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My first few days with the Sonos Era 300 were frustrating, and it had nothing to do with the matte black speaker failing to blend in with my living room's messy decor. My right ear was blocked and everything sounded muddled, including the Dolby Atmos-mastered tracks I desperately wanted to find as compelling and straight-up better than whatever stereo mixes Spotify had been spitting out of various connected speakers for years. My first impressions of the Era 300 (and the smaller Era 100), in a small crowded Manhattan office officiated by the Giles Martin, made me hopeful that spatial audio — nascent, but not an entirely new concept to me at the time — was as transformative as Sonos wants it to be.
Best Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 cases in 2023
While the Flip 4 is quite compact, it's still expensive and delicate, so give it the best case you can
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the closest we've seen to a mainstream foldable, thanks to its unrivaled popularity. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 kept the strengths of the Z Flip 3 and fixed the vast majority of its weaknesses, especially in the battery department. Flip foldables are becoming popular due to their relatively lower price than the Galaxy Folds of the world, the big hit of Star Trek-fueled nostalgia, and the ability to fold a phone into a small pocket square.
Best power banks in 2023
Keep your phone and other devices alive for days, even when outlets are far away
The best power banks make it easy to charge wherever you go, whether you need to juice up your phone or your laptop. Even the best Android phones and best Chromebooks can use a bit of battery help now and then. A portable power bank will help you get through busy work days, network tethering, hectic travel, and extended camping or festival trips. They're also great for emergencies when you need a charge, and no working AC outlet is nearby.
Best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra cases in 2023
Your shiny new superphone needs the ultimate in protection and practicality
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a more significant upgrade than expected, especially in international markets where the old Exynos chips were yeeted out of existence in favor of the superior Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Like most modern flagship phones, the S23 Ultra is a metal and glass sandwich, and while those materials have been upgraded to armored aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus 2, they'll still damage easily when dropped.
The best Google Nest Hub mounts and stands in 2023
Have a Google Nest device but can't put it up in the right place? Don't worry; these custom-built wall mounts and holders will help you out.
The Google Nest Hub is a fantastic device that connects directly to smart appliances like lights, fans, air conditioners, smart TVs, and more. It also responds to everything you say to it. From music and videos to alarms and sleep sensing, the Nest Hub is your one-stop control and entertainment panel for your smart home. But simply having a Nest Hub won't do you much good if you don't have a designated area to put it.
The best Philips Hue smart lights & bulbs for 2023
Brighten up your life with the best of the best smart light brand
With reliable bulbs, comprehensive feature sets, and compatibility with virtually every smart home system, Philips Hue has established itself as the go-to choice among high-end smart lighting brands. More than just a standard smart light bulb, Philips Hue offers bulbs in every size, shape, and style you can imagine. However, while they're easy to use and can do great things on their own, Philips Hue bulbs require a separate Hue Bridge to use more advanced features like scenes and away-from-home control.
Trade your crappy old earbuds to take $80 off the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
That's a $30 instant rebate and $50 trade-in for any working pair of headphones
If you have an old pair of working headphones or earbuds lying around, wired or otherwise, Samsung is willing to give you $50 for them as a trade-in towards its popular Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. That's in addition to the $30 instant rebate it's already offering on the Buds, giving you a total discount of $80. That brings the Buds 2 Pro down to just $150 — an excellent price when you consider that they offer great sound, impressive ANC, and are one of the top picks in our best wireless earbuds roundup.
EarFun Air Pro 3 review: Budget buds that punch above their class
Feature-packed and rich audio — two keys that make for killer budget buds
If you’re asking yourself whether a cheap pair of wireless earbuds can offer similar quality to options costing two to three times as much, I have news for you. The EarFun Air 3 Pro are shockingly cheap for a pair of earbuds that appear to offer so much from a quick skim of the feature list, and they hold up impressively well.
Best smart thermostats that support Google Assistant in 2023
Let Google keep your home the perfect temperature with any of these great smart thermostats
Thermostats are among the most useful smart home devices out there, and there are tons of great smart thermostats to choose from, with more worthwhile choices hitting the market regularly. Not only are we fans of staying comfortable and saving on energy bills, but we also love user-friendly voice control, courtesy of the wildly popular Google Assistant.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 vs. Galaxy Watch 4 Classic: Last gen price, current-gen performance
Samsung's new smartwatches haven't made the Galaxy Watch 4 series obsolete, but which should you buy?
Since the release of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, the previous-gen Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic aren't Samsung's top-of-the-line wearables anymore. But Samsung's 2021 smartwatches haven't been made obsolete by the Watch 5 series. The Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic are still among the best Android smartwatches you can buy, and increasingly frequent discounts make them all the more appealing.
Google's not wasting any time on Pixel Watch 2 plans, according to Pixel 8 launch rumors
An October release could be in the cards
The Pixel Watch was Google's first attempt at making a proper wearable, and while it was neat enough to earn a spot on our list of the best Android smartwatches, it ultimately came up a little short in terms of things like battery life. We've been hugely curious what might change — and hopefully get even better — for a successor, but it's been difficult to nail down Google's plans for a follow-up. Now a new rumor suggests the Pixel Watch 2 could arrive earlier than you might think, possibly alongside the Pixel 8 this fall.
The best waterproof headphones and earbuds for swimming in 2023
Enjoy your favorite tunes in the deep end with the best waterproof headphones and earbuds
Listening to music while in the water requires waterproof headphones made for swimming. And while most earbuds are made to handle some moisture — like protecting against a sweaty workout — they are not made to handle extended periods of time in or underwater.
Save over $400 on this 4K Xgimi smart projector and put your TV to shame
This 4K smart projector is the home theater setup you've been dreaming of
If you're after the ultimate home theater setup, but you haven't considered checking out a projector, here's a deal that may just change your mind. Projectors have come a long way since they first made their way into the market, with many now offering the same features that you'd find with smart TVs.
Onyx Boox Tab X review: I wish I had this in college
This is the dream come true for serial note takers and document readers, but it costs a pretty penny
Onyx has made a name for itself with its high-end E Ink readers and tablets, offering the full Android and Google experience on E Ink screens. Most recently, the company released the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra, a 10-inch note-taking powerhouse. However, tablets are growing bigger and bigger these days, and that 10-inch screen still doesn’t give you the full letter-sized paper experience. That’s where Onyx’s new tablet comes in, the Boox Tab X.
If you are looking for something different and more durable than the Samsung Galaxy S23 series, then the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro may be what you are looking for. This phone is strong enough to pass the rigorous MIL-STD-810H testing and can withstand whatever you throw at it. The Galaxy XCover6 Pro is hands down one of the best rugged Android phones on the market.
The Amazon Kindle Scribe e-reader has been out for a few months, and we enjoyed quite a few of its features. With a 10.2-inch E Ink screen, you can use this Kindle version for manga and comic books a lot more comfortably than any of the previous models. You can get the Kindle Scribe in three storage options — 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB — so you'll have to figure out just how much space you actually need for all your e-books, files, and comics.
Google Pixel Buds Pro vs. Pixel Buds (2020): Should you upgrade?
In with the new Google Pixel Buds Pro and out with the old Google Pixel Buds (2020)?
Google has been trying to come up with something to compete with the best wireless earbuds for a while now. Their original offerings are best left in the past. But, their current offerings, consisting of the Google Pixel Buds Pro and the budget-oriented Google Pixel Buds A-Series, are worth consideration, especially for Pixel phone users. We’ve already compared those two if you’re trying to pick between them.
Cooler Master Storm Controller review: You get what you pay for
This gaming controller cuts numerous corners to hit its price point
Cooler Master’s Storm Controller is an Android and Windows gaming controller that aims to offer the essentials at a great value. I spent the last few weeks testing the Storm Controller to see how it stacks up against the best Android controllers on the market. While its massive battery sets it apart from many of its competitors, cheap construction and mushy buttons make it hard to recommend.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite vs. Kindle Oasis: A tale of two Kindles
Is the $250 Kindle Oasis really worth the upgrade?
Your digital library of books and audiobooks needs a home, and since Amazon has long been producing some of the best e-readers with its Kindle lineup, it's no surprise that one or two of its Kindle devices may have caught your eye. Both the Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Oasis offer a great reading experience and deserve to be in your top consideration for your next e-reader, but is the premium price of the Oasis really worth it?
Samsung One UI 5 Watch will launch on this year's new Galaxy smartwatches
And a beta for Watch 4 and Watch 5 is coming soon
Samsung, like many tech companies, has a habit of releasing incremental updates to its software with each new hardware iteration. Today, Samsung's announced that it's sticking to that tradition with this year's upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch devices, which will launch with the new One UI 5 Watch. A beta for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 series is coming soon, too.