Apple : Get the Dell XPS 13 for cheap, even though Cyber Monday is over |
- Get the Dell XPS 13 for cheap, even though Cyber Monday is over
- Mozilla drops top security tools over snooping fears
- Best Kindle 2019: which Amazon ereader should you buy?
- Burnley vs Man City live stream: how to watch today's Premier League football online from anywhere
- AMD may be spicing up the graphics card game with the Radeon RX 5500 XT
- Best photo book service online 2019
- SafeBreach discloses major vulnerabilities in popular software
- The best smartphone of 2019: 15 top mobile phones tested and ranked
- The best cheap phones in the US 2019
- Best phone in the US for 2019: the top 15 smartphones we've tested
- New Android flagship phones in 2020 will use the Snapdragon 865 5G chipset
- Resident Evil 3 Remake art leak suggests a reveal is coming soon
- Plusnet takes the number one spot of cheapest fibre broadband deal in the UK
- Singles' Day officially bigger than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined
- The PlayStation is 25 today: here are our favorite PlayStation memories
- Walmart's Cyber Monday sale isn't over: these are the 10 best deals still available
- This Vizio 55-inch 4K TV is the best Cyber Monday deal still available
- This exclusive Nintendo Switch bundle is red hot and will be gone by sundown
- How to watch I'm a Celebrity 2019 online for free in the UK or abroad
| Get the Dell XPS 13 for cheap, even though Cyber Monday is over Posted: 03 Dec 2019 01:17 PM PST Just when you thought Black Friday and Cyber Monday were finally over, the deals just keep coming. Right now, Dell is trying to squeeze out some last-minute deals magic on the Dell XPS 13, which is basically the best laptop in the world. Right now on Dell's website, you can pick up the Dell XPS 13 with a Whiskey Lake Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for just $799 – but this deal won't last long. Dell is running this as a limited sales event, likely because this is an older model of the laptop. But, don't let that dissuade you from jumping on it. It's not the latest Comet Lake-equipped XPS 13, but it's nothing to shake a stick at. The 8th-generation Whiskey Lake chips aren't really that much of a step back from what 10th-gen offers, and the distinction basically doesn't matter at this price point. And, of course, it goes without saying that this is a gorgeous laptop. Thin, light and with one of the best screens in the game, the Dell XPS 13 is a laptop you'll be proud to show off in your local coffee shop. And don't worry - no one will be able to tell it's the older model.
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| Mozilla drops top security tools over snooping fears Posted: 03 Dec 2019 12:56 PM PST Mozilla has removed four Firefox extensions created by Avast and its subsidiary AVG after receiving credible reports that the extensions had harvested user data as well as user's browsing histories. The four extensions which have been removed are Avast Online Security, AVG Online Security, Avast SafePrice and AVG SafePrice. The first two display warnings when users navigate to known malicious or suspicious sites while the other two show price comparisons and deals for online shoppers. The fact that the extensions were collecting much more data than required was discovered by AdBlock Plus' creator Wladimir Palant who sent a report to Mozilla informing the Firefox maker of his discovery.
After analyzing the Avast Online Security and AVG Online Security extensions last month, Palant found that they were both collecting additional data including detailed user browsing history. Unnecessary snoopingPalant published a blog post detailing his findings at the end of October but in a second blog post, he revealed that the Avast SafePrice and AVG SafePrice extensions were also collecting unnecessary data. The first blog post did not get the attention Palant thought it would and so he reported the extensions to Mozilla developers. The Firefox maker quickly took action and removed all four add-ons from its portal within 24 hours. However, at the time of writing, the four extensions are still available on the Chrome Web Store. In his second blog post, Palant explained how difficult it is to get an extension removed from Google Chrome, saying: "And what about Google? Google Chrome is where the overwhelming majority of these users are. The only official way to report an extension here is the “report abuse” link. I used that one of course, but previous experience shows that it never has any effect. Extensions have only ever been removed from the Chrome Web Store after considerable news coverage.” Collecting a user's browsing history is strictly prohibited by both Mozilla and Google, so expect the four extensions from Avast and AVG to be removed from the Chrome Web Store soon.
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| Best Kindle 2019: which Amazon ereader should you buy? Posted: 03 Dec 2019 12:30 PM PST If you're looking for the best Kindle or ereader, you've landed on the right page: in 2019 the best Kindles usually are the best ereaders in general, as Amazon has the market on lockdown. There are a few non-Kindle ereaders that are worth considering, like the Kobo Forma or the Kobo Clara HD, but in general, Amazon makes all the best ereaders. While most other TechRadar buying guides rank their products with the best at the front, this list is just ranked by price order, as the different Kindle lines all aim at different budgets – a lot of this list comes down to how much you're willing to spend. There are three different types of product on offer for three different types of budget, and we'll talk you through each of them below. We've yet to review the Kids Edition Kindle, but we expect to be including that product in this list very soon. We're letting you judge for yourself exactly what you'll need – instead, this is just a list of the highlights you should consider. The entry-level Amazon Kindle is the best Kindle you can by right now, with a great balance of features and price. Launched in March 2019, its new feature was the inclusion of a back-light which now means Amazon's entire Kindle line come with illumination. You still get the benefits of the previous model, with an adequate (and now back-lit) touchscreen display, long lasting battery and plenty of space for all your digital tomes, plus an intuitive interface, that makes navigating your books a breeze. It's slim and light, so even though you could essentially be carrying an entire library with you it won't even feel as weighty as a single paperback. Why should I buy it? Because you want a bargain and can live without waterproofing, the latest design and a higher resolution display. Read the full Amazon Kindle review Amazon updated the Kindle Paperwhite back in 2018 to add several features from the Voyage and Oasis lines, including IPX8-rated waterproofing and support for Audible audiobooks. The screen is still fantastic with a beautiful 6-inch HD display with 300ppi pixel density and 8GB of storage, meaning you can keep thousands of books on one device. The Kindle Paperwhite is almost the closest you can get to real paper while getting all the benefits of an ereader. You have access to Amazon's huge library of books and you can even use the Kindle Unlimited rental service on the Paperwhite. There's a built-in light and you're not going to get any screen glare when reading it in bright sunlight. The battery isn't as good as the last version as it only lasts between four and six weeks, but that said it's still a very good amount of time to get reading your ebooks. Why should I buy it? If you're looking for one of the best screen experiences on an ereader and you want to be able to read in bright sunlight, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is your choice. Read the full Amazon Kindle Paperwhite review If you want the most premium ereader experience available right now, then the newest Amazon Kindle Oasis is what you're looking for – as long as you can stomach the equally high-end price. The 2019 Kindle Oasis comes with new features like a warm light you can turn on to reduce eye strain, a more lightweight design, and improved back-lighting, to make it a more useful device to read on (although some may consider the upgrade a little small). It also comes with all the distinct features of the Kindle Oasis range – it's got a large, high-quality display, a 'ridge' design that gives makes the ereader easy to hold at a range of angles, and it comes with plenty of storage space to save as many books as you need. So if you're looking for an unrivaled ereader, this is the device to consider. Why should I buy it? If you're willing to splash on the best Amazon Kindle ereader with all the latest bells and whistles in terms of tech, this is the device to consider. Read the full review: Amazon Kindle Oasis
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| Burnley vs Man City live stream: how to watch today's Premier League football online from anywhere Posted: 03 Dec 2019 12:05 PM PST Who knew that Turf Moor would be such a big venue in Pep Guardiola and Man City's 2019-20 Premier League season. It's a huge game to get things going on Amazon Prime Video and we have full details below on how to watch the game for with our Burnley vs Man City live stream guide - no matter where in the world you are. Pep Guardiola's side currently find themselves a hefty 11 points behind leaders Liverpool, with their leaky back four looking decidedly fragile. With Sergio Aguero still sidelined, Gabriel Jesus looks set once again to lead the line for City despite a disappointing display up front at Newcastle. Sitting slap bang in mid-table in 10th, Sean Dyche will be looking to address his side's inconsistency. The Clarets are boosted by the return of Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Matej Vydra, but with this encounter now something of a must-win game for their title-chasing opponents, getting any sort of a result tonight seems a tall order for the home side. After winning two games on the spin 3-0, the Clarets managed to slip up at the weekend, falling to a 2-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace. Will Pep rally his troops? Watch all the action unfold as it happens with our Burnley vs Man City live stream guide below. To find out how to watch the rest of the season's games, check out our guide on how to live stream the 19/20 Premier League football season. Use a VPN to watch Premier League football from outside your countryIf you're abroad this weekend but still want to watch your home coverage, you'll need a VPN to do so. That's because your normal coverage will be geo-blocked. It's really easy to do and stops you having to tune in to some dodgy stream you've heard about on Reddit. How to stream Burnley vs Man City live in the UK for free with AmazonHow to watch Burnley vs Manchester City: US live streamHow to watch a Premier League live stream in CanadaHow to live stream Burnley vs Man City in AustraliaHow to watch Burnley vs Man City: New Zealand live streamHow to live stream Burnley vs Man City in IndiaThis posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| AMD may be spicing up the graphics card game with the Radeon RX 5500 XT Posted: 03 Dec 2019 11:41 AM PST AMD may not keep us waiting much longer for the anticipated Radeon RX 5500, which the company unveiled back in October. The new graphics card, particularly the rumored Radeon RX 5500 XT could be coming next week, according to VideoCardz. There's still little detail on the Radeon RX 5500 XT. We know the 5500-series graphics cards will have 22 compute units with 1408 stream processors, a bit more than half of those found on the RX 5700 XT. The new cards will use a 128-bit memory bus (half that of the 5700-series) and offer up to 8GB of GDDR6, according to an official slide from AMD, shared by Hot Hardware.
That leaves some room for guessing as to just what the RX 5500 and 5500 XT could do. The two cards would need to differentiate somehow, and if it's not in stream processors or clock speeds, it could be in memory. VideoCardz believes the RX 5500 may come exclusively with 4GB of GDDR6 memory while the RX 5500 XT could offer 4GB and 8GB variants, similar to the way the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 has come in 3GB and 6GB variants. A contest of varietyAMD is playing a hard game against Intel on the processor side and Nvidia on the graphics processor side. This has been working for AMD in the processor fight, with Ryzen CPUs stealing market share from Intel, but Nvidia's cards still offer the most power at the high end. AMD has still managed to make progress against Nvidia's market share, and these new Radeon RX 5500-series cards could help it snag even more of the budget market. Team Red will be positioned to challenge Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1650 and 1660 models, including the Ti and Super versions. Given that Nvidia effectively has six graphics processors in the low-to-mid-range space, it makes sense for AMD to introduce more than just one version of the RX 5500. Leaked benchmarks have shown the Radeon RX 5500 giving the GTX 1650 serious competition, and a higher-spec 5500 XT could be the card to run against the GTX 1660. If the new graphics cards come out this month, we may get to see just how the competition heats up just in time for the next big shopping rush.
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| Best photo book service online 2019 Posted: 03 Dec 2019 11:37 AM PST Smartphones have revolutionised photography in so many ways. But one of the negatives of having all your photos in your pocket is that they become disposable. When was the last time you memorialised an important family event or vacation of a lifetime photo in an album? Creating a photo book makes all that so much easier. The best photo books allow you to distil your myriad snaps down to just the best and have them immortalised in print, all laid out in a beautiful album for you to enjoy with your family and friends. On many photo book sites you can even design the product yourself, and they're not only brilliant for immortalising your own memories but they make for fantastic gifts as well - poignant presents for Christmas, birthdays, christenings, Father's Day, Mother's Day and beyond. And the very best photo books are super simple to prepare, too. Our favorite service in the US is Mixbook and we'll explain why below. The great news is that the service is really embracing the whole Black Friday vibe at the moment and offering up to a 55% discount to new customers on its entire range of products: Most of these sites are exceedingly easy use - allowing you to simply upload your favorite photos and lay them out in a way you feel matches the importance of your snaps, choose the size, shape, cover material and type of paper. We've trawled photo book services across the US and the UK for important factors like price, speed, quality, range of options, software simplicity and more to give you our selection of the five best photo books on both sides of the Atlantic - there should be plenty of bargains to be had as Black Friday deals begin to appear, too. Best photo book sites at a glance: US and UK
Our favorite of all the many photo book services out there. The key here is that the Mixbook software is easy to use which makes collating your photo book a pleasure rather than a chore. Also, the finish is so excellent that you feel like you've created a work of art rather than fuzzy printed images. With over 374 themes on offer, this photo book provider has got you covered no matter what occasion you're looking for. Whether your theme is romance or seasonal, family or everyday, travel or kids, Mixbook has got you sorted! Not to mention its high quality prints and wonderful selection of cover and paper options ensure that you get the very best collection of memories. Mixbook's templates are simple yet fully editable so you can be as creative or as quick as you like. The addition of backgrounds makes for a great finish, which you can do in varying materials with stickers and more. And if you want to make it extra personal, Mixbook has a wide range of different stickers and materials to offer - making your photo book a one of a kind. Snapfish not only offers plenty of simple-to-use templates but it actually guides you through the process, too. There are over 120 themes to pick from with a huge selection of backgrounds all of which are easy to pick and pair as the book editor guides you through each stage with drag and drop simplicity. The wide range of template and theme options gives the customer plenty of option when creating their photo book. And if you're looking for an original, custom made photo book than Snapfish's binding, cover and paper options make it the ideal candidate. Plus it is super easy and fast to use, so if you're time pressured to put together your photo book - Snapfish could be perfect for you. Snapfish also offers plenty of size options and book type options so you'll never have to compromise. The only downside we've noticed is that the final physical book photo quality could have been better. But there are often deals to be had here that get you a good price for your next photo book. Shutterfly offers another option for those looking to breeze through the software side of work while creating a great physical book. Content is plentiful with lots of backgrounds and theme variations that mean you can personalise your book as you want. Shutterfly has a wide template selection so no matter what you're looking for - they'll have it. It's custom path photo book allows you to customise every aspect of the photo book - from moving and resizing images to text, so you'll truly have a one of a kind photo book. Or, if you just don't have the time to curate every detail, Shutterfly offers the option for a designer to do this for you. The designer will do all the ground work - making the photo book for you, done in just three business days. Making it extra simple and speedy for you. Either way, all options come with the possibility of adding up to 1000 photos and you can have up to 30 images per page. Sometimes the odd photo in the print are reported to be less than perfectly even in terms of balance, but quality is still generally high. Picaboo takes fourth place as, once again, it offers some great software that straddles the line between easy-to-use and rich with content for creative options. The ability to search through background and clip art is really useful. This falls down on print quality compared to the top two, but is still better than most others out there. Picaboo has plenty of themes options, but if you're looking for children's gifts, the company has just added a fantastic personalised story book - so you could create a personal fairy tale for the little ones. And if it's not children's gifts that you're looking for, the company does offer plenty of other options including Wedding, Travel, Baby and much more. The company also offers 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you're not happy with your product - if you contact Picaboo within 30 days you're eligible for a refund. For more information on this, check out the Picaboo's Satisfaction Guarantee. A straightforward and easy to use website, Picaboo is an ideal option if you want to start and finish your photo book as quickly as possible. A nice option to polish photos and help them match backgrounds is a great touch here that makes a professional finish a possibility. You buy everything else from the retail giant, so why not your photo book as well? With Amazon Prints you can put together your dream photo book with all those cherished memories before ordering with the rest of your shop. Although Amazon Prime members get preferential treatment in terms of delivery time, everyone (including Prime and non Prime customers) get to select from the dozens of customisable options and sizes. Although Amazon Prints does not offer as many binding and cover options as some of its competitors, it makes up for this with its ace pricing and easy to use functions. Plus it still offers the option to make a custom photo book and you still get plenty of paper and size options, as well as a hefty amount of 100+ general theme options. So if you don't need too many features or options, and just want a custom photo book at great pricing - Amazon Prints could be ideal for you. You can get up to 150 pages of photos, text, and embellishments with an optional glossy hard cover. Well worth a look. As in the UK as it is in the US - Mixbook gets our recommendation whichever side of the Atlantic you're on. As we've explained above, it's Mixbook's superb software that makes it stand out. Creating your own photo book album is easy. And we're not talking about just the basics, as going the extra mile and designing something truly attractive and original is straightforward, too. There are all the themes and templates you can imagine to get you started and pricing is pretty decent for what it offers. Not to mention its diverse 374 themes have got you covered, no matter what occasion you're looking for. Mixbook also offers a wider range of cover and paper options than the rest of its competitors, so if you need more options for your photo book, Mixbook could be the way to go. There's just one thing that bothered us when we went to use Mixbook in the UK...the website definitely has a strong USA focus. So often you'll see $ signs on its promotions and all delivery and customer service information defaults to US first. Annoying, but not a disaster. Snapfish is one of our favourite photo book providers in the UK, making it a great option on both sides of the Atlantic. You can be as hands-on or hands-off as you like - it's up to you whether you chose every last minute of detail, or let Snapfish's own set designs do the heavy lifting. We definitely appreciate the plenty of stock art options along with the fully editable features as it means you can get the exact layout you want, without the compromise that some competitor photo books force you to make. It also offers a simple way to create photo books with lots of personalised options. There are plenty of design choices in the software from clip art to templates. For all the features it offers, Snapfish has got pretty decent and affordable pricing. And as it is so simple to use - it allows you to speedily make the photo book. The slight difficulties to search through content is a bit of a drawback however - so while you have lots of options, finding them can take time. But that shouldn't detract too much from this excellent provider. For a photo book service in the UK which offers ease of use, wide options for things like templates and backgrounds, plus a quality finished product, Cewe is worth a look. For £20 you can get a quality printed photo book, which is easy to build using computer or mobile software and that is simple to install and use. Varying paper options like gloss and matte, plus nice options for the covers like faux leather are great to see, too. It also offers you a large selection when it comes to photo book sizes, with 50+ themes to choose from. Cewe also offers you an array of options on how to create your photo book, be it mobile, online, desktop or even have the software create it. The software option really facilitates the process for you as it allows you to easily import images from your social media as well as cloud storage, and it comes with a full suite of advanced editing features. It also has a Creator Assistant that ensures your photo book is created within minutes. There's even a 24/7 UK-based customer service support team and a 14-day money-back guarantee to sweeten the deal. Bonusprint is easy to use and delivers a good quality print result. But what's really nice to know is that the customer service is also excellent. So even if you do somehow find an issue, you'll be able to get it fixed right away. It also offers 100% satisfaction guarantee and has a very fast delivery, as Bonusprint aims to deliver your photo book in six to eight working days. It also has the very handy feature of a smartphone app, so if you have a smartphone (which we're guessing you do), you could make the photo book in under 10 minutes straight on your phone. You could quite feasibly do it on your commute to or from work. The company also offers 100% satisfaction guarantee and a downloadable editor - this gets you extensive design options, making your photo book look exactly how you'd imagine it. Another plus of the brand is that it's trustworthy - Bonusprint has been around since 1979. It knows how to run a photo book business with the customer at the forefront, and you feel that through the process. Plenty of deals are also available if you keep your eye out, so this can be very affordable, too. For sheer print quality Bob Books offers a really impressive offering with stunning photos. Despite the high quality, pricing is relatively low with £9 getting you a 26-page book at 300gsm premium paper quality. Images are sharp, colours are punchy, sharpness is spot on and dynamic range is realistically accurate. Not only is it quite affordable but the company offers a very high quality book finish, so if you're looking for a more professional touch to your photo book, Bob Books could be ideal for you. It also offers plenty of options when it comes to sizes, papers, covers and bindings - so you don't have to compromise any of your ideas, you can get it to look exactly as you want it to. It also offers a very speedy domestic delivery, from start to finish the photo book can be delivered to you between six to 10 working days. The online creator software is easy to use although book designs are limited. There is an iPhone app and even a professional design service available if you need that as well. Read more:
If you've never made your own photo book album before then it can look like a daunting task. The best photo book sites give you myriad options and features to tailor-make your ideal book and that can be overwhelming at first. But it doesn't have to be...here are some things to keep in mind if you need a bit of direction: Keep it simple: You could spend hours and hours creating your perfect photo book, with the trimming and bordering of every page and photo custom designed and a different font for every occasion. Could. If you're new to photo book creation, we'd suggest starting with one of the hundreds of themes that each service provides. That way, you still get a beautiful book, but need only think about what photos you want where without having to get hung up on every last detail. Themes usually range through every event you can think of: Christmas, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, graduations, Bar Mitzvas...the list goes on! Size matters: As with anything; the more you pay, the more expensive it becomes. And the price really can escalate, especially as your pages mount up. If you just want a keepsake of an event or holiday and are after something tangible rather than scrolling through your photos, then keeping it small can also keep the costs down. But if it's a special holiday you're commemorating, or perhaps a wedding or christening - a book that will live out on your coffee table - you may wish to crank up the size as a photo book can be a very special object to keep forever. Matte, glossy or lustre: The finish of the pages are purely personal preference, but it can be tricky to decide. Glossy is usually the most affordable option and is most like a traditional photo album of old, so you can't really go wrong - it also makes your colorful snaps look even more vibrant. But going for Matte lends a certain air of luxury to the product and some services will make these pages thicker, too (which is reflected in the cost). If you need to hedge your bets, a few photo book sites will give an option somewhere in between called something like Lustre or Semi-Gloss. Pimp your photo book: If you're a bit of a photo book pro (or have the time to be a bit more daring), then the likes of Mixbook and Snapfish have some frankly awesome customisation options. Every single detail is at your disposal, from the positions of the snaps, background detailing, front and back cover design and personalised text to accompany each and every photo. Be careful of timings: In the age of Amazon Prime, we've got all too used to ordering something one day and it arriving the next. Not so with photo books. OK, so you can pay extra for expedited delivery, but generally you're looking at at least a week before your handsome photo book drops on to your door mat. So we seriously advise planning ahead, especially around peak times like Thanksgiving and Christmas. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| SafeBreach discloses major vulnerabilities in popular software Posted: 03 Dec 2019 11:23 AM PST SafeBreach Labs has published three major vulnerability disclosures which concern three popular and widely-used software products. The first deals with Trend Micro's antivirus product Trend Micro Security 16, the second concerns Kaspersky's VPN product Kaspersky Secure Connection and the third involves the Autodesk Desktop Application. SafeBreach discovered that all of these products contain security flaws which can lead to privilege escalation and persistence by loading an arbitrary unsigned DLL into a service that runs as NT Authority/System.
This is exactly the same type of flaw that the firm disclosed in BitDefender Antivirus Free 2020 back in September. Unsigned DLLSafeBreach's team has written “proof of concept” code to demonstrate how they were able to compile a replacement DLL file and set it to load instead of the legitimate one for Trend Micro Security 16, Kaspersky Secure Connection and Autodesk. The firm's replacement DLL files lead to privilege escalation through code execution at the highest authority level since none of the three products have any kind of DLL validation procedure in place. To make matters worse, these security products are typically set to auto-launch when a user turns on their system which means that any malicious payloads will also be persistent. SafeBreach reported the vulnerabilities to the software vendors in July and all three companies confirmed them within a few weeks. Trend Micro published a security advisory first on November 25 for CVE-2019-15628 and this was followed by Autodesk releasing a security advisory of its own a day later for CVE-2019-7365. Kaspersky provided regular status updates for its customers concerning the CVE-2019-15689 vulnerability. Trend Micro has patched the problem already with the release of version 16.0.1227 of Trend Micro Security 2016 and users running any version below 16.0.1221 should update their software immediately. Kaspersky and Autodesk are also working on patches and users should patch their software when these fixes become available.
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| The best smartphone of 2019: 15 top mobile phones tested and ranked Posted: 03 Dec 2019 11:23 AM PST Our best smartphone list brings you 15 of the top phones available right now, but if you already have your mobile OS alliance set you'll want to check out either our ranking of the best Android phone or best iPhone. If what's on offer in our best smartphone list is a little too pricey for your taste, then don't fear, as we've also got a list of the best cheap phones available right now. Our best phone ranking recently witnessed one of the biggest shake-ups of the year too, with no fewer than five new entries recently, with the Google Pixel 4 XL, OnePlus 7T Pro, Oppo Reno 10x Zoom, OnePlus 7T and Asus Zenfone 6 all making the cut. And all these follow on from previous big entries such as the new iPhone 11 series and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 series. It's been a huge year for mobile, and our best phones list has never looked better. We know that it's not all about the high-cost, super spec phones all the time so we've made you a handy list of all the top smartphones that you can get on the market right now, assessing what really matters to you. We test these phones rigorously, making sure that we check every angle and feature - but most importantly, considering whether they've got a decent battery, great screen, strong design and a cracking camera. On top of that, they can't be too exorbitant in price either - not everyone wants or can afford a supercar of a handset, so we've made sure there are plenty of options for you there. So let's get started on our list of the top 15 handsets - you can see them quickly below, and then we're set to talk you through the very best phone in the world right now. The Samsung Galaxy S10 is the best smartphone available right now, still. That covers both the S10 and the larger Galaxy S10 Plus, as there's very little difference between the two handsets aside from size. They take the very best of what's on the smartphone market and put it together in a compelling package that we loved testing. Screen: The Super AMOLED display has been measured as the very best around, with super colours, great dynamic range and, essentially, the very best viewing experience you can have on a mobile phone. Plus, there's a fingerprint scanner embedded in the display. Battery life: The battery life on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus is an improvement over the S9 series, thanks to the larger batteries inside. They easily reach bedtime with double digits still left in the tank. They also offer Samsung's Wireless PowerShare, allowing you to wirelessly charge other devices on the rear of the handsets. Camera: The trio of cameras on the S10 and S10 Plus are among the best on the market, building on the excellent setup on the S9 series by offering more features, shooting modes and overall clarity. Mini verdict: The S10 and S10 Plus are packed full of the best Samsung has to offer, and it comes together to give you the best smartphone experience around right now. If we had to pick one, we'd go for the bigger screen, larger battery and dual selfie snappers of the Galaxy S10 Plus, but both phones deserve their best phone crown. Read more: Galaxy S10 review | Galaxy S10 Plus review
Best phone at a glance:
Image Credit: TechRadar The Huawei P30 Pro is so close to being the best smartphone right now, and for some it will take top spot in their minds. It's close to the best phone we've used when it comes to photography with 5x and 10x zoom capabilities and fantastic low-light performance. However, we're sad to say, it now comes with a huge caveat. After Google suspended Huawei's future access to Android Play Store and security updates, there are serious question marks over the future of Huawei phones. While Google and Huawei have promised to support phones currently on the market, it's not clear how long they'll receive Android updates or access to the Google Play Store, which would severely curtail their usefulness compared to the competition. Screen: The large 6.47-inch screen on the P30 Pro may 'only' have a Full HD+ resolution, but it's bright, clear and colourful providing an excellent canvas for your apps and games. Battery life: There's no worry when it comes to the P30 Pro potentially running out of juice, the battery life here is excellent. We regularly got to the end of the day with 30% or more left in the tank. Camera: The cameras are the P30 Pro's real party piece, providing staggeringly good 5x and 10x zoom, and a digital 50x zoom with gets you insanely close to objects far off in the distance. Its low-light capabilities are also top-notch. Mini Verdict: The P30 Pro not only sets a new standard for Huawei, it sets a new standard for the mobile industry. Its cameras are quite simply astonishing, the design is eye-catching and the power plentiful. It's a true flagship smartphone. Read more: Huawei P30 Pro review Image Credit: TechRadar Want something a bit more from your iPhone? You're in luck with the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, as they feature improved spec including a more high-end rear camera that can compete with the very best. It'll cost more than the iPhone 11 (which is probably the best phone for the average iPhone user), but if you're after the very best iPhone, the Pro range is what you want. Other than the obvious size, there's very little difference between the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, which is why we grouped them together in our best phone roundup. Screen: It's the biggest decision you'll have to make. Will you go for the 5.8-inch 11 Pro (which is easier to use one-handed) or the larger 6.5-inch 11 Pro Max (which is great for movies and gaming)? Either way, you get a great display which packs a colourful punch. Battery life: The battery life on the 11 Pro series is slightly longer than the last few generations of the iPhone, but don't expect anything game changing here when it comes to the length your phone will last for. Camera: Apple has put most of its focus into the rear cameras on this device, and while the design of the rear of the phone has been controversial these cameras can create some truly stunning photography that competes with the very best camera phones. Mini verdict: You'll have to spend a bit extra to get the iPhone 11 Pro, but it's well worth it if you want a phone that sports iOS 13 but comes with top-end features. Read our in-depth iPhone 11 Pro review | iPhone 11 Pro Max review Image Credit: TechRadar The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is one of the largest phones there is, but this stylus-toting handset is our fourth favourite phone you can buy right now. It's expensive, but it features some of the best specs you'll get on a smartphone in 2019. Screen: The screen on this phone is huge and the Infinity-O cutout means there's little interruption to the display here, allowing for an immersive experience. Battery life: We found the battery life on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus to easily last the whole day, plus the fast charging tech means you're able to pump it up quickly when you're nearing 0%. Camera: The camera setup on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus isn't the best on the market, but it's impressive and offers a lot of fun features that you may want to play around with. Mini Verdict: Samsung's Galaxy Note 10 Plus is a remarkable device, but it's only for those who want a large phone and don't mind spending that bit extra on a device. The S10 Plus will be more suitable for most, but the Note 10 Plus is a great phone too. Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus review Image Credit: TechRadar There's a new hero for iPhone fans, with the iPhone 11 offering the best mix of features and price from Apple. The specs here aren't as impressive as they are on the iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max, but the trade-off in a lower price for this device still makes it a top-buy for many Apple fans. Screen: This isn't the best screen you'll find on an iPhone, but it's still a vibrant display that's large enough to watch video on. Battery life: The easiest way to describe battery life on the iPhone 11 is good, but not great. You'll get around a day of usage from the iPhone 11, but it's not as good as the Pro Max. Camera: Expect a similar experience from the camera on the iPhone 11 as on the iPhone XR. If you want the best camera on an iPhone, you'll want the Pro, but it's still an impressive shooter on the rear of the standard 11. Mini verdict: The iPhone 11 offers some of the best features from Apple in a more affordable package. Many will be happy with what the iPhone 11 can do, but others will want to look toward the high-spec iPhone 11 Pro or Pro Max to get the very best. Read our in-depth iPhone 11 review Image Credit: TechRadar What's this? Another Huawei phone in the top 15? Your eyes do not deceive you, the Huawei P30 really is seventh in our best phone rundown. It has a smaller screen than the P30 Pro, and makes do with just the three rear cameras (rather than four) and a maximum zoom of 30x, but it's still a great Android phone. However, we're sad to say, it now comes with a huge caveat. After Google suspended Huawei's future access to Android Play Store and security updates, there are serious question marks over the future of Huawei phones. While Google and Huawei have promised to support phones currently on the market, it's not clear how long they'll receive Android updates or access to the Google Play Store, which would severely curtail their usefulness compared to the competition. Screen: With a 6.1-inch display the P30 is a little easier to manage in the hand than its larger sibling, and with a Full HD+ and plenty of colour it's a top smartphone screen. Battery life: You can expect to get excellent battery life from the Huawei P30, with the phone often lasting a day and a half on a single charge without issue. Camera: While the three cameras on the rear aren't quite as good as the four on the P30 Pro, they still offer up an impressive shooting experience with 5x, 10x and 30x zoom and great low-light abilities. Mini verdict: There's heaps of power, a handy headphone jack (something the Pro can't boast) and a more manageable form factor for one-handed use. And of course, it's a little cheaper too. Read our full Huawei P30 review The OnePlus 7T Pro is the best smartphone from the Chinese phone manufacturer, but not by much. It's a minor upgrade on the 7 Pro (if you already have the 7 Pro there's no need to upgrade), but if you're looking for the best from OnePlus, you can stop searching. Screen: One of the highlights of the 7T Pro is its gorgeous, large display. It can compete with any other top-end handset you may be considering, and beats some of them when it comes to price. Battery life: The battery performs admirably, matching the 7 Pro and perhaps even exceeding it in some regards. We found it would comfortably last a whole day on a single charge, even with extensive usage.. Camera: The OnePlus 7T Pro can take very good shots, but it doesn't have the best camera we’ve seen on a smartphone - one of the small compromises to keep costs down. Still, you're getting three powerful rear snappers and a selfie camera on the front. Mini verdict: The OnePlus 7T Pro is an impressive handset that costs less than a lot of the competition, while offering an almost full suite of flagship features. Read our full OnePlus 7T Pro review The Oppo Reno 10x Zoom boasts an attractive pop-up selfie camera, cutting-edge chipset and competitive camera lineup, making it one of the best phones available right now. Odd name aside, there's a lot to like with the Reno 10x Zoom, and if you're looking for something a little different for you next phone this could be just the ticket. Screen: Thanks to the pop-up selfie camera, there's no notch intruding on the display and with almost zero bezel you're treated to an eye-popping 93.1% screen-to-body ratio. It just looks great. Battery life: The battery on the Reno 10x Zoom lasts for about a day of medium-to-heavy use, and a day and a half if you use it a little less. That's what we expect from a modern smartphone, so no issues here. Camera: Despite what its name may suggest, this phone actually offers up a whopping 60x zoom, which gets you alarmingly close to objects far in the distance. It's a digital zoom, so quality degrades a little, but even the 5x optical zoom is impressive. Mini verdict: The Oppo Reno 10x Zoom is a stylish phone – between its sleek look, asymmetrical pop-up and delicate back colours, it looks great – and, surprisingly for a Chinese smartphone with its own UI, the software is good to look at too. Read our full Oppo Reno 10x Zoom review Yeah, that's right - Samsung now offers two versions of its S Pen-toting Note range, and this one comes with a lower spec than the one you've read about earlier in this list. The Galaxy Note 10 is better for those with smaller hands, thanks to its much smaller display and smaller dimensions, but the battery life suffers a little for that. Screen: This may be a Samsung Galaxy Note handset, but the display isn't anywhere near as big as you'd expect. It's a 6.3-inch display with an Infinity-O cutout for the selfie camera. Battery life: The battery is where the Galaxy Note 10 begins to suffer a little as we found it regularly ran out before the end of a full day, but it's enough for average usage. Camera: The rear camera of the Galaxy Note 10 is similar to all other flagship Samsung phones released in 2019, and it's good but not the best we've seen on a smartphone. Mini verdict: The Galaxy Note 10 isn't as high-spec as the Galaxy Note 10 Plus, but if you want a stylus on a smaller phone than the gargantuan Plus then you may want to opt for this. Read our full Samsung Galaxy Note 10 review If you're looking for an affordable flagship phone which doesn't have any major compromises on features or functionality, stop looking and check out the OnePlus 7T. Screen: One of the highlights of the 7T is its large 90Hz display. It can compete with most top-end handsets and offers great colour accuracy and response. Battery life: The OnePlus 7T battery provides all-day use from a single charge. It's unlikely to go much further than a day, but it's what we've come to expect these days. Camera: The OnePlus 7T camera feels like a significant improvement over the OnePlus 7, with some impressive software wizardry on tap to optimize your images. Mini verdict: The OnePlus 7T is the best 'T' upgrade to any OnePlus phone to date and an attractive proposition for those who find the OnePlus 7T Pro too bulky. Read our full: OnePlus 7T review Image Credit: TechRadar Like the look of the new S10 and S10 Plus, but not a fan of their lofty price tags? Well fear not, as Samsung has catered for you with the Galaxy S10e. The Galaxy S10e has many of the flagship features of its pricier siblings, while offering a more palm-friendly size and a few compromises to help keep the cost down. Screen: You don't get a QHD resolution here, instead you'll have to accept a Full HD+ 5.8-inch screen - but the Super AMOLED display provides plenty of colour and pop. Battery life: We found battery life lasted a day on a single charge - which is what we've come to expect from phones - plus its wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare making topping it up, and you other devices, even easier. Camera: The dual camera setup on the S10e isn't quite as good as the triple cameras on the S10 and S10 Plus, but they're still highly capable snappers producing quality photos with ease. Mini verdict: It’s hard not to recommend the S10e to anyone who prefers a smaller phone. Size queens, look elsewhere - this smartphone is for folks who want to text and browse apps one-handed without compromising performance. Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S10e review The Google Pixel 4 XL is a handsome phone in its simplicity, perfect for those looking for a handset with fewer features to be confused by. It's the photography prowess that really excites us about the Pixel 4 XL however, with this phone capable of producing stunning shots, even in the middle of the night. Screen: The 6.3-inch display is colourful, detailed and noticeably smooth thanks to its 90Hz refresh rate, which doesn't only make scrolling web pages and social fluid, but also helps when it comes to gaming. Win, win. Battery life: This is admittedly the weak point of the Pixel 4 XL, with the phone just about last a day on a single charge, but the likelihood is you'll need to top it up when you hit early evening. Camera: There are just two cameras on the rear of the handset, but boy do they perform. Google's improved its Night Sight mode and added in astro-photography chops to really wow you when the sun goes down. Mini verdict: The Pixel 4 XL is the pragmatist's flagship, eschewing the shimmering gradients and waterfall-edged displays of the Galaxy Note 10 or Mate 30 Pro in favour of bold-hued simplicity. If you like shooting photos without much fuss, this is for you. Read our in-depth: Google Pixel 4 XL review The Honor View 20 is the best phone to come out of the Chinese brand, with a striking rear design (which may divide opinion), plenty of power under the hood, an impressive 48MP camera and a 'punch-hole' display which ushers in the post-notch revolution. However, we're sad to say, it now comes with a huge caveat. After Google suspended parent-company Huawei's future access to Android Play Store and security updates, there are serious question marks over the future of Honor phones. While Google and Huawei have promised to support phones currently on the market, it's not clear how long they'll receive Android updates or access to the Google Play Store, which would severely curtail their usefulness compared to the competition. Screen: There's a huge 6.4-inch display on the View 20, giving you plenty of space to play with. It's the location of the front-facing, 25MP camera within the screen which is the real talking point though, as rather than appearing in a bezel or a notch which juts into the screen, it's surround by screen. It's different, but will it catch on? Battery life: The Honor View 20 has a big 4,000mAh and the result is a battery which will comfortably last through an entire day and into the next on a single charge. Camera: The View 20 is the world's first smartphone to boast a 48MP rear camera, as the firm has used Sony's new sensor to provide a camera which really packs a punch. Mini verdict: An ultra-high-resolution camera and punch hole screen are the highlights on the Honor View 20, and they set a standard this year’s more expensive phones will need to match. Read more: Honor View 20 review A surprise addition to our best smartphone rundown, the Asus Zenfone 6 is a great handset with plenty of features and a fun little party piece. That party piece is the ZenFone 6's flip-up camera, which rotates around from the back, so the same two powerful lenses are used for both selfies and regular shots. It's certainly something you can show off to your friends. Screen: The large 6.4-inch LCD display packs in plenty of colours and a decent brightness level providing you with great visuals. And with the rear cameras also acting as the front cameras, bezels around the screen are kept to a minimum for an almost all-display design. Battery life: Asus says the Zenfone 6 lasts for a full two days between charges, and that's pretty much what we found. To be more realistic, it lasts until bedtime on day two, which is still a fantastic result. Camera: The camera is clearly the most unusual part of the Asus ZenFone 6. However, it feels quite normal until you start flipping its housing around. It lets you shoot virtually any scene carelessly and you'll almost always get a decent photo out of it. Mini verdict: This is the best phone choice for those looking for something a little geeky and unusual. The flip camera is not as slick and safely designed as its pop-up rivals, but it can follow subjects, act as a stand, and lets you shoot better selfie video. Read more: Asus Zenfone 6 review The OnePlus 7 Pro may have been replaced by the 7T Pro, but the difference between the two handsets is minimal, which means this is still one of the best smartphones around. It's now cheaper too, thanks to the arrival of its successor, so you can bag yourself a bit of a bargain if you shop around. Screen: This is the main draw. Thanks to a mechanical pop-up selfie camera, the OnePlus 7 Pro has the best screen we've tested. No notch and punch-hole camera in sight, and it stretches from edge to edge. Even better, its 90Hz screen refresh rate gives it more fluid movement. Battery life: The OnePlus 7 Pro has fairly good, but not great battery life thanks to its 4,000mAh battery. It'll get you through a whole day, but not much more than that. The real news is its Warp Charge 30 adapter that allows this phone to go from 0% to 100% in a little over an hour. It's very fast. Camera: The camera has always been the weakest part of the OnePlus lineup, but we've experienced better phones from the OnePlus 7 Pro. It's not going to top our best camera phones list, but the triple lens (regular, ultra-wide and telephoto) did a fine job in proper light. Mini verdict: The OnePlus 7 Pro has the wow factor missing from some smartphones in 2019 thanks to what's on the screen (90Hz fluidity) and what's not (a camera notch). It looks the part of a flagship phone and acts more expensive than it really in part because of its top-shelf specs. Read more: OnePlus 7 Pro review You're at the end of our best smartphone guide, but that doesn't mean we can't help you still - if you're stuck on which model is for you, we've got a tool that can compare all the phones together and you can decide which one suits you best based on the cost. If you want to get all the info, then use the tool below or check out our full mobile phone deals page. Enter price comparisonThis posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best cheap phones in the US 2019 Posted: 03 Dec 2019 11:11 AM PST The best cheap phone in the US can be a bit tough to choose since it won't always come down to comparing price. Some of the best cheap smartphones are actually older higher-tier models with heavy discounts, while certain new phones offer killer value and the latest perks. One of the most important things to consider while shopping for the best cheap phone is, obviously, the price. One person's 'cheap' isn't necessarily someone else's 'affordable.' With flagship phone prices from Apple and Samsung skyrocketing higher than $1,000, some folks may find anything under $600 cheap, while those with tighter budgets could be looking below $400 or even below $200 for a handset. In any case, nobody gets left out when it comes to great cheap smartphones. Older flagship handsets from Samsung and Apple come in at prices that thrifty shoppers can afford, and new phones from OnePlus, Motorola, and others which might have fallen off your radar pack the latest tech into affordable packages, and are worth considering. We've assembled a ranked list of the best phones under $600, $500, $400, and $200. No matter your budget, we're recommending a smartphone for you based on these price tiers. These value phones are frequently unlocked, contract-free, and SIM-free, making them even easier to pick up and try out. Just know that mobile devices on this list definitely won’t be the absolute best phones money can buy in the US. Don't expect the high-end iPhone 11 Pro or Samsung Galaxy Note 10 here. A lot of these are a step below in performance and quality, but in line with their low prices. In fact, every cheap phone here should be just fine for anyone looking to save several hundred dollars on a discounted iOS 13 or Android Q device. Here are our top recommendations.
OnePlus 7T The OnePlus 7T is a return to a cheaper phone after the OnePlus 7 Pro (the standard OnePlus 7 wasn't sold in the US), yet it might still be too pricey for some. But we have to start somewhere, and a standout phone for under $600 is where we begin. While the 7T doesn't have quite the standout perks of the OnePlus 7 Pro (notably, the pop-up selfie camera), but the company opted to pack more features in and raise the price to $699. Even so, you're not missing much by picking the 7T, which got the same slew of three top-tier rear cameras. The OnePlus 7T deserves a spot on this list simply because it features flagship-level specs (which are even better than some flagship phones with its 8GB of RAM) and a big screen north of six inches, with a price that falls south of every major flagship out there. But if the $599 starting price of the OnePlus 7T is still a bit much, track down a OnePlus 6T (released in late 2018), which has year-old specs for even lower prices. Read the full review: OnePlus 7T You're never going to get a cheap iPhone if you opt for the newest models. But, if you dig a little deeper, you can get an older model at a good price. The iPhone 8 may have a dated design next to the iPhone X and 2018 iPhones – bigger bezels, fewer cameras – but it offers a strong price-to-performance value. The A11 Bionic chipset inside of the iPhone 8 is still plenty powerful for anything you'll throw at it, and Apple keeps legacy devices supported for a long time. So you'll be able to update the operating system to iOS 12 and probably even to iOS 13 and beyond. The rest of its specs aren't too shabby, with a 12MP rear camera, 7MP front-facing camera, 2GB of RAM and either 64GB or 256GB of storage. While the 1,821mAh battery isn't huge compared to flagships, it can change wirelessly. Read the full review: iPhone 8 Image credit: TechRadar If you're patient, Samsung's flagship Galaxy S devices have been getting some of the biggest and most consistent discounts after their release. The Galaxy S9 is no exception. The phone is only a little over a year old, and already you can find it for under $500. Better still, it's not going to feel too dated. You'll be able to run Android Pie and the Snapdragon 845 chipset with 4GB of RAM is still reasonably powerful. The reduced bezels around the display help it stay relatively trendy, while the high resolution display isn't likely to show signs of aging in the phone's lifetime. Add in an IP68 rating against water and dust, and it's a high value phone that you're not likely to have to replace because of a little accident at the pool. Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S9 If you look to the smartphone manufacturers that don't have incredible popularity, you can often find strong value options. That's the case with the Honor View 10. When it launched, it was offering strong performance from a Kirin 970 chipset that came paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which are higher specs than what the base Galaxy S9 included. The Honor View 10's design may not win over any who prize elegance with its a simple and dated style, but its aluminum sides and back are still a step above normal budget builds. Plus, it manages to be thinner than the iPhone XS and Galaxy S9 while still having strong battery life and including a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone also has expandable storage using a microSD card if 128GB isn't enough. Read the full review: Honor View 10 The Moto Z3 Play isn't an especially impressive smartphone, especially compared to the OnePlus 6T. With 4GB RAM, a less-powerful Snapdragon 636 chip, smaller battery and a slightly smaller screen, it's outdone by OnePlus' phone in almost every way. Almost – because the ace up Moto's sleeve are its signature MotoMods which snap to the back of its phones to add functionality. While some are far less useful (like the projector), others can be handy, like those adding big speakers or a lot more battery life. Still, the Moto Z3 Play starts at $349 now thanks to a price cut, and you can likely find other combos to sweeten the deal. Read the full review: Moto Z3 Play Image credit: TechRadar That's right, Nokia still has phones coming out. Things where dicey for a while there, but the company has been making a comeback recently, and its Nokia 7.1 handset offers a strong value. The Nokia 7.1 offers a big, bright screen with the notch we've seen on so many other smartphones in the past couple years. The display even supports HDR10 for superior contrast and colors. The Snapdragon 636 chipset isn't the most powerful, but will do for all but the most serious mobile gamers and power users. And, all of that is packed into an a aluminum and glass design the won't feel nearly as cheap as the phone is. Read our in-depth review: Nokia 7.1 Image Credit: TechRadar When you're looking for a great budget smartphone, you should always see what Motorola is cooking up in its Moto G line. The family of smartphone almost always has something strong on offer, and the Moto G7 is no exception. The Moto G7 has a capable is not incredible Snapdragon 632 chipset with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. And, it's fit into a modern looking chassis. The edges are aluminum, with glass on the front and back. The screen really brings the Moto G7 into modernity, with a big, 6.2-inch display that has just a small teardrop notch at the top akin to the OnePlus 6T. You also get a fingerprint scanner on the back, dual rear cameras, a headphone jack, and light water resistance. Read our in-depth review: Moto G7 Image credit: TechRadar If you like the sound of the Moto G7 but want to be sure you've got the battery life to make it through the day and then some, the Moto G7 Power is another strong option at a value-friendly price. The Moto G7 Power packs a 6.2-inch display into the body, though it has a big screen notch at the top. The resolution is lower than the standard Moto G7, but that can serve to keep the performance smoother and battery life longer. With a 5,000mAh battery, the Moto G7 Power is definitely a top option for budget shoppers looking for a smartphone that'll last all day without concern. It's not the most exciting phone, but it's also way cheaper than the most exciting phones – and you won't have to worry about buying an external battery pack. Read our in-depth review: Moto G7 Power review Image Credit: TechRadar If you want one of the Moto G7 phones but needed to go for an even lower price, the Moto G7 Play is a compelling option. It still has the Snapdragon 632 chipset powering the more expensive Moto G7 models, but it comes at a price well below the others. That said, it does come with only 2GB of RAM, which won't help much with heavy multitasking. Still, at a budget price, you're getting a screen that looks fairly modern with a notch at the top, even if it doesn't serve much purpose beyond a particular aesthetic. Even if the resolution is only HD Plus, it still musters a pixel density of 294ppi at 5.7 inches. Beyond that, you get a fingerprint scanner, a headphone jack, and USB-C for charging, though you'll have to buy a Motorola Turbo Charger yourself. Read our in-depth review: Moto G7 Play review iPhone SE Apple's last hurrah for the four-inch form factor is still one of our favorites, even if the company doesn't sell it directly anymore. The phone brings specs that put in on par with the iPhone 6S. The fact that you can usually get this smartphone for under $300 already makes it an absolute steal if you're a loyal iOS user, and we've seen it under $200. Sure, it doesn't come with all of the bells and whistles of a brand new iPhone XR or iPhone XS, but complete with the iOS 12 update that came to this (and many other) older iPhone models, it's made even faster than before. Plus, if you like being able to use your smartphone with one hand, no new iPhone is as ready for that. Read the full review: iPhone SE
Cameron Faulkner and David Lumb contributed to this list. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best phone in the US for 2019: the top 15 smartphones we've tested Posted: 03 Dec 2019 11:08 AM PST Our best phones 2019 list has changed dramatically thanks to new smartphones that keep being released: the Galaxy Note 10 in August, iPhone 11 in September, and the Google Pixel 4 in October. That means it's smartphone shopping season. Picking up one of these top-tier handsets is an expensive investment, no matter if it comes from Samsung, Apple or Google. Some of these phone prices start at $1,000, so you'll want to take your decision seriously. But don't worry: we're here to guide you through the ins and outs of each...along with our professional opinion about how they rank. Our idea of the best phone has a big screen, yet is easy to handle; packs a camera suite capable of replacing a point-and-shoot; and has enough processor power and battery to get work done while you're on the go. You won't find slow smartphones with anything less than all-day battery life on this list. Tomorrow's top smartphone? That'll probably be a 5G phone, like the Galaxy S10 5G, and then, eventually, a foldable phone with 5G, starting with the Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold. But foldable phones are unproven, and 5G in the US isn't in enough cities around the country to recommend. Our list will remain practical. Why we have more than a No. 1 pick: We have a top pick, but not everyone looks for the same smartphone features. Some will demand iOS 13 and cling to Apple's iMessage, while others will want customizations and Google Assistant tools available in Android 10. Our phone reviews and best phone list reflect that diversity. Likewise, your contract with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile is a preference. The best phone for AT&T may not be available on-contract on Verizon, and vice-versa. While we've seen more unlocked phones in the US in 2019, not all are available for every carrier. We have to take that into account when recommending phones, and we favor those that are completely unlocked or available on the four major carriers. Our pick for best phone isn't just crowning the newest iPhone and calling it a day, though our list does have a lot of familiar names: Apple, Samsung, Google and LG, all in the top 15. Newer companies in the US like Huawei and OnePlus make the list, too, though their limited availability is noted. Best phone at a glance:
The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is the best phone you can get for Android right now, if you're just going by specs. Naturally, as the first flagship of 2019, its new Snapdragon 855 processor is the big standout here with even better performance than the phones that closed out 2018. Add in a few cool new (but not essential) features, Samsung's stunning-as-ever display and design as well as top specs and you have a true flagship – for a true flagship price, of course, starting at $999. Screen: The 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display is gorgeous, but that's not surprising. it's the same size as the Galaxy Note 9's screen, and far larger than the Galaxy S9 Plus' 6.2-inch display. The 'Infinity O' display ditches the notch for a punch-hole in the top right corner. Yes, it's twice as wide as the hole in the S10 and S10e, but how else will you fit in the extra selfie camera? This choice (and thin bezels) enable a stunning 93.1% screen-to-body ratio, which keeps the phone as slim as possible. Battery Life: The S10 Plus' 4,100mAh battery is Samsung's largest yet, just nudging past the Note 9's 4,000mAh and far beyond the 3,500mAh one in the Galaxy S9 Plus. While that didn't lead the new phone's battery life to outpace its predecessors, it still kept it going through the full day with 10%-30% to spare in our casual testing. This is, of course, with standard settings: bump up the resolution from Full HD+ to QHD+, brighten the display or keep it on longer, and the battery will drain faster. Camera: The S10 Plus has three cameras on the back: a 12MP regular lens, a 12MP optically zoomed telephoto lens, and a new 16MP ultra-wide lens. We found the photo quality to be a bit variable – perhaps due to the dual-aperture main lens – with good but not consistent low-light performance. It's not quite up to par with the Google Pixel 3's Night Vision mode, but it still outpaces most other phone cameras on the market. The two front-facing cameras allow depth for Portrait mode-style photos, which is worth the wider punch-hole gap in the display. Mini verdict: After some time with the standard Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10e, we can say for sure that the S10 Plus beats them out. It has the best specs, cameras and battery life of the whole set, and it's not too much more expensive than the other models. If you want a phone that will blow every other device out of the water in early 2019 – as well as its in-screen fingerprint sensor and reverse charging – this is your only real option. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review The iPhone 11 isn't technically superior to the iPhone 11 Pro series, but it's priced so well (for an iPhone) and has most of the key features you'll won't need much else from an Apple device. It takes the place of the iPhone XR with the same 6.1-inch screen, but a new dual-lens camera on back. Screen: The 6.1-inch screen fits in between the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max sizes, making it an appealing choice if you want a large screen, but not the biggest. While it doesn't have the perks of the OLED display on the Pro models, some people won't notice a difference unless you see all of the phones side-by-side. It's still a brilliant-looking phone, if you don't mind the notch. Battery life: This iPhone can delivery all-day battery life, and it's slightly better than the iPhone XR battery, which we thought was stellar last year. The iPhone 11 Pro does last a bit longer and comes with a fast charger in the box – the iPhone 11 does not. Camera: This is close to the best iPhone camera, with both a 12MP main camera and a new 12MP ultra-wide camera to cram more into the frame. It's missing the triple-lens camera on the Pro models, which adds in a telephoto lens, but you're getting the two essential cameras from that pairing, and it includes a long exposure night mode that will automatically bright up dark photos. Mini verdict: The best thing about this new iPhone is that it costs $699, cheaper than the XR at launch a year ago. Read more: iPhone 11 review. This is Samsung's most expensive non-foldable phone, and the big perk is that it comes with the handy S Pen that does new tricks. The screen is the most exquisite part of this really big phone, but you'll have to be able to handle its large size and equally big starting price. Screen: Can you handle a phone with a 6.8-inch display? If the answer is yes, then you'll really enjoy this big-and-tall curved Infinity Display. It's immersive and easy to ignore the small front-facing camera hole at the center-top of the screen. It's the best display we've seen on a big phone. Battery life: The Note 10 has a 4,300mAh battery, and we found that it goes a day and a half with normal use without a problem. Samsung has improved its underlying battery saving tech and it's also equipped its phone with a 25W fast charger in the box and, there's compatibility with 15W fast wireless charging now. Camera: This is where the Note 10 Plus shines, even if it isn't the best camera phone – it's the camera we had the most fun playing with. Some of that it thanks to the five cameras: four on the back and one on the front. You have the standard wide lens, the 123 degree field-of-view ultra-wide lens, and the 2x optical zoom telephoto lens. But we really liked the selfie camera here thanks to fun filters like Color Point that keep you in color but isolate the background in black-and-white. Mini verdict: The Note 10 is impressive and certainly impressively big. The S Pen is used for more than taking notes these days, and contains some tricks like trigger a remote camera shutter and a few new gesture controls. These won't sell you on the phone, though. They're nice-to-haves. What will tempt you is that immersive screen and great battery life. Read our in-depth: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus review The iPhone 11 Pro Max is the biggest phone Apple has created, and it's also the most high-spec'd phone from the company. It's expensive even by iPhone standards, but it features an all-screen, notch-toting, almost bezel-free design with masses of power under the hood. The big upgrades compared to the iPhone XS Max are the improved cameras and boosted power. Screen: The 6.5-inch OLED screen on the iPhone 11 Pro Max really grabbed our attention - it's fantastic for video streaming and gaming. Battery life: This is some of the best battery life we've ever experienced on an iPhone, with further optimizations within iOS and a larger cell inside the phone itself. It's still not game-changing, but it's better than other Apple handsets. Camera: The triple camera setup on the iPhone 11 Pro Max is fantastic. This is the first time Apple has implemented three rear cameras, and it offers a great experience. Plus, it can be fun to use. Mini verdict: If your hands are as big as your bank balance, the iPhone 11 Pro Max takes Apple's smartphone to a whole new level with an improved camera and more. Read our in-depth iPhone 11 Pro Max review The Samsung S10e is the littlest (and least pricey) sibling of the S10 line in both size and features. While it loses out on a few of the cutting-edge features like in-screen fingerprint scanner and a telephoto lens, its remaining arsenal of flagship specs, ultrawide camera and good interface make the S10e a standout at a discount. Plus, it's small enough to use one-handed. Screen: The 5.8-inch AMOLED screen is crisp and sharp, with enough bright colors and customization options to tweak to your liking. While it's nice that the budget flagship of the S10 line has an OLED screen (unlike the iPhone XR with its LCD display), it's not as high resolution as its bigger siblings, capping out at 1080 x 2280 pixels to the S10 and S10 Plus' 1440 x 3040 pixel maximum. Battery life: A 3,100mAh capacity isn't the biggest battery on the market, but it will see you through the day, and may last longer than you think thanks to the phone's smaller screen. You'll need to stretch it out if you plan to use Wireless PowerShare, the S10 line's new feature that lets you donate battery charge to another Qi-charging device. Don't worry, it won't drain yours to oblivion: the feature shuts down when your phone hits 30% battery. Camera: Considering the standard Galaxy S9 had a single lens, the S10e is a major upgrade with its two useful cameras. The first is the standard 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4 Dual Aperture lens found in the phone's predecessor (switching between the two in day/night shots), while the second is a 16MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens that manages 123-degree field of view. While the phone misses the 2x telephoto of the other S10 phones, its ultrawide is far more useful. Mini verdict: The S10e is a fantastic little phone, perfect for anyone who wants to use their flagship phone one-handed – or just wants all the best specs at a lower price. While it's still more expensive than midrange phones or the current value champion, the OnePlus 6T, the S10e has more features and cutting-edge specs to push it beyond the competition. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S10e review This is the best in phone value if you want an all-screen display and don't want to pay for the Samsung or Apple name. it's a bit cheaper than the Galaxy S10e, though not as affordable as last year's OnePlus 6T. It has almost everything except wireless charging, a microSD card slot and a perfect camera. Screen: This is the main draw. Thanks to a mechanical pop-up selfie camera, the OnePlus 7 Pro has the best screen we've tested. No notch and punch-hole camera in sight, and it stretches from edge to edge. Even better, its 90Hz screen refresh rate gives it more fluid movement. Samsung's screen has been dethroned. Battery life: The OnePlus 6T has fairly good, but not great battery life thanks to its 4,000mAh battery. It'll get you through a whole day, but not much more than that. The real news is its Warp Charge 30 adapter that allows this phone to go from 0% to 100% in a little over an hour. It's very fast. Camera: The camera has always been the weakest part of the OnePlus lineup, but we've experienced better phones from the OnePlus 7 Pro. It's not going to top our best camera phones list, but the triple lens (regular, ultra-wide and telephoto) did a fine job in proper light. Nightscape mode has been improved, but begs for a tripod in mixed light (any lights in dark scene tend to smear). Mini verdict: The OnePlus 7 Pro has the wow factor missing from smartphones in 2019 thanks to what's on the screen (90Hz fluidity) and what's not (a camera notch). It looks the part of a flagship phone and acts more expensive than it really in part because of its top-shelf specs. As long as you don't want the best camera phone, this a solid option. Read more: OnePlus 7 Pro review The Google Pixel 4 XL came out in October, bringing a long-awaited second camera lens, new radar technology with face unlock, and a better screen. While it's still one of our top smartphone cameras, the loss of the rear fingerprint sensor and middling new features like the erratic Face Unlock and aerial gesture control Motion Sense makes this Pixel iteration less of a generational leap than its predecessors. Screen: The Pixel 4 XL has the same 6.3-inch screen as the Pixel 3 XL, though it's been stretched to a 19:9 aspect ratio and its refresh rate has been upped to 90Hz for smoother app browsing and gaming. Last year's notch has been ditched for a return to a solid black bar. Colors are rich on the OLED display, and thanks to the dual front-facing speakers, it makes for a handy streaming device. Battery life: While the 3,700mAh capacity sounds like a lot, we found the battery lasted less than a day with even moderate use - any extreme GPS or photo sessions will drain it even faster. If you’re not taking a lot of photos, it may be easier to get a full day of battery, but with such a good camera, it may be tough to avoid. Camera: The Pixel 4 XL’s cameras are its best selling point. On back, the 12.2MP sensor paired with Google’s brilliant software optimization make for stunning photos in most situations, and the added 16MP telephoto enables respectable hybrid zoom clarity with its Super Res Zoom feature. Best of all, the Night Sight mode has been improved - and can even snap shots of the heavens with its Astrophotography function. Mini verdict: The Pixel 4 XL is powerful and its camera capability is still great, but its middling new features and compromises make it a bit less of a standout iteration. Still, with Google’s knack for photo optimization, this phone can almost sell itself with the camera alone. Read more: Google Pixel 4 XL review Image Credit: TechRadar Here in the US, Huawei phones are not as familiar to shoppers as Apple and Samsung's best phones. But, that doesn't mean they don't have as much to offer. From Hauwei's Mate line to it's P series, it is making some of the very best phones, and the P30 Pro is is a true champion from the Chinese manufacturer. Screen: The P30 Pro has a large, 6.47-inch display with only a thin chin bezel at the bottom of the screen and a teardrop notch at the top. It's a sharp OLED display, and though it doesn't have as high a resolution as some others, we'd be hard pressed to see the difference. Battery life: The Huawei P30 Pro turns up in the battery department with a 4,200mAh cell. That's easily enough for a whole day, and can pull through a day in a half comfortably or even two days with light use. There's enough power there that Huawei enabled reverse wireless charging to let the P30 Pro power other phones. Camera: While plenty about the P30 Pro is of flagship quality, the cameras are where it really stands out. Its suite of cameras make it among the very best camera phones in the world. It combines a high-resolution main camera, a camera with powerful zoom, an ultra-wide angle camera, and a time-of-flight sensor to handle depth. This makes it incredibly versatile, capable of taking better long-distance and low-light photos than most other phones. Mini verdict: If you're after a phone with great looks and a camera that's ready for just about anything, then the Huawei P30 Pro is an excellent option. It also offers a price that stays below a lot of its competition. However, availability concerns in the US hold it back a bit. Read more: Huawei P30 Pro review The bigger S10 Plus is by far Samsung's best phone, but the standard S10 backs almost all the same top-end features into a more compact form factor and slightly lower price tag. And yet, the S10e loses a few of those for even lower cost, putting the standard S10 in an awkward place. This middle child is a great phone, but it's overshadowed by both its siblings, which occupy more desired niches in the smartphone market. Screen: With a 6.1-inch display you're not exactly getting a small screen with the standard S10, but Samsung has reduced bezels even more over the S9, keeping the dimensions surprisingly compact. You also get a fingerprint scanner embedded in the display, meaning there isn't one on the back for a seamless rear cover. Battery life: The battery in the S10 has grown versus the one in the S9, but with the increased screen size as well you're still looking at all-day battery life with a nightly charge. The S10 also has Samsung's new Wireless PowerShare, allowing you to wirelessly charge other devices on the rear of the handset. Camera: Like the S10 Plus, the trio of cameras on the Galaxy S10 are among the best on the market, building on the excellent setup on the S9 series by offering more features, shooting modes and overall clarity. Mini verdict: The Samsung Galaxy S10 gets proper under-the-hood upgrades, two more lenses and fun new perks. You’ll like all of these powerful features, while your friends will like the new Wireless PowerShare perk – it helps them out more than you. Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S10 review Apple’s iPhone XR was a little bit late to launch after the iPhone XS and XS Max that launched a bit earlier. But thanks to its lower price point, it makes for a more affordable option than the XS models. For some, the powerful internals paired with the large screen and lower price will make for a compelling buy, especially thanks to the surprisingly good battery. Screen: The iPhone XR screen isn’t its strongest selling point, as it’s a notable downgrade. It’s resolution falls short of Full HD, and it’s not a battery-friendly OLED. Still, the Liquid Retina LCD display used still has good sharpness and brilliant colors.That said, the 6.1-inch display offers plenty of real estate. Battery life: Though this is the more affordable iPhone to come out in Apple’s latest batch, its battery life stands out. Thanks to the A12 Bionic and chipset and lower resolution, the battery performance is great, making it the first iPhone that could comfortably get through a whole day of use in our testing without us worrying about. Camera: While the other iPhones have dual rear cameras, the iPhone XR has just one sensor. For normal photo shooting, it does a great job though. The lack of a second camera also reduces the quality of Portrait Mode photos. But, the detractors came largely in comparison to other top cameras. Mini verdict: The iPhone XR has all the performance of its more expensive siblings on the inside. It’s camera and screen may not be as impressive, but where it truly dazzles is in the battery life. If you want an iPhone with a battery you won’t always worry about, the iPhone XR is it. Read more: iPhone XR review iPhone XS is a minor, but important upgrade over last year's completely redesign iPhone. It's noticeably faster and has an improved dual-lens camera to make it a better choice, if you're willing to pay the same launch price. No the look of the 5.8-inch new iPhone hasn't changed on the outside, but if you want a more one-hand-friendly size for a cutting-edge iPhone, this is the one to buy. Screen: The 5.8-inch OLED on this iPhone is big, but not a turn off for some people who literally can't handle the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max (which we like a bit more in our big mitts). This phone size isn't too much bigger than your old 4.7-inch iPhone 7 or iPhone 6 thanks to its reduced bezel – though you'll miss the Touch ID home button. You'll forget about that when staring into the color-rich OLED that's dreamier than the old iPhone LCD. Battery life: The iPhone XS has about the same battery life as the iPhone X, so you'll get all-day battery life with normal use. Power users may struggle a bit without one of the best power banks, and although Apple says it has 30 minutes more battery life than the iPhone X, the smaller capacity and our tests show it's shy of that claim. Camera: This is where you'll see differences in the otherwise familiar-looking iPhone XS. Its dual-lens camera offers Smart HDR and optical image stabilization (OIS). It's not as vivid as the cameras on a Google Pixel 2 or Samsung Galaxy S9, but you'll get true-to-life photos that make the 2018 iPhone's a worthy upgrade. Mini verdict: Although still expensive, the iPhone XS is our best phone for someone who wants to use iOS 12 and doesn't want to spend even more money on the bigger iPhone XS Max. You have your limits, and that may be 5.8 inches and $1,000. Read more: iPhone XS review The Google Pixel 3 XL brings higher end internals and a notched screen to the latest iteration of Google’s larger phone. It’s got the same great cameras as its smaller sibling, but more screen and more battery. Unfortunately that also means a higher price. Screen: The Pixel 3 XL has a sizable 6.3-inch OLED screen with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. There’s HDR support and a sharp 1440 x 2960 resolution. The viewing experience is good, though this screen does have a rather chunky notch that may not be to everyone’s liking. Battery life: In our testing, we found the 3,430mAh battery to be plenty. Power users can get a full day, and average users are likely to find themselves getting a day and a half. Some of that battery performance is likely coming from good battery optimization within Android Pie. Fast charging and fast wireless charging just round out the offering. Camera: The Pixel 3 XL has the cameras to beat. Google knows how to make a good camera that far exceeds what the specs sheet says. It uses a 12.2MP rear sensor, but software optimization helps it outperform other smartphone cameras in just about all cases. The dual front-facing cameras also give selfie-lovers some extra versatility. Mini verdict: The Pixel 3 XL improves on the previous generations design, fitting more screen into roughly the same size. It also manages a battery life that should satisfy most. Best of all, the camera is better than anything else you’ll find (except the Pixel 3, which is just as good). Read more: Google Pixel 3 XL review The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is aging gracefully. It's cheaper and a bit less powerful than its Galaxy S10 Plus successor. But, it's still a big phone with an expansive screen, top-of-the-line camera and all-day battery life. This is still one of the best Samsung phones you can buy in the US if you have large enough hands for its massive size. Screen: Its 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display that really sells this phone, and not because it has more pixels than before (it doesn't) than last year's S8. It’s the futuristic-looking curved edges, vibrant colors, and high contrast ratio that make the screen pop. It's hard to go back to any other size once you hold this large, beautiful light beam in your hand. Battery life: Samsung's 3,500mAh battery is large enough to last all day and a little bit more. It's better than the normal-sized S9, though other phones out of China are maxing out at 5,000mAh these days. It's the one area this handsets seems adequate and not Plus-sized. Luckily, it support Samsung's very quick fast charging standard. Camera: Low-light scenarios are no match the the Galaxy S9 Plus dual-lens, dual-aperture. It does a fine job at amping up dark environments without adding noise that you'll see from other camera phone. It does smooth out textures in the process, but it's on par with, and at times better, than the Google Pixel 2. Mini verdict: The Galaxy S9 Plus is Samsung's answer to the iPhone X, but better in several ways. It too has stereo speakers, face unlock, AR Emoji and vertically stacked 12MP dual cameras. What's better? Its better low-light photos, 3.5mm headphone jack and larger 6.2-inch curved all-screen display – without a notch. No one else has this combination right now. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has shown some staying power, even as the Galaxy S10 line launched. It's intro price of $999 was staggering to see, but Samsung's best phones have a way of coming down in price within a few months of launch, and that helps make the Note 9 a bit of a steal. Screen: Samsung's 6.4-inch Infinity Display is slightly bigger (taller, but actually more narrow than the Note 8) and wraps around the sides for a nice curved look and feel. Samsung is anti-bezel and anti-notch. What you may not see at first is the extreme brightness of this display and the color reproduction. It's impressive when you see it in person. Battery life: The Note 9 has a 4,000mAh battery and is the key reason we like it over the S9 Plus. The capacity is 14.2% bigger than the S9 Plus and 33.3% bigger than the S9. It lasts all day with heavy use and deep into a day two with normal use. You can also charge over wireless easily, and fast charging boots in 17% battery in 15 mins. Camera: The Note 9 camera is impressive, just like the S9 Plus six month before it, and it has the added benefit of remotely capturing photos from up to 30 ft away via the Bluetooth S Pen. Samsung also added AI smarts to the camera that automatically adjusts the white balance and color based on the scene it detects. The camera does as well as the Google Pixel 2 in low-light (sometimes better, sometimes worse, but not by much in either direction), and the default camera app is robust (more so than Google's), yet remains streamlined and initiative. It does lack HDR video recording, seen on other Android phones from Sony and LG. Mini verdict: The Note 9 is bigger in all ways, including the price. It was one of the most expensive phones in the US when it launched, but that's not the case anymore. And, you're still getting a great camera and ample storage (and a microSD card slot) for your money. The battery is big, too. Samsung packs a lot into its all-day smartphone with a stylus. Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review The Moto G7 Power is our favorite from Motorola's budget G7 series because it fills a very particular niche: the biggest battery you can find this side of a 5G phone, and for much cheaper than a flagship. The 5,000mAh battery really is the standout feature here, which should last you days plural. Everything else isn't bad, with a Snapdragon 632 processor and 3 or 4GB. The 32GB baseline storage (64GB upgraded) isn't great, but it's expandable via microSD up to 1TB. In other words, aside from a decent but not spectacular 12MP camera, the phone has few obvious shortcomings at its price ($249 at launch in February 2019, but can be had for cheaper by now). Read our Moto G7 Power review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New Android flagship phones in 2020 will use the Snapdragon 865 5G chipset Posted: 03 Dec 2019 11:00 AM PST New Android phones haven’t been announced for 2020, but the chip that’s likely to power many of them has been named. The Snapdragon 865 chipset was officially announced by Qualcomm at its annual Snapdragon Summit, with the company noting that it’ll focus on 5G and AI capabilities. The specifics about the performance and feature-set of this 7nm chipset - pictured to be smaller than a penny - are still being kept under wraps. However we know it’ll take advantage of the new Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System, which Qualcomm touts as the world’s most advanced 5G platform. Which phones will get the Snapdragon 865?The Snapdragon 865 is essentially the sequel to the widely used Snapdragon 855 chipset found at the heart of the Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy Note 10, OnePlus 7 Pro, LG G8, Google Pixel 4 and several other top tier Android phones. This means you’re likely to see the rumored Samsung Galaxy S11, Note 11, OnePlus 8, LG G9 and Google Pixel 5 all use this 5G-focused chipset in the next few months. Expect news to break regarding the first 865-powered phones at or right before MWC 2020 in February. It’s sometimes easier to list which phones won’t get this chipset than list of which ones will. Huawei and sometimes Samsung for select markets make their own chipsets for smartphones. Apple has always made its own chipset for the iPhone, though it’s reportedly going back to using Qualcomm’s modem 2020 in order to deliver the first 5G iPhone. As it stands, very few of the best Android phones don’t use a Snapdragon chip, so the capabilities and benchmarking of the flagship Snapdragon 865 will tell us a lot about our smartphones in 2020. 5G for the masses? Snapdragon 765 hints at thatWhat’s interesting is that there’s going to be a second 5G chipset platform: the Snapdragon 765/765G. It’ll have integrated 5G capabilities (highlighting the 865 chip does not). The naming convention also hints it’ll come to slightly cheaper Android phones (like past 700-series chips have from Qualcomm), bringing 5G to more people, not just top-tier smartphone buyers, in 2020. We’ll have more reporting this week from the Snapdragon Summit, which has become a way to foreshadow how Android phones and always-on laptops will change in the next 12 months. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Resident Evil 3 Remake art leak suggests a reveal is coming soon Posted: 03 Dec 2019 10:01 AM PST Rumors that Resident Evil 3 Remake is in development have been swirling for a while now, and thanks to newly leaked cover art it looks like the game is all but confirmed – and we'd expect a reveal soon. The cover art was spotted on Gamstat (via ResetEra), with Eurogamer sources confirming that it's real. These sources have previously confirmed that the game is in the works, and is on track for a 2020 release. Check out the US/European cover art below: Gamstat also has art for the Japanese versions of the game, which is known as BioHazard in Japan, and what looks to be a different edition, called 'Z Version'. The artwork shows the villain Nemesis lurking over a redesigned Jill Valentine and Carlos Oliveira. When will the reveal be?We're expecting Resident Evil 3 Remake to be officially announced at The Game Awards on December 12, as there are usually some big reveals at Geoff Keighley's annual event. It's not surprising that Capcom has opted to remake the third installment in the series, especially given that Resident Evil 2 Remake was such a success. Hopefully we'll get a glimpse of the new game, and a release date, soon.
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| Plusnet takes the number one spot of cheapest fibre broadband deal in the UK Posted: 03 Dec 2019 09:53 AM PST Black Friday has been and left, you've gone big on your tech purchases and now, you need to save some money. Luckily, if this turn of events lines up with having to renew your broadband deal, we have a bit of a solution for you. Thanks to a new offer from Plusnet, the ISP has managed to shoot to the top to offer the cheapest fibre broadband deal in the UK. Well, it technically comes second after an offer from lesser-known Onestream, however with speeds averaging 17Mb, Onestream's offer feels closer to ADSL than fibre. But for faster fibre speeds than that, Plusnet is offering average speeds of 36Mb for just £22.99 a month. While that is already a pretty great price, Plusnet is also giving £70 off cashback on top of that, effectively bringing the price down to £18.30 a month. That shoots Plusnet below BT, Vodafone, TalkTalk and all of the rest of the competition, just being stopped short of the crown by the Onestream offer mentioned above.
This cheap Plusnet broadband deal in full:What other broadband deals are available this Black Friday?Not a fan of the Plusnet broadband deal above? Not to worry, there are a number of other great options if you're willing to spend a bit more. Choose BT and you will be paying £28.99 a month for speeds averaging 50Mb. While that might sound quite expensive and the contract length is 24 months, the average speeds are excellent and you get a £120 BT reward card. Next to Plusnet as the best fibre broadband deal is TalkTalk. It costs £21.95 for speeds averaging 67Mb, essentially giving you a free speed boost to TalkTalk's faster plan.
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| Singles' Day officially bigger than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined Posted: 03 Dec 2019 09:44 AM PST This year shoppers spent $7.4bn during Black Friday and an additional $9.4bn on Cyber Monday but even when combined, these numbers come nowhere close to the $38bn spent during Alibaba's Singles' Day. Alibaba Cloud has revealed new details on the core technologies used during this year's record-breaking, 24-hour global shopping festival with the first being the third generation of its X-Dragon architecture. The firm's X-Dragon servers are Elastic Bare Metal Servers which helped improved cost efficiency by 20 percent during this years sale. These servers are able to seamlessly integrate computing platforms, including the Elastic Compute Service (ECS) bare metal server and virtual machines, all in a single architecture.
Alibaba Cloud also developed a database called POLARDB which supported sales activity with a peak of 87 million requests processed per second during Singles' Day. The new generation of the cloud-native POLARDB database combines performance with compatibility as well as the availability of traditional enterprise databases in a cost-effective manner. AI-enabled featuresDuring 11.11, Alibaba's customer-service chatbot Alime Shop Assistant, supported by Alibaba DAMO Academy's machine learning technologies, handled 97 percent of online customer inquiries on the firm's e-commerce platforms Taobao and Tmall. Alibaba DAMO Academy also provides enhanced machine translation technology for the cross-border e-commerce platform AliExpress. The technology is able to automatically translate merchant's store and product pages into 21 languages for buyers across Europe, Asia, America and the Middle East. Alibaba DAMO Academy was used 1.66bn times during this year's sale and the service translated over 200bn words into different languages. Taobao even developed a new, real-time communications framework for audio and video on Alibaba Cloud for this year's Singles' Day. The technology managed to reduce network latency from five to seven seconds to 1.5 seconds while improving the real-time interaction experience between broadcasters and users. Video AI identified products mentioned by the broadcasters during their live streams and audiences were able to view product links simultaneously displayed onscreen. Voice search played a role in this year's sale as well and over one million orders were placed and processed through voice command using Alibaba AI Labs' smart speaker, Tmall Genie. Alibaba's Singles' Day continues to break records and online retailers in the US and Europe could learn a lot from studying the success of the Chinese e-commerce giant.
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| The PlayStation is 25 today: here are our favorite PlayStation memories Posted: 03 Dec 2019 09:20 AM PST The original PlayStation launched in Japan on December 3, 1994, and in Europe and America about a year later. 25 years on, the PS4 rules the games world, and the PS2 remains the best-selling console of all time. The PS3... also came out, with its expensive launch price and initially weak software library. The PlayStation changed games forever: it arguably made them mainstream and adult at the same time, and it had an extraordinarily large catalogue of titles. So much love remains for the original PlayStation – it's why Final Fantasy 7 is being remade next year, and why Resident Evil 2's own remake launched to such fanfare this year. Below, the TechRadar team share their own treasured memories of the console.
T-REX DEMO!At a time when the only names in the console business worth mentioning were Nintendo and Sega, Sony’s plans to launch its own console seemed crazy to me at the time – that was until I saw the T-Rex demo (I think it was included on a demo disc with the PS1 as well), which showed off the kinds of graphics effects we could expect with the new console. It blew my little mind at the time – I’d never seen graphics like it, and it was a real statement of intent from Sony, and a great showcase for its new console. That short little demo has become as iconic as some of its games. The birth of stealth games in Metal Gear SolidMetal Gear Solid was arguably the first non-CD-ROM adventure game that felt truly cinematic, with high-quality voice acting (for the time, anyway), and a reasonably mature story about nuclear war. Its moody intro leads into the game's first room, a basement area where you can learn all this revolutionary stealth game's basics: don't step in a puddle, or enemies will hear you. You can punch an enemy and knock them out, but you can only kill them by grabbing them from behind. Did you get caught? Crawl under a surface and hide until the alarm goes away. These fundamentals of stealth gameplay would change games forever. Triple Triad in Final Fantasy VIIIHey, Final Fantasy VII remains the most talked-about RPG on the PlayStation (and that console had a lot of good ones), hence why it's being remade right now in stunning fashion. But Final Fantasy VIII had arguably the best minigame of any game: Triple Triad was a really simple card game where you placed cards on a 3x3 grid, aiming to flip the cards of your opponents by placing more powerful monster cards next to theirs. It was a perfect time-waster in a game that already took tens of hours to finish. Stealing a car in the first Grand Theft AutoGrand Theft Auto was a game of playground legend: an 18-rated, incredibly violent top-down adventure where you could drive around an entire city (several, as a matter of fact). The first GTA, made by DMA Design in Dundee, was unlike anything else on PlayStation, and all the fundamentals that still shape the series (and other Rockstar games, like Red Dead Redemption 2) today are in there: how missions work, that you press triangle to steal a car, and the fact that the most fun always comes from the chaos you create yourself. The PlayStation startup soundEnough said. Iconic gaming mascotsIt’s hard to think about PlayStation without the legendary gaming mascots that are so inherently linked to the brand springing to mind. Over 25 years PlayStation has brought us some iconic characters, including Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Lara Croft, Nathan Drake, Aloy, Kratos and many more. With many of the first-generation titles being remastered, some of these classic characters have been given a new lease of life, and they’re still integral to the brand. It goes to show that PlayStation truly has a knack for creating some of the most charismatic, relatable and memorable characters in gaming A world without walkthroughsWe take it for granted now that, if you get stuck on a tricky level in a game, you can simply go online and find a walkthrough within seconds. Back on the original PlayStation, things were nowhere near as easy, and games felt considerably harder. Stuck on a Resident Evil puzzle? You would only succeed through pure perseverance, or you’d have to go to your local newsagent and pick up a gaming mag that (hopefully) had the answer. It was frustrating at the time, but nowadays we maybe take for granted the fact that we can swan through difficult levels at our leisure. Demo discsThe PlayStation's use of the CD-ROM was significant for a few reasons. Using low-cost media allowed Sony to undercut the significant software prices of the Nintendo 64, and it also meant that demos of games were viable on consoles for the first time. Whether they came with the console or with Official PlayStation Magazine, it meant everyone got to play a lot more games than ever before – just not the whole game. Did anyone ever own Kula World, the platformer in which you play as a beach ball? I doubt it… but everyone played the demo of that game. Micro Machines V3 with two multitaps and 8 controllersAh, multitaps. Remember them? The huge chunks of plastic, the forever tangled web of controller leads, and that one player who always sat just that bit too far from TV, resulting in the console being yanked onto the floor any time they gesticulated. Multitaps were ugly, inelegant solutions – especially compared to the wireless world of today – but they were the facilitators of some of the most epic gaming moments of PlayStation’s history. FIFA 98: Road to World CupFor gamers of a certain age with a penchant for football titles, Song 2 by Blur will forever hold a very special place in their hearts. The song was the soundtrack to EA’s perennial soccer hit back in 1997/98, and whenever it’s played, those in the know are instantly transported back to the digital representations of the 16 French World Cup stadiums, graced by David Beckham, David Ginola, Paolo Maldini and co. Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3Sometimes in life you get a perfect confluence of events, and for me that happened when I broke my leg at university and bought Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3. It’s hard to think of a better game to play while completely sofa-bound, and I developed a full-blown addiction to grinding, kickflipping and beanplanting anything that moved in the game’s brilliantly designed levels, from Suburbia to the Cruise Ship. An extra adrenaline rush was supplied by the superb soundtrack, which saw The Ramones merge into Motorhead as I attempted to unlock secret characters like Darth Maul. This was my gateway drug to the equally addictive SSX snowboarding series, and both set a high watermark for pure PlayStation fun that remained unmatched until MotorStorm swerved onto the scene in 2007. Fighting games, growing up, and Tekken 2Having mainly been exposed to Nintendo consoles as a young’un, getting the Sony PlayStation really changed the game for my sisters and me. For one thing, it finally introduced us to the world of fighting games, with Tekken 2’s polygonal brutality of choke-holds and face-kicks feeling a long way from the cutesy battling of Pokemon Silver or the N64’s Diddy Kong Racing. Sure, it was no Mortal Kombat when it came to gore, but the PS1 showed me that the world of games was a lot harder-hitting than I’d first thought – even if my main fighting strategy wasn’t any more complicated than hitting the square button in quick succession. Finally completing Crash BandicootWhen we finally got a PlayStation, we answered a local newspaper ad from a woman who wanted to get rid of some of her son’s old games. We paid £10 for around five games, and among them was Crash Bandicoot (or in other words, one of the finest, and most challenging games to grace the planet). Many an hour was spent after school, sat cross-legged in front of the TV, repeatedly plunging to my death in The High Road, or being crushed by boulders in Jungle Rollers. In the years I spent playing that game, I never did manage to complete it, but it never put me off playing – it was just too much fun. Skip forward around 15 years, and the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy was released – a remaster of the first three games. Inevitably, I was hooked, and at the ripe old age of 25 I finally completed Crash Bandicoot. My work was done – thank you, PlayStation, for many years of fun and frustration. Tomb Raider and the female protagonistOriginal Lara Croft (or Laura as she was going to be called) may have been a poorly proportioned, and controversial, character when it comes to being a good role model, but there’s no denying that she was the face of PlayStation for a long time. Sure, Lara came with issues – primarily that she was being flaunted as a sex symbol with pixelated breasts – but she was still a badass. Intelligent, adventurous and probably one of the most significant characters in gaming, Lara led the way for strong PlayStation female protagonists such as Horizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy and Ellie in The Last of Us – even if it did take a bit longer to get to less scantily-clad females. Original Lara may be the version that’s burned into our memories, but the Tomb Raider reboot brought us a more realistic, relatable version, proving that while the character may have her flaws, she's still as iconic as she was in the ‘90s. The height of Disney games“What about Aladdin on SNES?,” we hear you scream. Well, apologies to those people, but PlayStation Disney games were the absolute best. Hercules, Tarzan, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, The Emperor’s New Groove… the list goes on and on. They weren’t all winners, but there was nothing like watching the latest Disney film and then picking up the game to play straight after – where you essentially just rewatched clips of the film but with some gameplay thrown in. The advent of survival horror“You were almost a Jill sandwich!” Okay, so Barry Burton’s words to Jill ‘the Master of Unlocking’ Valentine weren’t necessarily the most auspicious start to a franchise – and, indeed, genre – that would dominate consoles for the next couple of decades. But the sheer tension and terror that Resident Evil brought to the PS1 certainly was. The zombies; the fiendish puzzles (I’ve never had to play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata on the piano before or since to unlock a secret room); the crows that pecked poor old Forest Speyer to death; the genuinely sleepless nights; the having to live it all again in Silent Hill, Outlast and countless sequels and reboots. Thanks, Resident Evil… I guess. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Walmart's Cyber Monday sale isn't over: these are the 10 best deals still available Posted: 03 Dec 2019 09:15 AM PST While Cyber Monday is technically over, Walmart's Cyber Week sale has just begun with fantastic savings that are available online. You can find fresh discounts on a number of best-selling items which include TVs, laptops, appliances, toys, and more. TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals that are still available, and we’ve put all the best Cyber Monday deals in an easy-to-navigate article to help you find the bargains you’re looking for. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This Vizio 55-inch 4K TV is the best Cyber Monday deal still available Posted: 03 Dec 2019 09:03 AM PST While Cyber Monday sales are winding down, Walmart's Cyber Week sale is just getting started with massive savings across its site. You can find record-low prices on best-selling items, which include TV deals from top brands like Samsung, LG, Vizio, and more. Shop more of Walmart's best Cyber Week TV deals below, and keep in mind these incredible offers are ending soon. The best Walmart Cyber Week TV deals:TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals that are still available over the Cyber Monday period, and we’ve put all the best Cyber Monday deals in an easy-to-navigate article to help you find the bargains you’re looking for. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This exclusive Nintendo Switch bundle is red hot and will be gone by sundown Posted: 03 Dec 2019 09:03 AM PST Walmart has saved an extra special Nintendo Switch bundle deal for those of you that missed out on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. It's a bit of a stunner too. Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to present the return of the Mario Red Nintendo Switch. Of course, the console itself is as grey as ever, but the pair of Mario Red Joy-Cons (darker than the neon red of the red/blue pairings usually seen) in the box were previously only available with the limited edition bundle that launched alongside Super Mario Odyssey. Otherwise, you had to import them as they're not on general sale in the USA. There's no Mario game included here, but it's way cheaper than that bundle was back then. For $299, you're getting the console, limited edition controllers, a Mario and Bowser Edition carry case and $20 of credit to spend on the Nintendo eShop. There's no mention of model number for the Switch, so it's difficult to ascertain if this is definitely the new version with an increased battery. But given the design layout of the box on the Walmart listing page, with an all-red background and the position of the TV in the image, we'd say this probably is the new version as it looks like the redesigned box on the newer version as opposed to the original launch model. Today's hottest Nintendo Switch bundleStill not happy? Sold out already? Looking for something else? Keep an eye on our guide to the best Nintendo Switch bundles for extra options. Or if you're not bothered about playing the games on your TV, maybe you'd prefer the handheld-only action offered via one of our Nintendo Switch Lite deals? This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How to watch I'm a Celebrity 2019 online for free in the UK or abroad Posted: 03 Dec 2019 08:50 AM PST I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here has been a real treat this year, filled with plenty of adventures, challenges and even a jungle love island trial. Can't wait to watch? Keep reading to find out how to watch I'm a Celebrity online for free - regardless of where on Earth you are. And as we inch closer to the final, it is safe to say that so far the 19th series of I'm a Celebrity has brought a fresh (but equally disgusting) set of gross challenges in the Australian jungle. This along with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly's antics co-hosts of course, which the viewing public has thoroughly enjoyed. So what has been happening in the jungle you ask? Fans have been treated to a variety of disgusting bushtucker trials, unusual "desserts" and even camp yoga. However, things were turned up a notch when campers had to face particularly heavy rainfall, it was in fact the worst storm in the area since 1997. And in other news, Ian faced a particularly horrible bushtucker trial and another camper was set packing (don't worry there are no spoilers here). Can't wait for the following challenges? Neither can we, so keep reading as we tell you exactly how to watch I'm A Celebrity online – no matter where in the world you are. Watch I'm A Celebrity 2019 online for free in the UK:As is usual, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here will continue to run on ITV for UK viewers. That means you'll be able to watch the show live via your TV aerial connection or online using the ITV Hub. And if you ever miss a few episodes and need to catch up you can also do this on the ITV hub. Or if you want another live streaming option for your mobile, tablet or computer is the free TVPlayer.com which has good quality streaming as well as the rest of the Freeview channels on one easy platform. Streaming I'm A Celebrity anywhere else in the world for free:For those outside of the UK that don't want to miss a second of this year's celeb action, the best bet is a VPN service. This means that if you've mismatched a holiday or you're temporarily abroad, don't panic you can still get your I'm a Celeb fix, you just need an internet connection. Once you get the right VPN you can enjoy a secure and speedy connection, even on open Wi-Fi networks like hotels, enabling you to tune in. And even if you're not that tech friendly, don't worry. Getting a VPN is super simple. We've listed how to do it in three easy steps below.... Which celebrities are in the jungle in 2019?
Who has left the jungle 2019?
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