Technologies

I Tried This $40 Smartwatch: It Was Meh, but Not a Complete Waste of Time

The WITHit Giga does the basics for a lot less, but at the expense of accuracy and attention to detail.

I wasn’t expecting much when I first strapped the WITHit Giga Smartwatch onto my wrist, and at least it delivered on that. This $40 smartwatch does the basics: shows notifications, counts your steps, tracks your heart rate (sort of) and lets you take calls from your wrist. But the execution of all these features is where it all starts to fall apart, and I found myself getting exactly what I paid for.

After spending a week testing it, I came away with this: If you just want a basic smartwatch that works with both Android and iPhone, tells the time, tracks your steps and surfaces notifications, this will get the job done, just don’t expect accuracy. But if you can stretch your budget even a little, something like the $75 Amazfit Bip 6 offers more accurate tracking, a more refined design and more reliable performance.

Design and UI: big, bulky, and basic

The WITHit Giga is about as no-frills as smartwatches come. It looks like an Apple Watch Ultra impersonator: metallic frame around a rectangular screen, rounded edges and even Apple Watch-like icons inside. But that’s where the similarities end.

If your wrist is on the smaller side like mine (I have a 6-inch wrist), brace yourself because this is going to look huge. The Giga’s 48.5mm case is overpowering, and there’s no smaller size option. On my wrist, it felt bulky and out of place, and the thick, textured silicone bands definitely didn’t help matters.

The 2.04-inch AMOLED display is decent with a 386×448 resolution, but the screen brightness isn’t adaptive. You’ll need to manually adjust it, which means it’s almost too bright at night and borderline unreadable in direct sunlight unless you increase the brightness manually.

This watch runs its own proprietary system, syncs to the WITHit app and works with both Android and iOS. You’ll get notifications, basic fitness tracking, an always-on display (which in my testing drained the battery fast) and a speaker/mic combo for answering calls.

The UI is straightforward but lacks polish. Swiping right opens your favorites and the side button lets you quickly launch a workout. Animations feel slow and longer text scrolls in awkwardly to fit the screen.

Battery life: Not bad but there’s a catch

Battery life is one of the few things that holds up well here. I got about three days of use with the raise-to-wake option, and roughly a day and a half with the always on display enabled. That’s not bad for the price, and it’s actually better than even some flagship smartwatches.

But the manual comes with a big red flag: «Avoid fast chargers» and don’t overcharge. That’s not something you want to see in 2025, especially because at this point in my smartwatch charger collection I don’t know which one is fast, and which one is not, and the vague warning makes me think it’s going to explode if I make the wrong choice. Charging from an empty battery to full takes about two hours with the included magnetic charger. But once I left it charging overnight and I approached it with terror the next morning thinking I’d broken the «don’t overcharge» rule. Luckily, I came out unscathed.

Health and fitness tracking: lower your expectations

Workout tracking and wellness is where the cracks really show. Yes, the Giga technically tracks heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO2), sleep, stress and menstrual cycles. But the accuracy is questionable at best.

During workouts, heart rate measurements were consistently off when compared to a chest strap and even other wrist-based trackers. The post workout HR average was close enough, but the metrics during the workout were noticeably off. For example, as I was sitting on my Pilates reformer (completely sedentary) starting a workout on the watch, the screen already read «100bpm», while the chest strap and Apple Watch had me at 65 bpm. This made me skeptical of even the resting heart rate readings.

Sleep tracking only works between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., meaning night shift workers or anyone with an irregular schedule (like this late-night writer) is out of luck.

Sleep stats are also confusing; instead of clear sleep stages or hours of sleep, you get odd comparisons like «fewer than 26% of people in your age group go to sleep this late.» Not exactly sure what I should do with this information.

Menstrual tracking is purely manual, based on averages, with no biological marker detection like temperature tracking. You can’t even log a period directly from the watch and have to do it from the app.

Other smartwatch features

Calls: As long as your phone is within range, you can answer and make phone calls from the watch with its speaker and mic, but clarity is an issue.
Texting: You can see texts from messaging apps, but you can’t reply or even send a prewritten response (when paired to an iPhone).
Voice Assistant: Technically available, but is basically just a shortcut to activate your own phone’s assistant. You tap, and Siri or Google Assistant opens on your phone, not the watch. Not helpful.
Quick settings: Save your recently used apps in quick settings, which actually made flipping between features like workouts and music controls more convenient — this is a win.

Should you buy it?

The WITHit Giga does the bare minimum you’d expect from a smartwatch, but at the expense of accuracy and attention to detail. For $40, it’s a functional notification mirror with step tracking, call support and a splash of health features (if you’re looking for a general overview at best).

But if you can stretch your budget, something like the $80 Amazfit Bip 6 offers far better value, accurate health tracking, cleaner UI and better battery life.

Bottom line: If you keep your expectations low, and you’re just dipping your toes in the smartwatch waters for the first time, this might suffice. Otherwise, it’s worth paying more for something that feels less like a toy and more like a tool.

Technologies

Google Gives Chrome an AI Side Panel and Lets Gemini Browse for You

The update also includes Nano Banana image tools and deeper integrations with Google apps like Gmail, Calendar, Maps and Flights.

Google is turning Chrome into something closer to a digital copilot.

In the next wave of Gemini updates rolling out, Google on Wednesday revealed a set of new AI-powered features coming directly to its browser, aimed at reducing the frustrations of exploring the internet each day. Built on Gemini 3, the updates introduce an always-available side panel, deeper app integrations, creative image tools and a new browser agent called auto browse that can complete multistep tasks on your behalf.

Essentially, Google wants Chrome to be like an AI wingman that browses, compares and multitasks for you.

Now you can automate browsing

To me, the standout new addition is auto browse, a browser agent designed to handle tedious and time-consuming chores. Instead of hopping between tabs, filling out forms or manually comparing prices of things like products or flights, you can ask Chrome to do the legwork.

Auto browse can research flights and hotels across different dates, collect documents, schedule appointments, manage subscriptions and help with tasks like renewing a driver’s license or filing expense reports.

In a live demo I saw, Product Lead Charmaine D’Silva used the new tools to plan a family vacation. Gemini compared destinations and prices across multiple travel sites, checked school calendars to see when her kids were off and lined up schedules to find workable travel windows. When it came time to book, though, D’Silva emphasized that the final decision and purchase were still hers, underscoring Google’s plan to keep humans in control for key tasks like booking and purchases.

The feature is rolling out to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US now, signaling Google’s broader push toward more agentic AI experiences.

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A new side panel experience

Another update rolling out now is a redesigned Gemini side panel in Chrome, available across MacOS, Windows and Chromebook Plus. Instead of opening a separate tab, Gemini now lives alongside whatever you’re working on, making it easier to multitask without breaking your flow. Testers have used it to summarize reviews across sites, compare shopping options and juggle packed calendars while keeping their main task front and center.

AI image editing with Nano Banana

Chrome is also trying to become more creative. Google is bringing Nano Banana, its AI image editing and generation tool, directly into the browser. You can now edit and reimagine images you find on the web without downloading files or switching apps — whether that’s mocking up a living room redesign or turning raw data into an infographic at work.

Chrome connects with other Google apps

Under the hood, Gemini in Chrome is becoming more connected to the rest of Google’s ecosystem. Integrations with Gmail, Calendar, Maps, YouTube, Google Flights and Shopping will allow the assistant to pull in relevant context and take action across apps. Planning a trip, for example, could involve referencing an old email, checking flight options and drafting a follow-up email to your travel companions. Now all in one place.

More to come

Looking ahead, Google says personal intelligence is coming to Chrome in the coming months. With user opt-in, Gemini will remember context from past interactions to deliver more tailored, proactive help across the web, while giving you control over what data is connected and when.

Technologies

If You Drink Decaf, Read This: More Than 80,000 Keurig Pods Recalled

Here’s how to get a full refund if you bought these coffee pods.

If you’re a decaf K-Cup drinker, this message is for you. Keurig has recalled the McCafe Premium Roast Decaf Coffee K-Cup Pods because they may contain caffeine.

Here’s everything to know.

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What was recalled?

Keurig Dr Pepper voluntarily recalled 960 cartons of McCafe Premium Roast Decaf Coffee K-Cup Pods, according to a US Food and Drug Administration memo. The reason listed for the recall reads: «Product is labeled as decaf, but might contain caffeine.»

CNET chose McCafé Premium Roast as the best K-Cup, although the decaffeinated version was not included. It is unclear at this time how many states sold the cartons.

A representative for Keurig Dr Pepper did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

How to know if you have a recalled product

The recalled items will have the following information:

Best by date: 17 NOV 2026
Batch number: 5101564894
Material number: 5000358463
ASIN: B07GCNDL91
UPC: 043000073438

The recall is ongoing. If you have a recalled product, you can return it to your place of purchase for a full refund.

Technologies

The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold’s Nearly $3,000 Price Might Unfold Your Whole Wallet

This double-folding phone will be the most expensive mainstream handset released in the US.

Samsung’s twin-hinged Galaxy Z TriFold is nearly on sale, coming before the Galaxy S26 launch next month. Starting Jan. 30, foldable phone fans who want the most advanced device in the US can pick one up, but they’ll have to pay a hefty price: The device starts at a jaw-dropping $2,900.

Yes, for over three times the price of a Galaxy S25, you can pick up the most advanced smartphone — and certainly the most expensive — Samsung has ever rolled out. Even the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which starts at $2,000 with 256GB of storage, only reaches $2,420 at the highest 1TB storage configuration.

As products across all industries get costlier, phone-makers have priced foldables in an even more premium tier than the most innovative flat smartphones (like the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra). It seems Samsung will use the twin-hinged Galaxy Z TriFold to set an even higher price ceiling for smartphones.

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Anyone who buys the Galaxy Z TriFold will get one of the most technically impressive handsets released in the US. But is the technology worth the cost?

The Galaxy Z TriFold unfolds into a 10-inch inner display that rivals the screens of full-size tablets. It’s noticeably larger than the 8-inch inner screen on the single-hinged Galaxy Z Fold 7 foldable. Its two hinges, built of titanium, are tested to endure 200,000 folds, according to Samsung.

When unfolded, the Z TriFold is 3.9mm at its thinnest point. That’s slightly outdone by the slimmer Huawei Mate XT’s 3.6mm, which beat Samsung to market by an entire year with a trifold that’s not available in the US. That might be nearing the limit for phone thinness, as it’s barely enough to accommodate the USB-C port at the bottom of either device.

The Galaxy Z TriFold and Huawei Mate XT are roughly comparable in size and specs, though the Huawei phone’s EMUI operating system and the lack of familiar Google apps (due to the ban on US companies working with the Chinese phone-maker) mean Android fans may prefer Samsung’s. The Huawei foldable is also more expensive, starting at 3,499 euros (about $4,150 today), and may not be compatible with US carriers out of the box.

Read more: Galaxy Z TriFold vs. Huawei Mate XT: One Is the Most Versatile Phone I’ve Ever Used

The Galaxy Z TriFold has a customized Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, the same one that powers last year’s Galaxy S25 series. It won’t feature the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 silicon, which is likely to power this year’s most advanced Android handsets (potentially including the upcoming, but not yet announced, Samsung Galaxy S26 series).

The Galaxy Z TriFold will start at 512GB of storage and packs a 5,600-mAh battery, larger than the Z Fold 7’s 4,400-mAh capacity unit. It recharges at 45 watts, which is typical for Samsung phones, though other premium Android handsets have long ago surpassed that rate, like the OnePlus 15 with 80-watt charging. It has three rear cameras (a 200-megapixel main, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel telephoto) and comes in a single color, crafted black.

All told, the Galaxy Z Trifold offers only marginal upgrades over the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and its hardware will likely be surpassed soon when the Galaxy S26 series launches with newer chips.

At $1,000 to $2,000 above other Android phones and foldables, the Z TriFold seems to offer only a single advantage: its massive inner display. While undeniably a technical marvel, that’s not nearly enough added value for most people to justify the steep upsell on your standard smartphone, or even another book-style foldable. For folks who «crave» the most advanced phone on the market, though, maybe it’s worth the expense.