, after testing several cases every year, I always end up gravitating back to Nomad’s Modern Leather Case. It’s luxe, but the case is protective and patinas over time, which means that small signs of wear actually make the case look better. I’ve dropped my iPhone screen side up from a height of 10 feet onto a stone surface, and the back and sides of my device showed no damage.

A durable screen protector: InvisibleShield Glass Elite VisionGuard Screen Protector

InvisibleShield

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A case will protect the back and sides of your iPhone, but a screen protector will prevent display damage. InvisibleShield’s Glass Elite VisionGuard Screen Protector is the one to get based on my tests. The accessory comes with a useful guide that prevents you from installing it incorrectly, which is handy if you’ve never used one before. In my experience, the Glass Elite doesn’t impact the performance of the iPhone’s touchscreen or its color accuracy. The material InvisibleShield uses does filter some blue light, though, which can make your iPhone more comfortable to look at in the dark. If you’re afraid of cracking your iPhone’s screen, this accessory will help put your mind at ease (it’s also far less expensive than a trip to the Genius Bar).

A battery pack: Anker 733 Power Bank

Anker

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Anker’s 733 is one of the best iPhone accessories we’ve tested because it has two functions. First, it’s a three-port 10,000mAh battery pack that can fully recharge your smartphone a couple of times, or extend the life of your tablet, portable game console, or laptop by a few hours. But the 733 has a built-in plug that can be connected directly to an outlet, at which point it turns into a three-port 65W power adapter, which can charge all of your devices while you’re at home. This double functionality helps Anker’s 733 Power Bank stand apart in a crowded category, especially because of its travel-friendly size.

A magnetic charger: Apple MagSafe Charger

Apple

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The iPhone 12 (released in late 2020) was the first Apple smartphone to support MagSafe. This magnetic connector system uses an array underneath the iPhone’s back plate to attach it to what is now a wide world of compatible wireless power transfer accessories, among other convenient add-ons. A MagSafe charger will refill an iPhone’s battery up to twice as fast as a standard Qi wireless charger (up to 15W) and will magnetically align with the back of your iPhone to create and maintain a solid connection. Apple’s MagSafe Charger gets our recommendation because it’s relatively inexpensive and has delivered rock-solid performance in our tests. If you want to jump from wired to wireless charging in 2023, this is the accessory to get.

A camera lens kit: Xenvo Pro Lens Kit

Xenvo

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The iPhone’s cameras are world-class, but smartphone photographers looking to up their game should check out Xenvo’s Pro Lens Kit. The accessory clips onto the top of the iPhone’s wide lens and allows you to screw on a macro or wide-angle lens to get shots that would be difficult (or impossible). The kit also has a clip-on light with three brightness settings to help you get better low-light photos.

An external microphone: Shure MV88 Portable iOS Microphone

Shure

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If you’re using your iPhone to record podcasts, or want ultra-high-quality audio to accompany your 4K video, Shure’s MV88 is the right accessory for the job. The miniature condenser microphone plugs directly into your iPhone’s Lightning port, so it never needs to be charged. You can use the MV88 to record audio in true stereo and monitor your recordings live by plugging headphones into its 3.5mm input. Shure bundles the microphone with a windscreen, which makes it a useful tool to use in the field, and a carrying case to keep it protected when it’s not in use.

A videography kit: Rode VideoMic Vlogger Kit

Rode

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The iPhone has been able to shoot sharp 4K video for years, but Rode’s Vlogger Kit can help you get even more out of its cameras. The kit comes with a microphone (with windshield), light cube (with colored film), phone mount, and a tabletop tripod that doubles as a grip. Using these tools makes a big difference in the audio and video quality of your recordings, especially if you shoot at night. A big part of the VideoMic Vlogger Kit’s appeal is its portability. Keeping all of these tools on you at all times makes it easy to set up and break down shoots in just a couple of minutes.

A travel charging kit: Mophie snap+ multi-device travel charger

Mophie

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If you want to stop carrying several charging cables with you while you travel, your best option is Mophie’s snap+ multi-device travel charger. The self-contained kit includes a charger with a MagSafe charging pad, Qi wireless charging pad, USB-A port, USB-C port, a USB-C cable, and a power adapter. The charger folds up and fits neatly inside a padded carrying case, with slots for its power adapter and cable. We’ve taken this kit traveling with us and couldn’t imagine getting on a flight or multi-day car trip without it.

A car mount: iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Dash & Windshield Universal Car Mount

iOttie

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Your eyes should stay on the road while driving, but that can be tough if you use your iPhone as a GPS. If that’s the case, we recommend this windshield car mount from iOttie. The One Touch 4 can be attached to any flat part of your dashboard or on its windshield. Its articulating arm allows you to position your iPhone at a safe, comfortable angle, and a holder will keep the device in place. In our experience, iOttie’s mounts are strong enough to keep a firm grip on an iPhone on bumpy terrain and can stay attached to your car for years without incident.

A car charger: Satechi 40W Dual USB-C PD Car Charger

Satechi

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If you’d like to charge your phone while you drive, Satechi’s Dual-USB-C charger is the accessory you need. The power adapter fits into your car’s cigarette lighter and can fast-charge two iPhones simultaneously. The second USB-C port can also charge a tablet, portable game device, or even a laptop.

Alternately, if you ride solo more often than not, you can buy a combination MagSafe car mount-charger. For example, the Belkin BoostCharge Pro secures to your vent—remember to close it if running the heat—and can deliver up to 15W fast-charging from your car lighter (adapter and cable included). It’s an easy one-handed motion to place or release the iPhone, and it stays fastened in either portrait or landscape mode for convenient navigation assistance, etc., while driving.

A durable charging cable: Amazon Basics Nylon Braided USB-C to Lightning Cable

Amazon Basics

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Apple includes a charging cable with the iPhone, but it’s been known to fray long before you need to upgrade your device. Amazon Basics’ USB-C to Lightning cable has a braided outer shell that can be bent or twisted without showing signs of wear. In fact, Amazon says you can bend this cable up to 4,000 times without it breaking.

Wireless earbuds: AirPods Pro 2

Apple

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The iPhone can be connected to any pair of Bluetooth headphones, but it was designed to work best with the AirPods Pro 2. Apple’s new earbuds will automatically pair to your iPhone the first time you open the lid to their battery case and auto-connect to it every time after that. When you listen to music or watch TV shows and movies with a Dolby Atmos mix on your iPhone, you can use the AirPods Pro 2 to listen in “Spatial Audio,” a headphone-friendly version of surround sound. You can even personalize your Spatial Audio experience on the iPhone by taking a picture of the shape of your ears. You’ll also be able to use the iPhone’s Find My app to locate your AirPods 2 if lost. Finally (and most importantly), we’ve found from first-hand experience that the AirPods 2 are a solid pair of true wireless earbuds, with excellent sound, surprisingly good active noise cancellation, and very good battery life.

A smart speaker: HomePod Mini

Apple

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Again, the iPhone can connect to any Bluetooth or AirPlay 2-enabled speaker, but the HomePod Mini was designed to work best with other Apple hardware through HomeKit. You can ask Siri on your iPhone to play music on your HomePod, and even “hand off” audio from the smartphone to the speaker by placing them near one another. The HomePod Mini sounds very good given its size—and even better if you pair two together to listen in true stereo. You can even send messages to the HomePod Mini from your phone to use the speaker like an intercom. If you want to pair your iPhone with a speaker fully integrated in Apple’s ecosystem, the HomePod Mini is the one to get.

The post Essential accessories for your new iPhone appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Garmin inReach Mini GPS		SEE IT	This tough communicator is perfect for outdoor camping trips.
Best for international travel		Inmarsat Isatphone 2.1 Satellite Phone		SEE IT	Flat rate calling charges are included with this satellite phone, saving you money on your post-trip phone bill.
Best budget		ZOLEO Satellite Communicator		SEE IT	This sub-$200 option includes Iridium satellite connection just like higher-end models.

Harnessing a satellite phone connection can provide you with communication anywhere on the globe. Using a satellite allows you to keep in touch with friends and family, whether you’re hiking in remote areas, sailing, flying, or just want to be prepared in case of a natural disaster. While cellphones and smartphones provide connections in major cities and towns, they’re dependent on terrestrial towers. In case of a natural disaster, cellphone networks can be overloaded or subject to structural damage. With one of the best satellite phones, your connection is dependent on satellites in space, so after a disaster or even if you’re just traveling to the far corners of the Earth, you’ll be able to stay connected. 

Satellite phones can be used for voice calls, text messaging, and even basic emails to keep in touch. They allow for emergency preparedness by issuing SOS distress signals, GPS locations, directions, and emergency weather alerts. Some sat phone packages come with a satellite-based Wi-Fi hub that will allow for your smartphone to work in locations that don’t have cellphone connections. Some satellite phone packages even allow for broadband access to the internet. To compare phones and figure out which is right for you, we’ve selected some of the best satellite phones on the market to keep you safe and connected.

• Best overall: Garmin inReach Mini GPS
• Best satellite messenger: Spot 3 Satellite GPS Messenger
• Best for international travel: Inmarsat Isatphone 2.1 Satellite Phone
• Best bundle: Iridium GO! Hiker Package
• Best budget: ZOLEO Satellite Communicator

How we chose the best satellite phones

When venturing off the beaten path, communication can mean the difference between smooth sailing and a rough misadventure. We looked at reviews, recommendations, consulted outdoor enthusiasts and experts, and conducted heavy research to find the best satellite phones—because there’s comfort in knowing you can always call home.

The best satellite phones: Reviews & Recommendations

From traversing craggy ledges and vast green hillsides to phoning home while traveling internationally, the best satellite phones can do it all. Here are our picks that will keep you in touch wherever you go.

Best overall: Garmin inReach Mini GPS

Garmin

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Why it made the cut: This satellite communicator is portable and packed with features, like interactive SOS calling, to ensure safety anywhere in the world.

Specs

• Connectivity technology: Bluetooth, ANT+
• Battery life: 50 hours in default tracking mode; 20 days in power-saving mode
• Battery power: Internal rechargeable lithium battery
• Dimensions: 2 x 1.3 x 3.9 inches

Pros

• Portable
• Fast access to SOS
• Lots of battery power

Cons

• Satellite subscription required for use

This handy mini GPS Garmin satellite phone is perfect for packing with your tent on outdoor camping trips. This satellite communicator allows you to send two-way text messages using the Iridium satellite network. It is compatible with other handheld devices and you have unlimited access to maps and aerial images through the Garmin Earthmate app to support your trip safely. Plus, it’s water-rated to IPX7 and impact-resistant, meaning it’s just as tough as your next uphill climb. Sending out an SOS message is easy thanks to 24/7 access to the GEOS emergency response team. A satellite subscription is required for use.

Best satellite messenger: Spot 3 Satellite GPS Messenger

Spot

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Why it made the cut: This simple messenger allows you to send pre-programmed messages and your GPS location to loved ones.

Specs

• Connectivity technology: N/A
• Battery life: 10 days
• Battery power: 4 AAA batteries; rechargeable battery compatible
• Dimensions: 3.43 x 2.56 x 1 inches

Pros

• Easy to use
• SOV capabilities
• Spot Mapping app gives those at home peace of mind

Cons

• Must pay for a year of activation

Stick to the basics and stay safe with this simple satellite GPS messenger. Connect with friends by sending coordinates and pre-programmed messages via satellite and stay safe in case of emergency with GPS locators and SOS signals. It also includes Save Our Vehicle (SOV) request capabilities and a track button to send and save your location. Those at home can look at your location and progress using the SPOT Mapping app. Be aware that you’ll need to pay for a year of activation in order to use this device. 

Best for international travel: Inmarsat Isatphone 2.1 Satellite Phone

Inmarsat

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Why it made the cut: Tons of battery life and dust, splash, and shock resistance mean this sat phone is reliable and tough.

Specs

• Connectivity technology: Bluetooth
• Battery life: eight hours of talk time; up to 160 hours on standby
• Battery power: Lithium-ion
• Dimensions: 10 x 9 x 4 inches

Pros

• Easy to set up and activate
• Comes unlocked for compatibility with multiple service providers
• Lots of coverage area

Cons

• Better for traveling than hiking
• Typing on phone is tedious

The Isatphone is backed by the Inmarsat satellite network and is a good option for international travel. Additional features include GPS and SOS capabilities. Activate its included Bluetooth connection to use it hands-free. It’s preloaded with eight hours of talk time, up to 160 hours on standby, and comes with chargers, cables, and adapters. The phone is also dust, splash, and shock resistant, meaning you don’t have to worry about breaking it while out and about on your international adventure.

Best bundle: Iridium GO! Hiker Package

SatPhonesStore

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Why it made the cut: This bundle includes tons of adapters and a solar charger—no dead batteries here.

Specs

• Connectivity technology: Bluetooth
• Battery life: 5.5 hours of talk time; 15.5 hours of standby
• Battery power: Lithium-ion
• Dimensions: 4.5 x 3.2 x 1.25 inches

Pros

• Lots of adapters
• Prepaid SIM card included
• Simple user interface

Cons

• Expensive

This ready-to-use satellite communicator connects to the Iridium global satellite network, which includes 66 operating satellites. A prepaid SIM card with 1,000 minutes of talk time, a rechargeable lithium ion battery, travel and car chargers, international adapters, and even a solar panel are all included in the bundle. The Iridium GO! satellite communicator also connects to the Iridium GO! app to connect five separate devices sans wires. And, it’s dust-proof, shock-resistant, and jet-water resistant. Carry it in your travel backpack or mount it in a car.

Best budget: ZOLEO Satellite Communicator

ZOLEO

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Why it made the cut: This flexible device lets you connect to a satellite for less than $200—a steal compared to other satellite communicators.

Specs

• Connectivity technology: Bluetooth
• Battery life: 200 hours
• Battery power: Lithium-ion
• Dimensions: 3.58 x 2.6 x 1.06 inches

Pros

• Flexibility in using satellite, WiFi, or cellular
• Iridium satellite network access
• Required monthly subscription is less than $100 for cellular, Wi-Fi, and SOS messaging

Cons

• Monthly subscription required

Zoleo created a small rugged device with all the essentials for keeping you safe in remote locations. Highly rated by many outdoor editors, this device allows you to use the Iridium satellite network, WiFi, or cellular service, depending on what’s available. A monthly subscription is required with cost-level options, depending on your needs.

What to consider when buying the best satellite phones

While satellite phones won’t replace your smartphone for everyday use, they step in and offer communication solutions for use when cellphone service isn’t possible. Sat phones are designed for international travel—but always check the countries’ policies ahead of time: is access allowed while off-the-grid camping and hiking or for use on boats or on recreational aircraft? The best satellite phones are designed with off-the-grid use in mind and should be rugged, waterproof, and durable. 

While connections are possible in all remote locations, the ability to receive signals can be hindered by buildings, roofs, shelters, or heavy tree coverage. Many manufacturers have solved this issue and offer packages that are designed to include antennas to use on the outside of structures or buildings, vehicles, boats, or even in the cockpit of an airplane. 

Use case

If you want to stay safe and connected when setting out for off-the-grid outdoor adventures, you will need a small, lightweight satellite phone that’s set up to offer all the features you need to stay safe. The best satellite communicator for wilderness adventures will be rugged, waterproof, and allow for easy messaging as well as an SOS distress call in case of emergency. 

Choosing a satellite communicator made for outdoor adventures means you’ll also have access to useful extra features. Companies like Garmin offer top-of-the-line GPS support, extra maps, topographic information, and safety advice for all types of rough terrain. Better brands offer excellent customer support as well as handy online resources.

Messaging vs. calling

When you travel or go on outside adventures, it may not be necessary to have a fully loaded sat phone. Opting for a more basic satellite communication solution also means saving money. You’ve already got a smartphone—what you need is another layer of communication safety outside the cellphone zone. If you want to keep it simple, consider a satellite GPS messenger. These devices allow you to send messages to family and friends, letting them know you are safe, and also have important extra safety features like GPS location and SOS signals.

Text & voice calling bundles

The best satellite phone bundle will not only include a reliable, durable, easy-to-use phone, but it should also offer voice calling, text messaging, and email messaging. The best phones include a reliable large global network with 24/7 technical support. Packages should include all you need to use and get going without any additional purchases.

Helpful features to look for include different power adapters that allow for use in locations throughout the world. The best sat phone bundles also give you flexibility. You should be able to choose between a monthly plan or a prepaid SIM card—if you only will use the phone a few months out of the year, you’re not stuck with a large monthly payment. 

International travel

Sat phones are a smart solution when traveling outside your home country. (Be sure to check the policies of the country you’re visiting before bringing one: They’re illegal in some places.) The best satellite phone for international travel is easy to set up and comes with a prepaid SIM card. That gives you the peace of mind that you can use the phone quickly no matter where you are without worrying about cellphone carriers or reception. Look for phones that offer reliable voice and call connectivity, as well as emergency signals. International travel often takes you to places where you can’t be sure what to expect, and a sat phone offers safety and protection, along with the security of knowing that you won’t be unreachable.

Budget

If satellite phone cost is a factor, consider a more basic satellite communication device. Fully loaded satellite phones can set you back around $1,000, not to mention the extra cost for SIM cards or monthly service plans. Economical solutions keep communication basic but also require a monthly subscription for service. 

The best budget satellite communicator allows you to text and receive texts, and some even offer apps that allow your phone to access the satellite Wi-Fi network. Always look for added emergency features such as SOS alerts and GPS coordinates.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best satellite phones

• Best overall: Garmin inReach Mini GPS
• Best satellite messenger: Spot 3 Satellite GPS Messenger
• Best for international travel: Inmarsat Isatphone 2.1 Satellite Phone
• Best bundle: Iridium GO! Hiker Package
• Best budget: ZOLEO Satellite Communicator

The best satellite phones will allow you to roam around the globe and stay connected. With rugged, waterproof designs, these phones can follow you on any adventure by land, sea, or air. Connect with a prepaid SIM card, or with a monthly plan to keep safe and communicate no matter where you are. In case of emergency, sat phones will send SOS signals and GPS coordinates to make sure you return home safe. Compare phones, then get shopping!

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best satellite phones of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best rugged		UAG iPhone 14 Pro Max Case		SEE IT	These military-inspired cases provide an impressive 16 feet of drop protection.
Best with wallet		Bellroy Mod Case + Wallet		SEE IT	Carry your essentials in one sleek package with this magnetized case-and-wallet combo.
Best leather		Mujjo Leather Case		SEE IT	Made from vegetable-tanned leather, this case also provides protection for everyday use.

So you got yourself a fancy new iPhone 14. While you’re busy tweaking all the settings or framing your first shots to test the 12-megapixel and ultrawide cameras, you might just drop it by mistake. Fortunately, you can protect your investment with a durable case that will keep your new phone in good working order. In compiling our list of the best iPhone 14 cases, we’ve rounded up options in different styles and at various price points so you can find the best option whether you have an iPhone 14, a Plus, a Pro, or a Pro Max.

• Best overall: Nimble Disc Case
• Best with wallet: Bellroy Mod Case + Wallet 
• Best leather: Mujjo Leather Case
• Best rugged: UAG iPhone 14 Pro Max Case 
• Best waterproof: OtterBox FRĒ Series Waterproof Case
• Best sustainable: Pela iPhone 14 ProMax Case
• Best budget: Spigen Ultra Hybrid iPhone 14 Case

How we picked the best iPhone 14 cases

We’ve got multiple iPhone users on staff; our phones are currently intact. One of the reasons for that is we believe in cases. If we could, we’d have a case for when we’re changing cases because we change cases a lot to help us help you find the best ones. We combine this first-hand experience with peer recommendations and other real-world impressions, then we scour critical reviews and specs sheets to narrow down our list.

The best iPhone 14 cases: Reviews & Recommendations

We considered several factors when recommending the best iPhone 14 cases. A good phone case protects your phone without being overly bulky. We looked for options made from durable materials and prioritized options designed with recyclable materials. No matter how careful you are with your device, carrying it around with you all the time will probably result in a drop at some point. We looked for cases that provided up to 10 feet or more drop protection to safeguard your device. With the iPhone 12, Apple introduced MagSafe—a magnet array inside the phone that works with compatible accessories (battery packs, car mounts, etc.) to secure the phone and align it with charging coils (among other convenience features). We highlighted cases that work with this wireless technology.

Best overall: Nimble Disc Case

Nimble

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Why it made the cut: Nimble’s Disc Clear case shows off your phone, is designed to absorb impacts, and is made from recycled CDs and DVDs.

Specs

• Materials: Recycled polycarbonate
• Drop protection: Up to 10 feet
• Magsafe? Yes

Pros

• Drop protection up to 10 feet
• Range of options for wireless charging
• Can be recycled

Cons

• Not rugged
• Not waterproof

Nimble’s Clear Case is a, well, clear winner for best overall iPhone 14 case. These cases stand out for their beautiful design and the company’s sustainable practices. Made in part from polycarbonate from recycled CDs and DVDs, this case lets you showcase your phone with a slim, clear case. Nimble’s cases come with the company’s impact-absorbing FlexBand technology, which provides drop protection of up to 10 feet. They’re also MagSafe-compatible and come in plastic-free packaging. And the company will take 15 percent off your purchase if you send them any of your previous plastic cases to recycle.

Best with wallet: Bellroy Mod Case + Wallet

Bellroy

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Why it made the cut: The Bellroy Mod Case and Wallet allows you to combine the essentials in one sleek package with this case-and-wallet combo. 

Specs

• Materials: Flex polymer, tanned leather, polyester microfiber lining  
• Drop protection: Padded corners
• MagSafe charging? Yes

Pros

• Magnetic closure
• Fits up to three cards
• Comes in a range of colors and patterns

Cons

• Doesn’t have strong drop protection

Take care of two essentials with the sleek Bellroy Mod Case and Wallet. This hard-shelled case is designed with two magnetic strips that will lock your wallet in place. The wallet opens with a magnetic trap door and holds three cards. This case is also MagSafe compatible. That said, its sleek profile doesn’t provide much drop protection, though it comes with a 3-year warranty.

Best leather: Mujjo Leather Case

Mujjo

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Why it made the cut: This beautiful case is an accessory you’ll want to show off that will only improve with time. 

Specs

• Materials: Leather
• Drop protection: Not provided
• MagSafe? Yes

Pros

• Made from vegetable-tanned leather
• Available with a wallet
• Slim design

Cons

• Not waterproof
• Not necessarily protective against falls

If you’re looking for an elegant way to showcase your phone, Mujillo’s Leather Case is an excellent option. The vegetable-tanned leather is supple yet provides ample protection for everyday use with its raised bezel. Despite its rustic look, this case is also MagSafe-compatible. It comes in tan, Monaco Blue, and black, or you can also get a version with an included wallet.

Best rugged: UAG iPhone 14 Pro Max Case

UAG

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Why it made the cut: Protect your extra-large phone from the elements with this rugged yet lightweight option from UAG.

Specs

• Materials: Polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyurethane
• Drop protection: 16 feet 
• MagSafe charging? No

Pros

• Impressive drop protection 
• Durability 
• Slim design

Cons

• Doesn’t work with MagSafe

Do you work outdoors or regularly adventure in the backcountry, but enjoy the extra screen real estate of the largest iPhone? If so, a rugged case from UAG is a good option to protect your phablet. Made of durable polycarbonate, this case comes with a raised screen and extra TPU on the corners to cushion your phone from drops. It provides extra traction and oversized buttons that are easy to find and use. With drop protection of up to 16 feet, this phone is military-grade. And it’s available in 10 colors (as well as options for other iPhone sizes/models).

Best waterproof: OtterBox FRĒ Series Waterproof Case

Otterbox

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Why it made the cut: This Otterbox case is made from recycled plastic and waterproof so that you can take your phone on aquatic adventures.

Specs

• Materials: Polycarbonate
• Drop protection: 130 drops from 4 feet
• MagSafe? Yes

Pros

• Waterproof
• Slim design 
• Works with MagSafe

Cons

• Expensive

You don’t have to leave your new phone on the dock when heading out onto the water. Otterbox’s FRĒ Series Waterproof Case provides plenty of protection against the elements as it can be submerged up to 2 meters for one hour. It’s also partially made from recycled plastic. And it works with MagSafe devices for all-around functionality.

Best sustainable: Pela iPhone 14 ProMax Case

Pela

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Why it made the cut: Pela’s cases come in many beautiful colors, provide drop protection, and are compostable when you finish using them.

Specs

• Materials: Compostable bioplastic elastomer and flaw straw
• Drop protection: Up to 20 feet
• MagSafe? Yes

Pros

• Compostable
• Works with MagSafe
• Comes in eight colors

Cons

• Expensive

The name Pela is synonymous with sustainability. The Canadian brand’s phone cases are handcrafted in their studio from a material called Flaxstic, which is made up of compostable bioplastic elastomer and flaw straw. That makes for a flexible case designed to wrap around your phone. That doesn’t mean this case is flimsy, though. It provides impressive drop protection of 20 feet, according to company testing. It’s also MagSafe-compatible and comes in eight colors. If you’re unhappy, the company also has a flexible return policy.

Best budget: Spigen Ultra Hybrid iPhone 14 Case

Spigen

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Why it made the cut: The Spigen Ultra Hybrid shows off your phone while providing reliable protection at an affordable price.

Specs

• Materials: Polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyurethane
• Drop protection: Military grade (26 drops from 4 feet)
• MagSafe? No

Pros

• Clear case showcases phone
• Low cost
• Rugged

Cons

• Not recyclable

If you’re looking to economize after getting your new phone but still want reliable protection, the Spigen Ultra Hybrid is a good choice. The clear cases come in multiple trims, from Crystal Clear to Sierra Blue. That doesn’t mean this case is fragile, though. It comes with air-cushion drop protection that’s military-grade. And all for a budget-friendly price.

Also consider …

If you’re looking for another durable option, the Zagg Denali Snap is designed with the mountains in mind. This rugged option incorporates the company’s D3O material, which is flexible and protects from shocks. It provides up to 16 feet of drop protection and is made partly from recycled materials. It also comes with an antimicrobial layer to discourage the growth of bacteria. Plus, it’s MagSafe-compatible. 

On the other hand, if sustainability is a top priority, the Bellroy Bio Phone Case for the iPhone 14 Max is slim, compostable, and comes in three matte colors: black, bluestone, and biscuit. It’s also less expensive than other options. 

Things to consider when picking the best iPhone 14 case

Now that you’re playing around with the iPhone’s new features, you’ll want to protect your new camera with a case that suits your needs. Here are some things to think about:

Your phone model: Whether you bought an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max, some companies have cases for only certain models, while others cover the whole new iOS lineup. Ensure you have the right one for your phone’s dimensions, camera array, etc.

Durability: Will you regularly be subjecting your phone to the elements? If you’re outdoorsy, your phone will need to survive significant drops and potentially land on rocks and other hard surfaces. Some cases come with bumpers for extra protection at the corners. In addition, it might need to withstand exposure to water. Don’t just trust marketing slogans, however. When it comes to drops, you can look for designations like ML-STD 810G-516.6 to know if the case passed a rigorous test. And when it comes to water- and dust-resistance, check the IP rating, which stands for “Ingress Protection” and is displayed as IPXX. The higher the numbers in the X spots, the better the status. Look for a minimum 5, preferably 6 to 8. 

Charging: All of the cases on this list work with wireless charging. But if MagSafe technology is a priority, keep in mind that not all of the new iPhone 14 cases are compatible. 

Sustainability: If you’re looking to go easier on the Earth even with a new purchase, cases made with recycled plastic, or compostable options like Pela’s iPhone 14 ProMax Case or the Bellroy Bio Phone Case, are good options.

Final thoughts on the best iPhone 14 cases

Dropping extra money on a case as you’re shelling out for an iPhone 14 may seem like overkill, but it won’t feel that way after your first drop. Just remember, you’re protecting an investment. Whether you’re looking for a modern case or wallet combo for everyday use or a rugged case that will protect your phone from the elements, our recommendations can help you make the most of your new phone.

The post The best iPhone 14 cases of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Google’s new Pixel 7 Pro is part of a new crop of gadgets that benefit from their boringness. The Nintendo Switch OLED is boring; Microsoft’s latest Surface Go is boring; even the iPhone 14 is boring. That may come off as harsh, but all it means is that Google, like those other tech giants, eschewed fancy-but-unnecessary changes to its hardware and software and focused on incremental improvements that prospective Pixel owners would appreciate.

This is Google’s flagship smartphone and it’s one of the few you should seriously consider upgrading to if you like the purest Android operating system experience. While other Android phones beat the Pixel 7 Pro in specific areas—the Asus ROG Phone 6 is better for gaming, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a better camera system—Google’s smartphone offers one of the best all-around experiences. Even iPhone owners (myself included) would come away a little envious, even if it doesn’t push us to migrate.

Brandt Ranj / Popular Science

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Unlocking the Google Pixel Pro 7’s features

The toughest part about reviewing the Pixel 7 Pro was the lack of a single marquee feature. There’s no “Dynamic Island” like on the iPhone 14 Pro models, no totally new form factor like the upcoming Pixel tablet. Instead, at a first glance, the smartphone looks nearly identical to the one it’s replacing. The differences between them are subtle even when you take a long look under the surface. 

The Pixel 7 Pro offers the same 120Hz, 6.4-inch, 1440p screen as the Pixel 6 Pro and immediately feels good in the hand. It’s a little taller than the iPhone 14 Pro Max but 40 grams lighter, which made a bigger difference than I expected. When you’re reading a long article or holding your phone while watching a video, every gram counts. On the backside of the Pixel 7 Pro, you’ll find the raised camera “bar,” which extends from the left side of the device all the way across to the right. 

Google fully embraced the camera “bump” with last year’s Pixel 6 Pro, turning it into a distinctive feature of the smartphone’s design. I still pine for the days of smartphones with cameras that are flush to their case but, while I personally hope that they return in the far-off future, I know it’s not going to happen. So, it’s nice that Google turned its smartphone’s camera system into a signature part of its look. The Pixel 7 Pro has an edge-to-edge screen, with a hole punch-shaped cutout for the front-facing camera. The camera has a slightly lower megapixel count compared to last year’s model (10.8MP down from 11.1MP), but it can be used for more than just taking selfies. 

The Pixel 7 Pro supports facial recognition, which allows you to unlock the smartphone by looking at it and swiping up on its screen. This worked very quickly in my testing, even when trying it in areas with low light. Some earlier Pixel generations had this feature but it’s been absent for the past couple of years. If the idea of facial recognition makes you uneasy, the Pixel 7 Pro has an under-the-display fingerprint reader and the option to use a password. All three methods of unlocking the phone worked well, so feel free to mix and match.

An arms race with Apple

Last year, Google introduced the Tensor chip, a custom-designed processor developed specifically for use in Pixel phones. The Pixel 7 Pro features the Tensor G2, which is slightly faster on paper but powerful and energy efficient in practice. The move from an off-the-shelf part to a bespoke one paid off as the Pixel 7 Pro runs Android 13 flawlessly. Tapping, scrolling, pinching, zooming, switching between apps all felt remarkably smooth, with not a dropped frame or second-long stutter to be found. The phone didn’t even run hot during a stress test that involved running video at maximum brightness for multiple hours. 

Google may have been playing catch up with Apple, a company that began designing the iPhone’s custom silicon over a decade ago, but the effort has paid off handsomely. Pixel 6 Pro owners may not notice a big year-over-year improvement if they decide to upgrade. Anyone coming from a smartphone that’s two or three years old, however, will pick up on the difference immediately when opening apps, taking pictures, or even adjusting system settings like the phone’s screen resolution or wallpaper. While I’ve only had the opportunity to check out a few Android devices in my career, this is certainly the cleanest (and, yes, most iPhone-like) experience yet.

The Tensor G2’s biggest on-paper improvement compared to Google’s last-generation chip is a 60% increase in its machine-learning capabilities. This enables some of the phone’s most helpful features, like parsing speech to show you a tappable menu while going through a phone tree and helping you find exactly which emoji to pick while dictating messages. These are tangible benefits—who remembers the last time a smartphone’s phone experience improved?

With all of this power under the hood, it’s disappointing that Google has promised that the Pixel 7 line of phones will get only three years of software updates and five years of security updates. That’s good for an Android phone but Apple’s newly released iOS 16 operating system runs on phones going back to 2017. As Google unifies its hardware and software ecosystems, it’s important that they prioritize longevity.

Mighty morphin’ mega pixels

One of the biggest reasons to get a new smartphone is camera improvements and the Pixel 7 Pro is no slouch. Its three-lens rear-facing camera system features a 12MP ultra-wide camera, 48MP telephoto camera, and a 50MP wide camera, which can all record 4K HDR (high dynamic range) video at up to 60 frames per second. The megapixel count on the cameras hasn’t changed in the past year, but the ultrawide camera has a wider field of view and the telephoto lens has a slightly narrower field of view. In the Pixel’s camera app, you can select between four predetermined focal lengths: .5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x, and frame your shot accordingly.

My tests—conducted indoors and outdoors in various lighting conditions—show that Google’s relentless investment in computational photography continues to pay off, especially in an era when it makes its own chips. There’s a lot of fancy processing work happening behind the scenes, so all I needed to do to get a great photo was framing my shot and hitting the shutter button. A visual guide showing whether I was shooting my photo off-angle helped a bit but I mostly let the smartphone do all the work. I would consider the Pixel 7 Pro’s camera to be restrained. It brightened up low-light photos without blowing them out or muddying details and did a good job at color-balancing shots with a lot of dynamic range. 

More often than not the Pixel 7 Pro’s photos didn’t need editing, especially if you’re primarily interested in posting quick snapshots to Instagram. I compared the Pixel 7 Pro’s camera directly to an iPhone 14 Pro Max under a challenging circumstance: a lit fire pit in a dark backyard from a distance of about two feet. Both phones were set to their 1X camera settings, and the results (below) speak for themselves.

Smartphone photography has gotten a lot better over the past few years. Google is further leveraging the Tensor G2 to help you transform shots that almost turned out correctly into usable pictures through a feature called “UnBlur.” Tapping this button uses machine learning to digitally fix blurry photos, whether they were taken on the Pixel 7 Pro or not. This feature was hit-and-miss in my testing but, when it works, the before-and-after difference can be pretty significant. There are plenty of reasons for a blurry photo, from a shaky hand to an overactive subject, so it’s good to know your smartphone camera has your back in challenging situations outside of your control.

You can see the work of the Google Pixel 7’s UnBlur feature below; it’s not perfect, but the difference in usability is undeniable. Google has historically improved the quality of its machine-learning photography technology through software updates, so I expect UnBlur to get a lot better. This feature’s most impressive quality so far is the ability to apply it to any picture in your Google Photos library. UnBlur will be most effective when it’s applied to newer photos (specifically those taken on a Pixel 7 series device), but it can save older ones, too.

It just keeps going (and going and going) …

If you’re considering upgrading your smartphone because of its declining battery life, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Pixel 7 Pro. A full charge had no problems surviving a day of messaging, video watching, and social media browsing. I thought I’d put the battery through a stress test leaving a YouTube video playing continuously with the screen brightness at 100%—three hours later the phone said it still had over one day’s worth of juice left in the tank. 

Everybody’s workload is different and your mileage may vary if you’re recording hours of 4K video, editing it, and posting it on social media from your device. In those cases, it’s helpful to know that the Pixel 7 Pro supports 23W fast charging with a cable or on a wireless charger. The smartphone also supports reverse wireless charging, which means you can use it to top up other devices in a pinch.

Believe your eyes and ears

I mentioned the Pixel 7 Pro’s display specs earlier in this review but it’s worth noting just how good the screen is. Photos and videos look vibrant (without looking artificial) and text looks crisp. Google allows you to switch the smartphone’s display resolution between 1080P and 1440P depending on whether you’d like to see more information or want a slightly larger interface (bigger icons, larger text, etc.). In either case, the screen’s high refresh rate and immaculate color reproduction make a big difference, especially if you’re viewing high-resolution content. Even silly things, like the way an app icon pops against the phone’s background, stand out. It’s unfortunate that such a great screen was paired with such so-so speakers. 

When listening to audio in landscape mode, the Pixel 7 Pro will switch from mono to stereo, using its bottom speaker and receiver as the right and left channel respectively. Neither one is particularly good but the receiver is noticeably weaker than the phone’s speaker. This makes sense but is unfortunate given how well the iPhone sounds with this same general setup. The Pixel 7 Pro’s speakers stand out in a bad way even when watching videos or casually listening to podcasts in the background. If you want to seriously listen to music or watch streaming content on the Pixel 7 Pro, you should immediately pair them with good wireless earbuds or headphones (you can’t go wrong with the Bose QuietComfort II Earbuds or the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, to name just a couple options). The Pixel 7 Pro supports Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC (LC/HE), and aptX/aptX HD codecs (for the best sound experience, look for flagship gear supporting aptX HD, like the Focal Bathys).

So, who should buy the Pixel 7 Pro?

If you’re in the market for a new Android phone, the Pixel 7 Pro should be on the shortlist for consideration. The overall quality of its hardware—especially the Tensor G2 processor, which you won’t find anywhere else—cannot be overstated. And it’s paired with Android 13, an operating system designed to run perfectly on Google’s hardware. It may not have the whiz-bang cool factor of Samsung’s foldables, or the familiarity (to many) of the iPhone, but Google has continued to prove itself as a top-tier smartphone maker. The company’s dedication is especially impressive given how little its hardware has sold relative to its main competition, though some new reports suggest that trend could be changing. 

The conventional wisdom when an iPhone owner wants to upgrade their device is “get the newest iPhone.” The Pixel 7 Pro makes a compelling case to become a similar recommendation to anyone on the Android side of the aisle, even if it’s a little boring. The Google Pixel 7 Pro comes in Hazel (olive green), Snow (white), and Obsidian (black), starting at $899 for a model equipped with 128GB of storage and going up to $1,099 for the maxed-out version with 512GB of storage. The smartphone is available now in all storage sizes and colors.

The post Google Pixel 7 Pro review: Viva la (hardware) evolution appeared first on Popular Science.

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Apple announced the newest set of iPhones, the iPhone 14 series, during its Sept. 7 “Far Out” announcement event. There are four phones this year, with two different sizes and two sets of specs. The standard 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and larger 6.7-inch iPhone Plus feature very modest upgrades this year. Most of the flashiest improvements, including an always-on display and the much-discussed “Dynamic Island” notifications UX, are exclusive to the more powerful and more expensive iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. If you’re planning to upgrade this year, we’ll walk you through the benefits of each model so you can figure out which iPhone 14 works for you.

The iPhones: iPhone 14, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max

Before we highlight the differences among Apple’s iPhone 14 models, there are a few new and exciting changes you’ll see across the whole line. All the new phones run iOS 16, the newest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, out of the box. If you’re new to the iPhone, or haven’t installed iOS 16 yet, it introduces a bunch of interesting new features, including the ability to customize your lock screen, edit sent messages, and enable haptic feedback for the keyboard. Apple’s new devices also support Emergency SOS calls, coming in November, which will enable satellite calls and texts to emergency services, even when cell service or Wi-Fi isn’t available.

The entire iPhone 14 series, along with the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra, features new motion sensors that can detect when you’ve been in a car accident. The feature, called Crash Detection, works by measuring sudden speed shifts, cabin pressure changes, abrupt changes in direction, and extreme sound levels. If you get in an accident, your phone will automatically call 911 and notify emergency contacts after a few seconds.

On the camera front, the iPhone 14 series supports a new AI-enabled feature called the “Photonic Engine,” which improves color accuracy and overall picture quality in low-light scenes.

There are other similarities across the iPhone 14 series, like the switch from physical SIM cards to eSIM in the US, and the exact screen sizes (6.1-inch and 6.7-inch). Additionally, they all have upgraded to Bluetooth 5.3 for the most stable connection to the excellent new AirPods Pro (2nd generation). Here’s how each device breaks down, from the cheapest to the most expensive:

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

Apple

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Starting at $799, the iPhone 14 is the most affordable model in Apple’s new smartphone lineup and the best option for more people. It features the A15 chipset, similar to one in last year’s iPhone 13 Pro, with a slightly improved thermal design that will keep the phone cool when playing games or watching videos. In addition to those core iPhone 14 upgrades, Emergency SOS via satellite, and Crash Detection, it offers an upgraded dual-camera system with a new “action mode” that makes your video footage look less shaky.

Compared to the new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, the iPhone 14 misses out on a few key features, including the more advanced 120Hz always-on display and upgraded triple-camera setup, which now features a 48MP sensor. These features are worth paying the extra money if you want the best camera experience and best display technology in an iPhone.

The iPhone 14 Plus is simply a larger version of the standard iPhone 14. It features a fairly massive 6.7-inch screen, but most of the internal components and performance should be identical. The Plus has one meaningful upgrade under the hood: battery life. Apple estimates the 14 Plus should get up to 26 hours of battery life on a single charge, versus 20 hours on a standard iPhone 14. 

Given how little has changed year-to-year, we only recommend the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus for people who need a new iPhone, either because their current phone is damaged or too old to update, and do not wish to pay a premium for the Pro or Pro Max. The extra battery life adds some appeal to iPhone 14 Plus, but the decision between the two ultimately comes down to what screen size you prefer.

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

Apple

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The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are the most powerful iPhones to date. Starting at $999, the iPhone 14 Pro features an upgraded triple-camera system and an always-on display, which can show you information at-a-glance without waking your device. It features Apple’s new A16 Bionic chipset, with a 6-core CPU that features two high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, a triple-camera system with a 48MP main sensor, and a 120Hz refresh rate whether gaming or scrolling apps, emails, and feeds. 

Unlike other iPhones with Face ID—including the standard iPhone 14 and 14 Plus—the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max feature a pill-shaped cutout, rather than a notch. Following in the footsteps of “hole-punch” selfie-cameras in recent Android phones, the notch replacement gives the Pro and Pro Max a sharp, distinctive look. 

The cutout also serves as the centerpiece for the phone’s new notification and quick-access feature, the “Dynamic Island,” which creates a reactive window around the cutout to show alerts, notifications, and ongoing background activities like Maps, Music, and more. It will also support “Live Activities,” a type of interactive push notification when it launches later this year.

As with the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, this year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max is effectively the same as the iPhone 14 Pro, but in a larger, 6.7-inch form factor. As with the 14 Plus, the 14 Pro Max offers a larger battery that Apple estimates should last 29 hours, versus the 23 hours you’ll get from an iPhone 14 Pro.

If you’re going to get an iPhone this year, we recommend going for the 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max. With a new chipset, the always-on display with the Dynamic Island, and some interesting innovations around the cameras, it is a far more worthy upgrade than the standard iPhone 14 and 14 Plus.

What about an older iPhone?

While everyone is currently raving and reviewing the iPhone 14 lineup, there’s nothing stopping you from going back to less recent revisions of the iPhone, like last year’s iPhone 13 and even the iPhone 12. The last few years of iPhones all have a lot in common: They all run iOS 16, feature excellent camera systems, and offer a similarly high-end, polished experience. Meanwhile, they cost significantly less than they did at launch because they aren’t the newest option.

For the absolute best bargain, though, consider the 2022 iPhone SE. The budget-friendly iPhone, refreshed earlier this year, features a much older design: It has a home button with Touch ID, just one 12MP rear camera, and a relatively small 4.7-inch LCD screen. Despite the stripped-down, almost retro feature-set, it sports an A15 Bionic chipset, so apps will run smoothly. For under $500, the iPhone SE is an excellent phone and one of our favorites at that price point.

At this point, you really can’t go wrong with any of the older models mentioned above. Even the iPhone 12, which came out in 2020, will likely receive new updates from Apple for another 3-5 years. We generally recommend opting for newer phones and PCs to maximize their lifespans, but given the price differential between last year and this year, with only a small performance jump from the iPhone 13 to iPhone 14, there’s never been a better year to buy an older iPhone.

What size iPhone 14 should you get?

The iPhone 14 series comes in two sizes: 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches. Though it sounds small, you’ll see the difference in size when you look at them side-by-side and feel it in your hand when you pick them up. If you’d prefer something smaller, you can go with an iPhone SE, though you’ll miss out on a lot of features.

The easiest way to figure out which size is right for you is to go to your nearest Apple Store or big-box electronics retailer and pick them up. Remember that, in addition to larger displays, the larger iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro Max models have larger batteries and give you more space to browse the web, play games, and watch videos. However, you may prefer the small fit (and lower prices) of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. Go with what works best for you.

Is the always-on display worth it?

As we mentioned, one of the headlining features of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 4 Pro Max is an always-on display. With this feature, the screen reduces brightness and drops the phone’s refresh rate to 1Hz when it isn’t in use, so you can check your lock screen to see the time, temperature, and check other widgets quickly without touching the phone to wake it.

An always-on display can be helpful and encourage users to use their phone less because they can glance at their phone to see information rather than unlock it and open an app. However, the feature can impact your phone’s battery life ever so slightly and some reviews, like ours, have noted that Apple’s implementation feels clunky compared to Android counterparts.

One more thing to keep in mind: Having an always-on display on your phone may not be especially helpful If you already own an Apple Watch, since you’re already getting that information on your wrist. 

How good is the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera?

If photography is your No. 1 concern when picking up a new phone, you should consider the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. This year’s flagship iPhones feature more significant changes than usual, resulting in higher-quality images and videos. One of the most notable changes is a 48MP main camera, the highest ever in an iPhone. This new sensor takes advantage of a process called “pixel binning,” which allows the software to create more detailed 12MP images by combining groups of four pixels into a single virtual pixel. You can also take full 48MP images if you shoot in RAW, giving you more flexibility to manipulate the images in your editing software of choice.

You can read more about the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max camera changes in our review. In short, the hardware and software changes are worthwhile and superior to the dual-camera system in the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

So, which iPhone 14 should you buy?

Compared to other previous models, we’d say it’s a very good time to buy a Pro-tier iPhone, and a good year to skip the standard iPhone. With a modified version of last year’s chips and only a couple of notable hardware features, the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus don’t necessarily warrant an upgrade unless you really need a new phone. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max offer some really exciting changes, big and small, such as an always-on display, Dynamic Island, and an upgraded set of cameras

There’s definitely an argument to go for the iPhone 14 over an older model. Features like Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection offer great infrastructure changes that are great to have, even if you never want to use them. That said, we wouldn’t blame anyone for buying a used iPhone 13 or 13 Pro to save a little money. Ultimately, it’s about finding the right balance of hardware, software features, and price that works best for your needs.

The post Apple iPhone 14 comparison: How to pick your next upgrade appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

This story has been updated. It was originally published on September 12, 2022.

If your phone doesn’t automatically download the update or prompt you to do so, get started by opening the settings app, tapping General, and selecting Software Update. You’ll have the option to download and install iOS 15.7 or Upgrade to iOS 16. Choose the latter to get the brand new lock screen customization features.

You can, of course, edit your two active screens from the main wallpaper settings page (via Customize under each one), but you won’t be able to change the background style. That means if it’s a photo, you won’t be able to have it display the weather, an absurd emoji pattern, or anything else—you’ll only be able to change the pic.

The only way to choose from all available styles is to add a new wallpaper. Plus, there are more efficient ways to edit all your lock and home screens, not just the most recent ones. We’ll get to that later.

What to expect from each style of iOS 16 wallpaper

The Add New Wallpaper menu offers a slew of options. You’ll see a list of all available styles at the top, but the page also contains a number of featured presets Apple thinks you might like. These include several custom designs, suggested photos from your phone, and color gradients, but they’re all variations on iOS 16’s main wallpaper styles, and you can do better. This is the DIY section, after all.

You can also use the search bar here to hunt down something specific, including words in images. That means if you enter “New York,” your iPhone’s Live Text feature will dredge up any photos of the “Welcome to New York” highway sign you may have taken, screenshots of text messages where you mention the state, and pics Apple knows you snapped within its borders.

[Related: Smartphone security starts with the lock screen. Here’s how to protect it.]

Once you’ve made your choice, you can edit your lock screen photo. Pinch the screen to crop it by zooming in and out, but know that you can’t make the image smaller than the screen. Don’t like how it looks? Tap the photos icon in the bottom left (a stylized rectangular portrait of mountains) to find another one.

With a pic in place, swipe to the left to choose from four filters: natural, black and white, duotone, and color wash. The first two are self-explanatory, and the latter pair cover the original image with different-colored tints.

Finally, tap the three dots in the bottom right to see if you can activate Depth Effect. This won’t be available with all photos, as it pulls whatever’s in the picture’s foreground out in front of the clock and any widgets you may have on your lock screen. Behold: depth. If the foreground selection will cover too much of your clock and/or widgets (maybe about 50 percent), you won’t be able to use this feature.

Set multiple photos as your wallpaper

New to iOS 16 is the ability to slap a rotating selection of images onto your lock or home screen. Tap Photo Shuffle from the options at the top of the main wallpaper customization menu to start. Find Shuffle Frequency in the middle of the page and tap on it to decide if you want the pictures to change On Tap, On Lock, Hourly, or Daily. The last two are self-explanatory, while On Tap will allow you to change the lock screen display any time you touch it, and On Lock will move to the next image whenever you lock your phone—even if you haven’t unlocked it.

From there, you have two choices: Use Featured Photos or Select Photos Manually. For full customization, pick the latter, and tap or drag to select multiple photos for your background. Hit Add in the top right corner of the screen to move on.

If you’d rather use Apple’s featured images from your photo library, tap People, Nature, Cities, and any other options to add or remove those groups of images. Touch Choose next to People, and you’ll be able to tap on thumbnails of people’s faces to decide which ones show up in the shuffle—hit Done to finish. When you’re ready, tap Use Featured Photos to continue.

Whether you used Apple’s selections or picked manually, the editing process is essentially the same as the one described above for a singular pic. Just tap the screen to move from photo to photo.

While editing, the three dots in the bottom right will let you set the shuffle frequency if you missed it on the first page or decided to change your mind. If you chose your own images, you’ll also have the option to enable Depth Effect, but not if you went with the featured pics. Instead, you’ll see Don’t Feature Photo—tap this to cut anything you don’t like.

The icon in the bottom left will be different depending on if you chose your images manually or not. If you did, it’s a grid of six rectangles—tap it to Add Photos to your rotation or Select the ones already there. Highlight one or more existing images, and you’ll see a trash can icon. You can touch that to remove any pics you’d rather not use. Run with Apple’s featured photos, and the icon will be a stack of rectangles with a sparkle icon on them. It will let you change the categories included in your shuffle.

Design a wallpaper out of emojis

Personally, I found this choice to be the most chaotic, but there’s a lot of room for customization. Tap Emoji from the main wallpaper creation menu, and you’ll be able to type up to six emojis that will display in a pattern on your lock and home screens. When you’re ready, tap above the emoji entry menu or hit the X in its top right corner to continue.

Swipe left to choose from six available patterns, from grids of various sizes to a hypnotic spiral. Tap the smiley face icon in the bottom left to change your emoji selection, or hit the three dots in the bottom right to adjust the background color.

Focus your wallpaper on the weather, outer space, or color

The Weather, Astronomy, and Color options are the most basic wallpaper options available, though that doesn’t mean they’re uninteresting. Tap Weather, for instance, and your wallpaper will be a slightly animated depiction of whatever the weather is where you are, but that’s it.

Astronomy is a little deeper, as you’ll be able to choose from Earth (a view of our planet suspended in space), Earth Detail (where about a quarter of the visible hemisphere fills most of the screen), the same two options for the moon, and Solar System (which shows all the planets and their orbits around the sun).

Within the Font & Color menu, there’s a globe icon in the top left corner. Tap this, and you’ll be able to choose whether your clock displays Arabic numerals (the ones used everywhere in this article), Arabic Indic numerals (used in parts of the Arab world), or Devanagari numerals (used in northern Indian languages).

If you hate being reminded of the constant march of time, sorry, you can’t remove the clock. What you can do, however, is try to get the color to match the wallpaper so those anxiety-inducing digits disappear partially or completely.

Add widgets to your iPhone lock screen

There are two places you can place widgets on your iPhone’s lock screen: above and below the clock. The thin space at the top of your screen will likely display the date by default, but you can tap it to select another widget instead.

The main widget area is below the clock, and it will hold up to four (or none, if you really don’t want to obscure your lock screen photo). Just tap where it says Add Widgets, and you can choose from the options available. No matter how many you choose, they’ll stay centered in the space, and you can remove any you don’t like by tapping the minus icon at its top left corner. To reorder them, press and hold a widget until it grows a little under your finger, then drag it where you want it to go. One wrinkle: if you choose a widget that takes up two of the four spaces, it will always display on the left—you can’t move it. 

Most widget options will be available in both places, though you may see some exceptions. The battery widget, for example, can only go underneath the clock, where it will show how much juice is left in your phone or any connected devices.

One note on this: it’s annoyingly difficult to customize widgets in the upper section. There, you can only adjust a widget immediately after putting it in place. If you do something else and come back, you won’t be able to tweak it. So if you’re wondering why your clock widget is stuck displaying the time in Cupertino, California, not, say, your parents’ hometown, you’ll have to choose another widget, tap elsewhere, touch the upper widget area again, choose the clock widget, and immediately tap it to pick a specific city. Gross.

Thankfully, this obnoxious workaround isn’t necessary in the main widget section under the time, where you can touch and customize any widget whenever you want. 

And if you’re wondering why your weather widget won’t work, it’s because you turned your location off in the weather app settings. To fix that, open the main iPhone settings app, go to Weather, Location, and select While Using the App or Widgets, Always, or While Using the App. With these options on, you can still turn Precise Location off for a little bit of privacy. Doing so means your weather app can only determine your approximate location (it was about four miles away from me).

Finally, hit the X or tap outside of the widget menu to set your selections.

If you told your phone to use a wallpaper pair but the home screen isn’t working, it may be inadvertently blurred. To fix this, go to the main wallpaper settings screen, tap Customize under your home screen, and hit Blur. This should solve the problem.

Edit your wallpaper from the lock screen

There are two ways to edit your wallpaper, but the most useful one is directly from your phone’s lock screen. To start, press the center of your lock screen to bring up the passcode entry keypad. If the keypad doesn’t show up and you have to swipe up to get to it, you’ll go to your home screen, not the wallpaper editing menu.

Do it right, though, and you’ll see a scrollable carousel of available wallpapers. Hit Customize to edit whichever one is front and center. You can also add a new wallpaper by going all the way right and selecting Add New or by tapping the blue plus icon in the bottom right.

To delete a wallpaper, find it in the carousel and swipe up. Then tap the trash can icon and hit Delete This Wallpaper. Easy.

Finally, you can assign each wallpaper to a specific Focus, a feature that arrived with iOS 15. Just tap Focus at the bottom of any wallpaper to choose the one you want. If you hit Focus Settings at the bottom of the screen, you’ll go to that page in the settings app, closing the wallpaper customization screen. You can also choose a Focus wallpaper by opening the settings app, selecting Focus, and tapping one of the Focuses to Choose its matching lock and home screen.

Phew, that’s all there is to say about the new iOS 16 lock screen settings and customization features. You may want to queue up all of these possibilities like outfits in a virtual closet, or you may just want to keep that cute photo of your partner or dog. Either way, at least now you know that a vaguely threatening spiral of crab emojis is also an option.

The post All the ways iOS 16 lets you customize your iPhone lock screen appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		NordVPN		SEE IT	NordVPN ranks among the best VPN providers across all desirable capabilities.
Best for unlimited devices		Surfshark		SEE IT	While it’s not the most well-known VPN provider, Surfshark is among the best in every meaningful category.
Best dedicated IP		Cyberghost		SEE IT	CyberGhost is one of the best VPN providers out there, and its advanced features are very handy.

From smartphones to tablets to laptops and everything internet-connected in between, most of us rely on multiple devices every single day—all the more reason we should rely on a VPN. To stay online all the time, you may wind up relying on public Wi-Fi or a connection through work or school, which often isn’t as secure as you might think. If you’re tired of worrying about trackers and hackers potentially sifting through your data, you should consider using a virtual private network, or VPN, to hide your online presence and make it harder for companies and bad actors to find your data. Some VPNs specialize in phones or PCs, but the best VPNs for multiple devices can protect your entire tech arsenal.

• Best overall: NordVPN
• Best for unlimited devices: Surfshark
• Best dedicated IP: CyberGhost
• Best app: ExpressVPN
• Best for families: Private Internet Access
• Best budget: ProtonVPN

What is a VPN?

When you surf the internet, you transmit certain information about yourself to the sites you visit, including your location. A virtual private network (VPN) is an online service that hides your digital identity from online utilities like Google or Facebook that wish to collect and sell your data, as well as from hackers and scammers. A VPN acts like a mask that your computer puts on before it walks into a party. Websites can tell that you’re there and that you’re wearing a mask, but they can’t see any of the personal information that they normally would.

Each of the following VPNs encrypts the data that you send, and most of them have a “no-log” policy, which means that they do not keep any record of your activity. Some even allow you to mask your identity from the VPN server itself. While you might not care if a random person knows about your online shopping habits, you certainly don’t want them to know the password to your bank account. 

VPNs also let you set a virtual location, allowing you to appear as if you are browsing from another country. This allows you to look at the many international versions of sites like Netflix, which may offer different content to other parts of the world.

When it comes to finding a VPN that supports many devices, the good news is that most VPNs have apps that allow you to easily modify your phone or tablet’s internet connection. However, the quality of those apps does vary somewhat, as we’ll go over in the next few sections.

For more information on how VPNs work and how to set one up, please check out our full-length guide on how to use a VPN.

How we picked the best VPNs for multiple devices

As a professional tech writer for almost a decade, I’ve personally tested many of the most popular VPNs for friends and my own personal use, and I know how they perform. To make these recommendations, we consulted online guides, reviews, specs, and spoke to several information security experts. Thanks to this research, we know which VPNs are worth your hard-earned cash, and which ones are better left in the bowels of Google.

Things to consider when buying a VPN for multiple devices

Choosing a VPN to protect every device you own can seem intimidating at first, especially if you aren’t the kind of person who spends hours and hours online. However, the competing services really boil down to a few factors that will determine which provider is best for you. Since the best VPN deals are often a multiyear commitment, it’s important to consider the following questions before clicking the buy button.

Why do I need a VPN?

When you access the internet from your phone, tablet, or computer, you’re transmitting information about yourself, whether you like it or not. Most companies collect this information and track your activity across the internet to help them sell you products. Some bad actors will try and use it to target you for identity theft scams, such as phishing schemes. 

If you use public Wi-Fi often for work, you should keep in mind that most public Wi-Fi networks are not secure. Whether you’re relaxing in your dorm or enjoying a cup of coffee at your favorite cafe, public Wi-Fi often leaves you unprotected against scammers who want the password to your Amazon account. Using a VPN in these situations makes it much harder for people to grab your data, even when it may be vulnerable.

How many connections do you really need?

In a perfect world, a VPN would provide perfect protection to every single internet-enabled device you own. Realistically, most services won’t allow that. Even if they did, you probably don’t really need that level of protection.

When picking your VPN, take a moment and think about which devices need extra security. Laptops, desktops, tablets, and phones are the most vulnerable because they connect to an internet browser, as well as email phishing scams. Game consoles like a PlayStation 5 or a Nintendo Switch are far less likely to fall victim to malware. Most VPNs that work across many kinds of computers do put a cap on the number of devices you can protect. Most popular services will have plans that can go up to 5-10 devices, though some services offer plans to protect an unlimited number of devices.

If you want a subscription package that supports you and your entire family’s massive constellation of tech toys at the same time, you will only have a couple of options. Alternatively, if you just need to protect your three primary devices—a PC, a phone, and tablet, for example—you can safely go with any of our picks.

Killer apps

VPNs designed for multidevice use should offer a free app that you use to mask your tablet or phone activity. Not all of them are easy to navigate, but they allow you to protect your mobile devices before you log on, not after.

Speed and cost

Using a VPN will always make your internet at least a little bit slower. When you use a VPN, you’re forcing your information to make a couple of stops on the way between you and whatever website you’re looking at. Since you’re routing your browsing through another server, the sheer fact of that distance means that it’ll take a little longer to load your sites. 

The best VPNs will only slow you down the slightest bit. Others may slow it down quite a bit. This is one of a few reasons why it’s always worth it to pay for a well-known VPN rather than use a sketchy “free” alternative.

Reputation is everything

While many VPNs like to vaunt their latest and greatest technology as a must-have innovation, the truth is that most of the big VPNs offer extremely similar services for very similar prices. 

When you connect to a VPN, you’re giving that provider an inside look at your browsing habits. As such, we only picked VPNs that are well-known, reliable brand names that have proven their worth over the years. The usual VPNs might be a little more expensive than the new kids on the block, but using a no-name provider could theoretically be worse than using none at all.

Price

Most trustworthy VPN services charge between $10 and $15 per month to use their platforms. If you’re looking to get the best bang for your buck, we highly recommend paying up-front for a year or two of service, as that will significantly reduce the cost of admission. In picking the best VPNs, we weighed the cost of the service heavily, as well as whether or not those premium prices resulted in more simultaneous connections.

The best VPNs for multiple devices: Reviews & Recommendations

Hopefully, you now feel comfortable poking around and picking a VPN to keep your daily browsing data safe. If you’re looking for a VPN that can cover all your fun electronic toys without much of a hassle, our recommendations are a great place to start.

Best overall: NordVPN

NordVPN

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: NordVPN delivers everything you would want from a VPN provider, including thousands of servers, six simultaneous connections, and ultra-reliable service.

Specs

• Server count: Over 5,500 servers in 59 countries
• Connection limit: Supports 6 device connections at once
• Home country: Panama
• Free/trial version: None
• Standard plan price: $11.99 per month, $59.98 per year, or $126.96 every two years

Pros

• Trusted brand name
• Extremely reliable
• Many, many servers
• Fancy bells and whistles you actually want

Cons

• Only six simultaneous connections
• Fairly expensive

If you’re thinking about using a VPN, you’ve almost certainly heard of NordVPN, and that’s for good reason. Pound-for-pound, it’s arguably the best VPN provider on the market. Nord boasts thousands of servers in dozens of countries, as well as competitive speeds worldwide. NordVPN also offers dedicated IPs for an additional monthly fee, which is useful for users who want to hide the fact that they’re using a VPN at all.

Though the brand’s reputation took a hit after a 2018 server breach, it still remains one of the most trusted providers in the space. NordVPN’s mobile app is clean and intuitive, and it supports every device you have lying around the house. If you’re looking for more than just a basic VPN service, Nord also offers a data breach scanner, a password manager, and encrypted cloud storage for additional rates.

NordVPN plans support up to six simultaneous connections. That’s definitely enough for a well-connected person or an average household, but large families full of tech-heads may want to look at alternatives that can handle more bandwidth.

Best for unlimited connections: Surfshark

Surfshark

SEE IT

Specs

• Server count: 3,200 servers in 95 countries
• Connection limit: Unlimited
• Home country: The Netherlands
• Free/trial version: None
• Standard plan price: $12.95 per month, $47.88 per year, or $59.76 for two years 

Pros

• Unlimited connections on one account
• Competitive speeds
• Extremely good value

Cons

• Less well-known than alternatives
• No extra bells and whistles

Surfshark is the new kid on the VPN block, but don’t let that fool you. Though it makes our list for offering unlimited simultaneous connections—making it an extremely good option for large households full of technophiles—it’s a very strong service across the board. Its $60, two-year subscription is one of the best deals you’ll find in the space, and Surfshark is consistently ranked high among the fastest VPN services out there. Its mobile app is also quite snazzy.

Surfshark’s major downside is its server network, which is significantly smaller than its well-known competition. That said, 3,000+ servers is nothing to sneeze at. Meanwhile, the ability to access servers in 95 countries gives you far more masking options than most providers. Surfshark is arguably the best deal in VPN-land and is definitely the best choice for users with more than six devices.

Best for dedicated IP: CyberGhost

Cyberghost

SEE IT

Specs

• Server count: 7,900 servers in 91 countries
• Connection limit: Supports 7 device connections at once
• Home country: Romania
• Free/trial version: None
• Price: $12.99 per month, $51.48 per year, or $78 every two years

Pros

• More servers than almost any VPN
• Seven simultaneous connections
• Easy setup for advanced features

Cons

• Visually underwhelming
• No independent security audits since 2012

Some VPN users prefer to pay their provider a little extra for a dedicated IP address in order to fool websites into thinking that they aren’t using a VPN at all. If you don’t pay for a dedicated IP, your traffic will show up as a different IP every time you connect and many websites have filters for popular VPN server IPs. If you want to hide the fact that you’re hiding your info, we recommend CyberGhost, a fully featured VPN provider with all the bells and whistles you need to take control of your cybersecurity.

CyberGhost’s dedicated IP service costs about $4 a month, which is not insignificant. This service ensures that you will always show the same unique IP address when you’re using CyberGhost, which will likely be enough to fool streaming services like Netflix into unblocking you. No more Captchas when casually Googling, either. However, there is a small catch: CyberGhost will issue a unique access token that you use to log into your unique IP. The company keeps no record of this token, but that means you have to keep track of it yourself. If you lose it, you’ll have to purchase another subscription to get another dedicated IP.

Even if you don’t want a dedicated IP—or you’re afraid you’ll lose the token—CyberGhost is an extremely competitive VPN provider. It’s one of the fastest VPNs out there according to speed tests, and its plans are significantly less expensive than some of its competitors.

Best app: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN

SEE IT

Specs

• Server count: Over 3,000 servers in 94 countries
• Connection limit: Supports 5 device connections at once
• Home country: British Virgin Islands
• Free/trial version: None
• Standard plan price: $12.95 per month, or $99.95 per year

Pros

• Best app UI and usability
• Very reliable
• Trusted name

Cons

• Only five connections at once
• Expensive

NordVPN and ExpressVPN are effectively the Coke and Pepsi of the VPN world. Like its counterpart, ExpressVPN is a well-established brand that gives you everything you expect from a premium VPN, including fast speeds, a widespread network, and a variety of extra services that you tack on.

ExpressVPN’s key advantage for those of us with a lot of gear is its excellent mobile app. It’s visually appealing, works on every platform, and makes tweaking your settings easy. ExpressVPN’s speeds have also tested well over the years. However, it does not offer some of the popular extras that Nord users might like, such as dedicated IP services. 

Express offers only five simultaneous connections, which is significantly less than some of our other picks. However, if you tend to stick with only two or three devices, ExpressVPN is a premium provider that covers the basics quite well for everyday people who don’t want to be burdened with overly technical details.

Best for families: Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access

SEE IT

Specs

• Server count: Over 28,000 servers in 84 countries
• Connection limit: Supports 10 device connections at once
• Home country: United States
• Free/trial version: None
• Standard plan price: $12.00 per month, $90 per year, or $56 for two years

Pros

• 10 simultaneous connections
• Ridiculous server count
• Good UI
• Very reasonable price

Cons

• Not the fastest
• Doesn’t stand out in any category

Private Internet Access is one of the most popular VPNs out there thanks to its compelling price point and feature set. For one thing, PIA boasts a truly absurd server count—over 28,000 worldwide—as well as a simultaneous connection cap that’s more than double some of its competitors. PIA is also regularly discounted for price points that you rarely see in the VPN space, making it a good option for families who want to make every dollar count.

While PIA is certainly a good VPN, it doesn’t necessarily excel in any particular way. Its dedicated IP services aren’t as well-regarded as CyberGhost and NordVPN. Its speed doesn’t compete with many of the major platforms, either. It has standard VPN features like split tunneling, a killswitch, and optional antivirus software, but nothing that sets it apart. 

All in all, Private Internet Access is an extremely respectable VPN that doesn’t quite have the brand recognition of its bigger competitors. However, it’s a reliable alternative that costs less than most of our other picks and will protect a lot of devices simultaneously.

Best budget: ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN

SEE IT

Specs

• Server count: Over 1,700 servers in 63 countries (premium)
• Connection limit: Supports 10 device connections at once (premium)
• Home country: Switzerland
• Free/trial version: Yes, speed-capped
• Standard plan price: $10.52 per month, $75.69 per year, or $126.10 every two years (billed in Euro)

Pros

• A decent free tier that actually works
• Supports 10 simultaneous connections
• Easy to upgrade to premium

Cons

• Limited feature-set
• Premium is expensive for what it is

You can’t go very far online without being bombarded with ads for free VPN services these days. While most of these services are unreliable, data-capped, or possibly even scams, ProtonVPN is the real deal. It offers a free tier that can actually serve as a decent VPN in a pinch. It doesn’t have a data cap, so you don’t have to tediously count every megabyte you transmit to use it.

As you might expect, ProtonVPN’s free plan is quite limited compared to its premium competitors. You can only choose from three servers, it’s limited to one device at a time, and Proton blocks popular VPN use cases like torrenting and streaming. As such, if you really want a VPN that supports multiple devices, you’ll need to shell out for its premium services.

The good news is that ProtonVPN makes it very easy to upgrade from its free plan to a paid option. It offers 10 simultaneous connections, which is more than enough for even large households. However, it does falter when compared to other premium competitors like NordVPN and ExpressVPN. It also lacks premium features that power users might expect, such as support for dedicated IP addresses.

The truth is that there is no good free option if you want to use a VPN across many devices. ProtonVPN gives the closest thing: A free taste of its services before you invest.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best VPNs for multiple devices

Whether you command a fleet of devices or simply want to protect your laptop and your phone, it makes sense to sign up for a VPN service to protect gear on unsecured networks. While our VPN picks vary in price, number of connections, and advanced features, the bottom line is that they all keep your private information safe.

The post Best VPNs for multiple devices in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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I leave my smartphone sitting face down on my desk most of the day. I hear it vibrate. I pick it up and it shows me my notifications. I didn’t realize quite how ingrained this whole process is in my psyche before I started testing the iPhone 14 Pro Max and its always-on screen display. Now my phone sits face-up so I can see those tantalizing notifications without having to lift the device. I like it.

I’ve been living with Apple’s flagship iPhone as my main device for roughly a week now. And while its new features don’t profoundly shift the overall experience, it feels like a different phone in many small, but impactful ways. Some of that comes from iOS 16, the new iPhone operating system, but the device itself offers a few hardware tweaks that ripple throughout the entire iPhone experience. So far, I like them. And combined with a substantial leap in camera hardware, Apple’s flagship phones offer a bigger upgrade than you might expect based on what you can see on a feature list or spec sheet.

Stan Horaczek

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Welcome to the Dynamic Island

The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s overall shape and industrial design haven’t changed much since the iPhone 12 ushered in a return to flat edges and glass faces. Apple has, however, made a big change to the sensor array found at the top of the screen. Instead of a notch that fades into the screen’s bezel, the front-facing camera and Face ID sensor now reside on a thin, pill-shaped area called the “Dynamic Island.”

While the overly dramatic name inspires hard eye rolls, it’s more than an aesthetic update to the previous models’ notch (which I will now call the “Lazy Peninsula”). The Island can display app-specific information that you can expand and interact with by pressing and holding on the Island. 

For instance, if you’re listening to music on Apple Music or Spotify, the Island will display a tiny thumbnail of the album art and a small moving icon to let you know that music is currently playing. If you tap and hold the Island, a set of basic audio controls expand out from it. 

That space also displays information about other typical activities. You’ll see the little unlocking icon every time Face ID works. That’s where you’ll see the connection notification when your AirPods sync with the device. The space doesn’t feel wasted the way it did with the notch. 

Making the Island useful prevents it from feeling like an eyesore. I find the Island hard to ignore. That thin band of screen between the Dynamic Island and the bezel makes the black space more noticeable. It has only been a week with the device and I’m sure it’ll fade from my attention over time. For now, I still see it even when it’s not providing mildly useful information. 

Always on

As I mentioned earlier, the new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max offer an always-on screen similar to what you’ll find on an Apple Watch. Even if you’re not touching the phone, a quick glance at the device will reveal all of the notifications piling up at the bottom of the display. Apple claims it can enable this feature by dropping the screen’s refresh rate all the way down to 1Hz, which means the screen only updates once every second as opposed to the typical 60Hz or 120Hz modes. 

As with other always-on phone screens, I find myself picking up the device less often. With previous iPhones, I was prone to picking up my phone to see what kind of notifications were waiting for me. Then, because I’m already holding the phone, I might as well just check my apps. Then it’s 20 minutes later and I’ve accidentally watched 13 TikToks about how to go hunting for rare action figures at Target stores in my area. It’s easier to avoid distractions when I can let the phone lie. 

On the downside, iOS 16 and the always-on screen have tricked me into thinking my phone was ringing on several occasions. The notifications stack near the bottom of the lock screen where the “swipe to answer” slider would have previously shown up. 

Again, it has only been a week, so I may slide back into my same habits after a while, but only time will tell. For now, I’m opening my phone less, which I consider a plus. 

Refresh and so clean

The screen’s always-on nature isn’t the only screen upgrade present in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. When you pick between the two, you’re essentially deciding between a 6.1-inch screen on the Pro or a 6.7-inch screen on the Max. I prefer the larger Max model because I figure a flagship should be a flagship, and if I’m going to watch YouTube videos reviewing obscure Russian camera lenses until 2 a.m., I want to do it on the biggest screen possible. 

Both the Pro and the Pro Max offer up to 120Hz refresh rates, which I consider one of the most tangible reasons to upgrade over a standard iPhone 14 or 14 Plus (though you could also get it in the 13 Pro and Pro Max). Smooth scrolling spoils eyeballs for paltry 60Hz devices with their jutter-laden on-screen motion. Games that support 120 fps also look great. Psychedelic rhythm racer Thumper looks impressive even with tons of wild colors, shiny surfaces, and inexplicable tentacles waving all over the screen. 

Compared to the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, the 14 Pro and Pro Max offer higher overall brightness. Apple says it’s more than twice as bright, with a maximum output of 2,000 nits, which is the same as its Studio Display. I compared the 13 Pro Max directly to the 14 Pro Max and found that the newer phone is, in fact, brighter. It’s not a huge difference, however, at least under normal settings. It does improve visibility in bright settings, though, so you’ll reap the benefits if you spend a lot of time staring at your phone outdoors.

A16 Bionic chip

A brand new chip typically makes for a great marquee selling point when companies announce a new phone. With the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, Apple has introduced its new A16 Bionic chip, while the A15 Bionic has moved down into the standard iPhone 14 models.

New smartphone chips always promise faster performance than their predecessors. You can likely easily find in-depth benchmarks online to tell you exactly how much faster the new chip really is but those numbers hardly ever translate directly into your real-life experience. I edit video and huge raw photo files on my iPhone 13 Pro Max without issue. Unless you’re really pushing the iPhone hard with elaborate games, computing power likely hasn’t been an issue for you. 

In terms of real-world performance, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max feel snappy and didn’t stutter even under heavy tasks. I tried editing some 8K video shot with the phone and used Adobe Lightroom to process a few of the phone’s native 48-megapixel raw files. The processes were quick and lag-free. The new chip does provide some advantages that you may not even notice, however, like upgraded image processing, which powers Apple’s revamped HDR process. 

I’m not worried about the A16 Bionic’s ability to handle any commercial app I can throw at it. At least not yet during my testing.

Camera upgrades

Hardware updates in new camera phone models make it tough to get excited. Companies typically make the lenses a little brighter and the sensors a little bigger to help their overall performance. The software updates and the image-processing upgrades usually make a more tangible difference on overall image quality. For the first time in a while, that isn’t the case. With the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, the hardware matters.

We’ll start with the lenses because they’re simpler. You still get three individual camera modules with their own lenses, but the focal lengths have changed a bit. The 48MP main camera is now slightly wider-angle than previous models. If you’re familiar with lens focal lengths, it’s now a 24mm equivalent compared to a roughly 28mm equivalent before. The ultra-wide camera stays around 13mm, as it was before, and the telephoto is still around 77mm, so not much has changed there. 

The sensor, however, looks much different. It now relies on a feature called pixel binning to create highly detailed 12-megapixel images with a brand new 48-megapixel sensor. This isn’t a new concept. In fact, Nokia first brought it to smartphones a full decade ago with its Pure View devices and it often shows up in modern Android phones. It’s popular for good reason. By essentially combining groups of four pixels into larger photon receptacles, the sensor collects light more effectively. That’s especially handy in low-light situations.

This new sensor structure fundamentally changes the way the iPhone’s camera works, at least behind the scenes. When you press the 2x zoom button, the camera can now simply crop into the high-res sensor and deliver a full-resolution final image without having to rely on computational photography to fill in details that might otherwise get lost. 

If you want to shoot in raw, you can also now get a full 48-megapixel image out of the iPhone. That’s useful if you’re the type of photographer who edits images later. 

Camera performance

I’m working on a much more in-depth camera-specific review for our sibling publication, PopPhoto.com, because of the considerable hardware change. For now, I can say that the 14 Pro and Pro Max introduce some tangible differences when it comes to camera performance. 

Moving to a slightly wider lens on the main camera may not feel like much of a shift, but I find it fairly noticeable. It can fit more of the subject in the frame now, which is good for capturing sweeping landscapes without introducing the distortion that comes with the main camera, or group photos in tight spaces. The overall image quality has also noticeably improved. I typically use the high-contrast picture style in the camera menu because I think the default style typically washes out black areas and shadows too much. I found that the 14 Pro and Pro Max handle that noticeably better, at least in my early testing. 

That wider viewing angle comes with some quirks, though. Try to get close to a subject and you’ll likely find that the phone switches into its dedicated macro mode before you get as close as you wanted. Because the macro mode relies on the ultra-wide camera, you don’t get the full image quality you wanted out of the main camera. Switching focal lengths also fundamentally changes the field of view, so the background will suddenly look farther away from your subject and you’ll notice some perspective distortion. I quickly turned off auto macro mode because I found the switching very annoying. 

Overall image quality, however, has improved in both photos and videos. The main camera captures tons of fine detail—in fact, sometimes it’s a little too much. The edges of objects can start to look a little crunchy. Still, it’s better than I’ve seen on some other high-end smartphones. 

Images shot in dark settings also seem improved simply because they’re more likely to let shadows look like dark shadows. 

I admittedly haven’t shot many videos with the 14 Pro or Pro Max just yet, but it looks solid in my early impressions. The new Action Mode provides impressively smooth footage while walking or riding in a vehicle. I considered the iPhone 13 Pro one of the very best smartphone cameras for video before and that hasn’t changed in this generation. 

The cool stuff I can’t test

Apple announced a few very interesting new features that I can’t really test. The new Car Crash Detection feature relies on a series of built-in sensors (which includes everything from the microphone to the barometer) to sense when you’ve been in a wreck so it can notify emergency services and your chosen emergency contacts. Apple has a solid track record with its Fall Detection feature, so I’m inclined to believe the Car Crash Detection will work as well. I hope I never find out. 

The new SOS feature allows the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max to communicate with emergency services via a satellite connection that will work in many places typical cell service can’t reach. It’s a very clever system that relays text-based messages to rescuers using an aggressive compression technology that minimizes required bandwidth to cut down on transmission times. 

These are both very cool and novel features, and I hope they work in case I need them someday. 

The rest of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max experience

I have been using the Pro Max for about a week and I find that the always-on screen really doesn’t have much of an effect on overall battery life. I typically finish the work day with more than a third of my battery life left—half if I didn’t use the device all that much. That’s still plenty of juice to go to the gym, watch a bunch of random videos, fall asleep without putting my phone on the charger, and waking up to a device that’s not even in the red yet. That’s one of the benefits of carrying a giant phone. Overall, it’s extremely similar to the iPhone 13 Pro Max under regular usage.

It’s worth pointing out that all of the iPhone 14 models have ditched the SIM card tray and now rely solely on Embedded Sim cards, or eSIMs, in the US. This made my activation process a little more involved as my T-Mobile service needed a nudge from the company before I could get it working on this device. If you’re used to simply swapping SIMs into your new phone without having to do much in the way of logging into your account or talking to customer service, there might be a hiccup. 

So, who should buy the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max?

Once again, the highest-end iPhone is the best iPhone. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise at this point. If you’re already using an iPhone 11 or later, there probably isn’t quite enough here in terms of features to make it worth rushing out and dropping at least $999 on a new 14 Pro or Pro Max. If you’re coming from an older device, though, this is likely the move if you can stomach the cost because it’s going to offer you the most future-proof performance.

If you’re trying to decide between the Pro and the Pro max, just get the screen size you prefer. The Pro Max offers a battery advantage due to its sheer size, but the hardware is basically identical otherwise. There’s no difference in camera hardware like there was in earlier models.

It seems likely that the new quad-pixel camera will eventually trickle down into lower models and Apple will refine it over time. More and more apps will likely support integration for the Dynamic Island, which older phones won’t be able to take advantage of. That will leave you on your own smartphone version of a lonely island. Nobody wants that.

The post Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max review: Welcome to the Dynamic Island appeared first on Popular Science.

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Apple’s end-of-summer events generally bring exciting announcements and this year’s “Far Out” presentation was filled with exciting new gear, including four new iPhone 14 devices, three new Apple Watches, and an updated take on the AirPods Pro. That includes an all-new version of the phone, the iPhone 14 Plus, which offers standard iPhone performance in a 6.7-inch “Pro Max” form factor, and the Apple Watch Ultra, a rugged and powerful flagship sport watch. We’ll walk through all the gadgets Apple announced Sept. 7 and let you know what’s new and exciting about Apple’s next wave of tech.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

If you’re not interested in Apple’s more expensive iPhone Pro lineup, the company also introduced the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, the latter of which is a new addition. These devices offer an excellent suite of features but are available at a more comfortable price for most people. The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus come with the same A15 Bionic chipset that was in the iPhone 13 and will be available for $799 and $899, respectively. Pre-orders begin Sept. 9. The 6.1-inch iPhone 14 will be available in stores Sept. 16 and the 6.7-inch Plus arrives Oct. 7.

Like last year’s iPhone 13, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus features a dual-camera setup. The primary camera features a 12MP sensor and f/1.5 aperture with sensor-base stabilization. Apple claims the new camera system offers a 49 percent improvement in low-light performance over the prior model thanks to a “Photonic Engine,” so users should enjoy excellent pictures at night. There’s also a new 12MP front-facing TrueDepth camera with autofocus features, so, theoretically, you won’t encounter any out-of-focus selfies. The iPhone 14 also supports improved video stabilization features, including an “Action mode” for smooth-looking video with fewer shakes and vibrations.

While the outward appearance is unchanged, both devices feature an updated internal design for better thermal performance. This will allow users to watch movies and play games for longer. Speaking of marathon Netflix sessions, Apple said the iPhone 14 Plus model offers the best battery life of any iPhone in its lineup. If you’re the type of person who is frequently away from an outlet, the 14 Plus could be very appealing. The iPhone 14 and 14 Plus also support the new Crash Detection feature, which utilizes a new dual-core accelerometer to detect if you’ve been in a severe car crash. They also support Emergency SOS via Satellite, allowing users to connect to emergency services even when off the grid.

iPhone 4 Pro and 14 Pro Max

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max bring a conventional suite of upgrades, including improved performance, a more advanced camera system, and better battery life. What you’ll notice, though, is that the display now features a pill-shaped cutout for the selfie camera, rather than the infamous top-center notch, and the introduction of an always-on display, so you can quickly check the time and notifications without any tapping. Apple said the iPhone 14 Pro would start at $999 and the Pro Max starts at $1,099. They’ll be available to pre-order Sept. 9 and in stores Sept. 16.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will offer 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR displays, sizes unchanged from last year. Apple is cleverly embracing the new pill-shaped cutout with a feature known as “Dynamic Island.” Notifications, apps, and alerts will adapt and move around the pill-shaped cutout, so the pill feels like it’s a part of the screen … aesthetically, at least.

Like the Apple Watch Series 6 and newer, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max display technology supports a 1Hz refresh rate, enabling the new always-on display feature. The always-on display will work with the lock screen widgets introduced with iOS 16, so users can quickly glance at information like calendar events, weather, and reminders without waking up the iPhone 14 Pro’s display. When the display does wake up, users can enjoy 120Hz ProMotion technology and a peak HDR brightness of 1600 nits, or 2000 nits outdoors.

On the inside, Apple’s new A16 Bionic chip improves the phone’s power efficiency, display performance, and the upgraded triple-camera system. It features a six-core CPU with two high-performance and four-efficiency cores, allowing photographers to capture 48MP images in ProRAW, which allows for greater editing possibilities. 

For most photos, however, the new quad-pixel sensor will capture 12MP pictures through a process called “pixel binning,” which lets Apple maximize detail and light capture. The flash can also adapt to the camera system’s different focal lengths. On the video side, Apple said its Cinematic Mode supports 4K at 30 frames per second (fps) and 4K at 24 fps. It also offers new stabilization features that make the footage look as though you were using a gimbal.

Other features available in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max include Crash Detection, which can assist when it detects you were in a crash, and Emergency SOS via Satellite, so you can communicate when out of the range of carrier coverage. While the design of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max isn’t a significant departure from what we’ve seen these last few years, the new pill-shaped cutout, always-on display, and improved camera system may prompt plenty of upgrades.

Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, and Apple Watch Ultra

Apple announced a whole wave of Apple Watches, including a new standard model, the Apple Watch Series 8; a redesigned version of its budget watch, Apple Watch SE; and an all-new high-end sport watch aimed at athletes and adventurers, the Apple Watch Ultra.

The Apple Watch Series 8 features a largely unchanged design but includes new sensors that will enable new health and safety features. First, a pair of sensors measuring skin temperature will allow for improved menstrual cycle tracking and automated retrospective ovulation estimates, which can be helpful for family planning. In watchOS 9, the Cycle Tracking features will alert users to any deviations, such as irregular, infrequent, or prolonged periods.

The Series 8 also supports Apple’s new Crash Detection feature. If you’re involved in a severe car crash, your device will check in with you and dial emergency services if you’re unresponsive. The Series 8 also supports a Low Power Mode, offering users up to 36 hours of battery life. This new mode will temporarily disable or limit select sensors and features, such as the always-on display and workout autostart.

The Apple Watch Series 8 will be available for $399 for the GPS model and $499 for the cellular model. You can pre-order the Series 8 today and it will launch in stores Sept. 16. The Apple Watch SE, which features the same dual-core processor found in the Series 8 but lacks the more advanced features like the always-on display, starts at $249 and can also be pre-ordered today and will launch Sept. 16.

The Apple Watch Ultra, an all-new design, is built for intense fitness training and outdoor activities like climbing, hiking, and scuba diving. The more rugged model features an extra-large 49mm titanium case, a redesigned Digital Crown, and an “Action button,” which you can customize for various activities. The Watch Ultra’s display features sapphire crystal for durability and supports 2000 nits of brightness when outdoors. Notably, the Watch Ultra’s buttons have been designed to work with users who wear gloves.

The Watch Ultra has all the features of the Series 8 but also includes three built-in microphones and is twice as water resistant as other Apple Watch models. The more rugged wearable comes standard with cellular capabilities and can get up to 36 hours on a single charge—enough for any extreme athletes participating in grueling endurance sports. It also features an extended battery life of 60 hours when using Apple’s new Low Power Mode (which will be enabled in a software update later in the fall).

The Watch Ultra also supports L1 and L5 GPS frequencies, ensuring your coordinates are as precise as possible. This is necessary for a new trackback feature to help users retrace their steps if they get lost on a hiking trip. If you get lost and need assistance, the Watch Ultra has an 86-decibel siren so others nearby can better locate you. If you’re into water sports, the Watch Ultra is certified to EN 13319 for scuba divers, with a diving depth of up to 131 feet.

Three new bands are available for the Watch Ultra—Alpine, Trail, and Ocean—and they cater to the different environments they’re named after. The Watch Ultra will be available for $799 when it launches Sept. 23.

AirPods Pro 2

The AirPods Pro 2 sticks with a design introduced by the original model but can cancel twice as much noise. This is thanks to a new H2 chip, which also supports an improved Adaptive Transparency mode that will dynamically reduce heavy noise while walking around a loud city. The latest truly wireless earbuds include a new low-distortion audio driver and a custom amplifier for richer bass and crystal-clear sound.

The AirPods Pro 2 also supports new touch gestures, including the ability to adjust the volume with swipes on the stems. That will reduce the friction when using the earbuds because you will no longer have to take out your phone to turn up your favorite song. The AirPods Pro 2 features six hours of listening time on a single charge, a 33 percent increase over the original AirPods Pro. The charging case, which now has a built-in speaker (for Find My/status purposes) and a new loop on the side for a lanyard, allows for 30 hours of listening time, an increase of six hours.

The AirPods Pro 2 will be available to order for $249 Sept. 9 and launch Sept. 23.

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Apple held its annual iPhone extravaganza today, and among the debut of gadgets like the iPhone 14 and the chunky, extreme-sports-focused Apple Watch Ultra are two new services focused on safety. One of them, car crash detection, involves both gadgets, and the other, enabling emergency satellite communication, is iPhone-specific. 

Here’s a look at what to expect from the two new services. 

Car crash detection

Apple has previously rolled out two features tied to its wearable device that detect if you’ve taken a spill: a form of everyday fall-detection (in 2018) and then, last year, a workout-focused version of the same. 

A new service, announced today, aims to notice that you’ve been in a car accident and then call for help. 

Ron Huang, the company’s vice president for sensing and connectivity, said that the feature employs new sensors in the Apple Watch as well as machine learning. While the company’s watches already have gyroscopes and accelerometers in them, Huang said that new versions of these sensors help detect the forces present in a car accident. That new accelerometer, he said, can notice as much as 256 Gs of acceleration, “allowing it to detect the extreme impacts of a crash.” 

For context, one G—that stands for gravity—is what you feel pulling you straight down towards the Earth at any given moment, and fighter pilots endure as much as nine or more Gs while conducting maneuvers in which they bank hard or accelerate quickly. In a car accident, the Gs the watch are detecting likely stem from forces involved in actions like the rapid stop. 

[Related: A new AT&T update could make 911 calls more effective]

Huang also said that the onboard barometer, microphone, and GPS chip help with the detection process as well, and that machine learning helped tie everything together. The barometer is involved to measure pressure-related changes due to an airbag’s deployment, a promotional video during the event explained. 

The company’s latest phones also offer an identical service, said Kaiann Drance, the company’s vice president for iPhone product marketing, meaning that you do not need to buy the newest watch to get car crash detection. 

The announcement comes at a grim time for road safety in the United States, as almost 43,000 people died in car accidents in 2021, an increase of more than 10 percent over the year before. (Pedestrians are an especially vulnerable group.) But of course, difficult problems like national road safety are unlikely to be solved with something like a gadget. 

Satellite communications

The second safety feature the company announced is baked into the new iPhones specifically, and involves giving someone like an injured mountaineer a way to ask for help via satellite when they are out of cell service range. 

Apple is calling the new feature “Emergency SOS via Satellite,” and it works by instructing the lost hiker to point their phone at a far away, quick-moving communications satellite. To make this feature work, engineers had to tackle the bandwidth challenges that come with this form of communication. 

“To connect to these satellites, you need to be outside, with a clear view of the sky,” said Ashley Williams, the company’s manager for satellite modeling and simulation. “And the bandwidth is so limited that even sending a text message is a technical challenge.” (So, no Netflix via sat.) 

[Related: What it’s like to rescue someone at sea from a Coast Guard helicopter]

Other factors that allow this whole system to work are a “custom short text compression algorithm,” Williams said, as well as a specific screen interface for reporting what the problem is, like by hitting the “Lost or Trapped” option. Helping to handle any cries for help will be a ground network that also includes “relay centers staffed with highly trained emergency specialists ready to get your text and call an emergency service provider on your behalf,” she said, which are involved if the emergency center cannot deal with a text message exchange on its own. 

The satellite communication service will not come with any extra cost—for the first two years after you purchase an iPhone 14. After that, the sky’s the limit. The SOS service debuts in November, only in Canada and the United States. 

Watch the entire event, below.

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According to Samsung and market research firm Omidia, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G was the most popular phone with a foldable display in 2021. It’s easy to see why: The homage to the pre-smart flip phone, the Z Flip line is a perfect blend of inspiring, aspiring technology and something that evokes a time and experience many of us remember fondly. It’s new and familiar.

Samsung’s sequel, the Galaxy Z Flip4, is a new and improved version of that winning formula. It has a better processor and upgraded cameras. There are new ways to take advantage of the small cover screen that allows for quick actions when the phone is closed. Like its larger counterpart, the Samsung Z Fold4, it’s made with more durable materials and features a redesigned hinge. These are all good things, and they more-or-less justify the Flip4’s flagship-level price tag. Despite that, I couldn’t shake the nagging thought that the folding element of the Flip4 was largely unnecessary. It’s a capable phone, but the only real argument for it over a Galaxy S22, a new iPhone 13 Pro, or other top Android phone is a nostalgic longing for those neo-classical flip-phone vibes.

Mike Epstein

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What is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4?

The Galaxy Z Flip4 is the more affordable of Samsung’s two-model “Galaxy Z” line of phones with foldable displays. The Z Flip4 folds vertically, recreating the flip-phone form factor that was popular just before the original iPhone ushered in the smartphone era. That means it’s a thick, but altogether compact 2.83 x 3.34 x 0.67 inches (WHD) when it’s in your pocket. It extends out to a lanky 2.83 x 6.50 0.27 inches (WHD) when you open it up to reveal its 6.7-inch 2640 x 1080 pixel Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. Despite the crease in the middle—an inevitability in folding phones at this point—the display looks bold and sharp, and scrolls smoothly at 120Hz.

The Fold4 is roughly the same size and shape as its predecessor but Samsung has made a few tweaks to its design, including Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ for the cover display and a more durable aluminum frame. Samsung shaved off a little bezel, too, to augment the size of the screen. The biggest change—a slimmer hinge—delivers a smooth, but slow opening action. The Flip4 doesn’t actually “flip” open, which is probably for the best, but it does add a couple of long seconds to the process of opening the phone, which may be an annoyance if you want to quickly check an app.

To minimize this hassle, the Flip4 has a 1.9-inch 512 x 260p Super AMOLED cover screen, which you can set to always-on so it shows you the time and your battery status, allows you to check your notifications, and make some quick responses to texts. Effectively, it gives you the same level of quick engagement that you get from a high-end smartwatch. The external display is helpful in some situations but often doesn’t do quite enough to compensate for the added time of unflipping your phone. The screen is small, so you’ll have to bring it up to your face to see anything other than the time, at which point you may as well open up the phone.

The first thing I noticed about the phone, though, was its height. Opened up, it’s slightly narrower than the Samsung S22, and nearly ¾ of an inch taller. It’s nice when scrolling web pages and social apps because it displays so much content at once, but also means many streaming apps will scale down videos rather than stretch them to an ultra-wide format. That long, narrow shape also makes the phone feel a little unwieldy in your hand. I occasionally found myself sliding up and down the chassis like I’m playing a guitar solo when trying to tap icons near the top of the screen. It also doesn’t help that, at 6.6 ounces, it’s heavier than it looks.

Out of context, these are relatively minor problems that you can overlook as the price you pay for having a phone with a bendable display. Even though this is the fourth Galaxy Z Flip and folding displays are slowly becoming more common, chances are that this feels like new and spectacular technology for most people. It’s really cool to unfurl the phone and see that there’s a screen in there. It’s even cooler when you bend the phone and see the image bend with it.

However, taking a longer view, you don’t really get much out of the Flip’s brand of bending. It’s smaller in your pocket or bag, true, but thick and heavy enough when folded that I don’t see too many people taking that as an upgrade over the now standard 5- or 6-inch phone. It will fit in smaller jeans pockets, for example, but will also stretch them out. To me, at least, you’re taking on the compromises of a folding phone, including the weight, the crease in the screen, and potential susceptibility to mechanical issues, almost entirely for the spectacle of the fold and the aesthetic of the flip-phone form factor.

How the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4’s design beats the Flip3

Setting aside the debate over the Z Flip line’s general utility, the Flip4 offers some very strong upgrades over the Z Flip3 5G. Under the hood, it features the newest Qualcomm chipset, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, and, in benchmarking apps like Geekbench 5 and 3DMark’s Wild Life test for gaming performance, it bested the Samsung Galaxy S22 and kept pace with the larger Fold4, which has the same processor. Even with the same 8GB of RAM, you’ll notice the jump to a flagship-caliber chip when playing games or editing photos and video. That extra power also ensures a smooth transition between fully open and half-open “flex” mode, which enables a de facto dual-screen mode for some apps, including the camera.

Galaxy Z Flip4 cameras

The cameras have also gotten a glow up. You have the same basic camera setup—a 12MP wide lens and 12MP ultra-wide lens on the back, and 10MP hole-punch selfie cam on the inner screen—but the wide angle lens is brighter and has larger pixels, which allows it to capture more light. It also brings in a host of new AI processing features, such as Samsung’s low-light “nightography” and improved AI stabilization, which play an increasingly central role in determining how smartphone photos look. 

The Flip4 still lacks a third tele-photo camera, though, so its camera stack ultimately falls short of what you’ll get on any of the Galaxy S22 phones or the Fold4. All things considered, though, my photos looked very sharp and detailed. It suffers a more acute version of the color oversaturation issues I found with the Fold4, though it’s a minor issue that only professional photographers and phone reviewers will actually see.

The biggest improvement to the camera, though, is for selfies. By tapping the power button twice, you can use the rear cameras to take selfie photos or video while the phone is closed, using the cover screen as a viewfinder. It’s a very convenient, but flawed way to take a photo: The cover screen doesn’t show you the full photo, so it can be tricky to get the perfect shot.

Like previous Z Flips, the Flip4 also gives you some fun options for shooting photos and video by using the camera app in Flex mode, which initiates a dual-screen layout where half the phone acts as the viewfinder and the other shows settings. This allows you to easily place the phone on a table to set up time-delayed shots, or angle the phone so you better see what you’re shooting. If you’re taking a video, you can hold the phone sideways like a camcorder, too, which is fun if you remember camcorders.

App support

Given that Flex mode is the main technical benefit of making the Flip4 foldable, I wish it were more helpful. A decent number of popular apps support it, including the Google app suite, the Samsung app suite, Facebook, Instagram, and even some games like Diablo Immortal. In most cases, though, that usually means support for dual-app multitasking, where one app is on the top half of the screen and a second one is on the bottom. The Flip4’s multitasking feature is very helpful at times: The ability to clearly and easily splitscreen apps makes it easier to move information over from a webpage to a google doc or use the calculator while you’re writing something in the notes app. Still, I wish more apps supported bespoke layouts or modes like the camera, which really make the Fold feel like an asset when you’re using the phone.

Battery performance

Last, but not least, it’s worth noting that the Galaxy Z Flip4 has a moderately larger 3700mAh battery, versus the 3300mAh in the Z Flip3 5G. In my experience that will get you through a full day of intermittent use, but won’t last overnight. The good news is it also supports up to 25W fast charging, so it goes from dead to 50 percent in 30 minutes with a compatible charger.

So, who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4?

With computing power that approaches that of a flagship phone, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is a strong high-end smartphone that is, ironically, held back by its signature feature. The feel of flipping it doesn’t feel quite right to me, which matters if I’m trying to conjure the memory of misspent youth. More importantly, I don’t really need a shorter phone to fit in my pocket. I only see the tradeoffs when I use the Flip4, not the nostalgia or the magic of the folding display. I accept and, honestly, encourage people who see things in a different light to go play with one in a store.

If you try it out and fall in love, Samsung has made some big strides in Flip4, meeting or beating what you get from the S22 series in many respects. With that kind of power under the hood, its $999.99 starting price tag doesn’t feel like an insurmountable early adopter tax, which remains a disqualifying issue for the Galaxy Fold4. It isn’t without its problems: The cover screen needs to be more useful. The rear cameras are not as powerful or well-equipped as the rest of the Samsung phone Galaxy. The hinge and inner screen’s inherent sensitivity to dust makes it more fragile than the average phone. (And, personally, I would like to see Samsung pay some app developers to experiment with unique Flex mode integrations.) Still, the novelty of a folding screen and owning a flip phone in 2022 may blend to create just the right shade of rose-colored glasses and let you feel nothing but love for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4.

The post Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 review: Powerful vibes appeared first on Popular Science.

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For most of us, myself included, the folding display technology at the heart of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold4 is the stuff of wonders. Despite the fact that this is the fourth Galaxy Fold, and there are several other devices with foldable screens that you can touch and use, it is truly wild to crack open your phone and see the tablet-esque 7.6-inch inner screen open. It’s important to keep in mind that folding screens are, conceptually, still new and a bit magical. The Fold4, launched Aug. 26, is largely defined by design tweaks and improved components that improve its flagship-tier performance, though not always in ways that the average person will care about. And yet, unless you are one of the few upgrading from an older Fold, using one will likely feel entirely new and exciting.

But, like the previous models, that experience comes with a few tradeoffs versus a conventional phone. Having a very large screen that’s genuinely pocketable feels great when you’re scrolling at home or sitting on a train, but it’s thicker, more delicate, and a little bit awkward compared to the standard smartphone design. Samsung has taken measures to mitigate those issues in the Fold4, especially around durability. The result is powerful and appealing, but not necessarily a big enough change to make the folding handset a viable choice for the average phone fan.

Mike Epstein

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What is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4?

The Galaxy Z Fold4 retains the book-style folding form factor that its predecessors popularized. When you pull it out of your pocket, it’s a thick, tall, and skinny riff on the conventional smartphone, measuring 2.64 x 6.11 x 0.62 inches (WHD) with a 6.2-inch 2316 x 904p Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen. You can open the phone from the right side, like a book, revealing the larger 7.6-inch 2176 x 1812p Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. At 5.12 x 6.11 x 0.25 inches unfolded, the Fold4 demands two hands to handle the larger “tablet” mode comfortably, so it’s really reserved for when you can give it your full attention.

Using the Fold when closed feels more or less like your standard smartphone, though the form factor is definitely less than ideal. The external screen makes most apps look scrunched together. Text in apps like Twitter and Facebook is small, so it can be harder to casually look at apps at a glance. It’s fine when you need to bang out a quick text or take a call, but you wouldn’t want to spend time using it this way.

Of course, when you have time, you’ll open up the phone and use the larger screen, which greatly enhances watching, playing, and doing anything where you give the phone your full attention. I’ve never been one to watch a movie or TV on my phone, but the screen fills your field of vision to the point where you can watch videos comfortably without bringing the screen in close. Games, especially those with small text like League of Legends: Wild Rift or Teamfight Tactics, look better and are easier to navigate. (If nothing else, the Fold4 feels more like a “gaming phone” than anything else I’ve tried.)

It also offers the best version of app multitasking on a phone. You can open and simultaneously run up to three apps across the 21.6:18 inner screen. I find it works best keeping it to two so nothing gets too small, but it feels much better to move information between two apps you can see than to copy something, close an app, then open another and paste, as you would on most phones. Sometimes you’re transferring info from a Google doc to a spreadsheet. Other times you’re adding something to your calendar based on a note or a text that Android doesn’t recognize as a potential calendar event. As streamlined as our phones are, we all still do these little manual data transfers from time to time and it feels better on the Fold, once you get the hang of split-screening apps using the “Multi-Window” tab on the right side of the screen.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4’s design and features

To optimize its strengths, and overcome a few of its weaknesses, the Fold4 features a few structural design tweaks. The phone is just under 3mm shorter than the Galaxy Z Fold3, and 2mm wider when unfolded, which goes a surprisingly long way to make holding the phone more comfortable, especially in “tablet” form. Its smaller bezels get out of the screen’s way, allowing it to loom large in the shorter, wider phone.

The unconventional form factors of both screens still present their own issues, though. Since neither display fits the conventional dimensions of a smartphone or a tablet, you’ll find many apps feature crunched display text, plus large black bars around widescreen videos and other apps not optimized specifically for the Fold. That doesn’t take away from the fact that Netflix and games look sharp and beautiful on the large unfolded screen (or the cover screen, if you choose), but it sometimes minimizes the benefits of having a maximal screen.

In fairness, though, Samsung is steadily getting more and more developers to create Fold-native versions of their apps, including the Google suite, the Microsoft Office suite, Spotify, Facebook, and more. Most recently, they’ve added Twitch, YouTube, and Microsoft Teams.

So durable, but not durable enough

To combat the general perception that the Fold is fragile, Samsung has taken steps to make it more durable. It features a reinforced frame and a cover display made from Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+. It also features a redesigned hinge, which allows for a smoother opening. Samsung also claims that the new hinge makes the “crease” in the middle of the display disruptive, but it’s still very noticeable in most apps.

While those changes may have reinforced the phone against drops, the phone still feels more delicate than a Galaxy S22 or an iPhone 13. The hinge opens smoothly, but slowly—you cannot whip it open the way you can with a laptop or an old-school flip phone. As a result, I was still afraid of opening it forcefully and snapping the phone in half, even if that wasn’t a real possibility. Also, the phone remains susceptible to dust—it features an IPX8 water resistance rating, but no dry particle resistance—so there you do need to be somewhat mindful of where and how you handle it. (Also, at 9.6 ounces, it drops like a rock. So … don’t drop it.)

Processor gains

One of the Galaxy Z Fold4’s largest improvements is its new and improved Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. While it’s only half-step over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Galaxy S22 line, it has seemingly delivered a larger-than-average performance boost, at least on paper. In benchmarks like Geekbench 5 for CPU and general processor performance, the Fold4 outperformed the Galaxy S22 and S21 Ultra by a small but notable margin. It beat out Samsung’s other foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip4, which has the same chipset. It also outdid the standard Galaxy phones in 3DMark’s Wild Life tests for GPU performance and was neck and neck with the Flip4. 

All things being equal, the Fold4 offers best-in-class speed for an Android phone. You may notice it in games, which should feel snappy and look sharp, or when taking and editing either high-resolution photos and video. It also ensures smooth scrolling in 120Hz without flickering, and seamless transitions when using two apps in split screen mode apps, or bending the inner screen into the half-folded “flex” mode.

Camera bump

The camera is the centerpiece of most smartphones, and the Fold4 is the first folding model where the hardware feels like it’s in lock-step with the standard Galaxy phones. Its primary back cameras match the S22 and S22 Plus—a 50MP wide-angle camera, a 12MP Ultra-wide camera, and 10MP tele-photo camera. That’s a notable step up over the 12/12/12MP lenses on the Fold3 5G. It also offers up to 30x digital zoom and 3x optical zoom, the latter of which is an upgrade over the S22.

For video, the Fold4 can record in 8K at up to 24 frames per second (fps), or in 4K at up to 60fps. The Fold3 couldn’t record in 8K, so you are getting a fidelity bump, albeit a largely unnecessary one. (I don’t own any 8K devices, do you?)

Of course, the actual performance of these cameras increasingly comes down to the AI that magically blends multiple pictures together behind the scenes. Again, the Fold4 receives an upgrade that enables parity with the S22, including Samsung’s new “nightography” for low-light photos. As someone who’s very critical of photos, but only an okay photographer, I found the Fold4 makes it very easy to take the best possible photo in any given situation, though I would say that some colors appear a bit oversaturated in very bright settings. That shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone familiar with Samsung’s camera systems.

It’s also worth pointing out that the folding screen is especially useful when shooting photos and video. In “flex” mode, with the screen half-folded, the viewfinder appears on the upper, vertical half of the screen and the buttons appear on the lower half. This makes it much easier to take a clear photo while raising your phone high or lowering it without bending down, since you can still see what you’re shooting.

In addition to the primary rear cameras, the Fold4 has two selfie cameras, a 10MP camera on the cover screen and a 4MP under the unfolded display. These cameras are largely unchanged from the Fold3: Both are fine, but a far cry from the excellent rear cameras. That said, Samsung has made it so the under-display camera successfully fades into the display when games and apps don’t use it. It’s a nice quality-of-life improvement, though a small camera dot doesn’t feel like a huge impediment in a tech world full of camera notches.

Battery life and other features

For all of its many improvements, some aspects of the Fold4 are identical to the Fold3. It features a 4400mAh battery that will get you through a day of intermittent use, though you will burn through it much faster playing a game on the big screen for an extended time, maybe 4-5 hours. It still can handle up to 25W fast-charging, which can juice up your phone from dead to 50 percent in 30 minutes. It also supports the latest networking standards—5G from your carrier and Wi-Fi 6E on a home network.

Aside from battery life, which can always improve, these are top-of-the-line specs. We would expect nothing less from the only phone that costs more than a Galaxy S22 Ultra.

So, who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4?

Though it’s the best version of the Galaxy Fold yet, the Galaxy Z Fold4 still feels like a device reserved for tinkerers, early adopters, and those who are willing to pay more for an exciting, if sometimes flawed experience. Its streamlined design looks more svelte and feels better in your hand. In many ways, it is more durable. It offers smoother performance and much-improved cameras. These are all great things, and they allow the Fold4 to retain its place as the premiere folding phone (even if the Z Flip series is more popular).

Despite the positives, two things hold the Fold4 back: First, even with its enhancements, many aspects of the Fold4 feel more delicate than another phone. In some cases, those fears may be imagined, like snapping the hinge. Others, like concerns about getting dust in the phone or breaking the inner screen, are not, though. Real or not, anxiety over breaking the phone adds some real baggage to the experience.

That perceived fragility is only enhanced by the Fold4’s sky-high price. With a starting launch price of $1,799.99 for an unlocked phone, it’s considerably more expensive than a Galaxy S22 Ultra, a Pixel 6 pro, or an iPhone 13 Pro Max. At that price, I expect a special phone that excels in ways others do not and delivers superior performance without any compromises. The Fold4 nails the first part, but falters on the second. One of these days, the Fold will either fix those issues or drop to a low enough price that it can become a practical recommendation. It isn’t ready today, but Samsung is one step closer.

The post Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 review: A step closer appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		iPhone SE (3rd Generation)		SEE IT	This value phone has very modern guts.
Best camera		Google Pixel 6a		SEE IT	Google’s AI imaging tech still reigns.
Best display		Samsung Galaxy A53 5G		SEE IT	The fast refresh rate makes the display feel premium.

While $1,000 flagship phones are fun to geek out over, there are currently several excellent phones under $500 worth checking out. These devices are excellent for first-time buyers or anyone who wants to play games, make video calls, and download apps without spending tons of cash. Importantly, they offer years of software support, so you’ll get the latest features and security enhancements, which can extend the life of your device. You may miss out on some of the latest cutting-edge advancements found in premium models, like wireless charging and high refresh rate displays, but the best phones under $500 can often compete with alternatives that cost hundreds of dollars more.

• Best overall: iPhone SE (3rd Generation)
• Best camera: Google Pixel 6a
• Best display: Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
• Best gaming: iPhone 11
• Best budget: OnePlus Nord N20 5G

How we picked the best phones under $500

I’ve written about technology for over a decade for sites like TechnoBuffalo, XDA Developers, and Popular Science. During that time, I’ve reviewed dozens of smartphones, from the Nexus 6P to the recently introduced OnePlus 10 Pro. To select our picks, I drew on my experience writing about smartphones, consulted trusted sources and professional reviewers, and researched the most popular models available. As phones have become more affordable, I’ve begun to prefer mid-range options because they meet my needs and are often hundreds of dollars cheaper than flagship models. 

Things to look for in the best phones under $500

The fact is that you don’t need to spend over $1,000 to get a good smartphone because affordable smartphones are better than ever and often offer a similar experience to premium models. As our list highlights, several good mid-range options offer excellent performance, long-lasting battery life, and impressive designs. If you’re searching for the most powerful flagships, you should check out our picks for the best Android phones available. Otherwise, here’s what to look out for when choosing the best phone under $500.

Performance

Like in a computer, your phone’s central processing unit, or CPU, is a critical component necessary to run applications and perform various tasks, from browsing the web to making video calls. Phones at this price generally offer a mix of high and mid-range specs. It’s not difficult to find an affordable device with a flagship processor that’s only a few months old, while other phones might feature a processor specifically for mid-range devices.

For example, Google has put its custom Tensor chip, which enables powerful AI-driven features, in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a. The former was released last October and the latter became available in July this year. Generally, Qualcomm and MediaTek make mid-range processors, but some companies produce custom-made silicon for their devices, including Google, Apple, and Samsung.

The amount of random access memory, or RAM, is also key to your device’s performance and provides applications with a place to temporarily store data and quickly access it again. Phones at this price typically have 6GB of RAM, give or take, which is enough to comfortably move between different tasks, including messaging, browsing social media, and watching videos. 

Display

You’ll spend lots of time staring at your phone’s display, so this is one area in which you don’t want to skimp. Most phones available today, regardless of price, feature screens between 5 inches and 6 inches but the resolution and pixel density will vary. Typically, more affordable devices feature lower resolution—Full HD (1080p) or HD (720p)—liquid crystal displays (LCD). Some options on our list feature OLED displays, a technology where a light-emitting diode (LED) independently backlights each pixel.

A higher pixel density, measured in pixels per inch (PPI), translates to a sharper image. The higher the PPI, the sharper the image and the more difficult it is to distinguish individual pixels at an average viewing distance (about arm’s length). Meanwhile, a phone’s display refresh rate, measured in Hertz (Hz), refers to how many times your display updates what’s on the screen each second. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother and more fluid the animations will look. Displays that support a refresh rate of 120Hz are generally reserved for flagship devices but there are some rare exceptions in the mid-range market. A screen that supports a refresh rate of 60Hz or 90Hz is more common in the $500 range.

Software support

Software support for mid-range devices has historically been abysmal. But, in recent years, companies have done much better to support these devices with new (and timely) software updates. These updates are essential to your device’s long-term performance because they introduce new features, software optimizations, and plug security holes. At the very least, you should look out for a device that offers two years of major software updates and three years of security updates. Often, a company will continue to provide security support even after ceasing software support.

Carrier support

If you’re buying a device unlocked, make sure it has support for all major U.S. carriers. Generally, you should be able to pop your carrier’s SIM card into your new phone and start receiving texts, phone calls, and data. Retailers typically state what major U.S. carriers a phone supports, so it should be clear before you make your purchase. If you subscribe to Verizon, make sure the device you buy works with the carrier or says it’s CDMA-capable. Unlocked devices generally work without issue on AT&T and T-Mobile, which are GSM carriers (and the standard for most carriers worldwide).

The best phones under $500: Reviews & Recommendations

It can be difficult to discern a phone’s quality based on specs alone, especially when many offer the same components. Our list of the best phones under $500 will help you parse the details and find the model that works best for you. Not everyone’s needs are the same, so we’ve broken it down into different criteria. Whether you’re looking for a device for gaming or taking high-quality photos, we’ve got you covered.

Best overall: iPhone SE (3rd Generation)

Apple

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The iPhone SE offers flagship performance for a fraction of the price.

Specs

• Display: 4.7-inch, 1334 x 750, LCD, 60Hz, 326 ppi
• Processor: A15 Bionic
• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 64GB
• Battery: 2018mAh
• Camera: 12MP f/1.8, OIS
• Software: iOS 15; planned upgrade to iOS 16
• Support: Apple generally provides four years or more of major OS and security updates
• 5G: Yes, sub-6GHz

Pros

• Powerful processor
• Wireless charging
• Excellent camera

Cons

• Outdated design

Although it features a legacy design and a smaller 4.7-inch display, Apple’s iPhone SE offers the best balance of performance, features, and software support. Notably, it comes equipped with the same A15 processor as Apple’s latest iPhone 13 and 13 Pro, which feature custom silicon with a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU. The device also includes wireless charging, Touch ID, and IP67 waterproofing. 

The iPhone SE offers all-day battery life and a 12MP wide camera with optical image stabilization and support for portrait mode and 4K video recording. Apple generally provides several years (five years or more) of major iOS updates to its devices, so even though the iPhone SE’s design looks old, its software will keep it feeling fresh. Plus, if you’re still clinging to the Touch ID home button instead of Face ID, this is your only hope.

Best camera: Google Pixel 6A

Google

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: With Google’s Tensor chip, the Pixel 6A offers a camera that operates at a flagship level.

Specs

• Display: 6.1-inch, 1080 x 2400, OLED, 60Hz, 429 ppi
• Processor: Google Tensor Titan M2
• RAM: 6GB
• Storage: 128GB
• Battery: 4410mAh
• Camera: 12MP f/1.7, OIS; 12MP f/2.2
• Software: Android 12
• Support: Five years of security updates. Google hasn’t said how many OS updates it will receive, but the Pixel 6 has been promised three.
• 5G: Yes, sub-6GHz

Pros

• Fantastic display
• Excellent software support
• Flagship-level camera

Cons

• Slower fingerprint sensor

Google has earned a reputation for offering excellent mobile cameras, and the Pixel 6A is no exception. The device features a dual camera setup: a 12MP main camera carried over from the Pixel 5A and a 12MP ultra-wide camera borrowed from the Pixel 6. This setup benefits greatly from the Pixel 6A’s Tensor chip, a custom piece of silicon designed by Google. The processor enables advanced AI and machine learning features like Face Unblur, providing users with better portrait images in low-light conditions. The Tensor chip also supports HDR during video recording at 4K/60 frames per second. The Pixel 6A’s camera setup doesn’t quite match last year’s Pixel 6 or 6 Pro but, for the price, it still offers plenty of Google magic.

Best display: Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

Samsung

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Galaxy A53 5G’s 6.5 looks fantastic, particularly when watching videos and playing games.

Specs

• Display: 6.5-inch, 1080 x 2400, Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 405 ppi
• Processor: Exynos 1280
• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 128GB
• Battery: 5000mAh
• Camera: 64MP f/1.8, OIS; 12MP f/2.2; 5MP f/2.4 (macro); 5MP f/2.4 (depth)
• Software: Android 12
• Support: Four years of major OS updates and five years of security updates.
• 5G: Yes, sub-6GHz

Pros

• Excellent battery life
• Beautiful display
• Powerful camera setup

Cons

• Software can get bogged down by bloatware

Samsung’s Galaxy A53 5G feels like a device that should cost way more than it does. It features a triple camera setup headlined by a 64MP main camera, a powerful Exynos processor, and excellent battery life. But the main standout is its 6.5-inch 1080p OLED display, which provides rich contrast and vibrant colors. It also supports a refresh rate of 120Hz, so animations look smoother than they do on devices with lower refresh rates. The display looks fantastic when performing daily tasks but shines when playing bright, colorful content like videos and games. 

Other features offered by the Galaxy A53 5G include IP67 dust and water resistance and an in-display fingerprint scanner. Samsung has also promised four years of Android OS version updates and five years of security updates, which means you’ll be admiring the device’s OLED display for a long time.

Best gaming: iPhone 11

Apple

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The iPhone 11 features a powerful processor, excellent display, and long battery life, making it a great choice for mobile gaming.

Specs

• Display: 6.1-inch, 1792 x 828, LCD, 60Hz, 326 ppi
• Processor: A13 Bionic
• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 64GB
• Battery: 3110mAh
• Camera: 12MP f/1.8, OIS; 12MP f/2.4
• Software: iOS 15; planned upgrade to iOS 16
• Support: Apple generally provides four years or more of software and security updates
• 5G: No

Pros

• Excellent battery life
• Great camera setup
• Powerful performance

Cons

• Device is a few years old
• 64GB of storage can fill up quick

The iPhone 11 may seem like an odd choice given its age—it came out in 2019—but its A13 Bionic processor, with its hex-core CPU and 4-core GPU, still holds up. Not only does it perform well for everyday tasks like browsing the web, editing photos, and making video calls, but it handles the most intensive mobile games with aplomb—and the 6.1-inch display is nice and big for media. 

Whether you play Minecraft, PUBG Mobile, or Diablo Immortal, the iPhone 11 continues to keep up with demanding apps and processes years after its release. You also get wireless charging, IP68 dust and water resistance, and an excellent camera system. Apple is known for providing older devices with several years of software support, so despite the iPhone 11’s age, it should provide users with a few more years of important updates. The only major downside is that the standard iPhone 11 only has 64GB of storage, which could quickly fill up with games.

Best budget: OnePlus Nord N20 5G

OnePlus

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Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The OnePlus Nord N20 5G features an excellent screen and great performance at an affordable price.

Specs

• Display: 6.43, 1080 x 2400, AMOLED, 60Hz, 409 ppi
• Processor: Snapdragon 695 5G
• RAM: 6GB
• Storage: 128GB, microSD expandable
• Battery: 4500mAh
• Camera: 64MP f/1.8; 2MP f/2.4 (macro); 2MP f/2.4 (depth)
• Software: Android 11
• Support: One major OS update and three years of security updates
• 5G: Yes, sub-6GHz

Pros

• Affordable
• Fantastic display
• Excellent performance

Cons

• Limited software support

The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is a sub-$300 phone that punches above its weight. It features a 6.4-inch 1080p OLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, and 6GB of RAM, making it more than capable of handling a heavy workload. It also offers a fingerprint scanner under the display and a 64MP camera, which doesn’t produce the best pictures we’ve seen, but it’s great for a phone at this price. The Nord N20 5G also supports 33W fast charging so that it can be charged from 0 to 30 percent in just 20 minutes. While the device supports 5G, it doesn’t work on Verizon and is limited to 4G on AT&T. If you’re on T-Mobile, however, you should have no issues.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best phones under $500

The progress of technology has allowed mid-range devices to close the gap on more expensive flagship models, making it easier to get a good smartphone without spending a fortune. You may miss out on features like higher refresh rates and more advanced cameras. Still, you will find one of the best phones under $500 has excellent performance, features, and software support—and that’s money well spent. 

The post Best phones under $500 of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Apple only recently started offering support for at-home product repairs, albeit with many a caveat, but yesterday marked a notable expansion in available services for consumers—in theory. Apple’s Self Service Repair Store now encompasses all MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops utilizing the M1 chip, although the website portal is down at the time of writing this. It’s frustrating, but not exactly surprising—this is a major industry shift that both consumers and regulators have urged for years, so demand will be understandably high upon launch.

Once the site is back up and running, however, Apple promised in a statement yesterday that Self Service Repair for M1 Air and Pro models will offer over a dozen different fixes for parts like the display, trackpad, top case with battery, and “more to come.”

[Related: The Apple self-service repair shop just opened for business]

Of course, the “right to repair” comes with a cost. Customers hoping to mend their Apple laptops themselves are required to purchase proprietary company parts at a hefty premium, as well as rent an official “repair kit” at $49 for one week’s usage if they don’t want to buy the necessary tools themselves. As Gizmodo notes, the price tag is the same as Apple’s two-part, 79-pound behemoth iPhone kit, although the company promises MacBook kits are “significantly different.”

With individual tools such as a torque driver costing $80 on top whatever the replacement parts run you, it’s clear Apple still much prefers its customers to take their devices to a certified repair location. “For the vast majority of customers who do not have experience repairing electronic devices, visiting a professional repair provider with certified technicians who use genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair,” the company goes out of its way to say in the official press release, before extolling all the new and existing licensed repair sites and technicians.

Changes in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act alongside an executive order signed by President Biden last year have pushed companies like Apple, alongside Google and Samsung, to finally offer home repair options for their millions of customers, but it’s already obvious that moving towards making the choice far more affordable and accessible for everyone is going to be quite the challenge. Still, the expansion is a notable step forward for the industry, once that site is back up and running, of course.

The post Apple finally extends home repairs to (some) MacBook owners appeared first on Popular Science.

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Samsung’s summer Unpacked event brings exciting announcements every August and this year’s presentation didn’t disappoint. The company unveiled new versions of its two high-end foldable phones—the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4—which have been fine-tuned with slimmer bezels, smaller hinges, and more seamless display creases. It also revealed two versions of its next smartwatch—the Galaxy Watch5 and the first-ever Galaxy Watch5 Pro, which features a tough titanium case and sapphire crystal display. Last, but not least, an upgraded version of Samsung’s earbuds, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, features some subtle design tweaks and support for high-fidelity audio.

Galaxy Z Fold4

With each passing year, Samsung’s Z Fold series further establishes itself as the company’s premier foldable. Samsung refines the Z Fold4’s signature tablet-esque 7.6-inch AMOLED 2X folding screen with a slightly wider inner display, a more subtle hinge with less of a crease, and a less-intrusive under-display camera. Samsung has also taken great pains to make the Z Fold4 more durable than its predecessors, as the line’s integrity has always been a concern. This year’s model features IPX8 water resistance for the first time and a newly optimized layer structure on the main display for enhanced shock absorption. 

Under the hood, the Z Fold4 is powered by a Snapdragon+ Gen 1 processor, has 12GB of RAM, and offers 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. The device continues to provide a triple-camera setup, but there are some welcome updates this year.

Its rear cameras receive a major boost, sporting the same trio as the Samsung Galaxy S22—a 12MP ultra-wide, a 50MP wide, and a 10MP telephoto camera, the latter of which offers 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom. It will also feature a 10MP wide camera on the front, just like Z Fold3.

Samsung has also made some software changes that make the Z Fold4 a more effective multitasker. The taskbar has been redesigned in OneUI 4.1.1, providing users easy access to their favorite and recently used apps. Speaking of software, the Z Fold4 is the first device to ship with Android 12L, a version of Android for large screen and foldable devices.

Last, but not least, the Fold4 now has touchpad controls in “flex mode,” when the Fold4 is partially folded. It should, if nothing else, make it easier to use the half-screen as a viewfinder when taking selfies.

The Galaxy Z Fold4 will be available Aug. 26 for $1,799 in graygreen, phantom black, and beige. Samsung is also offering the device in burgundy exclusively on its website.

Galaxy Z Flip4

Samsung also introduced an updated Galaxy Z Flip, which the company said is the most popular foldable in the world. (Practically speaking, that simply means it’s more popular than the Z Fold.) This year’s model, the Galaxy Z Flip4 improves the clamshell design with a tougher frame, refined hinge, and slimmer display bezels compared to previous generations. Samsung also said the display is stronger, so users will encounter fewer unexpected cracks from everyday use.

Improved durability is welcome but that isn’t the only change. Samsung has enhanced the cover screen so users can more efficiently reply to messages and make calls. New widgets are also being made available, further establishing the cover screen as a core part of the Z Flip experience. The concept of the cover screen has always been exciting and it looks like Samsung is getting closer to making it a reliable quick-glance solution in more situations.

Like last year’s model, the Galaxy Z Flip4 launches with a 6.7-inch OLED display that features a 22:9 aspect ratio and supports 120Hz ProMotion technology. The display also features a 10MP selfie camera with a familiar hole punch design.

The Z Flip4 is powered by a Snapdragon+ Gen 1 processor and comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage options. The device also comes with a 3700mAh battery that can charge to 50% in just half an hour, and it’s water-resistant, so it can survive getting wet if caught in a downpour. Like last year, the Z Flip 4 features a dual-camera setup, with a brighter 12MP wide lens and a 12MP ultra-wide lens. 

Samsung said the cameras now offer larger pixels, better image stabilization, and enhanced processing for better low-light performance. Tracking for video has also been improved, so moving subjects stay in focus without much intervention from the user.

The Galaxy Z Flip4 will cost $999 when it launches Aug. 26 and is available in bora purple, graphite, pink gold, and blue. Samsung is also offering bespoke editions that will allow users to pick from a set of colors for the front, back, and frame.

Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Watch5 Pro

Samsung historically releases a standard Galaxy Watch and a more robust, expensive “classic” version with a larger frame. This year, the company is shaking things up by introducing the Galaxy Watch5 and a more rugged, outdoor-minded Galaxy Watch5 Pro.

The Galaxy Watch5 comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes and will be available in both Bluetooth and LTE. Both feature sapphire crystal glass and curved rear glass, which Samsung said offers better contact with a user’s wrist, enabling more accurate biometrics, including advanced sleep coaching, body composition analysis, heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen levels, and a new skin temperature detection feature, which could tell users when they have a fever. The Watch5 also features IP68 water and dust resistance and runs Wear OS powered by Samsung’s customizations.

The 40mm Watch5 features a 1.19-inch display and 284mAh battery, and the 44mm Watch5 includes a 1.36-inch display and 410mAh battery. Otherwise, the two devices offer the same features and support 20mm band sizes. The Galaxy Watch5 starts at $279 for the 40mm and 44mm versions with Bluetooth and the price goes up for both models to $329 if you want LTE. Curiously, the small version is available in silver, graphite, and pink gold, while the larger model comes in sapphire, silver, and graphite.

The only totally new product in the announcement, Galaxy Watch5 Pro is a larger smartwatch made for people who spend a lot of time in the great outdoors. It features a harder titanium case and a sapphire crystal display, making it better prepared to handle whatever outdoor adventure you have planned. 

The Galaxy Watch5 Pro comes in a single, extra-large 45mm case size. Like the Watch5, it offers advanced health and sleep tracking features. It includes a larger 1.36-inch display and a 590mAh battery, giving it enough juice to last a day away from outlets. The Galaxy Watch5 Pro will start at $499 and comes in black and gray titanium.

On the software side, both the Galaxy Watch5 and Watch5 Pro will have eight new watch faces and support Samsung’s Smart Switch feature, which allows you to quickly transfer contacts and other data from an old Galaxy Watch.

Galaxy Buds2 Pro

Last year, Samsung released the Galaxy Buds2, and this year Samsung follows the “Pro” earbuds trend with the Galaxy Buds2 Pro. These true wireless earbuds feature improved active noise cancellation, allowing users to tone down even the loudest ambient noise, and an auto voice detect feature, which can turn down your music and let outside noise in after you start speaking.

Since the Buds2 already offered active noise cancellation, the distinction between the Buds2 and Buds2 Pro is a little more subtle, focusing on a smaller design and improved fidelity. Samsung said this year’s Pro model is 15% smaller than the Buds2, providing users with a more comfortable fit. The updated design also helps reduce pressure inside your ear because, as Samsung explained, air flows more effectively through the device. The more ergonomic design also prevents rotation, so you can comfortably lay down without them moving around.

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro offers higher-quality audio in the right conditions, thanks to new 10mm drivers with support for 24-bit audio. The higher bit depth provides audio with a higher dynamic range and reduced noise, resulting in a cleaner sound. It also offers multi-channel Dolby Atmos support for virtual surround sound in certain streaming apps. The Buds2 Pro also features IPX7 water resistance.

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro will be available Aug. 26 for $229 (up from $200 for the original Buds Pro).

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Shopping for back-to-school looks a little different as we age. The excitement over a new backpack and lunchbox emblazoned with our favorite cartoon characters evolves into getting pumped for new notebooks and pens to write down our hopes and dreams. Of course, maybe you prefer to encrypt your deepest darkest feelings, and that’s where a smartphone comes in. Amazon can help make that a reality with a hype deal during an already hype-worthy time by giving a free $50 Amazon gift card with a purchase of a new Google Pixel 6a for $449. The Pixel 6a costs $436.52 on its own, making the extra $12 a worthwhile investment. 

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The Google Pixel 6a, released at the end of July, is the first Pixel with Google Tensor, the first chip designed by Google for the Pixel line. This Android 5G phone features an all-day battery for Instagram-ing between classes and for hours of library scrolling when you should be studying—though it’s as good for researching a topic as it is journalling or procrastinating. The 12-megapixel camera includes presets like Motion and Portrait Modes that allow you to take a perfect picture regardless of circumstances. We’re keen on the Magic Eraser feature, which lets you remove unwanted objects (aka “randos,” as you youth call them) with just a few taps. If you’re worried about carrier compatibility, fear not: this phone comes unlocked. 

A new phone for school means you’ll also need some headphones, especially ones with noise-cancelling capabilities for living with roommates or studying on the loudest floor in the library. For an over-the-ear option, check out the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, which are on sale for $299 and received a glowing review from us. If you’re an earbuds person, the Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds are on sale for $199 and feature the same effective noise cancellation as Bose’s over-the-ear headphones.

No school shopping is complete without upgrading to a new laptop. This certified refurbished Acer Chromebook 315, selling for $129.99 compared to the $279 retail price, gives you the new laptop feel without the new laptop price. 

Don’t wait to snag these deals—they could sell out like a textbook required for an intro-level 200-person lecture-style class. 

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The latest generation of Samsung Galaxy smartphone, Galaxy Watch, and Galaxy Buds are coming in the next few weeks. And, you get a $200 Samsung credit if you reserve all three. We have seen this kind of deal from Samsung before and, for a die-hard Galaxy user, it can be very appealing. 

Although it’s unclear exactly what the newest Samsung Galaxy tech will offer, we’re big fans of the current models for their aesthetics, multitasking capabilities, and more. The preorder page teases “A new way to selfie” and “the next small thing is coming,”  all of which will most likely be unveiled at the company’s Galaxy Unpacked event August 10.

Expect $100 of Samsung credit by reserving the next Galaxy smartphone, $50 by reserving the next Galaxy Watch, and $30 for the next pair of Galaxy Buds if you don’t want to reserve all three. Samsung is also advertising a “commitment-free” reservation—most likely the choice of not having to buy if you’d like to get some more wear out of your current Samsung devices. 

You’ll also unlock the highest online trade-in values for your current Samsung devices and get access to exclusive colors only available on Samsung.com. While it’s certainly unusual to preorder devices before they’re even announced, it could make sense for dedicated Samsung fans. Supply chain issues have made availability uncertain and this is a way to get in early. Plus, if you’re already planning on buying the latest and greatest once it drops, you might as well save some money in the process.   

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Trying to figure out how to sync your Google and Apple calendars used to be an excruciating process. You’d have to make your iCloud calendar public, grab its URL, paste it into Google’s app, change “webcal” to “http,” and a whole bunch of other nonsense. It was like trying to manage a playdate between two cranky preschoolers who have just been introduced to the concept of sharing.

These days, it’s much easier to get Google Calendar and the iOS, iPadOS, and macOS calendar apps to play nicely. The link between the two companies’ scheduling services has matured, though it’s not flawless. There’s still a bit of arbitrary chaos lingering in their relationship.

Now, on Settings > Calendar > Accounts, you’ll see a Gmail entry, as well as what data it’s syncing. If you see Calendars there, you’re all set. If you don’t, tap Gmail and activate the toggle switch next to Calendars (it’ll turn green).

[Related: 5 Google Calendar tricks to ensure you never miss a date]

The steps are similar from a macOS computer: open the Calendar app, click Calendar in the menu bar, and choose Add Account. Pick Google from the list and you’re off to the races.

From the accounts page in the Calendar settings on an iPhone or iPad, tap Fetch New Data. You can’t push updates from your Google account to your Calendar app, but you can tell iOS to fetch them. Your options are automatically, manually, hourly, and every 30 or 15 minutes. Whatever you choose, Apple will grab new data from your Google calendar in the background whenever your phone has enough power and internet connection.

The process is a little easier on a computer: click Calendar in the menu bar, choose Preferences, then Accounts, and select your Google account. Finally, choose an option from the dropdown menu next to Refresh Calendars. If you choose manual refresh, that option is under the View tab in the menu bar. This, however, only syncs one way—from Google to Apple. If you want to go the other way, make sure that when you create an event on your macOS calendar, you use the calendar selection menu (a dropdown menu next to a colored square in the top right corner of the new event dialog box) to select your Google calendar. That’s a taste of the lingering arbitrary chaos we mentioned earlier.

What you need to know about linking Google and Apple Calendars

Now that you’ve got chaos on your mind’s metaphorical tongue, let’s dig in so you know what to expect when you start using the apps in tandem. If you add or edit an event on your iPhone’s Calendar app, it will almost immediately appear on your Google calendar (if you have good power and connection). Make a change on Google Calendar, and it might take five to 15 minutes to show up on iOS.

To edit your calendar on an iPhone or iPad, open the Calendar app, tap Calendars at the bottom of the screen, and hit the info button (an “i” in a circle) next to the one you want to tweak. This, to be fair, is standard and not chaotic at all.

But because the apps are made by two different companies, you may discover strange bugs. For one, we found that if we made an all-day event in the Calendar app, then changed the time in Google Calendar, it inexplicably appeared as four hours earlier than the time we’d chosen. We confirmed our time zones were correct, but asked the apps to always choose New York time—just to be sure. The edited events subsequently appeared nine hours too early. Re-editing the time always fixed the problem, but we haven’t yet figured out a better way. We’ll just have to wait until the Google-Apple relationship completely matures.

The post Syncing Google and Apple calendars is less annoying now appeared first on Popular Science.

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This story has been updated. It was originally published on January 15, 2018.

Just because you prefer the curved aesthetics of the iPhone doesn’t mean you want to go all-in on the Apple software ecosystem. After all, Google and Microsoft make iOS apps that are just as good as Apple’s defaults.

While some apps will require a few extra steps to replace the built-in versions, you can make the switch relatively easily, especially if you already use Google or Microsoft for your email and other cloud services. And although you can always go back to the Apple versions, you may find you simply don’t want to.

How to switch to Microsoft apps

If your computer runs Windows, you own a Surface laptop or tablet, or you simply like Microsoft products, you’ll probably enjoy the company’s iOS apps.

Email, calendar, and contacts

Start with your email client by downloading Outlook for iOS. In addition to email, it can handle your calendars and contacts, and works with both Microsoft and non-Microsoft (like, say, Apple) user accounts. To import any emails, calendars, or contacts into the app, enter your email address when the app prompts you. If you want to add more, tap the menu button in the top left, then the settings button (the cog icon), choose Add account, and then hit Add Email Account.

Calls and messaging

Skype for iOS can take care of all your video calling, voice calling, and messaging needs. However, Apple’s mobile platform doesn’t allow any app to take over SMS duties, so you’re stuck with its Messages app. Still, the Skype app has a clean look and a comprehensive set of features that includes group chats and group video calls. Your only problem might be getting your friends to use it.

Cloud storage

You can also replace Apple’s cloud storage program, iCloud, with Microsoft’s OneDrive. When you install the app for iOS, it will sync files between your phone and any computer—Windows or macOS—that has the OneDrive desktop client installed. OneDrive also backs up all the photos and videos on your phone, though you will have to pay for storage space if you’ve got a lot of files. Prices start at $2 a month.

Digital assistant

When you press and hold your iPhone’s Home or side button, Siri is the digital assistant that will launch. You used to be able to install Microsoft’s Cortana on iOS and launch it manually, but the company has discontinued its AI’s mobile apps.

Office suite

For your work needs, you’ll need to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Swap Apple’s free Pages, Numbers, and KeyNote apps for, respectively, Microsoft’s free Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps.

If you’ve already created documents in the Apple apps, you’ll need to convert them to a format that Microsoft’s versions can understand. To do so, open a file, then tap the menu button (three dots in the top right), choose Export, and pick the appropriate Microsoft format (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint). You can also choose how to export the file, either sending it via email or saving it to your iPhone’s local storage.

Web browser

If you install the Microsoft Edge web browser on your iPhone, you’ll be able to sync bookmarks, passwords, browsing history, and more with an Edge browser you use on a Windows PC. To set Edge as your default browser, go to your Settings app, tap Edge, choose Default Browser App, and make sure the check mark is next to Edge, not Safari. So when you tap on links in other apps, such as Facebook, they’ll automatically open in Safari instead of Edge.

Maps

Your iPhone should be fairly well Microsoft-ized by now, but for the finishing touch, install Microsoft Bing Search, which acts as a stripped-down web browser. We prefer Edge for navigating the internet, but the Bing app includes a basic map-search feature. That’s as close as you’ll get to replacing Apple Maps with a Microsoft product, though, because there’s no Bing Maps app for iOS.

How to switch to Google apps

If you’ve decided to take the Google route rather than the Microsoft one, start with its signature feature: the Google search app. In addition to searching the internet and Google Maps, it provides a feed of news and other information that Google curates based on your previous activity, such as your Chrome browsing history. For a more natural, conversational approach to Google search, install the Google Assistant as well.

Email and contacts

Next, install Gmail for iOS. You can pick up your Gmail activity right where you left off on any of your other devices. Alternatively, connect Gmail to your Apple email address: Tap your avatar in the top right, then Add another account, and choose iCloud from the list.

Calls and messaging

Again, Apple won’t let you replace Messages as the default SMS app. But you can still manually use Google apps for the same purposes. Try Duo for video calling, and Google Chat for messaging, phone calls, and video chats. While Google Chat remains the most comprehensive option, Google continues to add new features to Duo, making it a great alternative to FaceTime.

Cloud storage

To back up your data, look no further than Google Drive, which will sync all your files with computers, other mobile devices, and your Google cloud locker. For larger files, specifically your iPhone photos and videos, Google Photos makes backing up a breeze. When you first install the app, it’ll ask if you want to back up photos and videos. Keep in mind that everything you save on Google Photos also eats away at the free 15GB of storage space you get from the big G when you sign up. If you need more room, you can pay Google for extra space in the cloud, which starts at prices of $3 a month.

Office suite

Google has its own office apps for iOS, in the form of Docs, Sheets, and Slides. They interface seamlessly with the web versions, so you can keep creating and editing from anywhere.

If you’ve already created documents in the equivalent iOS apps, you may need to reformat them to open them with Google’s apps. Launch the appropriate Apple app—Pages, Numbers, or Keynote—and then open the file you want to transfer. Next, tap the menu button (three dots in the top right), choose Export, and select Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. Once you’ve exported the file, the appropriate Google app will be able to open it up.

Web browser

Google Chrome for iOS isn’t as full-featured as it is on non-Apple products, but you can download it and set it as your default browser: go to your Settings app, tap Chrome, choose Default Browser App, and make sure the check mark is next to Chrome, not Safari. Sign into the web browser with your Google account (it should prompt you to do so when you first open the app), and Chrome will carry over all of your bookmarks, passwords, browsing history, and other data from your computer. You can also make sure Gmail links open in Chrome: Open Gmail, tap the menu button (three lines), select Settings, hit Default apps, and check under the Browser heading to ensure the check mark is next to Chrome (tap Chrome’s icon if it’s not).

Maps

Google offers some types of iOS apps that Microsoft doesn’t. For example, you can rely on Google Maps to get from A to B quickly and safely and find places of note nearby. If you use the app online or on an Android device, you know you’ll also get features such as live traffic updates and a list of favorite “starred” locations. If you need live directions, try it in full-screen turn-by-turn navigation mode.

Music and video players

Finally, there’s YouTube Music and Google Play Movies & TV, which can effectively replace everything that iTunes and Apple Music usually do on an iPhone. They let you stream music, films, and television shows and even download content for offline access. What you can’t do is purchase new content right from iOS, so if you’re buying or renting something new, you’ll need to pay up on a computer or other device before the content shows up on your iPhone.

The post iPhone users can also embrace Google and Microsoft apps. Here’s how. appeared first on Popular Science.

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It’s traditional for those celebrating their 10th anniversary to give their partner a gift involving tin or aluminum. And while sleek metals do play a part in many of the brand’s products, modern lifestyle gear designers Nomad has opted to give you the gift of overall savings with 30 percent off its entire site in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

Nomad first entered the phone accessories scene in 2012 with the ChargeCard, a charger the size of a credit card for iPhone 5. You simply had to find a USB port and plug in the compact charger to get juice on-the-go. Although it seems like a silly idea now—there are USB ports lining bar counters and built into nightstands—it was a bit revolutionary in the post-aughts, with the burgeoning company raising more than $150,000 on Kickstarter to bring the charger to life.

Nomad has continued to keep up with technology trends and now sells MagSafe accessories for iPhone, including one of our favorite charging docks, the Base One Max, on sale for $104.95.

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The Base One Max provides up to 15W of fast-charging speed—provided you have a 30W charging brick—to power your post-iPhone 8 model iPhone, AirPods, or Series 4, 5, 6, or 7 Apple Watch at the same time. It also can charge any Qi wireless charging-compatible devices. The iPhone-certified MagSafe platform is made of metal and glass and features a soft-touch, anti-slip rubber base for peace of mind against accidental slips. Those who love haptics and tactility will enjoy the satisfying “thunk” that happens when your iPhone 12 or 13 snaps into place to charge. To quote ourselves, “it looks and feels more like a centerpiece rather than just another accessory.” If MagSafe charging isn’t your jam, we’re partial to Nomad’s AirTag accessories and leather Modern Band for the Apple Watch. 

The sale excludes Paperlike, OrbitKey, Chipolo, Popl, and Moment products featured on the site. If you want genuine Nomad Goods, however, don’t put off your journey to celebratory savings—this deal ends July 15. 

The post Celebrate Nomad’s 10th birthday with 30 percent off its entire site appeared first on Popular Science.

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This story has been updated. It was originally published on July 23, 2018.

And if you don’t have a phone that works with this app, you want to run a more manual transfer, or you find you can’t copy some data, you’ll need to carefully extricate yourself from iOS. We can help guide you through some of those hoops too—it’s all after the first section below.

First, you’ll need to connect the two devices—new and old—with an iPhone cable. If you don’t have one, you can also use WiFi, but you will need a steady connection. Once they’re linked up, you can choose which data you want to transfer and go from there. You can copy over contacts, photos, messages, apps, wallpaper, music, and other settings and data.

Most free apps will move to your new phone via the cable, but purchased apps may not. If you’re having trouble transferring an app, contact its developer to see what they suggest for users who are moving to a new device. Your existing subscriptions will still work, and they’ll be managed as they were on your iPhone—by either the app developer or iTunes, Android says.

One key point is to make sure you turn off iMessages before you put your SIM card in your new Android. All your existing iMessages will transfer as part of the data swap, but new iMessages might not get through if you don’t go to Settings on your iPhone, open Messages, and turn off the toggle switch next to iMessage. To be safe, you should also visit Settings > FaceTime and turn off the FaceTime toggle switch as well, delinking your mobile number from Apple’s main communication services. If you forget, you can do the job remotely at this web page.

If you’re at all worried about losing data this way, don’t be. Even if something goes wrong during the transfer process, the stuff that ends up on your Android phone is a copy—everything will remain on your iPhone until you wipe it clean.

How to switch from iPhone to Android without the app

No matter the reason you’re not using the Switch to Android app, this is the part of the story for you. Heck, it’s probably worth scanning even if you use the app, just to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Transfer Google or Microsoft apps

Switching over will be a lot easier if you already use Google and Microsoft apps on your iPhone. In fact, the same goes for any cloud-based apps, including Netflix and Spotify. Because they store everything online, these apps make it very straightforward to jump between devices and across platforms.

If you lean on Google programs, your new Android device should come with these apps already installed. All you’ll have to do is log in, and your data—your archived Gmail emails, your Google Maps history, your Google Chat messages—will appear.

[Related: 5 uses for Google Maps beyond navigation]

Even if you’re not all-in on Google, Microsoft makes top-quality apps for both iOS and Android. If you rely on Outlook and Office on your iPhone, go ahead and install the same apps on your Android device, log in, and enjoy.

In general, if you plan to switch frequently between Android and iOS devices, stick to platform-agnostic apps that work similarly on both operating systems. They’ll make the process extremely easy. However, if your iPhone relies heavily on Apple’s own apps, the swap will require a substantial amount of work, because Apple doesn’t make many of its programs available on Android. Read on for more information on dealing with this issue.

Move text messages and email

To keep track of your past chats, you’ll want to bring your iMessage and email conversations with you. That’s only partially possible.

The sad fact is, unless you use the Switch to Android app, you cannot transfer your iMessage conversations directly from iOS to Android. Apple doesn’t make an Android version of its Messages app, nor does it allow any other developers to access it, so you’re out of luck. Mac users can check iMessages from their computers, but others won’t be able to access the app after jumping to Android.

So before you leave, make sure to de-link your mobile number from iMessage—assuming you’re taking it with you to your new phone. Go to Settings > Messages and toggle off the iMessage switch. Then visit Settings > FaceTime and turn off the FaceTime toggle switch as well. This removes the association between your phone number and Apple’s proprietary services, which will prevent you from having any problems receiving messages or calls on your new Android handset. If you forget to do this step before you get rid of your iPhone, don’t worry—perform the task remotely at this web page.

Luckily, you can bring any Apple emails stored in iCloud—you just need to import them into Android’s Gmail app. Open Gmail on your new phone, tap the Menu button on the top left, scroll down to Settings, and select Add account > Other. Then enter your iCloud username and password. If your Apple account uses two-step authentication, you’ll first need to create a Gmail-specific password: Go to your AppleID account manager, make sure you’re on the Sign-in and Security page, click App-Specific Passwords, and hit Generate an app-specific password. Now you can either keep using your iCloud email address within the Gmail app, or treat those old messages as an archive and switch to a Gmail address.

Move contacts, calendars, photos, and home videos

It’s relatively easy to transfer some of the items you store in iCloud—such as your contacts, calendars, photos, and videos—to Google’s servers. But you need to start this process before you ditch your iPhone.

First, download the Google Drive for iOS app to your old device. Open it and sign in with your Google account credentials. Next, tap the menu button (three lines) in the top left, followed by Settings and then Backup. Now you’ll see a list of items, including Contacts, Calendar events, and Photos & videos. Select all the entries you want to transfer to your new Android phone.

Next, tap Start Backup and copies of your iPhone data will move to Google Contacts, Google Calendar, and Google Photos. Now you’ll be able to access your files when you sign into your Google account on your new Android phone.

A quick note on photos and videos: These files will transfer to Google Photos, which will count against your cloud storage quota. Google Drive gives you a total of 15GB of free storage space, shared across Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. The latter can really eat up your quota, so if you end up needing more room, you can pay to upgrade. Prices start at $19.99 a year for 100GB.

That said, not all of us choose Apple Music. If you prefer a different app and still want to transfer your MP3s to an Android device, you can do so using a computer with YouTube Music. Open your computer’s web browser, head to YouTube Music’s web portal, click your avatar in the top right portion of the page, and choose Upload music. Now drag tracks from your local storage into your browser window. Your files will sync to the cloud, and you’ll be able to stream or download them through the YouTube Music app on your new Android device.

Movies and TV shows are more complicated, because Apple doesn’t make an iTunes video player for Android. You can watch your existing iTunes videos on other devices, such as a Mac, Apple TV, or iPad, but not on an Android phone or tablet. However, any videos you obtained from non-iTunes sources should be just fine. Streaming apps—like Plex, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and of course Google TV or Google Play Movies & TV—will all work seamlessly across Android and iOS. Just log into your account on your new device and you’ll be good to go.

Move documents and other files

Now that you’ve tackled most of your files, all that’s left to move are documents and other strays. Your method for shifting them to Android will depend on the iOS app where you store them.

For example, cloud-storage programs Google Drive and Dropbox work seamlessly across Android and iOS. We’d recommend you download one of these options to your old phone, use it to save your iPhone files, and then log into the same app on your new device.

[Related: How to save any file to your phone so you have it when you need it]

The post Switching from iPhone to Android has never been easier appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		T-Mobile Magenta MAX		SEE IT	This is a no-brainer for current T-mobile subscribers.
Best no-contract		Straight Talk Wireless		SEE IT	It has some drawbacks, but you can surf contract-free.
Best 5G speed		Verizon Pro		SEE IT	It’s costly, but this plan offers excellent speeds.

The Internet is a basic requirement for existence at this point, but choosing the right hotspot plan can be difficult. But, using public Wi-Fi has its own set of risks, especially if it’s free. Considering you are likely carrying a 5G-capable internet device in your pocket, why not make your own hotspot? And for that, you need the best hotspot plan.

There are more than 500 million public hotspots in the world but more than 7 billion smartphones, and many phones offer tethering options that turn them into makeshift hotpots. Sometimes the best, however, is not necessarily the phone in your pocket. Rather, the best might require a hotspot device to connect, offered by numerous carriers and third-party vendors. We tend to take the internet for granted at this point in its evolution but not all of us are connected all the time. Sometimes we need some 5G or 4G LTE help to get on the web. Especially if we are holed up with too many family members at a remote cabin in Michigan where the Wi-Fi is akin to two soup cans with string. 

A mobile hotspot plan offers you the ability to connect to the internet securely. It’s your own personal ISP. While that’s not necessarily true, as all hotspot plans are through a major (or minor) carrier, it’s your connection that works just for you from wherever. If you travel for work, you probably could use a reliable connectivity source. If you like having the internet out in the woods where there is no Wi-Fi but somehow a 5G signal, a hotspot is your choice. The best hotspot plans ensure you’ll never have to go camping without access to online Mario Kart sessions ever again.

• Best overall: T-Mobile Magenta MAX
• Best no-contract: Straight Talk Wireless
• Best 5G speed: Verizon Pro
• Best international: Solis Global Pay-Per-GB
• Best for streaming: AT&T 100 GB Plan

How we picked the best hotspot plans

Choosing a hot spot plan is different than buying a gadget. There are more variables involved that you have to consider. For instance, your current cellular carrier may offer a substantial discount for hot spot usage, which can seriously skew the numbers. In order to choose the best hot spot plans, we considered the specific needs of various people from casual browsers to serious power users. We relied on a combination of personal experience, editorial reviews, user feedback, company reputation, and spec comparisons. 

We included most of the major carriers, as well as some of the smaller names in the space who offer more niche plans. If you already have an account with a major cellular carrier, we suggest starting there. 

Things to consider before buying a hotspot plan

While you can just go out and buy a hotspot and get your internet, there are some factors to consider before buying. When it comes to a hotspot, the differences between services offered come down to the things you’d expect: price, network, plan details, and so on. Before buying a hotspot plan, you’ll at least want to consider how much data you might be using. Keep your expectations realistic. Even the best hotspot plans can’t typically handle long Netflix marathons.

Carrier

All the major carriers offer hotspot plans. Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T each sell devices and plans. Aside from that, minor carriers like U.S. Cellular, Cricket, and Straight Talk Wireless offer hotspot plans. Then there are virtual carriers that usually piggyback off of the major carriers. Visible is a solid example of one of those carriers. Considering all this, you’ll generally want to dance with the one that brought you. That is, if you already use one of these carriers for your main smartphone, that’s likely your best bet.

Price

Prices can be all over the place for hotspot plans. Either there is a flat monthly fee or a per GB usage fee. This shouldn’t be the factor that totally influences your decision, as each pricing stage offers something different. Some of the pay-per-GB plans, for instance, are great for international travel. Verizon offers a discount on hotspot plans if you already have a Verizon phone. You can expect to pay on average around $40-$60 a month for most hotspot plans. This is cheaper than most ISP monthly costs.

Data plan

Most hotspot plans do not offer unlimited data. If you are expecting your phone carrier, with whom you may have unlimited data, to have a hotspot plan without a data cap you may be disappointed. Regardless, most hotspot data plans offer enough GB of data to cover whatever you are working on. Pay attention to what is offered by your current phone carrier, you may get a good deal on hotspot data plans. Additionally, check what happens when you exceed your data cap. Does it cut off? Are there additional charges or slower speeds? Each carrier handles overages a bit differently and it can get very costly if you’re not careful.

Network size

Unlike the standard internet delivered through Wi-Fi, the signal coming through hotspots uses cellular signals. The best you can hope for is a good 5G signal if you are in a 5G area. More often than not you’ll get 4G LTE or, at worst, 3G. So you’ll want to check if the carrier supporting the hotspot is loaded with 5G towers. All the major carriers are expanding their 5G networks and it’s debatable who has the widest coverage. You’ll want to check coverage maps in relation to where you are going to need a hotspot in order to determine the largest, best network. 

Cell or mobile

Do you want to use your cellular device as a hotspot or do you want to purchase a dedicated hotspot device? That’s the question you’ll have to answer before choosing a hotspot plan. If you have very little to do besides uploading a few files from your work laptop here and there, or answering some email, your smartphone should do the trick. If you are planning on sitting down and pumping out Powerpoint presentations for eight hours from a lawn chair on the beach, then you might want a dedicated device.

The best hotspot plans: Reviews & Recommendations

Best overall: T-Mobile Magenta MAX

t-mobile

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The top hotspot plan on most lists, the T-Mobile Magenta MAX plan is a phone plan with a hotspot plan built in. 

Specs

• 40 GB Premium data cap
• Smartphone hotspot
• 5G Unlimited data

Pros

• Plenty of data
• One plan for phone and hotspot
• Large 5G network

Cons

• 5G speeds can be slow
• Price is on the high end

If you already have T-Mobile or are thinking of switching, the $85 T-Mobile Magenta MAX plan is for you. The bonus with this plan is not just that it offers you a hotspot without another device but that it’s an unlimited data plan. The catch is that after you use 40 GB of hotspot data, it reverts to 3G speeds for whatever you use after (per month). 

As long as you have a limited amount of devices connected to your hotspot (say, like one or two) then even 3G speeds can give you up to 3 Mbps. That’s not terrible for doing basic tasks. While the plan is meant to be used through your phone, you can still use a hotspot device instead. Depending on the model phone you have, this might be a good tack to take. Some models get mighty hot when pulling double duty. Regardless, the T-Mobile Magenta MAX plan offers you a hotspot option without necessarily having to buy another device. 

Best no-contract: Straight Talk Wireless

Straight Talk

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Of all the ancillary carriers out there, Straight Talk offers one of the more compatible hotspot plans.

Specs:

• No contract
• Starts at $15/month
• 4G LTE data

Pros: 

• Good download/upload speeds
• No contract, no cancel fee
• GB pricing better the more you purchase

Cons

• No 5G service
• Limited network size

Straight Talk Wireless is known for its pay-as-you-go plans. If you don’t want a contract then this is the hotspot plan you are looking for. Plans range from $15/month for 2 GB of data to $75/month for 20 GB of data. Either plan delivers a moderate 31.1 Mbps download and 15.6 Mbps upload speeds. That’s not too shabby and comparable to some basic Wi-Fi services. The catch is that it’s all delivered across a 4G LTE network, likely piggybacking off a larger carrier’s tower. 

With a Straight Talk Wireless hotspot device, you can connect up to 10 devices at a time. This is probably the way to go here, as with 4G LTE you probably don’t want to burden your phone with being the community hotspot. The no-contract deal is a handy thing to have (or not have), especially when you only need to use a hotspot for a limited time. Straight Talk Wireless isn’t the only carrier out there to offer a no-contract hotspot plan, but it has some of the best plan options. 

Best 5G speed: Verizon Pro

Verizon

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Verizon Pro is another hotspot plan from another major carrier. It makes sense if you already use Verizon.

Specs

• 100 GB of Premium data
• 5G/4G LTE speeds
• Smartphone hotspot

Pros: 

• Discount with a phone plan
• 5G millimeter-wave compatibility

Cons:

• 100GB is all you get

With the Verizon Pro hotspot plan, once you go over 100 GB of data, you get whacked down to a meager 600 Kbps. That’s weak sauce but at least there are no extra charges for going over. The Verizon Pro plan offers a $30 discount down to $60 if you already have a Verizon phone plan. That’s not too shabby for 100 GB of data. Verizon has one of the fastest 5G networks out there, utilizing the millimeter-wave 5G in limited areas, mid-band 5G in others. Like the other major carriers, Verizon is working on expanding that network. 

If you use a hotspot a lot, then you’ll want a plan that takes advantage of those 5G speeds where available. While with this plan you can use your smartphone as a hotspot, Verizon’s Jetpack device has long been a reliable hotspot. Many businesses use the Jetpack for connectivity, which means its been field-tested plenty. You know what you are getting with Verizon, and the Verizon Pro hotspot plan takes full advantage of the growing 5G service network.

Best international: Solis Global Pay-Per-GB

support.skyroam

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Solis Global Pay-Per-GB hotspot plan can be used almost anywhere around the world.

Specs

• 1 GB data cap
• $12/GB
• International use

Pros

• Easy pricing
• Network in 135+ countries
• No contracts

Cons 

• Speeds dependent on geography
• Have to purchase 1 GB at a time

With the Solis Global Pay-Per-GB Subscription, getting internet access from anywhere in the world is a relatively simple process. It should be noted that there are two ways to get the internet when you are traveling out of the country. The first is to buy a phone in your host country, with a new SIM. The second is to bring an international hotspot. There is a third option, but if you use your phone for the internet outside of the country, your phone bill would make Elon Musk do a spit take. 

If you aren’t sure how much data you are going to use, and need a fairly cheap option then this is it. At $12 a GB of data using the Solis Lite hotspot, you know what you are getting. Need another gigabyte? That’ll be another $12. There is no bulk pricing plan; it’s just the single plan. Of course, if you do use the Solis Global Pay-Per-GB Subscription hotspot plan, then you are at the speed whims of your host country’s cell towers. This is solid as a backup plan if you get into a real jam overseas.

Best for streaming: AT&T 100 GB Plan

att

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The AT&T 100 GB plan is one of several hotspot plans offered by AT&T, one of the major carriers.

Specs 

• 100 GB Data
• 5G/4G LTE Speeds
• Unlimited data options

Pros 

• Unlimited plan comes with Hulu & HBO Max
• Works with Netgear hotspot devices
• 100 GB for $55

Cons 

• Plan has to be ordered in store
• Works best for existing customers

If you are an existing customer with AT&T then you really don’t need to shop around. The AT&T 100 GB hotspot plan is one of several prepaid and postpaid hotspot plans offered by AT&T. If that’s too much data, there is a 25 GB plan for $50 per month or a 40 GB plan for $75. If it’s not enough data, there is a postpaid $75 per month unlimited plan that allocates 15 GB for hotspots, while the $85 unlimited elite plan allocates 40 GB. The unlimited plans are phone plans, while the prepaid plans are best for mobile hotspots or tablets.

The best hotspot plan is the 100 GB plan for $55 a month. Comparable to the Verizon Pro hotspot plan, that’s a good deal for 100 GB. This is a good amount of data if you are planning on spending your hotspot time streaming movies. While only the unlimited plans come with Hulu and HBO Max, you probably already subscribe to those. Speeds vary as AT&T is still working on expanding its 5G network, but you’ll at least get 4G LTE in most areas.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best hotspot plans

One of the hardest things about shopping for the best hotspot plan is deciding whether or not you want to switch carriers. Chances are, you are going to stick with whatever carrier you already use and piggyback a hotspot plan onto your existing phone plan. This is the easiest solution. If you do find yourself in the market for a new phone carrier, or plan to use a hotspot enough that it could stand to have its own dedicated line, then shopping around can’t hurt. The best hotspot plan is the one that works best for your needs—whether those be price, data, speed, or some combination—and there is a plan somewhere that will work perfectly. 

The post Best hotspot plans of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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There’s an iconic scene in Braveheart where William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson, repeatedly orders his army of Scots to “hold… hold… hold!” in the face of an English cavalry charge, and I want you to keep that in mind for the next few minutes as I talk about iPhones.

Now, the stakes—literally—are not as high today as they were when Wallace’s infantry raised sharpened wooden poles at the last moment, obliterating the rushing horsemen. But those three words will truly help you as I walk through how to select and move multiple apps at once on your iPhone’s home screen.

Now, using any finger other than the one keeping pressure on that first app you touched, start tapping the icons you want to move. They’ll start to stack up, along with a number that shows how many apps you’ve grouped together. When you’ve grabbed everything you want, just drag the pile to another part of the home page, a folder, or another home page entirely, and let go. The apps will fall into place right there, in the order you selected them.

That’s all there is to it, but there are some foibles that can make the process a little awkward if you’re using it for the first time.

Move the app stack to an empty part of the screen

Before you start grouping apps, slide the first one to an empty part of the screen. Not only will this eliminate the need for dexterous digit gymnastics, but it will help you avoid accidentally creating an app folder as the unselected apps slide left. If they slide under your stalwart fingertip, iOS will think you’re trying to create a folder and open one up. If that happens, just drag your app hoard away from the folder window and it’ll disappear.

[Related: Your iPhone’s home screen can hold more than just apps]

You can stack apps that are in folders

If you want to pull an app out of a folder and stick it in your ever-growing pile, just use your tapping finger to open the folder and touch the icon you want. Tap outside the folder to close it when you’re done. You can’t, however, stack folders.

Tap strategically, if you want

Some people are happy to let apps fall where they may, building an iPhone organizational scheme that only makes sense to them. Others strategize. If you’re in the latter group, and have a plan for how you want your apps to end up, all you have to do is make sure you long-press on the first one first, then tap them in the order you want them listed. So if you want to keep your home screen in alphabetical order, for example, tap App Store, then Bumble, Chrome, and so on until you’ve got everything under your finger. Sterling work, friend.

The post How to grab and move multiple iPhone apps at once appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

This story has been updated. It was originally published on July 15, 2020.

Lock screen settings for iOS

By default, Apple lets you launch its smart assistant straight from the lock screen with a “Hey Siri” command. That’s fine if you want to check the weather or look something up on Wikipedia without unlocking your phone, but it won’t answer most personal questions about messages, emails, and other private stuff until you’ve passed through security.

Even without Siri, you can give strangers who find your phone a chance to return it. Head to the Health app that comes as part of iOS, tap your user avatar (top right), then Medical ID, and Edit. There, you can choose someone in your address book as an emergency contact and add some information about yourself (like your allergies and age). To make this available on the lock screen to other people in an emergency, make sure the Show When Locked option at the bottom is set to Enabled.

[Related: Here’s your checklist for maximum smartphone security]

Anyone can launch a phone’s camera from the lock screen, too, with just a swipe to the left. It’s not possible to go back through old photos, but someone could take new pictures. The only way to prevent this is to disable the camera completely, via Screen Time in Settings: Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions, then turn the toggle switch on and disable the camera from the Allowed Apps list. Doing so, however, means you won’t be able to use the camera at all until you enable it again, so it’s not a great solution.

There are a few more settings to be aware of, which you’ll find under the Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) menu in Settings. From there you can enable or disable lock screen access to the Today View (which includes news summaries and weather reports), notifications, Siri, Apple Wallet, smart home control, and the Reply with Message and Return Missed Calls features. Those last two are particularly important, as enabling them could let anyone instantly reply to a message or call someone back without unlocking your iPhone.

Lock screen settings for Android

The options are pretty similar over on Google-powered phones, but with so many versions of Android around, it’s not as easy to provide definitive instructions. The following tips apply to the latest stock version of Android 12, and if you have something different, you should be able to adapt them to your own phone without too much trouble.

By default, the Android lock screen doesn’t let you access any kind of private information unless it’s on your emergency information card (more on that later). While you can launch the Google Assistant, it won’t provide any answers until you unlock your phone with a PIN code, fingerprint, face scan, or whatever other method you’ve set up. Android will let you get past your lock screen with voice alone, but it must be your voice. To enable this ability, go to Apps in Settings and tap Assistant, Say “Hey Google,” and Hey Google to set up voice match.

You can launch the camera from the lock screen without any verification by simply double-pressing the power button, though, as with iOS, you won’t be able to enter the photo and video library. To make sure quick camera access is enabled, go to System, Gestures, and Quickly open camera from the settings page.

One way you can tweak your lock screen privacy is by limiting how much information notifications show before you unlock your phone. If you don’t want anyone to see potentially revealing details, go to Settings, choose Notifications. Use the Sensitive notifications toggle switch to determine whether or not personal information (such as the content of text messages) shows up on the lock screen, and the Notifications on lock screen setting to choose whether or not notifications display at all. You can also disable notifications on an app-by-app basis from the main Apps screen.

Finally, Android has a way to leave some contact information on the lock screen for those who might find your phone and want to return it. Launch the built-in Safety app (download it here if you don’t have it already), and follow the prompts to add an emergency contact or two and any medical information you feel is pertinent. Other people will be able to call these contacts and view this information without unlocking your phone, which could save your life in an emergency.

The post Smartphone security starts with the lock screen. Here’s how to protect it. appeared first on Popular Science.

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This story has been updated. It was originally published on June 22, 2020.

From your phone

Yes, that pocketable device you use to take photos, text your friends and listen to music can also make phone calls—who knew? Just in case you’ve never opened it, the app you want is called Phone on both Android and iOS devices.

In both major mobile operating systems, the Phone apps have a Favorites tab where you can add frequently contacted friends and family you contact for easy access. Just tap Add (Android) or the plus icon (iOS) to pick someone out of your contact list and put them in this exclusive club. On Android, these favorites will also appear when you long-press the Phone app icon.

Android being Android, Google’s OS allows you to add shortcuts for any contact to the home screen. Long press on a blank area of the Android home screen, then choose Widgets and Direct dial under Contacts. Drag the widget into place, pick your contact, and you’ve got a one-tap link to place a call to that person.

Using a voice command is another option: Say “Hey Google, call…” or “Hey Siri, call…” followed by the name of a contact to connect to their line. You will, however, need to ensure that your phone’s assistant is automatically listening for commands. From Android’s settings, go to Apps, Assistant, and then Say “Hey Google”. From the iOS Settings, go to Siri & Search and then Listen for “Hey Siri”. Alternatively, you can activate the assistant with a long press on the side button (on iOS), or a swipe up from the bottom corner of the home screen (on Android).

A whole host of other apps will place audio calls for you too. Take your pick from Skype, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, FaceTime (iOS only), or Google Duo You might find the social app you use most often has a phone call feature you never knew about.

From your computer

If you’re using a Mac and an iPhone, you can easily use your computer to make calls from the same Apple ID you use on mobile—just open the macOS FaceTime app and sign in. From there, click FaceTime, then Preferences to configure how your devices will work together. As long as your devices are on the same WiFi network, you can have calls ring on your Mac and your iPhone at the same time, for example.

You can have a similar sort of synchronicity if you have a Windows computer and an Android phone. Launch the Your Phone app on Windows (search for it in the taskbar) and follow the instructions to connect your devices. You’ll then be able to make and take calls through your phone from the Windows desktop.

If you’re using Android with macOS, or an iPhone with Windows, you can’t as yet set up anything quite so interconnected. But you can still place calls on some of the apps mentioned above. Skype, for example, is a great option for making calls—you can ring other computers and mobiles for free, and reach actual landlines and cell phone numbers for a small fee.

[Related: Get a second phone number without buying a whole new line]

Facebook Messenger on the web is another alternative, allowing you to call anyone in your contacts via audio or video. Just search for the person you want to speak to using the box on the left, then click the phone icon or video camera icon on the right. Note that this places calls to the Messenger app on your contact’s phone or computer, rather than calling their mobile number directly.

We’ve already mentioned Google Duo as a mobile app, but you can also fire it up on the web from your computer. To call someone, click on their name, followed by Voice call. The person you’re calling will need to have Google Duo installed on their phone, but the call itself will be free.

KeKu, meanwhile, is a similar service to Skype. It works through any web browser, and while it’ll set you back $10 a month, this includes unlimited calls to landlines and cellphones in the US. International calls can be placed as well, for a small additional fee.

From your smart speaker

For the ultimate convenience, you can make calls through your smart speaker while reclining on the couch or cooking your evening meal. To set this up on Amazon Echo speakers, you’ll need to open the Alexa app for Android or iOS on your phone, then open the Communicate tab.

Work through the steps to set up calling from your Echo—you’ll need to verify your cell number, give Amazon permission to sync your contacts, and confirm the name you want to appear on the recipient’s device when you ring up.

With that done, it’s just a question of saying “Alexa, call…” followed by the name of the person you want to speak to. You can call landlines and cell phones in the US for free, and you can specify “mobile” or “home phone” if needed in the voice command. You can also list a series of digits to call rather than saying a name.

If you’re using Google Nest smart speakers, you’ll first need to open the Google Home app for Android or iOS. Tap your avatar (top right), then choose Manage your Google account, People & sharing, and Contact info from your devices. Make sure you’re syncing the contacts from your phone.

Back on the front page of the Google Home app, tap Settings, then Voice and Video calls, and Mobile calling. Here you can decide whether the people you’re calling can see your mobile number or not—if you don’t have your number showing, the person at the other end will see “private” or “anonymous.”

After that’s done, you can call from any speaker that’s registered in the Google Home app. Just say “Hey Google, call…” followed by a name from your contacts. Depending on whether you assigned these labels in the contact card or not, you can also specify where to reach the person you want to talk to by specifying “mobile” or “home.” As with Echo devices, calls to landline and cell numbers in the US are free.

The post How to make voice calls from any device appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

This story has been updated. It was originally published on August 8, 2019.

Use in-app features

Instagram, for example, plays well with multiple accounts and lets you manage up to five from the same device. To add a new account, open the profile tab, tap the profile name in the top left, hit Add account, and select Create new account to start fresh or Log into existing account to link one that’s already out there.

Once you’ve added more accounts, switching between them is as easy as tapping the profile name and choosing an account from the dropdown list. You can also just double tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner of your screen. All your posts, feeds and stories are kept separate between each account.

[Related: The simplest ways to post to all your social media accounts at once]

Twitter also makes multiple-account management easy. Tap your avatar, then the arrow (Android) or icon that looks like two overlapping squares with a human silhouette inside the top one (iOS) next to it. A menu will appear, and you can choose between Create a new account or Add an existing account. You can switch between each one by tapping the same icon and selecting which one you want to use.

The Facebook app only lets you jump between your main account and the pages you run, but Facebook Messenger supports multiple accounts. Tap your avatar (top left), then Switch account, and you’ll be able to log into a different account or switch to one you’ve already added. Choose Add account or Create new account to link a fresh one.

Email clients are built with multiple accounts in mind, so if all you want to do is check messages from multiple addresses, your favorite email app should have you covered. In Gmail, for example, tap on your avatar (top right) to switch between accounts or add a new one to the list.

If the app you’re using has an account-switching option of its own, this is the best way to go. If not, there are other options.

On Gmail, you can switch accounts by tapping the avatar icon and choosing from the emerging list. The inbox view will automatically change. Google Calendar, meanwhile, will show you all events from linked accounts on the same calendar—tap the menu button (three lines, top left) to choose which calendars are visible and which aren’t. If you have a cluttered schedule, go to Settings to change color labels, so you can easily see which events belong to which calendar. On YouTube, tap the avatar icon (top right) to switch between accounts and the playlists, recommendations, and viewing history associated with each one.

There’s another option in Android, which is to set up two completely different user profiles and link them to separate Google accounts—a bit like having separate logins for different members of the family on a communal laptop. In this case, the two profiles are kept completely separate, so each has its own apps, settings, layouts, home screen wallpaper, etc.

To add a second Google account, open Settings and pick System, followed by Multiple users. You’ll be able to switch accounts by tapping your avatar on the Quick Settings screen (swipe down from the top of your home screen with two fingers to open it).

This might sound like the perfect way to balance your work and personal lives, for example, but it may be overkill if you just want to jump between two Instagram accounts. After all, running multiple users on Android has a high price in terms of system resources—you might find your phone is more sluggish and the battery drains faster. You can always give this method a trial run if you think it might work for you, and reverse it if it doesn’t.

Apple, on the other hand, only lets you have one Apple ID per device, syncing everything from messages to music. But you can still manage multiple Google accounts in Google’s own apps, as we’ve already described—just head to Gmail for iOS, tap your avatar (top right), then choose Add another account. Once added, it’ll become available in Google’s other apps on iOS, too.

Some custom versions of Android go further. A lot of Samsung’s handheld devices have a feature called Dual Messenger, which lets you run more than one instance of Facebook, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Skype, Viber, and Telegram at a time. Activate it from Settings by choosing Advanced features and Dual Messenger, then just enable the apps you want to use two accounts with.

The Dual Messenger list only shows installed apps, so you’ll need to actually get them on your phone first. After that, the duplicates of your chosen apps will show up with a small chain icon on your home screen and let you log in with a separate account when you open them.

[Related: 10 hidden tricks to try on your Android phone]

The OxygenOS that OnePlus builds on top of Android offers a similar feature called Parallel Apps, as long as you’re using a OnePlus 3 from 2015 or a newer phone. You can find it by choosing Utilities, then Parallel Apps, from Settings. The feature supports apps including Snapchat, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, and WhatsApp, and they all appear on the Parallel Apps list if you’ve got them installed. As on Samsung devices, cloned versions of your chosen apps will subsequently appear in your app drawer, ready for you to log in with another account. Not all apps support this feature natively, but the internet has found workarounds to make it compatible with any app.

Use third-party tools

If the app you want to use multiple accounts with doesn’t include an account-switcher of its own, and you can’t find the functionality you need in your phone’s operating system, you can enlist the help of a third-party app to get separate accounts running in tandem.

One of the best in the business is Parallel Space for Android (free or $2 without ads). Once you’ve got the app installed, just choose which of your apps you want cloned, and Parallel Space will take care of the rest—it’s as easy as that.

The cloned apps run inside Parallel Space, though, so you’ll have to go into it to access the duplicates. This kind of cloning can take its toll on your phone’s performance and battery life, but you may consider the trade-off worth it—the hit you’ll take will vary depending on your device.

App Cloner is an even better option for Android, because it makes a genuine duplicate of any app you want cloned. But there’s a caveat—it’s been booted from the Google Play Store for unspecified policy violations. So if you want to install it, you’ll have to do so by going directly to the app’s homepage in your mobile browser.

Installing apps from outside the Google Play Store isn’t something we’d usually recommend, but App Cloner has hundreds of thousands of satisfied users. You can read the full story of its Play Store expulsion and come to your own conclusions—but if you do decide to install it, you do so at your own risk. The app is free to use, but extra features like the ability to clone more apps and improved notification options are available for a $1.50 upgrade.

Your options are more limited in iOS, just because of the tighter control Apple exerts over apps. Cloning apps require some pretty root-level interactions with a phone’s operating system, and that’s just not possible if you’re using an iPhone.

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The European Union has just decreed that all new smartphones and other similar electronic devices sold within its 27 member countries must have a USB-C charging port by fall of 2024. This is to allow customers to be able to charge all their devices with the one charger type, and so effectively bans Apple’s Lightning port on any new models released beginning in that time frame. Although the ruling only applies in the EU, it’s likely to affect devices globally. 

While this decision is being portrayed as the EU regulating smartphones, the new ruling covers a much wider range of “small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.” Any cell phone, tablet, e-reader, earbuds, digital camera, headphones, headset, handheld video game console, or portable speaker that has a rechargeable battery that’s charged over a wire (rather than, say, a dedicated charging dock or wirelessly) will have to have a USB-C port, regardless of the manufacturer. The ruling also applies to laptops, though manufacturers have an additional 40 months to meet the requirements. 

Technically, Apple doesn’t have to remove the Lightning port from forthcoming iPhones—it just has to add a USB-C port to any that are released after 2024. However, the chance that the design-focused company will choose to add a second port to its sleek smartphone is basically zero. A more likely option that has been touted for a while is that Apple will go fully wireless with the iPhone. If it’s not charged over a cable, it doesn’t need a USB-C port. 

[Related: The EU wants everyone to use USB-C chargers—including Apple]

Bloomberg reported recently that Apple has been testing USB-C iPhones, though similar rumors have also been floating around for a few years. It’s worth noting that the iPhone is an outlier in Apple’s lineup: the iPads Pro, Air, and Mini, MacBooks Air and Pro, and even some Beats headphones are all charged over USB-C. (Apple boasts of its versatility on the iPad Mini marketing page!) Apple even had a hand in designing USB-C as part of the USB Implementers Forum, so it isn’t as if the company has entirely avoided the connector. Now, the EU is just forcing it to fully embrace it.

The EU has a patchy history of regulation in this area. In 2009, it similarly tried to force manufacturers to use the Micro-USB connector. However, because of the way the law was written, Apple was able to meet the requirements by offering a Micro-USB-to-30-pin adapter for around $15. There’s no such loop hole on offer this time. 

Fortunately, the law will only apply to new products brought to market after the law goes into effect. This will likely be useful to Apple considering how they handle the previous year’s models: It discounts them and sells them as its mid-tier and entry-level options. Right now, you can buy the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro (released in 2021), the iPhone 12 (released in 2020), and the iPhone 11 (released in 2019). If we presume the first iPhone released under this law will be the iPhone 16 (assuming that’s indeed what it’s called), the iPhone 15 and 14 can still be sold with Lightning ports.

The EU is playing this as a big win for consumers. Alex Agius Saliba, the EU Parliament’s rapporteur, said: “Today we have made the common charger a reality in Europe! European consumers were frustrated long [sic] with multiple chargers piling up with every new device.” Unfortunately, in reality, the situation could be less clear cut. 

USB-C standards are widely regarded as a “total mess.” Although all devices use the same ports, they don’t always allow for the same power or data transfer speeds. In terms of those data transfer speeds, some USB-C cables offer 5 Gbps while others offer 20 Gbps. The only way to tell the difference is to check the packaging and see what the so-called SuperSpeed USB rating is. Similarly, different USB-C wall plugs have different wattages. The 10W plug for a smartphone might technically connect to a 16” MacBook Pro (which ships with a 140W charger), but it often can’t provide enough power to keep the battery charged while it’s in use. 

The EU has also declared that “the charging speed is also harmonized for devices that support fast charging, allowing users to charge their devices at the same speed with any compatible charger.” The reality may be that instead of having a drawer filled with different chargers, many consumers will end up with a drawer filled with similar looking chargers—and devices that never charge as fast as they could. 

The post What the EU’s ruling on USB-C chargers could mean for devices everywhere appeared first on Popular Science.

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At its WWDC 2022 keynote presentation on Monday, June 6, Apple unveiled its next-generation M2 chipset, which will power a new wave of Mac laptops and desktops. The new chip promises performance improvements over the M1, Apple’s original first-party processor, which we’ll get to see in a redesigned MacBook Air and an updated version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro coming in July. 

As expected, hardware was a secondary concern at WWDC, as Apple also announced the new versions of its various operating systems for its many devices. Coming this fall, the various software updates included iOS 16 for iPhones, macOS Ventura, iPad OS 16, and watchOS 9. Though there’s plenty of overlap, each system will have distinctive new features, including customization features for the iPhone lock screen, revamped multitasking on iPads, and more robust health tracking in Apple Watch. It was an action-packed event. Here’s a quick rundown of the highlights.

M2 Apple Silicon

Apple unveils next-generation M series chip

In the realm of “new stuff,” Apple’s M2 chip made its debut, promising some big performance gains over the current M1 Macs and even bigger ones over older Intel-based Macs. The new M2 chip is constructed using a second-generation 5-nanometer process, and consists of over 20 billion transistors—25-percent more than the original M1. The additional transistors result in an 18-percent faster CPU, 35 percent faster GPU, and a 40-percent faster Neural Engine.

Like the M1, the M2 is an 8-core processor with four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. It features 50 percent more memory bandwidth than the M1 and up to 24GB of fast unified memory.

The M2 gets an even bigger bump in the graphics department. The new 10-core GPU is bigger than the 8-core design of the M1. That allows it to hit 25-percent higher graphics performance benchmarks than an M1 at the same power level, and up to 35-percent higher performance at max power. The M2 also introduces an updated media engine that supports 8K H.264 and HEVC video, allowing you to play multiple streams of 4K and 8K video.

Presumably, we’ll see M2 make its way into all of Apple’s computers (and some iPads) over the next few years. The new wave begins in July, when Apple launches the first two M2 laptops, including the newly designed MacBook Air, which ditches the line’s signature tapered “wedge” design for the first time since the original Air launched in 2008.

MacBook Air gets a big redesign

The 2022 MacBook Air is the signature machine showcasing the M2 chip at launch. As with every Air, the new is set to deliver outstanding performance in a svelte package, albeit a more evenly shaped one. The new MacBook Air is 11.3mm thick, weighs 2.7 pounds, and features an all-aluminum unibody enclosure. According to Apple, that’s a 20-percent reduction in “overall volume” from the current M1 MacBook Air. With a smaller body, it should be no surprise that the port situation remains essentialist, with the same two Thunderbolt ports and a 3.5mm audio jack with support for high-impedance headphones. That means no HDMI port or SD card reader, so you’ll have to rely on a USB hub for additional connectivity.

That said, the new Air will feature a slightly larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display—up from 13.3 inches on the M1 Air—with a notably enhanced top brightness of 500 nits. Like the newer MacBook Pro, the new MacBook Air features a display notch, which makes room for a long-awaited 1080p FaceTime HD camera. The MacBook Air will be available in four colors, including Midnight and Starlight, and will feature the same MagSafe that was reintroduced on the MacBook Pro.

There’s also a “new” 13-inch MacBook Pro 

Speaking of the MacBook Pro, Apple will also bring the M2 to the entry-level 13-inch form factor, which offers a big performance bump, but not the extra ports and improvements found in last year’s outstanding M1 Pro and M1 Max redesigns. (Touch Bar fans, this one’s for you.)

While the design remains the same, users will see an improvement in performance when using graphic-intensive apps thanks to its active cooling system. For example, editing RAW images in Affinity Photo can be up to 40-percent faster thanks to the M2’s 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The 13-inch MacBook Pro also promises up to 20 hours of battery life for video playback.

Those looking for a redesign can find it in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which feature more powerful specs (and heftier prices) in addition to M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. By keeping the 13-inch MacBook Pro around, Apple is offering a much more affordable entry into the pro category, while continuing to ditch Intel for its in-house silicon.

The MacBook Air with M2 chip will start at $1,199, while the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 will start at $1,299. Apple didn’t reveal an exact launch for the MacBook Air but did say it’ll be available in July.

iOS 16

Apple brings widgets and customization to the lock screen

In iOS 16, Apple has redesigned the lock screen to bring you more information at a glance. You will be able to customize what you can see before unlocking your phone beyond setting a photo, adding widgets like your calendar, the current forecast, and Apple-Watch-style activity rings. You’ll also be able to change the font and color of the time, and add filters to the entire lock screen for some added style. Apple said you can create multiple lock screens, which you swipe through, similar to changing watch faces on Apple Watch. A new Photo Shuffle feature will let you choose a set of photos that will automatically change throughout the day.

You’ll also see a “Live Activities” feature on the lock screen, which effectively combines a widget and a notification for frequently updating events. For example, if you’re a sports fan, a notification for a game you’re following will update your lock screen and bring you the latest score and other relevant updates. Developers can create custom Live Activities, so you can check the status of a delivery or shipment without leaving your lock screen.

Messages will get an edit function

Messages are also getting a few new user-requested features. You’ll be able to edit messages, cancel texts with an “undo send” feature, and mark them as unread. The edit function will allow you to edit typos, while undo will let you unsend a message after sending for up to 15 minutes after sending a given message. These additions give you a lot more editing power and should make texting feel a little more like using chat apps, such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

Apple Wallet, CarPlay, and more

There are a ton of miscellaneous new features coming to iOS 16, including changes to Focus, a shared photo library for shared iCloud accounts, SharePlay for Messages, and Live Text support in videos. 

Apple Wallet will add a “pay later” function that will allow users to break up Apple Pay purchases into four installments over a set period without interest charges. Once you place an order, Apple Wallet will help you track your orders so that you can receive detailed information throughout your package’s journey to your doorstep.

Finally, CarPlay will get its most significant update yet, setting the stage for deep integrations with dashboard systems in new cars. You’ll be able to perform actions like changing the temperature, controlling the radio, and seeing deeper vehicle data, including your current speed, fuel level, and fuel economy. Though iOS 16 will include some of this CarPlay functionality, Apple said automakers like Ford, Volvo, and Jaguar won’t announce new vehicles that support the system until late 2023.

watchOS 9

Apple Watch adds new health features

Apple also unveiled watchOS 9, which adds four new watch faces, workout updates, and deeper integration with Apple Fitness+. If you’re a runner, watchOS 9 will introduce more insights into how efficiently you run. For example, you’ll be able to track your stride length, ground contact time, and vertical oscillation, giving you valuable data whether you’re a casual runner or training for a marathon. 

Apple will also add an FDA-cleared atrial fibrillation (AFib) history feature, which will provide those who have been diagnosed with AFib with deeper insights into their condition. The hope is that this information will allow people to make lifestyle changes that can potentially improve their condition.

WatchOS 9 will also add deeper sleep insights. By tapping into Apple Watch’s accelerometer and heart rate sensor, the wearable will detect when you’re in REM, Core, or Deep sleep—metrics that better help you understand your sleep quality.

Perhaps the most significant addition in watchOS 9 is the ability to manage and track your medications, vitamins, and supplements. The feature will allow you to create a medications list, set up schedules and reminders, and view information about your medication in the Health app. You can also receive an alert if there are potential critical interactions with medications you’re already taking.

iPadOS 16

The iPad introduces multitasking upgrades (and a weather app)

The most significant feature coming to iPadOS is called Stage Manager (also available in macOS Ventura), which organizes apps and windows into a pane on the left side of the display. By default, the apps and windows are arranged in order of recency, but you can also group apps together to quickly access them, like if you need Safari and Notes to plan for a meal. You can now open apps as overlapping windows and resize them, bringing them more in line with the conventional macOS experience.

Stage Manager also brings full external display support in up to 6K resolution and will allow users to run four apps on their iPad Pro, as well as four apps on the external display. These features are only available on iPad Pro and 2022 iPad Air with an M1 chip.

Collaborate with the new FreeForm app

Additionally, iPadOS 16 will introduce Freeform, a collaboration app that offers a scalable whiteboard, so there are no limits on the page size or layout. You’ll be able to see the updates people have made and even hop on FaceTime to discuss ideas. The new Freeform app brings to mind Figma’s FigJam app, which offers a similar collaboration tool.

Other additions coming to iPadOS 16 include Apple’s Weather app and “Reference Mode,” a color calibration tool for creatives that allows the iPad Pro and Liquid Retina XDR display to match the color requirements in workflows like review and approve, color grading, and compositing. This will ensure that photo and video editors get consistent, color-accurate edits across their projects, making the iPad Pro an even more powerful tool for creatives.

macOS Ventura

Expanded continuity comes to Mac

Ventura, the next big update for macOS, offers one of the most exciting features of the day. Continuity Camera will allow users to turn their iPhone into a webcam. Macs will automatically recognize your iPhone when it’s nearby and use it for video conferencing. You’ll be able to take advantage of modern iPhone camera features like Center Stage, which automatically adjusts the camera’s framing to center on you, and the background-blurring Portrait mode.

Ventura also brings updates to some of Apple’s core apps, including Safari. In Ventura, you’ll be able to share tab groups with friends and family and start a FaceTime call right from the page you’re browsing. Meanwhile, Mail is introducing more robust search features and the ability to schedule emails and undo send for up to 10 seconds after hitting send.

Spotlight gets more powerful

Finally, Apple has updated Spotlight to bring more information to searches. In addition to launching apps, you can type in a musical artist and get information about who they are, when they were born, where they’re from, etc. You can also set timers, create a new document, and run a shortcut from Spotlight.

Final thoughts on WWDC 2022

We rarely expect major hardware announcements at WWDC, so color us pleasantly surprised that we got to hear about some new Macs at WWDC 2022. Of course, these are all just promises until we take the time to test the M2 Macs later this summer. And, of course, we’re looking forward to checking out all the new features coming to Apple’s various devices as roll out in beta ahead of their wide launch in the fall.

The post Everything you need to know about the new Apple M2 laptops and WWDC 2022 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Your smartphone can save your financial details and use them to make secure, instant, contactless payments in a lot of stores. It may feel vaguely futuristic, but you can easily see how your life becomes just a bit simpler by waving your mobile at checkout.

If you want to get an upgrade from old cash and cards but you’re unfamiliar with app-based payments, know that it’s safe and easier to get set up than you might think. In fact, you probably have most of what you’ll need already installed on your phone.

If someone steals your credit card, they would be able to use it freely both online and in physical stores, while all you’re left to do is notify your bank. But it’s not possible to do the same with your smartphone. If someone stole your phone, the robber would still need your passcode, fingerprint, or face to complete a payment, so if your phone is locked, so is your money.

The technology behind app-based payment platforms is called Near Field Communication. It is an industry standard and both Google and Apple use it for their own services. Whenever you wave your phone on a payment terminal, you’re not actually sharing your card details, as most people think, but using NFC to simply confirm your device is authorized to make a payment on your behalf using an encrypted code. This means your phone will safely store your card details and it won’t share them with any third parties.

Setting up mobile payment on your iPhone

Apple Pay first saw the light of day in October 2014. Now it comes pre-installed on all of Apple’s mobile hardware, including the Apple Watch and the iPhone. You can use this platform to pay for purchases online, within apps, and in physical stores—any outlet that supports contactless payments will accept Apple Pay.

To set up Apple Pay on an iPhone, open Settings, then choose Wallet & Apple Pay. From here, you can link your credit or debit cards to the phone’s payment system. It also lets you add new cards and edit the details from existing ones.

To add the same card or cards to your Apple Watch, use the Watch app. Go to the My Watch tab and tap on the Wallet & Apple Pay option. This will give your wearable the same power as your actual card, which means you’ll be able to pay with your smartwatch even when your iPhone isn’t nearby.

Once you enter your card details, you’re ready to pay for goods. To do this in a physical store, you can use any contactless terminal. At checkout, unlock your phone with a passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID, and tap your Apple device on the terminal to pay.

Setting up mobile payment on your Android phone

Google presented Google Pay back in September 2015, a year after Apple’s payment system launched. Both platforms work in a similar way—its primary purpose is to let you quickly pay at physical stores, but the tech has also found its way to apps and online shopping. Google Pay works on phones and tablets, as well as WearOS watches.

You can manage all of your cards and other payment information through the Google Pay app on your phone, and if you have already registered cards for in-app payments, for example, then you can easily add these to Google Pay. If you’re using a WearOS watch, you’ll need to install the Google Pay app on your phone, then use the watch interface to select one of the cards you’ve set up.

As with Apple Pay, your device must be unlocked to use Google Pay. If you’re using a smartwatch, you won’t need to draw your pattern or put your fingerprint in the sensor with every payment, but if you take your watch off, then you will need to reauthorize the connection by unlocking your phone.

Google Pay should also work with any terminal or checkout that supports contactless payments. In the store, make sure your phone is unlocked, tap it against the terminal for a few seconds, and wait for the green light. Again, just like Apple Pay, the system will send an authorized token rather than your actual card details.

Despite the name, Samsung Pay works on any modern Android phone, but this availability doesn’t translate to smartwatches, as the system only runs on the brand’s own Galaxy line. To set it up, download the Samsung Pay app and add your cards. When it’s time to pay, simply unlock your phone using your method of choice (fingerprint, face, or PIN), and then hold your device against the terminal to use your card.

Samsung Pay has one big advantage over its competitors—it works with newer contactless terminals and also those that use the old magnetic stripe technology. In the latter case, however, you’ll require extra in-phone hardware, so only newer Samsung devices will be able to do the trick

Other payment apps

Cash app

We’ve covered your options if you want to use your phone in a physical store. But what if you just want to pay back your friend for dinner, or settle the cable bill with your roommates? In this case, you’ve still got plenty of app options. Like with Apple, Google, or Samsung Pay, you will need to link these apps to a real bank account or card but the process is usually the same and pretty painless.

PayPal (Android, iOS) is the best-known and probably the longest-running mobile payment option out there, and its mobile app has caught up to its desktop site in terms of ease of use and functionality. If you link a bank account, or debit or credit card to your PayPal, or accumulate a PayPal balance, you can pay other users for free.

[Related: 4 apps to safely transfer money internationally]

In the world of payment apps, Cash App (Android, iOS) is a strong contender, looking to significantly improve the way we all send money to each other. Perhaps its best feature is that the person you’re paying doesn’t need their own Cash App account—you can use the app to pay anyone whose email address you know. The platform also lets you link debit cards for free but adds a 3 percent charge for linked credit cards.

For an even smoother experience than either PayPal or Cash App, try Venmo (Android, iOS), which PayPal actually owns. This socially-connected option is built more like a messaging app than a payments tool, and even includes an option for splitting a bill. Payments to other Venmo users are free from a linked bank account, major bank debit cards, or a Venmo balance. Otherwise, you face a 3 percent charge for credit cards.

The post Forget your wallet: It’s time to start paying for everything with your phone. appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best T-Mobile hotspot		Inseego 5G MiFi M2000		SEE IT	Inseego and T-Mobile have struck a great balance between cutting edge features and price.
Best AT&T hotspot		Netgear Nighthawk M5 (MR5200)		SEE IT	Netgear’s Nighthawk M5 offers top performance at a premium price.
Best Verizon hotspot		Jetpack MiFi 8800L		SEE IT	Inseego’s Jetpack for Verizon is a dependable workhorse on the most extensive existing network.

Smartphones allow us to keep the internet in our pockets wherever we go, but sometimes that isn’t enough. Lots of phones can serve as a mobile hotspot in a pinch, delivering Wi-Fi to other nearby devices; however, your phone’s antenna and battery are finite. A dedicated mobile hotspot can serve mobile internet to a whole collection of connected devices via Wi-Fi, keeping you truly connected wherever you get service.

With more people working from home, untethered to a desk, a mobile hotspot really extends what “remote” can mean. Smartphone service providers are expanding their 5G networks all the time, meaning you’ll barely even be compromising the home wireless internet speeds you’re used to. We’re here to help you find the best mobile hotspot, no matter your network or needs.

• Best T-Mobile hotspot: Inseego 5G MiFi M2000
• Best AT&T hotspot: Netgear Nighthawk M5 (MR5200)
• Best Verizon hotspot: Jetpack MiFi 8800L
• Best Verizon 5G hotspot: Inseego MiFi M2100
• Best budget unlocked hotspot: KuWFi 4G LTE
• Best hotspot for international travel: Skyroam Solis Lite

How we picked the best mobile hotspots

More than most hardware categories, mobile hotspots neatly sort themselves into categories because they are tied to particular service providers and their networks. For most of us, that contractual link to Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and others narrows down our choices.

Among those options, we simply selected the current top-tier hotspots available, with all the cutting-edge features to make sure you’re getting the best possible experience. We made sure our selections were well-reviewed by customers and professionals alike from manufacturers with proven track records.

Things to consider before buying the best mobile hotspots

Mobile hotspots are pretty straightforward devices. They’re small bricks of plastic with an antenna that connects to a mobile broadband network, and a router that passes that signal along to other devices in its network. If you’ve purchased a Wi-Fi router and a smartphone, you should be familiar with the details. Consider your intended usage: When do you see yourself using a hotspot? How many devices do you intend to connect? How long do you hope to use it without being able to plug it into an outlet and charge it? Where do you intend to go?

Another thing to keep in mind: It is not enough to purchase a mobile hotspot—you also need to activate and connect it to a compatible mobile network. Assuming you already have a cell service contract at a major carrier, we recommend sticking with whatever network you are already on. You can buy an affiliated device and add it to your account through your provider. This will almost certainly be less expensive than opening up a new account with a different service.

5G or LTE—that is the question

5G is the latest and fastest cellular network standard but still isn’t as widespread as older 4G LTE networks. Since the newest devices all support previous standards, we recommend getting a 5G-capable hotspot, regardless of its current availability near you. Ultimately, these are just the newest and best-performing hotspots, even on the older 4G LTE networks.

If you won’t be anywhere near cities, however, and speed doesn’t matter to you as much as saving money, going back for an LTE-only capable hotspot can be a good way to save upfront on the hotspot and still get the most range possible. To get a precise understanding of local coverage options, check out the FCC’s LTE coverage map. You can also see the current state of each provider’s 5G network directly from the AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon websites.

One notable difference we found among 5G hotspots was whether or not they support millimeter-wave signals, a portion of the 5G frequency spectrum that supports higher data throughput, which should translate to faster loading. There’s a catch, though—mmWave only works over short distances and is very easily blocked by physical objects, like walls. That means it will make the most noticeable difference outdoors and within close range (on the order of hundreds of feet) of a tower. Only Verizon and Inseego’s 5G router currently supports it right now, which makes sense since Verizon has also invested the most in building out its mmWave network by quite a wide margin.

C-Band, another potential component of 5G, adds substantial data bandwidth to the signal. The US has lagged behind the rest of the world in integrating C-Band into its 5G networks, but carriers have promised to expand C-Band support in cities in the near future. Only one hotspot currently available from Netgear supports C-Band as of spring, 2022.

Hi-fi Wi-Fi

Mobile hotspots have two key components: the cellular antenna, which receives the wireless signal from a carrier network, and the wireless antenna that broadcasts that signal to nearby devices. Fortunately, Wi-Fi has now caught up with mobile and simplified their formerly too-technical standard names (e.g., 802.11ac) into much more consumer-friendly generation numbers. Wi-Fi 6, the latest standard, offers a jump in overall upload and download bandwidth. It specifically improves a router’s ability to serve multiple devices at once, which is very helpful when you tether a computer, phone, and tablet to one network all at once. New Wi-Fi 6-enabled hotspots have more than double the connection limits of previous iterations.

The best mobile hotspots: Reviews & Recommendations

If you’re looking to put the internet in your pocket with the best mobile hotspot, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve simplified your choice, picking the best hotspots for each of the major carriers, plus a few extra options that may serve you better internationally.

Best T-Mobile hotspot: Inseego MiFi M2000

SIMBROS

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: Inseego’s MiFi M2000 hotspot offers the best value of any 5G hotspot from T-Mobile right now.

Specs

• Mobile: 5G, 4G LTE
• Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6 – 2.4GHz and 5GHz
• Connections: 30 devices
• Ports: USB-C
• Battery: 5050mAh, up to 24 hours claimed

Pros

• 5G, Wi-Fi 6
• Most extensive 5G network
• Least expensive 5G hotspot

Cons

• No mmWave antenna

As of May 2022, T-Mobile has the most extensive 5G rollout of any major US carrier. As it is the first and only officially supported 5G hotspot, the Inseego MiFi M2000 is automatically the most widely effective 5G mobile hotspot right now. It has support for the newest networking standards—namely 5G and Wi-Fi 6—and solid performance across the board. Functionally, it’s very similar to Inseego’s Verizon hotspot, though it lacks support for millimeter-wave signals. That said, T-Mobile has a more limited mmWave rollout than other networks anyway, so it isn’t a huge loss, and dropping the feature keeps its cost down.

Best AT&T hotspot: Netgear Nighthawk M5 (MR5200)

NETGEAR

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Netgear Nighthawk M5 is the most flexible 5G hotspot on the market.

Specs

• Mobile: 5G, 4G LTE
• Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6 – 2.4GHz and 5GHz
• Connections: 32 devices
• Ports: USB-C, ethernet
• Battery: 5040mAh, up to 13 hours claimed

Pros

• 5G, Wi-Fi 6
• Works unlocked
• First C-band hotspot

Cons

• Expensive
• No mmWave antenna

The Netgear Nighthawk M5 is the most expensive option on our list but also packs the most features and flexibility. It supports the current standard, 5G and Wi-Fi 6, of course, but also has other bells and whistles. It is, for example, the only 5G option on our list with an Ethernet port for more flexible tethering and network extension options. Although it lacks mmWave support, it is the first mobile hotspot to support C-Band. 

As an added bonus, the Nighthawk works unlocked with any of the three major US networks, though pairs best with T-Mobile and AT&T, which could be great if you’re planning to change networks in the near future.

Best Verizon hotspot: Inseego Jetpack MiFi 8800L

Generic

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: If you don’t need 5G where you’re going, then the Jetpack is the last generation’s standout.

Specs

• Mobile: 4G LTE
• Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 5 – 2.4GHz and 5GHz
• Connections: 15 devices
• Ports: USB-C
• Battery: 4400mAh, up to 24 hours claimed