Apple Arcade, a CNET Editor’s Choice Award pick, just added two new titles to its expanding games library. So instead of fighting the frigid February air, stay warm inside with a cozy blanket and your favorite hot drink, and give these games a try until better weather arrives.
Here are the latest Apple Arcade games that subscribers can play now.
Beast: Bio Exo Arena Suit Team
Developer: Oh BiBi
This three-versus-three online multiplayer game is a cross between Team Fortress 2 and Titanfall, with some cute critters sprinkled in. It features 10 animal heroes who can pilot mechanized suits called a Bio Exo Arena Suit Team, or BEASTs. Each hero has their own playstyle and class, like the medic GG Nova the unicorn — because a good healer is about as hard to find as a real unicorn. There are different game modes, like Payload and Free for All, which provide different challenges, and you can play these matches solo or with friends and family. Either way, you’ll have to work with your team to win, and that means not everyone can be an engineer or sniper — sorry.
Words in Progress
Developer: Gamious
In this word game, seven lettered tiles are aligned vertically on your screen, and you have to combine these letters to form different words. When you move a tile from its spot, a tile from your letter pile takes its place. There are three modes you can play: single-player endless, multiplayer or practice. In endless mode, you try to stay in the game as long as possible by completing different in-game challenges. In multiplayer, you and an opponent have 40 tiles and whoever uses their tiles to score the most points wins. And if you aren’t in the mood for a challenge, you can sit back, relax and play practice mode.
You can access these games, and many others, in Apple Arcade for $7 a month, or $50 annually. You can also try Apple Arcade for free for one month with your first sign-up, or you can get a three-month free trial when you buy a new Apple device. To access Apple Arcade, open the App Store on your iOS device and tap the joystick in the menu bar.
February means it’s all about the big game, whether you’re a cord-cutter or not. You can stream Super Bowl 58 without cable on Paramount Plus, and even outside of sports, this month is stacked with tons of must-see content. Your streaming subscriptions will be put to good use, so it will be hard to let any of them go. But we’ll guide you to which services are offering the best shows and movies.
Netflix has Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the streamer is receiving licensed titles such as Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken and HBO’s Warriors. Oppenheimer hits Peacock, and Hulu won’t disappoint with Abbott Elementary and its FX originals like Shogun. Not only does this month offer abundant releases and live sports, but most are top quality (that means Max’s Tokyo Vice too). Still, you could be tempted to shed a subscription or two to save a few bucks.
Every month, you may need to weigh whether to cancel a streaming service because of cost and the content that’s currently available. In this current financial climate, I’d like to offer one strategy: Churn like ice cream, aka rotate.
How to do it? Subscribe, cancel, roll with a different service, then resubscribe, keeping your favorites in a rotation. Rotating streaming services can be a money-saver when Netflix, Disney Plus, Max and others don’t have the content you want to watch at a given time. Just remember to shut off autorenewal for your monthly subscriptions. This method may not fly if you’re sharing your streaming accounts, but if you can work it out with your posse, go for it.
Here are my suggestions for which streamers to keep or cancel in February, based on new shows and movies (I didn’t consider live TV streaming services) coming to each platform. Your tastes may be different, but if nothing else, I urge you to at least consider the concept of rotating for savings. It’s easier than you might think. And remember, a VPN can also be a useful tool when you’re streaming.
Read more: 50 TV Shows We’re Looking Forward to Watching in 2024
February Streaming Service Rotation
Keep
Cancel
Paramount Plus
X
Netflix
X
Hulu
X
Peacock
X
Starz
X
Apple TV Plus
X
Disney Plus
X
X
Prime Video
X
Max
X
These streaming services are keepers in February
Paramount Plus: You already know you need this for the Super Bowl. If you’re new to the service, there’s a 7-day free trial available, and if you decide to stick around, Halo season 2 drops on Feb. 8. Here’s what else is coming: Korean series A Bloody Lucky Day (Feb. 1), The Tiger’s Apprentice animated film (Feb. 2), Past Lives (Feb. 2) and the Grammy Awards (Feb. 4).
Hulu: In addition to network shows, Hulu has lots to offer in the realm of originals. A peek at what’s arriving is below.
Feud: Capote vs The Swans (Feb. 1)
Love & WWE: Bianca and Montez reality series (Feb. 2)
Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold (Feb. 5)
Abbott Elementary (Feb. 8)
The Pod Generation starring Emilia Clarke (Feb. 16)
Life & Beth, season 2 (Feb. 16)
American Idol (Feb. 19)
The Good Doctor, Will Trent and The Rookie all have new season premieres arriving on Feb. 21
Shogun, an FX series (Feb. 27)
Netflix: Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the biggest releases this month, but here’s a look at other titles.
The Tourist (Feb. 1)
Orion and the Dark (Feb. 2)
One Day (Feb. 8)
A Killer Paradox (Feb. 9)
Love Is Blind (Feb. 14)
Players – a film starring Gina Rodriguez and Tom Ellis (Feb. 14)
The Vince Staples Show (Feb. 15)
Ready, Set, Love (Feb. 15)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Feb. 22)
Mea Culpa featuring Kelly Rowland (Feb. 23)
Formula 1: Drive to Survive (Feb. 23)
Disney Plus: If you want to watch The Marvels, now is the time to stream it (Feb. 7) along withGenius: MLK/X (Feb. 2), Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold (Feb. 5)and Star Wars: The Bad Batch, season 3 (Feb. 21). Otherwise, you can skip Disney Plus.
Prime Video: You’ll find Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Feb. 2) and Upgrade (Feb. 9) as the biggest releases. If you have a standalone Prime Video subscription and you’re not interested in these titles, drop it. Remember, Amazon now charges $3 a month if you want to stream without ads.
Max: It’s the end of Curb Your Enthusiasm when the final season kicks off on Feb. 4. Tokyo Vice season 2 drops on Feb. 8, and the Puppy Bowl streams on Feb. 11. True Detective: Night Country airs its finale on Feb. 18. It’s your call whether this service is worth keeping for the entire month and into March.
You might want to cancel these services
Peacock: Stream here for Kings from Queens: The Run DMC Story (Feb. 1) and Oppenheimer (Feb. 16). Take a break after streaming Oppenheimer or keep streaming live sports, reality shows and the Chicago franchise. Don’t cancel if you have that one-year discount for Peacock where you’re only paying $2 a month.
Starz: Cancel after the Raising Kanan finale on Feb. 9 unless you want to stream Hightown season 3.
Apple TV Plus: The New Look debuts on Feb. 14, and Masters of the Air will stream into March. These are high-quality series, but unless you must watch them each week, I’d hold off on Apple TV Plus for now.
Waiting can save money and time
Waiting until most or all of the episodes of your favorite series land on a platform is a wise strategy if you don’t get FOMO. That way, rather than pay for a service for several months to cover the six- to 10-week run of a show, you can catch up on everything by subscribing for one month. And then repeat the cycle again. This works well if you don’t mind being a binge-watcher.
For example, The New Look and Masters of the Air have 10-episode seasons with weekly episodes. Why pay for two or three months of Apple TV Plus when you can wait to watch it in full anytime in April? If you’re keeping Max for Curb Your Enthusiasm (10 episodes) or Tokyo Vice (also 10 episodes), why not hold off until April or May after they wrap?
Think about how much you’re paying per month for each streaming service you have and do the math. Netflix is $7 to $23 (plus extra member fees), and Paramount Plus starts at $6. Apple TV Plus is $10. Disney Plus is anywhere from $2 to $25 depending on bundles, Max costs $10 to $20, Hulu starts at $8 and Starz runs $10. Peacock has a base rate of $6 a month. Should you decide to rotate, set yourself a calendar reminder to alert you when it’s time to re-subscribe or cancel.
See you in March for another streaming service forecast.
If you’re the sort of person who doesn’t use Microsoft 365 enough to justify spending $7 a month on it, then going for one of the older versions might be a good idea. and doing so can save you a huge chunk of change with Microsoft Office Professional 2019 going for just $30, which is a whopping 86% discount on the original $229 price tag. This deal applies to both the Mac and Windows versions of the software, so you can grab it regardless of what OS you run. Just be aware that this offer ends on Feb. 5.
There are actually two versions of Office here. Mac users will get the basic Home and Business suite of apps, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and OneNote, while Windows users will get the Professional Plus version with more apps. Just note that you won’t get Microsoft Teams here.
This isn’t the latest version of Office, but compared to signing up for the Microsoft 365 subscription suite, which costs $7 a month or $70 a year for individuals, StackSocial’s offer is a great deal. There is a free online version of Microsoft Office out there that you can use, but it lacks several features, so this may be a better option. Also, Apple users should note that Outlook is now available as a free app for the Mac.
Some important things to note — you’ll get a one-time use code for a single computer, which means you won’t be able to download these apps on multiple devices. And that does mean that if you upgrade to a new computer or your current one dies, you likely won’t be able to transfer the suite. These licenses also lack some of the added conveniences you’ll get with a 365 subscription, including OneDrive cloud storage and cloud-based AI features, including Microsoft Copilot. Additionally, these apps should work for as long as your computer does, but the Mac license has reached the end of its lifecycle, which means Microsoft’s support for this version of Office has ended. Windows users will have extended support through Oct. 14, 2025. There is also a risk that Microsoft could terminate the license at any time, but we’ve been running other versions of Office from StackSocial since early 2022 and have yet to encounter a problem.
Now that you have some sweet new software you might need a computer to go with it. Make sure to check out our regularly updated list of the best laptop deals to make sure you don’t overpay.
Liverpool will be hoping to extend their lead at the top of the English Premier League as they welcome Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea in this big game at Anfield.
These two sides have played out draws in their last six encounters against each other, but there’s plenty of incentive for both managers to go all-out for a win here. Liverpool will be looking to maintain their lead at the top of the table over the chasing pack of Man City and Arsenal, while a more consistent run of recent results has seen Chelsea edge their way closer to the top six.
As well as its implications for the league, Wednesday’s match also offers an intriguing preview of next month’s Carabao Cup final, with both of these sides set to battle in out for the first piece of silverware this season at Wembley at the end of February.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.
Liverpool vs. Chelsea: When and where?
Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday, Jan. 30. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. GMT (3:15 p.m. ET, 12:15 p.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 7:15 a.m. AEDT in Australia on Thursday Feb. 1).
How to watch the Liverpool vs. Chelsea game online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Livestream Liverpool vs. Chelsea in the US
Wednesday’s Liverpool-Chelsea match is streaming on Peacock. You’ll need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to catch the game live.
Livestream the Liverpool vs. Chelsea game in the UK
Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). The Aston Villa-Newcastle game is exclusive to TNT Sports — showing on its TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 1 HD and TNT Sports Ultimate in 4K.
Livestream the Liverpool vs. Chelsea game in Canada
If you want to stream Liverpool vs. Chelsea live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.
Livestream the Liverpool vs. Chelsea game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.
Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany returns to his old stomping ground on Wednesday as his relegation-threatened side face defending champions Man City.
Kompany became a City legend after 11 years at the Etihad Stadium, captaining them to their first ever English Premier League title back in 2012. But the big talking point for this game is the expected comeback of a current Sky Blue hero.
Striker Erling Haaland looks set to be involved against the Clarets on Wednesday after finally recovering from a foot injury. The prolific Norwegian is still the league’s joint top scorer with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, despite having been sidelined for two months.
Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.
Manchester City vs. Burnley: When and where?
Manchester City host Burnley at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. GMT (2:30 p.m. ET, 11:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 6:30 a.m. AEDT in Australia on Thursday Feb. 1).
How to watch the Man City vs. Burnley game online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Livestream Man City vs. Burnley in the US
Wednesday’s Man City-Burnley match is streaming on Peacock. You’ll need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to catch the game live.
Livestream the Man City vs. Burnley game in the UK
Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). The Man City-Burnley game is exclusive to TNT Sports — showing on its TNT Sports 3 and TNT Sports 3 HD.
Livestream the Man City vs. Burnley game in Canada
If you want to stream Man City vs. Burnley live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.
Livestream the Man City vs. Burnley game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.
Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
What impresses me the most about the Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus isn’t the new Galaxy AI features, brighter screens or solid cameras. It’s the battery life. I’ve been reviewing phones for seven years, and I’ve learned that if a company wants people to be eager about buying a new phone, either make the battery last longer or lower the price. That’s it.
After a week of testing, I can say the larger batteries in the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus have no trouble plowing through a long day of use on a single charge. The S24 Plus in particular made it two days.
While Samsung didn’t lower the S24 and S24 Plus’ prices, it did raise the barrier of entry for the Galaxy S24 Ultra to $1,300. That makes the $1,000 Galaxy S24 Plus, which has almost everything the Ultra does, shine brighter. The S24 Plus isn’t a replacement for the S24 Ultra, but it’s a far better value for the price. Nor is the Plus just a bigger version of the $800 Galaxy S24, giving it an awkward aura that any middle child can relate to.
During my time with the S24 and S24 Plus, I had a group chat in three different languages (English, French and Spanish), took photos to Monty Python-levels of ridiculous with new editing tools, played video games and participated in a Zoom video call for work. (Hey, it’s not all glamorous reviewing a phone.) Most of these experiences weren’t unique or new, but the emphasis Samsung placed on the new AI features is actually significant, even if the true payoff is years down the line.
Read more: Best Android Phone of 2024
The S24 and S24 Plus are wonderful, well-built phones that are excellent right out of the box just as the nearly identical S22 and S23 were before it. This similarity to the S22 and S23 can be viewed as either a strength, because the design reflects three years of refinements, or a weakness, because features like the camera hardware are essentially identical to what came out in 2022. But all of this is overshadowed by the great battery life. You’ll never hear anyone complain about getting too much battery life.
If you’re interested in snagging either phone, Samsung has a number of Galaxy S24 series trade-in deals that can drop the base price to $250 for the S24 and $450 for the S24 Plus.
Galaxy S24 series pricing
Galaxy S24 series pricing
Phone
Storage + RAM
US Price
UK Price
AU Price
Galaxy S24
128GB + 8GB
$800
799
NA
Galaxy S24
256GB + 8GB
$860
859
AU$1,399
Galaxy S24
512GB + 8GB
NA
NA
AU$1,599
Galaxy S24 Plus
256GB + 12GB
$1,000
999
AU$1,699
Galaxy S24 Plus
512GB + 12GB
$1,120
1,099
AU$1,899
Galaxy S24 Ultra
256GB + 12GB
$1,300
1,249
AU$2,199
Galaxy S24 Ultra
512GB + 12GB
$1,420
1,349
AU$2,399
Galaxy S24 Ultra
1TB + 12GB
$1,660
1,549
AU$2,799
Design where it matters
Both phones kept the squared-off aluminum design with rounded corners from last year’s S23 and S23 Plus. The S24 and S24 Plus are taller, but you’d have to be Ant-Man or Rick Moranis to notice. The miniscule height addition accommodates new slightly larger displays (0.1 inches bigger): 6.2-inch screen on the S24 and 6.7-inch one on the S24 Plus. Compare that to the 6.8-inch screen on the S24 Ultra.
Like the S24 Ultra, both screens reach a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. I found the displays were easy to view whether taking a photo outdoors under direct sunlight or in a bar with friends checking the score of the Warriors/Lakers game with increasing disappointment. I haven’t used the OnePlus 12 or its 4,500-nit display, but the screens on these phones are plenty bright.
The S24 Plus’ screen has a higher resolution and can max out at QuadHD, the same resolution as the Ultra. In fact, since the S24 Plus has a smaller display than the Ultra, the Plus actually has a higher pixel density. You can’t see the difference, but it’s still a point in the Plus’ favor.
Whether it was watching Barbie and Escape From New York (a pairing that makes more sense than you think) or just touching up a photo that I took of the San Francisco Chronicle building, the Plus’ new screen makes everything look sharp with great clarity and color accuracy. I really noticed this while reading articles; text popped with contrast, even at dimmer brightness levels.
A Galaxy AI future
I can’t remember two letters that have gotten more hype recently than AI. Artificial intelligence is nothing new, but it’s a generic term. It’s a bit like asking someone what they’re wearing only for them to reply, “clothes.” AI covers a multitude of implementations from simple algorithms and machine learning to the generative-AI which is behind services like ChatGPT and Dall-E.
Likewise AI shows up in a variety of ways on the S24 and S24 Plus. Some of it is made by Samsung, others by Google. Some of the AI features require an internet connection, while others are performed entirely on-device.
Out of every feature I tried, Circle To Search is the most polished and compelling. It lets you search for anything on the screen just by circling it with your finger. For example, I saw a photo of a friend on Instagram and wanted to know what boots they had on. So I pressed the home button for a second, which triggered a transparent sparkling filter to overtake the screen. Once I circled the boots, a bunch of search results for Red Wing Iron Ranger boots popped up.
If you’ve used a phone for a while you might remember a time when pull-to-refresh wasn’t a thing. And then one day it was everywhere. I feel the same will be true about Circle to Search. It works well and isn’t only on the S24 series but on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro and will come to the S23 line as well.
Like pull-to-refresh, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Circle To Search make it to every phone, even the iPhone.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
The translation tools were also impressive, even though language translation itself isn’t new to phones. But the implementation here is compelling, and the “new” angle is that it’s done on device. I had a phone call translated in real time between myself, an English speaker and a friend speaking Spanish. The act of pausing and waiting for the translation to be delivered by an AI voice took getting used to. No, I don’t work for the UN, but it certainly felt like I could with this. The translation worked well enough, but there were tells that it had been done by AI. Grammatically, words would sometimes get flipped in a Yoda-like way.
I found the text message translation more useful. The interface looks clean and is intuitively built into the keyboard. As I mentioned in the intro, it had no problem handling multiple languages in a single thread. The accuracy was better, according to my friends (one who spoke Spanish and the other French), and my guess is that it’s because we’re staying in the realm of text.
On the whole, none of these new AI-powered tools are the reason to buy this phone (or really any phone). We’re still in the generative AI phone germination phase, which should naturally improve over time as more people use these tools. But I think some of these features are useful enough right now to appeal to everyday users and not just tech enthusiasts.
Recently, Samsung generated its own questions around the future of Galaxy AI. Fine print on the manufacturer’s website hints that after two years, Samsung might charge for the features. What’s shady to me isn’t that AI-powered tools might be the next frontier for subscription revenue, but that Samsung left it to journalists to discover the possibility in fine print. What are ya, Samsung? An ad for an ’80s used car dealership?
I highlight more AI-powered features below in the camera section, but for a deeper look read CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco’s Galaxy AI breakdown story.
Battery and performance are where it’s at
All three new Galaxy phones have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which when combined with 8GB of RAM on S24 and 12GB on the Plus yielded peppy performance. The under screen fingerprint reader is blazing fast to unlock, the camera app opens like a spring that’s been sprung.
Gaming is fantastic, with both phones handling everything from Mario Kart to Diablo Immortal to Genshin Impact. The S24 did get warm to the touch faster than than the Plus, but neither became too hot to hold. In benchmark testing, both phones are right up there with the Ultra, Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro max, even besting some of them. The regular base S24 unexpectedly scored very high.
The S24 series runs on Android 14, and perhaps the sleeper feature on these phones is that Samsung promises seven years of major OS updates and software support. That means you could hold on to the Galaxy S24 until 2031 and still have an up-to-date version of Android on the phone. Though I imagine you’d likely need a battery replacement before then.
The S24 and S24 Plus have stable software right out of the box. That hasn’t been the case with many of the other phones I’ve reviewed over the past year. The iPhone 15 series experienced overheating because of iOS 17 which has since been remedied.
Like the screens, the phones’ batteries got bigger. The S24 now has a 4,000-mAh battery (a 100-mAh increase over the S23), while the S24 Plus has a 4,900-mAh battery that’s 200-mAh larger than S23 Plus’ battery. The Plus’ battery capacity is also just 100-mAh shy of the S24 Ultra’s 5,000-mAh battery, in yet another sign of the closer overlap between the two.
The larger batteries bring a small but noticeable improvement, which is no doubt helped by the efficiency of that new Snapdragon chip. In everyday life, this shows up in the S24 starting at 6 a.m. with a full battery and at 11 p.m. having 25% left. And that was a day of medium-to-heavy use over T-Mobile’s 5G and with the screen often being set to max brightness for photo and video shoots for the review.
In the week I had the S24 Plus, it lasted two days on a single charge, twice ending the second day at 11% and 9% as I highlighted in my early hands-on story. In CNET’s streaming test, where each phone’s battery is charged to 100% and we stream a video over Wi-Fi for 3 hours, checking on the results every hour, both phones outlasted S23 models and have been outdone this year only by the OnePlus 12.
Streaming video battery test results
After 1 hour
After 2 hours
After 3 hours
OnePlus 12 (QHD+, 120Hz)
100%
100%
95%
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (QHD, 120Hz)
97%
91%
87%
Samsung Galaxy S24 (FHD+, 120Hz)
97%
91%
86%
Samsung Galaxy S23 (FHD+, 120Hz)
95%
88%
81%
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (FHD+, 120Hz)
95%
90%
84%
Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro (FHD+, 165Hz)
94%
84%
75%
It’s worth noting that CNET’s review of the Galaxy S23 highlighted the improved battery life over the S22. And it’s remarkable that Samsung steadily improved the regular S model to go from a poor battery life in 2022 to a very good battery life in just two years.
Both phones have fast charging but don’t come with the necessary power brick. The S24 maxes out at 25 watts, and over 30 minutes the battery went from empty to 51%. The S24 Plus had similar results with a 45-watt charger (its maximum) and went from zero to 50% in the same time.
I still have more battery and charging tests to run, including for the 15-watt wireless charging that both support. But I have been absolutely impressed so far.
Cameras: the same
Both phones have the same cameras on the back as the S23 and S23 Plus: a trio of wide, ultrawide and 3x telephoto lenses. The main camera has a 50-megapixel sensor and can capture 50-megapixel or 12-megapixel photos. The ultrawide and telephoto have a 12-megapixel and 10-megapixel sensor respectively and can capture 12-megapixel snaps, which makes me curious about where the tele is getting those extra 2 megapixels.
In her S23 and S23 Plus last year, CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco noted that the cameras were largely the same as the one on the S22 and S22 Plus. And that is definitely the case here with the S24 and S24 Plus.
In good lighting, photos look great with a decent dynamic range (the difference between the brightest and darkest parts) and image quality. But in mixed or dim lighting when night mode isn’t triggered, details look soft and processed. Take a look below.
When it comes to camera quality, the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus can keep pace with the Pixel 8 and iPhone 15 but barely. Take a look below at photos I took of an espresso bar at Four Barrel Coffee in San Francisco with the Pixel 8, iPhone 15 and S24 Plus. It was dim enough to challenge the cameras on all three phones while not dark enough to activate night mode.
All three photos look good. The Pixel 8 and S24 Plus exposed their photos similarly and looked the closest to real life. The iPhone 15 brightened everything up, which results in a nice-looking photo but also throws off the color temperature. In terms of details (look at the coffee beans in the hopper), the S24 Plus’s photo looked a bit soft, while the Pixel 8’s image was a bit over sharpened, and the iPhone 15’s snap is somewhere in the middle.
These results bode well in particular for the regular S24. But with a $1,000 price tag, and competing against the likes of the Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro, it’s hard to be excited about what the S24 Plus offers in terms of photography. It’s definitely capable, but is not the best, nor does it come close to what’s considered to be the best cameras on phones today. And that could be why the Galaxy S24 Ultra exists with its newer and higher resolution 200-megapixel main camera.
But wait, there’s more. The Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus have a mix of on-board and cloud editing tools for photography and videos. The AI-powered tools improve the image quality and help fix aspects of the photos I take. And these tools offer a glimpse at how AI could help phones take better photos as they get older.
In the Gallery app, I can tap and hold on any video while it’s playing and turn it instantly into slow-mo (the AI generates and adds frames to the video). The experience is fun and like the saying goes, everything looks better in slow motion.
Then there’s the over-the-top Generative Edit (similar to the Pixel 8’s Magic Editor and based on the same underlying Google technology) that can delete objects and people from a photo and fill in the empty space. I have yet to see a flawless result, as there’s always a visible remnant or halo indicating that something is off. I can use the same tool to move objects and people, even changing their size, which is just fun and ridiculous.
I find that mundane fixes are the most useful. I can use the same Generative Edit tool to straighten photos. I don’t like Dutch Angles except in Hitchcock films, Terry Gilliam movies and, of course, Power Rangers. I enjoy leveling a photo’s horizon, which on most phones usually means cropping in to get the desired result. On the S24 and S24 Plus Generative Edit can fill in the parts of a photo, beyond the frame that weren’t even there eliminating the need to crop in. The results are good; see below.
The Gallery app has another trick. I can swipe up to see a photo’s metadata and little buttons/tags appear with recommendations to fix things. Nearly every photo seems to get a “remaster” tag, which in my testing means brightening parts of the photo.
The “erase reflections” fix works well enough. Take a look at the two photos below, the reduced light glare is noticeable but on the results can sometimes be hit-or-miss. The tool should really be called “reduce reflections” instead.
On the whole, the AI photo and video features feel more experimental than dependable.
Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus final word
After days of testing the S24 and S24 Plus by playing games, texting and calling in multiple languages, taking photos, recording videos and trying out all that Galaxy AI has to offer, I’m happy to say both these phones are outstanding. Samsung didn’t reinvent the phone, but it did take two great phones and make them better.
The challenge for the S24 Plus is that Google’s Pixel 8 Pro has the same price and slightly better cameras. I do think the S24 Plus is an overall better phone in nearly every other respect, even software, which has been rock solid in my testing.
And the challenge for the S24 is that you can get a OnePlus 12 for the same price or save $100 and get a Pixel 8. I’ve used both the Pixel 8 and S24 and it’s hard to say one is definitely better than the other. The S24 has a more mature design, a better build and more stable software at the time I’m writing this. The Pixel 8 is better at photos and offers unique features like calling screening.
If you’re on a Galaxy S21 or S21 Plus and are feeling inclined to upgrade, now is the time. At the end of the day, the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus have great battery life, impressive performance, seven years of software support and some of its Galaxy AI features show promise, but I expect more from the S24 Plus’ camera given its $1,000 price.
2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E
2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E
Titanium frame, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cover glass
US price starts at
$800 (128GB)
$1,000 (256GB)
$1,300 (256GB)
UK price starts at
799 (128GB)
999 (256GB)
1,249 (256GB)
Australia price starts at
AU$1,399 (256GB)
AU$1,699 (256GB)
AU$2,199 (256GB)
How we test phones
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team is 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 standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark as well as our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using the phone daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.
It’s fair to say that anyone hunting for the best webcam won’t find it attached to the top of their laptop’s display. Those who use a desktop computer and monitor might not even have a camera to use at all, let alone a good one. But there are ways and means to add your own and it doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition, either. That’s something very much proven by this deal.
Today, you can grab the Opal Tadpole 4K webcam at Amazon for just $129, a savings of $46, with no codes or coupons required, and same-day delivery is also available, depending on where you are and when you place that order. This deal doesn’t have any indication of when it will end, which means ordering sooner rather than later might be the wise thing to do here.
So what will you get for your $129? The Opal Tadpole 4K webcam supports capturing 4K video images, which ensures that you’ll look crisp whether you’re using Zoom, FaceTime or any other video calling service. Attaching it to your laptop screen or monitor couldn’t be easier, with an alligator clip-like design allowing it to grip onto slim or thick displays, and it’s plug-and-play with its USB-C connector. This camera also comes in black and white options so you can pick the one that best fits with the rest of your desk’s aesthetic.
This webcam has a built-in microphone and it works with Macs, Windows PCs and tablets. One really neat feature of the Opal Tadpole, for laptop users particularly, is a tap-to-mute sensor on the USB-C connector that plugs into to your laptop. Tapping it turns on or off the Tadpole’s mic, which is much quicker than mousing around to find the mute button in your Zoom window.
There are tons of great webcam deals available if the Opal Tadpole isn’t for you, and there are definitely cheaper options if you don’t need 4K video.
The M2 15-inch MacBook Air is one of the best laptops if you’re in the market for something with a bigger screen that won’t take up too much room in your bag. That said, don’t let the thin and light chassis give you the impression this laptop is slow — the M2 chip found inside is a beast.
Finding a discount on Apple hardware isn’t always easy, but today is one of the days when a rare $300 savings is available. That means that the 15-inch MacBook Air will set you back just $999 if you buy from Best Buy right now, a price that is not to last for long. We don’t know for how long this laptop will be available at this particular price, so keep that in mind when planning your order. As an added perk, you get to pick your favorite color, as well.
Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air is the largest Air model to date and offers an attractive option for those wanting a big-screen portable Mac without spending over the odds on a 16-inch MacBook Pro. It’s essentially the same as the 13-inch MacBook Air, but with a larger, 15.3-inch display. It has the same M2 chip, Touch ID sensor, two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, MagSafe charger and 18-hour battery life. Its screen supports up to 500 nits of brightness and up to 1 billion colors. There’s a built-in 1080p camera for FaceTime calls too, as well as a three-mic array and six speakers for spatial audio support.
As great as the 15-inch MacBook Air is, there are sure to be some who need something a little different. For those people we’ve built a list of the best laptop deals around and there should be something for every person and every budget, too.
The Super Bowl is almost here. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will compete for the NFL title on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. If the rest of the playoffs were any indication, this matchup looks like it could be an all-time classic.
A game this exciting should have a TV that’s up to the task. Here are the best TVs we’ve reviewed for football and other sports and they also happen to be the best TVs we’ve reviewed. Unless otherwise noted, we’re linking to the 65-inch model, but most of them are available in smaller and larger (up to 85-inch) sizes as well.
Read more: Super Bowl TV Deals: Upgrade Your Screen for Hundreds Less Ahead of Game Day
Think you’re familiar with all the search engines out there? Maybe not all of them. The Browser Company of New York makes a MacOS web browser called Arc, and now it’s released a mobile iOS app called Arc Search that takes an innovative approach to online searches. Ask Arc Search to find something for you, and it will use artificial intelligence to read and consolidate at least six web pages, assembling the info into one summary page.
It’s been more than a year since ChatGPT from OpenAI made AI a friendlier, less sci-fi-seeming option that even students could put to work. Along the way, forms of generative AI have been making their way into the technologies that we rely on every day — like search engines, which might just be the gateway to familiarizing ourselves with AI. Google and Bing have taken steps into the AI universe, and Arc Search takes it even further, with a smoothly readable results page that looks as if it were put together by a human editor.
The Browser Company of New York’s website notes that it boasts alumni from Instagram, Tesla, Medium, Google, Amazon and more. You don’t have to use the company’s browser to use its search app and, honestly, I’m not about to take on the heavy lift of changing my browser right now. But an app I can handle, and it is promising. Here’s what you need to know about it.
How to use the Arc Search app
Arc Search is a free mobile app that you can download from the App Store. Most iPhone users can use it, but it requires iOS 16.0 or later. Right now, its makers haven’t said whether it will be available for Android.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, open it on your phone and type in your query, whether it’s “what kind of surgery did the Princess of Wales have?” or, “what’s today’s Wordle answer?”
Arc Search will look through six relevant sources, telling you what they are, and will use AI to assemble the information from those pages into a pretty professional looking webpage.
What you get from Arc Search
Traditional search engines present you with a random buffet of sources. For instance, if you search for information on the princess’ surgery, they’ll show you small snippets from People magazine, Entertainment Tonight and other resources that have information about it. It’s your job to sort through them and choose the best source of information, then read through it to get your answer. Kind of like high-school homework.
Google now will allow you to enable SGE Generative AI. When you turn that on, the AI program attempts to answer your query in a more direct way, though it still provides the links to other sources below that AI-generated answer. Microsoft’s Bing will also give you an AI-generated answer after trawling the web for information when you switch over to its chatbot and ask it a question.
I tried out both Google SGE Generative AI and Arc Search with a question about the Princess of Wales’ recent surgery because I knew there wasn’t an accurate, confirmed answer out there, and wanted to see what they did in that situation.
Arc Search gets right to the AI answer attempt, essentially outlining your query and the facts it found for you. Its Princess of Wales response led off with a scrollable carousel of images — including an hours-old Instagram post where William and Catherine thank well-wishers and note that she’s left the hospital and returned home to Windsor. Then it used bolded subheads such as “Surgery Type” and “Specifics” to break down the facts from its six sources. (Spoiler: Other than “abdominal” and “not cancer-related,” no one is sharing details.)
Arc Search performed pretty admirably. Google search with SGE Generative AI got more gossipy, telling me about some unconfirmed speculation and rumors. Arc Search stuck to the facts.
Arc Search also aced the “what’s today’s Wordle answer?” query, giving me the answer in bold type right at the top of the generated answer page it made. It went on to offer details about the game itself, the average player and older answers, but since I’d asked for the answer, I didn’t feel a true need to read further.
What about giving credit?
As a book author and journalist, I was concerned about how Arc Search offers credit and clicks for those who did the research work in the first place. The six sources it used to get my answer were listed briefly as Arc Search did its thing, but they didn’t seem to be clickable. I’ve reached out to the makers of Arc Search and will update this story if I receive more details about how it credits sources.
To test Arc Search’s crediting ability, I decided to perform one search where I was pretty sure my own work would be in the response. It’s a weird one: I searched “Why did Sharon Weiss burn her pie?” Back in 2021, a Georgia grandmother burned her Marie Callender’s pie almost beyond recognition and went viral for it. I was one of the few (only?) journalists who interviewed her, and I knew any searches were going to lean on my original article and my follow-up. (She told me her oven was mistakenly sent to Celsius, not Fahrenheit.)
I was right — Arc Search mentioned CNET right away in its top six sources, and its answer page was pretty much a summary of my article. Later in the summary page, it did go on to list three links, two of which were by me. I don’t know how many people would feel compelled to click on them, since Arc Search already provided the answer, but they were there.
Is it worth the download?
Questions about credit aside, I appreciated how Arc Search handled the summarizing and outlining of an answer for me. I’ll explore it again.
The fact that it’s for iPhones only, and that you have to download an app to use it, is bound to turn away some would-be users. But if you have a lot of web queries and appreciate a snappy, direct answer, you might give Arc Search a try.
