A good smartwatch can add some serious convenience to your day-to-day routine. If you already use an Android smartphone, the Apple Watch is not an option for you, despite it remaining one of the most popular picks out there. That’s why Android users should get a watch that’s designed for their preferred operating system.
Whether you use your smartwatch for its fitness-tracking features, or as a less distracting alternative to your phone, a smartwatch is a convenient way to stay connected and get information at a glance. And if you’re in the market for an Android smartwatch, there are plenty of worthy contenders for just about any budget, with key features like activity tracking, a heart rate sensor, Samsung Pay and more. Plus, there are many different styles of Android smartwatches to choose from to suit your personal taste.
If you’re looking for the best Android smartwatch out there, check out our recommendations below. You’ll notice we’re not recommending many watches powered by Wear OS because Google and Samsung have rebooted the OS, but every Android smartwatch listed here is a solid wearable with great features that pairs seamlessly with your Android phone or device. We’ll update our selections for the best Android smartwatch on the market periodically as we review new products.
Google’s first Pixel Watch wants to tackle the Apple Watch head-on. For the most part, it succeeds thanks to a sleek, curved design and a range of health sensors including an ECG app and blood oxygen tracking. It has a suite of fitness tracking features and analysis through the Fitbit app and accurate heart rate tracking.
Beware that the battery isn’t as strong as other options on this list and you will likely find yourself charging this watch every day, especially if you like to do outdoor GPS workouts and track your sleep. It’s also only available in one 41mm size.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro are two of the best Wear OS watches you can get right now. They have longer-lasting batteries than last year’s Galaxy Watch 4 models and plenty of great fitness tracking features. Google apps including YouTube Music, the Google Assistant and Google Maps are available, with many more apps accessible through the Play Store. You do need a Galaxy phone to use the ECG, but all the other features work seamlessly with other Android phones.
But the new temperature sensor isn’t active yet, and both watches miss out on the classic physical rotating bezel, one of the signature features of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch and Gear watches from years past.
The Galaxy Watch 4 is the first smartwatch to run the new Google Wear platform, co-designed by Samsung and Google. Even though it’s now been superseded with the Galaxy Watch 5, you can still buy the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, the version with a physical rotating bezel. ECG and heart-rate tracking are onboard, but Samsung tries to differentiate itself from other watches with a new impedance-based electrical sensor that can tell you more about your body composition. The battery life is not as strong as other watches on the list.
Garmin makes plenty of great smartwatches for fitness enthusiasts, but they don’t always have that many smart features. The Venu 2 hybrid smartwatch offers the best of both worlds. You can respond to notifications from the watch with quick replies, use contactless payments with Garmin Pay and store music from apps like Spotify. The bright AMOLED circular screen is easy to see outdoors and the battery lasts for 5 days or more. The Venu 2 Plus offers all the same features, but includes a speaker and microphone for taking quick calls from your wrist when your phone is in range, or talking to your voice assistant.
If you’re looking for a fitness-focused Android watch without too many distractions, which works with both Android and iOS, the Garmin Venu Sq is the watch to get. It has a built-in GPS, plenty of workout options to choose from, and lots of fitness tracking data about your workout like heart rate zones and running dynamics in the mobile app.
This Android smartwatch also doubles as a health tracker with high and low heart rate alerts, a comprehensive sleep analysis and SpO2 tracking. It measures blood oxygen levels on demand, or automatically throughout the day and night just like the Apple Watch Series 7, but for half the price. But you do compromise on design. The watch has a plastic frame, and the watch face’s screen isn’t as big or as vibrant as those on some of the other watches on the list. There’s also a newer version of this watch, the Venu Sq 2, with a battery that lasts even longer, but it is significantly more expensive.
If you’re looking for an Android-compatible watch that looks more like a dive watch, check out the Withings ScanWatch Horizon. It has regular watch hands and a tiny circular display that shows notifications scrolling across it like a ticker. But the focus is mostly on health-tracking features like monitoring your sleep, heart rate and workouts. There’s also an ECG onboard, and the battery can last two weeks or more.
Today’s best mirrorless cameras, like the Canon EOS R5, Sony A7 R IV and Panasonic Lumix S5, aren’t just great at taking still images; they’re superb video cameras too. With features including image stabilization, high frame rate footage and resolutions up to a whopping 8K, mirrorless cameras aren’t just great for amateurs who want to capture some vacation clips, they’re good enough for professional work too.
But having the camera and a lens will only get you so far in creating pro-standard, cinematic footage. There’s a whole variety of additional kit you’ll need to consider if you want to elevate your video production beyond a base level, from different methods of stabilizing your shots, through to tools that allow for more creativity in your video.
We’ve rounded up our top picks of the best gimbals, sliders, shoulder rigs, storage cards and more to help transform the footage you shoot with your new mirrorless camera. I’ve tested everything on this list to make sure it performs as it should and, crucially, whether it’s actually worth your money. If it didn’t impress, it didn’t make the list.
A slider is a great way of adding slick, professional-looking sideways camera movements that can add some real flair to your footage. And while sliders come in many shapes and sizes, I’ve found Edelkrone’s Slider Plus to be a superb, compact option for use with a mirrorless camera.
It’s small enough to fit into a kit bag, but thanks to its unique mounting system, it essentially allows the camera to travel double its length, making it great for anyone who wants to create great-looking travel videos without having to haul loads of gear on location.
You can get motorized add-ons too that turn it into a smartphone-programmable slider so you can control it remotely and create repeatable moves. Pictured above is the slider with the Motor Module, which lets me control the slider with my phone which is great for getting smooth and steady footage at slower speeds.
While many mirrorless cameras have built-in image stabilization for smoother handheld footage, if you want to ensure you get steady shots over longer periods of time, using a shoulder rig is a smart move. By sitting on — or up against — the shoulder and with handles at the front, a shoulder rig provides a solid base for your camera to sit on, letting you capture dynamic, stable footage even with bigger cameras.
PolarPro’s Pivot shoulder rig is a great solution video shooters on the move as the whole rig conveniently folds down small enough to store in a backpack, yet folds out in just a few clicks when you need it. Its carbon fiber rods make it sturdy, while its handles and shoulder pads can be adjusted to give you the most comfortable experience.
Zhiyun’s Molas X100 LED light packs a huge amount of power into an extremely small package. It puts out 100 watts of power, which is as much as you’d typically get from dedicated studio moonlights. It’s small enough to be used handheld, which makes it remarkably convenient for lighting on the move or for lighting in tight spaces.
It’s battery-powered but can run off USB-C, and the battery unit can be detached and used as a power bank to recharge your phone. The kit comes with a small collapsible soft box, but Zhiyun also sells an adapter to use the light with regular S-mount light modifiers.
Leveling base tripods, as the name suggests, have a base that allows you to level your camera to the horizon independently of the tripod legs. It’s often crucial in video to avoid wonky-looking footage as you pan the camera from side to side. Often these tripods can be big and bulky, but 3 Legged Thing’s Jay is a different beast.
It’s built with portability in mind, with four-section carbon fiber legs that fold down small, but still provide a sturdy base for cameras when fully extended. The video head has a panning arm for smooth… well, panning. Meanwhile the tilt function is slick, with additional friction easily dialed in for greater control.
But it has some other tricks up its sleeve: You can detach the legs, attach the head to one and turn it into a monopod, or you can attach small feet to the head and turn it into a tabletop video tripod. It might not come cheap, but this tripod is solidly built and its transforming nature makes it useful in a wide variety of scenarios.
If you want to get even more creative with your lighting, Zhiyun’s Fiveray light stick is a great creative toy to play around with. It’s best thought of like a Star Wars lightsaber: a long stick that lights up in different colors and is handheld. Though you won’t be slicing through droids with it, its bright output and handheld nature means it’s easy to get that light in hard-to-reach places, or create other interesting lighting effects by moving it around.
You can adjust the color temperature to match other lights in the room, or switch it to RGB mode if you want to experiment with vibrant pinks or deep cyan tones in your lighting.
While the battery life isn’t great — especially if you’re using it on max power — it comes with a power pack and can also run via USB-C.
A camera cage is a metal frame that fits around your camera, with mounting points for a variety of accessories. Smallrig’s Black Mamba cage is specifically designed for the Canon R5 and allows you to fit top or side handles, or any other items, like LED lights, monitors or microphones. It turns your camera into a fully fledged video rig that makes it great for handheld filming.
I particularly liked using it with the optional side handles, which offered more-stable footage than I was able to achieve just holding the camera and allowed me to also attach a microphone for better audio.
If you’re hoping to get into wedding or event videography — or you simply want better footage of your family on the holidays — then a cage like this is a good option to consider.
If you’ve ever wanted to use a smoke machine for your videos but didn’t want to have to carry one of those big boxes around — and a power source for it — then the SmokeGenie is for you. It puts out a huge amount of safe-to-breathe smoke that can fill a small room in seconds.
It’s brilliant for food or still life shooters who want to create a smoke effect on a small set, while an optional haze accessory lets you create a cinematic haze that will comfortably fill a large set. It’s handheld, making it easy to put the smoke exactly where you want it and give it a quick top-up when needed. The amount of smoke and the power of the fans are customizable, allowing for clouds of billowing smoke or more of a dry ice effect that makes the smoke act more like a liquid that cascades over whatever you’re shooting.
I’ve had great fun experimenting with my demo unit, and it’s been a huge step up from my previous way of using smoke on set, which simply involved blowing some vape smoke through a drinking straw. While the SmokeGenie is certainly more expensive than a vape, if you regularly use smoke on professional shoots, then it’s well worth the money.
If you want smooth footage and dynamic camera movements then consider a stabilizing gimbal. The Zhiyun Weebill 2 stabilizes your mirrorless camera on three axes, keeping your shots looking steady, even if you’re running with your camera.
While the base model comes with all you need for steady footage, the Pro package takes things further, bundling advanced gear including a follow focus system and a wireless video transmitter that lets you see the video footage on the gimbal’s fold-out LCD display, on compatible external monitors or even on your phone.
The Pro Plus package we tested can be found in photo specialty stores. It includes that connects to the wireless video transmitter and has its own controls for remotely controlling the gimbal, the focus system and basic camera settings.
Like the Zhiyun Weebill 2, Manfrotto’s 300XM gimbal allows for smooth-looking footage thanks to its three-axis stabilization. But Manfrotto’s gimbal has a trick up its sleeve; It has a modular design, that lets you detach the handle and use it as a wireless remote to continue controlling the gimbal and camera.
Manfrotto also launched the Fast GimBoom, a carbon fiber extending pole, with screw mounts on the top and bottom allowing you to attach the 300XM gimbal to the top and the remote control gimbal handle to the bottom. The result? Your camera is now on top of a 45-inch pole allowing you to get dynamic footage that looks like it was shot using a crane or jib, with much less hassle.
The twist mechanism of the GimBoom makes it quick to work with, while the optional tripod legs allow it to stand up on its own to operate as a regular tripod.
It can be difficult to monitor your footage solely using the small LCD screen on the back of your camera. That’s especially the case if you have your camera on a shoulder rig, on a high tripod or in some other awkward position. In these cases, using an external monitor, connected via HDMI, is the best solution, providing a direct feed from your camera so you can see exactly what’s going on.
Godox’s GM7S has a bright and sharp 7-inch display that makes it extremely easy to see your scene as you’re shooting. It has various assist functions to help you get your focus, as well as tools to ensure your exposure and other camera settings are exactly as they should be.
It can be powered with USB-C or by using L-series batteries, which are commonly available on Amazon.
If you’ve upgraded to a mirrorless camera that shoots 6K or 8K video — such as the awesome Canon EOS R5 — then odds are that camera accepts CFExpress cards. These storage cards are much faster than typical SD cards to both save files and to read them. As a result, they’re what you’ll need to look towards if you’re planning on shooting high resolution video.
Even 4K footage can be challenging to slower SD cards, especially if you’re shooting at high frame rates or in Log formats, which generate more data per minute of footage. At CNET we’ve used ProGrade’s Cobalt CFExpress cards for shooting a variety of high definition videos and they’ve performed well, with higher capacities available to eliminate the need for swapping out cards halfway through a shoot.
CFExpress cards are certainly more expensive than SD cards, but if you want to make the most of capturing at those maximum resolutions then it’s worth investing in good storage that can handle the huge files.
Any built-in microphone your camera might have isn’t designed to capture professional-quality audio that you’d actually want to use in your finished videos. Instead, you’ll need a proper microphone setup to make sure your audio sounds as good as your footage.
DJI is better known for its drones, but its Mic setup is a superb wireless audio recording solution in a neat package. The kit comes with a receiver that sits on your camera and two separate wireless mics — one for you, one for your friend, perhaps. The connection is strong and stable and the audio quality is superb, even in high wind thanks to the supplied wind shields.
The mics are stored conveniently in a case that charges them, providing up to 15 hours of total recording time. The output can plug directly into your camera’s mic socket or you can even use it with your iPhone or Android phone using a 3.5mm adapter.
Matte boxes are essentially hoods that attach to the front of your camera lens and are used to help eliminate any weird light flares or distortions that might be caused by the sun or other light sources around you. They’ll often have movable panels (called flags or barn doors) that you can position specifically to control the light, and there are usually slots to drop in cinematic filters.
PolarPro’s Recon matte box ticks both of those boxes, with a large carbon fiber panel mounted on the top that’s great for blocking flares from bright sunlight. The base kit comes with the hood, the flag and a variable neutral density filter. This filter reduces light coming in through the lens and gets even darker as you twist it. It allows you to maintain the correct shutter speed for your footage, even when the light starts to change.
Upgrade to the Director’s kit and you can take the creativity further. This set also includes a mist filter that adds a cinematic haze to your footage and a “bluemorphic” filter that turns hard light sources (car headlights, for example) into wide blue light streaks, similar to the anamorphic lens flares that are a staple of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars and Star Trek movies.
Autofocus in cameras can be great for locking on to individual subjects, but when you want to achieve cinematic focus changes between different subjects in a scene, then you’ll need to take manual control. A follow focus system attaches to a camera rig and allows your lens’ focus ring to be turned more smoothly — and without having to touch the camera, which could cause noticeable shaking in your footage.
Smallrig’s MagicFIZ system is wireless, allowing you to attach the motor to your lens and have the controller off camera. It’s great if your camera is in an awkward position or if you want a second person to control the focus while you concentrate on getting the shot.
How we test
I’m a professional photographer and video producer for CNET and I have personally tested every item on this list to confirm that it works as intended and that it’s actually a genuinely helpful part of your video setup. No marketing promises have been taken at face value and if it didn’t impress, it didn’t make this list.
Some items are used as part of my everyday video production setup for CNET, helping me get creative footage for our video reviews. Others I’ve simply put to use in my studio, or out and about on shoots around my home city of Edinburgh or throughout wider Scotland. As a professional, I know what to look for in a good product and I know what would be more of a hindrance on a real shoot — I need to trust that any equipment I take on location will always perform at its best and allow me to do the same.
Gamers looking to score a great deal on a PlayStation 5 can now get the next-gen console and one of the best PS5 games out there at a deep discount with this bundle. The God of War: Ragnarök bundle is discounted by over $60 at Amazon, dropping the price to $499. You can find a similar discount at Walmart, Target and directly at Sony’s webstore right now. That means you’ll pay the same price for the bundle that includes the console and the critically acclaimed game as you would if you were to buy the console alone. Since this a title you’ll definitely want to pick up at some point, this deal is a no-brainer for new PS5 buyers.
After years of careful PS5 stock tracking, the flagship console from Sony is now much more readily available to buy at Amazon and other retailers. This bundle includes the disc edition of the PS5 console, as well as a DualSense wireless controller with haptic feedback to immerse you in gameplay, and of course, a God of War: Ragnarök full game voucher. The console itself has 4K and HDR visuals, ray tracing and a Blu-ray drive, and it delivers up to 120 frames per second and supports up to 120Hz output. God of War: Ragnarök tops our list of the 15 best PS5 games to play right now and ended up being one of the most satisfying games released last year. Note that this title is rated Mature, for players aged 17 and up.
This PS5 bundle deal is slated to run through Aug. 1 at Sony’s site, so we expect the third-party retailers will adhere to the same timeframe. That being said, supplies could sell out before that date, so you don’t want to delay placing your order if you’ve been holding out for some PS5 savings.
Taking screenshots of important documents, such as online receipts, is a good way to make sure you have access to your documents in case of an emergency. Whether you’re running Windows 10 or Windows 11, there are a few easy ways to take screenshots of all — or part — of your screen.
The Snip & Sketch tool is easier to access, share and annotate screenshots than the old Snipping Tool. It can now capture a screenshot of a window on your desktop, a surprising omission when the app was first introduced that kept us on Team Snipping Tool until recently.
The easiest way to call up Snip & Sketch is with the keyboard shortcut Windows key + Shift +S. You can also find the Snip & Sketch tool listed in the alphabetical list of apps accessed from the Start button as well as in the notification panel where it’s listed as Screen snip. Or you can just search for it if you don’t commit the keyboard shortcut to memory. (If you’re a frequent screenshot taker, we recommend pinning the app to the taskbar.)
The built-in Snip & Sketch app has finally won us over and is now our go-to method for taking screenshots in Windows 10 and 11. So long, Snipping Tool.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
Either the keyboard shortcut or the notification button will dim your screen and open a tiny menu at the top of your screen that lets you choose which type of screenshot you want to take: rectangular, freeform, window or full-screen. Once you take your screenshot, it will be saved to your clipboard and show up momentarily as a notification in the lower-right corner of your screen. Click the notification to open the screenshot in the Snip & Sketch app to annotate, save or share it. (If you miss the notification, open the notification panel and you’ll see it sitting there.)
If you open Snip & Sketch from the Start menu or by searching for it, it will open the Snip & Sketch window instead of the small panel at the top of the screen. From here, you need to click the New button in the upper left to initiate a screen capture and open the small panel. It’s an extra step to proceed this way, but it also lets you delay a screenshot. Click the down-arrow button next to the New button to delay a snip for 3 or 10 seconds.
The Snipping Tool has been around since Windows Vista. Windows has warned for a couple years that the Snipping Tool is going away, but it’s still kicking around in Windows 11. The Snipping Tool has been delisted from the list of apps in the Start menu, but you can still easily access it via the search bar.
Click the New button to begin the screenshot process. The default snip type is rectangular, but you can also take free-form, full-screen and window snips.
Snipping Tool does not automatically save your screenshots — you will need to manually save them in the tool before you exit — and it does automatically copy your captures to the clipboard.
The Snipping Tool has been with Windows for a long time.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
Print Screen
To capture your entire screen, tap the Print Screen (sometimes labeled PrtScn) key. Your screenshot won’t be saved as a file, but it will be copied to the clipboard. You’ll need to open an image editing tool (such as Microsoft Paint), paste the screenshot into the editor and save the file from there.
You can also set the PrtScn button to open the Snip & Sketch tool by going to Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard and toggling on Use the PrtScn button to open screen snipping under Print Screen Shortcut.
You can adjust print screen settings in Windows.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
Windows key + Print Screen
To capture your entire screen and automatically save the screenshot, tap the Windows key + Print Screen key. Your screen will briefly go dim to indicate you’ve just taken a screenshot, and the screenshot will be saved to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
Alt + Print Screen
To take a quick screenshot of the active window, use the keyboard shortcut Alt + PrtScn. This will snap your currently active window and copy the screenshot to the clipboard. You’ll need to open the shot in an image editor to save it.
No Print Screen key?
If your computer doesn’t have the PrtScn key, no worries, Microsoft has another keyboard shortcut for you. You can press Fn + Windows logo key + SpaceBar to take a screenshot. It will then be saved to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
Game bar
You can use the Game bar to snap a screenshot, whether you’re in the middle of playing a game or not. First, you’ll need to enable the Game bar from the settings page by making sure you’ve toggled on Record game clips, screenshots and broadcasts using Game bar. Once enabled, hit the Windows key + G key to call up the Game bar. From here, you can click the screenshot button in the Game bar or use the default keyboard shortcut Windows key + Alt + PrtScn to snap a full-screen screenshot. To set your own Game bar screenshot keyboard shortcut, to Settings > Gaming > Game bar.
Windows Logo + volume down
If you’re rocking a Microsoft Surface device, you can use the physical (well, sort of physical) buttons to take a screenshot of your entire screen — similar to how you would take a screenshot on any other phone or tablet. To do this, hold down the Windows Logo touch button at the bottom of your Surface screen and hit the physical volume-down button on the side of the tablet. The screen will dim briefly and the screenshot will be automatically saved to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
Google has released Android 14 Beta 3, detailed in this blog post. The prerelease software, which mostly addressed previous bugs and other issues, is available to download and install on the Pixel 4A 5G and later, as well as a few other supported devices. There is only one more Android 14 beta release, slated for July, before the public Android 14 update comes out in the fall.
Android 14 in general will bring tweaks and revamps, including updates to the Android system UI and improvements to privacy and security.
Android 14 Beta 3 is the latest preview of Google’s mobile system, which first went to developers with the Android 14 developer preview, to test before the general release.
Prior to the beta releases of Android 14, the process of installing Android developer previews wasn’t super easy. It involved unlocking developer options, downloading a sizable file, factory resetting your device and more. Now, it’s much more simple to download and install the latest Android 14 beta.
The final version of Android 14 will eventually be the most accessible way to get it, but that’s not expected until later this year. If you really want an early look at what’s coming, and you have a supported Android device, such as the Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, you can begin testing Android 14 beta 3 right now. Here’s how.
A console-level control for your Android that’s compatible with popular cloud gaming services like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Steam Link and GeForce Now, as well as hundreds of mobile games like Minecraft, Fortnite and Roblox.
Although the Android 14 beta is more refined and solid than the Android 14 developer preview, you should still expect bugs with this release that may make your phone more difficult to use. Only download the Android 14 beta if you’re willing to deal with these issues or if your device is a backup from your daily phone. Also, make sure to back up your device before downloading the Android 14 beta, in case something goes wrong or you decide to leave the program later.
Note: Some of the new features that are in development might not end up in the final version of Android 14, so anything you do use should be considered an early preview and not necessarily final.
Which Android devices are compatible with the Android 14 beta?
For now, these Pixel smartphones support the latest Android 14 beta:
Besides the Google Pixel, there are a few other devices that support the Android 14 beta, including the OnePlus 11, Nothing Phone (1) and Lenovo Tab Extreme. You can check out if your device is compatible with Android 14 Beta here.
The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are two of the supported devices that can currently run Android 14 beta.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
How to download Android 14 Beta 3 on your supported device
The easiest way to download Android 14 Beta 3 on your phone is to go to the Android Beta for Pixel page on your computer, check if your device is supported and then enroll in the Android 14 program.
Under the Your eligible devices option, you should see your phone if it is supported (make sure your phone is charged over 10% or else it may not appear).
As long as you haven’t signed up for the Android 13 beta or Android 14 developer preview, you will see the option to opt in. If you’ve already signed up for the aforementioned prereleases, you don’t need to do anything to get Android 14 Beta 3. You should automatically receive an over-the-air update on your phone.
If your device supports Android 14 beta, it will appear under “Your eligible devices.”
Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
To enroll in the Android 14 beta, click Opt in and then click Confirm and enroll after reading the terms and conditions. You should see a notification that says your device is now part of the Android 14 beta program.
You will then receive an over-the-air update on your phone. If you don’t get a notification on your phone, go to Settings > System > System update to view your Android 14 update. It may take up to 24 hours to receive the OTA update.
How long will the Android 14 beta last for?
You should expect updates up until the public release of Android 14, which will likely launch sometime in the fall of this year. According to Google, you should receive an update a month in May and June, with two in July.
Also, the Android 14 beta program as a whole will continue until next year, which means that you’ll continuously receive beta updates up until the next beta release, unless you opt out.
How do I opt out of the Android 14 beta?
To opt out of the Android 14 beta program, go back to the Android Beta for Pixel page, but this time click Opt out. Within 24 hours, you should receive an OTA update on your phone that will wipe out all your locally saved data and provide you with whatever the latest public version of Android is at the time. As mentioned before, this is why you need to back up your device before enrolling in the Android 14 beta program.
Updates are coming to Apple’s Messages, but you’ll have to wait a little to get your hands on them (unless you’re in the company’s developer program). Apple revealed its iOS 17 software update on June 5, but it won’t arrive until the fall. The iOS 17 update makes some major changes to Messages, adding abilities like turning pictures into stickers, transcribing voice memos, keeping your friends and family notified on your way home, and more.
News about the iOS 17 Messages update came during the keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Apple traditionally uses the annual event to give developers a preview of updates to its desktop and mobile software, and sometimes it introduces new hardware too. At the conference the company unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro.
With the update to Messages in iOS 17, people will be able to take their photos and turn them into stickers they use in text conversations, alongside standard emoji, which can also be used as stickers. People can customize their stickers with effects — like shiny, puffy, comic and outline — and keep them in a new drawer in the keyboard for streamlined access, Apple said in a press release. Stickers will be available systemwide, including in third-party apps.
To make a photo into a sticker, you’ll touch and hold an object in a photo. Then you can style your object with various effects, outline it or create animated Live Stickers with Live Photos. To use the sticker in Messages, you’ll add them in the bubble from the Tapback menu.
Watch this: Apple Reveals iOS 17
16:43
Search in Messages, Check In and more
Also coming is a refined search feature. People will be able to apply additional filters to their Messages search to more quickly find the exact conversation they’re looking for. Plus, when you’ve received lots of texts in a group chat, you’ll be able to use the catch-up arrow to locate where the conversation left off last.
iOS 17 Messages will also transcribe voice memos you receive, if you don’t have the time to listen to them. Apple also announced a new feature that will let you keep track of your friends by viewing their location in your text conversation.
Apple’s Check In feature through iOS 17.
Screenshot by CNET
Another new location sharing feature is Check In. If you want to keep a friend or family member updated on your journey home, for example, you’ll be able to use Check In, which notifies the person of your whereabouts and lets them know if you’re having trouble getting home. “If they are not making progress toward their destination, useful information will be temporarily shared with the selected contact, such as the device’s location, battery level, and cell service status,” Apple said in the press release. Check In will be end-to-end encrypted, so only you and the person you’re sharing this information with is privy to your location.
The iOS 17 updates don’t stop at Messages. Apple also introduced Live Voicemail, which will give people the ability to see the message a person is leaving you as it is being recorded. This could help with deciphering between important calls that unknown numbers leave and spam.
The iOS 17 update for FaceTime includes audio and video messages, so people can leave their friends and families a FaceTime voicemail of sorts.
Also, if people want to share a contact with one another, they can use the new feature NameDrop. By bringing two iPhones or one iPhone and one Apple Watch close together, contact information can be transferred from one device to the next.
While the regular season for European club teams is now over, the soccer still keeps on coming, with Netherlands going toe to toe today against Croatia in the first semifinal of this year’s UEFA Nations League, the continent’s secondary international competition.
Spain and Italy are contesting the second semifinal tomorrow, with the prize for the overall winner in Sunday’s final a kinder group of five teams, instead of the usual six, in the upcoming qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Striker Memphis Depay and defender Matthijs de Ligt both miss out through injury out for the hosts, with Newcastle’s Sven Botman set to make his debut in the famous orange shirt. The seemingly ageless Luka Modrić is set to be the fulcrum of a Croatian midfield three alongside Mateo Kovačić and Marcelo Brozović.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.
Netherlands vs. Croatia: When and where?
Netherlands host Croatia at the De KuipStadium in Rotterdam on Wednesday, June 14. Kickoff is set for 8:45 p.m. CET local time in the Netherlands (7.45 p.m. BST in the UK; 2.45 p.m. ET or 11.45 a.m. PT in the US; and 4.45 a.m. AEST on Thursday, June 15 in Australia). The final is this Sunday, June 18.
How to watch the Netherlands vs. Croatia game online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream the Netherlands vs. Croatia game in the US
Wednesday’s big match at the De Kuip will be available to stream on Fox Sports 1, which has live broadcast rights in the US for the remaining UEFA Nations League fixtures for this season.
Among the live TV streaming services that carry local Fox Sports 1, the cheapest is Sling TV Blue at $40 per month.
Numerous other live TV streaming services carry local Fox stations as well, namely YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, DirecTV Stream and FuboTV. They all cost more than Sling TV, but they also carry more channels. Check out our live TV streaming channel guide for details.
Livestream the Netherlands vs. Croatia game in the UK
UEFA Nations League rights in the UK are with Viaplay. This game will be broadcast on Viaplay Sports 1, with kick-off set for 7.45 p.m. BST on Wednesday evening.
You’ll need to be a subscriber to Viaplay’s Total package to watch its UEFA Nations League Finals coverage, which is priced at 15 per month or 144 per year.
Viaplay currently has the UK broadcast rights to the United Rugby Championship, La Liga soccer, plus the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and Champions Hockey League.
Livestream the Netherlands vs. Croatia game in Canada
If you want to stream this game live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to DAZN Canada. The service has exclusive broadcast rights to every remaining Nations League game this season.
A DAZN subscription currently costs CA$25 a month or CA$200 a year and will also give you access to a wide range of soccer, plus Six Nations rugby and WTA tennis.
As well as dedicated apps for iOS and Android, there’s a wide range of support for set-top boxes and smart TVs.
Livestream the Netherlands vs. Croatia game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch this match on streaming service Stan Sport, which is showing every single UEFA Nations League game live in Australia this season.
on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League match of the final day of the season live in Australia.
With exclusive rights to screen all remaining Nations League matches live this season, as well as Premier League, Women’s Super League, and LaLiga games, streaming service Optus Sport is a particularly big draw for Aussie soccer fans.
If you’re already an Optus network customer you can bag Optus Sport for a reduced price, with discounts bringing the price down to as low as AU$7 per month. If you’re not, a standalone monthly subscription to the service starts at AU$25.
Quick tips for streaming the UEFA Nations League using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming Nations League matches may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
The Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola is a welcome surprise. It’s aimed at corporate types with a PC, especially if it’s a ThinkPad. I’m not a business executive, nor do I own a PC, and yet after testing it for a few weeks, the ThinkPhone has become my favorite Motorola smartphone in years. And as the Tyler Perry-esque name suggests, the phone is made by Motorola and its parent company, Lenovo.
The ThinkPhone has personality, unlike many Motorola phones in the past few years. It’s more than just a bunch of tech specs voted on by marketing research participants and packaged together at a low price. And with phones, like dogs and pigs, personality goes a long way. The ThinkPhone is reminiscent of 2017-’20 era Motorola designs that made me appreciate how much value a Moto phone can pack compared to devices from Google, Samsung and, at the time, LG.
At $700 (which converts roughly to 565, AU$1,060), the Lenovo ThinkPhone is an incredible value. It has a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip, (which feels speedy despite being a generation old), a 5,000-mAh battery, 68-watt fast charging (with an included power brick) and a lovely 6.6-inch 144Hz display, all wrapped in the Lenovo ThinkPad’s pinstriped and refined aesthetic.
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This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.
8.0
Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola
Like
Cohesive design
Incredibly fast charging
Cross functionality with PCs
Incredible value for the price
Don’t like
The cameras are good, but struggle in low light
The Google Pixel 7 is $100 less
It runs Android 13 and has a number of nifty shortcuts and cross-platform utilities with Windows. The cross functionality isn’t limited to Lenovo ThinkPads. In fact, the ThinkPhone can work with most Windows computers released in the last few years.
The phone was first announced at CES earlier this year and sells unlocked on Motorola’s website as well as Lenono’s site and B2B enterprise sales channels. Perhaps the ThinkPhone’s biggest drawback is that the $600 Pixel 7 exists. While the ThinkPhone beats the Pixel 7 in most aspects, it lacks Google’s head-of-the-class computational photo processing and lower price. To be fair, a Pixel 7 with 256GB of storage (which matches what’s on the ThinkPhone) costs $700. And that tips things in Motorola’s favor.
The ThinkPhone has a similar design as Lenovo’s popular ThinkPad laptop line, down to the signature red button. For a new phone that’s likely the first in a new product line, the design feels refined and mature; mimicking the ThinkPad’s corporate look. There’s even a ThinkPhone by Motorola badge on the back that’s identical to the ThinkPad logo. The diagonal aramid fiber weave inlay on the back gives the smartphone a sophisticated look and feels great in hand.
The phone is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance and can survive being submerged in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes; about 5 feet. But don’t worry, it also comes with a case.
The ThinkPhone has an aluminum body, and the rear is covered in aramid fiber.
James Martin/CNET
The 6.6-inch display looks good, even under bright light. Its refresh rate can go up to 144Hz. What I did is leave it on “auto,” which switches the refresh rate by up to 120Hz depending on what’s on your screen. Under the screen is an optical fingerprint reader, which worked well.
The phone runs last year’s Snapdragon chip instead of the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip found in the OnePlus 11 or Galaxy S23. And to be precise, it’s the plus variant that debuted last summer. It’s a savvy way to balance powerful performance and excellent efficiency while keeping the price down. I wish more companies would use last year’s premium processor to help lower the cost. In fact, Motorola’s upcoming Razr Plus runs on the same chip, which I’m certain helps keep its price down.
The back of the phone comes with the same bottom corner branding as a Lenovo ThinkPad.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Essentially, this is a Motorola phone that runs on a close-to-stock version of Android 13 with a few enhancements like Moto UX, shortcuts and features like GameTime, a mode that minimizes distractions during game play. It has Microsoft Office preinstalled and that’s where that red button on the side seems most at home. I can use the button with Microsoft Teams’ push to talk feature or program it for another shortcut. It’s a lovely addition that makes the phone more unique than its Motorola Edge cousins. I used the button to trigger the audio recorder app.
Performance was generally fast and smooth, aside from one minor “bug” I found during my testing. When I rotated the phone between a horizontal and vertical position, occasionally content stayed in landscape even though the ThinkPhone was vertical. (And no, the orientation lock wasn’t on.)
The ThinkPhone handled gaming well when I played titles like PUBG Mobile, Super Mario Run, Alto’s Odyssey and Genshin Impact, especially in Motorola’s nifty GameTime mode. Remember the phone’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip is the same one that debuted on last year’s Asus ROG Phone 6.
Geekbench V.5.0 Single-core
Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola1,335Motorola Edge Plus (2023)1,470Samsung Galaxy S231,518
Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
Geekbench V.5.0 Multicore
Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola4,339Motorola Edge Plus (2023)4,849Samsung Galaxy S234,789
Note: Longer bars indicate better performance
Everyday tasks were peppy, as were running Motorola’s Ready For connectivity tools, some of which have been repackaged as Think 2 Think (get it?) to connect to PCs, monitors and TVs. For example, I copied and pasted text and photos from the phone to a ThinkPad laptop and used the ThinkPhone’s 50-megapixel main rear camera for a video call I took on the ThinkPad. The image looked good.
I was also able to pull up the ThinkPhone’s screen on a ThinkPad. There was the occasional lag but overall it worked OK. I can’t think of when I’d want my phone’s display to appear on my laptop or what I’d use that for exactly.
The ThinkPhone’s software is very similar to other Motorola phones aside from several Lenovo features.
James Martin/CNET
Like most Motorola devices, the ThinkPhone has Lenovo’s ThinkShield, which helps with data privacy. There are also utilities for remote management that are obviously aimed at a company’s IT team. While cross-platform compatibility isn’t unique to Motorola and Lenovo, the ThinkPhone and ThinkPad work together closer to what Apple does with its iPhone and Mac than other Android and Windows devices.
Since software productivity tools are vital to the ThinkPhone’s entire premise, it’s nice to see Motorola and Lenovo commit to three years of major OS updates and four years of security updates. That puts it on par with what Google promises for its Pixel phones and just behind Samsung, which offers four years of Android upgrades.
Lenovo ThinkPhone battery and charging
Supplying the proverbial gas is a big battery that easily lasts a day and then some. I ran a 45-minute endurance test that consisted of playing games, streaming video, making a video call and scrolling social media to see how much the battery would drain after a full charge. After the test, the ThinkPhone’s battery was at 96%, which is the best result on any phone we’ve tested this year. By comparison, the Pixel 7 dropped to 94% and the Samsung Galaxy S23’s battery drained down to 91% in the same test.
I also streamed a lovely YouTube video of a train ride through the Alps to see how much a full battery would drop over the course of three hours. As you can see in the results below, the ThinkPhone fared better than the Pixel 7 and Galaxy S23, which had identical results. It’s curious since the ThinkPhone has a higher resolution QHD display compared to the Pixel and Galaxy phones, which have lower resolution FHD Plus screens.
CNET’s streaming video battery test
Phone
1 hour
2 hours
3 hours
Lenovo ThinkPhone
97%
92%
86%
Google Pixel 7
95%
88%
81%
Samsung Galaxy S23
95%
88%
81%
If all that battery heft still isn’t enough for your spreadsheet macros and Zoom marathon needs, the ThinkPhone has fast charging. And when I say fast, I truly mean it. The ThinkPhone comes with a 68W wall charger in the box. The ThinkPhone went from an empty battery to 92% in 30 minutes, making it one of the fastest-charging phones sold in the US. For perspective, the similarly priced iPhone 14 only added 42% in the same amount of time.
If you forget that lovely charger at home, you can use the ThinkPhone’s wireless charging to top off your battery. In 30 minutes, the battery went from 6% to 43%. For comparison, the new Pixel 7A wirelessly charged its battery from 37% to 47% in the same amount of time.
There are two rear cameras: wide and ultrawide.
James Martin/CNET
The ThinkPhone’s cameras, wrap-up
There are two cameras on the back, a 50-megapixel main one and a 32-megapixel ultrawide, which can double as a macro camera. Photos from the ThinkPhone are good, especially when taken under bright lighting. There’s a noticeable step down in quality when photographing in dimmer environments. Check out some of my favorite ThinkPhone photos below.
I took this snap of Peebles the cat with the ThinkPhone’s portrait mode.
Patrick Holland/CNET
I used the ThinkPhone’s night mode to snag this pic at Club Fugazi in San Francisco.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The phone really nailed the colors in this photo.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The main camera captures good detail in bright, even lighting. Take a look at the names of the books.
Patrick Holland/CNET
There are definitely some curiosities at every turn in San Francisco. Details look soft in the fur of the double-raccoon head.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Under mixed lighting, like in this image I took at Luna in San Francisco, the phone did just OK. It doesn’t have the best dynamic range.
Patrick Holland/CNET
OK, this photo is out of focus. I blame myself. (I was trying to prevent a cat from eating a ladybug.) But the ultrawide lens doubles as a macro lens and allows for close-up shots of small things.
Patrick Holland/CNET
And here’s the same ladybug in focus, sans cat.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The ThinkPhone can record videos up to 8K resolution at 30 frames per second. The image quality in photos is definitely better than videos you record, which is fine as long as filming videos isn’t a priority. But video image quality suffers when recording under low light. Overall, this isn’t meant to be a camera forward device but should be more than capable of capturing everyday snaps.
With everything considered, the Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola is a lovely surprise that’s competitive with some of the best Android phones you can buy. While it’s designed to be a business-minded phone, it doesn’t act much differently than a regular consumer phone. It definitely has a lot in common with the more expensive Motorola Edge Plus that came out last month, but the ThinkPhone’s lower price makes it a much better value. It even bests the Edge Plus in our battery and charging tests.
The ThinkPhone brings together Android and Microsoft Windows through Lenovo-specific features.
Patrick Holland/CNET
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 it daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds and foldable displays among others that can be useful. And we balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever its price is, actually represents good value.
If you’re looking to buy one of the best phones out there, Apple consistently tops our list of great options with its latest iPhone, year after year. Likewise, its various Apple Watch models are often featured on our list of best smartwatches. But Apple devices come at a premium, often costing significantly more than competing brands. However, if you don’t mind a preowned device, you can get a great deal on refurbished Apple products. Woot currently has a variety of refurbished Apple Watches and iPhones to choose from, which can save you hundreds versus buying from Apple directly.
The majority of the devices you’ll find at this sale are listed as “Grade A” refurbs. According to Woot, that means that these items have been tested to be in full working condition and will show minimal signs of cosmetic wear and tear. Batteries are also tested to function at minimum 85% capacity.
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This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.
While this sale doesn’t include Apple’s most up-to-date flagship phone — the iPhone 14 — there are still some great phones worth checking out. The previous-gen iPhone 13 lineup remains a solid option for most people, and if you want to save on a really recent model, Woot has the large iPhone 13 Pro Max available at a good price. It has an impressive 6.7-inch display, 128GB of storage and you can get it in several color variants for $860 right now, which saves you $239 over its initial list price.
If you want to spend a little less, the iPhone 12 is still an excellent phone that’s more than sufficient for most people, thanks to its 5G capabilities, OLED display and powerful A14 Bionic chip. It’s a great value starting at just $380, which is over $200 less than buying new from Apple directly, or $340 for the iPhone 12 Mini. In our iPhone 14 review, CNET’s Patrick Holland said there isn’t a compelling reason to upgrade to the iPhone 14 from the iPhone 12, meaning this is still a great phone for a lot of folks today.
On the smartwatch side, the Apple Watch Series 7 from 2021 is the latest model, available from $230. Outside of the temperature sensor and crash detection features found on the Series 8, the older Series 7 has basically the same display, battery life, connectivity and features making it a solid option in 2023. The first-gen Apple Watch SE is available for even less — just $160 — and it will still work well for the average user and is a good bargain for someone just testing the waters with their first Apple Watch.
Overall, these are some of the best value Apple deals you’ll find right now. These offers will end tonight, June 14. However, many of the refurbished models have already sold out, so we recommend acting sooner rather than later.
This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.
The phone brand, which was launched by OnePlus founder Carl Pei in 2020, is relatively new to the market but has already gained attention for its affordable price and design. Pei tweeted Tuesday that the next operating system, Nothing OS 2.0, will also be launching to Nothing Phone 1 users by the end of August.
CNET’s Andrew Lanxon admired the Nothing Phone 1, a 5G device, for its “unique, flashy design” and “solid processor and camera performance.”
On the Nothing 1’s 399 price tag, Lanxon said, “It’s a low price, but what you get is a phone that feels like a premium product.”
Watch this: Nothing Phone 1 Is a Superb, Affordable Phone
07:53
Will the Nothing Phone 2 be available in the US?
Unlike its predecessor, the Phone 2 will launch in the US alongside its release in the UK and Europe. There’s no word yet on what price point it will be offered at, or whether you’ll be able to get the phone through a carrier.
While the Nothing 1 did not launch in the US, you can get your hands on a beta of the company’s first phone for $299. However, CNET’s Mike Sorrentino said that just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. The phone mainly supports 4G, limiting carrier compatibility, and some apps may not function properly with the beta.
