Cheap phones got good a long time ago, but over the past several years, they’ve started to circle back to old ways yet again, with more and more bloatware and compromises. They generally just feel like you’re getting what you pay for, and that’s why Nothing Phone (2a) stands out – it’s just a bit better than that.

Foldables have come a long way over the past few years. Last September, I had the opportunity to play with the Honor Magic V2. At the time, it was the thinnest, coolest, and most technically advanced foldable I had ever felt, and it arguably still is. It was nearly as thin as any normal candy bar phone, had a massive battery, support for a stylus on both displays, and impressive camera specs. Since then, I’ve been able to spend much more time with the newer, better version of it – the Honor Magic V2 RSR.

The Oura Ring is a fitness tracker that takes the form of something more inconspicuous – a ring. With that, it foregoes focus on software and a user interface and opts for pure fitness data acquisition through tiny sensors around the finger. It has been, by far, one of the best fitness trackers I’ve used.

Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra put out a wonderful showing earlier this year, but do you really need the “Ultra?” That’s the question I brought with me to the smallest Galaxy S24, and I walked away pleasantly surprised with how similar the two experiences were. 

Smartphone cases are a place where personal preference reigns, and for many, a lot of cases tend to overdo it on the design or thickness and lack key features. But, in collaboration with Google, I think Mous has struck a near-perfect balance with its super-thin Pixel 8 case, which adds MagSafe and virtually no bulk.

The Meater 2 Plus is a wireless meat thermometer that connects to your phone during any type of cook. The proven concept is built on with Meater’s newest model, which is even more set-and-forget than before. It boasts higher temperature resistance and better connectivity, so you can put the probe through almost anything, even deep frying.

The first OnePlus Watch was one of the worst products in the brand’s history, but with a revamped vision, clever tricks, and Wear OS at its core, the OnePlus Watch 2 is drastically improved. It’s still not perfect, but its redeeming qualities make up for its deficiencies.

The Galaxy S24 series has received a lot of flak for repackaging the previous generation and sprinkling some AI on top, and that doesn’t feel far from the truth. Of all of the Galaxy S24 models, the S24+ is the one I’d actually consider buying, for a number of reasons.

Towards the end of last year Google unveiled “Chromebook Plus,” a new standard to help customers get better Chromebooks. Acer is among the first to adopt it, and after spending a fair bit of time with the Acer Chromebook Plus 515, there’s definitely something here.

About 10 years ago, OnePlus hit the scene with the OnePlus One. A device that blew most folks away for its clean software, excellent hardware, and dirt cheap price. Over the decade since, a lot has changed. The brand has delivered a lot of memorable devices, and made plenty of mistakes, but it really seems like things have finally hit their stride, with the OnePlus 12 bringing all the good, and the bad, of a OnePlus device, but finally with the core issue fixed, and all for a fantastic price.

Samsung has all but perfected its formula for a flagship smartphone at this point, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the logical 2024 step for that project – just throwing a bunch of AI at the problem. But at a new and higher price of $1,300, Samsung has a lot to deliver on.

In my years of playing video games on my phone, I’ve been waiting for a controller that allows me to carry over my full gaming skillset wherever I go. Without a doubt, the GameSir G8 Galileo is exactly the controller I’ve hoped for.

The Oppo Find N2 Flip debuted earlier this year with a cover display that, at the time, was the best we’d seen. But, fast forward a few months, and the Oppo Find N3 Flip has been released up against newer releases like the Motorola Razr+ and Galaxy Z Flip 5. While Oppo hasn’t really improved the cover display as needed, the Find N3 Flip does bring another big improvement, and that’s to the cameras.

Being such a large and hefty phone, the Pixel Fold needs a good case that protects it and offers a bit of functionality. The Dbrand Grip case for the Pixel Fold is exactly that, with a little bit of a bonus in personalization with the new X-Ray skin.

Something can be said about simplistically designed phones and how great they can be. By nature, a foldable phone isn’t that, but the Motorola Razr (2023) tries. At $699, it’s the cheapest clamshell foldable you can buy; just don’t expect too much beyond that.

When foldable smartphones first hit the scene, OnePlus was pretty hesitant to adopt the technology, but four years later, it was worth the wait. The OnePlus Open is, without a doubt, the best foldable on the market today, as long as you can ignore its one big flaw.

After its debut in the Pixel 6 series, Peak Design’s “Everyday Case” has been one of our favorites for Google’s smartphones, with its stellar quality and mounting options, but there’s always been one complaint – the color. While gray is a good, neutral option, it’s always nice to have a splash of color, and that’s exactly what Peak Design has delivered with its Pixel 8 cases.

There is a fine line between protecting your phone from dings or scratches and sticking it in the equivalent of its own bulky rubber room, which is what most cases go for. Taking a minimal approach, Thinborne’s aramid fiber cases for the Pixel 8 are simple, clean, and just downright fantastic in the hand.

Backbone One PlayStation Edition is the cleanest way to take your PS5 games with you everywhere, but a few minor issues hold it back from being the outright best mobile controller.

Part of the point of using an e-ink reader is to disconnect from the constant noise of our digital lives. So why would you want your reader to run Android? That’s a question the Onyx Boox Poke 5 answers masterfully and affordably.

At the vanguard of Google’s Chromebook Plus initiative, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 delivers everything you need from an everyday laptop at an excellent starting price of $399.

Smartphones cases are often a necessary evil. They make your phone a little bulkier, and hide the design, but in exchange they can protect your device from damage in the very likely scenario of a drop. With Google’s updated official cases for the Pixel 8 series and the Pixel Fold, though, Google is turning something good into something back, and just making me long for the days of old.

Before the Pixel Watch, I happily used various Fitbit trackers because all the Wear OS 2 options were lacking. Now that a Google-made smartwatch is available, I didn’t foresee pairing any other wearable to my Android phone. The Fitbit Charge 6 changed that, and I very much consider it to be a Pixel Watch Lite.

The Pixel Watch was, in my eyes, better than I expected it to be. But, ultimately, it was still far from being as good as the competition. With the Pixel Watch 2, Google hasn’t gone back to the drawing board, but a collection of small tweaks add up to a much better overall product.