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How to use Microsoft Teams v1, Learning how to use Microsoft Teams properly can save you heaps of time. It has a built-in whiteboard, functionality, team organization tools, and integrates well with the Microsoft 365 productivity cloud and its suite of useful applications.

With both educational and business interactions increasingly moving online, it is more crucial than ever to effectively communicate and organize with large groups to achieve common goals, impart knowledge, and create a productive environment for work and learning. Read on to find out more about how to use Microsoft Teams.

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What is Microsoft Teams?

Created by Microsoft as a collaboration app, Teams combines the best features from Microsoft Classroom and for Business to create a program capable of file storage, app integration, videoconferencing, instant messaging, VoIP calling, and granular organization of team and collaborators.

Teams has more than 270 million users around the world and is the most popular collaboration app with businesses. However, it is not only a business app. More than 1 million people use Teams as their primary messaging app as well.

The app itself is packed with functionality. For starters, people can silo different parts of their lives into independent Teams. For example, a person could have personal chats and work chats independent of each other. These are the nuts and bolts of what Microsoft Teams is.

Each Team has one-on-one chats (called Chats), group chats (called Teams Channels), file sharing, group whiteboards, and video calling with up to 100 people. There’s also the ability to schedule events directly in the app so everybody involved receives it in their calendars, and users can set reminders in the app.

Finally, there’s the ability to customize profile pictures for both individuals and entire groups, and users can set their availability status directly in the app so others know if they’re around or not.

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How to use Microsoft Teams v1

How to install Microsoft Teams on PC

Microsoft Teams is free to use. However, if you want to unlock full functionality with seamless syncing between OneDrive, Calendar, To Do, and other Microsoft apps, you’ll want a account. For mobile devices, simply head to the App Store, search for “Microsoft Teams,” and install the app.

Most modern PCs come with Teams pre-installed. However, if your computer doesn’t have it, the process is straightforward.

Step 1: Download Teams from Microsoft.

Step 2: Run the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install Microsoft Teams.

Step 3: Sign in with your Microsoft account when Teams opens.

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How to set up Teams for individuals

Teams is a fantastic communication tool for everyday use. Not only can you make video calls with your loved ones, but you can also them via SMS directly from Teams!

Setting it up is straightforward and should only take a minute or two.

Step 1: In Windows, open the Start menu and select Teams. On , open the Launchpad and click on Teams.

Step 2: Sign in with your Microsoft account.

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How to set up Teams for organizations

Businesses and organizations can set up Teams just as easily as individuals. The difference is that the organization will need to invite members to join its Team. This process is simple enough, but each person on the team will need to install and set up Teams on their end.

Organizations will also need an active Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise subscription to work, and they’ll need a valid domain name. Another thing to note is the full Business or Enterprise versions of Teams are not available for academic institutions.

Once all team members have Teams installed, setting up Teams for everybody to use is simple. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open Teams from the Start menu or Launchpad (on Mac).

Step 2: Select Sign up for Teams.

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Step 3: Enter your organization’s identity and press Next.

Step 4: Enter your details, then select Set up Teams.

Step 5: Invite your team to join your organization.

Microsoft will email you a link you can use to invite your team members, or you can click on the Teams icon on the left-side menu and select Invite people at the bottom.

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How to chat in Teams

Chatting is arguably Teams’ strongest suit. Whether as an individual user or as part of an organization, chats keep you connected.

Microsoft Teams has the same chatting capabilities you would expect to find in other chat apps such as WhatsApp and . It is also a strong competitor to Slack when it comes to team-based chats. You’ll find the app fairly straightforward to use.

Step 1: Select Chat from the left-side menu bar.

Step 2: Select New Chat from the little box with a pen above it. You’ll find this in the Chat window to the right of the menu bar.

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Step 3: Type the name of the person or people with whom you wish to chat in the “to” field.

Teams will automatically suggest people in your organization or your contact list.

Step 4: Write your message in the Type new message field.

You can easily find all your chats in the Chat menu. Teams will keep them the moment you begin a new chat.

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How to use Channels in Teams

Channels are sections of your Team where you can keep everything organized by subject, projects, etc. However, they are called Teams, not Channels. Yet when it comes to usage, Microsoft calls them Channels, and the overall organization is the “Team.” It’s confusing, we know.

Channels (or Teams) are big group chats where entire teams of people (there it is again) can message each other, share files, join video conferences, and more. Admins can set roles within the team, such as Team Owner and Team Member. They can also designate moderators to manage content on the channel … err, team.

Each team automatically comes with a “general” channel, but if you’re running a business, you’ll probably want to break that down into more focused silos. Here’s how.

Step 1: Click on the Teams icon in the left-side menu bar.

Step 2: Click Join or create a Team at the bottom of the screen.

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Step 3: Choose whether to create a team From scratch or From a Group or Team to add any existing group or team contacts.

Step 4: Select Private, Public, or Org-wide for your Team’s privacy level, then enter a name and description.

Step 5: Select Create Team to finish the process. We have a more in-depth look at how to create a team in Microsoft Teams if you wish to explore the options further.

How to share files in Teams

One of Microsoft Teams standout features is the ability to share files large and small with your entire organization. OneDrive and Sharepoint can be embedded right into the application, giving you quick access to your cloud files on every device.

Step 1: From a chat window, select the Attach icon resembling a paperclip and click either OneDrive or Upload from my computer. You can also copy and paste the sharing URL into the compose-message box.

Step 2: Sharing files is exactly the same for channels, but the Attach options also include Recent and Browse Teams and Channels.

Step 3: After the file finishes attaching, select Send to share your file.

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How to use a whiteboard in Teams

Whiteboard access is one of the newest additions to Microsoft Teams, and it turns the platform into a productivity powerhouse for businesses and organizations. You can brainstorm, make diagrams, and doodle mindlessly while everyone watches.

The Whiteboard function is only available during a team meeting. However, admins will first need to enable the ability.

Step 1: (Admins only) Visit the Microsoft Teams Admin Center – opens in a page.

Step 2: Click Settings.

Step 3: Select Services and add-ins.

Step 4: Scroll down to Whiteboard.

Step 5: Toggle Turn Whiteboard on or off for entire organization to “on.”

Step 6: Head to the Teams icon in the left-side menu bar of the Teams app.

Step 7: Find the Team (aka Channel) with whom you want to share a whiteboard.

Step 8: Click on the *Meet now * icon on the top-right corner of the Team chat (it looks like a film camera).

Step 9: Name your meeting and press Join now.

Step 10: Once in the meeting, select Share.

Step : In the Whiteboard section, select Microsoft Whiteboard.

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How to schedule events in Teams

You can easily schedule meetings and live events in Teams. and every member will be notified. Once they accept, the meeting or event will appear in their Microsoft 365 calendar. You can do this with recurring events as well.

Step 1: Go to the Teams tab in the left-side menu bar.

Step 2: Choose the team with whom you want to have a meeting.

Step 3: Click on Schedule a meeting under the chat box.

Step 4: Select Calendar on the left side of the meeting pop-up.

Step 5: Click on New meeting.

Step 6: Select the date and time for the meeting from the pop-up.

Step 7: Select Save.

Step 8: Alternatively, you can use the Scheduling Assistant to help you find the best time for a meeting with all the team members.

Scheduling Assistant is what Microsoft has down with Cortana, their now-defunct virtual assistant. Select this option, and the assistant will show you the free and busy times of your team members.

How to make video calls in Teams

Teams allows you to make one-on-one video calls or conduct group video calls with up to 100 participants. Everyone can chat, share files, and work on a whiteboard during these calls.

Step 1: From your chat list, select the New chat button.

Step 2: Enter the name or names of your contacts into the To field at the top of the chat.

Step 3: Select the Video call button resembling a camera to start a call. Note that you can record a Microsoft Teams meeting if this is required for review later.

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How to share your screen in Teams

You can share your screen with team members during a Teams video call. The process is easy. Here’s how.

Step 1: While in a Teams meeting, click Share in the center of the screen, then select the window, document, or screen to share.

Step 2: When finished, click Stop sharing in the bottom right.

Note that a red border appears around any content that you are actively sharing.

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How to check your messages and notifications on Teams

The Activity feed serves as a one-stop shop for viewing all messages, whether you joined or were given control of a team, replies to your posts as well as posts you’ve liked, suggested posts, and trending posts. You will receive a notification in both the Chat menu and Activity feed when you receive a message, but other notifications can be found only under Activities.

Any DMs sent between individuals or groups will remain private, whereas sending a message in a channel will cause a notification to appear in your Activity feed. Channel messages can also help you send preview cards that detail activities on the Teams app.

Note that if you are unavailable, you can set an out of office message in Microsoft Teams.

How to change your settings on Teams

While Teams offers a plethora of options including language, keyboard shortcuts, and app settings, here’s how to set up the three most important settings. Namely, how to change your profile picture, configure your privacy settings, and choose a theme.

Step 1: Select your Account icon in the top-right corner.

Step 2: Click Settings.

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How to change your profile picture on Teams

Step 1: From the Settings menu, select Edit profile.

Step 2: Select the Upload picture button to open a File Upload window.

Step 3: Select your new image, and click the Open button to upload your photo.

Step 4: Select Save.

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How to change your privacy settings on Teams

Select the Security tab to adjust your security settings, including , priority access, call-blocking, read receipts and survey participation.

Note that if you change the read receipt settings, you will have to close all chats for the settings to take hold.

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How to choose a theme on Teams

Step 1: From the Teams app, select your Account icon in the upper-right corner to open the main menu and click Settings.

Step 2: Select the General tab and decide between Default, Dark, and High Contrast.

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How to send an SMS with Teams

The great thing about Microsoft Teams is its ability to send SMS messages to non-Teams users. This function is a perk to using a personal Teams account that businesses don’t have.

Step 1: Click on the Chat tab in left-side menu.

Step 2: Select New Chat.

Step 3: Enter your recipient’s phone number in the To: field.

Step 4: Enter a name for your contact. They won’t see the name you assign — this is solely for your use.

Step 5: Type a message and send it.

Teams is jam-packed with functionality for organizations and individuals. Microsoft has clearly separated it from competitors like Slack by adding a host of features, from Whiteboard to SMS messaging. It’s no wonder Teams is one of the most used business applications in the world today.

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9 for PC gaming 2024, It’s tough to find the right gaming CPU for your next PC. We’ve benchmarked dozens of processors to find the best CPU for gaming, and there’s a clear winner right now: AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Although the latest chip from Team Red claims the crown, there are still several other great options on the market.

Whatever your needs and budgets, though, we have options from AMD and Intel that will be great performers. We’re focused on gaming here, but if you want a processor that can game and get done, make sure to check out our list of the best processors.

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AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

The best gaming CPU you can buy

Why you should buy this: It’s the fastest gaming processor you can buy, by far.

Who’s it for: Gamers who want top-tier performance and don’t need productivity power.

Why we picked the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D:

AMD is back on top of the gaming charts, but it isn’t with the flagship . It’s with the midrange Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Through our testing, we found that the Ryzen 7 is sometimes even faster than AMD’s flagship and blows away the competition from Intel.

As we saw in the last generation, the reason why is 3D V-Cache. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D has the unique advantage of leveraging AMD’s cache with a single core complex (CCX), though. This, according to AMD, offers faster cache-to-cache transfers and speeds up gaming performance.

That’s what we saw in our testing. Overall, our testing revealed that it’s around 13% faster than Intel’s Core i9-13900K and a massive 20% faster than last-gen’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D. By a decent margin, it’s the fastest gaming CPU you can buy right now.

There are some trade-offs, though. Productivity performance, although solid, is still behind the flagship options from both AMD and Intel. In addition, single-core speed suffers due to the lower boost clock speed of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. For gamers, though, those issues are easy to look past.

best processors for PC gaming

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Intel Core i5-13600K

for gaming

Why you should buy this: It’s the best value on a gaming CPU available today.

Who’s it for: Gamers who want near-flagship gaming performance without paying the high price.

Why we picked the Intel Core i5-13600K:

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a processor for gaming, and Intel’s Core i5-13600K is proof of that. It’s the best Intel CPU you can buy right now, sporting 14 cores (6P + 8E) and 20 threads, with a boost clock that hits as high as 5.1GHz.

It’s not the fastest Intel CPU, or even quite the fastest for gaming. However, it’s so much more affordable than the 13700K and 13900K, and yet offers very comparable gaming performance — especially at resolutions above 1080p — that it delivers much more value for the money. It dominates the AMD competition, too. It is far faster for gaming than the Ryzen 5 7600X and goes toe-to-toe with the more-expensive 7700X — even exceeding it if you overclock it.

While you’ll get your best performance with the 13600K using DDR5 memory, you don’t have to. Running it on a more affordable motherboard with DDR4 memory can make upgrading to the 13600K much cheaper than the alternatives, leaving you plenty of room for upgrading your CPU and memory in the future. However, you won’t be able to move up to 14th-gen chips in the future, as Intel is moving to a new socket design with the next generation.

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AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

The best last-gen AMD processor for gaming

Why you should buy this: It’s competitive with some of the latest CPUs and it’s an easy upgrade.

Who’s it for: Anyone with an AM4 system who wants the best performance possible without a system overhaul.

Why we picked the Intel Ryzen 7 5800X3D:

AMD ended its Ryzen 5000 generation with a bang. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D was so good for gaming when it was released that it’s still competitive with the latest Intel and AMD CPUs, outclassing chips that cost twice as much in many cases. The fact that you can install it in motherboards that cost less than $100 with DDR4 memory makes the 5800X3D an amazing value and arguably the best bang-for-the-buck gaming CPU that AMD offers, even with its newer — and faster — Ryzen 7000 CPUs available.

It comes with the same eight Zen 3 cores as the Ryzen 7 5800X, but with an additional 64MB of L3 cache stacked on top of the chip. That extra cache is put to good use in games. Across a suite of seven titles, we found it was 6.4% faster than the 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X.

It doesn’t beat out the top 7900X and 7950X in gaming, and it loses out heavily in multithreaded workloads and productivity applications, but if you’re just looking for gaming, and especially if you already have a compatible AM4 system, the 5800X3D is the best AMD CPU for gaming.

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Best budget AMD processor for gaming

Why you should buy this: It’s an affordable new-generation gaming CPU with heaps of upgrade potential.

Who’s it for: Gamers who want to have a clear upgrade path for the future.

Why we picked the Ryzen 5 7600:

AMD’s Ryzen 5 7600 is the baby of the new generation, lacking the high core counts of its bigger siblings and the clock speed of its X-counterparts, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great CPU. In fact, it punches well above its weight, offering comparable performance to the 7600X at its default settings – and it’s almost identical once you enable precision boost overdrive, despite running at a lower power draw.

AMD hasn’t done an affordable, overclockable CPU like this for a few generations, but it’s returned to its roots with a great option for anyone looking to build a new AM5 system without paying sky-high prices. Motherboards and DDR5 memory still aren’t cheap, but this platform will be supported for years to come, so you shouldn’t need to upgrade anything for several generations of processors.

There are more affordable options in the older Ryzen 5000 generation of processors, but they perform significantly worse than the latest AM4 designs, and you are locking yourself into a dead-end platform with no upgrade potential.

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Intel Core i9-13900K

The best high-end gaming CPU

Why you should buy this: It’s the fastest gaming CPU money can buy.

Who’s it for: Gamers with deep pockets who want the absolute best gaming and productivity performance possible.

Why we picked the Intel Core i9-13900K:

You don’t need more than the Core i5-13600K for gaming, but the Core i9-13900K is a true enthusiast-class processor. It comes with 24 cores (8 performance and 16 efficient) and it can hit a staggering 5.8GHz. In a straight shootout with any other CPU, it’s the fastest, so if you need flagship performance, there isn’t any other chip worth considering. There are some caveats, however.

For starters, most other top CPUs are almost as good, especially in games where GPU power is more important. You also need a very powerful cooler, as even 360mm all-in-ones have proved unable to keep this chip cool enough to prevent thermal throttling. That’s because it uses a lot of power — over 300 watts in some cases. You’ll need to make sure your power supply is up to the task.

If you stream and game or want to edit your gaming footage, this is easily the best CPU for the job, as it is not only the fastest at gaming, but often beats even AMD’s best in video-editing performance, too.

Wondering why we didn’t pick the 14900K? Because it’s basically the same CPU. The performance difference is almost non-existent, and it’s more expensive, making the 13900K by far the better choice.

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Intel Core i3-12100F

The best $100 gaming CPU

Why you should buy this: It’s the fastest CPU at around $100.

Who’s it for: Anyone building a gaming PC on a tight budget.

Why we picked the Intel Core i3-12100F:

The Core i3-12100F is an unassuming quad-core processor, but it’s hard to expect more for around $100. It’s not as powerful as the Ryzen 5 and Core i5 options, but it’s not far behind — especially considering how much less it costs.

Unlike Intel’s other 12th-generation offerings, it ditches the efficient cores for four performance cores. Overall, it’s about % slower than the Core i5-12600K, but it depends on the game. In some titles, it’s just as fast.

Many games don’t need more than four cores, especially when those cores can hit 4.3GHz. Because of that, many older games run great on the Core i3-12100F. Newer titles, like Horizon Zero Dawn and , may not have as high of performance, however.

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AMD Ryzen 5 8600G

The best processor for gaming with integrated graphics

Why you should buy this: It has some of the most powerful onboard graphics of any CPU available.

Who’s it for: Anyone building a gaming PC now, but who plans to buy a GPU later.

Why we picked the Ryzen 5 8600G:

The Ryzen 5 8600G is for the gamer who doesn’t need one of the best graphics cards. It includes Radeon graphics on the chip itself, which is powerful enough for playing even AAA games at 1080p at lighter settings, or running esports games at high frame rates for competitive play.

It’s based on the Zen 4 CPU architecture, so it has six powerful cores and a high clock speed, while the onboard graphics are an enhanced version of the excellent RDNA 3 design found in AMD’s RX 7000 series of graphics cards. While the 8700G is more powerful, it’s not by a huge leap, and the price is almost 50% higher, making it harder to recommend.

What’s great about the Ryzen 5 8600G is that you can still use a discrete graphics card. Although we recommend one of the processors above if you already have a graphics card, the Ryzen 5 8600G is a great stopgap product that allows you to game while you save up. It also has a great upgrade path ahead of it, since you’ll be able to drop in a future AM5 CPU without the need to upgrade your motherboard too.

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Ryzen 9 7950X

The best CPU for gaming and streaming

Why you should buy this: It’s the processor with the most performance cores.

Who’s it for: Anyone who wants a high-powered machine for gaming and streaming.

Why we picked the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X:

AMD’s 7950X goes back and forth with Intel’s top CPUs when it comes to gaming performance, and there’s a tussle when it comes to streaming performance, but for gaming and streaming, we lean towards AMD’s flagship CPU. This 16-core, 32-thread processor has the most high-speed performance cores of any modern CPU, making scheduling far easier whether you’re on 10 or , and that means you get more consistent performance across a wider range of applications.

The 7950X is also a monstrously powerful CPU in its own right, whether you’re gaming or streaming — or both. It offers heaps of cache and a near-6GHz clock speed. It is pricey, and you’ll need to factor in the cost of a high-end motherboard and DDR5, but if you want a powerful machine for gaming and streaming, there’s nothing quite like AMD’s 7950X. Recent price cuts have made it far more attainable, too.

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Intel Core i5-13400

Best affordable gaming CPU

Why you should buy this: It has 12600K-level gaming performance for a cheaper price.

Who’s it for: Anyone who wants impressive multithreaded and gaming performance at an affordable price.

Why we picked the Intel Core i5-13400

The Intel Core i5-13400 hasn’t received much fanfare, but it should. It has 10 cores for around $250, which is incredible considering just three generations ago, you had to buy the top Core i9 CPU to get such multi-threaded capabilities. It doesn’t hit the high clock speeds of the other 13th-gen CPUs, but it still manages 4.6GHz across multiple cores at once, making it great for gaming at any resolution.

This CPU offers the kind of gaming performance you’d typically see on a Core i5-12600K, a CPU with higher clock speeds and much higher demands on power and cooling. The Core i5-13400 is relatively pedestrian with its 65-watt thermal design power (TDP) — a rarity in Intel’s latest processors.

If you’re building an affordable gaming PC, or you want good gaming performance in a compact, low-power system, the Core i5-13400 is a great choice.

Although you don’t need a top-shelf processor for gaming, your CPU still plays a significant role in how well your games run. Picking the right gaming CPU for you is an important choice to make.

Once you’ve decided on it and hit the buy button, check out our guide on how to install a CPU, so you’re prepared when it arrives.

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The in 2024 AMD and Intel CPUs, AMD and Intel have fought for supremacy for decades, duking it out in a bid to make the best processors you can buy. The competition is fierce, and that’s a great thing for PC enthusiasts. In 2024, the list of the best CPUs is larger than ever and packed with options from Team Red and Team Blue.

Intel’s bang-for-the-buck king of this generation is the 14600K, but its last-gen flagship the 13900K is still well worth considering. If you’re a gamer though, the 7800X3D should be the top of your list. Here’s a rundown of those chips and a whole lot more.

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Intel Core i5-14600K

It’s tough beating the Core i5-14600K on pure value. This slot was previously held by Intel’s Core i5-13600K, and if you already have that processor, it’s best to stick with it. If you’re upgrading from anything older, though, the Core i5-14600K is the CPU to buy.

It comes with the same core count as its last-gen counterpart, though with additional optimizations and a slight bump to clock speed. The result is slightly better performance and much better gaming performance. On top of that, Intel didn’t raise the price of its Core i5 chip, so you’re getting better performance for around the same price. It’s fairly overclockable, so if you don’t mind pushing the power draw and temperatures even higher, you can close that gap with the higher-end CPUs a little more.

At the time of publication, the Core i5-14600K is only around $30 more expensive than the Core i5-13600K. We recommend checking the prices of the last-gen chip, however, because it still offers most of the performance and could be a better value.

AMD and Intel CPUs

Read Also : The 8 best QLED TVs for 2024

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7 7800X3D

The best gaming processor

With the launch of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, the 5800X3D finally has a worthy successor. This CPU is the fastest gaming CPU out there, beating Intel’s Core i9-13900K by miles and even eclipsing the 14900K in most games. In pure gaming scenarios, it also keeps up with the pricier .

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D benefits from AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology, and once again, it shows off the power of adding copious amounts of L3 cache on top of the chip. It sports a total of 104MB cache, which marks a drastic upgrade from the Ryzen 7 7700X, which only comes with 40MB.

In terms of core counts, AMD seems to have stuck with what worked well for it before. The processor has eight cores and 16 threads. The boost clock speed is considerably lower than in the Ryzen 7 7700X — the 7800X3D maxes out at 5GHz. However, it still remains far superior in gaming tasks.

This chip is insane for gaming, but it drops off a cliff in productivity tasks when you compare it to the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. However, for pure gamers, this should not be a problem. In our internal testing, the CPU hit almost the same frames per second (fps) as the more expensive part — 239.3 versus 239.5. If you just want a solid processor for gaming, save your money and go with this one.

Intel Core i9-13900K held between fingertips.

Intel Core i9-13900K

Intel’s 13900K might not be the flagship it once was, but it’s basically the same as the 14900K, it’s cheaper, and it uses less power. What’s not to love?

Similar to the previous-generation’s Core i9-12900K, the Core i9-13900K combines performance (P) cores and efficient (E) cores. Core counts are up this time around, though. You’re getting eight P-cores designed on the new Raptor Cove microarchitecture, as well as 16 E-cores using the Gracemont architecture from the previous generation.

Those extra cores help accelerate demanding multithreaded tasks, which is why the Core i9-13900K managed an 8% lead over the Ryzen 9 7950X in Cinebench R23. The redesigned P-cores also help the Core i9-13900K outpace AMD’s best by % in Cinebench’s single-core test.

Across nearly all benchmarks, the Core i9-13900K tops the charts, aided in no small part by additional L2 cache and boosted clock speeds. It’s the fastest processor you can buy, but more importantly, it comes in cheaper than AMD’s Ryzen 9 7950X.

However, it can’t catch up with the X3D CPUs in gaming, so you will be falling behind a little there if you opt for this powerful Intel alternative, so bear that in mind. The upgrade path is a little limited, too, as you only really have the 14th gen to move to and nothing there beyond the very top chips can compete with the 13900K.

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AMD Ryzen 9 7950X

The best AMD processor

While it’s not quite as fast as the 13900K or 14900K in gaming or productivity, there’s no denying the raw power of the Ryzen 9 7950X, which nearly matches the Core i9-13900K in most tests.

The processor delivers on its promises, offering a 31% jump in single-core performance and a 36% improvement in multi-core performance compared to the previous generation. It takes a slight back seat in some tasks compared to the Core i9-13900K, but only by razor-thin margins. And in some games, like Far Cry 6, the Ryzen 9 7950X is actually a bit faster.

Beyond the processor itself, the Ryzen 9 7950X introduces AMD’s new AM5 platform. It used to be much more expensive, but thankfully, new motherboards and falling DDR5 prices make the upgrade a little more affordable. In addition, AMD says it will support AM5 until at least 2025 (and maybe beyond). That means it should be easy to upgrade to future Ryzen generations without buying a new motherboard.

Although the Ryzen 9 7950X isn’t at the peak of performance, it’s just a step behind. And with features like Smart Access Memory and distant platform support on offer, it’s still a very attractive flagship CPU.

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AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

The best last-gen processor for gaming

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is the fastest AM4 processor for gaming ever made, and it will hold that title for the rest of time, because there are no new AM4 chips coming down the pipe which can compete. It blows everything else from the same generation out of the water and remains competitive in gaming with much newer processors. Why? A curious technology called 3D V-Cache.

For specs, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is slightly worse than the base Ryzen 7 5800X. It comes with the same eight Zen 3 cores, but the clock speed is 200MHz slower, and you can’t overclock the 3D-stacked part. The difference is that the Ryzen 7 5800X3D comes with an additional 64MB of L3 cache stacked on top of the processor.

It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but extra L3 cache makes a big difference in games. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D beats everything while gaming, including the Core i9-12900KS that costs twice as much. It’s also still competitive against newer CPUs from both Intel and AMD.

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is one of the best gaming CPUs, and it only really takes a backseat to AMD’s 3D V-Cache newcomers, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Keep in mind that this is a pure gaming CPU. If you plan on doing intense encoding or other productivity tasks, it’s better to go with an AMD or Intel chip with a higher core count.

Intel Core i3-12100F box sitting in front of a gaming computer.

Intel Core i3-12100

The best processor under $100

It’s tough finding CPUs under $100 in 2024, but the Core i3-12100F is a standout. It’s part of the Alder Lake family, and though it does have newer-generation counterparts in the 13100 and 14100, they are more expensive and don’t perform much better, making the 12100F an absolute steal for a budget gaming PC.

The Core i3-12100F is a quad-core CPU that ranks among the best Intel processors you can buy. It doesn’t come with a hybrid architecture, instead opting for four performance cores, but that doesn’t hurt performance too much. It lacks onboard graphics, too, so you will need a dedicated graphics card with it.

Gaming is certainly possible, even if it’s a bit behind the six-core Ryzen 5 5600X, and day-to-day use is excellent. This is an entry-level processor, no doubt, but the Core i3-12100F still punches above what its price would suggest.

AMD Ryzen 8500G box.

AMD Ryzen 5 8500G

The best processor with integrated graphics

Gaming without a GPU is possible, but it’s not an ideal experience. The AMD Ryzen 5 8500G is an exception, because its onboard RDNA 3 GPU is more than capable of playing most games at 1080p medium settings at 30 frames per second (fps) in AAA games, and a far higher rate in more casual titles. It’s not going to replace a dedicated graphics chip, and the CPU isn’t as fast as its non-APU counterparts, but it’s a great choice for GPU-free gaming.

It has six Zen4+ cores, giving it solid CPU performance, with support for 12 threads. It is limited to a 5GHz boost clock, though, which is lower than its Ryzen 7000 counterparts. Still, it has a low TDP, and if you’re building a budget gaming machine, want to save money to buy a bigger graphics card later, or are putting together a compact machine that will only do light gaming, the 8500G is a great pick.

If you want more power, the 8700G is available, but it’s around twice the price and its performance isn’t that much better.

AMD Ryzen 5 7600 box.

AMD Ryzen 5 7600

The best value AMD processor

AMD made sure that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with the Ryzen 5 7600. It’s close to its predecessor in some ways, sporting the exact same core count, but it does offer a number of generational upgrades that make it a good way to future-proof your PC.

The Ryzen 5 7600 comes with six cores and 12 threads. It has a maximum clock speed of 5.2GHz. It’s a pretty well-rounded processor, with solid gaming performance, but also plenty of room for productivity. It’s not going to beat some of this generation’s heavyweights, but it’s more than sufficient even for AAA gaming purposes.

The downside of it lies in the extra expense compared to the last-gen chip, and it’s all due to AMD’s new AM5 platform. This means a new motherboard if you’re upgrading, and unfortunately, you have to stick with DDR5 memory due to a lack of DDR4 support.

This is why the previous-gen chip is still a very attractive choice — overall, you’re looking at quite big savings if you stick to the previous generation. On the other hand, switching to AM5 now means plenty of room for upgrades going forward.

Intel Core i5-13400F box.

Intel Core i5-13400F

The Intel Core i5-13400F might be a last-generation chip, and it might be a little slower than the new-gen 14400, but there’s a sizeable discount to be had for opting for this slightly older model. It works on the same motherboards, supports the same DDR4 or DDR5 memory, and it has the same (albeit limited) upgrade potential.

It’s the cheapest Intel 13th- or 14th-generation CPU with efficiency cores, so its productivity performance is seriously impressive, rivaling much more high-end CPUs from older generations and offering credible competition for higher-end AMD CPUs. Pair it with a midrange graphics card, and this is a seriously capable chip for gaming.

As for upgrades, you’ll only be able to switch it out for higher-end 13th and 14th gen chips, which does give you an upgrade path, but that’s the end of it. After this generation, you’ll need to switch out the motherboard for something new.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which processor is the fastest?

The fastest processor you can buy right now is the Intel Core i9-14900K. It comes with 24 cores and high clock speeds, allowing it to rip through games and intense productivity applications. However, it has serious competition in gaming from the AMD 7800X3D and 7950X3D, both of which are far more efficient and draw far less power than the 14900K. They can’t compete on productivity, but the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, isn’t far behind and is no slouch in gaming either.

Is i7 better than i5?

Intel Core i7 and Core i5 processors are both excellent options. As the names suggest, i7 processors are faster and more powerful than i5 processors, and they’re more expensive. They may not be the best choice for everyone, though.

For several generations, Intel has segmented six cores to its Core i5 processors and eight cores to its Core i7 processors. The two extra cores provide a performance boost, but they’re not as important if you’re gaming or running basic applications on your PC.

Which type of processor is the best?

AMD and Intel are the main CPU manufacturers, and they tend to leapfrog each other every couple of years. Currently, Intel processors are the best option for raw performance all round, but that comes at a high power draw. For absolute gaming performance, though, AMD’s X3D CPUs, like the 7800X3D and 7950X3D as the fastest out there.

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When it comes to ultra-powerful brightness, next-level local dimming, and rich colors, a solid QLED TV delivers all of the above, and more! Available from some of the best TV brands of 2024, including , Sony, TCL, and Hisense, QLED TVs are exceptionally great for those of us watching movies and shows in brightly lit rooms.

The best QLED TVs are also optimized for next-gen gaming, thanks to HDMI 2.1 support and frame-rate features like Variable Refresh Rate, G-Sync, and AMD FreeSync.

Audio quality is just as important, and the best QLED TVs support many leading surround sound formats, including and DTS:X. Still, it doesn’t hurt to think about investing in a soundbar or , especially if you’re really into cinema and gaming.

With new models right around the corner, our favorite QLEDs are still 2023 highlights, but many sets are priced lower than ever before! So nab these models while you still can!

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Samsung QN90C Neo QLED

The best overall QLED TV

It’s hard not to love a Samsung TV. Over the last decade or so, the manufacturer has consistently delivered one amazing set after another, and has been producing some top-notch QLEDS for several years now. We were huge fans of the 2022 Samsung QN90B, and now we’re more than glad to sing the praises of our favorite 2023 QLED, the incredible Samsung QN90C. Available in sizes ranging from 43 to 85 inches, the QN90C is going to be the best QLED for most folks; although some may be interested in taking a step further with the flagship performance of the Samsung S95C QD-OLED.

As for those of us who choose to remain with a more traditional QLED, the QN90C has it all. We’re talking near-impeccable HDR performance, chart-topping peak brightness levels, terrific reflection handling, and some of the best gaming features you’ll find in 2023. Many of these features are further enriched by Samsung’s Neural Quantum Processor 4K, which optimizes each and every source to give you as much picture detail as possible, whether you’re watching brand-new 4K HDR releases or your vintage DVD collection.

When it comes to contrast, QLED TVs are also getting better at acting more like OLEDs, which bodes well for those of us who want our movies and TV shows to be packed with rich colors and amazing black levels. The QN90C is an LED-powered TV, and we did notice a bit of light blooming during darker scenes, but that’s a small grievance about an otherwise remarkable picture.

The 8 best QLED TVs for 2024

Also Read  : Best Free Productivity Apps to Be Efficient in 2024

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Sony Bravia X93L mini-LED

The best not-quite QLED alternative

While Sony doesn’t claim to use quantum dots (it call its tech Triluminos Pro) and doesn’t market its TVs as QLEDs, they compete right alongside the TVs on this list that are marketed as QLED. So, if you’re considering a “QLED” TV based on the idea that they are top-tier LED/LCD TV performers, then you should also be considering this Sony option, never mind that it doesn’t have QLED printed on the box.

With that out of the way, we give you the Sony Bravia X93L mini-LED, a 2023 TV that picks up where last year’s excellent flagship Sony X95K mini-LED TV left off, but for a much better price. In fact, the X93L is identical to the X95K but with a handful of improvements, including better eco settings management, new black level adjustments for better fine-tuning of darker scenes (if you’re a Game of Thrones fan), and a new gaming dashboard

that lets you switch between 60Hx and 120Hz VRR. It’s bright (at 1,800 peak nits), has beautiful color reproduction, supports all the HDR contrasty things you need (HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision), and is excellent for gamers, too, with VRR, auto low latency mode, and HDMI 2.1 support.

If you’re a fan of Sony soundbars, too, you can take advantage of the X93L’s ability to sync the TV’s speakers with select soundbars to help with clearer dialog and immersion. It’s also Dolby Atmos capable. The X93L is a new spin on one of Sony’s best TVs for 2023, but without the premium “Sony tax.

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TCL QM8 QLED 4K mini-LED

One of the brightest TVs we’ve ever seen

New for 2023, TCL is at it again with its lineup of mini-LED QLED TVs that continue to prove that you can have high-end features and quality at prices that are way more reasonable than the marquee TV brands. And the TCL QM8 is literally the brand’s shining example … blindingly shiny with peak brightness levels of 2,500 nits in our tests, making it one of the brightest TVs we’ve ever seen. Our reviewer was so impressed with the QM8, in fact, that he praised it as his “go-to TV recommendation for probably 90% of people this year.”

In-line with QLED’s ability to deliver bright images that are great for those setting up their TV in a light-drenched room, the MQ8 also has it where it counts in the contrast area, too, with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, HRD10+, and HLG, and excellent local dimming that also make it a good performer in darker rooms with decent black levels. Are they as inky as OLED? No, but not much is, and with OLED still costing a premium, it’s getting harder and harder to make a viable case for spending the extra cash. The QM8’s mini-LED technology delivers excellent color accuracy, too, with 97% coverage of DCI-P3 and about 76% of BT.2020 color gamuts.

The TCL QM8 is a Google TV-based TV, which makes for easy setup and use as well as access to all the streaming services and apps you could ever want via the Google Play Store, plus it’s got Chromecast built-in for easy mirroring and casting from your devices.

With a 120Hz refresh rate, fast- movies are smooth, and gamers will appreciate the TV’s support for variable refresh rate (VRR) and Game Accelerator that boosts things up to 240Hz and AMD FreeSync Pro for even smoother gameplay.

The TCL QM8 also features a built-in subwoofer for bigger bass sound, but you’re still probably going to want an external soundbar. Available in 65-, 75-, 85-, and 98-inch sizes, the TCL QM8 ranges in price from $1,200 to $10,000.

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Hisense U8K ULED TV

Unbeatable brightness for an unbeatable price

We can’t stop talking about Hisense TVs. When Hisense models first started hitting U.S. shelves, they were decent TVs, but they were certainly aimed at a more price-conscious shopper, with cost valued more than performance. Fast-forward to today, and Hisense has carved out quite the name for itself — and not just because of how much you won’t spend on a model like the U8K.

This is one mean QLED, folks. In our own testing of the TV, the Hisense U8K rocked the house when it came to peak brightness levels, delivering readings around 2,000 nits when viewing HDR content. Tech talk aside, this means that the U8K can get insanely bright, and without colors becoming oversaturated. That’s the biggest feat, really. Yes, most QLEDs can get very bright, but this tends to interfere with overall color accuracy and contrast. That’s just not the case with the U8K.

Available in 55-, 65-, and 75-inch sizes, the Hisense U8K tops out at 4K/120Hz on its two full-bandwidth HDMI inputs, and also includes Hisense’s Game Mode Pro for those of us hooking up a next-gen console or PC to the TV. And as a little bonus, those two HDMI 2.1 ports will actually push 4K at 144Hz when compatible PC gear is wired up.

The Hisense U8K’s price is a massive calling card, no doubt, but if you’re looking for a hard-hitting QLED that goes above and beyond the “cost-friendly” slabel, do allow Hisense’s flagship model to blow your mind.

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TCL Q7 QLED

Great for gaming

We’ve been very impressed by TCL’s Mini LED models over the last few years, so it’s no surprise that the brand gets more than one mention in our roundup. Sitting one rung below the QM8, the TCL Q7 is another awesome QLED that competes with models like the Hisense U7K and the Sony X90L. We tested the 65-inch version ourselves (it’s also available in 55-, 75-, and 85-inch sizes), and were taken aback by the Q7’s high brightness output and vivid colors.

Now as far as nit metrics go, the TCL Q7 is a bit on the lackluster side Not only did it score some so-so peak brightness readings (around 1,100 nits) with HDR playback, but the meh results found their way into SDR content too (about 700 nits for peak brightness). Compared to TVs like the Hisense U8K, the Q7 just doesn’t touch the kind of QLED brightness of some of its competitors, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to love about it.

Two of the Q7’s four HDMI inputs are full-bandwidth 2.1 ports that support 4K at up to 120Hz. It also runs the latest version of Google TV for all your Netflix and Prime Video streaming needs. Plus, you’ll be able to use Google Assistant to search for media and control your smart home devices, and there’s also AirPlay and HomeKit support.

In a way, we love the TCL Q7 because it’s not a perfect QLED. But what it does well, it tends to do very well, and the price just can’t be beat.

the samsung qn900c qled 8k smart tizen tv on a stand in a living room

Samsung QN900C Neo QLED TV

The best 8K QLED

Many consumer tech companies put the cart before the horse, and the world of TVs may be one of the biggest offenders when it comes to horse-less transportation. In the case of a TV like the Samsung QN900C, our equestrian analogy is best represented by a hardware versus software comparison. Quite simply, the QN900C is an amazing 8K TV, but we’re still living in a world that is primarily dominated by 4K and 1080p content.

Fortunately, Samsung’s next-gen QLED has some fantastic picture processing tech under its hood. The QN900C is outfitted with Samsung’s Quantum Matrix Pro, which itself is powered by mini-LED lighting. Translation, please? You got it! Matrix Pro is Samsung’s fancy-pants terminology for local dimming zones (a small block of LED lights), and because the QN900C uses mini LEDs, the QLED has a lot of control zones. At the end of the day, this means you can expect the QN900C to deliver excellent peak brightness and color brightness to the parts of the panel that require said brightness, while the rest of the screen is enshrouded in darkness (that’s a good thing).

And because this is an 8K TV, the QN900C will upscale whatever 4K or regular high-def HDR and SDR sources you feed it. Of course, you won’t be looking at a true 8K image, but it’ll be dang close! This is also an Infinity One Samsung QLED, which means the chassis is extremely thin and there’s essentially no physical frame to speak of. So, when it comes time to plug in your components, you’ll be doing so with the TV’s external One Connect box (because there’s no HDMI ports on the TV itself).

If you’re into future-proofing your consumer tech, the Samsung QN900C is an 8K TV that will rule your home theater setup for years to come.

amazon fire tv omni qled review art mode with widgets

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED

The best budget QLED TV

Amazon has been making its own TVs for a few years now, and while these models definitely err toward the more “budget-friendly” side of the price and quality spectrums, we’ll admit that we were pretty impressed by the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED series. Available in 43-, 55-, 65-, and 75-inch sizes, the Omni QLED delivers a pretty great picture. Now, it’s not the touting the most amazing specs and features in town, and the fact that the Omni QLED only tops out at 60Hz is a bit disappointing, but where the Omni QLED truly shines is in its Fire TV smart UI.

From the ground up, this is a TV built around Amazon’s larger smart home ecosystem, to the point where the Omni QLED has Alexa built right into it. This means you can fire off voice commands right from your living room couch, as well as control everything from smart lights and locks to web-connected security systems. You’ll even be able to see a live view from any compatible smart right on your TV screen. And when the Omni QLED is powered down, you’ll be able to use the Fire TV Ambient Experience to display artwork and photos.

Other add-ons like Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive support bring a few more picture perks to sweeten the deal. Again, the Fire TV Omni QLED may not be the best QLED ever made, but it’s definitely worth adding to our list.

tcl 6 series google tv r646 review feature

TCL 6-Series (R646)

Another great QLED

In 2021, TCL introduced mini-LED backlighting on the 6-Series, proving that the miniaturized light sources can make a big difference in contrast, black levels, and detail. And based on our hands-on experience with the R646, we love the end result.

Brightness soars with this TV, especially when it comes to peak nit output. The vivid visuals are present when it comes to color brightness too, making for a budget QLED that is packed with lots of punch and kick in the picture department, and for a relatively low price.

The 6-Series is also optimized for gaming, with its four HDMI inputs supporting 4K/120Hz, making this a blistering-fast choice for PS5 and Xbox Series X enthusiasts. In terms of overall picture upscaling, the 6-Series doesn’t touch the kind of cleanup powers you’ll find on higher-priced sets from Samsung and Sony, but for those of us that plan to do most of our TV-watching with Netflix and other mainline streaming apps, the TCL 6-Series (R646) is an excellent budget option.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is QLED TV?

The “Q” in QLED stands for quantum dot, a nanoparticle that emits light when energized. Quantum dots can be tuned to emit specific wavelengths of light, so TV makers add green and red quantum dots in a layer over their blue LED backlights, which creates a much purer white light than a single LED backlight can create on its own. With a pure white backlight, the TV’s color filters can produce much more accurate colors, leading to significantly better picture quality than regular LED TVs.

UHD vs. QLED: What’s the difference?

UHD stands for ultra-high definition, also known as 4K. It’s a description of resolution, or the number of pixels that make up an on-screen image. It can refer to the resolution of a specific piece of content (many streaming services offer movies in UHD) as well as the native resolution of a TV. QLED refers to the kind of display technology a TV uses (see above). QLED TVs come in various native resolutions, from HD to 8K, including UHD.

Is QLED better than OLED?

It depends. Right now, QLED TVs are capable of getting brighter than OLED TVs, which deliver better black levels and contrast. We feel that OLED TVs still produce a better overall picture quality, but if your viewing area is especially bright, or if you want a really big screen, QLED models might be a better choice for you.

Is QLED the best TV technology?

Once again, it depends on your particular situation. For instance, if you want a TV for your patio, where it will experience partial or full sun, an OLED TV simply won’t get bright enough to compete with all that daylight, and a QLED TV is definitely superior. On the other hand, if you can darken your media room whenever you want, an OLED TV will still deliver the deepest blacks and highest contrast.

What should I look for in a QLED TV?

Finding the right QLED TV for you is all about balancing size, picture quality, features, and price. First, figure out your budget, then prioritize the rest of your list. If getting the biggest TV for your money is the top priority, you’ll be able to find 75-inch and larger models from brands like TCL, Vizio, Hisense, and LG that are still quite affordable. If picture quality matters more – especially when viewing HDR material – you should choose a model with a very high peak brightness. If gaming is a top consideration, make sure you find a model that’s equipped with VRR, ALLM, and 4K at 120Hz for the best possible experience.

Which is the best Samsung QLED TV?

Samsung has two flagship QLED models depending on whether you want 8K resolution. The QN900C is the company’s top 8K model, and the QN90C is its top 4K model.

Are QLED TVs good for gaming?

Yes, but picking the right model is key. You’ll want to look for a TV that has the latest HDMI 2.1 features, like VRR, ALLM, and 4K at 120Hz. Another feature that gamers will appreciate is support for AMD’s FreeSync or Nvidia’s G-Sync, which are two proprietary VRR technologies used by game consoles like the Xbox Series X and many gaming PCs.

Do QLED TVs have problems with burn-in?

No. Burn-in is a permanent form of image retention caused by leaving the same image on a TV for many hours at a time. In OLED TVs, this can cause individual pixels to age prematurely, leaving the “” of some parts of the image on screen even after the image has changed. Because QLED TVs use a backlight for their brightness, their pixels aren’t susceptible to this kind of uneven aging.

How long do QLED TVs last?

Theoretically, a QLED TV will outlast an OLED TV, at least in terms of maximum brightness, because OLED pixels lose their ability to produce brightness at a faster rate than a QLED TV’s backlight. But you would likely have to keep your TV on for eight hours a day, seven days a week, for many, many years before this difference became noticeable. That said, a QLED TV should last a decade or more as long as none of its individual components fail — something that can be hard to predict even for the best TVs.

When will QLED prices drop?

QLED prices, much like OLED prices, are dropping all the time. A few years ago, you’d need to spend well over $2,000 for a 65-inch QLED TV. Today, you can find them for less than half that price.

Is a QLED worth it?

Definitely. If you have a choice between a standard LED TV and a QLED TV, the QLED model will deliver brighter, more accurate colors, which should yield a better image overall. And as QLED TVs become the norm for non-OLED models, you won’t have to pay much of a price premium to get one.

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This article has the best free productivity apps that can help you in enhancing the output and increasing the speed of your . Follow the article to know more about the apps in detail.

Technology plays a major role in today’s time as you can use the technology and proceed with the projects and work with ease. To improve the efficiency of work you need to have the right combination of apps and so that you can work effectively and efficiently. That’s where the productivity apps come into play. These apps have professional tools that you can use to make the work easy.

For every profession there are dedicated apps, if you are a designer then you can use graphic design software, if you are an architect then you can use floor plan software. This article will similarly help you find the best free productivity apps that would help you with your work and projects. So without any further delay let’s take a look at the software and apps that you can use to increase productivity.


16 Best Free Productivity Apps to Use in 2024

Here are 16 top productivity apps like the note-taking app, graphic design app, and many others that can help you work efficiently. Read below about the apps in detail.

1. Google Keep

Google Keep

Google Keep is one of the best Google Chrome extensions that you can use to note every important point easily from your browser. You can download this app on your mobile and can even have it on your PC. Remembering the important tasks and dates can be very tough when working, so this app will help you keep track of all the important notes. You can simply add the document with all the important dates and work and then add them to the home screen.

You can add a different color to the notes to differentiate depending on the importance and work. Some of the notes apps require a subscription to use them, but Google Keep is absolutely free and anyone can use the app.

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Read Also : Best Free Winrar Alternative in 2024


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2. MindMeister

MindMeister

MindMeister is very unique and one of the best free productivity apps that you can use. This app can be used to help you remember your ideas. This app will help you keep the ideas saved as most people get ideas while talking to people or browsing on the internet. At that time you can simply use this app to note down the important points for future consideration.

You can simply add solutions and points along with other new ideas together in a very attractive manner. The app offers 3 mind maps for free, if you wish to use it further then you have to pay $4.99/ month. The paid plan will unlock unlimited mind maps for personal use.

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3.

Google Drive

Google Drive is a great person as well as an office app that you can use to store files. This is another best free productivity app from Google which will help you store and keep the files accessible for every device. Every hardware has limited storage which will be filled someday and in that case, you need to either change the device or choose another way to store files.

This cloud storage platform is available for every device including PC and mobile phones. You can simply log in with your account credentials and get all the data. Other than this the work which you do on Google apps will be saved on Drive only. When you first sign up with your ID you will get 15 GB free storage after that you need to purchase the monthly plan for the storage you require. The app charges $1.99 for 100GB storage/ month.

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4.

HelloSign

In the digital world, we all need to keep our documents and signatures together to register and start new things. While most people fail to keep the images together, this productivity app will help you sign every document digital without any issue. Now after having this app you don’t have to rush for printouts and then scan those hard copies to share via mail. The process is very simple. All you need to do is click on the add signature field to add it to the document easily.

The app has helped in easing the work which is why it is considered the best free productivity app to use. Using the free version of the app you can sign up to 5 pages a month, if you wish to upgrade the plan then you need to pay $15/ month for the pro plan.

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5. Foxit

Foxit

PDF files are a digital form of the hard copy, you can use the field as .pdf format to share and edit them easily. To help you in the process to edit pdf we have added one of the best free productivity apps that you can use. Foxit is a great app that can help process all the pdf related work.

Using this app you can easily add new files and convert them into PDF format. Other than this you can easily edit and open PDF files.y you can even sign the files without using any third-party application. The software is available for mobile phones and desktops, you can even use it on the web browser and save space on the hard disk.

Foxit is one of the top productivity apps that offers features like read and sign pdf documents in the free version. If you wish to use the core online editing feature then you need to pay $7.99/ month.

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6. Scanbot

Scanbot

In this digital world, you need to have all your documents in digital form to share them easily. The main task is to convert those hard copies into digital form but this free productivity app named Scanbot is made to help its users in scanning hard copies easily. Though this app is only available on your phone or tablet so you cannot use it on any other platform.

The app is really simple, all you need to do is open the camera from the app to scan for the documents and just click a picture of the pages or file for which you wish to create a digital copy. After you have saved the image the app will change your file into pdf format so that you can easily share it using various platforms.

This app can be considered as a paid and a free productivity app as it offers both versions to its users. For the core, scanning features the app charges $4.99 and for the Scanbot pro version, the app charges $6.99.

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7. Pixlr

Pixlr

There are many apps that can be used to edit and manipulate images. The king of all the software is Adobe but then in this list of best free productivity apps, we have mentioned a new name. Pixlr is a great tool that you can try to edit images easily. Though this app is also not among the free productivity apps, the reason for adding this in the list is its amazing features.

The app offers various features which can make your work easy and help you to become more productive. The toll offered by the apps includes crop, resize, rotate, blur, heal, rotate, and others. You can even add elements to your social media handle. The elements offered by the app are borders, stickers, , graphics, and other effects from various platforms.

The app has professional tools as well, so if you wish to create or edit a project using the professional tool you can easily proceed with the app. The best part is Pixlr has a very easy-to-use interface that can be adapted by any of the users whether newbie or experienced. If you wish to use the pro tools then you need to pay a $5/ month fee to access them. The user who is new and doesn’t want to use the pro tool can use this app for free.

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8. Lucidchart

Lucidchart

Next app in the list of best free productivity apps is Lucidchart. This app offers various features that you can use to create different and unique charts easily. Whether you wish to create charts for the presentation of school or for work, you can simply create them as per the need.  The apps have many templates that can help you easily create charts.

This is very easy: you can simply use the elements from the left menu of the screen. You can even simply drag and drop your creation as per need and requirement. The app can be used on PC as well as on mobile devices. The app offers 3 active documents up to 60 objects for free, if you wish to upgrade then the app requires a $11.95/ month fee that offers larger documents and templates.

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9. Screencastify

Screencastify

While researching or working on any product you need to keep adding data from various sources. The data can be anything including images, articles, or files, some of the data isn’t available to download. For those read-only files or data from a web browser, this is the best productivity app that can be used.

This app can be used to record the screen and record audio from the microphone. You can use the recording for your projects and share them easily by using various platforms. Using the free version you can screen record for 10 minutes and if you wish to record more than you have to purchase a monthly subscription for unlimited video length. The monthly subscription costs $24/ year.

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10. Rescue Time

Rescue Time

The way you can be productive, the same way there are many distractions that can distract you from being productive. You cannot calculate how productive you were. This app is developed to help you track all your activities and time spent browsing through the apps. As the name suggests this app can help in rescuing your valuable time.

This app offers a detailed database of apps under various sections like productivity and distracting. This app also shows a graph comparing today and last week, with a gentle reminder. You can use this top productivity app to access your activity. The app offers free core tracking features but if you want to block distracting sites, track time away from PC and make a detailed report then you can buy the premium version for $9/ month.

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11.

Zoom

Zoom is one of the best free productivity apps that you should use. The time has changed and the pattern of meetings too, in today’s time you need to have a video conferencing app that can help you connect with your teammates easily. This is a reliable tool that can have up to 100 people in a single room.

The teammates can easily use the virtual whiteboard to explain ideas to other people at the meeting. You use to create and join meetings using a web browser which means users can save space on their PC.

The app can host meetings for 100 members for 40 minutes for free. If you wish to have unlimited meeting time then take the monthly plan. The plan for unlimited time and users costs $14.99/ month.

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12. TeamViewer

TeamViewer

This is the best productivity app that will let you work remotely on your office computer or laptop. If you are surprised by knowing then believe me this is true. Using this app you can easily control other PCs. The app is not bound for geographical location, you can stay 1000km away and still make necessary changes to your office or home computer.

The graphics can have lower quality but then you can easily get your stuff done from anywhere. This is a free productivity app for personal use but for business use you need to take the monthly plan which costs $49/ month.

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13. LastPass

LastPass

Every website now requires you to sign in with your email address and a password. The password criteria in every website can be different from one another which means you would need to have different passwords for every site. Keeping those passwords in mind is very tough especially for the website which you use once a month.

This top productivity app is created to help you store all your passwords easily. You can download and add the apps extension to your browser. While you browse any website this extension will save the password and even the card information.

You can use this app for free with core features. For premium features you need to pay $2/ month, the premium account holders can share passwords and store encrypted files as well.

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14.

Grammarly

Next best free productivity app on the list is Grammarly. This app will help you eliminate all the errors which you made in the documents. Whether you are preparing a presentation or working on your blog. You can simply download the app or can even add the extension to the browser. Using the browser extension you can simply rectify all the errors on the documents you open on the browser.

The app will suggest spelling errors, grammar checks, plagiarism checkers, and other tools. The app will give you relevant suggestions according to industry-specific terms. The app offers a free core tool for all users but if you wish to use the advanced tools then you need to pay $29.99/month.

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15. CloudConvert

CloudConvert

Last app in the list of Best productivity app list is CloudConvert. While you might have struggled many times to use a file with a different file format. Using this app you can simply convert files to the format you want and easily access them. The app has more than 200 file types which include .doc, .xls, and others.

Other than this you can even convert files into design files too so that you can simply use them on the graphic design software. The files can be converted into .psd, ., .dwg, and other formats. The files you can convert using this top productivity app can be stored on the cloud platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, and others.

Using the free version you can convert up to 1 GB files and 25 minutes of conversion per day. To have more conversion minutes you need to pay $8 for 500 conversion minutes.

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16. ClickUp

ClickUp

ClickUp is the next name on this list of the best free productivity apps for you in 2024. With the help of this simple tool, you can increase your productivity and bring it to the roof. The app uses to offer quality functionalities to you. Whether it is your meetings, daily tasks, scheduled events, or anything else, ClickUp is the perfect tool to manage every task.

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Let’s Conclude the List of Best Free Productivity Apps

The list shared above has all types of paid and free productivity apps. You can easily choose the app which suits you best. If you wish to use the apps for basic features then the list has the best productivity apps. We hope that we have helped you find the productivity app which you were looking for. If we did, tell us how knowledgeable you find this article. Please write in the comment section below.

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The in 2024, Finding a bad Android phone is a rare occurrence these days. However, with so many options available, it can be daunting to choose the best one in 2024. In this article, we aim to help you find the Android phone you’re looking for.

When looking to buy a new Android phone, there are many factors to consider. Do you prefer a large screen? How important is camera performance to you? Are you someone who enjoys gaming on your phone? Or do you need long-lasting battery life? To assist you, we have compiled a list of Android phones that cater to everyone’s needs.

If you’re also open to non-Android devices, see our list of the best phones overall. Otherwise, keep reading for our picks of the best Android phones in 2024.

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OnePlus 12

The best Android phone overall

Formerly known as the “flagship killer” for offering killer specs at a lower price, has since shifted its products up the price scale. But it hasn’t lost sight of what made its phones great to begin with, and as a result, the OnePlus 12 is a flagship smartphone that can take on much more expensive smartphones at their own game.

The OnePlus 12 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the latest processor from Qualcomm, which is likely to find itself at the heart of most Android flagships in the coming year. It’s a monster of a chip, and it’s happily trounced any test we’ve put it through. Even the most demanding 3D games can barely faze it, and it’s backed up by some other impressive specs too. RAM starts at 12GB, the same that you’ll find in the S24 Ultra, and rises to 16GB. That’s more than a smartphone needs in 2024, and shows just how committed OnePlus is to making sure its phones are some of the most powerful around.

That drive is also evident in the display and design. The OnePlus 12 is a striking phone. It’s similar-looking to OnePlus’ previous phones, but its identity is so distinct from every other phone brand, and it just looks fabulous. The display is a huge 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 1Hz to 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, 1440p resolution, and a crazily bright maximum brightness of 4,500 nits. Again, that peak brightness is way beyond anything you’ll ever need, but it really highlights OnePlus’ philosophy.

The camera setup has similar high numbers, with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 64MP periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultrawide camera. There’s also a 32MP selfie lens around the front. The actual performance doesn’t live up to the strong numbers though, and it’s not the camera king of this list for sure. However, it’s still a solid performer that consistently creates good looking images and videos.

The 5,400mAh battery is capable of going for two days on a single charge, and wired charging of 80 watts also means it won’t sit on the charger for long when it finally does run down. There’s also 45W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging, that go far beyond what the competition is offering.

At a price of just $800, there’s no doubt the OnePlus 12 offers an enormous amount of bang for your buck, with performance that’s more than able to duke it out with the $1,300  Galaxy S24 Ultra — and come out on top. It’s the best Android phone you can buy in 2024.

The best Android phones in 2024

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Google Pixel 8 Pro

The best Android phone runner-up

We described the Google Pixel 8 Pro as the best Pixel we’ve ever used, and for good reason. This new smartphone boasts exciting features, such as improved cameras and photo-editing tools, Google’s latest Tensor chip, and more.

Let’s discuss the design of the Pixel 8 Pro. Despite closely resembling the Google Pixel 7 Pro, Google has made significant changes to the device. The rear glass features an impressive, smooth matte finish, and the phone’s rounded corners have also been increased, making it more comfortable to hold. Additionally, the dual camera cutouts found on the Pixel 7 Pro have been replaced with a single cutout that spans the length of the camera bar.

The display on the Pixel 8 Pro has also seen some nice upgrades. The 120Hz refresh rate has been tweaked so that it can scale down to 1Hz, not 10Hz, as needed. This means less energy gets used. The display is also much brighter, rising to 1,600 nits for HDR and 2,400 for peak brightness.

The primary camera on the Pixel 8 Pro has a resolution of 50 megapixels and an aperture of f/1.68, which makes it more light-sensitive. Additionally, it has a 2x optical zoom. The new ultrawide camera has a resolution of 48MP and an f/1.95 aperture, significantly improving its light sensitivity and macro mode. Also, the telephoto camera has a resolution of 48MP, an f/2.8 aperture, and a 5x optical zoom, resulting in improved light sensitivity. Furthermore, the front-facing camera has an f/2.2 aperture and autofocus support.

The Pixel 8 Pro has new camera software tools that are pretty impressive. One is Best Take, which is heavily advertised in Google’s latest television ads. This feature automatically stitches together multiple photographs so everyone in the shot appears smiling. Additionally, a Magic Editor feature allows you to erase and move objects from existing photos, even those not taken with the Pixel 8 Pro.

The Pixel 8 Pro has a new Tensor G3 chip, which has been well received. The previous versions didn’t perform well, so this one had much to prove. The Tensor G3 chip can handle various tasks such as gaming, live video streaming over a 5G connection, and capturing photos. The best part is that the Tensor G3 chip doesn’t overheat like its predecessors.

Simply put, the Google Pixel 8 Pro is a standout Android phone that has earned its place as our best runner-up for many reasons. Not only does it boast a stunning design that is sure to impress, but it also features an improved camera system that delivers stunning photos and videos. With its large and vibrant display, lightning-fast processor, and long-lasting battery life, the Pixel 8 Pro is a true workhorse that can keep up with even the most demanding users. Whether you’re a professional photographer or someone who wants a reliable and powerful smartphone, the Pixel 8 Pro is worth considering.

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Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus

The best big Android phone

With a massive display and all the power of its more expensive sibling, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus is a fantastic choice if you want a very capable device with more power than you can shake a stick at, an excellent camera, and two-day battery life.

It’s on this list because of its size, so we’ll start with that. The design is largely unchanged from last year, with the same minimalist back and sleek body — with one exception. The sides are now flat, mimicking similar changes over in iPhoneland. It’s a great change, and it makes this big phone much easier to handle. The display itself is a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with a 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. It’s as bold and beautiful as Samsung’s screens always are, and you won’t regret spending time staring at it.

It’s powerful too; The core of this power is our old friend, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and it’s as powerful as it is in other phones. Backing this up is 12GB of RAM, and the combination of the two is enough to make most games quake in fear. The big addition this year is Galaxy AI, and while some features are good, (like the image editor), some of these AI features are a bit feeble, and not something you’re likely to use regularly. Use them a few times and enjoy the rest of an excellent phone.

The camera is great, and though it can struggle with movement, it’s going to produce results you’re happy with most of the time. The battery is a standout though, with two days of performance with moderate use, and it also comes with a very welcome boost to 45W fast charging.

Prices start at $1,000 for the S24 Plus, so it’s not the most reasonably priced of phones, but when you consider how close it is to the $1,300 Galaxy S24 Ultra, it’s a real bargain. With seven years of updates, this phone is sure to last you for a long time, so you can consider the price an investment.

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Samsung Galaxy S24

The best small Android phone

There’s one reason to pick up the Samsung Galaxy S24 — you love everything the S24 Ultra and S24 Plus are doing, but you want it in a much smaller package. Thankfully, you’re not sacrificing anything by picking up a smaller phone, as the Galaxy S24 is a worthy entry in Samsung’s latest range, and a very good phone to boot.

This year’s smallest S-range phone has all the new additions we loved in the Plus-sized model, including the flat edges that make handling the phone much easier and the utterly gorgeous display, now shrunk down to a relatively diminutive 6.2-inches. But the real magic here comes from the fact that the small size doesn’t mean a downgrade in power thanks to the same hyper-powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 nested within.

It’s not perfect, of course. While the camera is strong, lowlight shots aren’t as good those taken by its siblings or the competition, and fast charging is limited to just 25W. Thankfully, the battery is still impressive, which helps to compensate for that slight downside as it commonly gets more than one day on a single charge.

At $800, it’s well-priced, though it does go up against the phenomenal OnePlus 12 at the same price. Thankfully, it has its smaller stature to really press an advantage, meaning this is the phone to buy if you want a smaller smartphone that still packs a strong punch.

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OnePlus 12R

The best value Android phone

We’ve already highlighted how the OnePlus 12 isn’t really a flagship killer anymore since it’s actually a flagship now. But there’s another OnePlus smartphone on the prowl, and it really is a flagship killer. The OnePlus 12R is basically a 2023 flagship smartphone, but priced at $500, and that makes it an unmissable bargain.

The root of this lies, as ever with OnePlus, in the spec sheet. Last year’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 can be found inside the 12R — and it’s the very same processor you’ll find in the , OnePlus 11, and other flagship phones from last year. Combine that with a very respectable 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and the OnePlus 12R flies through tasks and games alike. Performance looks even faster thanks to the 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate on the 6.78-inch AMOLED display, and the resolution is clean and crisp with 450 pixels per inch.

It’s not let down with a bad design either. The 12R evokes the same design spirit as the OnePlus 12 and the OnePlus 11 before it, and it looks great as a result. It even has an alert slider and an IR blaster, which are things you’d be hard-pressed to find on any phone these days.

The camera is technically a triple-lens setup, but it’s better that you only think of it as having the single 50MP main lens. The 8MP ultrawide lens is OK, but nothing special, and the 2MP macro lens is so awful it might as well not have been included. Thankfully, the 50MP main lens is good, even if it struggles with movement and sometimes returns slightly off colors.

The 5,500mAh battery is the biggest OnePlus has ever used, and it shows its size with some very strong battery life. Two days is more than possible with this phone, and moderate use may see it stretch to a third. It has the same 80W fast charging as its more expensive cousin, so you can give it a fast 10-minute charge and be sure of having hours of extra juice.

A phone this good shouldn’t cost $500, but it does. Admittedly, OnePlus’s phone don’t come with a lot of extra features, which makes a lot of this possible, but considering how easy it is to live without even the best special features out there, the OnePlus 12R is a real steal.

samsung galaxy a54 review back lime

The best midrange Android phone

No, we haven’t accidentally listed one of the Galaxy S23’s colorways, that’s actually the Galaxy A54. Samsung’s new midrange phone is a dead ringer for the 2023 flagship, and that’s a very good thing. In fact, the A54’s design differs from its more expensive cousin in just a few ways, and the most important is the range of bold colors. The Violet and Lime variants have a lot of character, and they’re well worth picking over the more standard black or white versions. The chassis is made from plastic instead of aluminum, but it’s covered in Gorilla Glass 5, so it still feels like a premium product.

The Galaxy A54 has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ certification, and a 1080p resolution, which largely puts it on a level with the A53 5G’s excellent display. The A54’s display is brighter than its predecessor though, giving it an edge under strong lights and outdoors.

It’s powered by the Exynos 1380, a Samsung-made chip that does a good job of keeping everything running. It might start to show its age as this phone ages, though, especially if you’re a mobile gamer. While never slow, sometimes we did experience some slight lag in opening apps, especially the camera. The internal storage options of 128GB and 256GB are good, especially when there’s room for a microSD card as well.

The camera is a solid affair, especially since it’s ditched the A53’s useless depth sensor. There’s a 50MP main lens, combined with a 12MP wide-angle and 5MP macro lens, and it takes good pictures — with one, pretty jarring exception. The stills it produces are almost always enormously oversaturated, to the point where it can seem comically so. Samsung’s phones have long been known for turning up the saturation a little too much, but it’s the first time it’s done so way too far, and it’s a bit of a disappointment here.

Two-day battery life was starting to become the norm for Samsung’s phones, but that’s not the case here. You’ll get only a single day out of this battery, and while that’s acceptable, it’s a little disappointing if you’re used to much longer battery life.

The Samsung Galaxy A54 has some downsides, but ultimately, they’re on the more minor side when compared with what you get: A capable smartphone that looks great, has a day-long battery life, and scores well in pretty much every area. Even if it doesn’t excel, it doesn’t need to, and the $450 price means it’s a great choice for anyone looking for a mid-range phone.

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Samsung Galaxy A14 5G

The best cheap Android phone

There are $200 phones that really feel like $200 phones, but the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G isn’t one of them. Samsung has done an incredible of keeping the A14 from feeling too cheap, and that starts with the design. Admittedly, it has a plastic body, but it has a unique texture that feels nice and offers grip, something often missing from slippery glass phones. There’s no water resistance, but there is a headphone jack, which is a nice bonus.

The 6.6-inch LCD display has a 1080p resolution, but it’s hampered by not getting bright enough. It also has some relatively chunky bezels. But even with that in mind, it’s an impressive display for a $200 phone, thanks largely to the 90Hz refresh rate. While not as smooth as the same refresh rate you’ll find in more powerful phones, this is still impressive in a phone this cheap, and a really strong point in its favor when you consider the  15 is still using a 60Hz refresh rate.

We did come across small stutters during use, and that’s likely down to the relatively modest specs. Still, the Galaxy A14 5G has excellent performance when compared to other devices at this price point, and the 64GB of storage is also good enough at this price too. You’ll want to clear out running apps to keep it running smoothly, but it also comes with 5G, meaning it should be futureproofed enough for the next few years at least. The battery is a solid two-day affair, thanks to the modest specs and 5,000mAh capacity. Recharging isn’t particularly fast at just 15W, but when it lasts this long, it doesn’t matter too much.

The camera is also surprisingly good. Ignore the two additional lenses, though, as they’re 2MP and don’t do much — instead, focus on the 50MP main lens, which takes some decent shots. Images are clear, bright, and avoid oversaturation. Nighttime shots are also good, though with some visible noise when zoomed in. They’re all generally still good enough for , though, which is a big test for camera phones at this price.

The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is a stellar phone for just $200, and if you’re looking for a serious budget bargain, then you’ve found it.

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OnePlus Nord N30 5G

The best cheap Android phone runner-up

Cheap phones sometimes struggle to excel in some areas without cutbacks in others, and the OnePlus Nord N30 5G is a prime example of this. OnePlus’s latest $300 phone is great in a number of areas, but has some serious setbacks in others that may or may not impact whether you want to buy and use it.

We’ll start by addressing the elephant in the room, and it’s the camera. The Nord N30 has a triple lens rear camera setup, and while impressive on paper, the combination of a 108MP main lens, 2MP macro lens, and 2MP depth sensor don’t deliver the goods. The 108MP lens lacks optical image stabilization so a lot of stills come out blurred. Low-light shots are blurred and noisy, while even images in good lighting tend to be bland and characterless. The 2MP macro lens is acceptable, but it can’t rescue what is a poor overall showing.

Thankfully, other areas of the phone are a lot better. The design is a little boring, but it feels and handles very well. It’s well weighted, meaning one-handed use is possible despite the large size, and it has a headphone jack and microSD card as well. The 6.72-inch LCD display is excellent, and has bright colors and a 1080p resolution. Most impressive though, is the refresh rate. The Nord N30 sports a 120Hz refresh rate, putting it on the level of 2023 flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Google Pixel 7 Pro.

It’s no gaming phone, but performance is still good. The Snapdragon 695 can handle most modern games, even if you may need to drop graphical quality if you want to experience the higher refresh rates the display is capable of. Battery life is similarly strong, and you can expect over a day of use most of the time. The Nord N30 also supports up to 50W of super-fast charging too, making it one of the fastest charging phones at this price point.

Yes, the camera is a letdown — but that’s only important if you’re the sort of person who likes taking pictures and videos. If you’re not much of a photographer, then there’s a lot to appeal to you here. The OnePlus Nord N30 5G has an excellent display, good performance, and a great battery life, and is a solid phone for just $300.

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Nothing Phone 2

The best designed Android phone

Aside from folding phones, all smartphones are starting to look the same in terms of design. However, Carl Pei’s Nothing has done something different with the Nothing Phone, and the latest Nothing Phone 2 continues to stand out from the crowd with the clear glass back and Glyph lighting system.

The Nothing Phone 2 is slightly bigger than its predecessor, coming in with a 6.7-inch OLED display, while the first phone had a 6.5-inch display. The 6.7-inch screen has 2412 x 1080 pixel resolution and a dynamic refresh rate up to 120Hz. Colors are bright and vivid on the display, everything looks crisp and sharp, and the speaker system is pretty decent for the price.

Even as a second generation device, the design for the Nothing Phone 2 is still unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s a glass slab, yes, but it feels very light and manageable, despite the large size. The flat edges are part of the aluminum chassis, the clear back is made of glass, and the front screen is covered with Gorilla Glass. The Glyph lighting on the back is still present, though the LED strips are broke up into more segments this time around. However, the glass back also makes the phone very slippery, so be careful.

The Glyph lighting is also improved over the first generation. As mentioned earlier, it’s broken up into sections, giving it more functionality for various purposes. You can use the lighting as a visual timer, highlight priority notifications by having a persistent light, a fill-light for the camera in low light environments, and certain patterns can be set for incoming calls, accompanied by a sound effect. There’s a lot of customization here with the lighting system, and it is one of the standout features of the Nothing Phone 2.

Camera-wise, there aren’t a lot of change from the Nothing Phone 1. You have a 50MP main camera and a 50MP ultra wide. The selfie camera is 32MP. During the daytime, the Nothing Phone 2 will take some great photos. It struggles a bit in lowlight environments, but it’s a very solid performer across the board.

The Nothing Phone 2 comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, which is a slightly older processor. However, it offers fantastic performance and efficiency, so the Nothing Phone 2 should handle anything you need it to with ease. You get Android 13 with Nothing OS 2.0 layered on top. It’s similar to Android on a Pixel, though with some added customization features — including the ability to personalize folders and give all of your app icons a monochromatic paint job.

Battery life on the Nothing Phone 2 is also very good, as it has a 4,700mAh battery inside. Even with heavy use, you should be able to get through the day just fine without having to charge up mid-day. And when you do need to charge, it supports up to 45W PPS charging, which is a little under an hour for a full charge.

Considering the price, the Nothing Phone 2 is one of the best phones you can buy starting at $599. Not only is it one of the most unique looking smartphones around, but the day-to-day experience of using the phone is also rock solid. There’s very little to seriously complain about.

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ROG Phone 8 Pro

The best gaming Android phone

Asus has been making big changes to the ROG Phone; Horrifically, it’s made a phone that looks normal! But on the plus side, nothing that made the ROG Phone so special has been lost in the process, and it means the new Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro is the best choice for a gaming phone in 2024.

Let’s touch on those design changes first. Basically, the ROG Phone 8 Pro looks a lot more normal than previous versions. Out are the distinctive gamer chic design and the large cooling vents, and in is a much more sleek, black design that’s not too dissimilar to the styles of other flagship phones. There’s a LED array on the back, yes, but it doesn’t show up when it’s not in use, meaning the ROG Phone 8 Pro is downright subtle compared to what came before. Is it a positive change? On the whole, yes. It’s slimmer, lighter, and thinner, meaning it’s easier to use, but it has lost some of that mad charm gaming phones used to have.

What’s that processor? Why, it’s the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 again! You know the drill; it’s fast and extremely capable, and it’s paired with some other impressive specs. You either get 16GB or 24GB of RAM, plus 512GB or 1TB of storage, providing plenty of power and room for even the biggest games. But this phone’s performance only starts at the spec sheet, as it offers a boost to 165Hz for supported games, the Asus X Mode to supercharge gaming performance, and the range’s excellent AirTriggers on either shoulder. Add the optional AeroCooler X accessory to keep it cool, and you have a phone that’s thoroughly at home blasting the most challenging games available.

The beefy 5,500mAh battery offers a long-lasting battery life too. With only small amounts of use, the battery could last three or four days thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s energy-sipping — but really take the gaming mode for a spin, and it’ll still last a solid day. It also comes with 65W fast charging to get it charged right back up again.

Even the camera has been improved. It has a 50MP main lens, a 13MP wide-angle lens, and a 32MP telephoto lens, making this one of the more technically impressive Asus camera systems. Shots are pretty decent, and given how bad previous gaming phone cameras have been, this is something of an achievement. Sure, it won’t end up on the best camera phones list, but the camera no longer a reason to avoid the phone.

All of this doesn’t come cheap though, and throwing a “for gamers” sticker on any product has always meant a hike in price. Thankfully, given the specs and performance on offer here, the initial asking price of $1,199 isn’t that bad. It’s more than the equal of other phones in this price range, and plays games better than any of them. And while it can’t match most others for camera performance, the battery life means there’s still a place for this device. If you’re an avid mobile gamer, this should be your next phone.

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Samsung

The best foldable Android phone

The fifth generation Galaxy Z Fold shows that Samsung knows what it’s doing in the foldable market. The Z Fold 5 has some great improvements over its predecessor, making it one of the best folding phones you can buy, as well as a great smartphone overall.

One of the big flaws of the previous Z Fold 4 was the visible gap when closed. The Z Fold 5 fixes this with the new Flex Hinge design, which means an overall better look and ergonomic feel when you use it closed. It also means less dirt and debris can get in between the inside screens.

Despite the hinge change, the size of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the same. You still have a 6.2-inch cover display with 2316 x 904 pixel resolution, and the inner display is 7.6-inches with 2176 x 1812 resolution. Both screens have a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, so everything looks great. You also get Flex Mode when watching videos, and this time you get the controls on the lower half of the screen for convenience.

The cameras include a 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP telephoto. Like most Samsung phones, the colors will be very bright and saturated in direct sunlight. However, if you take photos that aren’t in harsh lighting conditions, they actually look more natural and realistic than other Samsung phones, which is very nice. Optical zoom is better too, but it may have some issues with focusing close in on 1x or 3x mode.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy for the best performance and efficiency possible. You also have 12GB RAM and your choice of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB internal storage options. It comes with Android 13 and One UI 5.1.1 out of the box. Some improvements with the software include a better taskbar, which now shows up to four recent apps rather than two. There is also the ability to have three apps at once on the screen, along with a floating window.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has enough battery power to get through a day on a single charge. It also supports up to 25W fast charging, so it goes from zero to 100 in about 80 minutes. There is also support for a stylus with the new S Pen Fold Edition, which is improved from the predecessor as well with 4,096 pressure levels, IP68 water and dust resistance.

The $1,800 price will prevent plenty of people from buying, but if you have the cash to spare, it’s hard to find a better foldable experience than the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

oneplus open review emerald dusk hand

The best foldable Android phone runner-up

The OnePlus Open is an extraordinary device that comes as a surprise. As the company’s first-ever foldable device, it is built with meticulous attention to detail, using lightweight materials like titanium to create a truly compact and user-friendly device. It is an excellent choice for those who value innovation, performance, and portability.

Let’s start with the phone’s cover and inner displays. The former is sized much better than something like the Galaxy Z Fold, which offers tall and narrow cover screens. Here, things feel less cramped, making the experience much more positive. The inner display is gorgeous, with colors that are bright and saturated. Meanwhile, text is always sharp, scrolling is smooth, thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate, and the anti-reflective display makes it a joy to use even outside.

The OnePlus Open comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, an Adreno 740 GPU, 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage. There’s also OnePlus’ custom OxygenOS 13.2 OS that sits on Android 13. The OnePlus Open will receive four major Android version upgrades plus five years of security updates. These promises don’t match what Google’s offering on its new Pixel 8 lineup, but they aren’t disastrous either.

Performance-wise, the OnePlus Open works very well. We didn’t detect any performance issues during our tests, even when multiple apps were open.

Open Canvas is one of our favorite OxygenOS features. It provides a new way to multitask and was designed from scratch. Its goal is to allow you to increase everyday productivity with multi-window efficiency on a larger display.

samsung galaxy z flip 5 review 14

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The best flip phone Android phone

Want a foldable but think the Z Fold 5 isn’t compact enough? Then you should consider the Galaxy Z Flip 5 instead, which is also a huge improvement over its predecessor.

With the Z Flip 5, you get a 3.4-inch cover display, which is much better than the Z Flip 4’s 1.9-inch cover display. This larger window lets you see bigger clocks, widgets, and even run full apps on the cover screen. The display is shaped like a folder so it doesn’t interfere with the cameras, and while the 60Hz refresh rate could be better, it looks fine in almost every situation.

The inside display of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED with 2640 x 1080 resolution and it has a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, you get bright, vivid colors that pop, and sharp text with smooth scrolling animations. However, the crease is definitely visible.

The cameras are similar to the Flip 4, as you have a 12MP main shooter with f/1.8 aperture and OIS, plus a 12MP ultrawide camera with 123-degree field of view. But the Z Flip 5 has better color reproduction than before, and there is a clear lens coating to help prevent lens flare. The selfie camera also has a larger sensor.

Like the Z Fold 5 and S23 series, there is a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor in the Z Flip 5, giving you optimal performance and efficiency. It also has 8GB RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage options to choose from. It comes with Android 13 and Samsung’s One UI 5.1.1 out of the box. Battery life is about one full day with a 3,700mAh battery, and you get 25W fast charging, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless.

motorola razr 40 2023 review pocket

Motorola Razr (2023)

The best cheap foldable Android phone

The Motorola Razr (2023) has captured the attention of many because of its compact and sleek flip design. Its simple yet reliable design keeps the price low, making it a budget-friendly option for daily use.

The phone boasts three standout features: its camera system, fast battery charging, and dust and water resistance. The main module consists of two cameras: a 64-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and laser autofocus, and a 13MP wide-angle camera with a 120-degree field of view. The wide-angle camera is also capable of taking macro shots.

The Razr’s main camera is surprisingly solid. Our testing revealed photos that are lively and colorful, with just the right amount of saturation and HDR. However, in some scenarios, the photos appear washed-out and artificial. There is also a lack of consistency in exposure between the main and wide-angle cameras. Nevertheless, we appreciated the dramatic tone of the wide-angle camera.

There are a few drawbacks to the Razr (2023) that users should be aware of. The cover screen does not display notifications and time all the time, which may be inconvenient for some. Additionally, the wireless charging feature is not top-of-the-line, and the phone’s processor may struggle when handling heavy loads.

Despite these minor issues, the Motorola Razr is still an outstanding purchase for anyone seeking an affordable folding phone or simply wanting to stand out from the crowd. It is one of the most cost-effective methods of experiencing the newest foldable smartphone technology, making it an ideal choice for those who want to stay ahead of the curve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which brands make the best Android phones?

Samsung is a strong player in the Android scene, but it’s far from the only brand around. While Samsung makes some excellent smartphones, there are plenty of other great phones from other brands that you can pick from. The Google Pixel range has matured into a powerful and very capable phone line, with particularly exceptional camera capabilities. OnePlus has been a consistently solid performer for a long time now, and even the newcomer Nothing has a lot to offer if you’re tempted by its phones.

There’s a lot to be said about sticking with brand names you recognize, of course, but don’t just trust that a specific brand will always make great phones. Every phone brand releases a stinker every now and again, so it’s important to read reviews of individual models before you buy, as a even a good phone’s particular strengths may not match what you want.

How do you choose the right Android phone for your needs?

It entirely depends on what you need from your phone. Price point, size, camera abilities, durability, battery life, and processing power are all common factors that play into many people’s choices. If you’re an avid gamer, or have a fast-paced job, then you need a phone with fast and snappy performance. Away from a charger a lot? Make sure your phone has solid battery life of at least over a day. Always snapping pictures? Make sure your phone has an excellent camera.

How do Android phones differ from iPhones?

Android phones use the Android operating system, while iPhones use Apple’s iOS — but that’s only the start of the differences. The two operating systems have grown closer together over the years, but Apple’s iOS is generally praised for having a clean interface, not much bloatware, a strong emphasis on privacy, and the ability to interact closely with other Apple hardware, like iPads and MacBooks. Android, on the other had, has many more customization options, can integrate with Windows and other devices, more innovative design, and have many more affordable options for buyers.

How long should an Android phone last?

The days of two- or three-year smartphones are now behind us, thanks to some of the most prominent Android manufacturers. Samsung now offers seven years of operating system updates and security patches on its new phones, though it was beaten to the punch by Google, who also promises seven years of operating system updates. While there’s no guarantee your phone will last that long, it’s good to know that if you look after it and it does last, it will stay relevant for longer.

Which Android Phone has the best camera?

This is a tough question, as there’s no correct answer. A lot of Android phones have excellent cameras, but many excel in slightly different areas. If you value versatility and a feature-rich snapping environment, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus’s packed camera system will appeal to you. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time fiddling with options, then check out the Google Pixel 8 Pro’s snap-and-forget approach where the phone’s AI handles all the hard work. Maybe budget is important, in which case, the OnePlus 12R is worth looking at.

Which Android phone has the best battery life?

Battery lives have continued to improve, and the standard you should be aiming for with any smartphone is at least a day of solid use, and most of the phones on this list will hit that goal. Some will even stretch to two days — but keep in mind this will rely on your personal use. High-intensity games, constant music or media streaming, videoconferencing, and other activities that work the processor will cause drain the battery faster, and if that’s your life, make sure you pick a long-lasting phone, or invest in a portable charger or charge throughout the day.

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Views: 343

How to Use ChatGPT 4 For Free, OpenAI recently released its latest GPT-4 model, which is much more powerful than anything OpenAI has released so far. It is the largest language model system OpenAI has developed, and it also comes with vision capability. GPT-4 is multimodal, meaning it can interpret not only but image inputs as well. Apart from that, it performs well in reasoning tests and supports about 26 different languages.

That said, ChatGPT 4 is not available to free users. You have to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus to try out GPT-4. Nevertheless, in this guide, we bring you simple ways to use ChatGPT 4 for free. You can access the advanced GPT-4 language model without paying any price. So on that note, let’s jump to the guide.

1. Use ChatGPT 4 for Free on Bing Chat

You can use GPT-4 for free on Microsoft Bing without any limitations. Just after the release of the GPT-4 model, Microsoft came forward and announced that its Bing AI is already running on the GPT-4 model (codename: Prometheus). In fact, Bing AI has some additional features that ChatGPT 4 does not have by default.

You can get answers live from the internet, generate images on Bing AI with a simple prompt, and get citations for information. Now let’s go ahead and how to use Bing to access ChatGPT 4 freely.

1. Head over to bing.com/new (visit) and click on “Chat now”.

chat with bing

2. Now, switch to the “Creative” mode and ask your questions. This mode uses the GPT-4 model.

Creative mode bing

3. You can also install the Bing app (Android / iOS — Free) on your smartphone and enable the “GPT-4” toggle. Now, you can start talking to GPT-4 without any limitations. You can also upload images to Bing to use GPT-4’s multimodal capability.

use gpt-4 for free on bing chat on android or ios

2. How to use ChatGPT 4 on Perplexity AI

For those unaware, Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine that combines its database with the Internet to provide a seamless experience. However, what makes it different is that it has a new Co-Pilot feature that uses GPT-4 to give enhanced search results and better information. Learn how to access ChatGPT 4 for your searches using the steps below.

1. Head to the official Perplexity AI website to begin the process.

2. Click on the “Sign up” button to quickly make an account. Go through the motions of making an account by entering your credentials.

Sign up perplexity AI

3. You’ll now land on the main page, but our focus is in the search bar. Toggle on the “Copilot” option to enable the “GPT-4” model. Free users can ask 5 questions every four hours.

Perplexity ai access chatgpt 4 for free toggle on

4. Now, type out your query or click on any of the pre-filled options and press return. In my case, I asked it to plan a trip to Italy. As you can see, Copilot understood my question and even asked me about my preferences.

plan trip to tokyo Use ChatGPT 4 For Free

5. And just like that, we have our trip. Just like the best ChatGPT plugins, Perplexity AI used GPT-4 to search the Internet and use AI to create a plan for me. You get five queries every 4 hours, so use them wisely.

trip to tokyo perplexity ai

How to Use ChatGPT 4 For Free

Read Also : Best Free AI Content Generator 2024

3. How to use ChatGPT 4 on Merlin

Merlin has already appeared on our list of ChatGPT Chrome extensions. However, we are mentioning it again as it’s also an amazing way to access GPT-4 for free. If you are new, you should know Merlin is an AI-powered extension that can intelligently act as a guide. You can summon Merlin through keyboard or click its icon for help on various topics, including searches, articles, and more. Follow the steps below to set it up:

1. First, visit the official Merlin Chrome extension page and click “Add to Chrome.” You’ll now go through a small tutorial. That’s just there to teach you the basic steps.

add to chrome merlin

2. Now, we need to pin the extension for easy access. Click on the extension menu and then the pin icon next to Merlin.

pin browser extension chrome

3. Now, simply head over to any website or even Google and tap the Merlin extension. A chat will open up.

Ask Merlin anything

4. Finally, click on the dropdown menu and select GPT-4 to get Merlin to use that. Do note that while you get 51 free queriesGPT-4 uses queries at once. You can even turn on web access beside it if you wish.

GPT-4 select

5. Just like that, you’re using GPT-4 using Merlin. The extension will now use the LLM and perform any task you wish. Definitely, an easy way to access ChatGPT 4 for free.

Access chatgpt 4 for free merlin extension

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Chat GPT-4 available now?

Yes, ChatGPT-4 is available for use to those who have subscribed to ChatGPT Plus.

Can I use Chat GPT-4 for free?

Although there is no way to directly access Chat GPT-4 for free without subscribing to ChatGPT Plus, you can make use of it via GPT-4-integrated chatbots like Microsoft Bing, Perplexity AI, and others.

What can Chat GPT-4 do?

Chat GPT-4 is an AI language processing model that can analyze texts and images to provide answers to prompts that come from users of the advanced chatbot. The possibilities are endless when it comes to all that Chat GPT-4 can do.

How much does a ChatGPT Plus subscription cost?

ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month for every region across the globe.

15 Best ChatGPT Plugins You Should Use Right Now

As if it wasn’t already possible, ChatGPT keeps scaling new heights. Thhe chatbot comes with some amazing features and data. However, did you know that there are plugins that you can pair with the ? Even though Google remains somewhat of a competition with its PaLM 2 model, the OpenAI product remains massively popular. To make your job easier, we have scoured the ChatGPT plugin store and picked the best plugins already. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

1. Prompt Perfect

First up, we have Prompt Perfect, one of the best ChatGPT extensions that lets users write the perfect prompts for the AI chatbot. If you are part of the few not able to do so, Perfect will immensely help you. To begin, enter a prompt for whatever you want to ask the AI bot. In our case, I ask ChatGPT to write a 200-word story about cars.

prompt perfect chatgpt

However, make sure to write the word “perfect” before your prompt. Once done, the plugin will rewrite the entire prompt under the hood to make it highly detailed to ChatGPT. This helps the AI chatbot come up with informative and specific answers for your prompt. Besides that, the plugin requires no other intervention and has a plug-and-play nature. Check it out.

2. OpenTable

One of the best ChatGPT plugins we used was OpenTable for quick and seamless restaurant bookings on the go. This ChatGPT plugin is based on ensuring users book their times with the least possible effort. As such, you only need to provide ChatGPT with all the basic requirements, like the date, time, location, and number of people.

openai best chatgpt plugins

The plugin then takes in the information and automatically finds specific restaurants. The links provided by the plugin even lead to the reservation details already pre-filled, making it one of the best ChatGPT plugins for convenient restaurant bookings.

3. Wolfram

While it can get a bit technical for some users, the Wolfram ChatGPT plugin is one of the best due to its advanced abilities. Powered by advanced data, Wolfram allows ChatGPT users to access advanced computation, math, and real-time data to solve all types of queries.

wolfram best chatgpt plugins

So, instead of sticking to just basic math problems, you can ask Wolfram for advanced help like creating a genealogical tree, creating an audio spectrogram, illustrating anatomy, and much more. It can even tell the date and time in real-time, which isn’t something ChatGPT can do. So, go ahead and experiment with Wolfram to see which feature works best for you in this ChatGPT plugin.

4. Zapier

Made explicitly to eliminate and ease unnecessary workflows, Zapier is one of the top ChatGPT plugins for working professionals as well as marketers. In a nutshell, Zapier lets users interact with over 5,000 different work apps without ever needing to perform extra steps. This includes all mainstream apps like Gmail, MS Outlook, Slack, and many more. All users need to do is complete a one-time connection and approve some actions.

zapier chatgpt plugins

Once done, you can practically draft entire emails or send in-depth Slack messages right from ChatGPT. Zapier then works in tandem with ChatGPT to make it possible and also lets users make edits to their actions. So when I asked to draft a test Gmail, it created the almost instantly and let me send it. Check it out if you’re too lazy to open your mail client.

5.

Canva has finally introduced its ChatGPT plugin, and it’s now available on the plugin store. It can do several tasks, from generating media posts to videos for Reels and TikTok. You can also use it to generate templates for websites with descriptive prompts and create presentations right inside the chat interface.

canva plugin in chatgpt

The best part is that Canva allows you to edit the generated content for further customization. You just have to click the link, and it will take you to its website, where you can make changes. Not to mention, you don’t even have to log in to Canva to make key changes. All in all, the Canva plugin is truly a great addition to ChatGPT and brings so many new utilities to a chat interface. It’s also very easy to use the ChatGPT Canva plugin so you don’t need to fuss a lot with it.

6. Argil AI

While it’s quite easy to use DALLE 3 with ChatGPT, the Argil AI is an amazing plugin for images. Using Argil AI, users can generate images right within ChatGPT itself.

A screenshot showing Argil AI generating images

All one needs to do is select the plugin and describe the image they want it to create. The description can be very vivid for variety. You can even take inspiration from the best Midjourney prompts. Once done, simply hit return and wait while the image is generated. Within a few moments, Argil AI will output a beautiful image to the user. Opportunistic users can even compile a collection and make money with ChatGPT using this way. Check out Argil if you can’t be bothered to use DALLE 3.

7. VoxScript

VoxScript is one of the best ChatGPT plugins with some added features. This includes the ability to quickly fetch YouTube video details and even its transcript in a detailed manner. So, if you were relying on the best ChatGPT Chrome extensions for that, you could use Vox now instead.

Voxscript ChatGPT Plugins

To begin, just ask to provide Vox with a URL of the target video and ask it to generate a transcript. The plugin will then run with ChatGPT and quickly dish out a detailed transcript along with its basic details and a view count. However, for users who want more, VoxScript can even comb through financial sources and even get you Google search results for even more data.

8. Kayak

One of the best plugins for  planning with ChatGPT, Kayak lets users easily book flights and hotels and get travel recommendations for all their trip-planning needs. As before, it requires your basic details such as origin, destination, arrival, and departure time. Once done, Kayak will guide you through plenty of flight options available from your location.

Kayak best chatgpt plugins

The detail includes the total price, expected layovers and delays, popular airlines, and more. Once you’re happy with your selection, ask ChatGPT to generate links, and Kayak will do that, too.

9. Link Reader

While some of the best ChatGPT Chrome extensions can read webpages for you, not everyone is into extensions and wants stuff simpler. For those, Link Reader can be one of the best ChatGPT plugins. Put simply, this plugin can read the content of all kinds of links, including webpages, PDFs, images, and more.

link reader best chatgpt plugins

All one needs to do is provide it a link and ask it for information. ChatGPT then interfaces with Link Reader and provides a well-detailed answer to the query. So, if you’re looking for a quick summary, this plugin is one to turn to.

10. Speak

For the linguists out there, Speak can turn out to be one of the best plugins if used correctly. True to its name, Speak is a plugin that lets you learn how to say anything in other languages.

Speak ChatGPT Plugin working as a language tutor

This essentially makes Speak like a language tutor. Besides translation, users can use Speak for verbs, conjugations, nuanced grammar, and much more. To begin, type out your language query, and the ChatGPT plugin will respond back almost immediately.

11. There’s an AI For That

While most of these plugins are one-off function ones, this ChatGPT tool comes under our best list because it is practically a collection of them all. There’s an AI that has a wide-ranging database of a variety of tools one might need in their professional and personal life. This includes simple tools like image editors, PDF converters, and much more.

Convert PDF

To look for specific tools, simply ask the AI about your exact requirements, and it will provide you with a handy list. I tried the same for PDF converters, and the plugin gave a concise list easily. Check it out yourself.

12. Instacart

While ChatGPT already gives you recipes, it cannot seek out ingredients for you. Instacart, on the other hand, makes its way into our best ChatGPT plugins list for this reason. Based solely on food, this ChatGPT plugin can intelligently come up with food and drink recipes and provide a detailed breakdown of the steps.

Instacart buy ingredients

However, what sets it apart is that Instacart then leads to its main service page, where users can buy these ingredients in real-time. So, if you seem to be running out of parmesan for your pasta, here’s where you can get it. The recipe and ingredient generation itself is fast and without errors and did satisfy a foodie like me. So give Instacart a whirl and see if you find the experience tasty.

13. Diagrams: Show Me

Besides leisure, ChatGPT can also help out users in the form of its various productivity tools. One such tool in the form of the best ChatGPT plugins is Show Me, a handy service that lets ChatGPT create real-time diagrams of almost all types. Show Me requires a basic concept for users to display as a flow chart.

Show me best chatgpt plugins

In my experience, I asked the plugin to display the concept of Ikigai using a mind map. Both ChatGPT and Show Me worked together to give a visual and text-based representation of it easily. So the next time you feel the need to generate a quick diagram, use this ChatGPT plugin.

14. Image Editor

There are times you might have images needing editing but wouldn’t really want to open up Photoshop for that. For all your basic editing needs, the Image Editor plugin can prove to be one of the best in ChatGPT. The Image Editor can perform various functions for you, including resizing, cropping, blurring, or even rotating the image.

Resize image bestchatgpt plugins

However, do note that you need to provide the image URL to the tool for it to upload it. Once done, simply ask the Image Editor for your request. We asked it to resize it to our dimensions, and it worked extremely well. While its functions are a bit limited, you can quickly do basic editing using this ChatGPT plugin.

15. CoderPad

 15 Best ChatGPT Plugins You Should Use Right Now
 15 Best ChatGPT Plugins You Should Use Right Now
 15 Best ChatGPT Plugins You Should Use Right Now
 15 Best ChatGPT Plugins You Should Use Right Now

We know that ChatGPT can now run code with Code Interpreter, but it only supports Python. However, with the CoderPad plugin, you can run code in over 30 programming languages right inside ChatGPT. That’s amazing, right? There is no need to set up the environment manually or worry about limited package support. Just install the CoderPad plugin, and you can run and test any piece of code.

And these are the best ChatGPT plugins you can use right now. However, do note that the plugin store contains hundreds of plugins, so feel to explore yourself, too. Ever since being boosted with GPT-4 Turbo, the chatbot has been made all the more powerful. However, on the off chance you’re bored, there are also a lot of ChatGPT alternatives you can check out to experiment even more. Got any more plugins recommendations for us? Drop them in the comments below.

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12 Best Linux Distros You Should Use, Out of all the operating systems in existence, Linux (also known as GNU/Linux) is the most frowned upon, and there are a few reasons for the same. While overall adaptability, software support, and user experience remain the most common issues with Linux, OS saturation is also a huge issue.

That said, most people involved in Linux treat the overwhelming number of choices as a plus point, as it gives them the ability and flexibility to try out different desktop environments and flavors and, ultimately, settle for what they like the best. However, if you haven’t tried Linux yet and want to start using it for whatever reason, here are some of the best Linux distros you should use and get started with.

1. Linux Mint

Linux Mint has established itself as one of the best distros for beginner Linux users, thanks to Cinnamon’s simplicity (Linux Mint’s desktop environment) and ease of use. It’s an Ubuntu-based operating system that’s good for day-to-day usage and gaming. The Windows-like feel of Mint makes users switching from Windows feel at home and is one of the main selling points of the distro.

Linux Mint Cinnamon

Linux Mint also caters to users who hold system stability of utmost importance. A new version of Mint is released every six months, and it’s usually very stable with occasional bugs. And for those who don’t like Cinnamon, , and Xfce are two other officially supported flavors of Linux Mint.

Cinnamon is popular because it uses far fewer system resources than GNOME, meaning it’s easier to run Linux Mint on old hardware with ease – like other lightweight Linux distros we recommend. Unlike Ubuntu, Linux Mint drops support for Snaps and embraces Flatpaks with open arms, and lately, the OS is doing its best to discern itself from Ubuntu. And well, it has been successful in doing the same. Overall, it’s a great Linux distro for beginners because everything just works out of the box.

Pros

Cons

Light on system resources

New features take time to appear

A great starting point for beginners

Could be a little too basic for advanced users

Great stability

Not very customizable

System Requirements:

 2GB RAM (4GB Recommended)
 20GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)
 1024×728 pixels resolution display
 A dual-core CPU

Flavors: Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce
Download Linux Mint

12 Best Linux Distros You Should Use

Read Also : 10 Best Football Games for ios 2024

2. Pop!_OS

Pop!_OS is developed by a company named System76, which also sells PC hardware and laptops powered by the OS. The OS was originally made with STEM professionals in mind and comes with drivers preinstalled. Soon, the distro became a hit among gamers, largely because installing NVIDIA drivers on Linux wasn’t the most user-friendly in the world.

Pop!OS

Pop!_OS is based on Ubuntu and uses the COSMIC desktop environment, which is Pop!_OS’ homemade desktop environment based on GNOME. However, unlike GNOME, it’s a lot cleaner and has got a few neat tricks up its sleeve, like the keyboard shortcuts, which makes Pop!_OS one of the cleanest Linux systems. Overall, Pop!_OS is a great option for budding creators as well as folks who want to game on Linux out of the box.

Speaking of COSMIC, System76 has recently decided to distance itself from GNOME and recode the entire desktop environment in Rust programming language. Rust-based COSMIC was announced a few years ago and is currently about to transition from the Alpha to Beta stages. The revamped COSMIC will supposedly be faster, smoother, and less clunky than GNOME-based COSMIC.

Pros

Cons

An excellent choice for gamers and content creators

Not a cutting- distro

A great starting point for beginners

Requires a decently specced PC

Stable, customizable, and feature-rich

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System Requirements:

 4GB (8GB Recommended)
 40GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)
 A dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: None
Download Pop!_OS

3.

Fedora is the Ubuntu of the new world. It’s a cutting-edge Linux distro that’s an upstream version of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It uses the same RPM package manager and embraces Flatpaks and App Images, but more importantly (and the selling point of the distro) comes with a near-stock version of GNOME. Fedora is often one of the first Linux distros to embrace the latest versions of GNOME in its beta builds, which comes out every six months.

Fedora Linux

And since Fedora is open-source, it also has a few community versions called Spins. Some of the popular spins are Plasma, Xfce, LXQT, MATE, and Cinnamon. Overall, Fedora might not be the best option for absolute beginners, but it’s great for those who know their way around Linux. Besides, Fedora’s got one of the most active distro communities on Reddit. Hence, if something goes wrong, the group of enthusiasts will always be there for the rescue.

One of the areas where the OS doesn’t excel is with regard to system requirements. GNOME is a heavy desktop environment compared to others. As a result, it needs at least 8GB RAM and a decently powerful CPU/GPU to perform well.

Pros

Cons

Cutting-edge

Learning curve for a beginner

Great for stock GNOME lovers

Requires a decently specced PC

Great for gamers and content creators

.

Excellent community

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System Requirements:

 2GB (8GB Recommended)
 15GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)
 A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: GNOME, KDE Plasma, Xfce, LXQT, MATE, Cinnamon, LXDE, SOAS, and i3 Tiling Window Manager
Download Fedora

4. Manjaro

If your friend says, “I installed an Arch-based Linux OS in just a few hours,” they are probably referring to Manjaro. Arch has always been an inconvenience for new Linux folks, but Manjaro makes it easy to taste Arch. It’s one of the best Arch-based Linux distros that comes in three official flavors/variants — KDE Plasma, Xfce, and GNOME.

Manjaro Linux

Like Fedora Spins, Manjaro has lots of community versions like , Cinnamon, and MATE too. Hence, you are not devoid of choices in this case. That said, Manjaro isn’t a pure Arch-based system because it isn’t as cutting-edge as the next option on our list. Manjaro has its own repository where all updates from Arch are merged and pushed later. Stability is of great importance for Manjaro, hence, the new packages from Arch are thoroughly tested before they are merged into the OS.

If you’re confused about which flavor to choose, GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Budgie are great if you have a decent PC. However, if you are running ancient hardware, we recommend Xfce or MATE as they use far lesser system resources.

Pros

Cons

Makes installing and trying out Arch easy

Slower update releases than Arch or EndeavourOS

Comes in a variety of flavors

Known to break sometimes

Great hardware support

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System Requirements:

 2GB RAM (8GB Recommended)
 30GB Disk space (80GB Recommended)
 A 2GHz Dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: GNOME, KDE Plasma, Xfce, Budgie, MATE, Cinnamon, Sway, and i3 Tiling Window Manager
Download Manjaro

5. EndeavourOS

If Manjaro’s “Endeavours” don’t align with your philosophies, EndeavourOS gets a lot of things right for an Arch-based distro. It offers you the flexibility to choose whichever Desktop Environment you like, has the Arch DNA in its veins, and offers quick package upgrades.

Endeavour OS

For starters, it comes with a customized Calamares installer, which makes installation easy. EndeavourOS does not have “flavors,” instead it prompts and asks you to select the desktop environment of your choice in Calamares during the installation. Besides, EndeavourOS has a great community and is a stellar alternative to Manjaro, or even Arch, for that matter. If all you need is a great rolling distribution, you cannot go wrong with EndeavourOS.

Unlike Manjaro, in which new packages from Arch take at least three weeks to make it to the system, updates to EndeavourOS arrive at the same time as pure Arch Linux. Also, the overall bloatware on EndeavourOS is less compared to Manjaro, which makes it one of the cleanest Arch-based distros out there.

Pros

Cons

The closest cutting-edge OS to Arch

Learning curve for a beginner

Lots of desktop environment options

Frequent Arch updates might break the system or introduce bugs

Great community

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Calamares installer makes it easy to install

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System Requirements:

 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)
 10GB Disk space (50GB Recommended)
 A dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: Xfce, Plasma, GNOME, MATE, Cinnamon, Budgie, LxQt, LxDe, and i3-wm
Download EndeavourOS

6. Elementary OS

Yet another Ubuntu-based distribution, Elementary OS is known for its rather striking resemblance to macOS, which makes it a great starting point for folks who want to switch to Linux from macOS.

Elementary OS

Elementary OS has a few great homemade apps that look great and work well. In fact, distros such as Pop!_OS use Elementary’s store, and that’s a testament to the effort the Elementary team puts into developing one of these best Linux distros. Overall, Elementary OS is a user-friendly and good-looking distribution that gets most things right.

For starters, Epiphany is a decent browser available on Elementary OS, and apps such as Photos, Music, AppCenter, and more all feel like they actually belong to the OS because they’re consistent. The wallpapers are some of the best you can find in any distro, and the dock and animations make the distro a visual treat.

Pros

Cons

Consistent design language

For absolute beginners; Mediocre to advanced users may not enjoy

Great set of preloaded apps

Not cutting-edge

Easy to install

The AppStore is mostly empty

System Requirements:

 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)
 40GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)
 A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: None
Download Elementary OS

7. Zorin OS

Windows users make up a huge chunk of the crowd that switches to Linux. Hence, one of the top priorities of a few Linux distros is to make them feel at home. That’s exactly what Zorin OS does with its impeccable UI experience. Its clean, polished UI does give out the feeling of a completely revamped experience while still retaining the bits of Windows UI to comfort ex-Windows users.

Zorin OS

Zorin is Ubuntu-based but looks/feels quite unlike Ubuntu both in terms of looks and functionality. There’s also a Lite version that can run on weaker hardware. All in all, Zorin has great documentation and posts for beginners to get started, and more importantly, it is completely free and open-source.

Besides, Zorin OS also has a Pro version that costs $40, and for that price, you get more desktop layout customizations, preloaded apps such as and Blender, and the ability to share your mouse and keyboard across computers. Now, we wouldn’t recommend going all out on the Pro version, since most of the paid features can be added by using extensions. However, for what it is, Zorin OS is definitely one of the cleanest and best Linux distros out there.

Pros

Cons

Made with Windows users in mind

Limited customization options in the free version

Clean and consistent user interface

Updates are slow to arrive due to the Ubuntu base

Easy to install

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Great for browsing and creating content

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Has a Lite version for old hardware

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System Requirements:

 2GB RAM (4GB Recommended)
 40GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)
 1024 x 768 resolution display
 A 1GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: None
Download Zorin OS

8. Garuda Linux

Garuda does things slightly differently than other best Linux distros on this list. For starters, contrary to the regular Linux kernel, it uses something called Linux-zen kernel, which claims to significantly improve the overall system and gaming performance.

Garuda Linux

The centerpiece of Garuda Linux is its UI. It gets lots of modern elements with gradient coloring splashed across the OS. Garuda Linux is based on Arch and follows the same rolling release pattern. It’s offered in multiple flavors; some of the most popular ones are GNOME, Cinnamon, Xfce, and MATE.

The flagship Garuda variant comes with a heavily customized KDE Plasma and is offered in two editions — Dragonized and Dragonized Gaming. The latter includes all the apps you’d need to get started with gaming on Linux such as Steam, Lutris, Heroic Games Launcher, & more, which makes it one of the best Linux distros for gaming.

Pros

Cons

Cutting-edge, thanks to its Arch base

Could be a bit too overwhelming for new users

Highly customizable KDE Plasma interface

Higher system requirements

Gradient theming and icons look fantastic out of the box

Performance and stability issues due to Arch updates

Dragonized Gaming edition brings all gaming tools for you

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More optimized Linux-zen kernel for better performance

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System Requirements:

 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)
 40GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)
 A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: KDE Plasma, GNOME, Cinnamon, Xfce, MATE, LxQT, Wayfire, Sway, i3 WM, Qtile, and KDE Lite
Download Garuda Linux

9.

Solus is a rather underrated Linux distro. The OS focuses keenly on developers, gamers, and content creators by including the tools required to get started with development, gaming, and content creation. The flagship flavor of Solus OS uses their in-house Budgie desktop, which is one of the cleanest desktop environments you can try.

Solus OS

What makes Solus different is that it doesn’t follow in the same footsteps as other Linux distros. It’s an independently developed distro with a completely different user experience compared to others on this list. Although, if you do not end up liking Budgie, you can switch to other desktop environments, including GNOME, Plasma, and MATE.

Because Solus is an independent distro, it uses its own package manager called Eopkg. It’s quite similar to Apt in Ubuntu but may have a learning curve since the commands are a bit different from the regular Apt commands. However, if you don’t end up liking Eopkg, you could always use Flatpaks and Snaps on Solus. All things considered, it’s one of the best Linux distros out there.

Pros

Cons

Independent OS; Doesn’t depend on any other OS

Eopkg has a shallow learning curve

Highly customizable interface

Slow development pace

The Flagship Budgie desktop looks great out of the box

Lack of software in repos

Comes preinstalled with a few tools for developers

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System Requirements

 8GB RAM (Recommended)
 GeForce 760 and above graphics card with at least 2GB of video memory.
 40GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)
 A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: KDE Plasma, GNOME, MATE, Budgie
Download Solus

10. Ubuntu

In the end, we have something that you would have found in the first two entries had you read this list a couple of years ago. Ubuntu started off with the goal of making Linux more accessible and easily installable than Debian, which was then’s Arch Linux. And, for the most part, it succeeded in achieving that goal, only to succumb to a corporate illness a decade after.

Ubuntu Linux Distro

Don’t get us wrong, Ubuntu is still a great operating system, but it has lost the bling it used to have a few years ago, and a few weird and poor decisions are to be blamed. Without getting into the details, Ubuntu uses GNOME by default, which is a tad bit customized.

Ubuntu uses Snaps for package management, and the latter is the reason the Linux community has started repelling it. They completely dropped out-of-the-box support for Flatpaks, as we mentioned in our Ubuntu 23.04 features list. Although it’s a good starting point for a complete beginner, we would argue there are better Linux distros to try than Ubuntu.

Ubuntu also raised a few privacy concerns when it started preinstalling Amazon and sharing data with the same a few years ago. Most of the users accused Canonical (Ubuntu’s parent company) of tracking user activity by installing spyware, and it made people lose trust in Ubuntu.

Pros

Cons

Beginner-friendly

Snaps are too slow; No Flatpak support

Customizable

Requires a decent PC to run smoothly

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Privacy concerns

System Requirements:

 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)
 25GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)
 A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: KDE Plasma, GNOME, Cinnamon, Budgie, Kylin, Studio, Unity, Xfce, MATE, LxQT
Download Ubuntu

11. KDE Neon

KDE Neon is known to provide a flagship KDE experience, and it delivers! It’s a culmination of the latest from KDE Plasma while maintaining the stability thanks to the Ubuntu LTS base. The latest software from KDE always makes its way to Neon first and is a great way of trying out the latest features that the Desktop Environment has to offer while avoiding butchering the stable feel of the operating system.

KDE Neon

Since Neon is based on Ubuntu LTS, each major release comes with five years of support and a stable tried and tested LTS Kernel. Neon also has some of the best collections of software thanks to KDE Plasma interface, meaning if you’re a creative individual, you could use some of the many tools the OS has on offer to boost your productivity, creativity, and be more efficient in your art.

Although most may like the interface and apps, like any other software, some may find the collection of apps a bit overwhelming. Hence, Neon may not be the distro for you if you prefer minimalism. Overall, Neon is easily one of the best Linux distributions you can try.

Pros

Cons

Runs KDE

Could be overwhelming for beginners

Comprehensive suite of apps

Not the best distro for minimalists

Customizable

Stable Ubuntu Base

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System Requirements:

 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)
 25GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)
 A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Download KDE Neon

12. Nobara

Nobara is not a mainstream Linux distributions and isn’t known by many except those who closely follow the Proton Compatibility Layer, Wine for Linux gaming, and Fedora. Nobara was created by Glorious Eggroll, the creator of Proton-GE. Nobara market’s itself as a Linux distro for gamers and creators because it adds and solves a lot of things that a Linux gamer may find annoying and needed.

Nobara Linux

For example, if you’re deeply immersed in Proton and Proton-GE, you may want to install new Proton versions to test for improvements and hence Nobara comes with Proton-QT preinstalled. Similarly, it’s always updated with the latest version of MangoHUD, Kernel patches, has automatic driver installation for NVIDIA GPUs, and comes with things such as OnlyOffice, Steam, Lutris, Flatpak preinstalled.

Pros

Cons

Lots of important preinstalled bits

Is a distro for Gaming and Creative work; May not be ideal for daily usage

Fedora-based, stable

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NVIDIA Drivers are automatically installed

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System Requirements:

 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)
 25GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)
 A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: Nobara Official, GNOME, KDE
Download Nobara

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The 10 best monitors for 2024, For those seeking a superior setup, a cutting- monitor is non-negotiable. Whether you’re entrenched in graphic design, a dedicated gamer, or a remote professional, the right display has the power to transform your computing experience. With a myriad of options available, ranging from various resolutions and panel types to refresh rates and specialized features, navigating the world of monitors can be overwhelming.

While the Dell UltraSharp 32 4K is an excellent pick offering an extensive array of features and an expansive 4K display, it may not suit everyone’s needs. Read on to see which other monitors we recommend for gaming, home use, esports, and more.

dell ultrasharp 32 4k usb c hub monitor u3223qe review front angle view

Dell UltraSharp 32 4K

The best monitor you can buy

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Dell’s UItraSharp 32 4K isn’t the cheapest monitor out there, but it’s the best. It offers a balance of beautiful image quality and features that few monitors can nail, and does so at a reasonable price.

We specifically reviewed the 32-inch model, which is more expensive than the 27-inch version (the U2723QE). Most people are fine with the 27-inch version, though the 4K resolution looks its best on a 32-inch panel. Regardless of the size, both monitors use an IPS Black panel, which provides wide color coverage and excellent color accuracy. It’s also significantly brighter than a standard IPS panel, offering up about twice the contrast you’d normally find.

Outside of image quality, Dell’s UltraSharp 4K displays feature an integrated hub that’s surprisingly useful. It sports up to 90 watts of power delivery, and it gives you a one-cable solution for connecting a laptop to the display. With the single USB-C cord, you can daisy-chain a second monitor, connect to the Ethernet port, and access both DisplayPort and HDMI connections. The monitor even comes with a KVM switch, allowing you to quickly swap your peripherals between devices.

alienware 32 qd oled review 3 1

Alienware 32 QD-OLED

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The Alienware 34 has finally met its match, and it’s the new Alienware 32 QD-OLED featuring the latest 4K panel from Samsung. The monitor offers a stellar HDR gaming experience, exceptional out-of-the-box color accuracy, and excellent suitability for console gaming. Its 4K resolution and rapid 240Hz refresh rate provide a cutting-edge gaming experience, making it a top choice for both PC and console enthusiasts. The three-year warranty adds value, ensuring peace of mind for users.

The design of the Alienware 32 QD-OLED mirrors that of its 34-inch predecessor, maintaining the two-tone black-and-white exterior. The new OLED panel enhances image quality, addressing color accuracy concerns seen in the Alienware 34 QD-OLED. Notably, the Alienware 32 QD-OLED is the first gaming monitor to support Dolby Vision, which should please console gamers. However, the lack of built-in speakers and the thicker design might be minor drawbacks for some users. The image quality, especially HDR performance, remains exceptional, showcasing deep blacks and vibrant colors. While not the brightest in SDR, the Alienware 32 excels in darker environments. With a fast refresh rate, 4K sharpness, and OLED technology, it delivers an unparalleled gaming experience.

In terms of connectivity, the Alienware 32 QD-OLED offers two HDMI 2.1 ports with VRR (variable refresh rate), as well as eARC. This last feature allows you to hook up your Dolby Atmos sound system or soundbar. You also get DisplayPort to get the full 120Hz 4K, as well as a variety of USB ports, including an upstream type B port, three USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and one USB-C for power delivery.

The 10 best monitors for 2024

Read Also : The best Android phones in 2024

hp envy 16 2023 vs dell xps 15 msi modern md271ul monitor new featured

MSI Modern MD271UL

The best cheap 4K monitor

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In years past, 4K monitors were pricey luxuries, but that’s quickly changed. A perfect showcase of that is MSI’s Modern MD271UL, which is a 27-inch 4K display that you can find for around $250. There isn’t special here, but that’s what makes the Modern MD271UL so special. It’s a workhorse 4K monitor that comes in at a bargain bin price.

The 4K IPS panel is set with thin bezels, which is set against a stark silver frame. For connectivity, you get two HDMI 2.0b ports, a single DisplayPort 1.2a connection, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The MD271UL also includes a USB-C input with 65 watts of power delivery, which is a nice bonus on a monitor at this price.

But the MD271UL really earns its stripes in image quality. Based on our testing, the monitor is well-calibrated from the factory, arriving with excellent color accuracy and coverage. It also managed to exceed our typical brightness and contrast thresholds for IPS panels. On cheaper monitors, we typically expect brightness or color to suffer, but the MD271UL manages to miraculously do both.

alienware 27 qd oled review 04

Alienware 27 QD-OLED

Best OLED monitor

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The Alienware 27 QD-OLED stands out as a remarkable monitor, challenging the likes of LG’s UltraGear OLED 27 as one of the best 27-inch OLED options on the market. Priced at $900, it brings several improvements, including third-gen QD-OLED technology that significantly enhances color accuracy and brightness. With a 360Hz refresh rate, the monitor excels in providing an exceptionally smooth gaming experience, making it suitable for both competitive and cinematic titles. The minimalistic design, along with a hexagonal stand and efficient cable management, contribute to an overall premium aesthetic.

The monitor’s color accuracy, particularly in the standard picture profile, is exceptional, showcasing a Delta-E of 0.46. It even excels in HDR performance, with a peak brightness of 928 nits, perfect black levels, and infinite contrast, all of which enhance the overall image quality. Despite some concerns about bezel thickness and Smart HDR settings requiring tweaking, the Alienware 27 QD-OLED impresses with its striking design, robust port selection, and improved QD-OLED technology.

The monitor comes with a three-year warranty covering burn-in, setting it apart from competitors and solidifying its position as a market leader in the gaming monitor category. If you are looking for a traditional OLED monitor, the LG UltraGear OLED 27 is also highly recommended, especially at its reduced price of $750.

Product image of the Dell UltraSharp U4021QW 5K monitor on white background.

Dell UltraSharp U4021QW

The best 5K monitor

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The Dell UltraSharp U4021QW remains one of the most unique monitors on the market, even two years after launching. It’s a 5K2K monitor, according to Dell, which equals out to a resolution of 5,120 x 2,160. If you’re quick at math, you can spot that resolution comes out to a 21:9 aspect ratio.

At 40 inches with the 21:9 aspect ratio, the UltraSharp U4021QW doesn’t have many direct rivals. It’s a large screen, but it’s perfectly balanced by the resolution, offering a pixel density of 140 pixels per inch. In addition to being sharp, the display comes with excellent color coverage and accuracy.

It’s packed with a slew of features, too. Similar to the UltraSharp monitor we recommended above, the integrated USB-C hub delivers 90 watts of power, as well as opens up a host of addition connections like Ethernet, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Thunderbolt 3 port.

The Samsung 49-inch Odyssey Neo G9 Curved Gaming Monitor on a white background.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9

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The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is our pick for the best ultrawide monitor. Featuring a massive 49 inch screen, the monitor features mini-LED backlighting which translates to excellent brightness along with impressive local dimming which helps it display deep blacks. The Odyssey Neo G9 is suitable for most use cases. The sheer size and high-resolution of the screen ensures that you can multitask with ease. It is also great for content creation and media consumption as the panel is capable of reproducing vivid colors with high contrast and deep blacks.

It is primarily a gaming monitor, which means you get all the latest tech including a 240Hz refresh rate and native support for FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) technology and G-SYNC compatibility to effectively minimize screen tearing. You also get two HDMI 2.1 inputs to fully capitalize on the latest gaming consoles or graphics cards.

The Samsung M8 smart monitor in pink placed on a black desk.

Best smart monitor

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The Samsung M8 Smart Monitor, attempts to bridge the gap between TVs and monitors, offering a versatile solution. Boasting an attractive design with vibrant color options, the M8 resembles the M1 iMac in terms of aesthetics. Its height-adjustable stand and thin bezels contribute to a sleek look. The monitor supports Samsung’s TV operating system, Tizen, providing access to apps like , YouTube, and Apple TV+. While it offers features like Samsung Gaming Hub and Samsung Workspace, the transition between monitor and TV modes is not seamless, making users choose one mode over the other.

With its 32-inch 4K VA panel, the M8 delivers good SDR image quality, but its HDR performance is limited. The monitor lacks VESA mounting options and offers minimal stand adjustments, which may limit flexibility. The bundled magnetic webcam offers good quality and offers features like face tracking and auto-framing. Gaming on the M8 is constrained by its 60Hz refresh rate and a limited port selection, with options like mini HDMI and USB-C. Overall, the Samsung M8 is suitable for those who need its unique combination of TV and monitor functionalities, but alternative options may better cater to specific preferences or use cases.

Apple Mac Studio and Studio Display.

The best monitor for Mac

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Apple’s Studio Display was a controversial monitor when it first launched, but there’s no denying that it’s a perfect pairing with any Mac. The 5K Retina display is stunning, offering up 218 pixels per inch on the 27-inch monitor. It also comes with wide color coverage and boasts up to 600 nits of peak brightness.

The display itself is stunning, but the integration with Macs is why the Studio Display topped our list of the best monitors for the Mac mini. The built-in camera and microphone array are tuned for FaceTime calls, and the display even supports Siri commands. The camera also supports Apple’s Center Stage to automatically frame you.

For connectivity, you get a Thunderbolt 3 input that provides up to 96 watts of power delivery, along with three downstream USB-C ports. The monitor is built for Macs, but due to the Thunderbolt 3 connection, you can also connect an Pro or iPad Air.

The ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A monitor on a white background.Asus

Asus TUF Gaming VG249Q1A

Best 1080p monitor

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We could recommend a boring office monitor if you need the bare minimum. But the Asus TUF Gaming VG249Q1A is available at an equally competitive price, and on top of that, it offers certain features that can be useful for gamers. It’s a decent budget monitor featuring a 24-inch IPS panel with a 1080p resolution and up to a 165Hz refresh rate, plus support for both FreeSync support and G-Sync compatibility.

It isn’t the brightest monitor, nor does it offer superior color accuracy due to its limited sRGB coverage, but that’s a compromise you need to face with a budget monitor. The monitor comes with relatively good viewing angles and overall it is great for basic productivity and casual gaming.

The Asus ProArt PA32UCG on a black background.Asus

Asus ProArt PA32UCG-K

Best monitor for creative work

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The Asus ProArt PA32UCG is a top-tier professional monitor that comes with a hefty $5,000 price tag, but its exceptional performance and comprehensive features justify the investment for professionals. With a 4K resolution (3840 x 2160) and 120Hz refresh rate, this 32-inch monitor is rated to support 100% of sRGB, 99.5% of AdobeRGB, and 98% of DCI-P3 color gamut.

Apart from offering great image quality, the monitor delivers excellent accuracy across various color modes and supports every gamut, grayscale, and gamma standard. Thanks to the inclusion of Dolby Vision support, it further enhances its versatility for professional use. The monitor also comes with essential accessories such as a light hood and color meter, enhancing its appeal for users who demand precise color representation.

With full-array mini-LED backlighting, there are 1152 dimming zones, and the monitor can achieve a peak HDR output of 1600 nits. Its extensive OSD controls allow for fine-tuning of gamma, color temperature, and gamut, ensuring optimal performance tailored to individual preferences. The PA32UCG’s exceptional capabilities make it worthwhile for professionals seeking uncompromising accuracy and even gamers craving immersive visual experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions

What brand monitor is the best?

No one monitor brand makes all the best monitors in the world — that’s why this list is populated by a number of different manufacturers. That said, there are some that you can rely on more than most to produce great screens. Dell is a longstanding favorite of ours with years of fantastic displays under its belt. It also tends to cater well to the professional crowd just as much as gamers, so you know there will be something you like in its lineup.

Other noteworthy brands worth considering include Acer, which tends to produce some of the world’s best gaming screens; Samsung, which offers some of the best ultrawide screens and large-size monitors we’ve ever seen; and LG, which has a good all-around catalog of displays.

What size computer monitor is the best?

This very much depends on the resolution you’re targeting and how much desk space you have. While bigger does tend to look better, giving you more screen space for work and larger images for games and movies, they can stretch entry-level resolutions like 1080p to the limits of their clarity. Big screens also require more room on your desk, so we’d caution buying a massive ultrawide like the Samsung Odyssey series if you’re working or playing on a small desk.

As a quick rule of thumb, 1080p looks great up to about 24 inches, while 1440p looks good up to and beyond 30 inches. We wouldn’t recommend a 4K screen any smaller than 27 inches as you aren’t going to see the real benefit of those extra pixels in what is a relatively small space by that resolution.

Are 4K monitors good for gaming?

They can be. 4K offers the pinnacle of gaming detail and, in atmospheric games, can give you a whole new level of immersion, especially on larger displays that can fully display that mass of those pixels in all their glory. These high-res displays really excel in games where frame rates are not as important as visual clarity. That said, we feel that high refresh rate monitors can deliver a better experience (especially in fast-paced games like shooters), and unless you have the deep pockets to splash out on a powerful graphics card or two as well, you aren’t going to get those frame rates at 4K. A 27-inch, 1440p display is still the sweet spot.

Also, keep in mind monitor performance is now often linked to framerate management technologies like FreeSync and G-Sync, so watch for these technologies and compatible graphics cards when making gaming monitor decisions. FreeSync is for AMD graphics cards, while G-Sync only works with Nvidia’s GPUs.

Which is better: LCD or LED?

The short answer is they’re both the same. The longer answer is that this is a failure of company marketing in properly conveying what its products are. Today most monitors that use LCD technology are backlit with LEDs, so typically if you’re buying a monitor it’s both an LCD and LED display. For more of an explanation on LCD and LED technologies, we have a whole guide dedicated to it.

That said, there are OLED displays to consider, although these panels haven’t made an impact on the desktop market yet. OLED screens combine color and light into a single panel, famed for their vibrant colors and contrast ratio. While that technology has been making waves in televisions for a few years now, they’re only just starting to make a tentative step into the world of desktop monitors, from Samsung’s QD-OLED tech to LG’s extra-bright G2 monitors.

What kind of monitor is best for your eyes?

If you suffer from eye strain, look for monitors that have built-in light filter software, especially filters that are specifically designed for easing eye problems. These filters are designed to block more blue light, which is the part of the spectrum that affects our eyes the most and is responsible for most eye strain problems. However, you can also download eye filter software apps for any type of monitor you get.

Why is refresh rate important on a monitor?

Refresh rate shows how many times per second the display can update an image with new visual information — the higher the refresh rate, the smoother transitions will look and the more information will be displayed. Refresh rates start at 60Hz but many monitors go higher, with refresh rates of 240Hz, 360Hz, and some even as high as 500Hz! This specification helps games and movies look better, and lowers input lag, making a high refresh rate popular for gaming machines and similar setups.

What makes a monitor ultrawide?

Ultrawide monitors use a 21:9 aspect ratio and have elongated displays to accommodate it. This not only allows users to play compatible games and movies in a larger aspect ratio, but the extra space also makes it easier to multitask or work with more complex software.

Do monitors have built-in speakers?

Many do, but not all. If you want internal speakers, always check to see if a monitor comes with them. Higher-wattage speakers will generally produce louder, clearer sound. Or you could pair a monitor with a set of external speakers.

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The in 2024, Finding a bad Android phone is a rare occurrence these days. However, with so many options available, it can be daunting to choose the best one in 2024. In this article, we aim to help you find the Android phone you’re looking for.

When looking to buy a new Android phone, there are many factors to consider. Do you prefer a large screen? How important is camera performance to you? Are you someone who enjoys gaming on your phone? Or do you need long-lasting battery life? To assist you, we have compiled a list of Android phones that cater to everyone’s needs.

If you’re also open to non-Android devices, see our list of the best phones overall. Otherwise, keep reading for our picks of the best Android phones in 2024.

oneplus 12 review flowy emerald held in hand arch

OnePlus 12

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Formerly known as the “flagship killer” for offering killer specs at a lower price, OnePlus has since shifted its products up the price scale. But it hasn’t lost sight of what made its phones great to begin with, and as a result, the OnePlus 12 is a flagship that can take on much more expensive smartphones at their own game.

The OnePlus 12 is powered by the  Gen 3, the latest processor from Qualcomm, which is likely to find itself at the heart of most Android flagships in the coming year. It’s a monster of a chip, and it’s happily trounced any test we’ve put it through. Even the most demanding 3D games can barely faze it, and it’s backed up by some other impressive specs too. RAM starts at 12GB, the same that you’ll find in the S24 Ultra, and rises to 16GB. That’s more than a smartphone needs in 2024, and shows just how committed OnePlus is to making sure its phones are some of the most powerful around.

That drive is also evident in the display and design. The OnePlus 12 is a striking phone. It’s similar-looking to OnePlus’ previous phones, but its identity is so distinct from every other phone brand, and it just looks fabulous. The display is a huge 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 1Hz to 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, 1440p resolution, and a crazily bright maximum brightness of 4,500 nits. Again, that peak brightness is way beyond anything you’ll ever need, but it really highlights OnePlus’ philosophy.

The camera setup has similar high numbers, with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 64MP periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultrawide camera. There’s also a 32MP selfie lens around the front. The actual performance doesn’t live up to the strong numbers though, and it’s not the camera king of this list for sure. However, it’s still a solid performer that consistently creates good looking images and videos.

The 5,400mAh battery is capable of going for two days on a single charge, and wired charging of 80 watts also means it won’t sit on the charger for long when it finally does run down. There’s also 45W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging, that go far beyond what the competition is offering.

At a price of just $800, there’s no doubt the OnePlus 12 offers an enormous amount of bang for your buck, with performance that’s more than able to duke it out with the $1,300 Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — and come out on top. It’s the best Android phone you can buy in 2024.

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Google Pixel 8 Pro

The best Android phone runner-up

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We described the Google Pixel 8 Pro as the best Pixel we’ve ever used, and for good reason. This new smartphone boasts exciting features, such as improved cameras and photo-editing tools, Google’s latest Tensor chip, and more.

Let’s discuss the design of the Pixel 8 Pro. Despite closely resembling the Google Pixel 7 Pro, Google has made significant changes to the device. The rear glass features an impressive, smooth matte finish, and the phone’s rounded corners have also been increased, making it more comfortable to hold. Additionally, the dual camera cutouts found on the Pixel 7 Pro have been replaced with a single cutout that spans the length of the camera bar.

The display on the Pixel 8 Pro has also seen some nice upgrades. The 120Hz refresh rate has been tweaked so that it can scale down to 1Hz, not 10Hz, as needed. This means less energy gets used. The display is also much brighter, rising to 1,600 nits for HDR and 2,400 for peak brightness.

The primary camera on the Pixel 8 Pro has a resolution of 50 megapixels and an aperture of f/1.68, which makes it more light-sensitive. Additionally, it has a 2x optical zoom. The new ultrawide camera has a resolution of 48MP and an f/1.95 aperture, significantly improving its light sensitivity and macro mode. Also, the telephoto camera has a resolution of 48MP, an f/2.8 aperture, and a 5x optical zoom, resulting in improved light sensitivity. Furthermore, the front-facing camera has an f/2.2 aperture and autofocus support.

The Pixel 8 Pro has new camera software tools that are pretty impressive. One is Best Take, which is heavily advertised in Google’s latest television ads. This feature automatically stitches together multiple photographs so everyone in the shot appears smiling. Additionally, a Magic Editor feature allows you to erase and move objects from existing photos, even those not taken with the Pixel 8 Pro.

The Pixel 8 Pro has a new Tensor G3 chip, which has been well received. The previous versions didn’t perform well, so this one had much to prove. The Tensor G3 chip can handle various tasks such as gaming, live video streaming over a 5G connection, and capturing photos. The best part is that the Tensor G3 chip doesn’t overheat like its predecessors.

Simply put, the Google Pixel 8 Pro is a standout Android phone that has earned its place as our best runner-up for many reasons. Not only does it boast a that is sure to impress, but it also features an improved camera system that delivers stunning photos and videos. With its large and vibrant display, lightning-fast processor, and long-lasting battery life, the Pixel 8 Pro is a true workhorse that can keep up with even the most demanding users. Whether you’re a professional photographer or someone who wants a reliable and powerful smartphone, the Pixel 8 Pro is worth considering.

The best Android phones in 2024

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samsung galaxy s24 plus review 1

The best big Android phone

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With a massive display and all the power of its more expensive sibling, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus is a fantastic choice if you want a very capable device with more power than you can shake a stick at, an excellent camera, and two-day battery life.

It’s on this list because of its size, so we’ll start with that. The design is largely unchanged from last year, with the same minimalist back and sleek body — with one exception. The sides are now flat, mimicking similar changes over in iPhoneland. It’s a great change, and it makes this big phone much easier to handle. The display itself is a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with a 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. It’s as bold and beautiful as Samsung’s screens always are, and you won’t regret spending time staring at it.

It’s powerful too; The core of this power is our old friend, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and it’s as powerful as it is in other phones. Backing this up is 12GB of RAM, and the combination of the two is enough to make most games quake in fear. The big addition this year is Galaxy AI, and while some features are good, (like the image editor), some of these AI features are a bit feeble, and not something you’re likely to use regularly. Use them a few times and enjoy the rest of an excellent phone.

The camera is great, and though it can struggle with movement, it’s going to produce results you’re happy with most of the time. The battery is a standout though, with two days of performance with moderate use, and it also comes with a very welcome boost to 45W fast charging.

Prices start at $1,000 for the S24 Plus, so it’s not the most reasonably priced of phones, but when you consider how close it is to the $1,300 Galaxy S24 Ultra, it’s a real bargain. With seven years of updates, this phone is sure to last you for a long time, so you can consider the price an investment.

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Samsung Galaxy S24

The best small Android phone

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There’s one reason to pick up the Samsung Galaxy S24 — you love everything the S24 Ultra and S24 Plus are doing, but you want it in a much smaller package. Thankfully, you’re not sacrificing anything by picking up a smaller phone, as the Galaxy S24 is a worthy entry in Samsung’s latest range, and a very good phone to boot.

This year’s smallest S-range phone has all the new additions we loved in the Plus-sized model, including the flat edges that make handling the phone much easier and the utterly gorgeous display, now shrunk down to a relatively diminutive 6.2-inches. But the real magic here comes from the fact that the small size doesn’t mean a downgrade in power thanks to the same hyper-powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 nested within.

It’s not perfect, of course. While the camera is strong, lowlight shots aren’t as good those taken by its siblings or the competition, and fast charging is limited to just 25W. Thankfully, the battery is still impressive, which helps to compensate for that slight downside as it commonly gets more than one day on a single charge.

At $800, it’s well-priced, though it does go up against the phenomenal OnePlus 12 at the same price. Thankfully, it has its smaller stature to really press an advantage, meaning this is the phone to buy if you want a smaller smartphone that still packs a strong punch.

dont buy galaxy s24 ultra iphone 15 pro max do this instead oneplus 12r review 1

OnePlus 12R

The best value Android phone

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We’ve already highlighted how the OnePlus 12 isn’t really a flagship killer anymore since it’s actually a flagship now. But there’s another OnePlus smartphone on the prowl, and it really is a flagship killer. The OnePlus 12R is basically a 2023 flagship smartphone, but priced at $500, and that makes it an unmissable bargain.

The root of this lies, as ever with OnePlus, in the spec sheet. Last year’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 can be found inside the 12R — and it’s the very same processor you’ll find in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, , and other flagship phones from last year. Combine that with a very respectable 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and the OnePlus 12R flies through tasks and games alike. Performance looks even faster thanks to the 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate on the 6.78-inch AMOLED display, and the resolution is clean and crisp with 450 pixels per inch.

It’s not let down with a bad design either. The 12R evokes the same design spirit as the OnePlus 12 and the OnePlus 11 before it, and it looks great as a result. It even has an alert slider and an IR blaster, which are things you’d be hard-pressed to find on any phone these days.

The camera is technically a triple-lens setup, but it’s better that you only think of it as having the single 50MP main lens. The 8MP ultrawide lens is OK, but nothing special, and the 2MP macro lens is so awful it might as well not have been included. Thankfully, the 50MP main lens is good, even if it struggles with movement and sometimes returns slightly off colors.

The 5,500mAh battery is the biggest OnePlus has ever used, and it shows its size with some very strong battery life. Two days is more than possible with this phone, and moderate use may see it stretch to a third. It has the same 80W fast charging as its more expensive cousin, so you can give it a fast -minute charge and be sure of having hours of extra juice.

A phone this good shouldn’t cost $500, but it does. Admittedly, OnePlus’s phone don’t come with a lot of extra features, which makes a lot of this possible, but considering how easy it is to live without even the best special features out there, the OnePlus 12R is a real steal.

samsung galaxy a54 review back lime

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No, we haven’t accidentally listed one of the Galaxy S23’s colorways, that’s actually the Galaxy A54. Samsung’s new midrange phone is a dead ringer for the 2023 flagship, and that’s a very good thing. In fact, the A54’s design differs from its more expensive cousin in just a few ways, and the most important is the range of bold colors. The Violet and Lime variants have a lot of character, and they’re well worth picking over the more standard black or white versions. The chassis is made from plastic instead of aluminum, but it’s covered in Gorilla Glass 5, so it still feels like a premium product.

The Galaxy A54 has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ certification, and a 1080p resolution, which largely puts it on a level with the A53 5G’s excellent display. The A54’s display is brighter than its predecessor though, giving it an edge under strong lights and outdoors.

It’s powered by the Exynos 1380, a Samsung-made chip that does a good job of keeping everything running. It might start to show its age as this phone ages, though, especially if you’re a mobile gamer. While never slow, sometimes we did experience some slight lag in opening apps, especially the camera. The internal storage options of 128GB and 256GB are good, especially when there’s room for a microSD card as well.

The camera is a solid affair, especially since it’s ditched the A53’s useless depth sensor. There’s a 50MP main lens, combined with a 12MP wide-angle and 5MP macro lens, and it takes good pictures — with one, pretty jarring exception. The stills it produces are almost always enormously oversaturated, to the point where it can seem comically so. Samsung’s phones have long been known for turning up the saturation a little too much, but it’s the first time it’s done so way too far, and it’s a bit of a disappointment here.

Two-day battery life was starting to become the norm for Samsung’s phones, but that’s not the case here. You’ll get only a single day out of this battery, and while that’s acceptable, it’s a little disappointing if you’re used to much longer battery life.

The Samsung Galaxy A54 has some downsides, but ultimately, they’re on the more minor side when compared with what you get: A capable smartphone that looks great, has a day-long battery life, and scores well in pretty much every area. Even if it doesn’t excel, it doesn’t need to, and the $450 price means it’s a great choice for anyone looking for a mid-range phone.

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