All posts tagged: smartphones

The Best MagSafe Accessories (for Android, Too!): Chargers, Wallets, and More

The Best MagSafe Accessories (for Android, Too!): Chargers, Wallets, and More

Published by skeptic

Other Good MagSafe Accessories The accessories below aren’t as great as the top picks in this guide, but they’re still good options if you’re looking for more MagSafe gadgets. Belkin iPhone Mount With MagSafe. Photograph: Julian Chokkattu Belkin iPhone Mount With MagSafe: Using Apple’s Continuity Camera feature, you can wirelessly use your iPhone as a webcam for a MacBook. It supports various video calling apps too, from FaceTime to Zoom. This circular silicone puck magnetically sticks to the back of your iPhone and can be used as a phone grip or kickstand, but you need to keep your screen close to a 90-degree angle, or else the weight of the iPhone will drag the screen back or forward. There’s also a mount for external displays, in case you want one for your home desk setup. STM Goods MagPod Smarter Phone Stand: I’ve been carrying this mini tripod from STM Goods all over my apartment. When I’m not using it to see notifications at a glance at my desk, I’ll place it on my kitchen counter …

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: A Close Second

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: A Close Second

Published by skeptic

Battery life has been more than adequate. The 5,080-mAh cell easily lasts me a full day, and that’s with more than seven hours of screen-on time. I recently broke my leg, so I’m usually sitting in one place and on my phone. I often end up with 20 percent left by 9 pm or so, and the Phone (4a) Pro has managed to handle hours of watching Instagram Reels without issue (don’t judge). It recharges fairly quickly, though I still think Nothing should have added wireless charging as an alternate way to juice up; the Pixel 10a supports it. Initially, when I set up the phone, it didn’t connect to my eSIM. I had to manually turn on eSIM functionality after setting it up, and was then able to connect it to my carrier, Google Fi. Thankfully, I haven’t had any connectivity problems since. The phone should work on all major carriers in the US, though you may have to do some extra legwork if you’re on AT&T or Verizon (and their subsequent MVNOs) to …

The 10 Best MagSafe Phone Grips for Your Butter Fingers (2026)

The 10 Best MagSafe Phone Grips for Your Butter Fingers (2026)

Published by skeptic

Other MagSafe Grips We’ve Tested Spigen OM104 MagSafe Phone Grip: The OM104 is a phone/grip combo accessory for MagSafe and Qi2 devices that comes with a flexible nylon strap to slide your finger through while holding your phone. Dual magnets and a robust metal construction make the OM104 feel like money well spent, and even after hours of sliding my finger in and out of the strap, it still feels soft, flexible, and most importantly, comfortable. It has one annoying design oversight. As you slide your phone in and out of your pocket, the nylon strap will start to droop down. The strap is longer than the grip itself, so when you close the kickstand, it’ll get pinched inside and won’t allow the stand to fully close. It’s comfortable to use, but that quibble knocks it down. Casely MagRing: Unlike other metal grips we’ve tested, Casely’s MagRing is made of soft silicone. We find it more comfortable on the fingers. It also has a 360-degree swivel, so you can position the grip at virtually any …

The 23 Best iPhone 17 Cases and Accessories Out of More Than 100 (2026)

The 23 Best iPhone 17 Cases and Accessories Out of More Than 100 (2026)

Published by skeptic

A 45-Watt Charger Photograph: Julian Chokkattu Anker Nano 45W With USB-C Cable Did you know your new iPhone can charge faster than ever? With a 40-watt charging adapter, you can get up to 50 percent in just 20 minutes. Your old charger will still be fine, but if you want the fastest speeds, I like this simple, no-frills charger from Anker. At 45W, it covers your bases and can even juice up a laptop like a MacBook Air. The prongs fold up, making it nice for travel, too. I tested it with the iPhone 17 Pro and confirmed that the phone was receiving 35 watts when it was close to zero percent (the iPhone 17 Pro accepts up to 36 watts), which is great. My fast-charge speeds beat Apple’s claims, though. The device went from 7 to 83 percent in 30 minutes. Wowza. Better yet, Anker includes a 6-foot USB-C to USB-C cable. —Julian Chokkattu Other Screen Protectors We’ve Tested Photograph: Julian Chokkattu Spigen AluminaCore Tempered Glass Screen Protector for $28: Spigen’s Glas.tR EZ Fit …

The Screen Time Maximalists Who Spend an Ungodly Amount of Time on Their Phones

The Screen Time Maximalists Who Spend an Ungodly Amount of Time on Their Phones

Published by skeptic

Morgan Dreiss, a copy editor in Orlando, has severe ADHD that they say requires them to always be “doing at least three things at once.” The result? A daily average screen time of 18 hours and 55 minutes. “I’m reading a book or playing a game pretty much from waking to sleeping,” Dreiss tells WIRED. What they read comes from the library app Libby, so the books count toward overall screen engagement. Dreiss currently keeps their phone’s autolock feature disabled so they can continuously run a mobile game that pays out $35 for every 110 hours logged. (They’ve earned about $16 so far.) For years, studies have brought forth worrying data about the potential negative effects of excessive screen time on both physical and cognitive health. Concerns over the neural development and mental health of young people glued to their phones have led to major legislative and courtroom battles; recently a jury found Meta and YouTube liable for designing their platforms with addictive features. While the question of whether one can be clinically “addicted” to …

The iPhone Gets a D- for Repairability

The iPhone Gets a D- for Repairability

Published by skeptic

The iPhone is the least fixable phone on the market, according to repairability experts. Phones from Samsung and Google are not far behind. The latest repairability ratings are from an annual report called “Failing the Fix” put out today by the consumer advocacy group US Pirg. The groups says this is the first report since a 2021 French law that requires products to be labeled with reparability scores could be widely relied on to show how companies are—or are not—making products more repairable. The answer is that repairability is progressing much more quickly in some places than others. The results were good for phones made by Motorola, which got a B+. Google’s phones got a C-. The verdict was worse for Samsung phones, which got a D. Last on the list was Apple with a D-. Apple and Samsung did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Scores were better for laptops than smartphones, with Asus at the top with a B+ and Apple on bottom with its MacBooks at a C-. The authors of …

The Best Samsung Galaxy S26 Cases (2026): S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra

The Best Samsung Galaxy S26 Cases (2026): S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra

Published by skeptic

Other Cases to Consider Photograph: Louryn Strampe Spigen Tough Armor and Nano Pop MagFit Cases: These affordable cases both look and perform well for the price. The Nano Pop case was just a little too slippery for me, and the Tough Armor case kickstand was flimsier than I’d have liked. But if none of our other recommendations tickle your fancy, these options aren’t the worst. Dbrand Tank Case for $60: This case looks very tactical. If that’s the look you’re after, it’s worth considering. For me, I found the back textures to be a little overstimulating and unpleasant. I wasn’t ever able to forget about my phone case. The buttons are swappable, and there are camera covers to help ensure a cohesive aesthetic. The case is durable and sturdy, and it makes it easy to get a good grip on the phone. It just comes down to the kind of design you prefer. Poetic Spartan, Revolution, and Guardian Cases: I thought all three of these cases were just fine. I liked the Revolution’s built-in camera …

The Pixel 10a doesn’t have a camera bump, and it’s great

The Pixel 10a doesn’t have a camera bump, and it’s great

Published by skeptic

For years now, smartphone makers have made the camera bump on devices bigger in order to chase camera improvements. Even if that kind of design makes cameras better, at times it creates usability issues. With the Pixel 10a, Google took a new approach of entirely removing the camera bump and making a flat phone that lies completely on surfaces. While this is a delightful change in the world of big camera bumps, Google hasn’t otherwise made major design changes with its newest budget smartphone. The Pixel 9a looked mostly the same, with a very small camera bump. I have the plain old black unit, but Google offers the phone in Lavender (a mix of bright blue and purple), Berry (coral), and Fog (a gray-green tone) colors. Look! No camera bump Image Credits: Ivan Mehta The screen size of 6.3 inches is the same as last year’s device, but the display is now brighter at 3,000 nits. Google is using the Actua display series of screens that it used with the other Pixel 10 devices to …

The Best Pixel 10 Cases and Accessories (2026): We’ve Tested Dozens

The Best Pixel 10 Cases and Accessories (2026): We’ve Tested Dozens

Published by skeptic

Enter the MagSafe Accessory World Belkin BoostCharge Pro Car Charger I have been testing MagSafe accessories for years, and you should totally take advantage of the vast ecosystem with your new Pixel. Whether you want a magnetic wallet or phone tripod, we have plenty of WIRED-tested recommendations in our guides. Most of them should work without fail on the Pixel 10 series. Here they are: Other Screen Protectors to Consider Photograph: Julian Chokkattu Zagg Glass Elite, Glass Elite Privacy, and XTR4 for $60: I have tested these screen protectors from Zagg on the Pixel 10. Zagg has a streamlined installation process that’s very easy to apply; my application was perfect. The Glass Elite uses aluminosilicate glass that isn’t too thick nor terribly thin, and the edges are rounded so they don’t feel sharp. (They don’t quite extend all the way past the bezels.) I don’t love the notch for the selfie camera because it stands out quite a bit. The Glass Elite Privacy is a two-way privacy screen protector, meaning folks on either side of …

13 Best MagSafe Wallets (2026), Tested IRL

13 Best MagSafe Wallets (2026), Tested IRL

Published by skeptic

Other Good MagSafe Wallets Photograph: Jacob Roach ESR Geo Wallet Stand for $43: Apple’s Find My app lets you track your devices if they’re lost, and ESR’s Geo wallet has it built right into the wallet itself. This is the wallet I’ve been using for the past few weeks, and outside of the Find My capabilities, I love that it strikes a great balance between size and usability. ESR says it can hold up to three cards, but I’ve been using mine with four—three cards plus my ID—and I can get them all out easily. Although having a wallet with magnetic charging pins is weird—the Find My feature requires a battery that lasts three months—you can turn it off if you don’t care for it (but then, maybe just buy a different wallet). It does kind of suck that you need a proprietary charger to recharge your wallet. The magnets adhere well to the back of the phone, and you can pop the wallet open and use it as a kickstand. ESR even includes a …