Technologies

Buying a New iPhone or Android Phone? Consider These Things First

With so many choices, it’s difficult to pick the best phone for your budget. We’re here to help.

The best phones you can buy in 2023, like the iPhone 14 Pro, the Google Pixel 7 Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra, offer all the features you could possibly want. With their stellar performance, amazing camera systems and extra features, these top phones represent the pinnacle of mobile technology. So it’s unsurprising these premium phones come with sky-high prices to match. The huge costs of these devices mean they’re out of reach for many of us, or are simply unnecessary if you just need a solid device for your everyday essentials.

Read more: Best Android phone to buy in 2023

The huge number of choices from a variety of phone manufacturers should make shopping simple, but sometimes this makes it more confusing, whether you’re looking for the highest-quality, elite phone or a more affordable phone, like the Google Pixel 6A. The best devices on the market not only have different prices, they also have different camera specs, screen sizes and storage capacities.

How to buy a new phone: Top phone-buying tips

Know what you care about most: Is it screen size? Camera quality? Battery life? This will help narrow down your choices. Phones like the iPhone 14 Pro or Pixel 7 Pro, for example, pack incredible cameras that almost rival the quality you’d get from a DSLR. If you’re a photographer, then spending money here is a good idea. If not, you can likely save yourself a bundle.
Don’t discount the midrange: Features of last year’s flagships always trickle down to this year’s midrange handsets. You can get a great phone that does almost everything that a premium phone can do for a fraction of the price. Google’s Pixel 7 Pro packs a great zoom camera, but the base Pixel 7 has most of the same key specs and comes at a more reasonable price.
Shop the sales: Look for deep discounts and promo deals around major holidays, especially Amazon’s Prime Day and Black Friday. And find out what your grace period is in case you need a quick return or exchange.
Last year’s phones: They can often be a great deal, too. Wait for this year’s launch to get last year’s phone for less, when stores and carriers may be trying to offload their existing stock.
Hold the phone at a store first: You may love or hate the way it looks and feels in person.
Check if you’re already invested: Have you already bought a lot of iPhone apps and iTunes movies? Stick with an iPhone if you still want access to them. Likewise, if you’ve invested in loads of Android apps, you’ll want to stay on that side of the fence. Otherwise, it’s simple enough to switch platforms.
Buy a case and screen protector: You’ll protect your phone from costly damage, and will increase the phone’s resale or trade-in value for when you’re ready to move on.

Oneplus 9 phone plugged into a charging cable — Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Smartphone performance vs. budget

In general, performance lines up with cost. The very latest, greatest technology usually comes at a premium. Flagship phones pack the best cameras, the most powerful processors and may even sport cutting-edge tech like flexible displays. The high prices mean that these phones are only worth considering for those who want the absolute latest tech in their pockets.

Not everyone needs such top tech however, or may simply be unwilling to spend the $1,000 or more typically required to get it. Luckily, the midrange sector of the phone world has been one of the fiercest battlegrounds for companies to compete in, resulting in some amazing phones that won’t break the bank. Features like wireless charging and cameras with multiple lenses that were once the domain of flagships are now commonplace on midrange phones.

Even budget phones will still offer decent camera quality and enough power for you to enjoy all of your everyday web browsing, WhatsApp’ing and Instagramming.

4G or 5G?

5G is the latest standard that promises lightning-fast mobile data speeds when you’re out and about. Like any new technology, it’s commonplace to see it on higher-end devices but it’s also increasingly common to find on much more affordable phones too.

Coverage for 5G isn’t everywhere yet, so it’s important to ask yourself whether you need 5G speeds at all and crucially, whether they’re available where you live. If you’re planning on keeping your phone for at least a couple of years, you can safely expect 5G to become more of the norm in that time. If you’re on the fence about it now, it may be that in nine months you’ll feel differently and might regret not taking the plunge sooner.

Hand holding a smartphone with street and glass buildings in background. — Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Screen size

All phones have gotten steadily bigger over the last few years, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max measuring a whopping 6.68 inches and the Galaxy S23 Ultra coming in at 6.8 inches. Small phones aren’t that common anymore but there are a few options to consider if you don’t want a massive screen stretching out your pockets.

Apple opted not to update the iPhone 13 Mini this year, but it is still officially on sale through the Apple Store and at 5.4-inches it’s quite a lot smaller than the 6.1-inch iPhone 14. On the Android side, the Google Pixel 6A’s 6.1-inch display makes it one of the better smaller phones, but even then it’s hardly what you’d call tiny.

Camera performance

Camera features have been a major point for bragging rights in recent phones, with manufacturers always wanting a bigger, more exciting number, be it the number of megapixels or quantity of actual camera lenses. Three rear cameras are now common — a regular lens, an ultrawide lens and a telephoto lens — with even budget-focused phones packing multiple cameras.

Read more: Best camera phones to buy in 2023

This is great, as more lenses mean more shooting options when you’re out and about. But that doesn’t mean that any multilens camera is as good as another. As with processor performance, the more you spend, the better the results you’ll typically get, with the absolute best cameras around usually being found on the most expensive flagships.

Look out for features like optical (rather than digital) zooms, night mode for better low-light images, and optical image stabilization. Sometimes these features might not be clear, and it’s not possible to judge a camera’s performance just by looking at the specs. If you really care about your phone’s photography skills, then take some time to look at the reviews and see how its camera performs before you spend your money.

Battery life

Most phones, from the budget end through to elite flagships, can last most of a day on a single charge. Bigger phones might have bigger batteries, but they also have bigger screens and often more powerful processors, so they suck that extra juice down quickly. Few phones will give you more than a day of use. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Always plan on giving your phone a full charge overnight.

Look for features like fast charging, that allow your phone to take on a lot of power in a short space of time. Check to see if your phone comes with a compatible faster charger though, as an old USB plug may not support it.

Your battery will last longer if you avoid more demanding tasks such as gaming or video streaming. Keeping the screen brightness down will help, too.

Processor performance

Top-end phones pack powerful processors along with 12GB of RAM or even more. It’s enough to make these phones run any task without breaking a sweat, but you don’t need to spend flagship level money to get great performance.

Most decent midrange phones offer enough power to handle all of your everyday needs. You’ll still be able to play almost any game from the Google Play store and edit your high-resolution photos in apps such as Snapseed. There’s little you could throw at most midrange phones that they wouldn’t be able to handle.

As you move into the budget end of the spectrum, that’s when you’ll start to notice some slowdown with things like gaming. More demanding 3D games might look more stuttery and may even unexpectedly quit. However, basic tasks such as sending emails, listening to Spotify and browsing Instagram shouldn’t be a problem.

How much phone storage do you need?

Most phones, even the budget ones, come with at least 32GB of storage, of which 10 may be taken up by preinstalled apps and the phone’s operating system. If you don’t ever plan on recording any video and gaming isn’t your thing, 32GB might be enough, but otherwise you should consider 64GB or even 128GB to be a minimum.

Oneplus 9 Pro smartphone — Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Higher-end phones — particularly those that can record high quality 4K video — offer capacities of 256GB or more. With that much space, you’ll barely need to think twice about having to clear out old files.

If the phone supports microSD cards then it’s a different matter, as you can pick up 32GB microSD cards (or bigger) for very little money these days and popping one into your phone will dramatically increase the amount of storage you’ll have access to. Unfortunately expandable storage is a very rare feature on phones these days.

Bonus features

Many of these features are now common on phones at various price points and are worth keeping in mind when you’re shopping.

Fingerprint scanner or face unlock: A scanner may be on the back, or even invisibly built into the display. Biometric security, as it’s called, is more secure than having to remember a PIN.

Water-resistant: Do you often take calls in the rain? Look for a phone with at least an IP67 rating to keep it safe from water and spilled drinks.

Wireless charging: This is available on many phones, with some now offering faster wireless charging speeds, as long as you use a compatible charging pad.

Technologies

Need Gift Ideas? Google’s Holiday 100 Shopping List Includes Switch 2, Home Movie Projectors

You can shell out hundreds for a new gaming console or spend less on classic games and backpack charms.

The spooky season has just ended, and Google is already turning its attention to holiday shopping. The search giant just released its annual list of 100 top holiday gift ideas based on the hottest trends of 2025.

The Google Holiday 100 list is an annual shopping guide compiled from searches for various products conducted between May and September. Using that data, Google creates a catalog of the year’s top trending gift ideas across various industries, including tech, toys, fashion and wellness. You can view the entire Google Holiday 100 list here.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Nintendo Switch 2

This year’s breakaway technology hit was the Switch 2, Nintendo’s latest family-friendly video games console. Unsurprisingly, it appears on 2025’s Holiday 100 list. The console was released in June and has sold more than 10 million units thus far, with Nintendo hiking up sales expectations even among uncertain economic conditions and tariff pricing.

Google Pixel Watch 4

The Google Pixel Watch 4 is a standout wearable that made the Holiday 100 list. Its inclusion isn’t just Google stuffing its own product into a list. If you’re buying a gift for fitness-focused folks, CNET’s Vanessa Hand Orellana wrote that the latest iteration of Google’s smartwatch «hits a sweet spot between universally appealing design, seamless compatibility with the Android ecosystem, potentially life-saving safety features and robust health and fitness tracking.»

Red-light face masks

Your algorithm may have served you up a boatload of red light therapy content from health and beauty influencers this year. Search volume for red light masks has spiked in the past few months, so the LED masks have been included in the Holiday 100 buying guide this year. Just make sure to purchase one of the best FDA-approved masks.

Movie projectors to backpack charms

If you’re looking for gifts across other categories, Google has some top 2025 searches for big and small. Home theaters are apparently in this year, as searches for movie projectors spiked by a whopping 945%. Searches for backpack charms also hit an all-time high this year, so those are a safe bet for stocking stuffing for any young kids.

Checkers (the actual board game)

Even though many gifts given out at Christmas this year will surely be high-tech gadgets and accessories, the board game of checkers is also on the list. There’s always room for the classics.

As you prepare for the Herculean task of yearly holiday shopping, Google’s Holiday 100 is a good place to start. But if you’re looking to beat the crowd on the best tech deals around, CNET is already collecting pre-Black Friday deals.

Technologies

Look Up Tonight to Spot November’s Supermoon, the Brightest Moon of 2025

Has the moon been looking brighter and bigger to you for the past few days? Here’s why this month’s supermoon is even more super.

It’s already a great month for skygazers, with a trio of meteor showers and the return of the northern hemisphere winter constellations. On Tuesday night, it also features the second of four supermoons in a row. This month’s supermoon will happen on Nov. 4-5, and November’s beaver moon is special because it’ll be the brightest full moon of 2025.

In addition to being a supermoon, November’s full moon is known as the beaver moon. There is some debate as to why it was named this way. Some believe that this was the best time of year in the old days to set beaver traps to get pelts for winter clothing. Others believe that it coincides with the busiest part of the year for beavers, who are now stocking their lodges with supplies for the upcoming winter.

Here’s what time it’ll look its biggest and brightest, and what else you need to know about the November supermoon.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

The brightest supermoon: When’s the best time to see it?

The moon will reach peak illumination at 8:19 a.m. ET on Nov. 5, making the evening of Nov. 4 and the morning of Nov. 5 the best times to view the moon.

Since moon phases shift slowly, the moon will appear almost full for nearly a week. If you are unable to view the full moon on its best night due to weather or other reasons, you can still see a mostly full moon at any point from Nov. 3 to Nov. 8.

For all of those days, the moon will be measurably brighter in the night sky compared to any other full moon in 2025. The reason for this is because of the moon’s elliptical orbit. Since it’s not a perfect circle, the moon’s 27.3-day journey around the Earth brings it closer to us on some days, a phenomenon known as perigee. If there is a full moon during this time, it’s branded as a «perigean full moon,» which you may know better as a supermoon.

Not all supermoons are equal, and November’s will be a little more special than others. According to The Farmer’s Almanac, the beaver moon will be a scant 221,817 miles away from Earth, making it the closest full moon of the year. That means it’ll be the biggest and brightest of the year.

In practice, the differences are fairly minor and likely won’t be visible to the naked eye when compared side by side to other supermoons. A supermoon is only about 7% larger than a regular full moon. According to NASA, the biggest difference is when comparing a supermoon to a micromoon, where a supermoon will be about 14% larger and 30% brighter. So, if you notice that your backyard patio is lit up more than usual, it’s because of the supermoon.

Also due to the moon’s orbit, November will also bring a micro new moon, which means the moon will be as far away from the Earth as it can get — a phenomenon known as apogee. November’s new moon occurs on Nov. 20, but you won’t be able to see it.

Technologies

Stay Informed About Your Flights This Holiday Season With Your iPhone’s Tracker

Your iPhone is hiding a flight tracker. Here’s how it works.

Thanksgiving is only a few short weeks away and if you plan on flying during the holiday season, keeping up-to-date on changes to your flights is crucial. Airports can be hectic during any holiday, but with the government shutdown continuing, flights are liable to change or be cancelled more often.

Luckily, it’s never been easier to get up-to-date information about your flight. For starters, your airline probably has an app, and if not, you can check its website. If you’re in a hurry, you can Google the flight number. Or you can just use your iPhone’s built-in flight tracker that’s sneakily tucked away.

That’s right: Your iPhone has a flight tracker that you may have never known about. It’s there for when it’s needed. Below, we’ll show you have to access it in not one, but two places, so you never have to go hunting for your flight info elsewhere again.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source on Chrome.

For more on the iPhone, check out everything Apple announced at WWDC 2025.

How to track your flight via iMessage

Before we start, there are a few prerequisites you must meet:

Make sure iMessage is enabled (it doesn’t work with SMS/MMS).
You’ll need your flight number somewhere in your text messages, whether you’ve sent that information to someone (even yourself) or it’s been sent to you.
The flight number must be sent in this format: [Airline] [Flight number], for example, American Airlines 9707.

Launch the native Messages app on your iPhone and open the text message thread that contains your flight information. You’ll know the flight tracker feature works when the text with the flight information appears underlined, which means it’s actionable and you can tap on it.

If your flight is still several months away or it’s already passed, you might see a message that says, «Flight information unavailable.» You might also see another flight that’s not yours because airlines recycle flight numbers.

You can check your flight status from Spotlight Search, too

If getting your flight information from Messages wasn’t easy enough, you can also grab the details right from your iPhone’s home screen by swiping down and adding your flight number into Spotlight Search. Even better, this works with Spotlight Search on your Mac computer, too.

How to access the hidden flight tracker

Although the airline name/flight number format highlighted above is the best way to go, there are other texting options that will lead you to the same result. So let’s say we stick with American Airlines 9707, other options that may bring up the flight tracker include:

AmericanAirlines9707 (no spaces)
AmericanAirlines 9707 (only one space)
AA9707 (airline name is abbreviated and no space)
AA 9707 (abbreviated and space)

I would suggest you keep the airline name spelled out completely and add a space between the two pieces of information — like in the previous section — because for some airlines, these alternative options may not work.

Real-time flight tracking

Once everything is set, tap on the flight information in your text messages. If the feature works correctly, you should see the following two options appear in a quick-action menu:

Preview Flight: View the flight’s details. Tap this to view more information about the flight.
Copy Flight Code: Copy the flight code to your clipboard (in case you want to send your flight details to someone else via text or email).

If you select Preview Flight, at the top of the window, you’ll see the best part of this feature: a real-time flight tracker map. A line will connect the two destinations, and a tiny airplane will move between them, indicating where the flight is at that exact moment.

Underneath the map, you’ll see important flight information: