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Galaxy S23 Ultra review | CNN Underscored

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Let’s get right to the point: Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra is a boring upgrade compared to last year’s S22 Ultra, but it’s easily one of the best phones you can buy.

The S23 Ultra, Samsung’s highest-end member of the new Galaxy S23 series, is one of the first smartphones that completely justifies its high price tag. At $1,200 and up, it’s by no means a cheap phone, but the experience you get in exchange is simply spectacular. From the beautiful AMOLED screen and 200-megapixel camera to the huge battery and S Pen, it’s one of the best Android phones I’ve ever used. The only thing it can’t do is fold in half.

But is it the right Android phone for you? Let’s break it down.

The ultimate big-screen smartphone

If you lean toward Android and are willing to pay more than $1,000 on your next phone, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has the best combination of cameras, performance and features for its price.

The biggest new feature on the Galaxy S23 Ultra is on the back. Samsung included its all-new 200-megapixel ISOCELL HP2 sensor, which acts as the primary camera. It’s a major step up in terms of megapixels compared to the S22 Ultra, which carried over the 108-megapixel camera from the S21 Ultra.

You may be asking yourself, “What do I need a 200-megapixel camera for?” It seems like pure overkill and a marketing tactic on the surface, and to some extent, it is. The sensor uses a technology called pixel binning that groups a ton of the megapixels together to create larger pixels and produce smaller images. These smaller images, 12 megapixels in size by default, can lean on the extra resolution from the sensor for more detail and light. It’s the same technique other phones like the iPhone 14 Pro and Pixel 7 use with their larger-than-average cameras.

In bright lighting conditions, you’d be hard-pressed to find a significant difference between shots captured on the S23 Ultra and those from other flagship phones. Samsung still keeps saturation boosted a tiny bit while balancing out highlights and exposure to create some pretty stellar results. You simply can’t take a bad picture with this camera.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s amazing performance is worth the high price

It’s at night that the extra megapixels make a difference. Because they’re binned, the pixels are far larger than on other phones, which results in more light intake. This photo of a neon sign is sharper and more lifelike on the S23 Ultra than it looks on the iPhone 14 Pro. In a similar vein, these shots of some of the skyscrapers in New York City paint a nearly accurate picture of what I saw beyond the viewfinder, save for a few overblown light glares.

You can also capture wildly large 200-megapixel photos. There’s a button in the camera app that lets you turn it on, and boy is it fun to play with. You won’t want to use it all the time since it’ll eat away at your storage a lot faster than normal photos, but if you want to capture something with a ton of detail or plan to print the photo after it’s taken, this is the mode to be in.

Of course, the buck doesn’t stop at the main camera. Samsung packs in three additional lenses: a 12-megapixel 120-degree ultrawide, a 10-megapixel telephoto with 3x optical zoom and a 10-megapixel periscoping telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom. These cameras are basically identical to the S22 Ultra, save for one major improvement: optical image stabilization, which is so good that you’d think your phone were on a gimbal when taking zoom shots.

Speaking of which, the S23 Ultra is equipped with Samsung’s signature 100x Space Zoom, which is extremely fun to play with. Not only do you get lossless zoom up to 10x, but each hybrid zoom level between it and 100x is extremely high in quality. The S23 Ultra once again puts every other phone in the United States to shame when it comes to zoom. I mean, just look at these examples!

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s amazing performance is worth the high price

Video quality is also great. Tech reviewers widely consider the iPhone to be the best for taking videos, myself included. But with the S23 Ultra, you can get shots that go toe to toe with clips captured on the latest Apple smartphones, including some that best it. I recorded a couple of 4K, 30 frame-per-second clips during a recent trip to New York and compared them to my iPhone, and I was surprised to find that the quality was nearly equal. I still think the iPhone is an overall smoother shooter (especially when switching lenses while recording), but the S23 Ultra makes it a close race.

The rest of the camera experience is just as fantastic. Portrait mode photos look amazing; the Expert RAW camera app from Samsung gives you a high amount of control over how your photos look, thanks to professional controls and Adobe Lightroom integration; night mode helps in especially dark situations; and the ultrawide camera remains wide enough to capture full landscapes without missing out on anything important.

The selfie camera is also solid. At 12 megapixels, it sounds like a downgrade from the old 40-megapixel sensor, but Samsung vastly improved the quality of the selfies it takes. There’s much better lighting and detail, and you can record 4K video at 60 frames per second (the first for any Galaxy selfie shooter).

Overall, this is one of the best camera experiences you can have on a smartphone. The Pixel 7 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro come second to this phone in a lot of different ways, from sensor resolution and zoom capabilities to image quality and versatility. It’s a little absurd just how good it is, which makes this $1,199 phone worthy of its “Ultra” name.

Those cameras sit on the back of a smartphone that’s pretty striking to look at. Samsung uses a frosted glass finish for the backplate and shiny aluminum rails for the sides, which looks plenty premium. Speaking of the sides, they’re a lot flatter than they used to be, which gives the device a very similar feel to previous Galaxy Note devices.

The S23 Ultra comes in four standard colors: Phantom Black, Lavender, Cream and Green (the color I got to review). There are also four colors exclusive to samsung.com: Lime, Sky Blue, Graphite and Red. They’re a lot flashier than the normal finishes are, so if you’re looking to add a little style to your next phone, you might want to pick it up from Samsung’s website.

Samsung also made the S23 Ultra more durable. The device uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back, an upgrade from the Victus Plus glass on the S22 Ultra. It provides increased durability against accidental drops, and it’s safe from dust and water, thanks to an IP68 certification that lets you soak your phone in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.

The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the S23 Ultra is as beautiful as it was on the S22 Ultra. Samsung continues to deliver some of the best screens you’ll find on any phone with amazing clarity, color calibration and contrast. Everything from watching the latest movies to flipping through TikTok is pleasing to the eye, and it’s pin-sharp, thanks to the 3088 x 1440 resolution.

For this generation, Samsung reduced the curves on the left and right sides so that content doesn’t spill over as easily. It’s especially helpful with the S Pen, since you have more room to draw. It’s also just a lot nicer to look at — whether you’re watching a movie or playing a game — since you won’t have to deal with light reflecting off the curves in the glass.

Speaking of light glare, the S23 Ultra is brighter than the S22 Ultra, making it a lot easier to see in direct sunlight. The S22 Ultra could reach a peak of 1,300 nits, whereas the S23 Ultra can go all the way up to 1,750 nits. Walking around sunny Manhattan earlier this month, I was easily able to see everything on the screen, even when I had my sunglasses on. My iPhone 14 Pro Max can get a bit brighter at 2,000 nits, but I found that difference to be indistinguishable next to the Ultra.

Ultra-fast performance and incredibly responsive software

This is one of the fastest smartphones I’ve ever used.

Samsung packed the S23 Ultra to the brim with high-powered specs. Not only can you get 8GB or 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage (aka the fastest storage available on smartphones), but there’s also a specially tuned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. It’s essentially the same chip you’ll find in other 2023 Android flagships like the OnePlus 11, but Samsung convinced Qualcomm to let them crank up the CPU and graphics a bit so the S23 series is slightly faster than the rest.

The extra power is evident in the chart below, where we compare the OnePlus 11’s Geekbench scores to those on the S23 Ultra. Of course, Apple’s A16 Bionic inside the iPhone 14 Pro is still the most powerful chip, but the 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy doesn’t fall far behind.

	Galaxy S23 Ultra	iPhone 14 Pro	OnePlus 11	Pixel 7 Pro
Geekbench 5 multi-core	4,907	5,396	4,817	1,533
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy	Apple A16 Bionic	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Google Tensor G2

In day-to-day usage, I found the S23 Ultra to be one of the fastest smartphones out there. I put it through the wringer, constantly cycling between apps, taking tons of pictures and videos, jotting down notes, using split-screen multitasking to arrange my calendar and more. By no means did I use the phone lightly, yet it was still able to keep up perfectly well with whatever I threw at it.

I fired up Asphalt 9 like I do with most phones I test, and it ran perfectly well. I didn’t experience any dropped frames or slowdowns, and the phone stayed nice and cool the entire time.

Compared to other phones I’ve tested like the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Pixel 7 Pro and OnePlus 11, the S23 Ultra is a screamer. It even feels snappier than the Pixel and, at times, the iPhone since Samsung’s software animations are quicker.

Speaking of software, One UI 5.1 — based on Android 13 — is what you’ll get out of the box with the S23 Ultra. By far, this is the best version of Samsung’s skin I’ve come across. It’s nearly identical to One UI 5.0 in terms of functionality and looks (besides a few customization options for your lock screen and some changes in system apps), but it’s a lot more responsive and efficient this time around.

I used the Galaxy Z Fold 4 running One UI 5.0 for a good while, so I’ve got a feel for how snappy it was. In short, I really liked it, but it definitely felt a tad slower than Google’s Pixel software or Apple’s iOS. One UI 5.1 flips that on its head, as the S23 Ultra feels just as fluid and snappy. Is it the new processor? The faster storage? Just good old-fashioned software optimization? I’m going with the latter, because everything from launching apps to scrolling Twitter feels more responsive than any Samsung phone I’ve reviewed in the past.

What’s more, Samsung is promising four years of Android upgrades for the S23 Ultra as well as five years of security patches. If you buy this phone, you can sleep well knowing your phone will be supported for years to come.

The S Pen remains as useful as ever

Truth be told, I’m not the biggest S Pen user, but I find that I love using it every time I come back to a phone that has one. The S23 Ultra’s S Pen — which lives in the same silo at the bottom — is identical to the one from the S22 Ultra, which means you get a bunch of note-taking features like screen-off memos, which let you jot down notes while your phone is asleep; screenshot tools; a GIF creation tool; camera shutter controls, thanks to the side button; and a very, very low 2.8 milliseconds of latency.

All in all, if you’re a fan of the S Pen, you’ll feel right at home with the stylus on the S23 Ultra. Plus, you’ve got that flatter screen for more room to write.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra packs a 5,000mAh battery, which is the same size as the battery in last year’s S22 Ultra. Unlike that phone, the S23 Ultra is somehow able to last even longer on a full charge. We found the S22 Ultra could last about a day and a half, whereas the S23 Ultra could get you easily through two full days.

I kid you not, I’ll unplug the phone at about 7:30 a.m., use it all day long to handle my everyday tasks and take plenty of pictures, then end my day around 11 p.m. and still have 55% to 65% left in the tank. Plus, standby time is stupendous — I only ever lose about 5% to 6% when leaving the phone off its charger at night.

The device is equipped with 45W fast wired charging which, while not the fastest you’ll find in the US, is ample to charge from zero to 50% in about 30 minutes. You also get 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, allowing you to recharge your earbuds on the go. Samsung definitely included everything you’ll need when it comes to juicing up.

Some people love big phones; others despise them. If you’re part of the second group and are enticed by the vast capabilities of the S23 Ultra, you’re gonna have to deal with a size that can only be described as gargantuan.

This phone is huge. Like, really huge. It’s a bit taller than the iPhone 14 Pro Max and a tad slimmer, thanks to the taller aspect ratio, but the boxy corners and flat sides make it feel even bigger than it actually is. There’s a large group of people who will find the flat sides to be a lot nicer than the curved sides of the S22 Ultra, but I’m not one of them. I definitely prefer the old, tapered edges given how much more comfortable they were to hold.

It’s also pretty heavy. At 234 grams, it’s 6 grams lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro Max but also 22 grams heavier than the Pixel 7 Pro. This phone is the quintessential definition of a brick in your pocket.

The software remains bloated and full of ads

Remember all that praise I gave Samsung’s software earlier? Despite it being as good as it is, it’s not perfect.

Samsung bundles all of its own apps with the S23 Ultra, which doesn’t pose a problem until you realize how many there are. I counted 58 on my unit, and that doesn’t include other preinstalled apps like Microsoft 365 and Netflix. It eats up a fair amount of storage space, collectively reducing your phone’s overall capacity by about 20 to 30 gigabytes. For those who don’t use Samsung’s stock apps and prefer alternatives like Google’s, it’ll feel like a waste of space.

Samsung is also still displaying advertisements in its own apps, which looks and feels as crummy as you’d think it does. The amount of ads it shows has luckily decreased over previous Galaxy phones, but they’re still around. Samsung Pay and Galaxy Store like to advertise promotions from third parties, while the Samsung Members app regularly reminds me to preorder a Galaxy S23 Ultra … while I’m holding one.

These issues aren’t deal breakers, but they can certainly be nuisances, especially when you’re spending $1,200 on a new phone.


Display	6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Quad HD display at 120Hz	6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, 120Hz	6.7-inch 1440 x 3120 OLED display, 120Hz
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Apple A16 Bionic	Google Tensor G2
Storage	256GB / 512GB / 1TB	128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB	128GB / 256GB / 512GB
Memory	8GB / 12GB	6GB	12GB
Rear cameras	200-megapixel wide camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, dual 10-megapixel telephoto cameras with 100X Space Zoom	48-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, 12-megapixel telephoto	50-megapixel wide camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, 48-megapixel telephoto camera
Front camera	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	10.8-megapixel
Colors	Phantom Black, Lavender, Cream, and Green (everywhere); Lime, Sky Blue, Graphite, and Red (Samsung exclusive)	Deep purple, Gold, Silver, Space Black	Obsidian, Snow, Hazel
Size and weight	6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 inches, 8.25 ounces	5.81 x 2.81 x 0.31 inches, 7.27 ounces	6.4 x 3 x 0.3 inches, 7.5 ounces
Price	From $1,200	From $999	From $599

Unless your software preferences lie in the Apple world, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is a stellar handset that consistently checks every box you should look for when buying a new phone. It has an amazing screen, excellent battery life, awesome performance and some of the best cameras you can get.

$1,200 is a lot of money for a new phone, especially these days. If you can live without features like the 200-megapixel camera and S Pen, the regular Galaxy S23 can be had for hundreds less and still gives you great performance, battery life and software features. Similarly, Google’s flagship Pixel 7 Pro is almost always on sale, sometimes for $599 to $699, which is nothing short of an amazing deal.

But if money’s not an issue and you do pull the trigger, you won’t regret it. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is by far the best phone you can get for over $1,000.

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February 20, 2023

Best laptops of 2023 | CNN Underscored

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Whether you work from home, go to an office or just want something to keep yourself entertained, a good laptop is all but a necessity these days. But with so many brands and models to choose from, finding the right notebook for you can be overwhelming.

That’s where we come in. We extensively test the latest laptops on the market from the likes of Apple, Dell and Samsung in order to help you figure out what’s actually worth spending your money on. Whether you’re in search of the perfect MacBook, a tricked-out gaming notebook or just something basic for your daily emails, here are our picks for the best laptops you can buy now.

Best Apple laptop

The MacBook Air M2 is the best Apple laptop for most people, perfect for everyday multitasking and able to handle a good amount of gaming and video editing. It’s the fastest laptop you can get for the money, and an especially big upgrade if you’re coming from an Intel-powered Mac.

The MacBook Air M2 is the new gold standard for Apple laptops, marrying some of the best performance we’ve ever seen in a notebook with an overhauled and attractive design that has lots of practical benefits.

The biggest refresh to the MacBook Air in over a decade, Apple’s new laptop ditches the iconic wedged look of old in favor of a more uniform chassis that’s in line with the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. And while it doesn’t appear slimmer than the M1 Air at first glance, it actually is, with pleasingly thin 11.3-millimeter edges and a 2.7-pound body that’s marginally lighter than its predecessor. That all translates to a laptop that we’ve found incredibly easy to pick up, and one that we barely felt in our backpack while on the go.

The M2 Air also adopts all of the modern niceties of the larger MacBook Pros, including the display. You get a noticeable amount of extra screen space compared to the previous MacBook Air (and the new M2 MacBook Pro) at 13.6 versus 13.3 inches, plus the M2 ditches the thick black borders of old for a thin, seamless bezel, while content still pops with plenty of color and detail.. Apple’s Magic Keyboard feels as great as ever on the latest Air, and you get satisfying, full-size function keys for making quick adjustments — no dreaded Touch Bar here.

Perhaps the biggest physical upgrade to the M2 Air is the revamped MagSafe charger, which, like on the bigger MacBook Pros, allows you to easily attach and detach the charging cable with a quick magnetic snap. On top of reducing the chances that your laptop goes flying after someone trips on your wire, the MagSafe port also frees up the two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports for your accessories. We still wish the MacBook Air’s port selection wasn’t so slim (the larger MacBook Pros have HDMI, an SD card reader and an additional USB port), but the addition of MagSafe is a welcome one — as is the nice color-matched braided cable and compact charging brick that includes an extra port for charging your phone.

Other notable upgrades include a 1080p webcam that looks marginally better than the 720p one on previous models, as well as a more robust sound system that pumps out rich (but not speaker-replacing) audio. And then there’s the Air’s new Apple M2 processor, which makes it one of the fastest laptops we’ve ever tested.

The MacBook Air M2 held up to our usual multitasking workload (a mix of email, video calls, Slack, Discord and way too many Chrome tabs) without ever breaking a sweat, and stayed cool and quiet during hours of light music production in Ableton Live. But our benchmark results tell the real story. The MacBook Air posted the highest single-core result we’ve ever gotten on Geekbench 5 (which measures general performance), and came impressively close to the new MacBook Pro M2 when it came to multi-core and graphics capabilities. We also saw roughly a 16% gain in overall performance scores compared to the MacBook Air M1 from 2020. You can certainly do some light gaming on this machine, though we saw low framerates and an excess of heat when running Shadow of the Tomb Raider at its maximum settings. That highlights one of the few advantages of the otherwise dated $1,299 MacBook Pro M2, which sports an internal fan for better sustained performance under pressure.

The MacBook Air M2 frequently got us through long workdays with plenty of battery to spare, largely matching up to Apple’s 18-hour battery rating. However, on our more intensive battery test, which consists of continuous 4K video playback, the MacBook Air’s 5 hours and 21 minutes of runtime fell to the new MacBook Pro by about 45 minutes. Expect great day-to-day endurance, but definitely keep a charger handy for gaming or video-editing sessions.

The new MacBook Air’s biggest caveat is its price — starting at $1,199, it’s $200 more expensive than the still-excellent MacBook Air M1. You’ll get marginally better performance from the M2 chip, but the real question is this: Are you willing to pay an extra $200 for a bigger display, a better webcam, a sleeker design and a useful MagSafe charger? If the answer is yes, and if you’re coming from an Intel-powered Mac or getting your first MacBook, then the MacBook Air M2 is the best laptop you can buy. But if you’re on a budget and can live without those modern conveniences, the $999 (and often discounted) MacBook Air M1 remains an excellent purchase.

Best Windows laptop

The Dell XPS 13 is the best Windows laptop you can buy, offering a stunning display, a great keyboard and long battery life within an attractive, slim design that’s easy to take anywhere.

The upgrade pick

If you’re a creative professional or a hardcore power user, or you simply feel like splurging on the best that Apple has to offer, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the laptop to get. It’s an especially great upgrade for first-time Pro buyers, or anyone coming from an old Intel model.

Best 2-in-1 laptop

The Surface Pro 8 delivers fast performance, a vivid display and an excellent keyboard within a versatile, detachable design. It’s also a much better value than the newer Surface Pro 9, which doesn’t add much beyond slightly faster processors and an optional 5G variant.

Best gaming laptop

The Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition offers the best combination of performance, battery life, features and value of any gaming laptop we’ve tested, all packed into an attractive and highly customizable design.


Display	13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina display	13.4-inch, 1920 x 1200 display	14.2-inch, 3024 x 1964 Liquid Retina XDR display	13-inch, 2880 x 1920 display	15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 and 300 Hz display
Processor	Apple M2	12th Gen Intel Core i5 / i7	Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max	11th Gen Intel Core i5 / i7	AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX with AMD Radeon RX 6800M graphics
Memory	8GB / 16GB / 24GB	8GB / 16GB / 32GB	16GB / 32GB / 64GB (M1 Max only)	8GB / 16GB / 32GB	16GB
Storage	256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD	512GB / 1TB SSD	512GB / 1TB / 2TB / 4TB / 8TB	128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB	512GB
Camera	1080p FaceTime HD	720p	1080p FaceTime HD	1080p front camera, 1080p rear camera with 4K video	N/A
Ports	Thunderbolt 4 (2), MagSafe charging port, headphone jack	Thunderbolt 4 (2), microSD card slot (USB-C to USB-A adapter included)	Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (3), SDXC card slot, HDMI port, MagSafe charging port, headphone jack	Thunderbolt 4 (2), Surface Connect port, headphone jack	USB-C (1), USB-A (3), HDMI, Ethernet port, headphone jack
Battery life (rated)	Up to 18 hours	Up to 12 hours	Up to 17 hours	Up to 16 hours	8 hours
Size and Weight	11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches, 2.7 pounds	11.63 x 7.86 x 0.55 inches, 2.59 pounds	12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches, 3.5 pounds	11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches, 1.96 pounds	13.8 x 10.2 x 1.1 inches, 5.5 pounds
Price	$1,199	$799	$1,999	$900	$1,300

While there are a number of factors to consider when choosing the right laptop, we advise that you start by figuring out how much display you need. Most laptops are available in display resolutions ranging from 1080p to 4K (3840 x 2160), and in screen sizes from 13 to 17 inches. Many Windows machines also offer optional touch displays.

We think a 13- to 15-inch laptop at 1080p is the sweet spot for most people, as you’ll get very good clarity and a decent amount of real estate within a machine that’s still fairly portable and reasonably priced.

• Display: 13 inches to 15 inches at 1920 x 1080
• Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7, AMD Ryzen 5 5000 or Apple M1/M2
• RAM: 8GB or more
• Storage: 512GB or larger solid state drive
• Ports: At least two USB-C connections

A higher screen resolution means you can see more detail when using apps and watching movies, or get more screen real estate for apps (assuming you are willing to look at very small text), but it can also drive the price of a laptop up considerably. So a 4K display (or alternative display technology options like OLED, also available in very high screen resolutions) makes the most sense if you do a lot of graphics work or use your laptop as your main entertainment screen for movies and TV (though you’ll get the most benefit if you choose a 15-inch or larger display). Also think about how you’ll be using your laptop — a slim 13-inch notebook is ideal for working on the road, while a 17-inch machine isn’t quite as portable, but will get you more screen space (and possibly more power) for working at your desk.

Many Windows-based machines also offer optional touch displays, but we generally feel that you can skip this to save some cash. Unless you’re looking to carry only one device and are specifically looking for a 2-in-1 laptop that doubles as a tablet, we think a dedicated tablet does a better job at touch, and touch doesn’t add that much functionality to a laptop.

Many modern laptops are slim on connectivity options, usually packing a handful of USB-C ports in addition to a microSD card reader and a headphone jack. If you want a laptop that can connect to USB-A gadgets (and chances are you have a lot of those) as well as traditional HDMI cables for external displays, you’ll want to check out some of the thicker, business-class Windows notebooks out there from manufacturers like Acer and Lenovo. Alternatively, you can pick up a USB-C hub to augment your Mac or Windows laptop’s connectivity options.

Windows laptops come with a swath of processor options, but we consider the latest 11th Gen Intel Core i5 or the AMD Ryzen 5 5000 series to offer a good amount of performance for everyday multitasking for the price. And to back that processing power up, we recommend opting for at least 8GB of RAM to keep all of your apps running smoothly. If you’re someone who does heavy creative work such as video and photo editing, it’s worth considering Core i7/Ryzen 7 as well as 16GB to 32GB of RAM. And if you’re a gamer, you’ll need a laptop with discrete graphics, starting with at least an Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti or AMD RX 5600 XT.

Of course, you’ll also have to decide between Windows and Mac, which largely comes down to personal preference. Windows can be found on the largest range of laptops, including budget notebooks and powerful 2-in-1 workstations, and offers a better selection of gaming software. Meanwhile, macOS is limited to a handful of Apple’s own laptops, and is ideal for folks who already own lots of Apple products thanks to its ability to sync up with your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Windows laptops can be found for as cheap as a few hundred dollars, whereas MacBooks occupy a premium middle ground that starts at $999 for the MacBook Air or $1,999 for the higher-end MacBook Pros.

As with every CNN Underscored review, we rigorously test devices both quantitatively and qualitatively. For laptops, we made the decision to benchmark first to get a standard for quantitative performance. If you’ve read our standalone laptop, tablet or mobile phone reviews, these tests will be familiar.

On Windows laptops, we performed GeekBench 5 and PCMark 10 tests. These run the laptops through a series of workflows and application processes, many of which you’d find yourselves (and we found ourselves) completing on a daily basis. For Mac laptops, PCMark 10 is not available, so Geekbench 5 was performed. If a laptop is gaming-capable, we run it through the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark to see how it’ll hold up against many of the best PC games.

Regardless of operating system, we put each laptop through our standard battery test, which involves charging the laptop to 100%, setting brightness to 50% and engaging airplane mode to ensure connectivity is off. We then loop a 4K video file with the sound set to 15% until the battery dies and the machine turns off.

The combination of battery and benchmark testing gives us a quantitative feel for the devices and a hard number for each that can be used for comparisons. We then used each laptop as our daily driver for work, play and entertainment tasks, testing the battery to see if it could last through a full day of tasks, watching a movie to get a feel for the display and, of course, running a bunch of different applications.

Some minor drawbacks aside, the 14-inch MacBook Pro are great for video editors, 3D artists, developers or any other kind of power user who could benefit from tons of processing and graphics muscle. Our M1 Pro-powered 14-inch model can juggle demanding creative tasks without breaking a sweat and outperforms the already beastly M1 MacBooks by a good margin. And the option to upgrade to a higher-core M1 Max chip means that you can spec these laptops out with enough speed to handle just about anything. As our previous best upgrade pick, the Macbook Pro 14-inch is still a good option for those willing to invest in a feature-packed and future-proof MacBook.

The MacBook Air M1 was our best Apple laptop pick for nearly two years running and is still one of the best laptops you can buy. Its zippy M1 performance and long battery life continue to hold up against newer competitors, and its keyboard and display remain some of the best you can get at this price. We think the MacBook Air M2’s updated design, MagSafe charger and faster performance are worth the extra $200, but for those on a budget, the MacBook Air M1 is a fantastic value — especially since it’s often on sale.

In terms of sheer performance, the MacBook Pro M2 is one of the best laptops we’ve tested. Its M2 processor runs circles around anything in its price range, and makes this machine ideal for intensive video editing and graphics work. It can also survive a full day of work on a charge, and endured close to an hour longer than the MacBook Air on our tests.

However, all of this awesome power is stuck in a dated design that looks and feels exactly like the last few iterations of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. That means you’re getting a Touch Bar you probably don’t want, a meh 720p webcam and the same old 13.3-inch Retina display with thick black borders around the edges. Those considering the 13-inch MacBook Pro should either opt for the MacBook Air M2 — which has similar performance and a much better design for $100 less — or splurge for the far more expansive 14-inch MacBook Pro.

The Surface Laptop 5 is an extremely close runner-up for the title of best Windows laptop, offering a big, beautiful and uniquely tall screen; a great keyboard; and strong overall performance and battery life. But its design, while attractive, is a bit dated and bulky compared to the competition, and you’ll get better specs for the money on the XPS 13.

The Surface Pro 9 retains everything great about the Surface Pro 8, but doesn’t add much. It’s virtually the same as the 2021 model, just with faster 12th Gen processors, a nixed headphone jack and an optional 5G configuration that makes serious performance sacrifices for always-on connectivity. Unless you need 5G or like the Pro 9’s color options, you’re better off saving your cash on the still-great Pro 8.

The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 is an excellent 2-in-1 laptop, offering fast performance and more than 11 hours of battery life. If you’re deep into the Samsung ecosystem, you may find its plethora of preloaded first-party apps useful — but if you’re not, you’re looking at lots of bloatware. On top of the Book 2 Pro 360’s excess software and relatively low display resolution, we still prefer the Surface Pro 8’s more versatile, detachable design.

The $600 Surface Laptop Go 2 is a very good pick for students or folks on a tight budget, offering dependable performance and just about the best build quality you can find for the price. Though, realistically you might want to get the $650 model that comes with a more usable 256GB of storage and fingerprint reader. When you factor that in, we still think the $549 Dell Inspiron 14 is the best overall value for Windows users.

In terms of sheer performance and versatility, the Surface Laptop Studio is arguably Microsoft’s best notebook yet. Thanks to its durable, flexible hinge, this 2-in-1 works well as a laptop for everyday multitasking, a sturdy drawing tablet and a stand-up display for giving presentations or watching movies.

It’s also the only Surface with optional discrete Nvidia graphics, making it ideal for demanding visual tasks and even some light PC gaming. However, with an expensive starting price that only gets higher if you opt for a dedicated GPU and more processing power, we’d only recommend this machine to artists, video editors and general power users.

The Surface Go 3 packs a full Windows 11 experience and a surprisingly good webcam into a tiny 10-inch tablet, which turns into a comfortable mini laptop once you attach a Type Cover keyboard. However, its performance can be frustratingly slow at times, and its alluring $400 starting price quickly balloons closer to $800 once you configure it with a keyboard and halfway decent processor.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro has everything we love about our upgrade pick in the 14-inch model, just with a larger screen and a few more configuration options for really maxing out the processor. It’s a great choice if those two things matter to you (and if you have the cash to spare), but we think the 14-inch MacBook Pro’s lower starting price and more portable design make it the better pick for most power users.

Read more from CNN Underscored’s hands-on testing:

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February 19, 2023

Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter game fans have been waiting for | CNN Underscored

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In the quarter century or so since fans first fell in love with the Harry Potter franchise, there have been no shortage of opportunities to interact with the series’ iconic characters and locations from behind a gamepad. But while faithful followers of “The Boy Who Lived” have enjoyed everything from the early book-based action-adventures and brick-busting Lego entries to a title entirely dedicated to Quidditch, they’ve never been able to fully live out their Wizarding World fantasies in an immersive, cinematic, interactive experience.

Hogwarts Legacy — recently released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and gaming PCs and coming to Switch later this year — aims to finally fulfill this wish, putting witch and wizard wannabes under the robes of a customizable character and unleashing them in a sprawling, open-world action role-playing adventure to rival anything Harry, Ron and Hermione ever tackled in the books or on the big screen.

But does this wickedly anticipated, long-in-the-making game deliver on that promise, offering an experience as refreshing as a Butterbeer? Or does it leave a bad taste in your mouth like the grossest of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans? Let’s hop on our brooms and find out.

The Wizarding World game fans have always wanted

While a few flaws occasionally sap it of its magic, Hogwarts Legacy is, by and large, the immersion-ratcheting Wizarding World game fans have long been waiting for.

For the series’ most passionate fans, Hogwarts Legacy will justify its admission price the second they set foot in the titular school. The game’s story, taking place about 100 years prior to the events of the books and films, finds players wielding the wand of an original character — a fifth-year student they customize cosmetically. But the earlier time period and lack of a familiar protagonist don’t come at the cost of presenting the most fully realized version of Hogwarts ever committed to any medium.

Not limited by a book’s descriptions or film’s scenes, Hogwarts Legacy’s take on the enchanted place of learning is a massive, detail-drenched playground just begging to be explored. It’s packed with the expected gameplay elements — from main missions and side quests to optional challenges, myriad collectibles and countless character interactions — but it’s also brimming with secrets, surprises, call-outs, nods and Easter eggs.

Tons of familiar locations and events, such as the Grand Hall and Sorting Ceremony, are accounted for and beautifully realized. As are subtler inclusions, such as the moving paintings, pesky poltergeists and so many other fan-focused touches you’ll encounter at every turn. But it’s the unknown elements — the environments, encounters and interactions previously left off the page and limited to our imaginations — that make this the definitive Hogwarts experience. For every well-established nook, there’s a new cranny just waiting to be discovered.

While the purest of Potterheads may have trouble pulling themselves from the school’s hallowed halls, they’ll want to make their way to other familiar areas, such as Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest. Like Hogwarts, these areas not only enjoy the fullest realizations they’ve ever seen, but they’re also fully explorable, filled with critical objectives and optional gameplay, and packed with opportunities to author your own Potter-like adventures.

If you’ve played any number of open-world action RPGs over the last few years, Hogwarts Legacy’s formula will feel comfortably familiar. Like recent releases, Horizon Forbidden West and Gotham Knights — or any of the last three Assassin’s Creed entries — it contains a massive map filled to the brim and beyond with activities to keep you busy. But while its inclusion of combat, crafting, questing, collectibles, character progression systems, puzzles and other expected elements might read like a rote genre checklist, none of it feels phoned in or thoughtlessly implemented.

On the contrary, rather than simply grafting gameplay onto a nostalgia-stinging presentation, Hogwarts Legacy organically weaves the aforementioned interactions, activities and challenges into its well-established universe. Early in the game, you can tackle a quest involving the fetching of five lost books. It’s an objective that could easily result in a time-filling errand, but it instead leverages its rich universe to become something more. The quest-giver is a quirky student who, while trying to cast a load-lightening spell, accidentally grants her books the gift of flight. This leads you to the stunning Hogwarts library, where you’ll hunt and capture the winged tomes with deft use of the Accio spell.

It’s a minor side quest, but it’s also a meaningful representation of the game’s larger ability to consistently turn the potentially mundane into the, er, magical. Other examples include the stat-based gear system, which doesn’t apply boosts to the usual chest plates and helmets but might find you benefiting from a damage buff while wearing a very Potter-like striped scarf or enjoying some extra defense thanks to a smart pair of spectacles.

It doesn’t hurt that developer Avalanche Software was thrown some softballs, like integrating resource gathering and crafting — two genre staples — into Hogwarts Legacy’s Herbology and Potions classes. Similarly, the universe’s Floo magic is an obvious stand-in for fast-travel. But the studio also deserves credit for deftly delivering on these obvious interpretations. While traversing the massive world by broom or creature mount is a no-brainer, it also could’ve been a mechanical nightmare. But it’s handled so wonderfully in Hogwarts Legacy, delivering one of the game’s most immersive, joyful experiences.

Just as mixing a Wiggenweld concoction in Potions class translates perfectly to crafting your typical med pack, learning spells and other combat skills as part of the Hogwarts curriculum makes for the ideal marriage of gameplay and source material. The classes strike the perfect balance between leaning into the license’s signature charm but also outfitting you with butt-kicking abilities. As in the books and films, fans are treated to eccentric professor introductions and personality-packed in-class antics, but these moments never overstay their welcome. Instead, they perfectly support your progression path, as you learn and upgrade spells and other skills.

Once on the battlefield, these magic abilities shine even brighter, both literally — shooting from your wand with eye-popping effects — and figuratively, supporting a deep, layered combat system that never had us wanting for more traditional weapons. While spells come in the expected elemental varieties, ably frying and freezing foes with a flick of the wrist, these powers barely scratch the surface of what’s possible once behind your wand. With dozens of spells, broken into various specializations — like Damage, Control, Force and Unforgivable Curses — there’s no shortage of ways to vanquish evil with style to spare.

And while many casts are reserved for non-combat purposes, such as puzzling and lock-picking, your arsenal’s still busting at the seams with wand-spawned skills that’ll benefit you when surrounded by unsavory sorts. Whether you’re facing a small goblin army, tackling a pair of towering trolls, thinning a cave’s arachnid population or simply teaching human adversaries some manners, you’re also encouraged to mix things up and experiment with your evolving bag of monster-slaying tricks.

Spamming favorite spells will only get you so far, so combining multiple magic types — and maybe tossing in the occasional Chinese Chomping Cabbage for good measure — is key to not only surviving but appreciating the depth of the enormously rewarding combat system. Powerful Ancient Magic, which also ties into the game’s central narrative mystery, adds yet another layer, essentially serving as supers that can turn the tables on even the most menacing mythical monsters.

Hogwarts Legacy works as both a fan-servicing licensed game and an open-world action RPG, but it’s not without some cracks in the castle floor. Because its authenticity and attention to detail are often so strong and absorbing, areas lacking this level of care can feel underwhelming. Some of the spaces that fill out the map — stretches that aren’t specifically part of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade or the Forbidden Forest, for example — can feel sparse and more like generic fantasy environments than true Potter-level counterparts.

Repetition can also sully the experience late in the game, when enemy variety begins to run dry and combat encounters start to feel recycled. This occasional late-game tedium, combined with the more lackluster environments, had me wondering what a less ambitious, more contained Hogwarts Legacy might look like. Would it have worked better if it took place entirely on the school grounds, much the way Batman: Arkham Asylum unfolded within the borders of the titular psychiatric facility? The game’s scale and scope is undoubtedly impressive, but sometimes it feels like it shot for the stars when maybe it should’ve stopped at the moon.

Some of the series’ signature magic is also missing from the supporting characters and, more so, your relationships with them. Strong friendships with peers — and even close bonds with professors and other adult characters — have always been as important to the franchise as its fantastic beasts. And while Hogwarts Legacy certainly aims for this, allowing you to interact with a large cast of colorful characters — some even surnamed Weasley and Black — the bonds and friendships forged rarely deliver the emotional depth of the source material’s. More often than not, you’ll feel like a lone-wolf hero with lots of close acquaintances but no real ride-or-die relationships.

It’s also hard to ignore major omissions, such as the absence of Diagon Alley and playable Quidditch, which seem like missed opportunities. It’s maybe not entirely fair to fault the developer for not including something, especially when these elements could arrive at a later date via downloadable content or in the inevitable sequel. Still, it’s difficult to hop on your broom and not imagine how cool it’d be to hit the figurative gas and hurl yourself toward a Golden Snitch.

Finally, while Hogwarts Legacy allows you to gather and care for a menagerie of magical creatures, the feature serves as more of a collectible petting zoo than meaningful gameplay inclusion. It’s certainly a welcome addition, one fans will surely appreciate, but I would’ve traded my most powerful wand for the opportunity to bond with (and battle alongside) a creature companion. On the plus side, you can pet every cat you encounter, an act made all the more comforting by the soothing “purr” emitting from the PS5’s DualSense controller.

Minor flaws and wish lists aside, Hogwarts Legacy succeeds in delivering the Harry Potter game — minus the boy wizard — we’ve always wanted. It piles the fan service as high as the titular school’s tallest spire, then complements it with varied, compelling gameplay that’d do any action RPG proud.

And while that core gameplay experience impresses on its own merits, it also, crucially, is thoughtfully woven into the fabric of the beloved franchise. The result isn’t simply a solid action RPG with a pretty Potter paint job but an authentic, immersive, cinematic interactive experience that’ll have longtime fans raising frothy mugs of Butterbeer in celebration.

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February 17, 2023

Ring Car Cam review: Ring’s expertise goes on the road | CNN Underscored

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Ring’s latest product isn’t meant for your home. Instead, the $250 Ring Car Cam is a souped-up dash cam designed to help you keep an eye on your car when you’re driving it, or when it’s parked.

Just like the rest of Ring’s security camera lineup, you can view the camera’s live feed and receive motion alerts when someone is inside your car via the Ring app, thanks to built-in LTE connectivity. Also, like the rest of Ring’s lineup, that means yet another optional subscription.

I’ve had the Ring Car Cam installed in a 2020 Kia Telluride, and have grown to appreciate having a video catalog of anything and everything that’s happened in and around my car. Below you’ll find some things I liked about the Ring Car Cam and some things I would love to see changed or improved.

A uniquely smart dash cam

If you want a dash cam that has all of the advanced smarts of Ring’s home security products (and can live without a built-in display), the Ring Car Cam is a great way to keep tabs on your vehicle.

A sleek design and good video quality

The Ring Car Cam has a unique design, at least when it comes to dash cams. Instead of using suction cups to stick to your windshield, with a cable running down along your dash and to a USB port or 12V adapter, the camera is attached to a mounting arm that’s held in place by the pressure of being wedged between your windshield and dash along with an adhesive strip.

At the top of the arm is where the brains of the Car Cam are located. The inside edge of the housing features a cabin-facing camera with a 148-degree horizontal by 82-degree vertical field. Also on the inside edge of the camera are two very small floodlights, a microphone and a small indicator light to let you know when it’s powered on and recording. On the interior side of the camera’s housing is a privacy shutter that flips up or down and physically covers the interior camera lens while simultaneously disabling the microphone.

Outside of some cable routing issues (more on that below), I liked the sleek look of the Ring Car Cam as it blended into the design of the car. Its minimal design doesn’t have any extra buttons or frills. It’s a double-ended camera with a privacy shutter, and that’s it. There aren’t any buttons or unnecessary features on the exterior of the camera — all interactions outside of flipping the shutter up or down are done through the app.

Up top, you’ll find a blue circle light ring that’s very similar to the light that’s been used on various Amazon Echo products to indicate when Alexa is listening to you. In this case, it lights up to let you know when the camera is recording. On the opposite side of the Car Cam’s housing is the exterior-facing camera, with a slightly smaller field of view than the cabin camera at 111 degrees horizontal by 56 degrees vertical.

Both cameras are listed as HD cameras, but Ring’s website states that video during live view as well as local playback is capped at 540p, while cloud highlights and any downloaded clips are 1080p.

The first time I viewed a recorded video clip, I was surprised at how clear and crisp the video looked. I fully expected to see a dash cam-like video clip, lacking any true color or depth. But clips recorded on the Car Cam look just like what I’d expect from a Ring Video Doorbell or Spotlight cam. Even at night, the video clips offer enough detail that I’m able to clearly make out what a person is doing, or the fact that there’s a car off in the distance.

I’ve observed video during live view and downloaded clips, both of which have some form of pixelation when there’s fast movement (such as in the background as the car is moving), at least from the interior camera. The exterior-facing camera has some pixelation as well, but that’s to be expected from a camera with a field of view that’s full of movement.

Ring’s first hit product was its Video Doorbell, not only because it started recording once someone pressed the doorbell’s button, but because it would also send alerts when motion was detected near your door. The alerts were a quick and easy way to know if something or someone was nearing your door, even if they didn’t ring the bell.

The same philosophy is in place with Car Cam, only Ring has implemented lessons learned and given users better controls over where the camera is watching for motion alerts. More specifically, you’re able to pick if you want to receive alerts for any and all motion detected near your car or if you only want alerts to arrive for motion detected inside your car.

All alerts will result in notifications for activities such as when a car drives, or maybe even when a person walks by your car. Interior alerts will capture if someone breaks into your car and nothing else. The downside here, of course, is that if someone were to back into your car or open and hit your car with their car door, the camera isn’t going to capture it.

I’ve left the interior alerts enabled during my time testing the Ring Car Cam and have found them to be reliable, alerting me only when someone is getting in the car, and occasionally as someone is standing next to the car, peering into the window.

The Ring app makes viewing and managing clips easy

Ring’s app is built for and around quickly accessing and watching video clips or a livestream from one of your account’s cameras. And that’s arguably even more important when it comes to a camera that’s embedded in something mobile like a car. Fortunately, the Ring app delivers on this front.

When viewing a Ring Car Cam clip or live view, you can quickly switch between the inside and front-facing cameras by tapping on the camera icon at the top of the screen. The icon was instantly familiar to me because it’s the same icon I’ve seen smartphone makers use in the camera app to switch between the rear and front-facing cameras.

When viewing the camera’s timeline, events are labeled in the same fashion as the company’s doorbells or floodlight cameras. Live view sessions are orange and motion is blue, but there’s a new category labeled “Driving,” which, you guessed it, indicates that the car was in motion and being driven. The new category makes it easy to find a specific clip should you need to.

In addition to viewing either camera’s recordings, you can view the current GPS location of the car with just a few taps in the app. You can also delete all location history that’s stored within the app at any time in the Car Cam’s settings page.

Ring is owned by Amazon, so it makes sense that Alexa is being used for a Ring Car Cam feature that offers a different kind of peace of mind. If you have the optional Traffic Stop feature turned on, you can say, “Alexa, record” at any time and the camera will begin recording video inside and out, along with audio from inside the car. The recording will last 20 minutes or stop as soon as the car starts moving.

It’s a feature that can be used if you’re in an accident, if you witness an accident or if you’ve been pulled over and want to document your interaction with the police.

I’m sure this is just the beginning of Ring taking advantage of Alexa on the Ring Car Cam.

For the privacy-conscious, Ring states that the voice commands are all processed on the camera itself and your voice commands are never transmitted to its servers. And, again, the feature is completely optional. I actually had to go into the settings for the Car Cam in the Ring app and enable it after setup.

Inside the Ring Car Cam’s box is everything you need to install. The camera is already attached to an arm, the base of which is wedged between your windshield and dashboard. Also included in the box is an ODB-II adapter that plugs into your car’s diagnostics port, and a power cable that you need to run from the ODB-II port on your car, up along your dash and to the right side of the camera’s base.

Most cars made after Jan. 1, 1996, are equipped with an OBD-II port, but I suggest checking your car’s manual for its location. As I just mentioned, you do need to run a USB cable from your port to the camera to provide it with power, and depending on where your OBD-II port is, the cable may be a safety hazard. (In fact, during installation the app asks where your car’s OBD-II port is located, and if it’s in the middle of your console, you’re instructed to return the Car Cam for a full refund.)

Also included in the box are some adhesive clips for cable routing and a small blue stick that’s designed to help wedge the cable between your front windshield and dash. In total, I think I spent maybe five minutes going through the installation process as I was guided by the app. But I found cable management to be an issue.

Ideally, the power cable should be tucked down, between the dashboard and the windshield, out of sight. And at first, that’s exactly how I had the cable routed. But as soon as I wedged the base of the camera’s arm between the dashboard and the windshield, the cable popped right out. I tried to push the cable back down, only for it to come back out. I eventually figured out that the pressure being put on the dashboard but the arm that’s holding the camera was causing enough separation, there wasn’t anything there to hold the cable in place.

If this were a more permanent install, I’d most likely use some of the included adhesive clips to hold the cable in place and just deal with the cosmetic fallout. But even then, there’s probably a good 2 to 3 feet of excess cable that I’d have to deal with.

Outside of using some sort of rechargeable battery pack, I don’t see how Ring can get around the need to route a cable from the OBD-II port — which, by the way, allows the camera to draw power at any time. I just wish it weren’t as messy.

The Ring Car Cam has an LTE radio built into it, allowing for an always-on and available connection to Ring’s servers and the Ring app on your phone. In turn, you can view a livestream of either camera and use two-way audio wherever the car is.

But that always-on connectivity comes with an additional cost. More specifically, Ring Protect Go is $6 per month or $60 per year. If you’re already a Ring Protect subscriber, that price is in addition to your current plan.

To be clear, you can use Ring Car Cam without a Protect Go subscription, but you won’t receive push alerts for motion, the camera will have to wait for a Wi-Fi connection to upload video and you won’t be able to use two-way video and live video.

It’s understandable that Ring can’t take on the added expense of LTE connectivity for every Car Cam that’s installed, but subscription fatigue is real, especially when there are plenty of other great dash cams available.

In addition to the physical privacy shutter, I’d love to see Ring add an Alexa-based voice command to temporarily turn off the interior camera and microphone. Due to the nature of my wife’s volunteer work, there are often times when she’s on the phone regarding a child’s legal case, discussing private — and privileged — information about the child, their parents, caretakers and their case. As such, having the Ring Car Cam record audio and video of the call isn’t ideal. (She’s not allowed to even discuss her cases with me.)

Over the last week or so of testing, she’s tried to get into the habit of flipping the privacy shutter up to prevent the camera from recording any video of inside the car, along with the audio. But, it’s not a perfect solution. Either she forgets to flip the shutter up because it’s one more physical action — while driving — that she has to take, or she forgets to flip the shutter back down after the call is over.

If there were some sort of “Alexa, disable inside recording” or “Alexa, enable privacy mode for 20 minutes” voice command she could give just before she is getting on a call, that’d remove the need to remember to use or remove the privacy shutter. A hands-free privacy trigger would be a welcome addition.


Number of cameras	2	2	1
Video quality	1080p	1080p front, 720p rear	1080p
Field of view	External-facing, 119.5 degrees diagonal. Cabin-facing 153-degrees diagonal	140 degrees	140 degrees
Display	No	2.5-inch HD IPS display	No
Storage	Cloud and local	MicroSD card not included	MicroSD card, 32GB or 64GB included
GPS	Yes, viewable in Ring app	Yes, with emergency alerts and map overlay on video clips	Yes, with map overlay on video clips
Subscription	$6/month, $60/year	N/A	N/A
Price	$250	$300	$100

The $250 Ring Car Cam takes peace of mind on the road by bringing the company’s home security and camera knowledge inside your car. The added subscription is sure to be an instant turn-off for some, and that’s understandable. However, the Ring app makes it incredibly easy to view, download and share video clips of anything happening inside or near your vehicle, even without a subscription.

For those who already have Ring cameras around their home, the familiarity aspect, combined with the Ring Car Cam’s overall quality and experience, can’t be beat. But for those who’d prefer not to deal with a subscription, or don’t feel comfortable with an Alexa-equipped camera in their car, the Nextbase 322GW or Scotch NEXTS10032-ET — our two best dash cam picks — are both worthy alternatives.

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February 16, 2023

Best smart speakers 2023 | CNN Underscored

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Smart speakers go beyond just playing music. They provide control over your other home devices, answer queries and connect you with friends and family — and the best ones should execute all those tasks equally well. We’ve been testing smart speakers for years, reviewing each new iteration as it hits the market, and we’ve whittled the long list of smart speakers down to the best four:

The best smart speaker overall

The fourth-gen Echo pushes out a soundstage that’s unmatched at its price point. Alexa is constantly getting smarter and giving you more control over your information as well.

Read our review

The best smart speaker for Apple users

The second-gen HomePod is a great pick for Apple users who don’t already own the previous model, offering lots of smarts and room-filling sound for a good price. The new version updates support for smart home devices, includes new sensors and features, and costs less than the original.

Read our review

The best sounding smart speaker

If sound quality is the be-all and end-all for you, the Sonos One is the Goldilocks of smart speakers. It’s not exorbitantly expensive yet it still packs the critical hardware (two amplifiers, a woofer and a tweeter) to deliver robust sound.

Read our review

The best budget smart speaker

amazon echo dot 5th gen product card cnnu

The latest Amazon Echo Dot improves on our favorite budget smart speaker with better audio, Wi-Fi extension capabilities and a better LED display on the clock model.

Read our review

1-underscored amazon echo fourth gen review

The fourth-gen Echo really embodies all that a smart speaker can and should be. It plays music clearly and richly, gives you easy access to information and can control your smart home devices.

First off, we were really jiving with the futuristic ball shape during our tests of the Echo. Not only does it take up less space in terms of height, but it adds a casually futuristic touch to a shelf or countertop. Our favorite part of the design is that Amazon moved Alexa’s light ring from the top to the bottom, but in use it provides more function: The LEDs reflect off the surface that the device is on, making it easier to see the colors.

The fourth-gen Echo pushes sound out of the front (and front sides) courtesy of two tweeters and a woofer. It represents the largest soundstage we’ve ever heard in a core Echo speaker. And you don’t have to be shy about bumping up the volume; the Echo gets room-filling loud, more so than the Nest Audio and HomePod Mini, though the HomePod Mini delivers more clarity at higher volumes.

Amazon also upped the audio quality across all tones — low, mid, high and bass — by adding in room-reading technology that can auto-mix tracks based on the Echo’s surroundings. It will detect how close it is to walls, for instance, and analyze in real time to make adjustments. (You can still make manual adjustments via an equalizer in the Alexa app.)

The Echo also shone because of Alexa, who’s gotten smarter and quicker; in just six years her response time has nearly doubled. Alexa and the Google Assistant are still pretty much neck and neck (with Siri a bit further behind), but Alexa has especially grown in the realms of handling nuances of the English language and recognizing different voices. For instance, Alexa on the Echo had no trouble detecting whether it was this tester speaking or another household member.

It’s also easy to catch Alexa’s attention, as the fourth-gen Echo boasts six built-in microphones. With modest volume levels, we never had to raise our voice, though we did have to at times with the volume at its maximum.

Alexa isn’t just for random information, either, but can also control the smart home. The fourth-gen Echo contains the core connectivity you need (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), and tosses in Zigbee and Amazon Sidewalk as well — two smart home standards that make it more seamless to connect various devices. Essentially, when you buy a Zigbee smart bulb or plug, you won’t need to purchase a hub also, as the fourth-gen Echo can connect to it and get it set up for use. It makes the fourth-gen Echo a more all-in-one device than most other speakers.

Amazon has also been adding in more control to ensure privacy. Via the Alexa app for Android and iOS, you can wipe your history and adjust settings to make you more comfortable with having Alexa in your home. Plus, you can always mute the microphone to cut her off from listening for the wake word.

At $100, the fourth-gen Echo delivers robust audio performance, provides access to Alexa and can power the smart home in a futuristic build.

At first glance, it’s hard to see much difference between the new HomePod and the first generation version. The new one is a little smaller and has a few design differences, but otherwise looks very similar.

Inside, the second-generation HomePod has fewer drivers than the first-generation model — five on the new one versus seven on the original — and yet it actually improves on the overall sound. The new HomePod has a better balance of bass, treble and midrange tones; the original HomePod was very bass-heavy.

Its design allows for sound to project 360 degrees, and it features room correction software that will adjust the audio to sound best in the space you put it in. In a head-to-head comparison with the original HomePod, the first-generation model sounded muddy and less vibrant. There’s no comparison between the HomePod Mini and the HomePod; the larger speaker sounds much bigger and better.

The second-generation model adds support for Matter, the new smart home standard. That means you can use it as a hub for controlling non-Apple devices and it should be ready for new smart products as they arrive. Matter is open-source and meant to promote interoperability; compatible devices work with Alexa and Google Assistant as well as Siri.

It isn’t for everyone. If you don’t have an iPhone or iPad, or you mainly use Spotify, you’re better off with a Sonos One. And the HomePod isn’t portable, which may limit its appeal to you.

But if those things don’t put you off, the HomePod will make Siri more useful to you and brings better sound to your home.

The Sonos One quickly rose to the top of our testing pool in terms of sound, delivering extraordinary performance in our audio tests. At $199.99, the Sonos One packs a punch bigger than its relatively small size would have you think was possible.

A tweeter, a woofer and two amplifiers are packed inside to power the Sonos One. All three work together with an onboard processor to properly mix a track and deliver a clear listening experience. It also produces the appropriate amount of pop and vibrancy with each track. That way a pop song like “Paper Rings” by Taylor Swift or “Sucker” by the Jonas Brothers can really produce a dynamic mix with strong bass, high vocals and tones across the spectrum. It can also get considerably louder over our top pick, the fourth-gen Echo, without introducing muddiness or crackling. If you want a louder and true stereo experience, you can easily create a stereo pair with an additional Sonos One. Syncing the two speakers is super easy and takes just a few minutes via the Sonos app.

To a degree, it’s the best of both worlds from the HomePod Mini and the fourth-gen Echo. You get a bold and full mix even at full blast. Bass is exceptionally strong, even at higher volumes, and acts as a weight for a track. You’ll notice some shaking on the speaker itself at higher volumes, but it’s minimized thanks to a grip on the bottom of the Sonos One. There’s even a threaded mount on the bottom, and Sonos makes several mounts as well.

You get your pick of an assistant on the Sonos One and can select either Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa as the default voice assistant via the Sonos App. (That app and a Sonos account are required for setup.) And using either of these assistants on the Sonos One is nearly an identical experience to using it on a first-party device from either brand. You can ask questions, control other devices and ask for music. Sadly, the ability to make calls with Alexa or Google Assistant aren’t here, and you can’t drop in on other Echo or Nest devices.

Like other smart speakers, the Sonos One listens for the respective wake word courtesy of four microphones — all of which you do have the ability to mute. This is good news for those with privacy concerns and anyone who doesn’t want the assistants accidentally chiming in. You’ll know the microphone is muted thanks to an orange glow from an LED on top of the device.

The same Android or iOS app used for setup comes into play when linking music services. Sonos One can pull from music saved on your device or a service like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Pandora, iHeartRadio and SiriusXM, among others. (With some, you will need a paid account to enable this integration.) You can conveniently control all of this with the Sonos app, and if you ever choose to expand your Sonos system, it’s all managed through the app as well.

Apple is thrown into the mix, as the Sonos One supports AirPlay 2, which means that from an iOS, iPadOS, macOS or watchOS device you can select the Sonos One and control what’s playing natively. Neither Echo nor Nest speakers offer this, and it’s nice that Sonos is willing to work with all platforms.

We think the Sonos One is the ideal choice if you want an assistant-agnostic smart speaker that focuses on bold and clear audio. You’d be hard-pressed to find better sound at $199.

echo dot with clock 5th gen review cnnu 3

At first glance, the Echo Dot with Clock looks a lot like the fourth-gen model, with fabric covering the top half of the sphere-shaped device, while the bottom is wrapped in matte plastic. There are four slightly raised controls on the top for volume, mute and action — all of which can be used to trigger Alexa — and it comes in muted Charcoal and Glacier White colors.

But look closely and you’ll notice that the LED display on the front now has a brighter, scrolling display so it can show things like the time, the weather, the music you’re listening to and all kinds of helpful information.

The Echo Dot’s also features two new sensors: one for temperature and an accelerometer for using gestures to interact with the speaker. In addition to voice control, you can tap the top of the Dot to do things like play and pause music, and snooze your alarm or a timer. As for the temperature sensor, yes, it tells you the temperature of whatever room it lives in. But it turned out this was more useful than it sounds, particularly if you have Alexa Routines set up in your home. For instance, this sensor can interact with other smart home devices to turn the overhead fan on or off when the room hits a certain temperature.

As for sound performance, the Echo Dot won’t give you the rich, crisp sound of a more expensive piece of audio equipment, but it sounds pretty darn good for a small Bluetooth speaker. The updated fifth-gen model uses a larger driver for clearer vocals and deeper bass.

If you’re in the market for a new smart speaker or you’re using a much older Echo smart home device, the Echo Dot with Clock is an affordable way to add smart functionality and music to any room in the house.

Before deciding on our testing pool, we spent time crafting a testing methodology and rubric for rating smart speakers. Given the players in the space and main use cases of these devices, we focused on three main areas: audio quality, convenience and the smart assistants.

Audio quality was the largest category, both in points and subsections, allowing us to look at an overall mix while also examining tones across the spectrum and the clarity within each. We had a range of test tracks that we played on all speakers at varying volumes and in different spaces.

Core songs used in testing include “Let It Be,” “Hotel California,” “Light On,” “Born to Run,” “Domino,” “I’m on Fire,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “What a Man Gotta Do,” “Ex’s & Oh’s,” “Rosalita,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Dance Tonight,” “Higher Love,” “You Make My Dreams,” “Get Down Tonight,” “Alaska,” “Exile,” “Heroes,” “Ghosts,” “Pink Houses,” “Closer,” “Sweet Thing,” “Shape of You,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Jack of Speed,” “Slow Burn,” “Monkey Man,” “American Girl,” “Sucker,” “Paper Rings” and “House of a Thousand Guitars,” among others.

Convenience was top of mind throughout the testing process as, at the end of the day, a smart speaker should be helpful and not hinder experiences. You want to be able to get the assistant’s attention with relative ease (having the microphones accurately pick up the request and for the processing to be done correctly). We also took a look at privacy on each one and settings that the user could enable or disable.

Convenience also carried over into its smart home capabilities and how these smart speakers can integrate. Do they offer extra connectivity to help get devices online? Can they make minute adjustments on individually connected gadgets? Can we group gadgets together? Do they support out-of-home control? These were just a few of the questions we posed and answered.

In terms of design, we looked at the materials used and how those both fit into the home along with compatible devices. Some opt for a classic speaker look, while devices like the HomePod Mini or 2020 Echo’s embrace the spherical design language. Nest Audio looks like a small pillow — we don’t recommend sleeping on it, though. We looked for the expected controls along with the all-important ability to mute microphones.

After unboxing the smart speakers, we tested the setup and how intuitive it was to complete. Did you need to sign up for an account? How long did it take to set up? We also looked at whether each device had a warranty and, if so, for how long.

Our previous pick for best speaker for Apple users, the Homepod Mini can serve as the centerpiece to your smart home system. It not only has the technology inside give you out-of-home control for door locks, cameras, sensors and countless other gizmos, but Siri is also a lot better at fielding these requests. The HomePod Mini also has great sound; getting loud without muddling audio quality. No snapping, crackling or popping hindered whatever track we chose to play. The only downside: it’s not an option for anyone without an iPhone.

The Echo Studio is the most expensive Echo, but it’s also the best-sounding one thanks to its almost delirious amount of speakers. But a not-so-sleek build, too-steep price and limited support for 3D music kept it from getting a top pick. We feel, for half the price, the fourth-gen Echo is a much better buy.

$299 at Apple

Apple’s $299 HomePod focuses squarely on delivering the best sound possible. It has seven tweeters, a larger woofer and multiple amplifiers that all push out sound, alongside a custom chip to mix it in real time. But it lacks as a smart speaker, with no extra connectivity features and a price that pushes it far from affordability.

$100 at B&H Photo Video

As we noted in our full review, the Nest Audio features a nice design that presents itself with Google DNA front and center. It also delivers deep integration with Google, something Android users will appreciate. Alexa is just a smarter assistant as a whole, and sound quality was lacking with this smart speaker. It delivered on clarity but not in its ability to get loud or fill a room.

$50 at B&H Photo Video

The donut-sized Nest Mini was neck and neck with the Echo Dot — however, sound quality and speed left us wanting more. Audio was clear at lower volumes, but the Nest Mini didn’t achieve loud volumes and, at its maximum volume, it introduced crackling.

Read more from CNN Underscored’s hands-on testing:

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February 15, 2023

Best MacBook in 2023 | CNN Underscored

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If you need a new Apple laptop, it’s a really good time to buy one. The newest MacBooks are faster and longer-lasting than ever, and offer a range of options depending on how much power you need. The MacBook Air M2 is the best laptop for most people, thanks to its blazing speed, slim design and reasonable price, while the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros provide lots of ports, more advanced displays and even more power for creative professionals. And if you’re on a budget, the 2020 MacBook Air is still a great buy today. After testing all of Apple’s current MacBooks, here are our picks for the ones you should buy right now.

The best overall MacBook

The MacBook Air M2 is the ideal MacBook for most people, packing the best performance you can get for the price into a slim, modern design with lots of practical upgrades over the previous generation.

Read our review

The new MacBook Air M2 offers some of the best laptop performance within a slick, practical design for a reasonable price, making it the best overall MacBook for most people.

A bold refresh from the long-standing Air design we last saw in 2020, the latest MacBook Air mixes things up with more uniform edges, larger physical function keys and a more seamless display that lets you see more at once (as long as you’re cool with a notch). It’s basically a miniature version of the excellent 14-inch MacBook Pro chassis, but without the added power and ports that serious creatives might need. It also remains true to its namesake, with a 2.7-pound, 11.3mm thin design that’s a breeze to pick up and take to work.

The MacBook Air’s shaved-down bezels give the display itself a noticeable bump in real estate (13.6 versus 13.3 inches), and images and videos pop a bit more, thanks to the jump from Apple’s Retina to its Liquid Retina technology. And the Magic Keyboard feels as great as it does on any modern MacBook, with enough travel and feedback to keep us typing away comfortably for hours on end.

Old-school Mac fans will be happy to see the return of the MagSafe charger, which attaches and detaches with a quick magnetic snap to make charging a little easier — and prevent your MacBook Air from hitting the ground if someone trips over the charging cable. The MagSafe connection also keeps the Air’s Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports free for accessories, which is good considering you get only two.

The MacBook Air M2 offers a wealth of smaller quality-of-life upgrades over its predecessor, including a sharper 1080p webcam and a richer quad-speaker system. But for many folks, the real selling point will be the performance.

The Apple M2 processor that powers the latest Air delivered some of the best speeds we’ve ever tested on a laptop. On top of handling our usual workload (including video calls, messaging apps and countless Chrome tabs) and some light music production without a hiccup, the MacBook Air M2 toppled virtually all competitors on our benchmarks. Apple’s latest laptop produced the highest single-core result we’ve ever gotten from Geekbench 5, and came very close to the pricier MacBook Pro M2 on the multi-core and graphics tests. It also performed about 16% better than the MacBook Air M1 on general performance tests. The M2 Air can even handle some light gaming, though it ran a bit hot and produced some relatively low frame rates when trying to run demanding titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider at higher settings. Still, when it comes to everyday productivity — and some light creative work — this is a machine you can rely on.

The MacBook Air M2 delivered fairly strong battery life in day-to-day use, often going an entire day before needing a recharge. That said, it drained in a pretty quick five hours and 21 minutes during our more demanding 4K video playback test, falling behind the MacBook Pro M2 by roughly 45 minutes. If you plan on doing anything beyond light web surfing and emailing, you’ll want to keep the charger handy.

The new MacBook Air’s improved design and performance does come at the expense of a higher base price: $1,199, a whole $200 more than the MacBook Air M1. We’d recommend going with the 512GB storage configuration (a 256GB solid-state drive will fill up fast), which bumps the machine up to $1,499. You may also want to consider upgrading to 16GB of memory for serious multitasking and general future-proofing, which would bring the total cost to $1,699. But even with those added expenses, we think the MacBook Air M2 is worth the investment for those upgrading for the first time in a while — or getting their first MacBook.

The best budget MacBook

2020 Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip

If you’re looking to spend less than $1,000 on a MacBook, the older MacBook Air M1 remains a great option. You’ll be sacrificing the newer model’s larger screen, better webcam and useful MagSafe charger, but you’ll still be getting a sleek and powerful laptop that’s faster than virtually anything at this price.

Read our review

The upgrade pick

If you’re a creative professional or a hardcore power user, or you simply feel like splurging on the best that Apple has to offer, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the laptop to get. It’s an especially great upgrade for first-time Pro buyers, or anyone coming from an old Intel model.

Read our review


Display	13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina display	13.3-inch, 2560 x 1600 Retina display	14.2-inch, 3024 x 1964 Liquid Retina XDR display
Processor	Apple M2	Apple M1	Apple M2 Pro / M2 Max
Memory	8GB / 16GB / 24GB	8GB / 16GB	16GB / 32GB / 64GB / 96GB
Storage	256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD	256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD	512GB / 1TB / 2TB / 4TB / 8TB SSD
Camera	1080p FaceTime HD camera	720p FaceTime HD camera	1080p FaceTime HD camera
Ports	Thunderbolt 4 (2), MagSafe charging port, headphone jack	Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (2), headphone jack	Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (3), SDXC card slot, HDMI port, headphone jack, MagSafe charging port
Battery life (rated)	Up to 18 hours	Up to 18 hours	Up to 18 hours
Size and weight	11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches, 2.7 pounds	11.97 x 8.36 x 0.16-0.63 inches, 2.8 pounds	12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches, 3.5 pounds
Color options	Silver, Space Gray, Midnight, Starlight	Silver, Space Gray, Gold	Silver, Space Gray
Price	$1,199	$999	$1,999

Once we had all the models on hand, we began the unboxing process and charging them up to 100%. (Many laptops come with some power out of the box, but very rarely do they ship topped up.)

As with every CNN Underscored review, we rigorously test devices both quantitatively and qualitatively. For laptops, we made the decision to benchmark first to get a standard for quantitative performance. If you’ve read our standalone laptop, tablet or mobile phone reviews, these tests will be familiar.

We performed GeekBench 5 tests. These run the laptops through a series of workflows and application processes, many of which you’d find yourselves (and we found ourselves) completing on a daily basis. We also run the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark, which runs the demanding computer game at 1080p with all settings cranked up to see how well a system can handle gaming and graphically intensive tasks.

Regardless of operating system, we put each laptop through our standard battery test, which involves charging the laptop to 100%, setting brightness to 50% and engaging airplane mode to ensure connectivity is off. We then loop a 4K video file with the sound set to 15% until the battery dies and the machine turns off. These tests are monitored in person as well as via two cameras to ensure accuracy.
The combination of battery and benchmark testing gives us a quantitative feel for the devices and a hard number for each that can be used for comparisons. We then used each laptop as our daily driver for work, play and entertainment tasks, testing the battery to see if it could last through a full day of tasks, watching a movie to get a feel for the display and, of course, running a bunch of different applications.

The MacBook Pro M2 offers some of the fastest performance of any laptop we’ve tested, but its design is frustratingly dated. You still get an older Retina display with thick bezels, a 720p webcam and the Touch Bar, which we don’t find nearly as useful as a good set of physical function keys. Unless you specifically want a machine with an internal fan for especially grueling tasks, the cheaper MacBook Air M2 offers virtually the same level of performance — plus a more modern chassis — for a lower price.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro has everything we love about our upgrade pick in the 14-inch model, just with a larger screen and a few more configuration options for really maxing out the processor. It’s a great choice if those two things matter to you (and if you have the cash to spare), but we think the 14-inch MacBook Pro’s lower starting price and more portable design make it the better pick for most power users.

Now, with the M1 Macs fully available, the performance of these models are a bit dated. If you’re in the market right now, we’d suggest an M1 MacBook Air for most people. That said, if you see a good deal on the Intel 13-inch, it could be worth the plunge.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro from 2019 was previously our video editing and creative laptop of choice, thanks to its strong performance and connectivity options. However, it’s since been phased out by the 2021 16-inch model, which offers far more ports, a more advanced Liquid Retina XDR display and significantly better performance, thanks to your choice of Apple’s M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.

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February 13, 2023

The EarFun Air Pro 3 are the best sub-$80 earbuds I’ve ever used | CNN Underscored

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When you realize exactly what the EarFun Air Pro 3 have to offer, you might think the $80 price tag is a typo. These earbuds come bearing great audio quality, a robust app with tons of customization options and active noise cancellation that rivals sets that cost triple the price. They’re yet another winner from the folks behind our favorite affordable earbuds, and I’m not quite sure how EarFun continues to get away with offering so much for so little.

That said, the Pro 3 aren’t the sleekest buds around, and their affordable price does come with some compromises in regards to build quality and controls. But those were all minor drawbacks to a mostly blissful few weeks of listening to music, catching up on podcasts and making phone calls for hours on end while silencing all of the noise around me. Here’s why I think the EarFun Air Pro 3 are the best $80 earbuds you can buy.

The $80 earbuds to get

If you’re looking to spend less than $80 on your next pair of earbuds — without sacrificing high-end features like ANC and sound customization — the EarFun Air Pro 3 are the ones to get.

Great comfort and impressive sound

I’ve been using the EarFun Air Pro 3 in place of my usual AirPods Pro 2 for several weeks now, and I occasionally forget I even made the switch. That’s how great these buds feel and sound.

The Air Pro 3 feature the same kind of soft silicone tips you’ll find on more expensive rivals from Apple and Samsung. They’ve felt secure and comfy from the moment I first popped them in, and while they’re not quite as lightweight as my AirPods Pro, it was still easy to forget I was wearing them throughout long hours of working, walking and commuting. You even get a total of four swappable eartips (large, medium, small and extra small) — that’s on par with the latest AirPods Pro, and more than the three sets that most big-name earbuds offer.

EarFun’s latest buds also sound fantastic, holding up equally well for my usual mix of loud punk and sad, slow indie rock. I could easily pick out each of boygenius’ three vocalists as their voices swirled together during the emotional “Emily I’m Sorry,” and enjoyed plenty of bouncy bass and crisp guitars when jamming Paramore’s “This Is Why.” There was a noticeable boost in clarity and stereo separation when I went back to my AirPods Pro, but EarFun’s buds come admirably close for something that costs a fraction of their price.

I used the Air Pro 3 for hours’ worth of phone calls, and never got any complaints about the quality of my voice. The recordings I captured with EarFun’s buds did have a bit of fuzz to them, but they were perfectly audible — and not too far behind the AirPods Pro 2 in terms of clarity.

Good active noise cancellation and tons of features

It’s commendable enough that the EarFun Air Pro 3 even have active noise cancellation and ambient sound, two perks that aren’t very common on earbuds that cost less than $80. It’s even more impressive that these features work extremely well.

The Air Pro 3’s active noise cancellation helped keep me focused while at home and immersed in my music on the go, significantly dampening the sounds of construction and chatty subway cars while also quieting my dog’s ever-unnerving licking noises. And when I needed to pay attention to my surroundings, the buds’ ambient sound functionality did a similarly good job keeping me aware of nearby people and cars while out for walks. The Air Pro 3 performed nearly identically to my AirPods Pro 2 when it came to blocking out noise — if anything, EarFun’s buds were a little more suppressive against a noisy bedroom fan. The Pro 3’s ambient noise also held up well to Apple’s Transparency mode, though the sound of the wind became more unpleasantly harsh when it brushed up against EarFun’s buds than it did with the AirPods.

You’ll also get a surprising amount of customization and features for the price, with a full-featured EarFun Audio app for iOS and Android that lets you tweak everything from the sound to the controls. On top of giving you an easy way to glance at your buds’ battery life and switch between noise control modes, the app offers a full equalizer where you can activate pre-set profiles (like Bass Boost and Treble Reducer) or create and save your own. I personally prefer how the Air Pro 3 sound out of the box, but the various presets did have a noticeable effect, and are a nice extra for folks who like to tinker — something you can’t do on Apple’s earbuds.

I was shocked to discover that the Air Pro 3’s controls are fully customizable, a feature you won’t find on some buds that cost twice as much. I didn’t love that the earbuds required me to double-tap to pause my music by default, but the app made it easy for me to switch to a much more convenient single tap. You can create custom commands for single, double, triple taps and even long-presses, allowing you to assign out functions like skipping tracks and summoning your virtual assistant however you like. While I definitely miss the more tactile pinch controls and handy volume slider on my AirPods Pro 2, I found the Air Pro 3’s controls to be mostly reliable once I configured them the way I liked (more on that later).

There’s a Game Mode that’s designed to reduce audio latency while you’re gaming, which feels like a gimmick you can probably ignore. I didn’t notice a real change when playing Vampire Survivors with and without the feature on, though it’s possible that serious Call of Duty or PUBG players may benefit from the purported boost. I was a bit amused that the Product Tutorial button takes you to a Google Doc of the instruction manual rather than providing tips directly within the app, but I still appreciate that there’s quick access to help.

The Air Pro 3 can even stay connected to two devices at once, something that made it easy to go from watching a YouTube video on my laptop to playing a song on my phone without any annoying re-pairing. This kind of multi-point connectivity isn’t very common on cheap earbuds, and while Apple has its own instant-switching technology when using your AirPods across iPhones, iPads and Macs, they technically can only be paired to one device at a time.

Long battery life and wireless charging

I’ve always found EarFun’s buds to be some of the longest lasting around — at any price range — and that continues to be the case with the Air Pro 3. I typically enjoyed three to four straight days of heavy use before even getting a low battery warning, something that’s consistent with the earbuds’ rating of nine hours from the buds alone and 45 total hours with the charging case. That’s a big leap from the AirPods Pro 2’s rating (6 hours from the buds, 30 from the case), and lines up with my testing; I typically have to recharge my AirPods as frequently as every two to three days.

And unlike many affordable earbuds (and even some expensive ones), the EarFun Air Pro 3’s case supports wireless charging. That gives them a big advantage over the similarly priced Jabra Elite 3 and Pixel Buds A, and the second-gen AirPods that go for a much pricier $129.

While the EarFun Air Pro 3 punch well above their weight in terms of sound quality and features, they still look and feel like a pair of budget earbuds. I found the Pro 3’s thick, long stems to stick out quite a bit, and while they may be smaller and sleeker than last year’s Air Pro 2, I found myself yearning for the more low-profile look of my AirPods Pro and Jabra Elite 3.

The same goes for the bulky charging case, which feels flimsy, takes up more pocket space than most of my other earbuds, and accumulated quite a few scuffs and scratches after a few days on the road. This level of build quality is common among the budget buds I’ve tested, but it is worth noting that the Air Pro 3’s excellent, affordable audio comes at the expense of its aesthetics.

While I commend how robust and customizable the Air Pro 3’s touch controls are, they aren’t as consistent as I’d like. EarFun’s buds generally responded well to my various taps, double-taps and long presses, but there were times when they were overly sensitive, leading me to skip a song that I simply meant to pause. I also noticed a slight delay between tapping the buds and getting a response from them. It’s far from a dealbreaker (especially at this price), but the similarly cheap Jabra Elite 3 have much more reliable physical buttons, and the base AirPods are more accurate when it comes to responding to touch.

Also, it’s a small nitpick, but I hate that the Air Pro 3 don’t automatically pause my music when I take them out of my ears (it won’t happen until they’re closed in the case). This is something that the AirPods and most modern earbuds are smart enough to do these days, and led to multiple instances of music and podcasts continuing to play when I didn’t want them to.


Active noise cancellation	Yes	No	Yes
Ambient sound	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life (rated)	9 hours (earbuds), 45 hours (with case)	7 hours (earbuds), 28 hours (with case)	6 hours (earbuds), 30 hours (with case)
Wireless charging	Yes	No	Yes
Water resistance	IPX5	IP55	IPX4 (earbuds and case)
Ear tip sizes	XS, S, M, L	S, M, L	XS, S, M, L
Software support	iOS, Android	iOS, Android	iOS
Colors	Black	Lilac, Gray, Light Beige, Navy Blue	White
Weight	0.18 ounces	0.16 ounces	0.19 ounces
Price	$72	$80	$200

The EarFun Air Pro 3 are the best low-cost earbuds I’ve ever used. They sound great, offer active noise cancellation that rivals the AirPods Pro and deliver a staggering amount of features — some of which you won’t even find on much more expensive models. If you’re looking to spend no more than $80 on your next wireless earbuds, the Air Pro 3 are the ones to get.

That said, there are some worthy alternatives to consider in this price range. The $80 Jabra Elite 3 have a much sleeker design and more reliable physical controls, but you’ll be sacrificing active noise cancellation for those perks. And if your budget is firmly under $50, the standard EarFun Air remain our overall best budget earbuds pick. Apple aficionados will have a smoother experience with the oft-discounted AirPods 2nd Gen, but again, you’ll be giving up noise cancellation as well as tons of customizability. The fact that the Air Pro 3 comfortably replaced my AirPods Pro 2 for weeks speaks volumes, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better overall value than what EarFun is offering here.

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February 13, 2023

The AirPods Pro 2 just hit their lowest price ever today | CNN Underscored

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Apple’s newest AirPods Pro 2 are now at their lowest price ever. A boon for those who chose to wait before pulling the trigger on these second-generation AirPods Pro, you can now grab a pair for $199, which is a nice sized savings from the original $250.

The best Apple earbuds

With the best noise cancellation and sound quality of any if the previous Apple earbuds, they are now at their all-time lowest price.

The AirPods Pro 2 come with Apple’s upgraded H2 chip, which doubles the earbud’s noise cancellation, and also offers personalized Spatial Audio and new touch controls. We also love that the new case makes it tougher to misplace, with a built-in lanyard loop and FInd My capabilities.

No, this isn’t a must-have for those with the original AirPods Pro, but these headphones are certainly a nice upgrade. So if you’re still not sure about snagging this deal, read up one whether they’re the right pair for you.

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February 11, 2023

Our favorite headphones are worth the splurge — and they’re on sale right now | CNN Underscored

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The Sony WH-1000XM5 are the best over-ear headphones you can buy, with a slimmer design than their predecessors and refined noise-canceling microphones. But this best-in-class noise cancellation and superb audio doesn’t come cheap — the Sony WH-1000XM5 regularly go for a pricey $400.

Right now, however, these high-end headphones are on sale matching the lowest price we’ve seen at Amazon. We’ve only seen a single lower price, which required a limited-time discount code.

Sony’s latest flagship wireless headphones bring some notable refinements to noise cancellation, call quality and charging speed, all packed into a sleeker frame that’s a joy to wear for days on end. You’ll also get stellar battery life, with enough juice to endure a weekend trip or multiple days in the office on a single charge.

Our favorite over-ear headphones offer a slimmer design than their predecessors, impressive battery life and refined noise-canceling microphones. Right now save $50 on these headphones at Amazon.

Read our review

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February 9, 2023

The AirPods Pro 2 just hit their lowest price ever today | CNN Underscored

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Apple’s newest AirPods Pro 2 are now at their lowest price ever. A boon for those who chose to wait before pulling the trigger on these second-generation AirPods Pro, you can now grab a pair for $199, which is a nice sized savings from the original $250.

The best Apple earbuds

With the best noise cancellation and sound quality of any if the previous Apple earbuds, they are now at their all-time lowest price.

The AirPods Pro 2 come with Apple’s upgraded H2 chip, which doubles the earbud’s noise cancellation, and also offers personalized Spatial Audio and new touch controls. We also love that the new case makes it tougher to misplace, with a built-in lanyard loop and FInd My capabilities.

No, this isn’t a must-have for those with the original AirPods Pro, but these headphones are certainly a nice upgrade. So if you’re still not sure about snagging this deal, read up one whether they’re the right pair for you.

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February 7, 2023

Get ready for the big game with these great deals on TVs, soundbars and projectors | CNN Underscored

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The big game is upon us, and whether you’re a die-hard NFL fan or just want to see Rihanna tear it up on the big screen, having the right entertainment setup is key. Fortunately, tons of top TVs, soundbars and projectors are on sale right now, and we’ve sifted through the savings to find the deals that are actually worth getting before the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 12.

Whether you’re looking for an upgrade to your entertainment room with an immersive 4K display, a projector for catching the game on the road or a soundbar to add some extra oomph to every touchdown, here are our picks for saving some cash — which you can put towards those ever-important tailgate essentials.

If you just need something cheap for catching the game in a pinch (or are having lots of guests and want to extend the action to a second room), this well-liked Vizio model will do the trick for just under $100. You’ll get a dependable 720p screen and all of the built-in streaming apps necessary for catching the big game live.

The TCL 6-Series is our overall best TV pick, offering excellent picture quality and built-in Roku software that makes it easy to stream your favorite content — sports included — right out of the box. It’s currently $100 off in both 55-inch and 65-inch variations.

The LG C2 is one of our favorite TVs thanks to its amazing picture quality and useful smart interface, and you can currently get a range of models, starting at 42 inches, for some of their lowest prices yet.

Read our review

The Fire TV Omni QLED really impressed us with its ability to double as a smart hub for your entire home. If you want to easily adjust the lighting for game day and check your video doorbell for party guests all from your TV (while enjoying some pretty good picture quality), this set can be had for a lowest-ever price right now.

Read our review

We love Samsung’s The Frame for its ability to double as a gorgeous digital art display when you’re not watching TV on it. If you want a TV that can blend into your living room once the big game is over, this is a great pick — especially since the 65-inch, 75-inch and 85-inch models are all deeply discounted right now.

Read our review

We found the Samsung QN90B to be a great, extra-bright smart TV that’s especially ideal for rooms that get flooded with sunlight. If you don’t want those early hours of the game to get drowned out by glare, you can get this excellent all-around set at a great discount in sizes ranging from 43 to 85 inches.

Read our review

This newer variation of our splurge pick for best TV is available at its lowest price yet in both 55-inch and 65-inch variations.

If your built-in TV speakers just aren’t cutting it for football — and let’s be real, most don’t — Bose’s entry-level soundbar will provide a nice boost for a low price. It offers a simple one-cable setup, Bluetooth support for rocking out to your favorite tunes before and after the game and a handy dialogue mode for stats nerds who want to hear the commentary as clearly as possible. And if you find yourself needing more in the low end, you can upgrade it with Bose’s Bass Module 500 down the line.

The beloved Bose Smart Soundbar 900 has all the smarts you need for the ultimate pigskin party, including Dolby Atmos support, Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility for hands-free control, and the ability to connect to other Bose smart speakers to fill your entire home with the sounds of the big game. It’s currently $200 off, which is the lowest price we’ve seen yet on this popular pick.

This popular Samsung soundbar offers Dolby Atmos support and an included subwoofer for that big bass, and can be had for more than 50% off right now.

We found the Nebula Solar to offer good picture quality within a wireless, travel-friendly design for a great price, which you can enjoy for $80 off after applying the coupon at checkout. If you plan on catching the game while on the go — or just want to extend the action to another room — this is a great pick.

Read our review

We’re big fans of XGIMI’s higher-end Horizon Pro 4K projector, and this more attainable model gets you rich 1080p video playback and detailed Harman-Kardon audio for a lowest-ever $899. And if you do want to splurge for the 4K model, you can currently get it for a whopping $840 off after applying a coupon at checkout.

We love the Echo Dot for its compact design and wealth of useful Alexa skills, which will let you check the score of the game or order last-minute snacks with just your voice. We’ve seen it drop to even lower prices, but $40 for this robust smart speaker is still a steal.

Read our review

If you have tons of guests coming on game day, a video doorbell is a great way to make sure no one sneaks in uninvited. Ring’s Video Doorbell Pro 2 is our best video doorbell pick and is on sale for close to its lowest price, though you can also save big on nearly all of the company’s top models.

Read our review

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February 6, 2023

Don’t miss this deal on a colorful keyboard we love | CNN Underscored

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Add a pop of color to your desk with the Logitech Pop Keys, now $20 off in three colors at Amazon. These colorful keyboards are more than just novelty — our reviewer found that they deliver satisfying typing, useful emoji keys and multi-device support for an all-around great experience.

Don’t be fooled by the whimsical design — this colorful keyboard delivers on a top-notch typing experience and convenient connectivity. Get the Logitech Pop Keys for $20 off in three colors right now.

Read our review

Whether you’re streamlining your WFH setup or just upgrading in the new year, this keyboard is all the motivation you’ll need to get started working. Plus, you can get a matching mouse (also on sale right now in a few colors) and desk pad for an all-around enviable aesthetic. Save $20 on three colors of the keyboard right now and clack-clack-clack your little heart out.

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February 6, 2023

Apple’s new HomePod is cheaper and better than before | CNN Underscored

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Once upon a time, Apple made a pretty great wireless smart speaker called the HomePod. A midsize speaker that plugged into the wall, it delivered better sound than most smart speakers and looked more elegant, too.

Then Apple decided to stop making the HomePod and focused on the HomePod Mini, its smaller sibling. And now, for whatever reason, the company has decided to make the midsize HomePod again. It’s a welcome reversal.

The new HomePod looks a lot like the old one. It does a few new things. And — shockingly — it costs $50 less. Should you get one? That depends on how into the Apple ecosystem you are. If you don’t own an iPhone or iPad, don’t bother. For everyone else, here’s what we think after nearly a week of testing Apple’s new smart speaker.

A better Siri speaker

The second-gen HomePod is a great pick for Apple users who don’t already own the previous model, offering lots of smarts and room-filling sound for a good price. The new version updates support for smart home devices, includes new sensors and features, and costs less than the original.

At first glance, it’s hard to see much difference between the new HomePod and the one Apple discontinued in 2021. The new one is a little smaller and has a few design differences, but otherwise looks very similar.

Inside, the second-generation HomePod has fewer drivers than the first-generation model — five on the new one versus seven on the original — and yet it actually improves on the overall sound. The new HomePod has a better balance of bass, treble and midrange tones; the original HomePod was very bass-heavy.

That makes for a pleasing listening experience. The bossa nova rhythms on Steve Lacy’s “Mercury” were resonant but didn’t overwhelm the vocals; when listening to Jon Batiste’s “Freedom,” the bass thumped powerfully, while the horns were warm and realistic.

Its design allows for sound to project 360 degrees, and it features room correction software that will adjust the audio to sound best in the space you put it in.

In a head-to-head comparison with the original HomePod, the first-generation model sounded muddy and less vibrant. There’s no comparison between the HomePod Mini and the HomePod; the larger speaker sounds much bigger and better.

The second-generation model adds support for Matter, the new smart home standard. That means you can use it as a hub for controlling non-Apple devices and it should be ready for new smart products as they arrive. Matter is open-source and meant to promote interoperability; compatible devices work with Alexa and Google Assistant as well as Siri. I was able to use Siri to turn on an Eve Energy smart plug that uses the Thread standard, which will be upgraded to support Matter.

The speaker also includes temperature and humidity sensors, which can be used to trigger actions based on conditions in your house, such as adjusting a smart thermostat.

And, if you double down on your HomePod purchase, you can create a left-right stereo pair. The sound improvement is significant when you use two speakers — it creates a very wide sound, and, if you’re listening to audio mixed for Dolby Atmos, makes the music feel like it’s all around you. (Unfortunately, you can’t create a stereo pair with a first-generation and second-generation speaker.)

One more small change: The power cord is detachable — something that neither the original HomePod or HomePod Mini offered.

In a very un-2023 move, the HomePod’s price dropped from $349 to $299. A big criticism of the original HomePod was its price. While $299 isn’t cheap, it makes it more competitive with options such as the $219 Sonos One.

I found that I liked the HomePod’s overall sound better than the Sonos One, as well as the Sonos Move, an excellent-sounding speaker that costs $399. The Move has the advantage of being portable, though.

You need an iPhone or iPad to set up the HomePod — there’s no way around that requirement. And to get software updates, you need to use the Home app. The Home app is also where you can adjust Siri’s settings on the HomePod, set up automations and create a stereo pair with another second-generation HomePod. So if you don’t own an iPhone or iPad, skip the HomePod.

The only way to connect to the HomePod is over Wi-Fi. There’s no Bluetooth option and it lacks an auxiliary input. An auxiliary input would be especially welcome when using two HomePods as a stereo pair; that setup begs to have a turntable connected to it.

The good thing about using Wi-Fi is that the audio quality is higher than you’d get over Bluetooth, but more input options would increase the usefulness of the speaker.

You also can’t do much to adjust the sound. While it has room correction software, it doesn’t have an EQ. The only option you have is to reduce bass (you’ll find this in the Home app).

Siri works just fine most of the time for typical smart speaker commands like asking it to play songs, adjust the volume or set a timer. But it did struggle sometimes to act on my requests, and it doesn’t quite have the range of Alexa or Google Assistant. For example, you can get Siri to play music from some services other than Apple Music, such as Pandora and Deezer, but Spotify isn’t one of them. (Siri can control Spotify on the iPhone, but Spotify hasn’t enabled that feature on the HomePod.)


Size and weight	6.6 x 5.6 inches, 5.16 pounds	3.9 x 3.3 inches, 0.76 pounds	6.36 x 4.9 inches, 4.08 pounds
Drivers	Five tweeters, 4-inch woofer	Dual radiators, full-ranger driver	Two digital amplifiers, one tweeter, one midwoofer
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, AirPlay	Wi-Fi, AirPlay	Wi-Fi, AirPlay
Colors	White, Midnight	Space Gray, blue, white, yellow, orange	White, black
Smart assistant options	Siri	Siri	Alexa, Google Assistant, Sonos Voice Control
Price	$299	$99	$219

As a satisfied owner of the first-generation HomePod, I didn’t see anything in the specs or appearance of the new one that would make me want to upgrade. But the second-generation HomePod makes a strong case. It sounds better, has more features and costs less than the original.

It isn’t for everyone. If you don’t have an iPhone or iPad, or you mainly use Spotify, you’re better off with a Sonos One or Move. And the HomePod isn’t portable, which may limit its appeal to you.

But if those things don’t put you off, the HomePod will make Siri more useful to you and brings better sound to your home. Which makes you wonder why Apple stopped making it in the first place — a decision I’m glad it corrected.

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February 3, 2023

Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360: Hands-on and how to preorder | CNN Underscored

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Samsung might be best known for its Galaxy phones, but the company’s laptops are no slouches either. The Galaxy Book series has consistently impressed us with its range of slim, attractive and versatile designs, so it’s no surprise that Samsung isn’t reinventing the wheel for the Galaxy Book 3 range — though it is bringing a powerful new member to the family.

This year’s lineup consists of the Galaxy Book 3 Pro, the convertible Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 and the debuting Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, the latter of which features the highest-end Intel and Nvidia chipsets for serious productivity and immersive PC gaming.

That all sounds promising, but with starting prices ranging from $1,450 for the Pro to a whopping $2,400 for the Ultra, these premium PCs don’t come cheap. Wondering if they’re worth the preorder? We’ll have to properly test Samsung’s latest notebooks to see how they stack up to the best laptops, but here’s what we think after some early hands-on time.

Galaxy Book 3 price and preorders

The starting member of the new lineup, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro is available in 14-inch and 16-inch variations in Graphite and Beige.

If you want a 2-in-1 Windows convertible that can double as a big tablet, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 is available now in Graphite and Beige.

Designed for power users, content creators and gamers, the top-of-the-line 16-inch Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is available now in Graphite.

All three Galaxy Book 3 models are available for preorder now, and will ship on Feb. 17.

The Galaxy Book 3 Pro starts at $1,450, and will be available in Graphite and Beige in both 14-inch and 16-inch variations. The 16-inch Book 3 Pro 360 starts at $1,900 in the same colors, while the 16-inch Book 3 Ultra will run you at least $2,400 and comes only in Graphite.

Slim looks, big power and cross-device functionality

Mike Andronico/CNN

I spent the majority of my hands-on time with the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, a mouthful of a laptop that improves on the Book 2 Pro 360 we really dug last year (seriously, Samsung needs to streamline these names). Its slim frame looked very slick in beige (which appeared more like gold in person), and felt impressively lightweight for a 16-inch laptop — something that especially stood out when I picked it up and folded it into a tablet.

The notebook’s 16-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen looked bright and colorful in my limited testing time, and its smooth 120Hz refresh rate made swiping my way through webpages — and taking notes with the included S Pen — feel great. Packing a vivid 2880 x 1800 display, the Book 3 Pro 360’s panel is both sharper and taller than the previous generation, adopting a 16:10 screen ratio that seems to be the new standard for many 2023 machines.

Mike Andronico/CNN

I appreciate that the Book 3 Pro 360 has a healthy port selection, and is one of the few laptops to still include a USB-A connection — something particularly handy if you use lots of older accessories. You’ll also get the typical duo of USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports as well as an HDMI port and microSD card slot. The 360’s keyboard was responsive but a bit shallow for my liking; I had a much better time typing on the standard Pro and Ultra. Also, while I love that this laptop includes a stylus — something rare for a 2-in-1 — I’m disappointed that there’s nowhere to neatly store it within the notebook itself (the S Pen can attach magnetically to the laptop, but that’s less ideal than having a secure place to slot it).

The Pro 360 I tested was synced up with a Galaxy Tab S8, which allowed me to try out Multi Control (which lets you control multiple devices from your laptop’s keyboard and touchpad) as well as Second Screen (which turns your tablet into an additional monitor). Moving between the laptop and tablet from a single trackpad mostly felt intuitive, though I did notice a bit of lag on the latter. This feature is available on the entire previous and current generation of Galaxy Books, and seems like a nice perk for folks who primarily use Samsung devices.

Mike Andronico/CNN

I didn’t spend quite as much time with the Book 3 Pro and Book 3 Ultra, but the latter has me especially intrigued. Samsung’s highest-end laptop comes loaded with up to a 13th Gen Intel Core i9 processor as well as Nvidia’s new RTX 40-series graphics, which should make it a beast for tearing through everyday workloads as well as intensive photo and video edits. That powerful Nvidia GPU, which I got to see in action on other notebooks earlier this year, could make the Book 3 Ultra the perfect unassuming gaming laptop — one that you can sneak into the office or coffee shop without raising an eyebrow. The Ultra’s rich AMOLED screen looked impressive at a quick glance, and its keyboard was satisfyingly bouncy. Samsung is calling this the “fastest Galaxy Book to date,” which is a claim we’re eager to put to the test on our benchmarks.


Display	14-inch or 16-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2880 x 1800 display at 120Hz	16-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2880 x 1800 display at 120Hz	16-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2880 x 1800 display at 120Hz
Processor	13th Gen Intel Core i5 or Core i7	13th Gen Intel Core i5 or Core i7	13th Gen Intel Core i7 or Core i9
Graphics	Intel Iris X Graphics	Intel Iris X Graphics	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 or 4070
Memory	8GB / 16GB / 32GB	8GB / 16GB / 32GB	16GB / 32GB
Storage	256GB / 512GB / 1TB	256GB / 512GB / 1TB	512GB / 1TB
Ports	Thunderbolt 4 (2), USB Type-A (1), HDMI 1.4, microSD, headphone jack	Thunderbolt 4 (2), USB Type-A (1), HDMI 1.4, microSD, headphone jack, nano SIM (optional)	Thunderbolt 4 (2), USB Type-A (1), HDMI 2.0, microSD, headphone jack
Size and weight	12.3 x 8.8 x 0.44 inches, 2.58 pounds (14-inch); 14 x 9.85 x 0.5 inches, 3.4 pounds (16-inch)	13.2 x 9.9 x 0.5 inches, 3.7 pounds	14 x 9.85 x 0.64 inches, 3.9 pounds
Colors	Graphite, Beige	Graphite, Beige	Graphite
Price	From $1,450	From $1,900	From $2,400

The Galaxy Book 3 Pro, Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 and Galaxy Book 3 Ultra are looking like a compelling trio of laptops aimed at a very specific user — one who’s already deep in the Samsung ecosystem and doesn’t mind paying a premium for great looks and performance.

The Book 3 Pro 360 is shaping up to be a worthy follow-up to one of our favorite notebooks from last year, and could be the way to go for folks who want a powerful laptop that can also double as a tablet for drawing and taking notes. Meanwhile, the Ultra is one of the sleekest laptops we’ve seen that offers as much power as it does — and could prove to be a legitimate gaming laptop alternative for folks who want something less conspicuous. We’ll be putting the latest Galaxy Books through their full paces soon, so stay tuned for more.

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February 2, 2023

Apple’s new HomePod is cheaper and better than before | CNN Underscored

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Once upon a time, Apple made a pretty great wireless smart speaker called the HomePod. A midsized speaker that plugged into the wall, it delivered better sound than most smart speakers and looked more elegant, too.

Then Apple decided to stop making the HomePod and focused on the HomePod Mini, its smaller sibling. And now, for whatever reason, the company has decided to make the mid-sized HomePod again. It’s a welcome reversal.

The new HomePod looks a lot like the old one. It does a few new things. And — shockingly — it costs $50 less. Should you get one? That depends on how into the Apple ecosystem you are. If you don’t own an iPhone or iPad, don’t bother. For everyone else, here’s what we think after nearly a week of testing Apple’s new smart speaker.

A better Siri speaker

The second-gen HomePod is a great pick for Apple users who don’t already own the previous model, offering lots of smarts and room-filling sound for a good price. The new version updates its support for smart home devices, includes new sensors and features, and — at $299 — costs less than the original.

At first glance, it’s hard to see much difference between the new HomePod and the one Apple discontinued in 2021. The new one is a little smaller and has a few design differences, but otherwise looks very similar.

Inside, the second generation HomePod has fewer drivers than the first generation model — five on the new one versus seven on the original — and yet it actually improves on the overall sound. The new HomePod has a better balance of bass, treble and midrange tones; the original HomePod was very bass heavy.

That makes for a pleasing listening experience. The bossa nova rhythms on Steve Lacy’s “Mercury” were resonant but didn’t overwhelm the vocals; when listening to Jon Batiste’s “Freedom,” the bass thumped powerfully, while the horns were warm and realistic.

Its design allows for sound to project 360 degrees, and it features room correction software that will adjust the audio to sound best in the space you put it in.

In head-to-head comparison with the original HomePod, the first-generation model sounded muddy and less vibrant. There’s no comparison between the HomePod Mini and the HomePod; the larger speaker sounds much bigger and better.

Michael Gowan/CNN

The second-generation model adds support for Matter, the new smart home standard. That means you can use it as a hub for controlling non-Apple devices and it should be ready for new smart products as they arrive. Matter is open source and meant to promote interoperability; compatible devices work with Alexa and Google Assistant as well as Siri. I was able to use Siri to turn on an Eve Energy smart plug that uses the Thread standard, which will be upgraded to support Matter.

The speaker also includes temperature and humidity sensors, which can be used to trigger actions based on conditions in your house, such as adjusting a smart thermostat.

And, if you double down on your HomePod purchase, you can create a left-right stereo pair. The sound improvement is significant when you use two speakers — it creates a very wide sound, and, if you’re listening to audio mixed for Dolby Atmos, makes the music feel like it’s all around you. (Unfortunately, you can’t create a stereo pair with a first-generation and second-generation speaker.)

One more small change: the power cord is detachable — something that neither the original HomePod or HomePod Mini offered.

Michael Gowan/CNN

In a very un-2023 move, the HomePod’s price dropped from $349 to $299. A big criticism of the original HomePod was its price. While $299 isn’t cheap, it makes it more competitive with options such as the $219 Sonos One.

I found that I liked the HomePod’s overall sound better than the Sonos One, as well as the Sonos Move, an excellent-sounding speaker that costs $399. The Move has the advantage of being portable, though.

Michael Gowan/CNN

You need an iPhone or iPad to set up the HomePod — there’s no way around that requirement. And to get software updates, you need to use the Home app. The Home app is also where you can adjust Siri’s settings on the HomePod, set up automations, and create a stereo pair with another second-generation HomePod. So if you don’t own an iPhone or iPad, skip the HomePod.

Michael Gowan/CNN

The only way to connect to the HomePod is over Wi-Fi. There’s no Bluetooth option and it lacks an auxiliary input. An auxiliary input would be especially welcome when using two HomePods as a stereo pair; that setup begs to have a turntable connected to it.

The good thing about using Wi-Fii is that the audio quality is higher than you’d get over Bluetooth, but more input options would increase the usefulness of the speaker.

You also can’t do much to adjust the sound. While it has room correction software, it doesn’t have an EQ. The only option you have is to reduce bass (you’ll find this in the Home app).

Michael Gowan/CNN

Siri works just fine most of the time for typical smart speaker commands: asking it to play songs, adjust the volume or set a timer. But it did struggle sometimes to act on my request, and it doesn’t quite have the range of Alexa or Google Assistant. For example, you can get Siri to play music from some services other than Apple Music, such as Pandora and Deezer, but Spotify isn’t one of them (Siri can control Spotify on the iPhone, but Spotify hasn’t enabled that feature on the HomePod).


Size and weight	6.6 x 5.6 inches, 5.16 pounds	3.9 x 3.3 inches, 0.76 pounds	6.36 x 4.9 inches, 4.08 pounds
Drivers	Five tweeters, 4-inch woofer	Dual radiators, full-ranger driver	Two digital amplifiers, one tweeter, one midwoofer
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, AirPlay	Wi-Fi, AirPlay	Wi-Fi, AirPlay
Colors	White, Midnight	Space Gray, Blue, White, Yellow, Orange	White, Black
Smart assistant options	Siri	Siri	Alexa, Google Assistant, Sonos Voice Control
Price	$299	$99	$219

As a satisfied owner of the first-generation HomePod, I didn’t see anything in the specs or appearance of the new one that would make me want to upgrade. But the second-generation HomePod makes a strong case. It sounds better, has more features and costs less than the original.

It isn’t for everyone. If you don’t have an iPhone or iPad, or you mainly use Spotify, you’re better off with a Sonos One or Move. And the HomePod isn’t portable, which may limit its appeal to you.

But if those things don’t put you off, the HomePod will make Siri more useful to you and brings better sound to your home. Which makes you wonder why Apple stopped making it in the first place — a decision I’m glad it corrected.

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February 1, 2023

Get ready for the big game with these great deals on TVs, soundbars and projectors | CNN Underscored

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The big game is upon us, and whether you’re a die-hard NFL fan or just want to see Rihanna tear it up on the big screen, having the right entertainment setup is key. Fortunately, tons of top TVs, soundbars and projectors are on sale right now, and we’ve sifted through the savings to find the deals that are actually worth getting before the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 12.

Whether you’re looking to upgrade your entertainment room with an immersive 4K display, need a projector for catching the game on the road or just want a soundbar to add some extra oomph to every touchdown, here are our picks for saving some cash — which you can put towards those ever-important tailgate essentials.

If you just need something cheap for catching the game in a pinch (or are having lots of guests and want to extend the action to a second room), this popular and well-liked Vizio model will do the trick for just under $100. You’ll get a dependable 720p screen and all of the built-in streaming apps necessary for catching the big game live.

The TCL 6-Series is our overall best TV pick, offering excellent picture quality and built-in Roku software that makes it easy to stream your favorite content — sports included — right out of the box. It’s currently $100 off in both 55-inch and 65-inch variations.

The LG C2 is one of our favorite TVs thanks to its amazing picture quality and useful smart interface, and you can currently get a range of models starting at 42 inches for some of their lowest prices yet.

Read our review

We love Samsung’s The Frame for its ability to double as a gorgeous digital art display when you’re not watching TV on it. If you want a TV that can blend into your living room once the big game is over, this is a great pick — especially since the 65-inch, 75-inch and 85-inch models are all deeply discounted right now.

Read our review

We found the Samsung QN90B to be a great, extra-bright smart TV that’s especially ideal for rooms that get flooded with sunlight. If you don’t want those early hours of the game to get drowned out by glare, you can get this excellent all-around set at a great discount in sizes ranging from 43 to 85 inches.

Read our review

If your built-in TV speakers just aren’t cutting it for football — and let’s be real, most don’t — Bose’s entry-level soundbar will provide a nice boost for a low price. It offers a simple one-cable setup, Bluetooth support for rocking out to your favorite tunes before and after the game and a handy dialogue mode for stats nerds who want to hear the commentary as clearly as possible. And if you find yourself needing more low-end, you can upgrade it with Bose’s Bass Module 500 down the line.

The beloved Bose Smart Soundbar 900 has all the smarts you need for the ultimate pigskin party, including Dolby Atmos support, Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility for hands-free control and the ability to connect to other Bose smart speakers to fill your entire home with the sounds of the big game. It’s currently $200 off, which is the lowest price we’ve seen yet on this popular pick.

We found the Nebula Solar to offer good picture quality within a wireless, travel-friendly design for a great price, which you can enjoy for $80 off after applying the coupon at checkout. If you plan on catching the game while on the go — or just want to extend the action to another room — this is a great pick.

Read our review

We’re big fans of XGIMI’s higher end Horizon Pro 4K projector, and this more attainable model gets you rich 1080p video playback and detailed Harman-Kardon audio for a lowest-ever $899. And if you do want to splurge for the 4K model, you can currently get it for a whopping $840 off after applying a coupon at checkout.

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January 31, 2023

10 great Steam Deck accessories to boost your portable gaming experience | CNN Underscored

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Valve

Valve’s Steam Deck handheld has slowly become a full-fledged portable gaming PC ever since it first hit shelves last year. I got mine roughly two months ago and it’s completely changed how I view gaming. But as is often the case for gadgets we grow to love, accessories round out the experience and increase the utility of the device.

For instance, the Steam Deck’s battery life isn’t great (it’s OK to admit it), so having multiple charging and power options is a must. And since we’re dealing with PC games, storage is at a premium, no matter which model of Steam Deck you own. Below you’ll find some Steam Deck accessories that will take your gaming experience to the next level.

It took a while after the launch of the Steam Deck for Valve to release an official dock for connecting your Steam Deck to a TV or computer monitor, but the official Docking Station has everything you’d need. As far as connections go, there’s a DisplayPort 1.4 port, an HDMI 2.0 port, power connection, a Gigabit Ethernet port and three USB 3.1 ports for connecting other devices like a keyboard and mouse.

Don’t want to buy the official dock? The 6-in-1 docking station from JSAUX is highly rated, looks great and has all of the essential connections. More specifically, there’s an HDMI 2.0 port, three USB 3.0 ports, a USB-C port for power and an Ethernet connection. There’s a 90-degree connector on the cable that goes between the dock and the Steam Deck (also present on the official dock), which is a small but appreciated touch and is nice to see in a less expensive alternative. You will need to provide your own power source; anything that provides 45W of power will work. The 6-in-1 dock isn’t the only one JSAUX has in its lineup, with models ranging from $30 up to $110.

The most glaring issue with the Steam Deck is its battery life. I routinely get around two hours of playing time in games like Uncharted 4 or God of War, which isn’t very good. That’s led me to strategically place 45W wall adapters around my home, allowing me to play for extended amounts of time. Anker’s 713 USB-C wall adapter puts out the full 45W charging speed of the Steam Deck. My favorite part? The prongs collapse into the body of the charger to make it easier to toss in your bag when on the go.

Having a fast USB-C wall charger doesn’t do you much good without a USB-C cable that’s long and fast enough to keep up. I picked up a pair of these Ugreen USB-C cables that are 10 feet long and will work with chargers that provide up to 100W of power. The cables don’t feel cheap at all, and thanks to the fabric exterior they shouldn’t crack and fray as easily as rubber-coated cables.

A wall adapter is only good for situations when you have an outlet nearby. For those times when you’re on the go, a portable charger such as the Anker 537 Power Bank is ideal. It offers 45W charging to maximize the Steam Deck’s charging, and it comes with a 60W USB-C wall adapter for recharging the pack (or powering your Steam Deck!) while on the go.

Whether you want more space to store your Steam game library or plan on running Windows from external storage on your Steam Deck, a large-capacity microSD card is a must-have for any Steam Deck owner. I’ve been using this 512GB Evo Plus microSD card made by Samsung to run Windows 10 and haven’t run into any issues at all.

When it comes to gaming, you can never have enough storage. If you find that performance from titles stored on the microSD card just isn’t cutting it for you, swap out the stock SSD with the Sabrent Rocket 1TB 2230 SSD. You’ll need to be comfortable with taking your Steam Deck apart, but iFixIt has a fantastic guide that goes through the process, step by step. You can even get the tools you need from iFixIt to ensure it’s smooth sailing. Also, you’ll want to keep this Steam Deck support page handy in order to format the SSD and go through the Steam Deck recovery process.

There aren’t many options available to customize the look of your Steam Deck to make it your own. Enter Dbrand, a company known for its high-quality and great-looking skins for a long list of devices. Their Steam Deck skins come in all kinds of patterns and designs, and after watching the 12-minute installation video, I feel like the installation process isn’t all that scary.

iVoler’s screen protectors are affordable, easy to install and do a good job at protecting your screen from scratches and even the occasional drop. This two-pack comes with matte screen protectors that will give the display the same look as the 512GB Steam Deck that comes with a matte display, which helps reduce glare while also adding a layer of protection.

The Steam Deck comes with a protective case that does its job, but it also takes up a bunch of room inside any backpack. That’s what makes this JSAUX Shoulder Bag for the Steam Deck so appealing. It has enough room for the Steam Deck and all of your accessories, and it even has another area for more devices, be it a Nintendo Switch or a smaller tablet.

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January 26, 2023

The 2023 MacBook Pro makes our favorite premium laptop even better | CNN Underscored

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The 2021 MacBook Pro marked a return to form for Apple’s highest-end laptop, ditching the stuff we didn’t like (see ya, Touch Bar), bringing back the stuff we did (ports! A MagSafe charger!) and loading it up with the best performance we’d ever seen on a Mac laptop. As such, it’s no surprise Apple didn’t bother adding any new features to its new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros for 2023 — the company just made them even more ridiculously powerful.

Powered by your choice of Apple’s new M2 Pro or M2 Max processor, the new MacBook Pro is the fastest laptop we’ve ever tested by almost every metric, toppling nearly all competitors on our benchmark tests while making light work of heavy real-world workloads and graphically demanding games. It’s an even better version of our upgrade pick for best laptop, and an easy recommendation for power users willing to invest in the best Apple has to offer.

But is it the right upgrade for you? After many, many hours of working, video calling and gaming on a 14-inch M2 Pro model, here’s who I think should — and shouldn’t — buy one.

The best high-end laptop

If you’re a creative professional, a hardcore power user, or simply feel like splurging on the best that Apple has to offer, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the laptop to get. It’s an especially great upgrade for first-time Pro buyers, or anyone coming from an old Intel model.

Mike Andronico/CNN

The latest 14-inch MacBook Pro is physically identical to the model that launched in 2021, which is to say that it’s the best-designed Mac you can currently buy. What I said about the 2021 MacBook Pro still applies here — it offers the best display, keyboard and ports of any Apple laptop. I’ve tested tons of notebooks in the year-plus since the previous 14-inch MacBook Pro arrived, and getting my hands on the new model was a reminder that none of them feel quite as good to use.

I was delighted to get my fingers back on the MacBook Pro’s excellent Magic Keyboard, which thankfully ditches the gimmicky Touch Bar for big, satisfying function keys. The Pro’s 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display remains one of the best I’ve ever used on a laptop, with rich colors that made watching movies a joy and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate that allowed me to glide around web pages much more fluidly than I can on Apple’s lower-end Macs. Yes, there’s still a notch up top that allows for the thin bezel, and yes, I’m personally still fine with it. The new MacBook Pro’s booming six-speaker setup filled my entire living room with the sounds of boygenius’ intricate vocal harmonies, and the laptop’s 1080p webcam once again captured my face with much better clarity than most of Apple’s rivals.

Mike Andronico/CNN

You still get a much better port selection than Apple’s 13-inch MacBooks, with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, a headphone jack with high-impedance support and a convenient snap-on MagSafe charger that will keep your laptop from going flying if someone trips on the wire. New for the 2023 models is support for up to four monitors on an M2 Max model (up from three on the previous gen) as well as multichannel audio output when connected to an HDMI display. This is truly the ultimate MacBook, and we haven’t even talked about performance yet.

Mike Andronico/CNN

The M1 Pro-powered MacBook Pro delivered record-breaking speeds when we tested it back in 2021, and Apple has managed to outdo itself by a significant margin on our M2 Pro model. This is the fastest laptop I’ve ever used, delivering a blazingly responsive experience for everyday tasks while trouncing all of the competition on our demanding performance tests.

Unsurprisingly, the latest MacBook Pro didn’t break a sweat under my usual workload of Slack, Outlook, Discord, Zoom and way too many Chrome tabs, staying cool, quiet and free of any nasty slowdown while I multitasked. But our benchmark results tell the real story of just how powerful this thing is.

On the Geekbench 5 multi-core test (which gauges overall multitasking performance), the new MacBook Pro scored a whopping 15,302 — that’s nearly double what we got from the M2 MacBook Air, triple the results of the Surface Laptop Studio and an impressive 37% gain over the already speedy 2021 model.

The latest MacBook Pro was similarly dominant on our graphics tests, rendering the visually demanding action of Shadow of the Tomb Raider — in 1080p with all settings cranked up — at a smooth and highly playable 55 frames per second. That’s a notable improvement over the 47 fps we got from the M1 Pro model as well as the Surface Laptop Studio (the latter of which has dedicated Nvidia graphics), and nearly double the sub-par framerates we got from the latest M2-powered MacBooks.

	MacBook Pro 14-inch (M2 Pro)	MacBook Pro 14-inch (M1 Pro)	MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2)	Surface Laptop Studio (Intel Core i7, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti)
Geekbench 5 (multi-core)	15,032	12,463	8,904	5,108
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, max settings)	55 fps	47 fps	29 fps	47 fps
Battery test (4K video playback)	7 hours, 50 minutes	6 hours, 36 minutes	6 hours, 4 minutes	8 hours, 14 minutes

The spooky cinematic horror of Resident Evil Village ran like a dream on the new MacBook Pro, as I frantically fought my way through hordes of disturbingly detailed werewolves at a silky 80 to 100 fps — and that was with “prioritize graphics” mode on. The framerate got a small boost from Apple’s new MetalFX upscaling tech, which optimizes games for Mac hardware on the fly and is set to also come to upcoming releases like No Man’s Sky and Grid Legends. This is the best triple-A gaming experience I’ve had on a Mac so far, and while MacOS still can’t compete with the massive selection of titles available on Windows gaming laptops, the M2 Pro’s spectacular performance has me hopeful for the future. It’s worth noting that while Apple’s laptop stayed impressively quiet for most activities, the fans did audibly whir up during my more intensive Tomb Raider and Resident Evil sessions.

Mike Andronico/CNN

From juggling a workday’s worth of tasks to tearing through the latest blockbuster titles, the new MacBook Pro’s performance is in a class of its own. And here’s the scary part — the M2 Pro model we tested isn’t even the most powerful option out there.

The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros can be outfitted with Apple’s even faster M2 Max chips (starting at $2,899), which promise up to 30 percent better graphics performance than the previous generation and offer significantly more memory bandwidth. We’ve yet to test the M2 Max for ourselves, but on the last-gen Macs, we saw a 39% increase in GPU performance from M1 Pro to M1 Max. Those who have a truly grueling workload — whether it be editing 8K video or working with complex 3D graphics — may want to consider the Max, but most creatives should be set for a while even if they opt for the base M2 Pro chip.

Mike Andronico/CNN

The new MacBook Pro should get most people through an average workday on the road, but you’ll still want to keep your charger handy. Apple’s notebook lasted a solid 7 hours and 50 minutes on our battery test, which consists of continuous 4K video playback. That’s more than an hour longer than the previous 14-inch model (6:36), and much better than the roughly 6 hours we got from the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro. However, we got slightly better results from Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 5 and Laptop Studio, both of which clocked in at a little over 8 hours.

It’s also worth noting that while our usual day-to-day multitasking didn’t make much of a dent in the MacBook Pro’s battery, activities like video calls — and especially a few hours of Resident Evil Village — proved to be a significant drain. As such, make sure to pack that power brick accordingly.

Fortunately, once our MacBook Pro did tap out, the included 67W power adapter did a good job juicing it back up quickly. Apple’s notebook is billed as being able to get a 50% charge in just 30 minutes, which is largely in line with my testing.

Mike Andronico/CNN

It should go without saying, but the latest MacBook Pros are an investment — especially if you plan on upgrading them with better processors, memory and storage.

The 14-inch model starts at $1,999, which gets you an Apple M2 Pro chip with a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU (more cores = better performance) in addition to 16GB of memory, 512GB of SSD storage and a 67W power adapter. We tested an upgraded model with a 12-core CPU/ 19-core GPU, 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, which brought the total cost to a whopping $3,299. And that’s far from a fully kitted out unit — once you toss in the highest-end M2 Max chip, 96GB of RAM and 8TB of storage, you’re looking at a laptop that can run you as much as $6,299.

To put that price in perspective, you can currently get Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio with an Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics and the same starting RAM and storage as the MacBook Pro for a slightly cheaper $1,800. You won’t get the same fast processing speeds as the M2 Pro, but you will get dedicated graphics for comparable gaming and rendering performance, as well as a more flexible 2-in-1 design with a touch screen and stylus support. The Studio maxes out at 32GB RAM and 2TB of storage for $2,800 — that’s plenty for most people, but it also means you can’t go quite as wild with configurations as you can on the MacBook Pro.

Granted, many of the MacBook Pro’s upgrades will be overkill for many, and I’d argue that you get your money’s worth in terms of performance on any of these configurations. But just be ready to pay up if you want lots of storage or the best possible processor.

Mike Andronico/CNN

Apple didn’t need to fix what isn’t broken on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, but for those who already own the 2021 model, there’s nothing new here. That includes the same Silver and Space Gray color options, which look fine, but are also a bit dull compared to the more snazzy Starlight (gold) and Midnight (blueish-black) available on the latest MacBook Air. Why can’t power users have some fun too?


Processor	Apple M2 Pro or M2 Max	Apple M2	Apple M2	11th Gen Intel Core i5 / Intel Core i7 with Intel Iris X or Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphics
Memory	16GB / 32GB / 64GB / 96GB	8GB / 16GB / 24GB	8GB / 16GB / 24GB	16GB / 32GB
Storage	512GB / 1TB / 2TB / 4TB / 8TB SSD	256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD	256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD	256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD
Display	14.2-inch, 3024 x 1964 Liquid Retina XDR display	13.3-inch, 2560 x 1600 Retina display	13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina display	14.4-inch, 2400 x 1600 PixelSense display with touch and pen support
Camera	1080p FaceTime HD camera	720p FaceTime HD camera	1080p FaceTime HD camera	1080p webcam
Speakers	Six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio support	Stereo speakers with Spatial Audio support	Four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio support	Quad speakers with Dolby Atmos
Ports	Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (3), SDXC card slot, HDMI port, headphone jack, MagSafe charging port	Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (2), headphone jack	Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (2), MagSafe charging port, headphone jack	Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (2), Surface Connect, headphone jack
Battery life (rated)	Up to 18 hours	Up to 20 hours	Up to 18 hours	Up to 19 hours
Size and weight	12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches, 3.5 pounds	11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches, 3 pounds	11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches, 2.7 pounds	12.72 x. 8.98 x 0.75 inches, 3.83 pounds
Price	From $1,999	From $1,299	From $1,199	From $1,300

If you’re a creative professional, a hardcore power user, or simply feel like splurging on the best that Apple has to offer, the 14-inch MacBook Pro is the laptop to get. It’s faster than anything else you’ll find for the money, has all the ports you need for transferring multimedia or working with multiple monitors, and packs the best display and keyboard of any MacBook.

For those getting their first MacBook Pro or upgrading from an old Intel-powered model, the new 14-inch and 16-inch options will prove to be a massive step up in every way — from sheer performance to everyday ease of use. And if you already find yourself hitting a ceiling on your 13-inch MacBook Pro M1, you’ll see some truly significant gains on this model.

Those who own a 2021 MacBook Pro have no reason to upgrade here, and the much more affordable $1,199 MacBook Air M2 — our overall top pick — is still more than enough laptop for most people (and can handle light photo and video editing). But if you truly need the extra muscle and are willing to invest in the ultimate MacBook, the latest 14-inch and 16-inch Pros are worth their premium price.

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January 25, 2023

The 15 most anticipated games of 2023 | CNN Underscored

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Thanks to fantastic games like Stray, Tunic, and Bayonetta 3, 2022 provided ample reason for players to keep their controllers fully charged. And that’s before you consider these exceptional entries were sandwiched between absolute bangers Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok.

But thanks to the PS5 and Xbox Series X entering their third year, as well as a bursting pipeline of pandemic-delayed games finally seeing the light of day, 2023’s actually poised to one-up the preceding 12 months. From long-awaited sequels and ambitious remakes to even a few potential-packed original projects, here are the 15 games we’re most eager to get our hands on this year.

Release date: January 27, 2023

A remake of Electronic Arts’ 15-year-old sci-fi survival horror classic, Dead Space aims to retain the terrifying atmosphere, gore-soaked action, and tense, twisty storytelling of the original. More than simply recycling that reliable formula though, this ambitious do-over is fully leveraging next-gen tech to ratchet the immersion and cinematic presentation. Best of all, brave fans needn’t wait long to board the Necromorph-infested USG Ishimura, as Dead Space lands — like a limb-lopping Plasma Cutter blast — later this month.

Release date: February 10, 2023

An open-world action-RPG set at the titular wizarding school, this ambitious fantasy adventure promises to pack enough spell-casting, potion-making, and magical monster encounters to please even the most discerning Harry Potter fans. But it’s also not a simple retelling of the boy wizard’s Voldemort-vanquishing days, as fans will instead don the robes of an original, customized character in a brand new tale set 100 years before the events of the book series.

Release date: March 17, 2023

Release date: March 24, 2023

Capcom’s recent remakes of Resident Evil 2 and its direct sequel have proven these survival horror classics are well worth revisiting. The upcoming Resident Evil 4 — arguably the series’ most beloved entry — looks to continue this trend with all the force of a zombie canine crashing through a window. Sporting modern, re-imagined gameplay and a new, cinema-rivaling presentation, this updated take on Leon S. Kennedy’s living nightmare should deliver one of the year’s best, adrenaline-spiking rides.

Release date: May 12, 2023

Launched alongside the Nintendo Switch in 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild not only ensured the system’s success, but re-defined one of the medium’s most adored series to deliver its best entry yet. Its long-awaited, direct sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, looks to duplicate that achievement, retaining and refining its predecessor’s vast open world gameplay, but also evolving it with a number of fresh features. You’d have more luck slaying Calamity Ganon with a stick than scoring details on those new elements, but we do know the game will encourage more vertical gameplay via a series of islands floating above Hyrule.

Release date: May 26, 2023

Long before Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man swung into claim the superhero-game crown, Rocksteady Studios had already done the genre proud with its acclaimed Arkham series. With that trilogy wrapping in 2015, Bat-fans have been anxiously awaiting the British developer’s return to the DC universe. It finally arrives this year, inviting players to unleash the mayhem-making shenanigans of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark. In addition to building on the Arkham games’ sturdy foundation, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League adds 4-player co-op to the mix, ensuring the good guys — who’ve apparently been corrupted by Brainiac — don’t stand a chance.

Release date: June 2, 2023

Anxious fighting game fans will get to unleash their feet and fists when one of the genre’s biggest franchises finally returns to flex its muscle in an all-new, numbered entry. Street Fighter 6 will feature an 18-strong launch roster of fresh and familiar brawlers, duking it out online and locally across a trio of dedicated modes – Fighting Ground, World Tour, and Battle Hub. Toss in evolved gameplay mechanics and an enhanced visual presentation, and the high-kicking sequel should hit like a match-winning Hadouken when it lands this summer.

Release date: June 6, 2023

It’s been over a decade since Diablo III saw fans hacking, slashing, and spell-casting, but brave dungeon dwellers will soon be invited back to Sanctuary. While the franchise’s free-to-play Diablo Immortal might have scratched that demon-demolishing itch, the mainline Diablo IV — positioned as a return to the series’ thumb-blistering roots — promises to rub it raw. On top of looting, leveling, and laying waste to ugly beasts, the wickedly anticipated sequel will also treat fans to a long-awaited reunion with legendary love-to-hate baddie Lilith.

Release date: June 22, 2023

Square Enix’s enormously popular, long-running RPG series has spawned more sequels, spin-offs, and remakes than you can shake a Buster Sword at. But while the franchise keeps fans busy with these regularly released world-expanding offerings, brand new mainline entries are a much rarer beast. That makes Final Fantasy XVI a pretty big deal, one that will no doubt deliver — and evolve — the series’ rock solid blend of stunning visuals, thoughtful combat, and original, epic storytelling.

Release date: August 2023

Following a 20-plus year wait, RPG fans will finally return to the Forgotten Realms of the popular Baldur’s Gate franchise. But the Dungeons & Dragons-based sequel has much more going for it than players’ long-brimming anticipation. Developed by Larian Studios — the team behind acclaimed RPG series Divinity — Baldur’s Gate III represents that rare, dream pairing of a beloved property with the studio best suited to adapting it. Toss in the fact that this hotly anticipated PC game has been honed over two years of fan feedback-fueled early access, and we can’t wait to party-up and teach those ugly mind flayers some manners.

Release date: TBD 2023

The long-running Assassin’s Creed series has mostly maintained an annual release schedule, but it’s been nearly three years since the viking-themed Valhalla sunk its hidden-blades into us. Assassin’s Creed: Mirage will not only see the series return in 2023, but also find it significantly altered from its last few entries. While recent chapters have featured massive open-worlds, branching narratives, and an action-RPG focus, Mirage is promising a return to the franchise’s throat-slitting roots, with sharper, more linear storytelling and stealthier gameplay.

Release date: TBD 2023

Redfall’s titular island town is a quaint New England getaway that wouldn’t look out of place in a travel brochure…save for the blood-craving creeps roaming its streets. Thankfully, the open-world, first-person shooter arms players to the teeth and pairs them with up to three vampire-slaying survivors. Its concept might sound similar to other online cooperative fraggers, but coming from Arkane Studios — the talented team behind the acclaimed Dishonored series — we’re hopeful it’ll pack more than mindless, trigger-squeezing action.

Release date: TBD 2023

Starfield’s wildly ambitious scope and scale is matched only by the massive expectations fans have for Bethesda Game Studios’ first new universe in a quarter century. And while plenty has been revealed about the sci-fi action-RPG — including the impressive/daunting ability to plant your flag on 1,000 planets — just as much remains a closely guarded secret. We hope it’s out of this world, but even if it only matches the quality of the studio’s Fallout and Elder Scrolls entries, we’ll happily spend hundreds of hours among the stars fulfilling our space cowboy fantasies.

Release date: TBD 2023

A cult-horror classic released in 2010, Alan Wake seemed an unlikely candidate for a sequel. But thanks to its recent remaster finding a new audience — not to mention its developer Remedy Entertainment significantly growing its fan-base off the success of spooky sci-fi entry Control — the titular, haunted novelist is indeed making a return. Details on his new supernatural-tinged tale are scarce, though Remedy has revealed the game will feature more of a survival-horror vibe than its action-focused predecessor.

Release date: Fall 2023

DC’s villains will also face some stiff competition from the aforementioned web-slinger, as Insomniac Games is due to deliver the next numbered entry in its popular, PlayStation-exclusive Spider-Man series. Following the stellar 2018 title that kicked off the franchise — and 2020’s excellent Miles Morales-starring spin-off — the newest wall-crawling entry is easily one of the year’s most anticipated games. The sequel puts fans beneath the spandex of both Peter Parker’s and Morales’ Spideys, while pitting them against a rogues gallery of unsavory sorts, including iconic Marvel menace Venom.

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January 24, 2023

Apple’s new $299 HomePod promises better sound and smarts — and you can order it now | CNN Underscored

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Just a day after revealing new MacBook Pros and a revamped Mac Mini, Apple has announced the return of a long-dormant product: the HomePod. The new second-generation version of Apple’s original smart speaker promises improved sound quality, and perhaps more significantly, a range of new smart home features that are designed to easily automate your everyday activities — and potentially keep you safe in an emergency.

Wondering if the new $299 HomePod is for you? Here’s what you need to know before you hit preorder.

HomePod (2nd Gen) price and preorders

The new HomePod promises improved sound quality as well as a range of new smart home features, including Sound Recognition and Matter support for playing nice with non-Apple gadgets.

The new $299 HomePod is available for preorder now and is set to ship on Feb. 3. The cylindrical, mesh-woven speaker will be available in white and Midnight, the latter of which is a darker shade replacing the Space Gray option on the original model.

Apple

At a quick glance, the new HomePod doesn’t look much different from the original model that launched in 2018 and was later discontinued in 2021. It’s still a big cylinder with a little screen on top that lets you know that Siri is listening. But this year, Apple is promising upgrades that it claims can make a big difference — for sound quality and overall smart home versatility.

Key new features include an improved S7 chip that can better process sound and deliver the same 360-degree Spatial Audio available on Apple’s headphones. The new HomePod also sports room-sensing technology, which allows the speaker to adjust its audio output based on how you have it set up — whether against a wall on your bookshelf or standing freely on your counter.

But the new HomePod’s real selling point is how smoothly it’s designed to fit into your smart home. The speaker now features Apple’s Sound Recognition technology, which can detect things like smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and send a notification to your iPhone in the event of an emergency. It also packs the same temperature and humidity sensor as the HomePod Mini, meaning it can automatically do things like close the blinds or turn on your fan once a room reaches a certain temperature. You can also look forward to a redesigned Home app that’s designed to make it easier to keep tabs on and activate your various smart gadgets.

Apple

Bolstering the HomePod’s improved smart home integration is support for Matter, a new smart home standard that allows products from various ecosystems — including Apple, Google and Amazon — to all play nice together. Matter took home our best smart home tech of CES 2023 award, and should make the new HomePod a more compelling buy for any connected home (not just ones filled with Apple products).

As with previous Apple speakers, you’ll be able to pair two HomePods together for immersive stereo sound — and connect them to your Apple TV for an engrossing home theater experience (unfortunately, you won’t be able to mix and match between generations). And if you do already have a first-gen HomePod or Mini, you can create a multi-room audio setup for easily spreading music across your entire home.

You can even use your HomePod as an intercom, something perfect for waking the kids up once it’s time to get ready for school. You’ll also enjoy the same seamless playback features as on previous HomePods, whether you’re beaming a song to your HomePod by simply placing your iPhone near it or calling on Siri hands-free to play your favorite tracks from Apple Music.

The new $299 HomePod is looking like a compelling choice for folks who want a full-size smart speaker that has all of the perks of the Apple ecosystem — but can still work outside of it.

The $99 HomePod Mini has long been one of our best smart speaker picks, thanks to its great sound and plethora of Siri smarts, but it’s simply not as loud and full as its larger sibling. The second-generation HomePod’s improved smart home and safety features are compelling, as is its Matter compatibility for working nicely with non-Apple gadgets.

We’ll be putting the new HomePod through its paces soon to see if it’s worth the $299, but if you’re looking to get your first Apple speaker — or want to augment your setup with another, even smarter HomePod — you should keep an eye on this one.

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January 18, 2023

Tag: underscored-electronics

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s amazing performance is worth the high price

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s amazing performance is worth the high price

Ultra-fast performance and incredibly responsive software

The S Pen remains as useful as ever

The software remains bloated and full of ads

A sleek design and good video quality

The Ring app makes viewing and managing clips easy

$299 at Apple

$100 at B&H Photo Video

$50 at B&H Photo Video

Great comfort and impressive sound

Good active noise cancellation and tons of features

Long battery life and wireless charging

Galaxy Book 3 price and preorders

Slim looks, big power and cross-device functionality

Release date: January 27, 2023

Release date: February 10, 2023

Release date: March 17, 2023

Release date: March 24, 2023

Release date: May 12, 2023

Release date: May 26, 2023

Release date: June 2, 2023

Release date: June 6, 2023

Release date: June 22, 2023

Release date: August 2023

Release date: TBD 2023

Release date: TBD 2023

Release date: TBD 2023

Release date: TBD 2023

Release date: Fall 2023

HomePod (2nd Gen) price and preorders