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Sound off on the OnePlus 6T!
It's been six months since OnePlus released the 6T with an unusual dewdrop notch and in-display fingerprint reader. As the first OnePlus phone to get a US carrier deal (through T-Mobile), the 6T was met with mostly positive reviews. Engadget senior editor Richard Lai even called it a "no brainer for those seeking a stylish flagship Android phone." Despite lacking a headphone jack and being saddled with a slow fingerprint reader, the smartphone's exceptional camera, long-lasting battery and AMOLED screen performed well enough for Richard to award it a solid score of 89.
Our readers tell us what’s wrong with the Google Pixel Slate
Though he's well-known around the Engadget office for being a Chromebook enthusiast, deputy managing editor Nathan Ingraham found little to recommend about Google's Pixel Slate. It would appear, given the responses from our user reviews page, that many real-world owners feel the same. Despite having a lovely 12.3-inch display, a comfortable keyboard folio and solid battery life, the Pixel Slate floundered on the software side: Its poor implementation of Android apps ultimately earned it an embarrassing score of 69. However, the Pixel Slate owners in our user reviews section were a bit more forgiving, giving it an average of 77.
Which true wireless earbuds are worth buying?
With so many flagship phones leaving behind the headphone jack over the past two years, the need for a good pair of Bluetooth earbuds has only intensified. While the first crop of true wireless products had their share of comfort and connection problems, the selection improved dramatically in 2017, with companies like Bose and Bang & Olufsen coming out with sets that gave Apple's AirPods a real run for the money. If you've been holding off on buying a pair because of cost, poor audio or because they just look ridiculous, it might finally be time to make the leap. We consulted reviews from top critics and came up with a list of six solid options that should have something for everyone, whether you're on a budget or prize sound quality above all else.
Which game controllers are worth buying?
If you're picking up a game console like the Xbox One X or PlayStation 4 Pro this holiday season, congratulations: You already have a great controller for your new system. Traditionally, third-party gamepads have always been a bit subpar, the kind of thing you buy cheap and pawn off on an unsuspecting younger sibling at playtime. But what if you want to game on your mobile device (or an Apple TV)? Or what if you're looking for an edge in your favorite console title? We've taken a look at the available controllers out there to find the best one for your needs, no matter which system you prefer.
Which 4K OLED sets are worth buying?
There's a ton of 4K content available now thanks to services like Netflix, YouTube and iTunes, with the latter two not even charging a premium for the higher resolution. Many high-end phones record in UHD as well. Combine all that with falling TV prices, and it's a great time to buy a 4K television. However, if you really do care about getting the best picture, you're going to want an OLED display. They're still more expensive than LCD sets, but in exchange you get deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. But with so many new televisions boasting fantastic image quality, which is the best for your particular needs? We've scoured the web, reading reviews from trusted critics to determine which OLED TVs you should be considering right now.
Which printers are worth buying?
You probably don't print as much as you used to, if at all. However, on the rare occasion that you need a crisp copy of your resume to bring to an interview or want some framed photos of the kids for your office, a printer can be pretty handy. But not every printer works for every job, so we've scoured critics' reviews across the web and assembled a list of some of the best devices out there. Whether you're looking to send out photo cards for the holidays or just need an everyday workhorse, check out the gallery below to see which printer might be up to the task.
Which gaming headsets are worth buying?
We may call them "video games," but audio plays a big part in the experience too. Good music and sound effects can set the mood, immerse us in the story and alert us to impending danger. But all of this could easily be hampered by crappy speakers or a surfeit of background noise, making a quality headset key to an ideal gaming experience. Do you need surround sound, or can stereo do the job just fine? And how much is good audio quality worth? We've scoured the market to find the best headsets available now to fit the needs of both hard-core and casual gamers.
Here's what our readers think of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus aren't going to wow you with a new design -- that's not the point of Apple's 's' phones. Instead, they offer a lot of under-the-hood updates, including a faster processor, better cameras and the addition of a pressure-sensitive 3D Touch, leading our reviewer Chris Velazco to call the two phones "more than just a modest refresh." Now that many of our readers have gotten their mitts on one, we've taken a look at the user reviews to find out if the 6s and 6s Plus truly constitute a "worthy upgrade."
Which mice are worth buying?
Plenty of folks make do with their laptop trackpads, but for many of us, there's still a place in our hearts (and on our desks) for a good ol' fashioned mouse. And, while gaming mice certainly offer lots of bells and whistles to make you a better player, what do you do when all you need is something to browse the web with? To answer that question, we've scoured reviews from a few trusted sources to find the best non-gaming mice out there. You might not be sniping soldiers from a rooftop with them, but they'll certainly make it easier to edit documents at work.
Which gaming laptops are worth buying?
For years, the wisdom has been that if you wanted a dedicated gaming machine, you bought a desktop. Gaming components were too unwieldy to fit in a notebook form factor, and if you tried to put together a machine with desktop-caliber components, it always ended up too big and heavy to be truly portable. However, recent gaming laptops have defied that history, packing lots of power into thinner and lighter chassis. They're still not as slim as Ultrabooks, and meanwhile there's still a gap in performance versus desktop machines. Even so, your days of lugging around a large desktop tower to LAN parties are over. We've taken a look at some of the more recent entries in the race to build a smaller gaming machine to find ones that can fit your needs -- and budget.
Here's what our readers think of Windows 10
Three weeks have passed since Windows 10 became available for download and, judging by the user reviews left on our product page, it's been one hell of a start. While many users seemed to agree with our positive assessment, a few of you inundated us with tales of woe, ranging from installation issues to slowdowns to crashing apps. We've gathered together some of the best reader reviews below to find out if Windows 10 really is a "must have" upgrade now, or if some of you might be better off waiting for a few of the kinks to be ironed out.
Here's what our readers think of the Fitbit Surge
Even as other companies plow ahead with their plans to put a smartwatch on every wrist, Fitbit is staying focused on fitness tracking via simpler wearables like the Flex and the Charge/Charge HR. But that doesn't mean the company is content with being outshone. With the Surge, Fitbit upped its game not just by including standard activity and sleep tracking, but also by packing in a GPS radio for more serious runners. However, despite those ambitions, we found it mildly cumbersome and lacking compared to more robust options from Polar, Garmin and TomTom. Indeed, we recommended it mostly for users "willing to sacrifice some style and comfort in the name of best-in-class step counting and sleep tracking." But judging from the reviews on the Surge's product page, it hasn't quite mastered the latter either.
Here's what our readers think of OS X Yosemite
The public beta of OS X El Capitan might be out now, but plenty of users will continue using OS X Yosemite through the fall and beyond. And at first glance that's just fine: In our own review we called Yosemite "a solid update for Mac users" that offered a "clean new design" and close integration with iOS devices. However, quite a few of our readers disagreed. Almost 30 of you chimed in on Yosemite's product database page to give this iteration of OS X a user score of 4.8 out of 10, possibly making it the most contentious product on our site. What is it about Yosemite that makes it more shaky than solid for many users?
Which monitors are worth buying?
With all the work you do, the games you play and the videos you watch, you spend a lot of time staring at your monitor. So why not do your eyes a favor and make sure you get one that's got exactly what you need, whether it's precise colors, fast response time or just a pleasing design? We've delved into some of the better monitors currently on the market to let you know which ones give you the best view for the money.
Here's what our readers think of the Apple Watch
Long-awaited and eagerly anticipated by many, the Apple Watch finally arrived in April to fairly positive reviews. In our own write-up of Apple's first wearable, we admired its construction, calling it the finest we've ever seen from a smartwatch and similar to "something made by Tag Heuer or Cartier." In use, we found it "straightforward, if not always intuitive" with good notifications and comprehensive activity-tracking abilities. However, we had our reservations, noting that while it was the nicest smartwatch available, it wasn't very revolutionary and as such: "It's probably not compelling enough to buy one." But many of you did buy one, and you let us know in your reviews whether you were amazed by its capabilities or merely found it acceptable for a first-generation product.
Which portable hard drives are worth buying?
With all our computers, phones and cameras, we create a lot of data. And while there are plenty of cloud-based options for storing all the information you generate, many people prefer something they can physically touch. A portable hard drive can give you plenty of control, while still making it possible to carry your data around in your bag. But which drives make it easy to transfer files to them in the first place? And which ones will survive the trips you take them on? We've taken a look at some of the better portable drives available now to find out which ones have the right stuff.
Here's what our readers think of the BlackBerry Passport
Though BlackBerry has been trying its hand at touchscreen devices like the Z30 and the recently reviewed Leap, it hasn't left keyboard devotees behind just yet. Released last fall, the BlackBerry Passport combines a square screen with a three-row keyboard. Our review noted that the oddly shaped screen provides "a good viewing experience" and the keyboard is "an impressive feat of engineering." However, though the keyboard is "a powerful tool," the unusual dimensions make one-handed use awkward and the app ecosystem is still rather small. Most damning is the fact that the device's signature feature, the keyboard, "isn't among BlackBerry's best." But that's from the perspective of someone who had to type out a review entirely on the keyboard. Plenty of our readers have chimed in about their own Passport experiences to let us know how it fares in the hands of the common office worker and beyond.
Which keyboards are worth buying?
When you consider how much time we spend in front of our computers, how we interact with them should be a key concern. That said, unless you're a gamer or programmer, you probably haven't done much shopping around. Last month, we took a look at some of the best gaming keyboards that have come out recently. Now, we turn our gaze to some newer models designed for uses other than playing your favorite PC games -- including ones for work, controlling your home theater and portable units you can carry around in your bag for typing on the go.
Which gaming keyboards are worth buying?
The act of building a great gaming rig isn't just about finding the most powerful processor, a capable graphics card or massive amounts of RAM. It's also about what you use to interact with the machine itself -- the peripherals you bring to the table. A few months ago, we told you about the best gaming mice available. Now we take a look at some recent gaming keyboards to see which ones have the most to offer in terms of lighting, macros and, of course, how good they feel to type on.
Which all-in-one desktops are worth buying?
As laptops continue to become more powerful, there's still plenty of room for an all-in-one desktop in your life. Their slim profile makes them a bit more desk- or living room-friendly than a typical tower PC, while the large built-in screen is great for getting work done or watching a movie. To help you decide which units are worthy enough to grace your office or den, we've taken a look at reviews from trusted critics to find systems that can handle a variety of tasks, including editing documents, watching movies and even some hardcore gaming. Check out the gallery below to see five of the better all-in-one desktops available now, as well as one we'd rather you didn't buy.
