This year brought some big changes to Sony’s gaming subscriptions. In the past, PlayStation users had two different memberships to choose from — PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. But after an overhaul that took place in June, both of those subscriptions have been rolled into a single service with multiple membership tiers, though it still falls under the PlayStation Plus label. To help you get a handle on how things have changed, and find the right membership tier for you, we’ve broken down the different options below.
We haven’t seen many deals since the service was overhauled, but that doesn’t mean they’re completely nonexistent. Below, you’ll find just about the only PlayStation Plus deal available at the moment, but we’re hoping to see some more deals and offers on the updated PS Plus service start to crop up in the coming weeks and months, so be sure to check back here often for the best prices available. And for even more savings, be sure to check out our roundup of the best bargains on PlayStation gear and accessories.
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What’s changed?
Before the revamp, PlayStation offered users two different subscription services. PlayStation Plus was a $10-per-month service similar to Xbox Live Gold that allowed users to play games online and participate in multiplayer matches. PlayStation Now was a $10-per-month cloud gaming service that gave players access to a huge library of classic titles from the PS2, PS3 and PS4. The revamp, which went live in June, has essentially rolled both memberships into a single, multitiered subscription, though it will still technically fall under the PS Plus label. There are three different membership packages available, combining different features and benefits of both previous subscriptions.
PS Plus: Essential
At $10 per month or $60 for the year, PS Plus: Essential is essentially no different than the previous PS Plus subscription. It offers all the same features, including access to online play, two monthly games for free, cloud storage and exclusive discounts at the PlayStation Store. If you had a PS Plus membership before the revamp went live, it was automatically converted to an Essential membership.
PS Plus: Extra
At $15 per month or $100 for the year, a midtier Extra subscription is somewhat similar to the Game Pass Ultimate membership offered to Xbox users. It includes all the benefits and features of an Essential membership, but also gives you access to a catalog of up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games. The selection includes plenty of hit titles like God of War, Death Stranding and Ghost of Tsushima.
PS Plus: Premium
A Premium membership is the highest tier available, and clocks in at either $18 per month or $120 for a full year. In addition to all the benefits of both an Essential and Extra subscription, it gives you access to a massive library of more than 700 games. That includes the recent PS4 and PS5 hits from the Extra subscription, but also a catalog of more than 300 classics from the PS1, PS2 and PS3 eras (similar to the pervious PS Now subscription). It also allows you to stream many of these classic titles, so you don’t have to worry about them eating up your valuable storage space. You also get access to time-limited game trials, so you can try out new games before you commit to a purchase. If you had a subscription to PS Now before the revamp went live, it was automatically converted to a Premium membership.
PS Plus deals
Things were pretty chaotic leading up to the revamp, with people stacking discounted memberships and racking up hundreds in savings before Sony got wise to the loophole. It’s been closed for a while now, and we haven’t seen too many chances to save on a service since. Sony and retailers appear to have pulled any remaining membership codes to the now-discontinued PS Now service, but if you’re only interested in the Essential-tier membership, there are still a few holdover deals on the original PS Plus.
It’s pretty slim pickings for deals on the updated PS Plus at the moment, so if you’re looking to save some cash, this is your best bet. This offer is technically for an original PS Plus subscription from before the revamp, which will automatically convert to an Essential membership. We haven’t had a chance to test this deal ourselves, but several reviewers have stated that they’ve had no problem redeeming one of these older codes. An Essential membership is typically $60 for the year, which is already a 50% discount on the monthly plan pricing. But right now at CD Keys, you can get an annual subscription for $50, which drops the monthly cost to just over $4. You won’t get access to the massive library of games, but you will be able to play online and you will receive two free games every month.
If you don’t want to commit to a full year, CD Keys is offering a similar deal on a three-month PS Plus Essential membership. You can sign up right now for just $25, which drops the monthly cost to just over $8 and saves you $5 total compared to the usual price.
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Using a navigation app like Google Maps is a must when you’re traveling anywhere — especially during a snowy holiday season when road closures can add hours onto your trip. Google Maps may help you avoid long commute times, traffic hazards, wrecks, tolls and other potential obstacles preventing you from getting home for the holidays on time. If you’re looking for extra tricks and tips to make Google Maps even more useful, we’ve compiled a list.
If you dine out frequently, you may have used some of these Google Maps tips in the past when planning a dinner night out. See what else you’ve been missing out on.
Verizon is making some small adjustments to its cheapest unlimited plan in its latest bid to lure new users. The carrier has announced that it will be running a “limited time” offer that will drop the price for its Welcome Unlimited offering by $5 a month, pitting it more closely comparable to rival T-Mobile’s Essentials and Base Essentials offerings. The new deal starts on Friday.
In addition to the cheaper price, Verizon is also noting that those who take advantage of this deal will be getting a “three-year price guarantee.” T-Mobile has been touting its own “price lock” promise that it won’t raise its plan pricing on a variety of its most recent plans.
Verizon’s change is available to new users of Welcome Unlimited. Under the offer, the rates will be the following (assuming automatic payments and paper-free billing are set up):
1 line: $60 a month (down from $65)
2 lines: $50 per line, per month (down from $55 per line, per month)
3 lines: $35 per line, per month (down from $40 per line, per month)
4+ lines: $25 per line, per month (down from $30 per line, per month for four lines)
The deal is not available for existing Welcome Unlimited users. If you have Welcome Unlimited right now you’re stuck with the rate you have. If you have Welcome Unlimited and wanted to add a line, however, the new line — and only the new line — would be discounted at the above rate.
First introduced in July, the Welcome Unlimited plan is Verizon’s answer to T-Mobile’s cheaper Essentials and Base Essentials plans. It includes unlimited talk, text and data, but there are no perks like the free Disney Bundle (Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu), and it comes with a handful of other restrictions that are worth keeping in mind.
For one, all lines on the account will need to be on this plan — you cannot “mix and match” lines on a family plan that would’ve allowed you to get perks like the Disney Bundle from one line while also getting the cheaper rates on the others. There are no discounts on upgrading to new phones when on Welcome Unlimited; you will need to bring your own device or pay full price to upgrade.
And while you will have unlimited talk, text and data, those on Welcome Unlimited do not have access to Verizon’s fastest 5G flavor (what the carrier calls “5G Ultra Wideband”) and do not get mobile hotspot access.
The new offer comes as Verizon looks to turn around a recent string of poor results that have seen customers flee its network for different providers. The carrier had been busy raising prices earlier in the year, and customers have left as a result. In its most recent quarter, the carrier reported a loss of 189,000 wireless postpaid phone users.
The video game industry suffered serious whiplash from the impact of COVID-19. Hardware and software sales skyrocketed in 2020 as people were stuck inside their homes with little else to do. But those same lockdowns hobbled the development of upcoming games, resulting in a barren slate over the last two years. There was a serious dropoff once you got past Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok.
Now, with the industry well past the COVID lockdowns and with development back to full steam, 2023 could mark a huge comeback year for gamers. Piers Harding-Rolls, research director for UK-based market research firm Ampere Analysis, said he expects a rebound after spending in this area declined by 4% this year.
One reason spending should rise is that gamers are primed for new games. Getting a next-generation console like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X wasn’t easy over the last two years, but supply constraints have finally loosened up to the point that you could realistically get something in the last few months.
This year also saw the release of Valve’s Steam Deck, a portable gaming device that was similarly hard to buy early in 2022 but became more available by the end of the year. More gamers with the latest hardware means more gamers looking to buy the latest titles.
As important as it is for gamers to have hardware, it’s equally critical that they have new games to play. Due to delays stemming from COVID lockdowns, titles planned for release in 2022 were pushed to 2023. Combine these delayed games with others already planned for next year, and the result is what could be a stunning year for game releases.
“There is really a lot of content coming next year,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter. “I would say it will be the biggest since 2019.”
Although this year saw the release of some amazing games, including Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarök, there were long empty stretches between these few quality titles in 2022. Between May and October there were only a handful of critically acclaimed games released, such as Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and niche indie games Stray and Neon White. Even some of the high-profile games, such as Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, felt like they needed time to smooth out a lot of wrinkles.
That was the impact of the lockdown finally hitting gamers. With developers stuck at home and unable to effectively collaborate on big projects, publishers delayed one title after another. But because the industry already had a backlog of games ready during the height of the pandemic, gamers didn’t feel much of a drought in 2020 in 2021.
Even with few big-budget games coming out for most of 2022, gamers didn’t pay much attention as their own back catalog of games grew thanks to subscription services from Microsoft and Sony. Both companies stepped up their efforts in 2022, making for an abundance of gaming at such an affordable price.
This year saw Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media – which includes award-winning game developers such as Bethesda, id Software and Arcane Studios – continue to bear fruit for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. One of the best games of 2021, Deathloop, came to the subscription service after its exclusivity period on the PS5 ended. Then some classic Bethesda games went to PC Game Pass, including Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire, Quake 4, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard and Wolfenstein 3D. Next year, Game Pass subscribers will be able to play some big titles on Day 1, such as Starfield, Redfall and Forza Motorsports.
Next year could be even bigger for Game Pass if Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard gets approval. The almost $69 billion deal would likely mean Activision Blizzard’s catalog of games, including Call of Duty, Diablo and Starcraft, will be on Game Pass. However, Microsoft is facing opposition from regulators in the US and EU over concerns that the Xbox-maker is becoming a monopoly. The Federal Trade Commission earlier this month sued to block the deal, even as Microsoft offered to make several concessions, including bringing the Call of Duty franchise to the Nintendo Switch and allowing Sony to add the military shooter series to its subscription service, PlayStation Plus.
Sony, meanwhile, improved its standing with gamers by revamping its PlayStation Plus service this year. The PlayStation-maker now offers a tiered subscription for gamers to play some of the latest games from the PS4 and PS5, or pay a little more to run classic titles from the PS1, PS2 and PS3 generations. While PlayStation Plus still doesn’t outshine Xbox Game Pass, it’s a far better alternative than what Sony offered previously.
Taking those three factors into consideration – hardware availability, big-budget game releases and competitive subscription services – 2023 is poised to be a massive year for video games.
Google’s sports streaming ambitions are getting a big boost. Starting with the 2023 NFL season, the company’s streaming TV subscriptions YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels will be the new home for NFL Sunday Ticket in the US. After reports of a pact circulated Tuesday night, the league and Google announced Thursday that the search giant’s massive video arm will be the exclusive provider to watch out-of-market NFL games, beginning next year.
YouTube didn’t detail pricing for Sunday Ticket yet.
Google takes over the Sunday Ticket package from DirecTV, which had an exclusive deal for the package since 1994. In recent years, the satellite provider paid the league over $1.5 billion annually for Sunday Ticket, often using the NFL games as a way to lure and retain subscribers. Now Google, with Sunday Ticket, is aiming to do the same for YouTube TV, its $65-per-month live-channel TV service, and YouTube Primetime Channels, subscriptions that you pay for and watch through your regular YouTube account.
Under the deal, the Sunday Ticket package will be available to stream as an add-on either through YouTube TV or YouTube Primetime Channels, which launched in November with subscriptions to providers like Starz, Showtime and Paramount Plus. Under Primetime Channels, you will be able to sign up for Sunday Ticket on its own, without needing to shell out for YouTube TV.
Sunday Ticket will remain a DirecTV exclusive for the remainder of the 2022 NFL regular season.
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, though it added that this cost could rise “if certain benchmarks are reached.” These rights are just for residential streams, with the NFL looking to also license out Sunday Ticket to commercial locations like bars and restaurants, WSJ said.
Although Amazon streams Thursday Night Football, it has a deal with DirecTV that allows the satellite provider to offer these football telecasts in bars and restaurants. Amazon is said to be paying the NFL $1 billion per year to be the exclusive home for Thursday Night Football games this fall and for the next decade.
Unlike the Amazon deal, which streams its games on Amazon-owned Prime Video and Twitch platforms, Sunday Ticket does not stop you from watching your local CBS or Fox Sunday broadcasts on TV.
Like DirecTV, YouTube TV is a live television service and offers all the major local channels including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, as well as the NFL Network. While Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV won’t let you get the games that air on streaming services like Amazon or ESPN Plus, it could make Google’s television service the go-to destination for those looking to stream nearly all the NFL action in the years ahead.
It’s unclear what Google might charge for Sunday Ticket. For a full season, DirecTV has previously priced the service at roughly $300 for the base Sunday Ticket package, or $400 for a “Max” version that included extra channels such as a DirecTV-exclusive version of NFL RedZone.
YouTube TV currently makes the NFL Network’s very similar version of RedZone available as an add-on for an extra $11 per month.
The NFL partnership is Google’s latest expansion into professional sports. Google has previously had exclusive streams of regular-season Wednesday MLB games available for free on YouTube. YouTube TV, meanwhile, has been featured as a title sponsor for major sporting events like the World Series and NBA Finals. It also has said it plans to make the NBA’s out-of-market League Pass service available on YouTube Primetime Channels.
We know, your AirPods already came with a case that protects the earbuds during storage and charging. But AirPods cases are somewhat fragile themselves, which is why theyour AirPods case needs protection, itself. Dropping your encased AirPods at the right angle can cause a crack in the case or an unwanted disassembly. Not to mention the unseemly scratches that accumulate when you drop your earbuds enough times.
Ultimately, it’s worth investing in a protective case for your AirPods to keep them in the best working condition. And you don’t have to spend a fortune for an AirPods Pro case that is both sleek and has a reputation for durability. Many still allow for wireless charging. If you’re looking for an extra layer of defense that will protect your earbuds without breaking the bank, we’ve got you covered. I’ve curated this collection of budget-friendly cases that you can scoop up for less than $20, and most for under $15. Note that Apple has released a new AirPods Pro 2 model, the case of which is different to the first-gen model.
The AirPods case is fairly rugged to begin with, so I don’t feel like you need to enclose it in a mil-spec-rated ruggedized case for safety — a thin layer of silicone should do. There are a lot of silicone cases like this one under $10 or so that include a dust cover for the charging port, let the LED shine through and have a loop for a metal carabiner, but this one is also resistant to water, which could come in handy at the beach or while standing over the sink.
In a sense, the Mobosi Military AirPods Case Cover is pretty typical — it’s a rubberized case that you slip over your AirPods wired or wireless charging case, and it comes with a secure mount for a detachable carabiner. But the gorgeous diagonal ribbing gives this case a military sort of vibe, and helps grippability at the same time.
Right now, this case is available for 5% off when you click the coupon on the product page, bringing it down to just over $16.
Your AirPods Pro slide into this silicone case that’s available in over a dozen colors. The LED charging light is visible, the case doesn’t interfere with wireless charging and the whole thing is water-resistant. It also comes with a carabiner for securing it on the go.
Most cases are very functional — just impact-resistant sleeves for your AirPods case. But we need some whimsy in our lives, which is why I love this surprisingly detailed silicone mini car. The headlights and taillights glow in the dark, and the solid silicone material means it’s as shock-absorbent as Flubber. Despite its shape, it doesn’t interfere with wireless charging, either.
Most cases are soft, rubberized silicone, but the Ztotop Case for AirPods Pro is a combination of silicone and thermoplastic polyurethane, which results in an impact-resistant hard shell. The top of the cover uses adhesive to keep it attached to the hinged lid of the case, and it comes with a carabiner that attaches to a hard point on the case. It’s open on the bottom to allow wired charging, and it doesn’t interfere with wireless charging.
With freezing cold weather rolling in nearly everywhere in the US, plenty of us are spending more time indoors. Whether you’ve been actively looking for deals on tablets and media streamers or just need a way to keep yourself entertained this winter, Amazon has you covered. Today only, Amazon Prime members can save $101 on the Ultimate Entertainment Bundle from Amazon, which includes both the Fire HD 10 tablet and a Fire TV Stick 4K — meaning you’ll pay just $99 for both. But this offer expires tonight, so be sure to make your purchase soon if you want to nab these devices at this low price.
The Fire HD 10 tablet not only comes equipped with a 10-inch display that’s 10% brighter than its predecessor, but it also has 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and gets up to 12 hours of battery life per charge. Plus, you can add up to 1TB of storage with a microSD card, though you will have to buy that separately. Along with streaming and scrolling the web, you can also use apps like Microsoft Office, OneNote and Dropbox on your tablet, too. The Fire HD 10 made the cut and landed a spot on our list for best tablets of 2022.
While the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is our favorite of the Fire TV Sticks on the market, the regular Fire TV Stick 4K isn’t a bad option. It’s the closest alternative to the Max, and though it does lack Wi-Fi 6 and a bit of that Max speed, it’s still a good choice for anyone who wants to stream in 4K. With built-in support for Dolby Vision, HDR and HDR10 Plus, it should provide a cinematic experience on your 4K TV. (If you don’t have a 4K TV, you can still use this stick, but you’ll be limited to the max resolution available on that TV.) The Fire TV Stick has plenty of apps to choose from and includes voice features directly on the remote. It can even be controlled via compatible Alexa devices like the Echo or Dot.
Which tablets have the best price?
Use our CNET Shopping extension to compare top products or find coupon codes before buying your next tablet.
The best phones under $500 really don’t sacrifice much in comparison to devices with much higher prices. Even better, there’s a lot of competition in this midrange space, making phones in this price range the first you should consider if you’re ready to upgrade or looking for a holiday gift. These phones typically cost between $400 and $500 while offering features like high refresh rate screens, 5G and photography processing software. But prepare for some tradeoffs, such as lower-quality cameras or an older processor.
Even at their lower prices, the best phones under $500 may hit most of the features on your checklist. Looking for a big 6.5-inch screen? Many of these phones have that, or there are also smaller displays if that’s your preference. Need a great camera? You’ll find that in most of these picks. Most of these phones don’t skimp on software updates either, with their makers promising at minimum three years of security updates.
There are some compromises made to keep costs low, and each company takes a different approach to make these cuts less noticeable. Apple’s iPhone SE and Google’s Pixel 6A, for instance, have a smaller screen and older camera setup, yet include new processors and software from these companies. Samsung’s Galaxy A53 has a spacious screen and impressive battery life, although it runs on a less powerful processor than the Galaxy S22. And the Moto G Stylus 5G takes nice photos, provides a roomy 256GB of space and throws in a stylus, but Motorola doesn’t provide software support for as long as its competitors.
Photography and video in particular are areas where these phones priced under $500 take a noticeable hit in comparison to their more expensive counterparts, but photo-processing software should help pick up some of the slack. For instance, while the iPhone SE has a single 12-megapixel camera that does not support night photography, its A15 Bionic chip does allow for Apple’s Deep Fusion processing. It’s a similar situation for the Pixel 6A, which uses a 12-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, yet can enhance those photos with processing powered by the phone’s Tensor chip.
You can see the pros and cons of each of these phones below, with more details available in our full reviews.
The Pixel 6A replaces the Pixel 5A as the $449 budget-friendly version of its flagship phone. CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco called it the “best Android phone under $500” in her Pixel 6A review, calling out how it keeps the same Tensor chip seen in the $599 Pixel 6 and many of its features.
The phone is slightly smaller than the Pixel 6, featuring a 6.1-inch OLED display and a refresh rate of 60Hz. And it has a similar camera to the Pixel 5A, including a 12.2-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. But by including the Tensor chip, photos can benefit from its Real Tone skin tone feature, Face Unblur, Night Sight for darker photography and the Magic Eraser for removing unwanted elements from a photo.
The $450 Samsung Galaxy A53 includes many of the best features seen in the Galaxy S22 line, with a few tradeoffs to hit that lower price. The phone includes a 6.5-inch AMOLED screen with a 2,400×1,080-pixel resolution, 5G support and a long-lasting 5,000-mAh battery. The phone also comes with a 64-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, 5-megapixel macro camera and 5-megapixel depth camera.
But a particular high point for this phone is Samsung’s pledge to provide four years of software support, in addition to shipping with Android 12 with Samsung’s One UI 4.1.
The $429 iPhone SE is a mix of an older design with the latest smartphone features, including Apple’s A15 Bionic chip and 5G support. It’s also one of the few phones on the market that includes a smaller, 4.7-inch screen.
It’s that throwback design, which continues the general shape that Apple has used since 2014, that could be what you love or dislike most about this phone. If you want a larger iPhone in this price range, you can also consider the iPhone 11, and get a bigger screen and Face ID. But that phone does not include 5G connectivity.
The phone also only includes one 12-megapixel main camera, which does not support night mode. Most other phones in this roundup include multiple cameras and features like night mode, making the omission noticeable. However, photos make up for this by including the Deep Fusion photo-processing technique to enhance medium-to-low light photos, and Smart HDR4 processing for improving color and contrast. CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland did find that video shot in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second is particularly good on the iPhone SE, but it will not include the Cinematic Mode seen on the iPhone 13.
The $500 Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) is one of the best stylus-equipped phones you can get right now, especially for the price. You get Android 12, 5G connectivity, a large 6.8-inch screen and a spacious 256GB of storage. Unfortunately, the phone is only promised one software update and three years of security updates, which is a much shorter timeline than the four years promised by Samsung for the Galaxy A53.
Yet if you want a stylus-equipped phone, the next step-up option is the substantially more expensive Galaxy S22 Ultra at $1,200.
With the launch of the iPhone 14 series, Apple discontinued the $500 iPhone 11, but it’s still widely available. It might be a few generations old, but this phone is still more than capable, handling gaming well and equipped with two superb rear cameras. It is missing 5G support, which is increasingly improving as wireless carriers invest in the network, but the phone will work fine on LTE and Wi-Fi. The iPhone 11 also does not support MagSafe accessories, which were introduced alongside the iPhone 12.
Just note that some places may be selling refurbished versions of the phone since Apple itself is no longer selling new iPhone 11 models. Best Buy does not carry any unlocked models, so you’ll have to sign up for a service plan through either AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint.
The Nothing Phone 1 isn’t available in the US. But for countries where the phone is available, it offers a striking design and decent specs for the money. The 399 phone (which converts to roughly $480 or AU$700) is adorned with LED strips on the back, each of which is called a “glyph,” that light up for alerts and notifications. That design is accompanied by two 50-megapixel cameras: a wide angle and an ultrawide. Around the front is a 6.55-inch 120Hz display with a 2,400-by-1,080-pixel resolution and a 16-megapixel selfie camera. The phone runs on a Snapdragon 778G Plus chip, with models that start with 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage.
All that amounts to a phone that compares well within the price range, especially given its camera quality and looks. But for now, we’ll have to see if future Nothing phone models end up getting a release in the US.
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How we test phones
CNET tests phones by using them daily and comparing them with competing phones to assess their value. We consider a variety of factors, such as the phone’s screen, cameras, battery life, software, performance, features and ease of use.
For low-priced phones, we make sure these devices consistently work well when used in a number of situations. This includes many day-to-day activities like reading the news, listening to music, watching videos, texting, playing games and multitasking.
We test phone cameras in a range of environments, taking test photos outdoors in the daytime and nighttime, and indoors in darker settings. We use cameras in active environments, like a concert or a sports game, and with a variety of subjects including people, objects and pets. We also test available camera settings, especially those that are rarer in these price ranges such as Night mode and Portrait mode.
These anecdotal phone experiences are also combined with benchmark tests such as Geekbench performance testing and battery testing. We monitor battery life in two ways: By seeing how much power is typically left after a day of normal usage and by seeing how much battery is depleted during a more intensive hour with the phone. For the latter test, we’ll check how the phone’s battery holds up to a series of video calls, gaming, video streaming and web browsing.
Phones under $500 FAQs
Are cheaper phones worth it?
For many people, a phone that costs less than $500 will likely have everything you need for communication, photography and entertainment. In some cases, the phones even provide some of the latest features seen on higher-end phones like smooth 120Hz refresh rates and multiple cameras.
However, you should be aware of — and OK with — the limitations a phone may have compared to its more expensive counterparts. For instance, if you want an iPhone with a bigger screen than the iPhone SE and iPhone 11’s screens, your next best option is the $899 iPhone 14 Plus. That’s far outside the $500 price range, but you also get additional benefits like an improved camera.
On the other hand, if you want a phone with a bigger screen and if running Android is fine, you’ll have plenty of options that are under $500.
Can you get a good camera on a cheaper phone?
Yes, you can find several cheaper phones that take great photos, whether it’s through the camera available on the device, photo processing software on the phone or — is most often the case — a combination of both.
Apple’s iPhone SE includes the A15 Bionic chip, which supports Smart HDR4 processing and Apple’s Deep Fusion processing. Smart HDR4 helps with improving color and contrast, while the Deep Fusion processing helps with medium- to low-light environments. CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland put together a sampling of photos and videos taken on the phone during his review, which can be watched on the CNET Highlights YouTube channel. However, the iPhone SE also has only one 12-megapixel camera, and that camera does not support night photography.
Over on the Android side, the Google Pixel 6A includes the company’s Tensor chip, which brings photography features like Real Tone for capturing more accurate skin tones, Face Unblur for fixing a person’s face and Magic Eraser for removing unwanted objects. But it has a 12-megapixel main camera paired up with a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, which takes good photos but is a clear step down from the 50-megapixel main camera seen on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7.
Samsung’s Galaxy A53 is an interesting case: Iit has a main 64-megapixel camera alongside a 12-megapixel ultrawide, 5-megapixel macro camera and 5-megapixel depth camera. While that’s more megapixels than the 50-megapixel main camera on the Galaxy S22, the image detail is a step down with the S22 able to produce photos with better contrast and sharpness.
What makes these phones cheaper?
Each company takes a different approach toward cheaper phones.
The iPhone SE, for example, has a recent Apple processor packed inside an otherwise dated phone design. Google’s Pixel 6A likewise includes the new Tensor processor, but uses an older 12.2-megapixel main camera instead of the 50-megapixel main camera found on the $599 Pixel 6.
Samsung’s Galaxy A53 takes the opposite approach. It includes a processor that’s slower than the Galaxy S22’s but includes other modern features like a screen with a high refresh rate.
Phones under $500 comparison
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G vs. Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G vs. Google Pixel 6A vs. Apple iPhone SE (2022) vs. Nothing Phone 1 vs. Apple iPhone 11
This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Apple’s most popular product.
Following its unveiling at Apple’s September media event, the iPhone 14 lineup is now available — and we’re rounding up the best iPhone 14 deals currently available to make things easy for you. Apple’s new flagship lineup includes the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus as well as the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, with US prices starting at $799.
The Pro phones have so far grabbed most of the headlines, taking the spots as the new best iPhones, thanks to their upgraded A16 Bionic chip and an updated display that ditches the infamous notch in favor of an adaptive pill-shaped display cutout that Apple is calling the Dynamic Island. On the non-Pro side, the devices keep the same A15 Bionic chip from last year, though there are some under-the-hood improvements.
All of the phones in the lineup are available now. And despite the device being so new, there are already some solid iPhone deals to be found.
What colors does the iPhone 14 come in?
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus come in five different colors: blue, purple, midnight, starlight and Product Red. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max come in deep purple, silver, gold and space black.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are available to buy directly from Apple, with delivery and in-store pickup options. You can also trade in your old device for up to $650 off your new one and use an Apple Card to get 3% back on your purchase.
Verizon is offering as much as $1,000 off iPhone 14 purchases via bill credits. Applied over 36 months, the credits require you to take out a new line on Verizon’s One Unlimited for iPhone plan, or one of its 5G Do More, 5G Play More or 5G Get More plans. The One Unlimited for iPhone plan is particularly appealing for those all-in on the Apple ecosystem, as it saves you up to $480 per year with its inclusion of an Apple One family account. Switchers will get an added bonus in the form of a $200 Verizon gift card.
Order your iPhone 14 series device at Best Buy and you’ll snag four months of Apple Music (worth $40) and Apple TV Plus for three months (worth $21) for free. That’s in addition to up to $1,000 with trade-in and activation.
New and existing customers buying an iPhone 14 or 14 Pro at AT&T can save as much as $1,000 with trade-in. To get the discount, buy an iPhone 14 device on a qualifying installment agreement, activate or keep eligible unlimited voice and data wireless service, and hand over your old phone in good working condition. You’ll get $1,000 in bill credits with a smartphone trade-in value of $230 or higher (which includes iPhone 12 or newer, several Samsung Galaxy phones, Google Pixel 6 Pro and more). Older phones are good for up to $800 in bill credits.
Snag an iPhone 14 and 14 Pro for as little as $0 at T-Mobile with an eligible trade-in. The discount of up to $400 is applied via 24 monthly bill credits when trading in an eligible device on Magenta Max. Don’t want to go for T-Mo’s top-tier plan? You can still save as much as half off your iPhone 14 purchase over 24 months on other T-Mobile plans. You’ll also score Apple TV Plus for free at T-Mobile and its Forever Upgrade allows you to keep using the latest iPhone model at no extra cost with an upgrade every 24 months and up to $400 by trading in your old device.
New and existing Xfinity Mobile customers can take $400 off any new iPhone 14. New customers must activate a new Xfinity Mobile line within 30 days of purchase and existing customers can upgrade one of their existing lines to receive the deal.
Buy your iPhone 14 or 14 Pro at Visible, port in your number and you’ll receive $200 back as a gift card to spend wherever Mastercard is accepted. The deal requires you to transfer your number within 30 days and after completing three full months of service payments, you’ll receive a code to claim your virtual gift card.
Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Flip 4 builds on the success of the Galaxy Z Flip 3, 2021’s sleeper smartphone hit. While the durability of phones has increased over the years, it’s still understandable to be cautious, especially with a folding phone like the Galaxy Z Flip 4. The number of flip case options available isn’t extensive, but grabbing a Z Flip 4 case isn’t hard to do and can help give you extra peace of mind that your phone will stay safe if it takes a tumble. In fact, there are more choices available than the Flip 4’s predecessor had — and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 had some incredible cases. Anyone looking for a stylish case or those who value function over fashion will find a case to suit their preferences here.
We’ve tried many of these models and can attest to their quality. As more new cases arrive for the Z Flip 4, we’ll be putting them to the test and will update this list accordingly so you can find the best offers available.
Available in three color options, the Caseology Nano Pop has a soft-to-the-touch feel and offers decent protection with a raised camera ring. Its dual-layer design with eye-catching trim colors does give the case a little extra pop. Note that Caseology is a sub-brand of Spigen.
Samsung’s Clear Ring Cover is the translucent version of its Ring Cover. While it doesn’t have the same soft-to-the-touch finish and isn’t quite as protective as that case, it is slim and allows you to show off your phone’s exterior color. It’s normally $30, but we’ve already seen discounts on it.
Speck’s Presidio Perfect-Clear Fold, one of my favorite for the Galaxy Z Flip 3, returns for the Z Flip 4. The Presidio Perfect-Clear Fold is rated for 13-foot drop protection, and it’s the most protective clear case I tried, although there’s no hinge protection. It comes in a perfectly clear version and one imbued with glitter. (Note that the photo above is with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 but the Z Flip 4 version should be nearly identical).
Samsung’s Silicone Cover with Ring returns for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 with some small design enhancements. It’s protective, it has a nice soft-to-touch finish and there’s that built-in ring that helps prevent you from dropping the phone — and you can also clip the ring to a lanyard and wear the phone around your neck. Alas, while I could kind of prop the phone up using the ring on certain surfaces, I would have liked the case even more if it truly converted into a kickstand.
I didn’t like Otterbox’s Thin Flex case for the Galaxy Z Flip 3. It felt cheap and was hard to get off your phone once you put it on. But the new version for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is much better and comes in translucent options, a couple of which have colored trims (the pacific reef color is shown in photo). While it has a two-piece design and no hinge protection, it now looks and feels like a premium case.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 Flap Leather Cover is an upgrade over last year’s Leather Cover case for the Galaxy Flip 3, as it incorporates a flap for hinge protection. It’s expensive, but nice — and slim. Available in three color options (black, peach and purple), the biggest knock against it is that it’s expensive, but we’re already seeing discounts on it.
You can find a bunch of generic clear cases on Amazon for the Galaxy Z Flip 4, several of which cost less than $15. The Restone is interesting because while it’s technically a two-piece design with no hinge protection (for the Z Flip 4’s hinge), it does feature a hinge of its own that keeps the two pieces together and helps prevent them from slipping off the phone. It also has a bit of extra corner protection. (I haven’t used this particular Restone case yet but I have used a Restone case on another phone and it was fine, particularly for its low price).
All these inexpensive clear cases say they have anti-yellowing protection (to keep your clear case from losing its clarity), but I don’t really believe those anti-yellow claims.
Urban Armor Gear has long made attractively designed cases for a variety of phone models and its Civilian Series is one the best tough cases for the Z Flip 4. It’s available in three color options — black, mallard (blue) and olive — and does offer hinge protection in a one-piece design. You do need to use the adhesive on the inside of the case to keep the case from sliding around on the phone.
Spigen makes a few cases for the Galaxy Z Flip 4. As its name implies, the Tough Armor is durable and offers the most protection in Spigen’s line. It’s also the only Spigen case that has an integrated protective covering for the hinge.
As far as protective cases go, it’s one of the better ones and is only missing an integrated kickstand. I also kind of wish it came in more colors. Black is the only option for now. Expect to see price drops on it in the coming weeks.
Spigen’s Air Skin case line, which includes a Crystal Clear version as well as other color options, is a slim case that offers basic protection. I probably like the color versions instead of the clear, but a lot of people like to show the color of their phone, especially if you paid extra for one of the “bespoke” colors.
This has the same soft-to-the-touch finish as Samsung’s Ring case, but instead of a ring it incorporates a strap. You slide your hand under the strap (and behind the phone), which allows you to get a grip and hold on to your phone without really wrapping your fingers around it. It’s essentially a security strap. The strap also offers a little bit of protection for the hinge when you fold up the phone. Additionally, you can attach the end of the strap to a lanyard or clip it to another strap (say, on a bag or backpack).
Aside from having some utility, the strap also seems designed to bring some attention to your phone. For better or worse, it does just that, so if you use this case, plan on having people ask you about your phone. It comes in two colors (white or black), but additional strap are sold separately if you want one that better fits your personal style.
Otterbox makes only two cases for the Galaxy Z Flip 4: the Thin Flex (see above) and this one, the Symmetry Flex, which now offers hinge protection and is a top protective case for the Z Flip 4 (it comes in more color options for the Z Flip 4). It’s expensive, but we should see some discounts on it in the coming weeks.
Zagg has a new “eco” screen protector for the Z Flip 4’s exterior screen that it says is biodegradable, a first for a screen protector. Along the with the exterior screen protector it makes for the Galaxy Z Flip 3, this is the smallest screen protector Zagg makes. Yet it somehow costs almost as much as the screen protectors it makes for much larger screens.
Gear4’s Bridgetown case shares some similarities with Spigen’s Tough Armor case (see below). It, too, is a tough case that only comes in black and has some nice hinge protection. The case looks similar to the version for the Z Flip 3 but the new version is a bit sleeker and the hinge protector has been improved. It’s one of the best protective cases for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. I only wish it were available in more colors, or a clear version.
Yes and no. Your old Z Flip 3 case may fit on your Z Flip 4 — and stay on it — but there are some small differences in their design (and dimensions) that may make it a less-than-perfect fit. For instance, the flashlight on the Zip Flip 4 is a slightly different location than the flashlight on the Z Flip 3 and may not be centered in the cutout on a Z Flip 3 case. Also, the top microphone may get partially covered if you use a Z Flip 3 case with a Z Flip 4. You can try your old case with your new phone to see how well it fits (and potentially try to modify it slightly), but there’s a good chance you may to get an official Z Flip 4 case for it.
Do Galaxy Z Flip 4 cases protect the entire phone, including the hinge?
The majority of Galaxy Z Flip 3 cases came in two pieces. But with the Z Flip 4, we’re seeing more one-piece cases that do offer some hinge protection. If that’s something you’re looking for, several of these picks will protect the hinge.
Are there screen protectors for the Galaxy Z Flip 4?
As with the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Samsung doesn’t sell — or allow anybody to sell — screen protectors for the main front screen of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. The Z Flip 4 uses a high-tech bendable display that is equipped with Samsung’s own pre-applied screen protector (some people had issues with it peeling on the Z Flip 3 and simply took it off). You can find a handful of screen protectors for the mini exterior display.
Do all Galaxy Z Flip 4 cases allow wireless charging?
Most but not all the cases on this list allow you to wirelessly charge the Z Flip 4 with the case on. Those that feature an integrated kickstand, particularly if it’s made out of metal, may require you to remove the case to charge your phone wirelessly.
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