Category: Technologies

Working from home is normalized in the post-pandemic world. As a result, people are building home offices with must-need gadgets. If you’re invest up to eight hours a day (or sometimes more), it’s important that you have the right accessories to provide you enough support to stay focused and get things done. We’ve gathered some of our favorite webcams, monitors, USB mics and other devices that help make remote working that much easier. Add these essentials to your home office and see how your work from home experience improves.

Now playing:Watch this:Gifts to make working from home easier

5:05

The home office must-haves for a remote worker are obvious: a full-size keyboard, a wireless mouse and an external monitor
. But there’s a handful of other gear — from a proper desk to blue-light-blocking glasses to a good pair of noise-canceling headphones — that can make your workday less frustrating, more productive and comfortable. Our recommendations for the best home office essentials for your home office setup are below. We’ll update this list periodically as we review new products.

David Carnoy/CNET

Logitech MX Anywhere 3

One mouse to rule them all

Logitech’s new-for-2020 mouse is ostensibly geared for travel, but it’s really just a good all-around mouse for anyone who finds the step-up Logitech MX Master 3 to be overkill. From the scroll wheel to the programmable side buttons, this mouse can handle any pointing task. It charges via USB-C, and interfaces with devices via the included USB-A Unifying dongle or Bluetooth. There’s also an Apple-centric model available for the same price.

Read our Logitech MX Anywhere 3 hands-on impressions.

$80 at Amazon

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for Logitech MX Anywhere 3

Joshua Goldman/CNET

Logitech C920S

Boost production values

It’s not my favorite webcam — that would be Logitech’s StreamCam, which has been hard to find in recent months — but the C920S will get the job done. The image quality and sound pickup are pretty good and the clip-on design makes it suitable for an external monitor or laptop computer. The physical privacy shutter is a nice, confidence-inspiring flourish that promises to protect you and your office space from prying eyes.

If it’s sold out, you can use a tripod and your phone’s HD camera for video chatting. Here’s how to do it. And if you’re looking for other gear to help enhance your meetings online, we’ve got a roundup of gear for video chats.

$60 at Best Buy

$60 at Target

$71 at Amazon

You’re receiving price alerts for Logitech C920S

Blue Microphones

Shure MV5

Sound better

The Shure MV5 digital condenser microphone combines an unfussy setup and high-quality audio with a compact form factor. I wouldn’t recommend it for high-stakes recording projects, but it will certainly boost the sound quality of your Zoom meetings and other webconferencing interactions. It comes with both USB-C and Lightning cables.

If you’re willing to spend more, and can find it in stock, the Blue Yeti is an even better mic for advanced users. It features three capsule microphones, four pickup patterns (for different kinds of recording) and just enough controls to help optimize the way you sound without overloading you with super technical features.

$89 at Amazon

Amazon

Aukey Omnia 65W Charger

Charge nearly any device

Many newer gadgets have transitioned to USB-C charging, but plenty of us still have legacy USB-A cables around the house. With the Aukey Omnia 65-watt charger, you’re good to go with any of them. It’s got both types of jacks, and the USB-C one is Power Delivery compatible, meaning it can charge most compatible laptops, too.

See the best iPhone 14 chargers.

$40 at Aukey

Deckers Lab

Deckers Lab Ko-z SNPR Mid

The best slippers ever

This sneaker-slipper hybrid may be the most comfortable footwear I’ve ever worn. The recycled “looped wool” interior keeps things temperately balanced, so your feet stay warm but not sweaty. The thick rubber outer sole provides support and protection from the elements. And the appealing future-primitive aesthetic is slick enough to transform your sweatpants and inside-out t-shirt into a fashion-forward ensemble. I wear these all day, every day. Highly recommended.

$150 at DeckersxLab

Sarah Tew/CNET

The Edge Desk System

Save your back

There’s a lot to like about the Edge Desk System. It provides a highly ergonomic sitting position, with an ergonomic chair and knee supports that can relieve the tension of sitting in a traditional chair. It’s highly adjustable and we’ve been able to change the height and angle to accommodate everyone in my family, including an 8-year-old child. It can also easily and quickly fold up into a surprisingly compact and mobile package; you can essentially use it in any room, whether your work environment is your living room or even next to your kitchen table.

$400 at Edge Desk

Acer

32-inch BenQ EW3270U 4K Monitor

Step up your display

BenQ is currently offering $50 off this 32-inch 4K LED display. That’s a good price for a large, ultra high-def HDR display.

$350 at Best Buy

$350 at Amazon

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for 32-inch BenQ EW3270U 4K Monitor

Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple Magic Keyboard (and Magic Mouse 2)

Turn your laptop into a desktop

Apple’s Magic Keyboard is awesome. It has the old-school Mac keyboard design and space, with the pleasing scissor key mechanism, and it’s wireless, connecting via Bluetooth. Best of all, the battery, which is rechargeable via USB, lasts for months on a charge. (I also love Apple’s Magic Mouse 2 for the same reasons.) The larger version with the numeric keypad — yep, that’s great, too.

$99 at Amazon

You’re receiving price alerts for Apple Magic Keyboard – keyboard – US

Sarah Tew/CNET

Logitech K380

Cheap but good multi-device keyboard

You can use Apple’s peripherals with Windows machines, but if you’re looking for an alternative Bluetooth keyboard that will work with anything from Windows PCs to Macs to iPads to phones, the Logitech K380 (about $30) is a great choice. Pair it with up to three devices, and toggle between each of them with the click of a button.

Read our Logitech K380 review.

$28 at Walmart

$30 at Amazon

$30 at Best Buy

You’re receiving price alerts for Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard

Sarah Tew/CNET

V-Moda Crossfade 2

Tune into your work

If your kids invade your office and you really need to tune out distractions from your home setup, headphones are a good way to maintain focus. V-Moda’s Crossfade 2 Wireless are comfortable to wear and deliver absolutely killer sound quality — with full bass and high detail. Though the headphone design runs too close to the steampunk aesthetic for me, the audio, intuitive controls and sturdy design more than make up for it. And these headphones, which come in three different color combos, are currently on sale for $200.

A backup pick: The Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 provide excellent wireless noise canceling and they cost considerably less than comparable models from other companies. They’re also comfortable to wear, sound great on phone calls and are smart enough to pause whatever you’re listening to when you take them off. If you need more options — including AirPods-style true wireless models — check out our list of best noise-canceling headphones.

Read our Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 review.

$120 at Amazon

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

Chris Monroe/CNET

Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System

Drink good coffee

When you work from home, making coffee becomes a sacramental practice. Think of this kitchen appliance as the Swiss army knife of the drip coffee maker world. The Ninja programmable brewer (with frother, thermal carafe and reusable filter) offers an uncanny degree of flexibility, making it the best coffee maker for those who don’t always want the same cup. It can create everything from solid drip, to perfect cold brew, to iced coffee, to latte-style drinks with its milk frother, and it will adjust the temperature according to your choice. Its thermal carafe will keep tea or coffee hot up to two hours. This programmable coffee maker even lets you brew iced coffee and hot coffee in multiple sizes, from small cups, mugs and travel mugs, all the way up to half and full carafes.

Read our Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System review.

$180 at Amazon

$230 at Best Buy

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System (Thermal Carafe)

Dinnerly

Dinnerly

Make dinner easy

When you’re not commuting, there may be some more time for dinner prep. Dinnerly rolls out exciting-sounding and delicious meals such as summery chicken panzanella and risotto with asparagus and cannellini beans. But with no more than six ingredients per recipe, the damage done to your time and kitchen is minimized. The price tag for Dinnerly puts it squarely in the budget-friendly category, clocking in with a cost per serving of around $5. The subscription options include a Two-Person Box for $30, or a Family Box for $60, each with three recipes for the week. Looking for more options? Check out our list of best mealkit services.

See at Dinnerly

Amazon

HP LaserJet Pro M15w

A small but capable laser printer

If space is tight but you need to print shipping labels, shopping lists or homework assignments a few times a month, this is your machine. The HP LaserJet Pro M15w is a great fit for practical, nonfussy tasks and its tiny footprint, measuring about 8 inches deep and 14 inches wide, fits perfectly on a bookshelf or filing cabinet. And it connects via Wi-Fi to nearly any device, which means you can print from your phone. If the students in your family can live without a scanner — after all, phone cameras can handle most scanning jobs now — and color output, the LaserJet Pro M15w is a great choice for under $120. Just make sure you stock up on printer paper too.

$129 at Amazon

You’re receiving price alerts for HP LaserJet Pro M15w (white)

Doeworks

Doeworks Mobile Stand Up Desk (Update: Out of Stock)

A basic, adjustable workstation

Tabletop real estate is at a premium in my house these days, with two adults working full-time and two kids who occasionally dabble in remote schoolwork. In an effort to make a room of her own, my wife bought this simple, inexpensive and surprisingly adjustable two-piece desk system. Aside from the roller wheels, which are great, but which weren’t fun to install, the setup was painless. The desk allows her to work seated or to use it as a standing desk, with one platform for a keyboard and another for a laptop or display.

$65 at Amazon

More stuff to make WFH go smoothly

• Best Home Office Chairs to Buy for 2022
• 5 Monitors Worth Checking Out for 2022

• 7 Must-Have Ergonomic Upgrades for Your Home Office

• The Best Monitors According to the CNET Staff Who Use Them

• Best Printer for 2022

• Best Speakerphone for 2022 for Working From Home
• All the Best Headphones for Working at Home for 2022

• Best Monitor Under $200 You Can Get Right Now
• The 3 Fastest VPNs We’ve Tested: NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark Compared

The Freedom search (libertas.world) engine is now available in the iOS app, making it even easier to avoid search engine spying.

Freedom Search positions itself as a search engine that provides maximum privacy and confidentiality. The system does not record requests and IP addresses, does not collect or analyze any data about the user, does not track your location, behavior and remains anonymous – you always remain a guest.

In addition to the fact that Freedom Search has a special private mode by default, which is activated in the issue and does not allow sites to track your actions, it also evaluates sites on a privacy scale.

As a nice bonus from Freedom – ad blocking. In addition to the usual banners, after buying air tickets to Paris, you will be relieved of intrusive advertising of French hotels and special offers from airlines!

Well, as for its main task – the Freedom search engine helps to easily and quickly search for information, in particular in foreign languages.

Download Freedom Search to your phone and Internet surveillance will no longer scare you.

I grew up with a video game controller in my hands. Video games have gone through a major evolution since my childhood — and while everything else has become more expensive, games have stayed roughly the same price.

But in 2017, Microsoft launched Xbox Game Pass, followed by Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in 2019. These are subscription services that give players unlimited access to an expanding library of over 400 new and old games, and cost $120 or $180 for one year, respectively. XBGP lets you play on console or PC, and XBGPU lets you play console, PC and cloud gaming. These prices make either Game Pass plan attractive, but in the end, is it cheaper to buy physical copies of games?

I did the math and found a year of XBGPU with an Xbox Series S is a better value than buying physical copies of games to play on an Xbox Series X, especially if you play a lot of different games.

You can also check out if streaming services or cable offer a better deal, and whether it’s cheaper to buy groceries or meal kits.

Xbox Game Pass: Best Games on Microsoft’s Subscription Gaming Service

See at Cnet

Xbox Game Pass vs. physical game copies

How I did the math

To calculate the costs, I started with the cost of the Series S, $300, and Series X, $500, since you need a console to play games on. The Series S is a digital-only console with no disc drive, so it can’t play physical copies of games. The Series X has a disc drive, so it can play either digital or physical copies of games. It’s important to include both, since the Series S is the more budget-friendly option, but the Series X has more gaming capabilities. If you already own either console though, you can scroll down for a yearly price breakdown of just the gaming service versus buying physical copies of the games.

Next, I found the price of each Xbox Game Pass plan without promotional deals, $10 and $15 a month. I multiplied both costs by 12 to give us the cost of the subscription over a one-year period. This is how we get $120 for XBGP and $180 for XBGPU.

Then, I found the price of new physical games. Many new games are $60, but game publishers are starting to increase game prices to $70, as was the case for NBA 2K21. Microsoft said it would start charging $70 for games made by its studios in 2023. That’s why there are two prices for new physical games.

A Series S with either Game Pass plan is budget-friendly gaming

We have two columns reflecting a Series S with one year of either game pass plan. A Series S with XBGP costs $420, the least expensive option. The Series S with XBGPU is $480, the second least expensive option. Both of these cost less than the Series X, and that’s before you buy a game or a subscription.

A Series X with either Game Pass plan and physical games cost more

There are five columns to show the Series X with one year of either Game Pass plan, Series X with one year of either Game Pass plan and physical games and Series X with just physical games.

As you might expect, the Series X with XBGPU and one physical game costs the most, at $740 or $750. Next, the Series X with XBGP and one physical game costs $680, and the Series X with XBGPU costs $680 or $690 with a $70 physical game. The Series X with XBGP costs $620. Finally, an Xbox Series X with one physical game costs $560 or $570.

What if you already have a Series S or X?

As you can see above, the consoles are responsible for the majority of the costs in the first year. For the second year, we remove the cost of the consoles, and this also gives us an idea of what the cost will look like moving forward.

As a reminder, one year of XBGP is $120, one year of XBGPU is $180 and a physical copy of a new game is between $60-70. You could buy up to three new $60 games in a year to equal the cost of XBGPU. If you buy $70 games, you can get two for the price of XBGPU or just one for the cost of XBGP. If you usually play more than two or three games a year, either Game Pass plan is worth it.

With both Game Pass plans, subscribers have access to over 400 games. Some of those games are new, like A Plague Tale: Requiem, while others are classics, like Doom. Games are added to the Game Pass library periodically, but they are also removed, like how Netflix adds and removes shows and movies over time. The number of games has also increased from when Microsoft launched the subscription service, so it’s safe to say that number will continue to rise.

Online play included with XBGPU, not physical games

Another important thing to consider is whether or not you plan on playing games online. If you want to do that with physical games, you need to subscribe to Xbox Gold Live.

Xbox Live Gold is $10 a month, or $60 a year. You would need to pay for a physical copy of a new game ($60-70) and then add the cost of one year of Xbox Live Gold ($60) to get $120-130.

If you have XBGPU then Xbox Live Gold is included with your subscription, so you don’t have to include that cost with your plan and you have access to the game library. However, an XBGP subscription doesn’t include Xbox Live Gold, so you’d have to pay for that separately or upgrade to XBGPU for the same cost.

Is either Xbox Game Pass plan worth it?

If you’re on a budget and want access to hundreds of games and online play, you should consider a Series S with XBGPU. And if you already have a console, XBGPU is still a great deal. You have unlimited access to over 400 games as compared to buying a few physical games, plus you can play online with your friends. If money isn’t an issue, then ball out with a Series X, XBGPU and as many physical games as you want.

For more We Do The Math, check out if Trader Joe’s is cheaper than other grocery stores, whether a meal kit is cheaper than buying groceries at the store or how much you could save by going meatless for one day a week.

Now playing:Watch this:xScreen for Xbox Series S: Hands-On

8:52

You’ve found the perfect holiday gift for someone but you don’t know the correct address to send it to. You don’t want to text them to ask for their address because that would give away the surprise — but if you don’t ask then you’re left with a great gift and no address to mail it to. Unfortunately, while the internet can solve most problems, a correct address can be harder to find. But if you’re shopping for a holiday gift on Amazon, all hope is not lost. There’s an amazing Amazon shopping feature that makes it possible to send a stealthy gift with just the recipient’s phone number or email address.

Here’s how to send gifts to friends who may have moved and whose address you don’t have on file. Just note, however, you need to be a Prime member and there are a couple other caveats. (Here’s how to sign up for a Prime membership if you don’t have one.) If you’re already a member, there are plenty of perks you probably aren’t using, like free Grubhub Plus food delivery for a year.

Is there a catch to sending Amazon gifts without an address?

Yes, here are the puzzle pieces needed to make this convenient shopping hack work. You must:

• Be an Amazon Prime member.
• Have the recipient’s email address or mobile phone number.
• Use the mobile app to send the gift without a specific shipping address. (The new shopping feature won’t work with Amazon.com, only the mobile app.)
• Ship and receive the gift to the continental US — sorry, Hawaii and Alaska.

Important note: Not every gift is eligible. For example, we couldn’t send the baby clothes we picked out for our colleague’s newborn this way, but we were able to select a pair of $36 Amazon over-ear headphones (not currently available) to send to a recipient without a physical address on hand.

How does the Amazon Prime gift option work?

We’ll share more details in the step-by-step below, but in general, as the gift-giver you just have to send a gift receipt and select the new delivery option. The recipient will then be notified to accept the gift by providing their address. If they decide to not accept the gift, they can exchange it for an Amazon gift card. Amazon says it won’t tell the person who picked out the gift if the recipient chooses a gift card instead.

How to send a gift on Amazon without knowing the recipient’s address

If you just picked out a gift for your family member or friend on Amazon, here’s how you can send it to them through text or email:

1. Add the gift to your cart using Amazon’s mobile app.

2. Tap Add a gift receipt for easy returns and then tap Proceed to checkout.

3. Once at checkout, select the option to Let the recipient provide their address and tap Continue.

4. Enter the recipient’s phone number or email address. This is where you can also add a custom message sent alongside your gift. You can also select gift wrapping at this stage. (Note that this typically costs another $5 for an Amazon gift bag.)

5. Place your order by clicking Continue. The recipient will then be notified and asked to accept the gift.

Pro Amazon Tip!

Shop for Amazon’s daily deals for discounted prices on your favorite products.

See at Amazon

Read more: 21 Best Wine Gifts for 2022 and 10 White Elephant Gifts Everyone Will Wish They Had Thought Of

How to accept an Amazon gift

If you have been sent a gift through Amazon, here’s how to accept it (or get a gift card instead):

1. Click on the text or email notification from Amazon and tap View and accept your gift.

2. Tap on your present to unwrap it and watch an animation of your gift being revealed.

3. Once you’ve virtually unwrapped your gift, you can choose to Accept and provide an address or Exchange for an Amazon gift card.

4. If you choose to accept the gift, you will be prompted to provide your delivery address. After you enter your address, tap Deliver to this address and then Accept the gift.

5. Amazon will then ship your gift to you with free Prime shipping.

For more, check out how to use Amazon subscribe and save to buy your favorite products at a discount. Plus, you can bypass shipping fees with this shopping tip.

More from 12 Days of Tips: Don’t Throw Out Your Old TV! Do This

Make Your Life Easier with Amazon Alexa Routines. Here’s How to Set Them Up

Winter Utilities: What You Need to Know About Gas and Heating Bills to Save Money.

If you spend a lot of time working out of your home office, it’s a good idea to invest in a proper pair of headphones. They’re critical for those who work remotely as they allow you to tune out any distractions in the background and focus on your work. And while active noise cancellation is a necessity, some of the very best headsets for working from home will also have a built-in microphone with clear audio that you can use during meetings and business calls.

Headphones used for working should offer top-notch sound quality and comfort since you’ll be wearing them for hours on end. They should also include excellent communication features for making voice calls, including any sort of video chats. Good noise reduction is key, as is being able to hear your own voice in the headphones as you talk so you don’t end up shouting. Good bonus features include strong battery life and multipoint Bluetooth pairing, allowing you to switch between two devices.

You may specifically be looking for a headset or headphones designed to work with Unified Communications applications and certified for Skype for Business, optimized for Microsoft Lync and suitable for softphones from Cisco, Avaya and Skype. I’ve included some UC headphones on this list, but the majority of these are mainstream consumer headphones that also work well on the go. We have curated this list of the best headphones for work as a tool to help you see which features each brings to the table so that you can decide which fit is best for you.

Read more: Best Cheap VPN: Three Options for Working From Home

David Carnoy/CNET

Sony WH-1000XM5

Best new noise-canceling headphones

Battery Life

Rated up to 32 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

Yes

Headphone Type

Over-ear wireless headphones

Water-Resistant

No IP rating

When you have a product that a lot of people love, change can be risky. Such is the case for Sony’s WH-1000XM5, the fifth generation of the 1000X series headphones, which were first released in 2016 as the MDR-1000X Wireless and have become increasingly popular as they’ve improved with each generation. Over the years, Sony has made some tweaks to the design, but nothing as dramatic as what it’s done with the WH-1000XM5. Other than the higher $400 price tag ($50 more than the WH-1000XM4), most of those changes are good, and Sony’s made some dramatic improvements with voice-calling performance, as well as even better noise canceling and more refined sound. You can also pick them up for around $50 off at the moment.

Read our Sony WH-1000XM5 review.

$348 at Crutchfield

$348 at Amazon

$350 at Best Buy

You’re receiving price alerts for Sony WH-1000XM5

David Carnoy/CNET

Apple AirPods Pro 2

Even better Apple noise-canceling wireless earbuds

Battery Life

Rated up to 6 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Wireless earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX4 — splash-proof)

Available for preorder now and shipping Sept. 23, the new AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are powered by Apple’s new H2 chip, which delivers more processing power while being more energy efficient, according to Apple. The new chip, combined with new low-distortion drivers, allows for improved sound that offers better clarity and depth. The noise canceling is also improved — Apple says the new AirPods have “double” the noise canceling of the original AirPods Pro. Additionally, the new AirPods add an extra hour of battery life, up from five to six hours with noise canceling on. Plus, a speaker in the case that emits a sound that helps locate your buds via Find My should they decide to hide from you.

Note that while Apple has discontinued the original AirPods Pro, they’ll remain on sale at discounted prices until supplies are exhausted. However, most people should get this newer model if they can afford it.

Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating — splash-proof).

Read our Apple AirPods Pro 2 review.

$249 at Apple

$200 at Amazon

$200 at Best Buy

You’re receiving price alerts for Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen, White)

David Carnoy/CNET

Bose QuietComfort 45

Best QuietComfort from Bose

The QuietComfort 45 has virtually the same design as its predecessor, the QuietComfort QC35 II, which many people considered one of the most comfortable over-ear headphones — if not the most comfortable. (And, if comfort doesn’t make them the best headphones for working, what would?) It has the same drivers, according to Bose, and the buttons are in the same place. However, there are small but notable changes. First off, these thankfully have USB-C instead of micro-USB.

Secondly, the microphone configuration is different. Not only have the mics been shifted on the headphones, but there’s now an extra external microphone for voice pick-up, which means the QC45 has a total of six microphones, four of which are beamforming and used for voice. By contrast, the QC35 II has a total of four, two of which are used for voice. (The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 also have six microphones total.)

The end result is these are excellent for making calls. They’re similar to the Bose Headphones 700 in that regard and also feature top-notch noise canceling, as well as multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can connect them with a PC and your phone simultaneously. Read our full review of the QuietComfort 45.

$249 at Bose

David Carnoy/CNET

Poly Voyager Focus 2 UC

Best headset from Poly

Battery Life

Rated up to 19 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

Yes

Headphone Type

On-ear wireless headset

Water-Resistant

No IP rating

Plantronics’ original Voyager Focus UC has long been considered one of the best work-from-anywhere headsets. Now we get the Voyager Focus 2 UC from Poly (the company Plantronics morphed into after it acquired Polycom), and it’s improved in several ways, including better noise reduction (it’s stellar), two levels of active noise canceling, increased battery life (up to 19 hours with ANC off and 16 hours with it on) and superior wireless range with Bluetooth 5.1.

You can pair the Voyager Focus 2 UC with your computer with the included USB dongle or your phone (or tablet) via Bluetooth. It can also connect to a desk phone if you want to bring it to the office. Also worth noting: The boom microphone has a mute button on it, but when you flip it up it also automatically mutes the microphone. The original Voyager Focus doesn’t mute when you lift the boom microphone.

The Focus 2 comes in several different versions, including USB-A and USB-C models and a version that’s Microsoft Teams certified. You can get the headset by itself or in a bundle that includes a charging dock. All versions include a nice protective carrying pouch.

The Voyager Focus 2 UC is expensive but offers excellent performance and is quite comfortable for an on-ear headphone. It also sounds good for music listening with nicely detailed sound and ample bass. It may not be quite up to the level of the Sony WH-1000XM4 for music, but it offers a nice music listening experience for a work-centric headset.

The original Voyager Focus UC (see below) can be had for closer to $120, so expect this next-gen to come down in price with time. I don’t know if it’s worth $100 more, but it clearly performs better and has a swankier design than the original.

$200 at Amazon

$226 at Target

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for Poly Voyager Focus 2 UC

Jabra

Jabra Elite 45h

Best budget on-ear headphones for working from home

Battery Life

Rated up to 50 hours

Noise Canceling

No

Multipoint

Yes

Headphone Type

On-ear wireless headphones

Water-Resistant

No IP rating

Released in mid-2020, the Jabra Elite 45h were essentially billed as the best on-ear headphones for the money and among the best headphones for work. While there’s nothing terribly fancy about them, they are a great value for on-ear headphones, with good sound quality, a sturdy design and comfortable fit — for on-ear headphones, anyway. They perform well as a headset for making calls too, and include a sidetone feature that allows you to hear your voice so you don’t talk too loudly. Battery life is also good and it has multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can connect to both your computer and your smartphone at the same time, and easily switch between the two should a call come in on your phone. It mostly works.

Available in multiple color options, it lists for $100 but sporadically gets discounted to $70 and sometimes less; sometimes certain colors cost less than others.

Note that the $274 Evolve2 65 (on sale for $159 right now), which has an integrated boom microphone, is essentially the souped-up office version of these headphones.

$70 at Amazon

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for Jabra Elite 45h

David Carnoy/CNET

JLab Go Work

Best budget headset for working from home

Battery Life

Rated up to 45 hours

Noise Canceling

No

Multipoint

Yes

Headphone Type

On-ear wireless headset

Water-Resistant

No IP rating

Known for its value headphones and earbuds, JLab offers a pair of on-ear headphones with an integrated boom microphone (it can be rotated up when just listening to music) and multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can connect them to your phone and computer simultaneously. I’m more partial to the Jabra Elite 45h, which list for $100 but usually sell for around $70. But if you don’t want to spend quite that much, the Go Work are solid headphones — and a good headset — for the modest price. They’re also comfortable to wear with a lightweight design. You won’t mistake these for premium headphones, but the build quality means that they are among the best headphones for work for around $50.

Battery life is rated at up to 45 hours at moderate volume levels, and you can mute calls using the multifunction button (an LED lights up at the end of the boom mic when the call is muted). I wouldn’t call the sound quality for music listening and the headset performance stellar, but it’s good, particularly for the price. For music listening, there’s ample bass and clarity and a cable is included for wired use. The headphones charge via USB-C.

$50 at Best Buy

You’re receiving price alerts for JLab Go Work

David Carnoy/CNET

Jabra Evolve2 30

Best wired headset

Battery Life

NA

Noise Canceling

No

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

On-ear wired headphones

Water-Resistant

No IP rating

Jabra recently released the Evolve2 30, a new more affordable wired on-ear office headset with an integrated boom microphone. It’s lightweight and comfortable and comes in USB-C and USB-A versions, as well as stereo and mono versions (I tried the USB-A stereo version). Alas, it’s hard to get at the moment — apparently, there’s plenty of demand for office headphones/headsets at this price point.

The headphones are OK for music listening, but they’re primarily meant for voice applications. They feature dual microphones — one for picking up your voice and the other to help reduce ambient noise around you so callers can hear you better.

$65 at Amazon

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for Jabra Evolve2 30

David Carnoy/CNET

Shokz OpenComm

Best bone conduction headset for working from home

Battery Life

Rated up to 16 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (microphone)

Multipoint

Yes

Headphone Type

Bone conduction open-ear headphones

Water-Resistant

Yes (IP55 — protection against low-pressure water streams)

Shokz has turned its OpenRun (formerly called the Aeropex) bone-conduction headphones into a more communications-friendly headset with an integrated boom microphone. Since these leave your ears open (the sound is conducted through your cheekbone), they aren’t for people who want to seal their ears out from outside noise. Rather, the idea is that you can hear everything around you without having anything covering your ears or jammed inside them. Some folks find that liberating.

While Shokz are arguably the best-sounding bone-conduction headphones, they aren’t great-sounding for music because they’re lacking in the bass department. However, they’re great for speech so they work very well as a headset for making calls, with good noise reduction. These also have multipoint-Bluetooth pairing, so you can pair them with your phone and PC and easily switch to your phone if a call comes in while you’re on your computer. (Here are the instructions on how to use it.)

As long as you don’t mind the boom microphone, you can use the OpenComm for sporting activities as well. The OpenRun and other Shokz headphones, including the flagship OpenRun Pro, are favorites for runners who want to keep their ears open to hear the outside world for safety reasons. They’re also water-resistant. The only downside is they require a proprietary charging cable instead of USB-C. Battery life is rated at 16 hours of talk time and eight hours of listening time.

$135 at Amazon

David Carnoy/CNET

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2

Best noise-canceling with top-notch sound

Battery Life

Rated Up to 6 Hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Wireless Earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IPX4 — Splash-Proof

Bose’s second-generation QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are not only about 30% smaller than their predecessors, but their case is about 40% smaller and truly pocketable. They feature best-in-class noise canceling and improved sound, thanks to Bose’s new CustomTune sound calibration system that customizes the sound for your ears. Voice-calling performance is also significantly better than that of the original QuietComfort Earbuds.

The other big change is to the ear tips. Bose has ditched its one-piece StayEar wing tips for a two-piece Fit Kit system that features separate ear tips and “stability bands” in three size options, giving you more flexibility to get a secure fit and tight seal.

Read our Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review.

$249 at Bose

$249 at Amazon

$249 at Best Buy

You’re receiving price alerts for Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2

David Carnoy/CNET

Sony WF-1000XM4

Sony’s flagship wireless earbuds

Battery Life

Rated up to 30 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes

Multipoint

Yes

Headphone Type

Over-ear wireless headphones

Water-Resistant

No IP rating

In a surprise move, Sony announced that you can now upgrade Sony’s excellent WF-1000XM4 noise-canceling with multipoint Bluetooth with a firmware upgrade (the LinkBuds and LinkBuds S earbuds are also eligible for the same upgrade). That was their only missing feature, and while Sony will likely release a new WF-1000XM5 in 2023, these are still great-sounding earbuds. They have great noise canceling, solid voice-calling capabilities and good battery life. While they fit a lot of ears, including mine, they may not be a comfortable fit for folks with smaller ears.

$178 at Amazon

$180 at Best Buy

$180 at Target

You’re receiving price alerts for Sony WF-1000XM4 (Black)

Amazon

Plantronics Voyager Focus UC

Best legacy on-ear wireless headset

Battery Life

Rated up to 15 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

Yes

Headphone Type

On-ear wireless headphones

Water-Resistant

No IP rating

An oldie but goodie, the Plantronics Voyager Focus UC allows you to switch between a Bluetooth connection on a smartphone or tablet and a computer. You may find these to be the best headphones for work if you want lightweight, comfortable on-ear headphones that have excellent noise reduction. They also have a retractable boom microphone so people have no problem hearing your voice, and you can hear your voice in the headphones.

Note that Plantronics has become Poly and there is a newer model called the Voyager Focus 2 (see above).

$115 at Amazon

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for Plantronics Voyager Focus UC (B825-M Microsoft)

David Carnoy/CNET

Jabra Evolve2 85 UC

Best enterprise headphones

Battery Life

Rated up to 37 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Over-ear wireless headphones

Water-Resistant

No IP rating

If you’re looking for a souped-up version of the Elite 85h, the recently released Evolve2 85 offers even better telephony options along with a Unified Communications USB dongle for PCs. While it has similar sound quality to the 85h, it has an updated audio chipset, a hideaway boom arm and two additional microphones (10 altogether, with the extra two in the boom arm) for noise reduction and picking up your voice. Its build quality is also a step up. A Microsoft Teams-certified version is available for those who need it.

I found it comfortable to wear over several hours — it offers an impressive 37 hours of battery life or slightly more than the Elite 85h.

Downside: It lists for a whopping $494, though it sometimes sells for less.

$494 at Jabra

David Carnoy/CNET

Logitech Zone Vibe 100

Best Logitech wireless headset for working from home

There’s a lot to like about Logitech’s Zone Vibe 100 wireless over-ear headset, which comes in off-white, carbon and rose color options. For starters, it’s lightweight and comfortable to wear, with a retractable boom microphone that you can flip up to mute, plus it has a mute button on it. Additionally, it features multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can pair it simultaneously with your Mac or Windows PC and your smartphone and easily switch audio back and forth between the two devices. These aren’t active noise canceling headphones but they offer a decent amount of passive noise isolation. Battery life is rated at up to 20 hours of listening time.

People said I sounded clear on calls and there’s some sidetone, so you can hear your voice in the headphones as you talk (that way you don’t end up raising your voice too much). I thought they sounded good while listening to music on my phone. However, the sound quality wasn’t quite up to the same level when streaming Bluetooth audio on my computer, though it was still decent. The Logi Tune app for iOS and Android does allow you to tweak the sound profile, adjust the sidetone and set when the headset goes to sleep when not in use.

This also comes in a version USB dongle for your computer called the Zone Vibe 125 for $30 more.

$100 at Amazon

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for Logitech Zone Vibe 100

Jabra

Jabra Evolve 65E UC

Best Around-the-Neck Headset

Battery Life

Rated up to 13 hours

Noise Canceling

No

Multipoint

Yes

Headphone Type

Around-the-neck earbuds

Water-Resistant

Yes (IP54 — splash-proof)

Jabra’s Evolve 65E UC is an around-the-neck model that offers a comfortable, secure fit. You get three sizes of stabilizing fins along with three sizes of ear tips. This version is Skype for Business and UC certified and the included USB Bluetooth adapter allows you to be connected to your PC (Windows or Mac) at the same time as your smartphone.

While these headphones are decent for music listening — they’re a little shy on the bass — they excel as a headset for making phone calls, with good noise reduction, especially wind noise. The integrated inline microphone sits close to your mouth so people have no problem hearing you. Battery life is rated at 13 hours.

Note that this is the business-grade version of the Elite 65e. Jabra also makes the step up Evolve 75E UC that features active noise canceling. I didn’t think the noise canceling was great, however, so it’s probably best to save the money and get the 65E UC.

$199 at Amazon

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for Jabra Evolve 65E UC

David Carnoy/CNET

Apple AirPods Max

Best Apple over-ear headphones for working from home

Battery Life

Rated up to 20 hours

Noise Canceling

Yes (ANC)

Multipoint

No

Headphone Type

Over-ear wireless headphones

Water-Resistant

No IP rating

If you’re an Apple-centric person who works on a MacBook and also has an iPhone (and maybe an iPad), Apple’s AirPods Max noise-canceling headphones allow you to easily connect to multiple Apple devices simultaneously (so long as you’re signed into your iCloud account on all the devices) and switch between them. If you’re on a Zoom teleconference and a call comes in on your iPhone, the AirPods Max automatically switch to the iPhone if you pick up the call.

They sound great, and with all their microphones they do an excellent job picking up your voice and reducing ambient noise. Aside from their high price, their other potential downside is their heavy weight. Although I found them comfortable, some people have trouble with that.

Read our Apple AirPods Max review.

$449 at Amazon

$549 at Apple

$480 at Best Buy

You’re receiving price alerts for Apple AirPods Max (Gray)

David Carnoy/CNET

Cyber Acoustics Essential Bluetooth Headset HS-2000BT

Value alternative to Jabra and Poly UC headsets

UC headsets that include a USB dongle so you can easily connect the headset wirelessly to your computer tend to cost more than headsets that just feature Bluetooth connectivity. Listing for around $130, the Cyber Acoustics Essential Bluetooth Headset HS-2000BT sells at a discount compared to similarly styled models from Jabra and Poly. I’m not going to say the HS-2000BT is better than those models, but it’s lightweight and comfortable to wear and offers similar features, including a retractable boom microphone with automatic muting (when you retract the boom mic). It also has a couple of bonus features: active noise canceling and wireless charging (Qi wireless charging pad not included).

Callers said I sounded good though not quite as clear as when I was using the Logitech Zone Vibe 100. I thought the HS-2000BT sounded good when using them to listen to music, though the sound is on the warmer side (pushes the bass a bit). The headset is worth checking out, particularly if it goes on sale.

$134 at Walmart

$130 at Amazon

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for CA Essential Bluetooth Headset (HS-2000BT) – Professional Wireless Headset Optimized for UC Platforms, ANC & ENC Technology Ensure Quality Audio for Calls & Music, Earcup Controls, Comfortable

More headphones and WFH advice

• Best True Wireless Earbuds for 2022
• Best Back-to-School Headphones for 2022

• Best Monitors Under $200 You Can Get Right Now

• Best Noise-Canceling True Wireless Earbuds for 2022

• 7 Must-Have Ergonomic Upgrades for Your Home Office

• Best On-Ear Headphones for 2022: Bose, Beats and More

• Best Gear for Online Meetings: Webcams, Lights, Mics, Tripods and More

• Best Speakerphone for 2022 for Working From Home

• Best Wireless Earbuds and Headphones for Making Calls
• Best Headphones of 2022
• Best Noise-Canceling Headphones Under $100 for 2022
• Best Over-Ear Headphones of 2022

• Best Running Earbuds and Headphones to Use for 2022
• Protect Your AirPods: 5 Cases Under $15

• 4 True Wireless Earbuds Under $40 Worth Buying

• Best Sony Headphones for 2022

Microsoft on Thursday filed a response to a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit aiming to block its $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, arguing that it won’t hurt competition in the video game industry.

The FTC said earlier this month in its lawsuit challenging the acquisition that the software giant will “harm competition” among game console makers including Sony and Nintendo. Microsoft countered in its filing that the acquisition is about helping its Xbox unit to become more competitive.

“Xbox wants to grow its presence in mobile gaming, and three quarters of Activision’s gamers and more than a third of its revenues come from mobile offerings,” Microsoft said in its 37-page response. “Xbox also believes it is good business to make Activision’s limited portfolio of popular games more accessible to consumers, by putting them on more platforms and making them more affordable.”

The deal, announced earlier this year,is the largest ever for the software maker and also within the videogame industry. Microsoft, which also makes the Xbox video game console,has been speaking with regulators around the world in an effort to gainapproval for its acquisition. Microsoft earlier said it expects tocomplete the deal sometime around the summer of 2023.

The FTC’s move against Microsoft marks one of the US government’s biggest efforts to take on the tech industry, which has witnessed companies like Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta becoming some of the most highly valued companies on the planet. Amid all that growth, competitors and regulators have been asking whether the tech industry has too much power and whether companies have been acting as monopolies.

The agency argued in its Dec. 8 lawsuit against the software giant’s acquisition of the Call of Duty maker, saying Microsofthad used earlier acquisitions to make several high-profile upcoming titles like the space exploration game Starfield and the vampire shooting game Redfall exclusive to devices powered by its software. Microsoft said it offered Sony the right to sell the military shooter as part of its PlayStation Plus service, but”Sony refuses to deal,” Microsoft said in its filing.

“The acquisition of a single game by the third-place consolemanufacturer cannot upend a highly competitive industry,” Microsoft saidin its response. “That is particularly so when the manufacturer hasmade clear it will not withhold the game. The fact that Xbox’s dominantcompetitor has thus far refused to accept Xbox’s proposal does notjustify blocking a transaction that will benefit consumers.”

Microsoft said it hopes an amicable resolution can be found that benefits all in the industry.

“Even with confidence in our case, we remain committed to creativesolutions with regulators that will protect competition, consumers, andworkers in the tech sector,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president and vicechair, said in a statement.

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick also defended the deal in a separate statement Thursday, saying that”There is no sensible, legitimate reason for our transaction to beprevented from closing.”

The FTC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

NFL Sunday Ticket is heading to YouTube. After months of speculation, the league and Google announced a partnership to stream all out-of-market football games in the US, starting next football season, in the fall of 2023. The games will be available to watch on YouTube TV and YouTube’s Primetime Channels service.

This is big news, but as a football fan you probably have plenty of questions about this partnership and what it will mean. We don’t have all the information yet, but let’s try to answer some of the biggest questions now.

Will NFL Sunday Ticket be free on YouTube?

It will not be free or even simply included in the base $65 per month YouTube TV package. “There will be a price for Sunday Ticket,” Brent Lawton, vice president of media strategy and business development at the NFL, said in a call with reporters Thursday afternoon.

The NFL and Google have not announced how much Sunday Ticket will cost next season, but you will have to pay some type of subscription fee. In the press release announcing the deal, the league says that Sunday Ticket will be available as “an add-on package on YouTube TV and standalone a-la-carte on YouTube Primetime Channels.”

Lawton says that pricing will be “at YouTube’s discretion” though he noted that “there is sort of a pathway to create some different bundles down the road.” What those bundles might look like or how much they will cost, however, remains unclear.

How much does Sunday Ticket cost now?

DirecTV, which has offered Sunday Ticket since its inception in 1994, charged around $300 for the base Sunday Ticket package this past season. A “Max” version that offered a DirecTV-specific version of RedZone and allowed for multiple streams cost $400 for the season.

Do I need to subscribe to YouTube TV to get Sunday Ticket?

No. Google will offer Sunday Ticket in two ways. One will be an add-on for YouTube TV, the company’s existing live TV streaming service that currently costs $65 per month and is designed for cord-cutters who don’t subscribe to cable TV.

Subscribe to YouTube TV

$65 at YouTube TV

If you don’t want to sign up for YouTube TV, however, you will still be able to get Sunday Ticket through YouTube Primetime Channels.

What are YouTube Primetime Channels?

YouTube Primetime Channels, which launched in November, allows you to subscribe to services like Starz, Showtime and Paramount Plus and watch them directly on YouTube without the need to bounce between individual apps. Each requires a monthly fee. With Primetime Channels, you will be able to sign up for Sunday Ticket on its own for a fee, without needing to also shell out for YouTube TV.

Now playing:Watch this:What It’s Like Playing VR Football: NFL Pro Era Hands-On

8:17

What does Sunday Ticket include? Can I watch my local NFL team?

Sunday Ticket does not have every NFL game. It allows you to watch all “out-of-market” NFL games on Sundays that air on CBS and Fox. Games airing on your local CBS or Fox station, as well as national games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, NFL Network or streaming services like Amazon and ESPN Plus, are not included. Instead, they’re blacked out on the service.

Sunday Ticket also does not include the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl, which are all nationally televised.

If you pay for YouTube TV, Google’s $65-per-month cable alternative, those CBS, Fox, ESPN and NFL Network channels are already included, so you’ll be able to watch all the NFL action that isn’t tied to a streaming service like Amazon’s Prime Video or ESPN Plus.

If you subscribe through YouTube Primetime Channels, you likely will still need to sign up for a different live TV streaming service or cable package to get the traditional channels and local broadcasts, including games airing on your local CBS or Fox station.

Read more: NFL 2022: How to Stream Every Game Live Without Cable

Does YouTube TV still have RedZone?

Yes. YouTube TV has offered the NFL Network and the RedZone channel — the league’s whip-around channel that bounces between games on Sundays — since 2020 as an $11-per-month add-on.

The league said today that “under the expanded relationship, the carriage agreement has been extended.”

When will this Sunday Ticket deal start?

The deal will start with the 2023 NFL regular season, due to kick off next fall. NFL Sunday Ticket for the rest of the 2022 NFL regular season, due to end on Jan. 8, 2023, will remain exclusive to DirecTV.

The NFL confirmed that YouTube will have the Sunday Ticket rights for seven years.

How much is Google paying for NFL Sunday Ticket?

Google and the NFL did not disclose the terms of their deal, but The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Google’s deal with the NFL will see the tech giant pay the league “roughly” $2 billion a year for seven years. It says that the cost, however, could still rise “if certain benchmarks are reached.”

In this article:

• Know your area
• Know your deals and discounts
• Our picks
• More about unlimited data plans and perks
• Unlimited data plans FAQs

It doesn’t matter if you’re an Apple purist or a lifelong Android user — to get the most out of your device you’ll need a good unlimited data plan. Unfortunately, when it comes to finding the overall best unlimited plan, things can be a bit challenging. Unlike with home internet service, where your options are often limited by your location, most people living in the US have their pick of all the major competitors and carriers. And with so many different options, it can be tricky to tell which ones are truly a good value — especially since carriers love to make bold claims about performance and coverage at different prices.

To help you narrow down the best unlimited data plans that are out there, I’m going to focus on the three major carriers — Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T — combing through the multiple postpaid unlimited plans available to find the ones that provide the most perks and value for single lines and for families of four, so that you can find the best plan type for you at an affordable price on your budget.

Know your area

Before we get to the plans, to get the best deal you need to make sure you have the coverage that you need. This makes it very hard for us to give a blanket recommendation of any one carrier. T-Mobile’s service in New York may be excellent, but if you’re in rural Iowa, Verizon is more reliable.

While your mileage may vary, the good news is that these networks are growing and improving all the time, particularly as the three major players race to blanket the US with 5G. It’s quite possible that a decade ago you left a network complaining about its sparse service, but now it’s beefed itself up because of that race to acquire customers.

Now playing:Watch this:Best Budget Phone Plans in 2022 (and the Fine Print)

8:04

If you know any friends or family in your area that already use the carrier you’re considering, ask about their experience. You could also go to a carrier’s store and see if they offer any free ways to try out the service before switching over, such as T-Mobile’s Network Pass. Verizon now offers a similar 30-day “Test Drive” program while the Cricket prepaid service just rolled out its own trial program that lets you sample parent AT&T’s network.

Know your deals and discounts

One other thing to keep in mind: discounts. All of the carriers offer additional discounts that you could be eligible for, depending on your employer, military status, student status or age.

First responders, military members, veterans, nurses and teachers can get discounts on every major carrier. Verizon has discounts for students, while T-Mobile’s Work perk could knock 15% off the monthly price of a Magenta Max plan, with AT&T offering a similar program for its Unlimited Elite and Unlimited Premium plans that it calls Signature. AT&T has also rolled out a promotion for teachers that offers 25% off its latest unlimited plans.

If you’re 55 or older, you may also be eligible for a discounted plan: T-Mobile offers discounted plans nationwide for as low as $55 a month for two lines, and Verizon and AT&T offer similar options — but only for Florida residents. Now onto the picks.

Our picks

Sarah Tew/CNET

T-Mobile Base Essentials: $45 for 1 line

Best for value for a single line

T-Mobile has added a new cheaper unlimited plan for those who don’t need three or more lines. Called Base Essentials, this plan has unlimited talk, text and data including 5G. While the data is unlimited, only the first 20GB each month are at high speed — if you go over that threshold, your speeds will slow to 1.5Mbps for the remainder of your billing period.

While perks like free Netflix or the bundling of taxes and fees into the sticker price are not included, you do get unlimited hotspot at “3G speeds,” a free year of Paramount Plus, and unlimited talk, text and 2G data in Mexico and Canada.

Priced at $5 less per month for a single line than AT&T’s Value Plus plan, this could be a solid option for those looking for a single line without frills. The carrier also allows for multiple lines of this plan, with two lines running $80 a month (if you need three or more you may want to look at one of T-Mobile’s other plans which could be cheaper thanks to various promotions the carrier regularly runs).

T-Mobile keeps this plan surprisingly hidden, but you can find it by heading to the “Plans” section of its website and clicking “See lowest-priced data cell phone plans.”

See at T-mobile

James Martin/CNET

AT&T Value Plus Plan: $50 for 1 line

Runner-up for value on a single line

If you only need one line, AT&T’s new Value Plus plan could be the way to go. You get unlimited talk, text and data and 5G access. There are no perks like a free streaming service subscription or hotspot data and you will need to stick to one line.

But if all you need is a simple unlimited plan from your phone, this is $10 less than T-Mobile’s Essentials pricing, $15 cheaper than AT&T’s Unlimited Starter (with this plan including 3GB of hotspot data) not to mention $15 cheaper than Verizon’s Welcome Unlimited and $20 cheaper than Verizon’s 5G Start.

See at AT&T

Sarah Tew/CNET

T-Mobile Essentials: $60 for 1 line, $105 for 4 lines

Best for value (with multiple lines)

Those looking to save the most on unlimited service from the major carriers may be best with T-Mobile’s Essentials. Unlimited talk, text and data are included for all of the carrier’s base unlimited plans. In this price-focused comparison, T-Mobile’s option comes in at $60 for a single line, $5 a month cheaper than AT&T’s Unlimited Starter and $10 less than Verizon’s 5G Start.

In addition to being $5 less than AT&T’s option, T-Mobile’s Essentials includes unlimited mobile hotspot (albeit at slower “3G speeds”), giving you a little more flexibility. All three carriers offer 5G access with their base plans. We should note that Verizon’s 5G Start doesn’t support its fastest forms of 5G.

You can always reevaluate your options as the three major carriers roll out the latest updates to their respective 5G networks over the next couple of years.

The savings of T-Mobile’s plan also become more pronounced the more lines you add. Two lines of Essentials is $90 a month, while a similar offering from AT&T or Verizon runs $120 a month. Three lines will also run $90 at T-Mobile thanks to a promotion, compared to $135 monthly at AT&T or Verizon. The four-line option is $105 at T-Mobile, compared to $140 at the other carriers.

These prices do come with a couple of caveats: Unlike T-Mobile’s Magenta or Magenta Max plans, taxes and fees are not included in any of these prices, making the actual total a little higher. All the deals also require that you set up AutoPay and paperless billing.

See at T-mobile

Sarah Tew/CNET

Verizon Welcome Unlimited: $65 for 1 line, $120 for 4 lines

Runner-up for value (multiple lines)

Verizon’s answer to T-Mobile’s cheapest plans has arrived in the form of its Welcome Unlimited offering. There are no streaming perks like the Disney Bundle with this plan, no hotspot data, no discounts for device upgrades and you can’t hop on Verizon’s fastest 5G networks, which it calls Ultra Wideband. But you do get Verizon’s network for $120 a month for four lines, assuming you have automatic payments set up.

Compared with the competition, the Verizon plan is still $15 a month pricier than T-Mobile’s Essentials plan, but it’s $20 a month cheaper than AT&T’s most affordable Unlimited Starter plan and Verizon’s own 5G Start. Those looking to save even more can combine the Welcome plan with Verizon’s other discounts for teachers, nurses, military and first responders.

See at Verizon

Sarah Tew/CNET

Verizon Play More: $80 for 1 line, $180 for 4 lines

Best for perks

If you’re looking for freebies with your wireless service, Verizon has one of the most aggressive bundles out there with its Play More plan ($80 a month for one line, $45 a month if you have four lines).

Verizon’s Play More plan includes unlimited talk, text and data and 25GB of higher-speed 5G and 4G LTE hotspot data. Among the perks are a free subscription to the Disney bundle (Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu) and either Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass.

All told, the perks quickly add up if you use any of these services. The Disney bundle normally runs $14 a month, and Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass each run $5.

That’s potentially $19 a month in services. Verizon offers these benefits as part of its Play More and Get More plans, but for most people, the Play More choice is the best fit. Get More runs an extra $10 a month ($90 a month for a single line, $220 a month for four lines) and adds an extra 25GB of high-speed hotspot data, 50% off a connected device (like a monthly plan for tablet or smartwatch) and 600GB of Verizon’s Cloud Storage. Get More also includes a subscription to Apple Music, normally $10 a month.

Something to note: These perks are often limited to one per account, so only one line on a family plan would qualify to open a Disney Plus account and get it covered by the carrier.

Verizon also lets you mix and match plans when you have multiple lines.

If you have four people on your family plan, only one needs to have Play More to get the perks for the whole family. The rest can be on the cheaper 5G Start, which would make four lines $140 a month — as opposed to $180 a month if all four lines have Play More.

You can also combine these plans with Verizon’s other discounts for teachers, nurses, military and first responders to save a bit more.

Lastly, Verizon has a “One Unlimited for iPhone” plan geared towards Apple fans that includes the Apple One bundle (Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade and iCloud storage). The pricing on that plan ($90 per month for one line, $200 a month for four lines) is higher than Play More, however, and the One plan lacks the ability to put other lines onto cheaper plans. Combining those two factors makes this option a worse deal than the Play More plan.

See at Verizon

Angela Lang/CNET

T-Mobile Magenta & Magenta Max: $70 for 1 line, $140 for 4 lines

Runner-up for perks

T-Mobile is the runner-up for perks. Among the benefits are unlimited international data (albeit at slow “2G speeds”) when traveling in over 210 countries, an hour of in-flight Wi-Fi on a number of airlines, T-Mobile Tuesdays weekly giveaways and the bundling of Netflix’s Basic plan (which is $10 a month and limited to watching on one screen at a time). It also now offers six free months of Apple TV Plus, a free year of Paramount Plus’ $5-a-month Essentials plan and a free year of TelevisaUnivison’s ViX Plus.

Its pricier Magenta Max plan ($85 a month for one line, $170 a month for four lines) upgrades the Netflix subscription to the more popular $15.49-a-month Standard plan (which allows for 1080p HD streaming on up to two screens at once), gives you 40GB of hotspot data, adds 5GB of high-speed international data and gives you unlimited Wi-Fi on a host of flights including those from American, Alaska Airlines, Delta and United. You also get a full subscription to Apple TV Plus and a free year of Paramount Plus Essentials and ViX Plus.

Unlike its Essentials plans discussed earlier, T-Mobile also includes taxes and fees with the pricing of its Magenta and Magenta Max plans.

See at T-mobile

More about unlimited data plans and perks

AT&T’s unlimited plans no longer have much in the way of perks. The carrier used to offer a free subscription to HBO Max with its top Unlimited Elite offering ($85 for one line, $50 a month if you have four lines), but it got rid of the option in early June.

It is also worth reiterating that carrier perks — like Verizon and the Disney bundle or T-Mobile’s offering of Netflix, Paramount Plus, ViX Plus and Apple TV Plus — are often limited to one subscription per account, not one for each line you have.

Unlimited data plans FAQs

We’ll keep updating this article as new unlimited plans and better deals emerge. In the meantime, if you know of a better wireless plan deal or have your own favorites, message me on Twitter @eliblumenthal.

Read more: Best Streaming Service Deals

There are a lot of ways to enjoy Xbox games at the moment, whether you’ve managed to score yourself an elusive next-gen Xbox Series X, snagged a compact Xbox Series S, are still gaming away on your trusty Xbox One or have a powerful PC gaming rig. But no matter how you like to play Xbox titles, one of the best and most cost-effective ways to make the most of your console is with one of Microsoft’s gaming subscriptions. However, there are three different subscriptions to choose from, which makes finding the right one for your needs a little more challenging.

To help you find the best Xbox gaming subscription for your needs, we’ve broken down the major differences between the three different gaming memberships Microsoft offers: Xbox Gold, Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate. We’ve also rounded up some of the best deals available so you can get signed up for less. We’ll continue to update this page as deals come and go, so be sure to check back often for the best prices available.

Gold vs. Game Pass vs. Ultimate

There are not one but three different services that you can subscribe to to beef up your gaming experience on the Xbox, so which should you get? It really depends on what type of gamer you are. You can check out our detailed breakdown of Game Pass versus Live Gold here, but these are the major differences so you can pick the plan that’s right for you.

Gold

If you delight in the multiplayer mayhem of online gaming, a Gold membership is pretty much a necessity. To play nearly any Xbox game online, whether it’s running and gunning in the latest competitive shooter or mowing down hordes of zombies with your buddies on the other side of the country, you’ll need to have an Xbox Live Gold membership to do it — except that, as of last April, free-to-play games like Fortnite and Warzone will no longer require one. Gold costs $10 per month, or you can sign up for a three-month subscription for $25 and save a few bucks each month.

Game Pass

If you prefer a single-player experience, Game Pass is a great bargain. Signing up gives you access to more than 400 games from the Xbox catalog. There’s a huge array of games available, from major titles like Batman: Arkham Knight and Back 4 Blood, to small charming indies like Hades and Firewatch. Plus classics from the Xbox 360 era like Mass Effect and Fallout: New Vegas.

There are two versions of this subscription, one for console users, and one for PC users, but they both cost $10 per month. The only major difference is that the PC plan includes a subscription to EA Play, which adds a few more titles to your library, and provides some exclusive rewards and content for select EA games. There’s also an ongoing promotion for the PC subscription that allows new subscribers to get their first month for just $1.

Game Pass Ultimate

Game Pass Ultimate is the best of both worlds. At $15 per month, an Ultimate subscription bundles both Gold and Game Pass for $5 less than it would cost to sign up separately. You’ll get access to the entire Game Pass library on your console, PC and mobile device, as well as a Gold membership so you can play games online too. You’ll also get perks like exclusive offers and in-game content, and it includes the EA Play subscription. For all-around gamers who don’t want to compromise, this is your best bet. And new users signing up now can get their first month for just $1.

Best subscription deals available right now

Unlike the comparable subscriptions for PlayStation, there’s no annual membership plan for either Gold or Game Pass, which makes it a little bit harder to consistently find them at a good value. While deals directly from Xbox turn up occasionally, they’re usually just for new subscribers. However, other retailers and third parties do occasionally have deals on digital codes to help you save some cash each month. Here are the best ones we’ve found that are available right now.

Microsoft

Game Pass Ultimate, 3 months: $27

Save $18 vs. monthly plan

If you’re on the hunt for the best possible value overall, this is the plan for you. Ultimate already saves you $5 a month by bundling a Gold and Game Pass membership, and this three-month subscription is on sale for $17 less than it would cost you to pay monthly. At $27 total, that brings the per-month cost down to just $9, instead of the usual $15. Bargains on Ultimate subscriptions are pretty slim, so unless you’re a new subscriber, this is the best value you’ll find out there at the moment.

$27 at CDKeys

Microsoft

Game Pass Ultimate, 1 month: $1

New subscribers only save $14 vs. monthly plan

If you do happen to be a new subscriber to Game Pass Ultimate, Microsoft is offering a pretty great deal right now. New subscribers can get their first month for just $1, saving you $14 off the usual monthly cost. After the first month, your membership will revert back to the usual $15 per month. Overall, this is by far the best deal you’ll find on any Xbox subscription, so long as you’re eligible for the discount.

See at Xbox

Microsoft

Xbox Live Gold, 12 months: $60

Save $60 vs. monthly plan

If you’re looking for multiplayer mayhem, this is going to be your best bet for a good value. This bundle from Best Buy costs $60 for a whole year, which cuts the monthly cost in half to just $5.

$60 at Best Buy

You’re receiving price alerts for Xbox Live Gold, 12 months: $60

Microsoft

Xbox Live Gold, 3 months: $16

Save $14 vs. monthly plan

If you’re not totally sure if you need or want a Gold subscription, this is a great chance to try it out for a while before you commit to an entire year. CDKeys currently has a three-month Gold membership available for just $16, which drops the monthly cost down to just over $5 instead of $10. Just note that this deal appears to be exclusive to console users.

$16 at CDKeys

If you’re traveling over the holidays, there’s a lot to keep track of as you race through the airport: Your tickets, your boarding pass, your luggage, your loved ones — and, of course, your ID.

Almost all airlines let you use a digital version of your boarding pass to board, but now some states are allowing residents to keep their driver’s license or other recognized identification in their Apple Wallet, letting them just flash their iPhones — or Apple Watch — rather than root through their pocketbooks for their ID.

Apple announced the initiative in 2021, building the technology into iOS 15 for iPhone.

“The addition of driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet is an important step in our vision of replacing the physical wallet with a secure and easy-to-use mobile wallet,” Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said in a statement at the time.

It’s not quite a universal game-changer yet: While 12 states have committed to allowing digital IDs, only three have officially started accepting them.

And while the airport you depart from might accept a driver’s license on your Apple Watch, you might not be extended the same courtesy on the return trip.

But the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is already supporting the technology at select airport security checkpoints at participating airports.

“Digital identity has the ability to strengthen airport security and enhance the passenger experience by reducing touchpoints, providing greater privacy, and verifying IDs more accurately,” the agency said in a statement. So it’s really a question of when, not if the option will become standard nationwide.

Here’s what you need to know about putting your driver’s license in your Apple Wallet, including how to do it and which states recognize digital IDs.

Read On: Homeland Security Postpones Deadline for Real ID at Airports

How do I add my driver’s license to my Apple Wallet?

Adding a driver’s license or other state ID is similar to how you add new credit cards to your Apple Wallet.

First, tap the “+” button at the top of the screen in Wallet. (If you have an Apple Watch paired to your iPhone, it will ask you about adding your license there, as well.)

You’ll then scan your physical driver’s license with your iPhone’s camera and take a selfie, “which will be securely provided to the issuing state for verification,” according to Apple.

You’ll also be asked to complete a series of facial and head movements “as an additional security step.”

Once your ID has been verified by the state that issued it, it will be added to your Wallet.

To add your license or ID to Apple Wallet, it will need to be issued from a participating state. In addition, you’ll need:

• An iPhone 8 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 4 or later, with the latest version of iOS or WatchOS
• Face ID or Touch ID turned on
• An Apple ID with two-factor authentication turned on
• Your device region set to the US

Also, only passengers with TSA PreCheck on their boarding pass are eligible to flash digital licenses, according to the TSA website, though the agency said it plans to add the option for other passengers in the future.

Only one license or ID can be added to an iPhone and paired Apple Watch at a time.

Which states accept a digital driver’s license on an iPhone?

Apple initially announced in 2021 that eight states were participating in the program, then bumped the number to 12 this year. But those are states committed to accepting Apple Wallet IDs, not that currently do.

Only Arizona, Colorado and Maryland currently support the digital identification feature — and only at select security checkpoints at these airports:

• Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Utah have all committed to supporting the initiative, as has Puerto Rico, though specific timetables have not been announced.

Other states are expected to join this roster soon: Last year Bailey said Apple was “already in discussions with many more states.”

In November, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles said it was “exploring” the digital ID option.

“There is a proviso that created a study committee on the idea and they are still undergoing research,” spokeswoman Maranda Williams told The State, a Columbia, South Carolina, news outlet.

Separate from Apple’s efforts, some states allow residents to upload their driver’s licenses to their phones through state-operated apps, like Louisiana’s LA Wallet. But these are for driving and age verification purposes and are not accepted by TSA yet.

How do I use a license stored in my Apple Wallet at TSA?

To present your digital ID, tap your iPhone or Apple Watch on the identity reader at the security checkpoint.

You’ll then be prompted to authenticate your identification with Face ID or Touch ID.

If it’s successful, a checkmark should appear on the screen.

According to Apple, “you don’t need to unlock, show or hand over your device [to a TSA agent].”

Is this technology secure?

According to Apple, it is. A statement on the Apple Support website says the program uses the same privacy and security features already in the iPhone and Apple Watch to prevent tampering and theft.

“Your driver’s license or state ID data is encrypted,” it said. “Neither the state issuing authority nor Apple can see when and where you use your license or ID, and biometric authentication using Face ID and Touch ID helps make sure that only you can view and use your license or ID.”

If my state accepts digital IDs, do I still need my physical license at the airport?

Yes. The program is still in its infancy, and there’s no guarantee the TSA agent you encounter will be able to accept a driver’s license on your Apple Wallet.

“All passengers must continue to have readily available their physical driver’s license,” TSA said on its website. “The TSA officer may require this physical ID in addition to the digital ID.”

Where else can I use my digital ID?

With the rollout of iOS 16 in June, apps that require age or identity verification should now be able to accept ID cards stored in your Apple Wallet app, Apple said.

Uber Eats and car-share service Turo were cited as two apps that could potentially offer this functionality, according to MacRumors, but neither has officially done so.

Apple also said retailers, restaurants and other venues will make use of the feature in the future.

I have an Android phone. Can I upload my ID to Google Wallet?

In a December 2022 system update, Google announced it was beta testing allowing Android phone users to upload their driver’s licenses to Google Wallet “for convenient, private and secure presentation.”

While the company said the feature would be available in “selected US state(s),” it didn’t indicate which ones or when.

Read On: Smartphones Traded Wow Factor for Peace of Mind in 2022