Last year’s Pixel XL was one of my favorites phones of all time, if not my favorite. It had stellar performance, great specifications, comfortable hardware, and lots of software features I could appreciate. On top of that, it had what is still one of the best cameras on a mobile phone, but it wrapped all of that in a design that wasn’t very good-looking and did have some missing features.

Now, we’ve got the Pixel 2 family, and Google has made some major improvements. The larger of the two phones, the XL, is the one getting all the attention, and rightfully so…

Expand
Expanding
Close

Last year’s Pixel and Pixel XL replaced the Nexus lineup as the de facto flagships for stock Android purists, and they ended up being some of the best phones on the market. Naturally, we were excited to get our hands on their sequels, and I’ve spent the weekend with the Pixel 2.

Our full review is coming soon, but in the meantime we wanted to give some of our early impressions on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL — and I was tasked with sharing my thoughts on the smaller one.

Expand
Expanding
Close

With so many new and amazing phones coming out like the LG V30, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL, it’s easy to forget about some of the year’s more underrated devices. This week’s Friday 5 is all about highlighting those phones to remind you that you don’t need to spend upwards of $1000 for a quality device.

Expand
Expanding
Close

We say it every time there’s a new smartwatch to review: the entire product category of smartwatches is quickly becoming a dying breed as interest and sales dwindle. Luckily for those who still appreciate the convenience of accessible notifications on their wrist, Michael Kors released two new watches that blend fashionable design and modern software.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Now that the LG V30 is finally available in the US, it’s starting to make its way into the hands of eager customers looking to try its terrific new video capabilities, quad DAC, and OLED display.

We already have quite a bit of V30 content, but we thought now would be the perfect time to go over some of the first things you might want to do with your V30 after pulling it out of the box.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The LG V30 was announced over a month ago, and we’ve been testing a pre-production unit since shortly after, but today LG finally sent us a retail unit that mirrors the experience that anyone buying a V30 this month should have.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Every six months or so, Sony releases a new flagship phone to the world that looks more or less exactly like the last one. The previous Sony phone we reviewed, the Xperia XZ Premium, brought one of the first mobile 4K displays and an ultra-glossy glass design.

Conversely, the Xperia XZ1 shrinks down in display size and resolution, and instead opts for a matte aluminum design. It carries over some of the best features of the XZ Premium and improves on others, but is it enough to be worth your time and money?

Expand
Expanding
Close

In just two days, Google will finally announce the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, but as always, there have been plenty of leaks ahead of time showing us exactly what to expect from the new phones. Now that we have a good idea of what’s coming, we wanted to highlight some of the new features we’re most excited to see.

Expand
Expanding
Close

We’ve already compared the Pixel XL to one of the best phones of 2017, the Galaxy Note 8, and visited some of the reasons why it’s still one of the best Android phones on the market. Nothing is perfect, though, and to close off Pixel Week, we wanted to look at some of the ways the Pixel and Pixel XL fall short and where the Pixel 2 might be able to pick up the slack.

Expand
Expanding
Close

We’re just six days away from Google announcing the second-generation Pixel lineup (along with some other expected products, including some new Google Home devices), and in the meantime we wanted to revisit the original Pixel and Pixel XL. Too often, tech sites including ourselves get caught up in the craze of new devices and neglect to look at how well (and sometimes, how poorly) the older devices have held up.

The Pixel and Pixel XL were some of our favorite phones when they launched last year, and though we’ve since seen dozens of great new devices, we’re still terribly fond of Google’s in-house projects, which have aged better than just about any other Android phones we’ve seen.

Expand
Expanding
Close

We’re excited to see Google unveil the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 next Wednesday, but the original Pixels are still some of the best smartphones on the market. With so many new trends like dual cameras and edge-to-edge displays popping up in 2017, we wanted to see how well the Pixel XL holds up against some of today’s modern flagships, in what we’re calling Pixel Week.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Motorola has consistently been putting out great phones in the budget category since the original Moto G, and the new Moto G5S Plus looks to continue that trend with a metal body and a spec bump over the Moto G5 Plus we reviewed earlier this year. As we unbox the phone and start prepping for our full review, this week’s Friday 5 is all about its most noteworthy features.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Security used to be more or less the same on just about every phone. You could set up a PIN or pattern to keep nosy friends out, and there would almost always be a fingerprint sensor built into a home button underneath the display for faster access. These days, as bezels continue to shrink and phone makers simply don’t want anything but screen taking up space on the front of their phones, fingerprint sensors are starting to look a little different, and some are even going away entirely.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Galaxy Note 7 was poised to be one of 2016’s best phones, but when a dangerous hardware defect sent some models up in flames, Samsung was quickly forced to pull it from the market. It was eventually revived in the form of the Galaxy Note Fan Edition, but limited availability and an aging design kept it from being the resurgence to the Note brand Samsung needed. Enter the Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung modernized its latest flagship by bringing over design elements of its hugely popular Galaxy S8 and S8+, creating a new Note that feels fit for 2017. At a starting price of nearly $1000, however, it’s the priciest Note yet, and with so many new competing flagships on the horizon, it’s putting longtime fans and power users in a tough spot.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is finally available in stores, marking the start of the Note brand’s comeback after last year’s recall disasters. It’s one of the most powerful phones on the market, but it’s also one of the more complicated ones. We compiled a short list of some of the first things you’ll want to do with your Galaxy Note 8 after taking it out of its box.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Moto Z2 Play and Moto Z2 Force are already great phones in their own regards, but the whole reason to own a Moto Z device is to gain access to the Moto Mod ecosystem. There are plenty of great Mod accessories ranging from speakers to battery packs and 360° cameras, but the Moto Gamepad might be the most entertaining Mod yet.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The smartwatch craze has seemingly already come and gone, but not everybody is as quick to dismiss the convenience of notifications at a glance. Michael Kors is just one in a long list of well-established designer brands that decided to start making smartwatches, and they’ve sent us their new Sofie and Grayson models to take a look at.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Galaxy Note 8 is arguably one of the most beautifully designed phones of 2017, but that beauty (along with features like wireless charging) comes at the cost of durability with a glass back. As always, there are hundreds of accessory brands making cases for Samsung’s new flagship, and Tech21 sent us a few to check out.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Nine times out of ten, new smartphone startups fail, and there’s a reason for that. Making it in this industry is incredibly difficult, especially when you’re aiming for the higher price points. Essential has pulled out all the stops with its very first product, the Essential Phone, and thanks to that it’s playing directly against phones like the Pixel, Galaxy Note 8, LG G6 and V30, as well as the iPhone.

How does it hold up? That’s a mixed bag. There are a lot of good things about the Essential Phone, but also a lot of bad. So, let’s take a closer look.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Google’s Tango platform for augmented reality is a neat idea, but even after years of development, it’s only available on two devices — the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro and the ASUS ZenFone AR.

In an attempt to bring AR to more users, Google recently announced ARCore, which should allow for similar augmented reality capabilities without the need for specialized hardware, and thanks to the developers at Signal Garden, we have our first look at what it can do.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Galaxy Note 8 is one of the most highly anticipated smartphone releases of 2017, and after taking a first look at it last month, we finally have a press kit. Join us in the unboxing experience and find out what you can expect to see when your Note 8 preorder arrives!

Expand
Expanding
Close

After spending some time with the LG V30 in New York City last month, I was excited to use it as my daily driver back home. Over Labor Day weekend, I got the chance to do just that, and the phone has made a lasting impression on me.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The LG V30 was announced earlier this week, and it’s already been met with some mixed feelings. While many (myself included) are excited to try out its professional-grade video capabilities, many longtime fans of the V series are disappointed by LG ditching the iconic secondary displays and rugged designs of previous generations.

No matter your feelings on the V30, though, it’s gearing up to be one of the best phones of 2017, and this week’s Friday 5 takes a look at some of the reasons you might want to consider getting your preorder in.

Expand
Expanding
Close

2016 proved to be a tough year for LG that was highlighted by underwhelming performances by its G5 and V20 devices. The company made a valiant effort this year with the LG G6, but it failed to impress buyers over the competition. Now the company is back with the LG V30, and it’s pulling no punches in trying to grab your attention away from competitors.

Expand
Expanding
Close