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TL;DR: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on Aug. 15-16. Fantasy and Sci-Fi Worlds, hosted by Book Below, is offering fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal books for free.

Big plans for this weekend? Cancel them, because Stuff Your Kindle Day is back in a big way.

The Fantasy and Sci-Fi Worlds event, hosted by Book Below, is dropping free fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal books all weekend. And even better, everything you download to your Kindle is yours to keep forever. We know you might have a busy schedule this weekend, but this is clearly all that matters at this point. It's time to make some calls.

SEE ALSO: T-Mobile is giving away the 2026 Motorola Razr for free — how to qualify

Looking to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

Fantasy and Sci-Fi Worlds takes place from Aug. 15-16. This two-day event gives you the chance to properly assess your options, make a plan of attack, and then spend all weekend stocking up.

Which books are free?

Fantasy and Sci-Fi Worlds is offering free fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal books for free. There's a helpful hub page with everything neatly organized and instructions on how the event works:

1. Browse free books — explore the collection of free books in your favorite genres and discover new authors by scrolling through the list

2. Click store link — select the Amazon store link for any book that interests you, taking you directly to the book's page on Amazon

3. Download while free — download your free books to your Kindle device or app

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep forever, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow at the same time.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + Kindle Unlimited (3 Months) $109.99 at Amazon
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These popular e-readers let you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. Plus, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free with your purchase for a limited time.

Open-ear earbuds sit on the exterior of the ear, but they also come in many shapes and sizes, from clip models to ear hook models. Some are specifically designed for working out, while others are better for everyday use. The Bose Ultra Open earbuds are an especially popular pick, thanks to their sound quality and color options, but at $299, they're hardly the most affordable option.

Plus, since the Bose Ultra Open came out in 2024, big audio brands like Sony have released open earbuds of their own, while Shokz has introduced noise reduction into the category for the first time. To help you find the best open earbud models available in 2026, we tested the latest options from Soundcore, Sony, Shokz, Bose, and more.

SEE ALSO: The 11 best wireless earbuds we've ever tested What are open earbuds?

Open earbuds let you get as close as possible to the feeling of not wearing earbuds at all. Unlike in-ear earbuds, which sit in your ear canal, open earbuds sit just outside your ears (as the name would suggest). Some models hold the speaker component in place with an ear hook, while others opt for an ear cuff.

SEE ALSO: We tested the top fitness trackers of 2025: See our favorite wearables and smart rings

People generally opt for open earbuds for three main reasons:

1. They provide a private listening experience while leaving you almost completely aware of your surroundings. It's like the best transparency mode you've ever used.

2. For some people, not having an earbud physically in their ear is generally more comfortable.

3. The hooks and cuffs (along with general awareness of your surroundings) make them a great option for keeping you in place and alert while you're working out, working, or simply existing in the world.

What are the drawbacks of open earbuds?

As you may have gathered from the section above, open earbuds don't come with active noise cancellation. That's mostly thanks to how much sound they let in (by design) and the difficulty of cancelling out sound without having the device covering your actual ear canal.

Also, thanks to the whole open ear-canal situation, these aren't going to be the earbuds for audiophiles. That's not to say open earbuds sound bad — if you've never tried them, we promise they sound much better than you're imagining — but you will lose out on some of the nuance of a song without having the earbud actually in your ear.

SEE ALSO: I tested sleep earbuds for over a month: Here are the 3 I'd buy

That said, many pairs still have equalizers on their companion apps to help you make them sound their best. Our best picks for sound, the Bose Ultra Open earbuds and Shokz OpenFit Pro earbuds, even have spatial audio features that work surprisingly well.

Most open earbuds will also boast some form of special technology that keeps them from leaking too much sound. While these pairs do pretty well in keeping the sound just to you, most pairs (including our picks) will be prone to some leakage, especially at higher volumes.

Finally, some open earbuds — mainly those with ear hooks — tend to have slightly bulkier cases. If you like to travel especially light, it's something to keep in mind.

How to wear open-ear earbuds

Open-ear earbuds come in three major styles: cuff, ear hook, and bone conduction. How you wear them depends entirely on which style you have. Cuff earbuds "clip" onto the ear, not unlike a piece of jewelry, generally around the area right above the earlobe. Ear hook earbuds have a hook situated around the back of your ear and a speaker component situated right over your ear canal. Finally, bone conduction earbuds sit right behind the ears, with a band that goes around the back of the head to hold them in place.

Regardless of the style, its important to adjust the exact positioning of your open earbuds to see which offers the best sound, especially as the wrong positioning can deteriorate the quality.

For a visual representation of what wearing a cuff-style earbud looks like, you can check out our open earbuds explainer.

What about bone conduction headphones?

Bone conduction earbuds work exactly like the name implies they do — they use your skull to conduct sound waves, instead of projecting the sound into your ear, like most of the picks are on list. Typically, a band runs from either side of the users head to help hold the headphones in place.

Shokz, the brand behind our top pick, is a popular maker of these kinds of headphones. While we do consider them open earbuds, we have yet to test any bone conduction earbuds — look out in the future for that update. On that note:

What's next in our testing pipeline

The open earbuds market is rapidly expanding, so we'll be testing more as we can get our hands on them. We recently added the Sony LinkBuds Clip and Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro to this guide.

In addition to the earbuds that made our initial guide in May 2025, we tested out the Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds ($149), the Sony Linkbuds Open ($199.99), the Anker Soundcore AeroClip earbuds ($169.99), and the Shokz OpenFit Air ($119.95). While none of the above were bad earbuds by any means, we found our picks to outshine them in their comfort and sound quality, especially when considering their respective prices.

TL;DR: Get the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when you trade in your eligible phone on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro is also free with T-Mobile — qualify by bringing your number on an Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in needed).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple T-Mobile: Free iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro   Get Deal

Samsung and Google have completely taken over the tech news cycle with a flood of new foldables, smartwatches, smart glasses, and flagship phones, leaving Apple fans stuck in the annual pre-launch waiting room.

We know talk of the iPhone 18 is exciting, but you don't actually have to wait for Apple's next keynote to score a major upgrade. Between soaring component costs and global RAM shortages that are driving up retail prices across the board, T-Mobile is softening the blow by rolling out a set of limited-time free iPhone 17 offers.

If you want the simplest entry point into the Apple ecosystem, the iPhone 17e is currently free when you switch to almost any qualifying T-Mobile plan, no trade-in required. For those eyeing standard flagship specs, the iPhone 17 is completely free over 36 months on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan when you turn in an eligible trade-in device. And if you want the flagship iPhone 17 Pro for free, simply bring your existing number over to an Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in required).

All of these deals are live through the weekend.

T-Mobile requires you to pay local sales tax on the full retail value of the phone upfront, alongside a standard $35 device connection fee per line at checkout. Your savings are then applied as monthly bill credits spread over 24 to 36 months.

Paying a small fee in upfront taxes and fees to walk away with a brand-new iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro remains one of the highest-value carrier plays on the market this weekend. You know it makes sense.

TL;DR: Watch Manchester United vs. Milan in a 2026 pre-season friendly for free on SportyNet. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are a number of really interesting pre-season friendlies taking place this weekend, but Manchester United vs. Milan is probably the best of the bunch. Manchester United are an intriguing prospect under Michael Carrick, and here they come up against their last coach, Ruben Amorim.

If you're interested in watching Manchester United vs. Milan from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Manchester United vs. Milan?

Manchester United vs. Milan in a 2026 pre-season friendly kicks off at 10:45 a.m. ET on Aug. 15. This fixture takes place at the Tarczyński Arena.

How to watch Manchester United vs. Milan for free

Manchester United vs. Milan in a 2026 pre-season friendly is available to live stream for free on SportyNet.

SportyNet is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can livestream Manchester United vs. Milan for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Manchester United vs. Milan for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil

4. Visit SportyNet

5. Watch Manchester United vs. Milan for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Manchester United vs. Milan without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for SportyNet?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on SportyNet, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Manchester United vs. Milan for free with ExpressVPN.

The Moon's visibility is still fairly low as it begins to return following the New Moon. If you're interested in some moon-gazing, check back again tomorrow.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Aug. 15, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waxing Crescent phase, with 8% of its surface visible.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon doesn't look the same from Earth every night. As it travels around our planet, it moves through a lunar cycle that takes roughly 29.5 days to complete, according to NASA. The changing positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon affect how much of the Moon's sunlit side we can see, creating the different phases. Over the course of the cycle, the Moon progresses from a narrow crescent to a half Moon and eventually a Full Moon, before starting the sequence over again.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

It's 2026 and times are good for low-effort consumers. Yes, you can get pretty much anything you want by just tapping and swiping of your smartphone: Your shopping, your favourite takeaway, your high-ticket tech, even — our personal favourite — a hot date. And why shouldn't you? Online dating is nothing new. Apps and websites have dominated the dating world for the best part of 20 years. In fact, some sites go all the way back to the mid-1990s. But things are constantly evolving in the world of app-based dating.

According to our favourite sex-perts at Lovehoney — the progressive sex toy brand that sells everything from lingerie to lubricants and dildos — we're living in horny-but-wholesome times. Lovehoney has named 2026 "The Year of Pleasure."

That doesn’t mean quick-and-easy pleasure from one-night stands and flings. It may come as some surprise, but research says that one-night stands are on the out. Would-be daters are now cruising for "purposeful pleasure" and "meaningful connections." That means hookups with substance — flings that mean something. Yes, we're still hooking up, but we're getting more selective about who we hookup with and why. So, it's important to get the right dating app because each app offers something a little different. And you need the right tools to find the right date.

To help you get started, we’ve looked at the top apps and taken advice from sex and relationship experts.

What to know before you swipe

Before you start downloading apps, it’s good know just how to approach online dating. Our advice is to be 100 percent honest about who and what you’re up for. And maybe give a pass to the mainstream dating apps that are more about romance and happily ever afters (the likes of eharmony, in other words). The best hookup apps make chatting quick and easy (messaging, video calls, all that good stuff), and even the best free options will have features like profile verification to keep you safe.

Our main advice though is to stick to apps which are purpose-built for hookups, casual fun, and satisfying your kink (whatever that kink might be). It can be freeing, not to mention productive, to be open about specific desires. The ways in which we understand sex and relationships are changing all the time — just looking at fast-growing "heteroflexible" sexuality — and hookup apps allow you to explore curiosities with no judgement or social anxiety.

SEE ALSO: The best sexting apps for discreet NSFW chats

It doesn’t matter what you’re looking for, whether it's the chance to explore a new sexual frontier, a friends-with-benefits situation on the reg, or an old school one-night stand (the one-night stand might be going out of fashion, but it’s still hella fun as long as it’s safe and on your terms).

Whatever your desire, we’re here to help make it happen. This guide to the best hookups apps is based on Mashable’s own real-world testing, expert input, and general experience. We’ve broken down each of the best hookup apps available right now, with an option for every type of dater and every dating desire.

These are the best hookup apps for 2026.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you know your logos.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for August 7, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Tired

• Green: Sections

• Blue: Words within words

• Purple: Also words within words

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Exhausted

• Green: Segment

• Blue: Ending in units of length

• Purple: Ending in synonyms for follow secretly

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1160 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Exhausted: BEAT, FRIED, SPENT, WORN OUT

• Segment: LEG, PHASE, STAGE, STRETCH

• Ending in units of length: CHAMOMILE, GRINCH, HOTFOOT, LANYARD

• Ending in synonyms for follow secretly: BEANSTALK, EYESHADOW, HIGHTAIL, SOUNDTRACK

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 13, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you double up a vowel.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 15, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for August 14, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Not tight.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There is one recurring letter.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter L.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

LOOSE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you know a bit of trivia.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 15, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Sacred space

The words are related to religion.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe Christian church.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is In Church.

NYT Strands word list for August 15

• Pews

• Altar

• Bible

• Pulpit

• In Church

• Candles

• Hymnal

• Lectern

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

HBO Max doesn't let up when it comes to documentaries, and has had some serious standouts this year already, not least of which is Monsters of God, the ongoing saga of the illegal reptile trade that's 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

TL;DR: On sale for just $41.99, this bundle includes Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 and 15 coding courses, but the 97 percent discount ends after August 16.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 + The Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle $41.99
$1,999.99 Save $1,958   Get Deal

Building a better coding toolkit does not have to mean buying software and training separately. For the final two days of this promotion, Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 and a 15-course Learn to Code Certification Bundle are packaged together for $41.99, down from $1,999.99.

Visual Studio Professional 2026 is a 64-bit integrated development environment built to handle large solutions and demanding workflows. Developers can create .NET and C++ applications for Windows, Linux, and containers, build cross-platform apps with .NET MAUI, and design responsive web interfaces in C# using Blazor.

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Hot Reload applies code changes while an app is running, so you spend less time restarting projects after every edit. IntelliCode and built-in AI features provide context-aware completions, refactoring assistance, and code suggestions designed to reduce repetitive work and catch potential problems earlier.

CodeLens brings test status, references, authors, recent changes, and commit history directly into the editor. Live Share also lets teammates collaborate in real time without requiring everyone to clone a repository or install every dependency first. Integrations with GitHub, Azure, and other DevOps workflows help projects move from development to deployment more smoothly.

The included training bundle gives newer developers a place to begin and experienced programmers room to expand. The 15 multi-lesson courses cover OpenAI fundamentals, Python 3, C++ for beginners, practical JavaScript projects, and other useful coding topics.

This is not a stripped-down consolation package. It is a professional development environment paired with structured instruction at an unusually low one-time price.

Don’t miss getting Microsoft Visual Studio Pro 2026 + a 15-course Learn to Code Certification Bundle for just $41.99 through Aug. 16.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The new Google Pixel 11 was just unveiled this week. This usually prompts some consumers to question how Google's latest smartphone stacks up against Apple's current generation iPhone. 

However, this isn't really the most apt comparison. Because the phones run different operating systems, owners of either device may be reluctant to switch ecosystems in search of greener pastures.

The real head-to-head is between the Google Pixel 11 and its most direct Android rival: Samsung's latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S26. Let's put these two Android devices head-to-head.

Google Pixel 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S26: Price

With the cost of technology rising amid global shortages of semiconductors, memory, and storage, price is likely front of mind for many consumers.

Both the Google Pixel 11 and Samsung Galaxy S26 start at $899 with 256GB and 12GB of memory.

Currently, the Google Pixel 11 is only available via pre-order and the Samsung Galaxy S26 has been out for a few months. Consumers are looking to purchase a new device immediately may therefore be able to find discounts on the Galaxy S26 right now. If they don't mind waiting, both smartphones will likely be priced similarly once the Pixel 11 is readily available in stores.

SEE ALSO: Tech editors react to the Made by Google event and new Pixel device features Google Pixel 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S26: Specs

Both the Google Pixel 11 and Samsung Galaxy S26 offer some real processing power. These are the flagship smartphones from two of the leading Android device manufacturers, after all.

The Pixel 11 is powered by Google's latest custom chipset, the Tensor G6, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, which has been optimized for Galaxy smartphones. With AI features being a major selling point for both devices, processing power is going to matter a lot.

So, which is more powerful? While the Tensor G6 is a significant upgrade over its predecessor, the Tensor G5, experts have shared their disappointment in the chipset's capabilities. Don't get us wrong, Google has undoubtedly been able to optimize its own chipset specifically for the Pixel 11's Gemini-powered features. However, based on the performance benchmarks currently available, the Galaxy S26's Snapdragon 8 processor takes the clear lead in areas including CPU performance, gaming, and battery life.

Aside from the chipset powering each smartphone, the Pixel 11 and Galaxy S26 are quite similar specs-wise. Both devices run Android. Both have a 6.3-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate, although the Pixel 11 has an OLED display and the Galaxy S26 sports an AMOLED display. Both smartphones are quite similar in size, although the Pixel 11 is 0.1 inches taller than the Galaxy S26. 

In addition, both models offer 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage.

Perhaps the most noticeable differences are their batteries and weight. The Pixel 11 has a 4,985 mAh battery, whereas the Samsung Galaxy S26 has a 4,300 mAh battery. The Samsung Galaxy S26 is also nearly a full ounce lighter than the Pixel 11.

SEE ALSO: I tested iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra cameras Google Pixel 11 vs Samsung Galaxy S26: Cameras

Smartphone cameras are a huge selling point, and both the Pixel 11 and Galaxy S26 deliver four of them: three rear-facing cameras and one selfie camera.

The Pixel 11 has a 48MP wide-angle camera, while the Galaxy S26 has a 50MP camera. The Pixel 11's ultrawide camera is 13MP, while the Galaxy S26 sports a 12MP ultrawide camera. The Pixel 11 has a 10.8MP telephoto camera, while the Galaxy S26 has a 10MP telephoto camera. The Pixel 11 and Galaxy S26 have 10.5MP and 12MP selfie cameras, respectively.

As one can see, the camera specs on both devices are quite similar and the slight differences will be barely noticeable to most. The real comparison may come down to each phone's software features. The Pixel 11 has features such as Camera Looks and Magic Capture, while Galaxy AI offers its own photo-editing tools.

One notable difference, however, is video resolution. While the Samsung Galaxy S26 can record video in 8K, the Pixel 11 is limited to 4K recording.

The debate between Unraid and TrueNAS feels as strong as the debate between Plex and Jellyfin. The thing is, while Plex and Jellyfin solve a very similar problem, Unraid and TrueNAS aren't solving the same problem at all. In fact, they're very different at the core, so make sure you pick the right NAS OS for your specific use case.

Open-source software usually gets recognized for the big, obvious wins, like replacing a cloud storage subscription or a password manager. What gets less attention are the smaller, oddly specific problems that software can fix just as well. Mostly because it doesn't occur to us that an app exists for it.

Our top mobile and health tech editors from PCMag, CNET and ZDNET share their thoughts on Google's Made by Google Pixel event hosted by Trevor Noah. What were the coolest features on the new Pixel devices, and what felt like a dud? 

August has so far been a pretty solid month for Netflix in the U.S., and not necessarily because of any one massive hit—although I admit to getting reluctantly sucked in by more than a few episodes of Let's Marry Harry (I blame my wife), and now I'm obsessed with the new docuseries about Charles Manson.

Wi-Fi 7 is the latest and greatest Wi-Fi technology you can buy as I write this, but it's still an expensive upgrade. Particularly when you consider that Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 are perfectly serviceable in a world where Gigabit fiber has only recently become more common across the world.

Over the years, several Linux commands have been deprecated, either because they are no longer relevant, have security problems, or have ceased to be maintained. You might still be able to use these common commands, but you probably shouldn’t. Instead, try alternatives that are less prone to bugs and offer more features too.

There are weekends when I want something easy to watch without wasting time scrolling through Netflix. That's when I usually turn to movies that have already proven they are worth watching, especially older favorites that I haven't gotten around to revisiting.

Full-size SUVs are getting harder to justify as prices climb, but there are still compelling reasons to go big. If you need three rows of genuinely usable space, serious towing capability, and enough power to move a nearly 6,000-pound vehicle with ease, few SUVs can match the versatility of this American favorite. It also undercuts several of its closest rivals on price while offering an impressive amount of standard technology and comfort.