Google Chrome is generally thought of as a pretty safe browser to use, but that doesn’t make it an impenetrable fortress, and a Chrome exploit used to distribute malware is the latest proof of that. A zero-day is an exploit that, once discovered, is immediately used to attack an entity or other users. This gives the company that makes the software that contains the exploit zero days to prepare for its malicious use. Instead, they’re forced to work on patching the previously unknown vulnerability after the fact.
According to a report from Bleeping Computer, a zero-day was recently used to target a variety of entities by distributing malware. Reported targets include Russian media outlets, educational institutions, and financial institutions. The malware, known as ‘Dante,’ is said to be a piece of commercial spyware. It was also reportedly created by Memento Labs, an Italian company formerly known as Hacker Team.
The Chrome exploit that was distributing malware was discovered by Kaspersky
Dante was initially discovered back in March of this year, as malware used as part of an attack called Operation ForumTroll that targeted Russian organizations. However, it wasn’t until recently that Kaspersky shared more intricate details of the malware and its inner workings.
As noted by Kaspersky, the initial point of infection from this malware occurred when users clicked a link in a phishing email. Once at the malicious website, the victims were “verified” and then the exploit was executed.
According to reports, these phishing emails were sending out invites to Russian organizations to attend the Primakov Readings forum.
Kaspersky further details that the Dante software, as well as other tools used in Operation ForumTroll, were developed by Memento Labs, linking the company to these attacks in some form. It’s worth noting that this company isn’t 100% confirmed to be behind the attacks. As noted by Bleeping Computer, there is a possibility that someone else was behind the zero-day attack and distribution of the malware.
Xbox has a new rival in town, and you might be surprised to know that it’s TikTok, as well as movies, that keep the Head of Xbox Game Studios up at night. Not PlayStation, not Nintendo. A social media application available on Android and iOS, and those motion picture films that you used to flock to theaters to see, but can now more easily than ever before watch from the comfort of your own couch.
It’s likely strange hearing that a video game company isn’t considering other video game companies its competitors anymore. That’s understandable. Xbox targeting TikTok and movies as its new rivals probably feels entirely random. As random as it might feel, if PlayStation were to stop competing with other video game companies and start targeting fast food chains. On a surface level, it doesn’t make any sense. But if you dig a little deeper, you can start to see the direction that Xbox is probably taking, in addition to the reason it’s taking it.
Xbox probably sees TikTok and movies as its new rivals because it’s competing for your time
To be clear, this has always been the case. Video games are a form of entertainment, and as long as they’ve been around, they’ve had to compete for your time with any other form of entertainment. So, that’s not an entirely new aspect of things. However, things have changed quite a bit. Now more than ever, entertainment through mediums like movies and TikTok is commanding the time of everyone, from teenagers to full-blown adults.
TikTok consumption is on such a massive scale that it wouldn’t be surprising to learn if some users were avoiding all other forms of entertainment to scroll through new clips. There likely are some users out there who are like this. Microsoft and its Xbox team appear to think so, and this is likely a big reason why it considers TikTok one of its new main rivals.
This is just speculation, of course, but it’s the most reasonable assumption that can be made. TikTok, movies, and streaming video make up a huge chunk of media consumption these days. Naturally, Xbox wants users to spend time playing games as opposed to watching videos. So, it’s setting its sights on those types of services.
The Xbox, as we know it, has changed forever
The days of Xbox being the third console behemoth in the market are long gone. This console platform of the early 2000s and 2010s has transformed into something entirely different. It’s not dead per se, but it’s certainly dead in the sense that the Xbox that fans have loved for two decades isn’t the same. Not only is Microsoft now targeting social media apps as its new rival, but its Xbox consoles won’t be traditional consoles anymore. The next Xbox will reportedly be a Windows gaming PC with an Xbox UI layer on top. It’s a new age for Xbox. For better or worse, this is the path Microsoft has chosen to take.
Rumors of the next-gen Xbox console powered by Windows, making it a full-fledged gaming PC, began floating to the surface of the news cycle earlier this month. Now, it seems that those rumors actually have weight to them. So much weight that the rumors are reportedly true.
When the rumors first popped up, we said it sounded like the next console would just be an expensive gaming PC. That’s exactly what Microsoft is going for, according to Windows Central. (It is worth noting that this report is based on “trusted sources within Microsoft.” So, Microsoft itself has not publicly announced these details). This probably comes as no surprise to some. The ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally launched on October 16, and both feature a new software experience. It’s called the Xbox Fullscreen Experience, and it’s designed to be more of a console-like user interface than Windows 11.
One of the main complaints that Windows 11 handhelds have had so far is that they don’t feel like handheld consoles, which is essentially what they are. The Xbox Fullscreen Experience takes steps to address that issue. In most ways, it does a fine job at this. All your games are accessible right from one place. This includes games across clients like the Xbox app, Steam, Ubisoft Connect, and more. The next Xbox console is following in these footsteps.
Microsoft’s next Xbox console is a Windows PC, but it will have a console-style UI
The important bit here for console fans is that the new Xbox will have a console-style UI. Similar to, or perhaps exactly like, the Xbox Fullscreen Experience for the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally. The console experience will be layered on top of Windows, just like those handhelds. It will also boot into this experience as soon as you power it on, as opposed to booting into Windows first.
There is a major difference, though. As Windows Central reports, those who prefer this console UI can stay within it indefinitely. With no requirement to ever leave it. That means updates, game installs, etc., will all be doable from this experience. For comparison, with the ROG Xbox Ally X, if you want to update anything, it all has to be done from the Windows side of things. It’s not a great experience, all things considered. The next console is reportedly not going to have this problem. That’s a big step in the right direction if you want a console to be a console.
That being said, gamers will have the option to move to the Windows layout if they want to play games from other clients, such as Steam, or play Windows games that run in their own client and aren’t available on Xbox.
It’s still unclear what the price is going to be. However, Xbox President Sarah Bond did confirm that the next-gen Xbox will be a “very premium, very high-end, curated experience.” So, chances are the next Xbox won’t be as affordable as some people are hoping.
If you’ve ever been on a car trip with the family, then you know how irritating it can be if everyone needs to charge their devices and there’s not enough charging ports to go around. That’s why this deal on the UGREEN 145W retractable car charger is such a good deal. For $34.99, you get a car charger that can charge up to four devices at once. Not only that, but it has one of the USB-C cables already available as it retracts into the charger when not in use. Then, there are three other ports available, so you can plug three more cables in to charge three additional devices. Normally, this car charger would cost you $50.
That price means this is 30% off right now, and it’s the lowest price in the last 30 days. Just imagine, for $35, you could solve everyone’s charging problems for the next family road trip. Alternatively, this serves as a great way to charge several of your own devices at a time. Like your phone, earbuds, and maybe a gaming handheld if you take one with you everywhere you go. And with a 145W output, you have plenty of juice to charge everything simultaneously. It’s also worth noting that this has enough power to charge your laptop.
While you could probably find a car charger for less money, it probably won’t be as good as this one or as useful.
There aren’t many excellent phones you can pick up for a price under $500, which is what makes this deal on the 2024 Motorola razr so good and, dare we say, tempting. At its normal price of $699.99, the 2024 Motorola razr is a pretty good value, but at its current sale price of $399.99, it’s almost like you’re stealing from Motorola and Amazon.
This is a 43% discount for a foldable smartphone, which is evidence of two things. One, foldable smartphone prices are likely starting to come down to more reasonable levels, and Amazon probably has some stock of this phone that it’s trying to chew through. Either way, if you like the idea of a foldable phone but have held off because of the cost, now is the perfect time to get this one.
The 2024 Motorola razr is powered by a 4,200mAh battery that should last you all day and then some. The phone has pretty fast charging as well. So when the battery drains completely, it shouldn’t take long to power the phone back up. It has a 50MP camera for photos as well, and it comes unlocked so it can work on any major US carrier. The large cover screen display isn’t just for show. It can display the time, date, and even run several apps, allowing you to interact with some of the phone’s features.
Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge is the company’s thinnest phone, and as of right now, it has a price that’s almost as thin as its design, thanks to Amazon’s currently available deal. With a price that’s nearly as low as it was during Amazon’s October Prime Day, this is definitely a deal you probably want to take advantage of, especially since this deal is for the 512GB model, making this the all-time low price for this variant. The Galaxy S25 Edge can now be picked up for $729.99. While that’s not quite as low as the $689.99 price from a few weeks ago, you’re getting double the storage for almost the same cost. The 512GB model also usually costs $1,219.99, so this is almost $500 off.
If you like the Galaxy S25 series but wanted a phone that was thinner than any of those three models, the Galaxy S25 Edge is that device. It features the best parts of the Galaxy S25 Ultra but with a lower price and a thinner body. That includes the 200MP main camera, as well as all of the Galaxy AI smarts. Another important distinction to make is that the storage amount is 512GB. This is only $40 away from the price of the 256GB model a few weeks ago. That’s truly where the value lies in this deal.
The Galaxy S25 Edge is running on Android 15 but should be getting the upgrade to Android 16 soon enough. You’ll still get plenty of awesome features out of the box, though. For instance, the Morning Brief, Midday Brief, and Evening Brief will lay out key pieces of information about your day during those times. It’s pretty useful if you like to compartmentalize your day.
Gaming smartphones used to be an extremely niche product, and while they technically still are, there are a lot more phones out there these days that can be considered suitable gaming smartphones. Even if they aren’t marketed as such. With that in mind, consumers have more choices for a gaming smartphone than ever before. With more options comes more of a challenge in finding the best gaming smartphones available, because you have a higher chance of picking something that isn’t a good phone for gaming.
That being said, we’ve set out to find all the best gaming smartphones for you to make this process easier. There will be some obvious choices and some maybe not so obvious, but all of them will be viable for playing mobile games if that’s the kind of device you’re looking for.
Here are the best gaming smartphones you can buy in 2025.
Best Gaming Smartphone
If you want the best gaming smartphone available, then there are a couple that would easily fit into this category; however, we’re recommending the REDMAGIC 10S Pro as the phone to beat. Not only is it extremely capable because of its specifications, but it was purpose-built for mobile gaming and offers some specialized gaming features. It’s also available at a very reasonable and affordable base price compared to another high-end option we had in mind. At the end of the day, the REDMAGIC 10S Pro provides a basically pound-for-pound experience and has a lower price. So, this is the best for anyone who wants a dedicated gaming smartphone. At least for now. We’re a few months out from the end of the year, and eventually, new gaming smartphone models will arise.
REDMAGIC 10S Pro
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Starting at $699
REDMAGIC’s 10S Pro is an excellent example of what a gaming phone should be – affordable, powerful, and full of features that cater to the gamer. After years of development and several iterations, the REDMAGIC 10S Pro is the product of a lot of hard work to create something that mobile gamers will be proud to have.
It offers several advantages, and while it comes in at a lower price point than direct competitors, it doesn’t skimp on performance. It doesn’t give an inch. That’s an impressive feat and it’s one of the reasons why it’s the best gaming phone available for most people in 2025.
Pros
Great battery life
Charges up super fast
Exceptional performance
Good camera
Affordable price point
Display provides an awesome visual experience
Cons
Fingerprint magnet
Can get extremely warm during high-intensity tasks
No wireless charging
The REDMAGIC 10S Pro has a lot of unique features that other high-end phones won’t have, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s a special phone for mobile gaming enthusiasts. The key feature, at least in our eyes, is the ultrasonic triggers that sit on top of the phone when you’re holding the phone in landscape mode for playing games. These act just like the triggers on a controller. These are perfect for shooter games, but you can map these triggers to any in-game control so you could use them for any game you want, as long as that games plays in landscape mode.
This phone also has a pretty large battery capacity and a really good cooling system. The latter helps ensure the phone stays capable of operating at optimal temperatures to sustain that high performance for longer periods of time. Then of course, you can pick this phone up with large amounts of RAM and storage, and it’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which is extremely powerful for mobile games.
Display: 6.85-inch AMOLED
Brightness: 2,000 nits
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
RAM and Storage: 12GB, 16GB, or 24GB RAM / 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage
Cameras: 50MP+50MP+2MP
Battery: 7050mAh Dual Cell Battery
Charging: 80W wired
Colors: Nightfall, Dusk, Moonlight
Android Version: Android 15
Software Support: 2 years of major OS updates and 3 years of security updates
AI Software: AI Trigger, Circle to Search, AI Photo Search AI image editing, real-time translations, call subtitles
Camera Score: Not tested by DXOMark
Camera Features: AI-powered image editing, Portrait Mode, Milky Way Night, Pro, Camera-Family
Battery Life Score: 25 hours and 42 minutes (Ranked 4th among phones Android Headlines has reviewed)
Charging Time: 44 minutes
Review
REDMAGIC 10S Pro Ultimate Review: The Gaming Phone for Everyone
REDMAGIC burst onto the scene years ago, but the brand has really started to push the envelope within the last…
by Justin Diaz
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Best Premium Gaming Smartphone
When it comes to premium gaming phones, there’s really only one choice, and this year it’s the ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro. At a retail price of $1,299, it is most certainly not cheap but you get a top-of-the-line gaming smartphone with an exceptional experience for mobile gaming. While some of us here at Android Headlines personally like it more than the REDMAGIC 10S Pro, the 10S Pro is still the best offering because of its price and similar performance. However, if money is no object and you’re not concerned about the price, then this is the gaming phone you go with. ASUS spared no expense, and you might not want to either.
ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
$1,299
The ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro released early in the year, making it one of the first phones to launch with the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It was officially launched in November of 2024, but it didn’t reach the US until January of 2025. It has an admittedly pretty good camera for a gaming phone. We say this because gaming phones typically have not had very good cameras. ASUS and REDMAGIC have started to change this and the ROG Phone 9 Pro has what is likely the best camera of any “gaming phone” that’s currently available.
Of course, the real magic lies in the special software features in the Armoury Crate app, as well as the popular AirTriggers. ASUS pioneered this feature and it has since spread to other gaming phone devices in similar forms. Still, they feel the best on the ROG devices.
Pros
AirTriggers are incredibly responsive
Best-in-class cooling system
Top-notch performance
Best camera of any ROG Phone to date
Advanced gaming software features enhance the user experience
Cons
Expensive
Not widely available
Short lifespan on major OS updates
The AirTriggers are one of the best things about this device. They give your phone trigger-like ultrasonic buttons that act like the triggers on a controller. ASUS is no longer the only brand to offer a feature like this, but it is the brand that offers the best-feeling triggers on a gaming phone. Plus, it has some excellent gaming software, with the most advanced features we’ve seen yet thanks to ASUS”s infusion of AI-powered functions.
It also has the best cooling of any gaming phone we’ve ever used, which allows it to keep sustained performance at a high level beyond other devices. You could play the most demanding games on this phone for a couple of hours and barely notice any change in surface temperature. At least, it wouldn’t get to the point where things are uncomfortable. This wasn’t the case with some of the older ROG Phone models, so ASUS came a long way with this one. There is, of course, the addition of large amounts of RAM and storage capacity, though, this isn’t specific to the ROG Phone 9 Pro. It’s just one of the really great things about it.
Display: 6.78 inch FHD+ 2400 x1080
Brightness: 2,500 nits peak, 1,600 nits HBM
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
RAM and Storage: 16GB or 24GB RAM / 512GB or 1TB storage
Software Support: 2 years of major OS updates and 3 years of security updates
AI Software: X Sense, X Capture, X Grabber
Camera Score: Not tested by DXOMark
Camera Features: AI Object Sense, AI HyperClarity, AI Portrait Video, 4K video, 8K video
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Best Non-Gaming Smartphone For Gaming
Gaming phones aren’t for everybody, and that’s understandable. They focus mostly on gaming as the key features, so naturally, a few other things may take a backseat. That being said, there are still consumers out there who like mobile gaming but want something that does other things really, really well. Thankfully, some brands, like Samsung, have put an emphasis on mobile gaming in recent years while still managing to deliver a phone that’s excellent for mobile gaming, but it’s not an actual gaming phone. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is the best phone to go for if you want something that can perform well with mobile games, that isn’t actually a gaming phone. That means you won’t get any special gaming-centric hardware features here, but it’ll run games effortlessly thanks to its powerful hardware.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Rating
starstarstarstarstar_empty
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is not a gaming phone but it is a good phone for games, because it’s good at pretty much everything it can do. It has great cameras, it has lots of storage, and it has a powerful chipset for high performance. Plus, it has a big screen with great resolution and vibrant colors. In other words, you’ll get a good screen size for games and the colors in those games will look amazing. Of course, it can’t be forgotten that this device has plenty of AI-powered software features to make everyday use outside of games more convenient.
Samsung has also taken great pains to increase mobile gaming performance and improve the user experience while playing games. This includes the use of a vapor chamber for better cooling, and even some gaming software features. It’s an all-around great device for more than just gaming. But, when it comes time to game, this phone won’t let you down.
Pros
Good Cameras
LOG Video recording for aspiring YouTubers
Class-leading battery life
Improved charging
Useful AI Features
7 years of Updates!
Cons
No Dolby Vision support
S Pen losses Bluetooth support
Still Expensive
What makes this phone special is that it’s a high-performance phone that can be used for mobile gaming, but it’s not really a gaming phone. So, as a user, you just end up with a really, really nice premium phone that can just happens to be able to play games well. Not just well, but at top-tier levels, given its RAM, storage, and Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.
It’s a device that is just as suitable for everything else people love to do with mobile phones as it is for mobile gaming. It doesn’t look like a gaming phone either. That is most certainly going to appeal to some people who like games but don’t like the over-used gamer aesthetic. Even better is that you can use this phone for years to come. Samsung has promised 7 years of major OS updates, security updates, and feature updates. Which means, you’ll still be getting new versions of Android in 5 years. This isn’t something that was typical until Google’s Pixel 8 series. Samsung followed and promised 7 years of updates with last year’s Galaxy S24 series, and it’s continuing to do so here. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is an expensive phone as well, but it does a lot and it does it all pretty well.
Display: 6.9″ Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X 120Hz. Brightness: 2,600 nits peak Protection: Corning Gorilla Armor 2 Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy RAM and Storage: 12GB RAM, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB Storage Cameras: 200MP primary camera at f/1.7, 10MP 3x telephoto at f/2.4, 50MP 5x telephoto at f/3.4, and 50MP ultrawide at f/1.9. Battery: 5,000mAh Charging: 45W wired and 15W wireless. 4.5W reverse wireless also available Colors: Titanium Silver Blue, Titanium Black, Titanium White Silver, Titanium Gray, Titanium Jade Green, Titanium Jet Black, Titanium Pink Gold
Android Version: Android 16 (One UI 8)
Software Support: 7 years of updates (through January 2032)
AI Software: Galaxy AI, Gemini, and Circle to Search
Camera Score: 151 via DXOMark (Ranked 26th globally)
Camera features: Up to 100x zoom, 10-bit HDR recording, 8K video recording, LOG video mode, ProVisual Engine + Next-Gen Camera AI.
Battery life Score: 22 hours and 3 minutes (Ranked 22nd among phones Android Headlines has reviewed)
Charging time: 1 hour and 14 seconds.
Review
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Ultimate Review: More Than Meets The Eye
On the surface, it looks like Samsung did the bare minimum to release a new flagship phone. However, once you…
by Alexander Maxham
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Best Mid-Range Gaming Smartphone
The OnePlus 13R is perhaps the best option for a phone that excels at mobile gaming in the budget category. It doesn’t cost a whole lot these days, and it’s still using some pretty powerful specs for a phone. Even if the chipset is from last year, it’s still last year’s flagship chipset from Qualcomm. Which is only a little less powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
OnePlus has also done some work to make its phones good for mobile gaming. The company included vapor chambers, added some gaming-centric software features, and, of course, the phones use good specs that allow the phone to run games well with high settings. This is another device that isn’t really a gaming phone, but it does play mobile games really well, all at a fraction of the cost of premium devices and actual gaming phones.
OnePlus 13R
Rating
starstarstarstarstar_empty
$599
Much like the OnePlus 12R, the OnePlus 13R prides itself on being capable in many different areas and that includes gaming. The approach is similar to Samsung with a focus on using high-quality components to ensure that gaming performance is smooth, but without alienating the crowd of consumers who doesn’t like the style of gaming phones or the fact that they can drop the ball in a few areas, most notably the camera, although not always. The OnePlus 13R shines in most areas including with battery life (so you can play games for longer), and it does these things while managing to keep the price tag a reasonable amount. How does OnePlus keep the price lower? Mainly by using last year’s chipset. This is the gaming phone for anyone who wants something mainstream, with excellent performance, great features, and a stylish design.
Pros
Great, smooth display
Outstanding performance
Solid main camera performance
Battery life is its strong suit
Very fast (wired) charging
Plenty fast fingerprint scanner
Cons
Poor ultrawide camera performance
No wireless charging
The thing that makes this phone special the most is that it has top-tier gaming performance at a price of $599. Thanks to the use of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as opposed to the Snapdragon 8 Elite, OnePlus was able to keep the price lower than its flagship OnePlus 13. There are other differences, of course, but this one factor helped a lot. Yet, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is still a flagship chipset, just from one year prior, and that makes it a very good chip for games. OnePlus has also kept the vapor chamber and even improved on it from the previous year. Not to mention, it has put some focus toward enhancing mobile gaming through a few software features. There was a time that only brands who made official gaming phones would pay attention to this detail. More and more brands who make devices for the masses are catering to gamers too. And OnePlus is one of them.
It charges up extremely fast as well, when you use the wired charger, and that bodes well for the gamer who plays for long periods of time and needs to charge up the device as much as possible before having to rush out the door. By all accounts this is a great phone for gaming if you’re on a smaller budget and don’t want to compromise too much on performance.
Display: 6.78 LTPO AMOLED 120Hz
Brightness: 4,500 nits peak
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 7i
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM and Storage: 12GB/16GB RAM ; 256GB/512GB Storage
Cameras: 50MP primary camera at f/1.8, 8MP ultrawide at f/2.2, 50MP telephoto at f/2.0
Battery: 6,000mAh
Charging: 80W wired
Colors: Astral Trail, Nebula Noir
Android Version: Android 15 (OxygenOS 15)
Software Support: 4 years of major Android updates
AI Software: Gemini, Circle to Search, OnePlus AI
Camera Score: N/A
Camera features: Color spectrum sensor, HDR, 4K video recording at 60 fps, gyro-EIS
Battery life Score: 18 hours and 55 minutes (ranked 43rd among phones Android Headlines has reviewed)
Charging time: 44 minutes and 30 seconds
Announcement
OnePlus 13R Packs a Punch Without Breaking the Bank
Alongside the OnePlus 13 today, the OnePlus 13R was also announced. This is the company’s cheaper flagship offering with last…
by Alexander Maxham
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Best Budget Gaming Smartphone
If you’re looking to go even less expensive than the OnePlus 13R, then the Poco X7 Pro 5G is the phone for you. It’s the best bang for your buck if mobile gaming is a huge focal point in choosing a new phone to upgrade to. While it won’t have the best performance of any phone on the market, it has considerably good performance, and it costs under $400. That’s a price-to-performance value you can’t really argue against. Plus, the phone doesn’t look too bad in terms of design.
Poco X7 Pro 5G
Rating
starstarstarstarstar_empty
$360
The Poco X7 Pro 5G is the kind of phone you consider when you want something that was built with mobile gaming in mind, but for the crowd of consumer who doesn’t want to spend more than a few hundred dollars.
At an average price of around $360, the Poco X7 Pro 5G from Xiaomi is a testament to what you can produce for less money when you put some effort into the development process. While it won’t beat out the top-tier devices, the Poco X7 Pro will have no problem delivering a quality gaming experience to the user. If you don’t care so much about having the absolute best, this is the device we’re recommending because it’s affordable, and it performs well. Not to mention it has a huge battery, so it’ll last a while between charges, too.
Pros
Pretty powerful chipset for a budget device
Massive 6,000mAh battery
Affordable price point
90W charging support
Slim bezels
120Hz display with decent resolution
Cons
underwhelming camera
Performance won’t quite match top-tier phones
What makes this phone truly special is that it can play mobile games with pretty good performance that most mobile gamers are likely to find acceptable, all without charging the consumer more than a few hundred dollars. This is the biggest draw of the Poco X7 Pro 5G. You’ll pay under $400 for it, and you’ll end up with a device that pumps out decent performance and has a long-lasting battery.
With a 120Hz display and ultra-slim bezels, gaming visuals will be presented in a delightful way so you can enjoy more of your game time without distractions. Plus, the slimmer bezels just look nicer overall. It also comes with an IP68 rating for dust resistance and water resistance. An IP68 rating on phones this inexpensive isn’t as common, so this is definitely a standout feature of the design.
Earlier this year, Google announced that a Fitbit Personal Health Coach was coming to eligible devices, such as the Pixel Watch 4, and this week, it’s entering an early preview phase. This brings it one step closer to being fully launched, although it will take a little more time to get there, Google admits. This early preview will serve as a way for users to test the new feature and give some feedback to Google so that it can improve where things need to be improved. “Building this health coach takes time, rigor, and input to make sure it works well for everyone, which is why we’re starting with a preview and asking for your honest feedback,” Google says.
Since this is a preview, Google is quick to point out that everything it has mentioned as part of the preview is “by no means a comprehensive list of everything it can do.” That means users can expect it to do even more than what Google has announced so far. Which, by the way, includes everything from creating workouts on the fly to understanding more about specific health conditions. These don’t even have to be health conditions you have. It can just be something you’re particularly interested in learning more about.
The Fitbit Health Coach early preview begins October 28
Good news for anyone who wants to try this out: you’ll be able to give the Personal Health Coach a try starting tomorrow, October 28. Google doesn’t mention a specific time, so you may just have to end up keeping an eye on the Fitbit apps on your devices.
Google says you will need an eligible device to check it out, and this includes Pixel Watch and Fitbit devices. You also need to be a Fitbit Premium subscriber, as this will be a Fitbit Premium feature. Once the feature begins rolling out, users will be able to spend about 5 to 10 minutes having a conversation with their AI-powered fitness coach to get the ball rolling. Doing this isn’t mandatory to begin using the preview, as Google notes you can come back to it later, but it does seem to be recommended.
It’s also worth noting that this preview doesn’t have access to everything the current version of the Fitbit app has. A lot of features are missing. This includes menstrual health logging and tracking, body temp logging and tracking, social features like friends and leaderboards, and a host of others.
That being said, this is a preview, and Google confirms that users can swap back and forth. So, it isn’t a one way or another kind of situation. You can have both, just not in one app experience yet.
If you’ve got an iPhone or a phone with a MagSafe-compatible case, then you should definitely consider picking up this MagSafe phone grip accessory, because this Amazon deal knocks the price down to just $8.98. That’s a respectable price for an accessory like this one, which has multiple uses. Normally, this thing is also $11.99 at full price, so why not save a few extra bucks, right?
As for what this does, it’s a MagSafe phone grip. It has a ring shape on it that allows you to slip your finger through and hold the phone more securely. This is great for holding the device one-handed, especially if you’re typing. This also serves as a kickstand, and its design allows it to be used as a kickstand while the phone is in landscape or horizontal orientations.
This is a neat little trick because once you’re done holding it, you can set it down on your desk or table or any other flat surface, and prop the kickstand part out to stand the phone up. It doesn’t charge your device, so if you need to charge the phone and want to charge it via the MagSafe, then you’ll have to take this off while you do that. You also won’t have to be worried about safety with this magnet accessory attached, because it has a super-strong magnet inside. It’s strong enough to hold up to 5.5 lbs., which is around 2,500g, and that’s more than enough to keep your phone attached.
Charging up your devices can be a pain in the neck if you don’t have enough outlets to plug everything in, but luckily, this deal on the flat 6-in-1 charging station from Anker can save you from those terrible moments. As the name suggests, the Anker Nano 6-in-1 flat charging station will let you charge or power up to six devices at a time. Normally, this charging station accessory would end up costing you $49.99. However, Amazon has it on sale for $37.99 today.
Aside from having the capability to power six devices, here’s what makes this charging station so good. First, it has a flat plug. With the flat plug, you can easily plug the charging station into an outlet, even if it’s behind furniture. Ideally, you wouldn’t need this sort of solution. However, sometimes the only available outlets are stuck behind couches, desks, or other furniture that needs to be up against the wall. The flat plug allows you to bypass this hurdle. The charging station itself is also quite flat, with two additional AC outlets and four USB ports. Two of those USB ports are USB-C.
And if it wasn’t already obvious from the picture, the cable is also thin and flat, which not only helps it fit behind stuff but also does a good job at preventing it from tangling up. The main reasons for grabbing an accessory like this are to charge multiple devices at once and help get rid of cable clutter from multiple chargers. This also comes in three colors.
Google’s Pixel Watch 3 is still one of the best smartwatches out there that you can buy. Even at its regular price, it’s an enticing purchase because it has plenty of awesome features, and it’s Google’s first watch to come in a 45mm size. Still, it becomes an even better value when you can save money on it, and that time is now, as Amazon has it on sale for $100 off.
Normally, the Pixel Watch 3 in the 45mm size would cost you $299. However, Amazon has it on sale for $199. This is the all-time low price for the watch, and quite honestly, well worth it if you don’t feel like spending close to $200 more for the latest model.
The Pixel Watch 3 features everything from advanced sleep tracking to automatic activity tracking of several different types of exercises. Naturally, it works as a great device to keep you informed on smartphone notifications without having to pull your phone out of your pocket or purse or wherever else you may have it stowed away. Plus, now that it has Gemini available, the watch has become even more useful. You can also use the Pixel Watch 3 for Google Pay payments at checkout stands and for Google Maps directions. You can even set navigation up to display the navigation on the watch display, which makes driving navigation way easier, as you can just lift your wrist for a quick peek.
If you’re looking for a pair of inexpensive true wireless earbuds, earbuds that will still be decent quality without breaking the bank, then make sure to check out this deal on the Baseus Bass BC1 earbuds. Amazon has them on sale for $27.98 right now. These normally cost $39.99, so why not save yourself another $12? The Baseus Bass BC1 earbuds are an open-style earbud. What that means is that the BC1 are designed to provide your music with a more open soundstage that allows your music to sound more natural.
You won’t get as much noise isolation with these and they don’t feature active noise cancellation. If you want a more open sound, ANC is going to be the opposite of that. So these are definitely what you’re looking for. The BC1 also offer up pretty good comfort with a battery life that lasts for up to 7.5 hours on a single charge. With the charging case, battery life is up to 38 hours. So, they’ll last you a while. Additionally, they’re IP55 dust and water-resistant, and they have decent bass, as the name suggests.
The earbuds also boast 4 mics powered by AI that are meant to make your calls more clear, specifically with your voice so the person on the other end hears you more clearly. These are great for basic everyday wear but they’re also pretty good for more active stuff like exercise. Plus, they come in three different colors. All of which are available at this price.
One of UGREEN’s best charging stands is available on sale thanks to this Amazon deal, and if you’ve got a phone that supports MagSafe and wireless charging, then you definitely want to check out the UGREEN MagFlow 2-In-1 wireless charging stand. While official MagSafe is only built into iPhones, Android phones with wireless charging support and a MagSafe-compatible case can use this stand as well. The Pixel 10 series also works with the stand without a case. Normally, this charging stand would cost you $35.99. However, you can now grab it for $23.99. This is a great price for this accessory and is definitely worth it.
The UGREEN MagFlow stand is designed to charge your phone and a pair of true wireless earbuds. The pair of earbuds it actually charges will depend on which ones you have. This was technically designed for use with the AirPods series, but it also works with the Pixel Buds Pro 2. It should also work with any true wireless earbuds that have a case small enough to where the wireless charging portion of the case fits on the wireless charging part of the stand.
There is one important thing about this charging stand that you need to make note of. It does not come with its own wall adapter. So, you will need to plug it into one. If you don’t have one, the UGREEN Nexode 30W charger is an excellent choice, because it’s compact and it works well with UGREEN’s other products.
There’s been a surge lately of chargers that come with retractable USB-C cables and it’s a trend we love to see, especially when a deal like this one on the Anker Nano Charger pops up and saves consumers money. The Anker Nano Charger would normally cost you $39.99, but you can pick it up for $29.99 instead, and save yourself $10.
Now, what’s great about this charger isn’t just that it comes with a retractable USB-C cable, which Anker calls the InstaCord, it also has a USB-C port. This allows you to plug in a USB-C cable and charge a second device at the same time. Worth keeping in mind is that this is a 35W charger, so if you’re using both the cable and the port simultaneously, both devices that are plugged in will charge a little more slowly. Still, it’s a nice convenience if you have a second device that needs some battery life replenished.
Another thing you’ll love about this charger, just like we do, is that it’s compact and super portable. This is thanks to the retractable cable, but also the folding plug. With the cable retracted into the charger and the plug folded up, there’s no cable to be tangled up and no plug to catch on pockets when you go to store this thing. The retractable cable also makes it so you can have only as much cable as you need.
Google and Anthropic are both companies that have placed some big bets on the AI space, and now the two are working together through a partnership for a new cloud deal. Both companies officially announced the new partnership this week, and it has the potential to be a big money maker for Google. Google already makes a substantial amount of money from its cloud services, ad business, and other avenues, but this is shaping up to be what is likely an easy win for the search company.
According to the report, Google is providing Anthropic with Tensor Processing Units for Anthropic’s own endeavors. In other words, Anthropic is buying AI chips from Google to use in its future AI advancements. This deal is worth multiple billions, and is yet another way that Google is solidifying itself as a major player in the AI space. Google already operates and offers several AI-powered products and services from Gemini to NotebookLM and beyond. This deal with Anthropic allows it to stay within the AI space, but without many of the other hurdles it might have to go through if it were announcing a new AI product or service under its own umbrella. Essentially, Google is operating a little more like NVIDIA here. Providing the compute hardware, while Anthropic plans to use that for its own services.
Google will provide up to 1 million TPUs to Anthropic as part of the cloud deal
This is where things really start to add up in terms of revenue. Exact numbers haven’t been provided in terms of how many TPUs Anthropic is actually buying. However, it’s reported that the deal allows it to buy up to 1 million of Google’s custom-designed TPUs. The company is “expected to bring well over 1-gigawatt of AI compute capacity online” next year.
That 1 gigawatt could cost Anthropic close to $50 billion, and $35 billion of that is said to be the potential cost of the chips. So, Google could stand to make around $35 billion from this deal. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian praises Anthropic for recognizing the “strong price-performance and efficiency” of Google’s TPUs for several years.
Razer is back with yet another new console controller, and this time it’s geared towards PS5 owners, as the company has just launched the Raiju V3 Pro. If you remember the last Raiju from a few years ago, throw that idea out the window. Razer has made several improvements. Not the least of which was the removal of the Razer Chroma RGB lighting. This only really served to give the player short-term visual gratification and, more importantly, drained battery life.
The new Razer Raiju V3 Pro does away with the Chroma to preserve battery life. It also adds some very important upgrades to help extend the longevity of the hardware. Of course, the controller looks pretty similar to the last model, albeit with a few minor tweaks. It also features Razer’s signature Hyper Triggers and comes in a matte black colorway that Razer has been known for since its inception. It’s available in White as well.
The Razer Raiju V3 Pro comes with TMR thumbsticks
One of the biggest issues with DualSense controllers, including the DualSense Edge, is the use of standard thumbsticks that use standard potentiometers. These can often lead to thumbstick drift, and thumbstick drift can lead to bad experiences in games. The Raiju V3 Pro combats this by using TMR (Tension Magnetic Resistance) thumbsticks. These are even more advanced than Hall Effect thumbsticks. They also deliver consistent tension. If you play any games that can be tough on the thumbsticks, such as FPS titles or fighting games, then this controller is for you.
Of course, the inclusion of Razer’s Hyper Triggers is also a nice addition for shooter fans. A quick flick of the switch on the back near the triggers will lock these into more of a mouse-click style trigger pull. Although it’s worth noting that while the trigger pull feels about as short, they feel a little more spongy on the Raiju V3 Pro than Razer’s Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC controller. It’s a very subtle difference, but noticeable if you use the controllers every day.
You can also swap out the thumbsticks for domed or concave, depending on what you prefer. The four remappable back buttons are also removable if you ever don’t want them for certain games. Plus, you still have two remappable claw bumpers if you want additional controls you can customize. One of the best parts about the Raiju V3 Pro is battery life. Razer doesn’t officially list the battery life in the controller specs. However, it’s quite high compared to your standard DualSense, DualSense Edge, or other pro controllers like the Reflex from SCUF. The only downside here is that the Raiju V3 Pro isn’t available in the US yet. It was supposed to launch today, but Razer is awaiting regulatory approval before it goes up for sale. When it does launch in the US, it’ll retail for $219.99.
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