Google has sent out invites to an event on Oct. 4 where it’ll unveil the latest additions to its “Pixel portfolio of devices.” The in-person Made by Google event is set to take place in New York City at 10 a.m. ET, Google said Wednesday.
Though Google didn’t name any specific devices, it implied in a post on Threads that the event will include the reveal of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Google has released a next-gen Pixel phone every fall since 2016.
“Big fall launches are stressful, but Pixel helps these Best Phones Forever stay cool as cucumbers. The w8 is almost over. Rest up for Made By Google on October 4th,” Google posted on Threads.
The Threads post included a video of an iPhone talking to a Pixel phone about everything it can’t do that Google’s phone can — like “unblurring old photos, answering unknown calls with AI and live translating messages.” The iPhone in Google’s video also suggests it’ll “finally” be getting USB-C charging during the iPhone 15 event next month.
There are already rumors swirling around the expected Pixel 8 lineup. The phones could have an improved ultrawide camera, and Google may add new AI-powered features to its camera system. The phones will also likely see some display and design tweaks, but the changes are expected to be subtle.
One of the more interesting rumors is that the Pixel 8 Pro might include a contactless thermometer feature that could be used to determine if you’re running a fever.
It’s also possible Google uses the event to unveil the Pixel Watch 2, the next generation of its smartwatch. The watch is rumored to feature better battery life and new health-tracking features.
Google’s Pixel 7 lineup was well received, with both the Pixel 7 Pro and more affordable Pixel 7A earning spots on CNET’s best phones list for 2023. Google also earlier this year launched its first foldable phone, the Pixel Fold. CNET phone expert Lisa Eadicicco says Google may need make some noticeable upgrades in order for the Pixel 8 to stand out from the company’s other phones.
Google’s invites came out just a day after Apple set the date for its iPhone 15 reveal, which is scheduled to take place on Sept. 12 at the company’s Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, California.
While most people are waiting for Apple to release iOS 17 after Apple’s next event on Sept. 12, the tech giant still released iOS 16.6 on July 27. The update doesn’t bring many new features to your iPhone, but it includes a lot of bug fixes and security patches, with some for a few issues Apple said might be actively exploited.
To download the update, got to Settings > General > Software Update, tap Install Now and follow the onscreen prompts.
Apple said the iPhone update patches two issues that might be actively exploited. One issue is in WebKit — the engine that powers Safari and other third-party browsers on iOS — and might lead to an arbitrary code execution. That means a third party could steal your data or hack your device for other nefarious purposes, according to the IT services company Okta. The second issue allowed an app to modify your iPhone’s core iOS code, called the kernel.
The update also fixes other issues, including one with the Find My app where an app might be able to read your sensitive location information. Apple doesn’t say this was actively exploited, but you should still download iOS 16.6 to fix this issue.
What else is new on iOS 16.6?
Other than patches and fixes, iOS 16.6 doesn’t bring many new features to your iPhone. An early beta version of iOS 16.6 appeared to have some of the framework for iMessage Contact Key Verification. But that framework isn’t included in the final version of iOS 16.6.
There are some new prompt messages in iOS 16.6 that you might see, like if you try to log into iCloud for Windows when your iPhone and Windows computer aren’t on the same Wi-Fi network.
The website Gadget Hacks also reports there are new alerts for Apple Card, Apple Card Family Sharing and Apple Card Savings. Some of those new alerts include a prompt asking you to verify a purchase with your Apple Card and a prompt asking you to complete your savings account information by including your employment status and source of income.
The days of losing access to your iPhone’s GPS due to a no-signal zone are about to be over. In just weeks, your iPhone is finally getting a new feature that Android users have had for years. With the iOS 17 update, Apple Maps users will be able to use the GPS offline (if they have a compatible iPhone).
This isn’t the only update coming with Apple’s newest software. Electric vehicle owners will also soon be able to see real-time charging availability via Apple Maps.
The iPhone is getting offline maps for its Maps app this year. That means you’ll be able to access any map you’ve downloaded, even if you don’t have Wi-Fi or a cell signal. For instance, if you’re going on a trip, you can download the route and access it without using cellular data. This is helpful if you’re low on data or if your route takes you through an area with little to no signal that would cause the Maps app to stop navigating correctly, potentially causing you to veer off course.
What can you do with Apple Maps offline?
When iOS 17 becomes available, you’ll be able to download designated areas and access turn-by-turn navigation while using Maps offline. Also, you’ll be able to see your estimated time of arrival and find places in Maps, among other things.
When will iPhone’s offline maps be available?
Offline maps will be available on iPhone with the launch of iOS 17, which is coming this fall. (It usually arrives in late September with the new iPhone.) You’ll want to make sure your iPhone is compatible with Apple’s latest software. If it isn’t, you won’t have access to this new feature.
What else is changing with Apple Maps?
Maps will make it easier to find thousands of trails in parks across the US. The app will also support drivers of electric vehicles with real-time charging availability information. This can be filtered by charging network and plug type, among other things. EV owners with compatible vehicles will also be able to designate a preferred charging network.
What else did Apple announce at WWDC? The company unveiled MacOS Sonoma, as well as the new 15-inch MacBook Air and the Vision Pro VR headset. Apple showed off a feature that will let you turn your photos into stickers with its Messages app in iOS 17. Also, changes are coming to the autocorrect feature in iOS 17, and Apple unveiled iPadOS 17 and WatchOS 10.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 may no longer be Samsung’s flagship smartwatch model, but our review found that “the regular Galaxy Watch 6 is an incremental update to last year’s model.” That means that if you don’t necessarily need the latest and greatest model out there, the previous-gen Galaxy Watch 5 is still a great Android watch, especially when you can find a solid deal.
Right now Amazon has slashed prices on a number of models, with some marked down as much as 47%. Prices start at just $179. We don’t know how long this offer will last, so we recommend making your purchase sooner rather than later.
Our roundup of the best smartwatches for 2023 still touts the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 as one of the best Android watches you can get, and Amazon has both regular and Bespoke edition 5th-gen smartwatch models available in its sale — including some models that sport LTE connectivity.
Each of these models sports either a 40mm or 44mm display, as well as a blood-oxygen sensor, an FDA-cleared ECG for Galaxy phone users and a sensor for measuring skin temperature. It also has plenty of fitness tracking features, along with a wide range of Google apps like YouTube Music, Google Assistant and Google Maps.
While the battery life on the 5th-gen Galaxy Watch is an improvement over the 4th edition, it does tend to drain faster with the always-on display activated, but a 90-minute charge is all it takes to fill that battery back to 100%, with a 30-minute boost getting you up to 45%.
Choosing the best soundbar or speakers for your home can be a difficult process, especially when you see the prices involved. But saving money on great hardware doesn’t have to be difficult, especially if you know where to look. Right now, you can save on JBL speakers and soundbars by taking advantage of a Woot sale that offers reconditioned units at great prices.
Woot has no fewer than nine different JBL products available in refurbished condition, while the amazing Harman Kardon SoundStick system is also available as well. You don’t need to do anything special to get these prices, either. No standing on one leg or offering a sacrifice to the deal gods here, not even a discount code. Just click through the link below and choose the best speakers for you before ordering.
We won’t go through all of the options because that takes all the fun out of you perusing for yourself, but we absolutely must highlight that SoundStick Bluetooth speaker system. It’s yours for just $180 right now, and desktop speakers don’t get more iconic than this.
On the JBL soundbar front, the JBL Bar 5.0 is available for just $190, while the cheaper option is the $90 JBL Bar 2.0 channel option. There are others as well, but we would suggest acting soon no matter the one that you’re interested in picking up. This collection of reconditioned products is only going to be available for a limited time; very limited, as it turns out. These prices are only here until 12 a.m. CT tonight, so act now before it’s too late.
WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Facebook parent company Meta, has just launched an app for Mac computers.
In a continuing bid to compete with business video calling giant Zoom, the WhatsApp Mac app includes group audio and video calls for multiple people.
“Launching a new WhatsApp app for Mac. Group calls up to 8 people on video and 32 on audio,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted on his Instagram broadcast channel Tuesday morning.
WhatsApp had earlier launched a desktop app for Windows. Both desktop apps include end-to-end encryption of your calls and chats across your devices.
How to download WhatsApp for Mac
The app will be available on Apple’s App Store soon, but for now here’s how to download it onto your Mac:
Hit the green download button in the top right corner.
There will be three options for download: Android, iOS and Mac. Hit the download button under Mac.
The download will begin. Once it’s done, click on the file.
Drag and drop the green WhatsApp file into your Applications folder.
You can then open the Applications folder to see the WhatsApp app, and click on it to run it.
Log in to your account or set up a new one to get started.
WhatsApp for Mac requires macOS 11 or later.
WhatsApp for Mac: new features
You can select to receive incoming call notifications while your app is closed.
You can now drag and drop files from your desktop into a chat to share them.
The new app follows WhatsApp this month introducing screen sharing during video calls.
Meta has been focused on bringing new features to expand the use of WhatsApp over the past few months, including instant video messages, channels to follow people and brands, locking your intimate chats, editing sent messages, Wear OS integration, and the ability to use WhatsApp across multiple phones and move your messages to a new phone.
Holidays are always a great time to snag a few deals at your favorite stores, and there’s one just around the corner. Labor Day sales are already popping up all over the internet, with most major retailers offering massive savings on everything from sofas to outdoor grills. If you’re ready to start saving now, here are a few great options to help you on your way.
Looking for more discounts? CNET has the best promo code offers from Ashley Furniture, Macy’s, Lumens, Lowe’s and more. All deals are updated and verified daily.
Welcome to CNET Coupons, the first stop before you shop, featuring a multitude of deals and discounts from top online retailers. Simply head over to our coupon page and type in your favorite store or brands to find all the deals available for the week.
If you’re someone who spends a lot of time in your car, having a good car phone mount can be incredibly convenient. These days, you can find a variety of car phone mounts depending on the use case. For instance, some might need a car phone mount (aka a phone car mount) for their dashboard, while others might need a cupholder mount or a car vent mount. Some mounts have a sensor that automatically opens the arms when you place your phone near the mount. Others clamp manually or have a magnetic surface that requires a phone or case with a magnetic element. And some magnetic mounts are fully compatible with Apple MagSafe wireless charging (up to 15 watts), which means they’ve been certified by Apple as a MagSafe accessory.
Note that just because a mount offers wireless charging, that doesn’t mean there are no wires involved — you’ll still need to connect the charger to your vehicle, but you don’t have to plug the charger in to your phone each time to charge it. To get the fastest wired and wireless charging speeds available for iPhones and Android smartphones, you’ll need a power adapter that offers fast charging (most fast chargers have a USB-C connection and can deliver at least 20 watts of power).
CNET experts have tested and reviewed all the products on this list in their own cars. We update this roundup periodically as new car phone mounts are released.
Sustainable phonemaker Fairphone wants its new Fairphone 5 to save the planet. From its recycled materials, fair trade components, easy repairability and epic security support, Fairphone has worked hard to minimize environmental impact of its newest socially-conscious phone. It’s a noble cause and while I enthusiastically applaud the work that Fairphone has done here, as a phone, the Fairphone 5 itself is a bit of a let down.
The battery life and the cameras are the two biggest problems here, with disappointing results from both. But that’s made worse by a relatively high 620 price that puts it at least 200 more expensive than the Google Pixel 7A. And the Pixel 7A outperforms the Fairphone 5 in several ways. The Fairphone 5 is due to hit shelves in the UK and wider Europe in September, but a US launch isn’t on the cards. For reference, that 620 UK price converts to around $782.
But the phone isn’t all bad. Its eight years of software support is the best around, it’s so easy to repair you can fix it yourself at home if you happen to smash your screen and it’s got a microSD card slot to expand the built-in storage by up to 2TB. But still, while I love the eco credentials behind it, it’s not the best phone you can buy for the money. Here’s what you should know.
The technology industry is a dirty one. From the mining of rare earth materials to the chemicals in the batteries to the vast amount of electronic waste produced, the environmental impact of our phones is huge. And that’s compounded by most companies’ release schedule as they continue to refresh their offerings at least once a year.
But Fairphone aims to do things differently. It works with organizations that ensure that materials used in production are fairtrade, and Fairphone works with the factories that produce the products to ensure workers are properly treated and paid a fair living wage. And while companies including Apple, Samsung and Google use a limited amount of recycled parts in their products, Fairphone uses recycled materials throughout every component possible, including recycled tin and steel in the battery.
The phone itself is easily repairable by you (I even took mine apart to test it out) with ten different components including all the cameras, the display and the battery available to buy directly from Fairphone to fix your phone at home and keep it going for longer. Because the best way to minimize the environmental impact of your phone is to keep using it for as long as possible before swapping it out for an entirely new device.
To help that, Fairphone not only offers a five year warranty on the phone but promises that the Fairphone 5 will receive at least five major Android updates and receive security updates for at least 8 years — meaning this phone should still be safe to use in 2031. That’s a lot longer than any other company offers. Samsung is one of the next best here, offering five years of security updates, while RedMagic barely offers two years on its 8 Pro. Fairphone is way ahead of the competition here, and I hope it encourages other companies to up their game.
Remember that if your phone is out of its security support period, it’s no longer safe to use. It’s annoying, as the hardware on older phones is often still fine to use, at least for everyday tasks, but without security updates, you’re putting yourself at risk using it.
Physically it’s not exactly the most beautiful thing around. Sure, it’s slimmer and lighter than its predecessor but it’s still chunky and quite plain looking. The back is plastic which does feel cheap, but it’s removable, giving access to the battery, SIM slots and other components should you need to do any repairs. Sure, it could have a luxurious glass back but then you wouldn’t be able to open it up as easily.
Under that plastic back cover is a hidden gem though — a microSD card slot that lets you expand the 256GB of internal storage with cards up to 2TB in size. Again this will help the phone remain useful for longer as you should never run out of storage space. Despite the removable back, the Fairphone 5 is still IP55 rated for water resistance. It likely won’t survive a dunk in the swimming pool, but it’s provides peace of mind if you spill beer on it or need to take a phone call in the rain.
The phone has a fingerprint scanner built into the power button on its side which can be a bit awkward to reach, but it also has face unlock which I found worked most of the time. The 6.46-inch display is vibrant and sharp enough to do justice to YouTube videos or mobile games and while it’s not quite bright enough to counter direct sunlight outdoors, in most other conditions, it’s fine.
The phone runs on a Qualcomm QCM 6490 processor — an unusual choice as this chip is mostly made for industrial applications and IoT devices, but Fairphone says it’s precisely this chip that allows for much longer software support than a more typical mobile chip like the Snapdragon line found in most other phones.
On benchmark tests, this processor doesn’t particularly impress, but in general use it’s got enough power to handle any of your essential web browsing, Instagramming, video streaming and copes well enough with games like Alto’s Odyssey and Asphalt 9. It handled the more demanding Genshin Impact too, but when I turned the quality settings up I did notice a drop in performance.
The battery is definitely a let down though. It put in some of the worst performances I’ve seen on our CNET drain tests and I’d be concerned about getting through a day of mixed use. It dropped by 16% after 45 minutes of mixed use, including gaming and web browsing, so I’d definitely recommend keeping a spare external battery or portable charger handy if you enjoy streaming some YouTube videos on the bus home from work.
The Fairphone 5 holds its charge quite well in standby though, so if you tend to casually glance at your phone throughout the work day to check notifications, you should still have juice left in the evening. I suspect that the unusual processor choice is at least partly to blame here — with the QCM 6490 not being built with mobile devices in mind, it’s unlikely to be optimized for power efficiency during demanding tasks like video streaming and gaming in the way that Snapdragon chips are. But that’s just my theory.
On the back is a dual camera setup comprising of a 50-megapixel camera and a 50-megapixel ultrawide. Unfortunately I’m not impressed by either camera, with disappointing results from both lenses, including drab colors and a noticeable shift in color tone between the standard and ultrawide lenses.
The ultrawide lens also delivered extremely mushy details, particularly toward the edges of the frame. This wide shot of the Leith shore looks fine in full screen, but zooming in to the edge, it’s clear to see the total lack of detail here. Compare that to the Pixel 7A and the difference is immense.
In fact the Pixel 7A’s dual rear camera consistently delivered better shots which is especially disappointing given the significantly lower price of the Pixel.
And unfortunately for Fairphone, the Google Pixel 7A is the elephant in the room here, offering not just superior camera skills, but better processor performance and battery life along with wireless charging, better waterproofing, and various Google software additions.
That leaves me feeling very conflicted. The technology industry seriously needs to clean up its act and I massively applaud everything Fairphone is doing to show how things can be done better. The Fairphone 5 is the culmination of that good work and I fully appreciate that the more people who buy it, the more bigger companies will take notice and implement better policies of their own. But I have to stand by my principles of objective journalism in this review. The Fairphone 5 has problems. The battery life and the camera are extremely disappointing and you can get better performing phones for a lot less money.
But if you don’t care about photography and you’re not a power mobile gamer then you should still consider the Fairphone 5. Its huge software support and easy repairability means this phone will still be useful a long time from now so it may actually work out being extremely good value over time. And you can pat yourself on the back for making a more socially conscious decision.
How we test phones
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using both standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using the phone daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features that can be useful, like support for 5G; satellite connectivity; fingerprint and face sensors; stylus support; fast charging speeds; and foldable displays, among others. And we balance all this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value.
There are a few different ways to game on the go these days. But if you want the power and versatility of a PC, you’ll want to invest in a proper gaming laptop. They tend to be pricier than a typical laptop, but also come packed full of cutting-edge hardware that allows them to run tons of the latest titles. And right now, Newegg is offering some great deals on a variety of models equipped with an advanced Nvidia graphics processing unit, with prices starting at just $879.
Nvidia makes the vast majority of our favorite graphics cards available in 2023, which provide stunning graphics and fluid performance for gamers. And Newegg has a few different offers available on gaming laptops equipped with these advanced GPUs. Several models are on sale for hundreds off, like this Acer Nitro 5 — one of the best gaming laptops of 2023 — which is $180 off, dropping the price to $1,100. Other models are discounted by $400 or more, but those aren’t the only offers available.
Most laptops on sale will also come with a free gift. Models equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU will also come with the Overwatch 2 Invasion bundle (a $40 value), while those with select Intel Core processors will get a free copy of Nightingale and Assassin’s Creed Mirage (an $80 value). There are also select models that will come with a free gaming headset, or a free Newegg gift card. And you can check out our full roundup of the best gaming laptop deals for even more bargains.
