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Apple's 2022 iPhones could include a cheaper model with a big display
Ming-Chi Kuo expects Apple's iPhone lineup for 2022 to include affordable 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch models.
The OnePlus Nord N200 is a $240 5G phone
OnePlus is announcing the Nord N200 5G, a $240 handset that will retail in North America starting on June 25th.
TCL's latest true wireless earbuds are a $120 AirPods alternative
TCL’s true wireless MOVEAUDIO S200 earbuds will cost less than €100.
Qualcomm is bringing 5G to its entry-level Snapdragon 4-series chipsets
Qualcomm plans to scale its 5G tech to entry-level 4-series chipsets.
Lyft is offering lower-cost rides if you're willing to wait longer
Lyft's 'Wait & Save' pilot, which lets users opt to pay less if they wait longer, is expanding across the US and Canada.
Netgear's Nighthawk WiFi 6 mesh routers aren't crazy expensive
When Netgear introduced its Orbi WiFi 6 mesh router last fall, one of the things that stood out the most was its $700 price tag. Now, Netgear is ready to unveil a more affordable option. At CES this week, it introduced the Nighthawk Mesh WiFi 6 System, a router and satellite kit that will start at $229.99.
SmartTools' updated weight lifting cuffs are cheaper and more durable
Bench pressing 200 pounds is cool, if you're into that, but it can put a strain on your limbs. SmartTools has an alternative. The company's SmartCuffs, blood flow restriction training (BFR) cuffs, let you lift less weight and see the same gains. While BFR training has primarily been used in clinical settings, the new SmartCuffs are meant for consumers and they're significantly more affordable than past iterations.
VW teases a smaller, more affordable EV in a holiday card
Once again, Volkswagen is using a Christmas card to tease a new vehicle. The automaker sent the card, which appears to show a smaller entry-level ID, to journalists this week, Autocar reports. The sketch is purposefully vague, but it could offer a glimpse of the more affordable electric car VW is working on.
Comcast expands its low-cost internet to another three million households
Since 2011, Comcast's Internet Essentials program has connected more than eight million low-income individuals from two million households to the internet. Today, the company announced that it's bringing low-cost internet to an additional three million low-income households. In addition to high-speed internet at $9.95 per month, plus tax, users will be eligible for free digital literacy training and the option to purchase a computer for less than $150.
The latest TicWatch Pro includes 4G LTE to free you from your phone
Mobvoi's second generation TicWatch Pro is available today, and the company hopes it will free you from your phone. The Wear OS-powered TicWatch Pro 4G/LTE offers wireless connectivity, so you can receive voice calls and app notifications, send and receive texts and use popular messaging apps. You can also hit an SOS button that will dial 911, and it will automatically sync your data with the cloud -- all without tethering you to another device.
The best affordable mirrorless cameras
The Sony A7 is the only full-frame camera on our affordable list. There's no doubt Sony changed the mirrorless-camera game when it introduced its A7 in 2013. Six years later, while it isn't the most powerful full-frame mirrorless anymore, the A7 is still a great choice for people looking to get into photography. A big reason for this, aside from its 24.3-megapixel CMOS sensor and 5-frames-per second shooting, is that the A7 is compatible all of Sony's native full-frame E-mount lenses, of which there are more than 48 to choose from. Probably the best feature of the A7, though, is that it's almost half the price of the A7 II that replaced it. CLICK BELOW FOR MORE OPTIONS: The best affordable mirrorless cameras
Alcatel's redesigned low-cost phones get 18:9 TCL screens
Although CES 2018 has almost every electronics company in the world announcing new devices, most phone makers are saving their big reveals for the upcoming Mobile World Congress in February. It's no surprise, then, that Alcatel didn't have new devices ready to unveil. But the company did give us a preview of the low-cost handsets it plans to give more details about later this year. The new phones will not only use (parent company) TCL's screens with 18:9 aspect ratios and feature sleek designs but also use a simplified naming system. We saw prototypes of the Alcatel 1x, 3v and 5 -- which are potential models of the sub-$100, sub-$200 and sub-$300 series, respectively.
The best phones under $250
The iPhone X: $999. The Galaxy Note 8: $930. Even the more affordable Google Pixel 2 commands a significant investment of $650. Today's flagship phones are expensive enough that spending a significant chunk of your rent on a handset is seemingly the norm. You can opt for an installment plan to pay it off more easily, and for some people it's worth paying a service provider for two years to own one of the best devices available. But many other people can't afford, or would prefer not, to spend that much money on something they'll replace in two years (or less). Fortunately for the budget-conscious, you can find a better selection of phones for $250 than you could even a few years ago.
Partially automated Nissan Leaf prototype approved for use on Japanese roads
Looking forward to Nissan's 2020 autonomous vehicle push? Then get pumped: the company has just been given approval to test some of its automated driving systems on Japanese streets. Nissan has been issued a license plate to use with a Nissan Leaf kitted out with the firm's Advanced Driver Assist System on, which will allow the vehicle to change lanes, pass cars, exit freeways and cruise down the road without driver assistance. Although the plate is technically just a normal license plate (unlike the distinctive red plates Nevada issues to automated vehicles), but marks the first time Nissan will be able to test these features on a public road. More importantly, the company says, it allows it to further develop the technologies that will eventually go into its fully automated vehicles. It's a baby step, but at least it's progress. Check out the company's official announcement at the jump.
Nissan to sell multiple affordable self-driving cars by 2020
Google's not the only one trying to build self-driving cars, despite the fact that it gets a ton of attention for all those autonomous autos roaming Bay Area streets. Many manufacturers are interested in taking human error out of the driving equation, and now Nissan aims to do so by 2020. That's right, folks, Nissan Executive VP Andy Palmer stated today that the plan is to sell multiple affordable models of fully autonomous cars by 2020. And, to meet that goal, the company is constructing a facility to test self-driving systems that'll be up and running in 2014. Nissan's development timetable falls right in line with some of its competitors, but talk is cheap -- time will tell if Nissan can deliver on both its autonomous and affordability promises.
Hands-on with Maxwest's $65 7-inch dual-core Jelly Bean tablet at CTIA 2013
It's true that cheap affordable Android tablets are a dime a dozen at most trade shows these days, but here at CTIA 2013 we stumbled upon something that caught our eye -- a 7-inch dual-core tablet running Jelly Bean that costs just $65. The Maxwest TAB-7155DC aka. Ippo Y88 measures 182 x 122 x 10mm (7.16 x 4.8 x 0.39inch), weighs 187g (6.6oz) and comes in several hues (black, white, silver, red, blue and pink). It features a 7-inch 1024 x 600-pixel capacitive multitouch LCD, an Infotmic IMAPx820 SoC (1GHz dual-core Cortex A5 CPU with Mali 400 GPU), 512MB of RAM, 4GB of built-in storage, dual VGA cameras (front and back), WiFi b/g/n and a 2800mAh battery. The screen isn't covered in glass and there's no sign of any Bluetooth or GPS radios, but then again, what do you expect for $65? You''ll find a power / lock key, DC socket, micro-USB port (with on-the-go support) and mini-HDMI output on the top edge, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack, volume rocker and microSD card slot on the right side. A microphone and speaker round things up in back. The tablet runs a mostly stock version of Jelly Bean (Android 4.1.1, to be specific) and includes the usual assortment of Google apps along with access to the Play Store. Performance is adequate -- not buttery smooth but perfectly usable. Build quality and materials are surprisingly decent for the price (the plastic is color-through), but the display leaves a lot to be desired (viewing angle are poor and the acrylic covering the screen is scratch-prone). Then again, it's only $65, right? Check out the gallery below for our rose-colored hands-on with this inexpensive tablet. %Gallery-189293%
Packard Bell burrows affordable niche with EasyNote TE: 400 euros, 15.6 inches, AMD inside
While parent company Acer eyes deeper pockets and higher margins, Packard Bell is soldiering on with its EasyNote range of laptops for thrifty Europeans. Spotted by the friendly folk at Pocket-lint, the EasyNote TE has just reached stores and should scrape under the €400 (£300, $500) mark -- thanks partly to its avoidance of the premium Intel processor found in the EasyNote TV. Instead, the TE relies on AMD's updated E-Series processor (the slower 1.4GHz E1-1200 version, to be precise), which comes with capable Radeon HD 7310 onboard graphics and supports a USB 3.0 port (in addition to twin USB 2.0) and HDMI output. You'll also find a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 display, 750GB of storage and a "multi-in-1" card slot -- which means the only spec we're missing is the RAM. Who'll take a bet on 4GB?
Xtex's My Tablet gets you 7 inches of tasty ICS for just 150 bones (update)
Tablets are are great and all, but they sure can be expensive -- especially if you want one running a newer version of Android. Step in Xtex's $150 My Tablet, a 7-inch device loaded with Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3, a 16GB HDD (expandable to 48 GB via its TF card slot) and a 1.5Ghz CPU complimented by 1GB of RAM. That's not all, though, as the device also packs a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, an HDMI output and mini and standard USB ports. That low price does mean you'll be making do with a screen resolution of 800 x 480 and only WiFi connectivity, but you'll get to choose from its very neapolitan-esque black, white and pink colorways. Considering the My Tablet is nearly half the price of an Andy Pad Pro, it sure does looks appetizing on paper -- as long as you keep your expectations reasonable, that is. Satisfy your sweet tooth with more images in the gallery below and the press release after the break. Update: Apparently, this tablet isn't as new as it seems. As it would turn out, it looks to be a re-badge of the Zync Z990 that's sold in India. Update 2: Xtex has contacted us to clarify the My Tablet's relationship to the Zync Z990 stating "...although we do have the same outer shell (chose from an already created mold to cut down pricing to end consumer) all the parts and etc. are completely different from the Zync."
AMD releases Radeon HD 7750 and 7770 GPUs, reviewers like and don't like
Not into that whole $500 fuse-melting monster graphics card thing? Then good news for you: AMD has finally brought out two more affordable models in its 28nm Radeon HD range. The 7770 is priced at $169 and claims to be the world's first reference GPU that comes factory clocked to 1GHz. Meanwhile, the 7750 comes in at $109 and boasts a low enough wattage (75W, versus 100W for the 7770) that it doesn't require its own power connector. Both cards pack 1GB RAM and run on AMD's Cape Verde architecture, which makes them slightly different to the Tahiti-powered 7900 series, although they do inherit key top-end features like ZeroCore Power, PowerTune and Eyefinity 2.0.Reviewers have mixed opinions, as befits a healthy blogosphere, but the low-power 7750 generally comes off slightly better, especially for those looking to build a budget or HTPC rig. AnandTech likes the power-to-performance ratio of both cards, but dislikes the price-to-performance of the 7770, noting that the older 6850 still offers more in this respect -- at least for gamers. HotHardware concludes that AMD might have "technically" priced both cards "just right," considering how they stack up against NVIDIA's GeForce GTX560 and 550, but in practice those NVIDIA cards deliver a lot more punch for just a few extra dollars. Feel free to glean further details for yourself via the PR and review links below.
Ask Engadget: best sub-$400 desktop graphics card on the market?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Jamie, who just so happens to be in the midst of a new PC build. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm new to the whole graphics card thing, and could use a little assistance. I want to be able to play all the newest titles (Crysis 2, for example) on the highest settings, while keeping the price as low as possible. I am building my own PC and have allotted a set amount of money for each item, with a $400 to $500 maximum budget for the GPU. All help will be appreciated!" That isn't exactly "budget" by any stretch, but it's still important to get the most for your buck. For those who have sunk a few Benjamins into a new GPU lately, how has your decision worked out for you? Help a fellow gamer out -- even if it means giving him an FPS advantage.
