Art is a great way to destress and express yourself after work — or even a profession for some. But you don’t need to go back to college or buy expensive tools if you want to learn or become a better artist. There are plenty of great online art classes that are easy and convenient to take and can do wonders for your passion. From figure drawing and illustration to graphic design and more, there is a class that’s perfect for you.
We’ve pulled together five of the best drawing classes online to help you learn the basics of drawing and form your own art style. It’s time to grab your pencil and start sketching, regardless of your skill level.
The Ultimate Drawing Course on Udemy doesn’t ask you to go out and invest in high-end supplies when you’re starting out, which I appreciated. The course has 12 sections with 64 class lectures that cover the fundamentals of drawing and build upon each other. On this drawing journey, you’ll learn about perspective, texture, drawing from life, drawing the human face and figure, space, value and contrast. There’s also a bonus video about animation-style art.
What it costs:Udemy’s course prices are set by the individual instructors from a price tier, unless they choose to offer them for free. The Ultimate Drawing Course is currently $130.
Udemy’s Complete Drawing Masterclass course also covers some fundamental artistic teachings like lines, value, contrast and perspective, but goes a bit more in-depth in each lecture. The course also explains art supplies, like different types of paper, suggested brands, sharpening tools and how using a table or an easel can affect your work.
What it costs: Udemy’s course prices are set by the individual instructors from a price tier, unless they choose to offer them for free. The Complete Drawing Masterclass course is currently $85.
I liked that art teacher Amy Wynne’s landscape course was about enjoying nature and relaxing, too — which is key, since trying to learn a new skill can be frustrating if you’re not picking it up as quickly as you’d like to. Over the course, you’ll assemble a field sketch journal as Wynne teaches you about seascapes, countrysides and industrial scenes. In this online class, you’ll learn about assembling an efficient (and portable) art kit, how to use light and a viewfinder, sky-to-land ratio, achieving depth and establishing atmosphere.
What it costs:CreativeLive sells a premium subscription for $39 a month or $149 annually. This gives you access to features like the site’s entire library of over 2,000 classes and ways to track your goals with learning paths. You can also set up an account and purchase classes individually. For example, Wynne’s course costs $14 right now during CreativeLive’s seasonal sale. Otherwise, it costs $29.
Pilot Precise V7 pens (you can find them at office supply stores) are one of my favorite tools for drawing. If you’re interested in pen and ink, Yasmina Creates has a course on Skillshare that covers it all.
The online drawing class breaks down the different supplies and how different tools act. You’ll also learn tips and tricks about things like line variation, texture and patterns.
I liked that the class projects displayed on the course page showed varied styles like realism, illustrative and cartoons, so it looks like the instructor gives you room to find your own art style.
What it costs: Some online classes on Skillshare are free when you create an account, but most require a premium membership, which costs $165 annually or $13.75 a month, after a seven-day free trial.
This online drawing course is classified as intermediate, so if you’re pretty green when it comes to drawing, I wouldn’t start with this one. Brickey’s class focuses on lifelike pencil portraits, breaking down pencil techniques, facial features and their proportions and supply recommendations.
Brickey’s syllabus lists class supplies needed for this life drawing class: paper, pencils, lead (if you’re using mechanical pencils), blenders (tissues, cotton swabs or blending stumps) and erasers. She says you can use any type, but provides specific brand recommendations in the syllabus.
What it costs: Some online classes on Skillshare are free when you create an account, but most require a premium membership, which costs $165 annually or $13.75 a month, after a seven-day free trial.
Tablets are portable, powerful and versatile, hitting a sweet spot between phones and computers. Whether you need to use your tablet for work, school or just for home, these devices can help you accomplish so many things. Apple’s iPad lineup continues to dominate the tablet market, with several of its latest devices topping our list of the best tablets in 2023. Whether you want an iPad for serious work or you just need something you can use for general scrolling and streaming when kicking back on the couch, the iPad Air 5 is a solid option. It offers a great balance of power and price with a midsize screen and modern design.
You can save almost $100 across a variety of fifth-gen iPad Air models at Amazon right now, dropping entry-level configurations as low as $500. There’s no set expiration date for this sale, so we recommend you get your order in as soon as possible if you want one.
The fifth-gen iPad Air was released in 2022 and is our pick for the best iPad for those seeking an iPad Pro alternative without spending big bucks. It’s equipped with Apple’s M1 chip which is super powerful and efficient, so it can breeze through work tasks and still last all day on a single charge. The latest iPad Air has a 10.9-inch display which is just shy of the 11-inch iPad Pro but a little more roomy than a base-level ninth-gen iPad at 10.2 inches. It also has a 12-megapixel ultrawide auto-zooming front camera and USB-C connectivity.
The model on sale for $500 is the Wi-Fi-only variant with 64GB of storage in your choice of blue, purple, space gray or starlight, with the final discount being reflected at checkout. Cellular-enabled and higher capacity versions are also seeing similar savings at Amazon.
Looking for deals on a different model? Check out our roundup of all the best iPad deals available now.
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Diablo 4 is one of the biggest titles expected in 2023, and players will have a chance to try out the game before it’s released.
The Diablo 4 Open Beta and Early Access Beta will take place next month. Those who preordered Diablo 4 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4 or PS5 can get early access to the beta the weekend of March 17-19. Then on March 24-26, anyone interested in the beta and who has access to the previously mentioned platforms can participate in the open beta.
Developer Blizzard Entertainment says the open beta will focus on the early parts of the campaign covering the prologue and Act 1, which takes place in the Fractured Peaks zone. Players will be able to max their characters to level 25, but can still play the beta throughout the weekend.
Diablo 4 is the newest entry in the legendary dungeon-crawling action RPG. Players will fight against the horde of monsters controlled by Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto, one of the Great Evils, and is called the Mother of Sanctuary, the world in which the Diablo series takes place.
If don’t have have any storage space left on your iPhone, it’s pretty difficult to get anything done. You can’t install the latest iOS software updates, download more apps or even take a single photo or video. And your phone will probably crash more often. You do have a few obvious options to clear up your storage, but they require you to either delete things or spend money.
You can remove large files, like movies, TV shows and music albums, but maybe you’re not ready to give those up. There are also various cloud alternatives to beef up your existing storage, but that requires shifting files around, and you may have to pay for it. You could also just buy a new phone with more storage — but that’s an expensive option.
That’s why, if these options aren’t appealing to you, you can and should take advantage of certain iOS features to free up storage on your iPhone without having to delete anything or spend any money.
There are two built-in iOS settings that can help you clean up a significant amount of storage on your iPhone — one permanent and the other temporary — so that you can install the latest software updates, take more photos and videos and download more apps. Here’s what you need to know.
It’s not always easy to just delete what’s in your camera roll, so if you want to keep your precious memories, or even just your meme screenshots, but still want to free up device storage, the easiest way to do that is by optimizing the photos and videos already stored on your device.
By default, every time you take a photo or video, it is saved in full resolution on your device. If you’re capturing photos and videos in the highest resolution possible, they can take up quite a bit of space. A minute of video shot in 4K at 60fps takes up approximately 400MB — nearly half a GB. That’s pretty significant.
To optimize your photos and videos, go to Settings > Photos and toggle on Optimize iPhone Storage (for this to work, you’ll need to have the iCloud Photos setting above it enabled). Depending on how many photos and videos you have on your iPhone, this can take up quite a bit of time, but once it’s finished, you should see significantly more space on your device storage.
For this to work, you need to have the iCloud Photos setting turned on.
Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
All of your full-resolution photos and videos are then transferred over to your iCloud, while smaller, lower-resolution versions are kept on your device, to take up less space. If you want to access your higher-resolution photos and videos, you can go into the Photos app and download any file that’s being optimized, but this requires a decent internet connection. Your more recently taken photos and videos may exist in full-resolution, so you won’t need to download every photo or video.
If you don’t have enough iCloud storage, it’s easier to upgrade your cloud than get a new phone. In the US, you can upgrade to 50GB for only a dollar a month, or you can go bigger: 200GB for $3 a month or 2TB for $10 a month. Prices range depending on your country or region.
To upgrade your iCloud on your iPhone, go to Settings > (your name) > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Buy More Storage. Choose a plan and then follow the instructions. If you upgrade to any paid iCloud subscription, you’ll get access to iCloud+, which also offers the iCloud Private Relay and Hide My Email features.
You can spend as little as $1 per month for more iCloud storage.
Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
Offload your biggest apps
You don’t use every application stored on your iPhone. Many of them just sit there, like apps for your favorite airlines, third-party cameras and music production. And even if you use them only every once in a while, you probably don’t need consistent, daily access to most apps, which is why you should consider offloading apps in case you desperately need storage.
Say for example you want to download and install the latest iOS update. If it’s a major update, like iOS 16, you may need a little over 5GB to successfully install the software. If it’s a point update, like iOS 16.1, you’re looking at around 1GB. And if you don’t have enough storage space to update, you can quickly offload apps, which is a middle ground between keeping and deleting your apps.
Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and check which apps are taking up the most storage. Certain built-in apps like Photos and Messages cannot be offloaded, so be warned. If you find a sizable app you want to offload, tap on it and hit Offload App. Wait a little bit and the app should then be removed offline, while your documents and data will stay saved on your device.
You need to tap Offload App twice to “delete” the app.
Nelson Aguilar/CNET
If you need temporary storage, for a software download, just go through the list and offload every app you can. The amount that’s offloaded for each app will vary, but you should see the number next to App Size. Discard the number next to Documents & Data, because that will stay on your device. The only way to get rid of that is to actually delete the app.
Offload as many apps as you need until you have enough storage. Obviously you can’t use an app that’s offloaded, but if you want to get an offloaded app back, go to your App Library and tap on the iCloud button to redownload it. If the offloaded app is on your home screen, simply tap on it to download it. You won’t have to re-sign in or anything — you’ll have access to the app as if it was never deleted.
Can’t find your iPhone? You might wonder if you left it in the car or dropped it at the store. Apple’s Find My network is great for locating a misplaced or missing Apple device. Turning the Find My iPhone setting on is a great way to know where your iPhone is at all times, but there are some cases where you’ll need to turn the setting off.
The most common scenario is when you’re selling, trading in or otherwise saying goodbye to an iPhone — which you might do if you’ve bought a replacement model. Turning off the feature removes the old iPhone from the list of devices associated with your account and it prevents new owners from accessing information about you.
You should also turn the feature off if you need to send your iPhone in for service, according to Apple’s support page.
Apple makes it easy to turn off Find My iPhone. The steps vary depending on the operating system you’re using, but you only need a few steps to flip that switch. Here’s what you need to know.
Adam Benjamin/CNET
How to turn off Find My iPhone (on iOS 13 or later)
1. Open up the Settings menu. 2. Select your name at the top of the menu. Then select the Find My option.
Adam Benjamin/CNET
3. At the top of the next page, tap Find My iPhone, then toggle the Find My iPhone setting off. You can also toggle off the Find My network and the Send Last Location options (which automatically sends the location of your phone to Apple when the battery is critically low).
Adam Benjamin/CNET
4. Enter your Apple ID password. and select Turn Off.
Adam Benjamin/CNET
How to turn off Find My iPhone (on iOS 12 or earlier)
1. Go to the Settings menu.
2. At the top of the menu, tap on your name.
3. Navigate to the iCloud menu, and enter your password.
A sealed first-generation iPhone sold for more than $63,000 at auction Sunday. LCG Auctions, which handled the bidding, announced the sealed 8GB iPhone went for $63,356.40. That’s the highest price anyone has paid for an original iPhone, and it’s more than 100 times the original price of $599.
“One of the most important and ubiquitous inventions of our lifetime,” the item’s description read. “A truly remarkable piece with great appeal to both collectors and investors alike.”
The latest iPhone tends to be one of the best phones to buy each year and Apple’s various Apple Watch models usually feature on our list of the best smartwatches. The premium Apple experience comes at a price, though, with its gear often costing more than devices from competing brands. However, if you don’t mind a preowned device, you can save a ton of cash on your next Apple product with this one-day sale at Woot. You can choose from a massive selection of refurbished Apple Watches and iPhones and save big compared to buying from Apple directly.
All the devices you’ll find at this sale are “scratch and dent” refurbs. According to Woot, that means that these items have been tested to be full working condition but are expected to have a moderate level of wear and tear. Batteries are also tested to function at minimum 85% capacity. Though none of the latest iPhone 14 or Apple Watch Series 8 models are on sale, many of these previous-generation devices are still great buys.
The previous-gen iPhone 13 is included in the sale with prices starting at $590. Considering Apple still sells this device from $700, it’s a rare chance to save on a really recent model. Similarly, this sale offers some solid savings on 2021’s Apple Watch Series 7 with models available there from $260. Where you can find a Series 7 brand new these days you’re still regularly looking at prices north of $300.
For those wanting to spend a little less, the iPhone 12 is still an excellent phone that’s more than sufficient for most users thanks to its 5G capabilities, OLED display and powerful A14 Bionic chip. It’s a great value starting at just $390, which is over $200 less than buying new from Apple directly, or $320 for the iPhone 12 Mini. In our iPhone 14 review, CNET’s Patrick Holland stated that there isn’t really a compelling reason to upgrade to the iPhone 14 from the iPhone 12 meaning it’s still a great phone for a lot of folks today.
The Apple Watch Series 6 is a good choice of smartwatch. Available from as little as $190, it offers many of the same features as the Series 7 at a lower price. Or, you can spend a little less with Series 4 and Series 5 models starting at just $120 — ideal for someone just testing the waters with their first Apple Watch.
Older phones like the iPhone SE and iPhone XR start at $140 if you’re looking for the cheapest devices, and the now-discontinued Apple Watch Series 3 is also available from as little as $100. Just note that some of the oldest model will have limited or no support for the latest software from Apple or may be incompatible with future versions.
Overall, these are some of the best value Apple deals you’ll find right now — but the sale expires tonight, or when these refurbished models sell out, so we recommend acting sooner rather than later.
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Whether you’ve switch to working from home full time or you just need an easy-to-use family computer, it’s hard to beat Apple’s iMac M1. One of our favorite desktop computers, Apple’s stylish iMac is available is available fromjust $1,100 at Amazon right now. Not only is that $199 less than its regular price, but this Presidents Day sale returns the machine to its all-time low. There’s no expiration listed, so this offer could end at any time. If you’re hoping to get your hands on one at this price, we recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later.
At just 11.5 milimeters thick, this latest iMac model packs a lot into its sleek and compact package with no need for a separate tower. It’s powered by Apple’s custom M1 chip which includes an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU, plus a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM for powerful performance. Other neat features inlcude two USB-C /Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and Spatial Audio-enabled speakers. Its integrated 24-inch display offers a 4.5K resolution and you can choose between blue or pink colors at this discounted price. Your purchase includes a color-matched keyboard and mouse, too.
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This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung’s most popular products.
Samsung hasn’t been shy about flaunting the cameras on its new phones. It even wrangled endorsements from acclaimed directors Ridley Scott and Na Hong-jin during its Galaxy S23 announcement. However, in a surprising move for Samsung, the camera plays second fiddle to battery and performance upgrades in the new Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus.
The Galaxy S23 ($800, 849, AU$1,349) and Galaxy S23 Plus ($1,000, 1,049, AU$1,649), which are available today alongside the $1,200 Galaxy S23 Ultra ( 1,249, AU$1,949), feel like a half-generation upgrade compared to last year’s Galaxy S22.
Performance is faster, and battery life is thankfully a bit longer, which addresses the biggest complaint I had about the Galaxy S22. But unlike the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s cameras, which have noticeable improvements in color tone and dynamic range along with a new 200-megapixel sensor, the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus’ cameras largely feel the same as last year.
Now playing:Watch this:Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, S22 Ultra, iPhone 14 Pro Max:…
8:34
And that’s OK. We’re past the point of revolutionary annual upgrades, and the Galaxy S23 is the perfect example of that. Instead, Samsung focused on making practical refinements to one of the areas that matters most in a phone: how long it lasts on a single charge. Still, you shouldn’t upgrade to the S23 or S23 Plus unless your phone is more than two years old since it’s not a radical change.
One of the Galaxy S23’s biggest drawbacks, however, isn’t a flaw with the phone itself, but rather the tough competition from Google. The $899 Pixel 7 Pro falls in between the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus pricewise and offers a stellar camera that bests Samsung’s in some scenarios. Samsung, however, does offer compelling trade-in bargains that could make the S23 lineup more compelling.
You’re receiving price alerts for Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus
Like
Attractive design
4 generations of Android OS updates
Longer battery life than the Galaxy S22
Fast performance
More storage in the base S23 Plus
Don’t Like
Cameras are basically the same as last year
Expensive
No improvements to fast charging
Regular Galaxy S23 lacks base storage upgrade
Overall, the Galaxy S23 is ideal for Android fans that prioritize fast performance, solid cameras and having a spacious and bright screen in a compact package. The Galaxy S23’s cameras don’t always measure up to Apple’s and Google’s, but they’re still good enough to fit most peoples’ needs.
Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus get a battery upgrade
The Galaxy S23 has a bigger battery than its predecessor.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
Like the Galaxy S22, the 6.1-inch Galaxy S23 remains a top choice for Android fans that prefer smaller phones. But there was just one problem with the Galaxy S22: Its battery life sometimes felt too short to get through a full day.
It looks like Samsung took these concerns to heart. Both the regular Galaxy S23 and the larger 6.6-inch Galaxy S23 Plus get a longer battery life compared to their predecessors. The Galaxy S23 has a 3,900-mAh battery, up from the Galaxy S22’s 3,700-mAh capacity, while the Galaxy S23 Plus has a 4,700-mAh battery instead of the S22 Plus’ 4,500-mAh battery. The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor inside the Galaxy S23 series, which has been optimized for Samsung’s new phones, should also bring some improvements to power efficiency.
Even though I’ve only used the new phones for a few days, these upgrades are already noticeable. When I used the 6.1-inch Galaxy S22 as my daily smartphone for roughly a month, I noticed that the battery dipped down to between 30 and 40% by 9 p.m., especially after a long day in the office.
With the Galaxy S23, the battery was down to 46% by 9:45 p.m. after a day of heavy usage (running benchmark performance tests, taking lots of photos and videos, etc.). With light usage after a day that started at 10 a.m, I had 64% left by the time I went to sleep just past 12:30 a.m. The Galaxy S23 Plus had 73% of its battery left by bedtime (around 11 p.m.) after a full day in the office.
Of course, battery life will vary depending on how you use your device. Tasks like making video calls and recording video will drain the battery faster, and settings such as screen brightness typically impact battery life. During my tests, I usually had the screen set between 25% and 50% of the phone’s maximum brightness; since Samsung’s phones have fairly bright screens, there’s usually no need to set it any higher.
I also tested the battery life by putting each phone through a 45-minute endurance test to see how quickly the battery drains after routine tasks like scrolling through social media, watching YouTube videos, playing games and making a video call. The Galaxy S23 dipped to 91% after that test, while the Galaxy S23 Plus decreased to 95%. Both scores represent a mild improvement over the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus, which reached 89% and 92%, respectively.
To get a more thorough sense of the Galaxy S23’s battery life, I also ran a three-hour YouTube streaming test in which I cranked the display brightness all the way up while watching a video and measured the battery level at every hour. As you can see in the table below, the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus fared better than their predecessors during these tests, especially by the end of the third hour. Both phones also beat the Galaxy S22 Ultra in this test, and the Galaxy S23 matched the performance of the $599 Pixel 7.
Galaxy S23 vs. S22 and Pixel, battery test
1 hour
2 hours
3 hours
Galaxy S23
95%
88%
81%
Galaxy S22
91%
81%
71%
Galaxy S23 Plus
95%
90%
84%
Galaxy S22 Plus
93%
87%
79%
Galaxy S23 Ultra
95%
89%
82%
Galaxy S22 Ultra
93%
86%
80%
Pixel 7
95%
88%
81%
While battery life improved, the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus have the same charging speeds as last year. The Galaxy S23 supports 25-watt fast-charging and 45-watt fast-charging for the Galaxy S23 Plus. But in practice, those charging speeds didn’t feel that different. The Galaxy S23 went from 47% to 86% after 30 minutes, while the Galaxy S23 Plus went from 59% to 94%.
While charging speed isn’t a deal-breaker when buying a new phone, it would have been nice to see Samsung push forward in this area. That’s especially true considering rivals like Xiaomi and OnePlus continue to shorten the time it takes to replenish their respective phones’ batteries.
Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus’ new processor is fast
The Galaxy S23 (left) and S23 Plus are the same size as last year’s S22 and S22 Plus.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus feel snappy and fast in everyday use, as phones in their price range should. Playing games with the graphics and frame rate at the highest settings felt smooth, and apps launched instantly. All three new phones have an adaptive refresh rate that reaches up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling and animations, which also contributes to the devices’ peppiness.
The one area where the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor seems to make a difference in everyday use is exporting video. The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus both exported a 30-second 4K video to 1080p faster than the Galaxy S22 Ultra and Pixel 7 Pro. The iPhone 14, however, was the fastest of the bunch. The Galaxy S23 lineup runs on a special customized version of Qualcomm’s latest mobile chip that’s been optimized for these phones, meaning it’s different from the version inside the OnePlus 11.
Video export test
Export time (in seconds)
Galaxy S23
14.3
Galaxy S23 Plus
13.9
Galaxy S22 Ultra
16.9
iPhone 14
12.2
Pixel 7 Pro
24.9
Benchmarks meant to test general computing (Geekbench 5) and how a processor handles high performance in short bursts (3DMark) told a similar story. The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus performed well compared to the Galaxy S22 and Pixel 7 Pro, and even outperformed the iPhone 14 on most tests. The OnePlus 11 was their closest competitor, which isn’t surprising considering it has a similar processor. But the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus did outpace the OnePlus 11 in the test meant to evaluate a processor’s single-core performance, which makes sense considering Samsung overclocked one of the CPU cores.
Benchmarks
Geekbench 5 Single Core
1,518
1,179
1,730
1,880
1,028
1,160
Geekbench 5 Multicore
4,789
3,233
4,624
5,488
3,244
4,840
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
3,838
2,509
2,777
3,364
1,829
3,700
Legend:
Galaxy S23
Galaxy S22
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Pro
Pixel 7 Pro
OnePlus 11
Note:
Higher scores are better
3DMark frames per second
3DMark FPS
22.9
15
16.6
20.1
11
22.2
Legend:
Galaxy S23
Galaxy S22
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Pro
Pixel 7 Pro
OnePlus 11
Note:
Higher scores are better.
That said, real-world usage matters more than benchmarks. Other than the faster video export speeds, I didn’t experience anything on the Galaxy S23 lineup that felt unusually fast compared to most other phones in the same price range.
Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus camera is similar to the S22
The Galaxy S23’s camera is very similar to the Galaxy S22’s.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus each have a triple rear camera that consists of a 50-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultra wide and a 10-megapixel telephoto. Thanks to a technique called pixel binning, you can choose to shoot photos at the full 50-megapixel resolution or 12 megapixels depending on the scenario. The 12-megapixel option, for example, is usually better for poorly lit circumstances since it groups multiple pixels together to serve as a larger pixel for gathering more light. Samsung also integrates the controls from its Expert Raw app right into the main camera, making it more convenient for those who want easy access to the full, uncompressed version of an image.
This camera system is largely the same as the one on the S22, although Samsung has made some processing improvements, particularly when it comes to low light photography. That’s the biggest difference I noticed during my time testing the new phones against the Galaxy S22.
Check out the photos of my husband in a dim restaurant below. His face is brighter and his beard is more detailed.
Still, I preferred the iPhone 14’s and Pixel 7 Pro’s images, mostly because they captured more accurate skin tones. The Galaxy S23’s photo is brighter and more detailed than the Pixel 7 Pro’s, but it also makes his face look a little washed out.
The Galaxy S23 performs well in dim conditions overall, which isn’t surprising considering low-light photography has been a big area of focus for Samsung in recent years. Even though the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7 Pro performed better in the examples above, the S23 easily challenges Apple and Google in other low-light photography scenarios, like taking photos of pets and still objects.
In the photos of a book stack below, for example, the Galaxy S23 did a great job at retaining detail and color. The iPhone 14’s photo isn’t as colorful and has some noise compared to Samsung’s, although the Pixel 7 Pro’s image was a close competitor.
Otherwise, there isn’t anything that feels new or surprising about the Galaxy S23’s camera. While the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus can both capture crisp and clear images, there were instances in which colors either looked exaggerated or blown out compared to the same photos taken on the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7.
You can see an example of the exaggeration in this photo of my husband below. The shade of blue in his denim jacket is brighter than it looked in real life, while the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7 Pro’s photos look more natural.
But as I said in my review of the S23 Ultra, this isn’t always a bad thing. It can make certain photos pop and look more attractive overall, as is the case with the photo below. The pink flowers look more colorful and vibrant in the S23’s photo compared to the rest.
Samsung also upgraded the Galaxy S23’s selfie camera with a 12-megapixel sensor compared to the S22’s 10-megapixel front camera. However, I didn’t notice much of a difference under normal circumstances.
But Samsung’s phones easily took better selfies in low light compared to the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7 Pro. The photos from Google and Apple’s phones are both noisier and grainier than Samsung’s, which I noticed when comparing the photos on a large monitor. The Galaxy S23’s selfie is also a bit clearer than the S22’s, but the difference isn’t as dramatic.
The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus have a 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom, just like the S22 and S22 Plus. You’ll need to splurge on the $1,200 Galaxy S23 Ultra to get the 10x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom.
But the S23 and S23 Plus still have more to offer than the $799 iPhone 14, which has a 1x optical zoom and a 5x digital zoom.
Samsung is usually the king of zoom, but in this scenario Google takes the cake. The Pixel 7 Pro has a 5x optical zoom and a 30x digital zoom that looks far crisper than Samsung’s, as shown below.
As far as video recording is concerned, the S23 and S23 Plus can record at 8K resolution up to 30 frames per second. When recording video at the highest supported resolution and frame rate for each phone (4K at 60 frames per second for the iPhone 14 and Pixel 7 Pro), I noticed the Galaxy S23’s footage had more accurate color tones compared to the Pixel 7 Pro. The iPhone’s video, however, looked a bit crisper.
I also noticed that video stabilization improved slightly on the Galaxy S23 compared to the Galaxy S22, enabling it to better compete with Apple’s Action Mode.
The Galaxy S23’s camera isn’t a leap forward, but it’ll feel significant to those upgrading from a phone that’s several years old.
Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus have a slightly new design
The Galaxy S23 (left) and Galaxy S23 Plus.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus have largely the same appearance and feel as the Galaxy S22. And that’s a good thing in my opinion, because I loved the Galaxy S22’s sleek and colorful look.
The main difference is that Samsung did away with the camera island on the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus, instead opting for standalone lenses that sit arranged in a vertical column on the back of the device. It’s the same aesthetic as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and it makes the S23’s design feel more consistent. Otherwise, the phones are available in new color options that include lavender, black, cream and green.
All three phones come in the same size options as the S22 lineup. There’s the 6.1-inch Galaxy S23, 6.6-inch Galaxy S23 Plus and 6.8-inch Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung does a better job than most at squeezing spacious screens into small devices. The Galaxy S23 Ultra still feels massive, but the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus feel surprisingly petite for their size.
The Galaxy S23 Plus, for example, only feels slightly larger than the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 despite the amount of extra screen space it provides. The Galaxy S23 is also one of the few Android phones with a 6.1-inch screen other than the Pixel 6A, making it a compelling choice for those who prefer compact devices.
All three new Galaxy phones launch with Android 13 and the One UI 5.1 overlay. Samsung also provides four generations of Android OS version upgrades, which is noteworthy considering Google only commits to three generations of updates on its Pixel phones. That means your Galaxy S23 will last for at least four years from a software perspective, so it shouldn’t feel outdated anytime soon.
Consistent with Samsung’s theme of making practical changes this year, the Galaxy S23 Plus and S23 Ultra now start at 256GB of storage rather than 128GB. That means you get double the storage capacity for the same price as last year’s devices. While it’s a great value for Samsung’s pricier phones, I’m disappointed Samsung didn’t do the same for its entry-level Galaxy S23. It would have been a good way for Samsung to further justify the Galaxy S23’s higher price compared to the $599 Pixel 7 while also giving potential Pixel 7 Pro shoppers another reason to consider Samsung instead.
Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus: Buy or skip?
The Galaxy S23 (left) and S23 Plus.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
The Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus are moderate improvements over the Galaxy S22, bringing quality-of-life improvements like longer battery life, more base storage for the Plus and faster performance. Since this isn’t a major update, I don’t recommend upgrading unless you have a phone that’s more than two years old at the very least. Those who have an older phone will get the benefits that came with last year’s camera upgrade and redesign, along with the S23’s better battery life.
If you’re shopping in the $900 price range, the Pixel 7 Pro is also worth considering. The camera generally captures more accurate colors and crisper zoom shots than Samsung’s and you get a slightly larger screen for a cheaper price than the Galaxy S23 Plus. However, just remember that Google only offers three generations of Android OS updates for the Pixel 7 line, so you might want to upgrade sooner. Both Samsung and Google provide five years of security updates for their higher-end devices, so you’ll still have years before the phones may be susceptible to vulnerabilities.
The Galaxy S22 is also a tempting option at its new price of $700. But if you can afford it, I’d recommend going for the Galaxy S23 because of its longer battery life and newer processor. Let’s face it, your phone’s battery isn’t going to get any better over time, so you might as well invest in a device that will last longer.
How we test phones
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using both standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds, foldable displays among others that can be useful. And we of course balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value.
5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, wireless PowerShare to charge other devices
5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, wireless PowerShare to charge other devices, UWB for finding other devices
5G (mmw/Sub6), IP68 rating, wireless PowerShare to charge other devices, integrated S Pen, 100x Space Zoom, 10x Optical Zoom, UWB for finding other devices
The more files you have on your Mac, the more difficult it can be to find what you’re looking for. That’s why we have the Finder, which can help you more easily go through your computer’s documents, folders and applications. However, to get the most out of the Finder, you need to know how to use it efficiently.
In this story we’ll show you 15 tricks you need to know to master the Finder, whether you need to open specific folders, quickly delete unimportant files, hide annoying sidebars and more. Here’s what you need to know.
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Set a default folder to appear each time you open a new Finder window
If you navigate to a particular folder often, then you can set it as your default and save yourself a few clicks each time you open the Finder. Click the Finder menu in the menu bar and then select Preferences. Under the General tab, you will see that for New Finder windows show, the default is All My Files. You can change to your Home or Documents folder, or whichever folder you use the most.
Automatically remove items from the Trash
If you click the Advanced tab in Preferences, you’ll see a number of boxes to check, including Remove items from the Trash after 30 days. This can help you keep your trash from overflowing with files.
Open a new Finder window
Need to open another Finder window. You can use a keyboard shortcut for that. Hit Command + N to open a new Finder window. You can also use Command + T to open a new Finder tab, which allows you to view various folders within a single Finder window.
Open a specific folder in the Finder
Instead of looking for a folder, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts to open a specific folder:
Command + Shift + C: Top-level Computer folder
Command + Shift + D: Desktop folder
Command + Shift + F: Recents folder
Command + Shift + G: Go to Folder window
Command + Shift + H: Home folder for your account
Command + Shift + I: iCloud Drive folder
Command + Shift + O: Documents folder
Command + Shift + R: AirDrop folder
Command + Shift + U: Utilities folder
Command + Option + L: Downloads folder
Quickly search for a file or folder in the Finder
Although you can click on the magnifying glass in the top-right corner of any Finder window to search for a file folder, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Command + F to open the Finder with the search bar already activated.
Get info about a file or folder in the Finder
Need more information about a file or folder, such as file kind, folder size, date created or last modified? You can hit Command + I to open the Get Info panel for any selected file.
Show or hide the Sidebar in the Finder
If you need a cleaner view, use Command + Option + S to show or hide the Finder’s sidebar. Hit Command-Control-T to add a selected item — a folder, usually — to the sidebar.
Show or hide the path bar in the Finder
The Finder has another information bar in addition to the sidebar: the path bar. It’s the narrow bar along the bottom edge of the Finder, which shows you the folder path to the file you currently have selected. If you want to hide or show it, hit Command + Option + P.
Change the Finder view
You can change the view of the Finder by clicking the four buttons in the menu bar at the top of a Finder window. Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcuts:
Command + 1: Icon view
Command + 2: List view
Command + 3: Column view
Command + 4: Gallery view
Check out your view options
Hit Command + J to open the View Options panel. This lets you choose, among other things, the types of columns — Date Modified, Size, Tags and so on — that you want to see for the Finder’s column view. You can set different columns to show for different folders in the Finder.
Quickly view a file without opening it
You can always double-click a file to view it, obviously, but there is a way to simply preview it. If you click on a file once, to highlight it, and then hit the spacebar, you can check out a preview of it. If you hold down Option + spacebar, you can open a full-screen slide of the file.
Create a new folder
Just like on your desktop, you can use the Command + Shift + N keyboard shortcut to create a new folder in the Finder.
Quickly trash a file or folder
Save yourself the trouble of dragging a file to the trash can in your dock. Instead, select the files or folders in the Finder you’d like to trash and hit Command + Delete. In related news, you can hit Command + Shift + Delete to empty the trash.
Add a file or folder to your dock
Use Command + Control + Shift + T to add a file or folder in the Finder to your dock. It will sit to the right of the dock’s divider.
Customize the Finder toolbar
From the menu bar at the top of the screen, go to View > Customize Toolbar to drag buttons to and from the toolbar at the top of the Finder. If you find that you don’t like the changes you made, just drag the default set back to the Finder to start again.
