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The best smartphones, tablets and smartwatches for students
New school year, new gear. Maybe you're due for an upgrade, or maybe you broke your phone over summer break, or maybe you just want a new toy. Either way, you might be looking to refresh your slate of devices before heading to campus. For the mobile section of our back-to-school guide, we considered the best phones you can get on a student-friendly budget. We also threw in our favorite smartwatches for both Android and iOS users. But "mobile" means more than just phones and phone-like things meant for your wrists. We also included our favorite e-reader and make a case for why someone might want to splurge on an iPad Pro. (Hint: art and design students might get a kick out of it.) We know that in your haste to get to class on time you might occasionally forget to charge your devices, so we've also included a portable battery that can keep all your stuff running. And life isn't all work and no play, so when it's time to chill out in your dorm, you can strap on our favorite wireless headset and take out some aliens in VR -- no need to make your roommate trip over any cables.
Samsung's Galaxy S20 Ultra vs. the competition: The most megapixels
With a screen size just shy of seven inches, it's hard not to just call the Galaxy S20 Ultra a full-fledged tablet. (We never really liked the word "phablet" around here.) Albeit a tablet with a quad rear camera setup containing a 108-megapixel wide-angle shooter. But a big screen and powerful camera aren't all the Ultra has to offer. We've got a rundown of the relevant specs below, especially as compared to some of the other big handsets vying for your attention this spring. Check back later this month for our full review.
The Galaxy S20+ vs. the competition: A bigger screen and more lenses
Of the three Galaxy S phones introduced today, the middle "plus" edition is probably the one that most of you will end up buying. It's got a quad camera setup, up to 512 GB of storage and an expansive 6.7-inch screen. But it's not the only large flagship phone out there, especially now that Apple's sized up with the Pro Max. We've lined up some of the more notable competition in a handy table for you, though you'll have to wait for our full review to get the final verdict.
OnePlus phones will optimize charging based on your sleep habits
OnePlus is working on a new OxygenOS feature called Optimized Charging that will attempt to extend the life of your phone's battery by taking your sleep schedule into account. When you put your OnePlus phone to charge before going to bed, it will refill its power cell to 80 percent of its maximum capacity and then temporarily stop. A hundred minutes before you usually wake up, your first alarm or event of the day, the phone will then charge to full. The idea here is that by preventing the battery from staying at full capacity for too long, OnePlus can slow how quickly it degrades over time.
Readers weigh in on what makes the OnePlus 7 Pro a worthy contender
With the release of the 7 Pro, OnePlus showed it learned from the mistakes on the 6T: The company kept everything that users loved about the previous model while addressing its most glaring issues. Senior Editor Richard Lai was pleased to see that the dewdrop notch of the 6T had been replaced by a pop-up front camera; that the fussy fingerprint reader had become faster and more responsive; and that the 7 Pro maintained a sleek design with ambitious features. But was it enough to satisfy those who actually bought it? Here's what our user reviewers had to say about their experiences with the $549 device.
Is the OnePlus 7 Pro worth the upgrade from its predecessor?
OnePlus had already earned plenty of fans with affordable high-end phones like the 6T; our reviewer Richard Lai praised that handset's solid hardware and slick software performance while our user reviews echoed his praise for the camera, battery life and Oxygen OS. With the release of the 7 Pro, the company built upon its strengths with features like a more responsive in-display fingerprint reader, a pop-up 16-megapixel camera and a 90Hz AMOLED screen.
Pixel 4 XL vs. the competition: The six-inch flagships
Every major flagship always has to come in two sizes now, so it's no surprise that we're looking at yet another XL Pixel model. This handset differs from its smaller sibling in size, but has the same camera setup. However, the big phone field gets more intense every year, especially since Apple went all-in with its "Max" models. For the skinny on all the relevant specs, check out the table below. For our final verdict, keep an eye out for Engadget's full review of the Pixel 4 XL later this month.
The iPhone Pro Max vs. the competition: Big ones
Phone users love big screens and, as a result, handsets have been creeping ever closer to seven inches each year. Apple is no exception, debuting the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max last fall to compete with the likes of the Galaxy Note line. This year's iPhone Pro Max isn't bigger, but it is more powerful with a triple camera setup that uses some impressive machine processing to deliver the best photos and video. How does that stack up against the phones that have grown in size? We've thrown up a table with some of the Pro Max's closest rivals, if not in dimensions but in power, to see how the specs measure up. Of course, the real test will be our review, so be sure to join us in a few weeks for the final verdict.
The Galaxy Note 10+ vs. the competition: The behemoth gets bigger
The Galaxy Note originally distinguished itself by being a big phone for people who needed to get things done. But, with so many flagship handsets bearing huge screens and better cameras (including the S10+), the Note was starting to look like an also-ran. With the Note 10+, it looks like Samsung figured "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" by putting out a "plus" version with a screen size of almost seven inches — just when we thought phablets weren't really a thing anymore. (One trade-off: No more headphone jack.) To see how well this new enhanced size pays off spec-wise, check out our table comparing to some of the more noteworthy plus-size challengers out there, and swing by later this month to read our full review of this massive device.
OnePlus admits it sent bizarre notifications to OnePlus 7 Pro owners
Owners of OnePlus 7 Pro phones have randomly received several weird notifications, causing consternation and concerns about security.
Watch the OnePlus 7 Pro's pop-up camera lift 49 pounds of cement
If you can get your hands on the OnePlus 7 Pro -- one of two flagship phones released today -- one of the first things you'll notice is that it's done away with the front-facing notch camera. Instead, OnePlus opted for a pop-up camera. And to prove just how durable it is, the company released a video of the camera lifting a 49.2-pound block of cement.
The OnePlus 7 addresses the problems with the 6T
OnePlus has marched out an entire new family of phones for the first time, starting with the OnePlus 7 through to the OnePlus 7 Pro and a 5G-primed device imaginatively titled the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G. While the Pro model might be the head turner (and you'll hear more about that later), the OnePlus 7 does what the company has always done: field an attractive capable device for hundreds of dollars less than the cutting-edge smartphones from Samsung and Apple. There's no pricing on the OnePlus 7 in the US, but in the UK it'll cost £499 (roughly $645) with 6GB of RAM and 128 gigs of storage, when it launches next month -- specific date still TBC.
OnePlus 7 Pro review: The first true OnePlus flagship
OnePlus can be funny. Sometimes, the company reveals top-notch smartphones with minor flaws. Other times, new devices land with new features that were a flop. The 6T I reviewed earlier this year is a prime example of the latter: OnePlus' first in-display fingerprint reader wasn't very responsive, and even though I was a fan of the dewdrop-notch design, the phone's selfie camera often took blurry shots. Today, OnePlus makes another attempt, and it's more ambitious than ever. For the first time, the company is releasing two flagship models simultaneously: the OnePlus 7 and the larger OnePlus 7 Pro. I've spent the last five days living with the $749 maxed-out OnePlus 7 Pro (with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage), and yes, with its $669 base price, it's the most expensive phone ever from the company. Still, this is easily my favorite OnePlus phone to date, and if all goes well, it may even end up being my favorite smartphone of the year.
OnePlus explains the 7's lack of a water resistance rating
Don't expect OnePlus to slap water and dust resistance ratings on its phones any time soon. Co-founder Carl Pei has posted the company's rationale for declining to get an IP rating. The company wanted to do things based on "what you really need" rather than the industry, Pei said. An IP rating would be the "simplest" way to prove resistance, but OnePlus figured it was better to show what phones can "bring to you in real life."
OnePlus 7 series event set for May 14th
OnePlus has confirmed when it will showcase the OnePlus 7 lineup for the first time. On May 14th at 11 AM Eastern Time, the company will unveil its latest handsets at simultaneous events in four cities: New York, London, Beijing and Bangalore.
OnePlus 7 rumors, leaks include Pro and 5G editions
If you're eagerly awaiting word of the next OnePlus handset, a few leakers who have been reliable in the past have information for you. Between @OnLeaks/Pricebaba and Ishan Agarwal, they've claiming we can expect a global launch event on May 14th, with up to three variants of the device on display: the OnePlus 7, the OnePlus 7 Pro and a OnePlus 7 Pro 5G model. While renderings should be taken with a grain of salt, the designs shown include a 6.4-inch OnePlus 7 with a teardrop camera up front and dual 48 MP rear camera that looks similar to the current 6T. That includes an in-display fingerprint sensor and up to 10GB of RAM like the 6T McLaren Edition, along with a Snapdragon 855 CPU and 4,150 mAh battery inside. The OnePlus 7 Pro specs, similar to earlier leaks, list it as larger, at 6.64-inches with a notchless curved glass design, a pop-up camera, plus a triple rear 48 MP camera setup that uses its additional lenses for telephoto and ultrawide pictures. Finally, according to @OnLeaks, there will also be a 5G-ready variant of the Pro.
