IT General

It's no secret that Google is the heart and soul of every Android phone that has the Play Store. Even if you manage to delete all Google apps—which isn't easy—Google's background services remain active. I wanted to experience Android without any Google services or apps whatsoever, and it wasn't as bad as I thought.

SUVs have been the default family car for so long that most of us barely question it anymore. They promise space for people and gear, an upright driving position, and the idea that you’re ready for anything—even if most of that “anything” is just groceries and school runs.

Apple just made a big decision about the future of its in-house AI assistant.

In a statement posted to X, Google and Apple confirmed that the former's Gemini AI models will serve as the basis for the future of Apple Intelligence. That means Gemini will "help power future Apple Intelligence features" including the long-awaited AI upgrade for Siri, set to launch this year.

SEE ALSO: Gmail launches AI inbox and overviews with Gemini This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This is a big deal because, in the past, Apple has worked with other AI models, most notably including ChatGPT. The OpenAI flagship model was integrated with Siri in late 2024, as a sort of stopgap solution as Apple continues to work on the AI-infused version of Siri that has been in development for a few years now. However, over the past year or so, Gemini overtook ChatGPT as the model of choice according to various benchmarks and rankings. Given that Apple is considered to be well behind the rest of the competition on AI features, it makes sense for the iPhone maker to choose Google's model over OpenAI's.

Unfortunately, the statement on X didn't feature any other information about the AI Siri upgrade beyond a reiteration of the promise that it is launching in 2026. Hopefully it isn't long before we see the fruits of this unique collaboration between Apple and Google.

Save 14%: Amazon has a rare deal on the Lego Icons The Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook Kit as of Jan. 12. You can grab the set for $111.41, down $18.58 from the $129.99 list price.

Lego Icons The Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook $111.47 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $18.52   Get Deal at Amazon

It's not everyday we see Lego sets get great markdowns, especially if they're sets included on Mashable's favorite Legos list.

It looks like then, Jan. 12 is not like every other day, as the Lego The Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook set, a favorite pick by Mashable UK Editor Shannon Connellan, is on sale for $111.41. Usually, the set runs for $129.99, so while this $18.58 isn't huge, it is rare. It also puts the set just about one dollar away from its lowest price ever of $110.33.

SEE ALSO: The first-ever Lego Pokémon sets have arrived — where to pre-order right now

It's easy to see why Connellan has this set on her wishlist (though its a favorite, she hasn't yet been able to bite the bullet due to the price). Though the LotR has many an iconic moment, Gandalf's encounter with the Balrog and the resulting line of "You shall not pass!" is perhaps one of the most recognizable. Lego captures it, quote and all, in this book nook.

This set is 1,201 pieces, making it relatively sizable build. It measures over 8.5 inches high, 17.5 inches wide, and 6.5 inches deep. When not in use as a book nook, you can expand it to reveal the Bridge of Khazad-dûm scene.

Programming requires a varied skill set, from low-level coding to high-level tasks like communication. The following tips have helped me to improve over the course of my programming career.

The Anker family of brands went hard at CES 2026. The Soundcore branch debuted new Sleep A30 Special earbuds for those who want uninterrupted sleep in 2026 and the Aerofit Pro 2, which offers both an open design and active noise cancellation, something new to the market. But Anker Solix also packed along something quite exciting to Las Vegas.

The new Anker Solix E10 is a powerful and versatile whole-home backup system that's customizable to your needs. In testing portable power stations, I've come to love Solix models because of their thoughtful design and ease of use. Solix applied both of the attributes to the E10 but with a serious upscale.

Here are the hefty specs to know about the Solix E10 system. And as a major plus, preorders are already live.

Opens in a new window Credit: Solix Anker Solix E10 Prices start at $4,299. Preorders get a $500 coupon and a gift pack worth $1,500 which includes a 400W solar panel. Pre-order Here Powering up the big stuff

The Anker Solix E10 doesn't mess around with powering up your home, including high-powered appliances like a five-ton AC unit. Each E10 gives off 37.2kW of power, and stacking two will get you 66kW. There's also the turbo output, which can pack up to 10kW per E10 unit for up to 90 minutes. That'll allow you to use even heavy-duty appliances during a power outage without concern.

If you want to go big, three E10 units provide 90kW of power, which Solix says will provide whole-home backup for up to 15 days. If you live in an area that's prone to ice storms, hurricanes, or other major weather events, this could be a massive upgrade from relying on a standard generator.

And there's no concern about weather because the E10 uses an all-metal enclosure with both UV protection and the ability to operate in temperatures ranging from -4 all the way up to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. Since you can choose either floor or wall mounting, it's even possible to utilize this system in flood zones.

The E10 with the Solix Smart Generator 550 and Power Dock. Credit: Solix Get the E10 your way, and do a DIY install

Solix made the E10 a highly customizable whole-home power solution. You can stack up to three E10 units for ultimate power, but you can also incorporate the Solix Power Dock or the Smart Inlet Box.

SEE ALSO: The Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 power station is an upgraded and refined version of the original

The Power Dock earns you a seamless auto switch from standard grid power to the E10 system in the event of a power outage to every circuit in your home. With a 20-millisecond auto switch time, it's unlikely you'd even notice the transfer to pulling power from the E10. That's critical for gadgets like the WiFi router or medical devices like a CPAP.

The Smart Inlet Box offers an alternative to the Power Dock and gives you a manual switchover option. It can charge from grid power with an existing solar panel system, and that could spell much lower electricity bills.

Speaking of solar, each E10 unit is capable of harnessing 9kW of solar per unit, or up to 27kW if you go with three E10 units. Solix made the E10 compatible with all solar panels, even third-party panels. Anker even says this system is so intuitive that you can do a DIY installation. If that's not your idea of a fun time, purchases of the E10 system will come with an optional installation service.

Pricing and preorder benefits

Unlike plenty of tech at CES, the entire E10 system and extras are already available to the public for preorders with full pricing details already available. Here's a sample of the options:

• E10 base system (one inverter + one battery): starts at $4,299

• E10 + Smart Inlet Box: starts at $4,599

• E10 + Power Dock: starts at $5,799

• E10, Solix Smart Generator 5500, and Power Dock: starts at $7,399

Preorders are live until Feb. 4, and they come with some significant benefits. A $10 preorder deposit earns you a $500 coupon and a free gift pack that Anker says has a value of $1,500. Details of the full gift pack contents aren't stated, but we do know it comes with a 400W solar panel. Preorders also get an additional three-year warranty on the E10 system, on top of the standard five-year warranty.

Opens in a new window Credit: Solix Anker Solix E10 system Starting at $4,299 Pre-order Here

The 2026 Golden Globes had no shortage of memorable moments, but the one that broke the internet this year happened backstage. Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams — the breakout stars of Heated Rivalry — snapped photos with K-pop star Joshua Hong, and the crossover instantly became one of the night's most viral moments.

So what happens when three of the internet's most buzzed-about stars link up in one place? A clip that's already racked up 1.8 million views and counting

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When Joshua introduced himself backstage, Williams — who is half Korean — immediately lit up, greeting him with a delighted, "A fellow Korean," before the two shook hands, all smiles. From there, the interaction only got cuter. In the video and resulting photographs, the trio lean into the moment, flashing playful hand gestures and even kicking their legs out in sync.

The crossover felt especially fitting given the moment all three are having. Heated Rivalry and its stars have become the talk of awards-season weekend, dominating timelines and pre-show chatter despite the series itself being ineligible for Golden Globes contention.

Joshua, meanwhile, arrived at the ceremony already primed for the collision. On the red carpet earlier in the night, the Seventeen member shared with Gold Derby that fans had been enthusiastically recommending Heated Rivalry to him, adding that he was excited to meet the cast and planned to check out the show.

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Fans were more than enthusiastic about the meet-cute.

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One photo explains pop culture in 2026: borderless, cross-industry, and powered by fandom. For their first Golden Globes, Storrie, Williams, and Joshua owned the night online, where the real awards-season energy lives anyway.

Just a few years ago, the idea of foldable phones felt like science fiction nonsense. Now, there are so many that we have to write this article.

2026 is set to be a big year for foldables, which have ballooned into a legitimate market category of their own. Every major smartphone player in the west like Samsung, Apple, Google, and Motorola is either certain or likely to release a foldable in 2026, if rumors are to be believed. Some of these will be refreshes of existing phones, while others will be bold new products entirely.

Here are the foldable phones coming in 2026 that we know about right now.

SEE ALSO: Apple surpasses Samsung to become the world's number one smartphone maker Every foldable phone planned or rumored for 2026

Don't be surprised if this list grows as the year goes on.

Several from Samsung That's a thin phone for how big it is. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

Samsung has been the king of the foldable market outside of China for a while now, committing to the form factor harder than anyone else in the past five or six years. That should continue in 2026, with at least three new foldables potentially coming from Samsung this year.

First up is the Galaxy Z TriFold, which came out in Asia late last year and is slated for a still-unspecified early 2026 launch in the west. It's got the same 6.5-inch cover screen, Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, and triple camera setup as last year's Z Fold 7, but the similarities end when you actually unfold the phone. Rather than being a book-style foldable with one hinge in the middle, it's got two hinges, allowing for a much larger interior display, making it Samsung's biggest foldable yet and the first of its kind in the west. Again, we don't have a release date or price for this one yet, but expect it to be out soon, and to be expensive.

Beyond that, Samsung will most likely update the Z Flip and Z Fold lines, which have been ongoing for several years now. We don't know a lot about the clamshell-style Z Flip 8 or book-style Z Fold 8 yet, but early reports suggest they will be lighter than last year's models and carry extra battery capacity, too. Samsung is also reportedly working on a new "Wide Fold" phone that will allegedly be like the Z Fold line, but with a bigger tablet-style unfolded display paired with a smaller exterior display.

So, in total, Samsung might have four foldables in 2026. Buckle up, folks.

Motorola is expanding the Razr lineup Motorola is in on book-style foldables. Credit: Timothy Werth/Mashable

Last year, Motorola released three clamshell-style Razr foldables: The Razr, the Razr Plus, and the Razr Ultra. While it's possible and perhaps even likely that there's some kind of update to that lineup this year, maybe in late spring or early summer as in previous years, there don't seem to be a lot of rumors or leaks about that right now. That doesn't mean Motorola is sitting out 2026, though.

At CES, Motorola announced the Razr Fold, the company's first book-style foldable phone. It has a 6.6-inch cover display and an 8.1-inch internal display to go along with a trio of 50MP rear cameras and a whole suite of Motorola AI features. It was just an initial announcement without a lot of other specifics to chew on, so we don't know pricing or availability yet, but this is one to keep an eye on as the year marches on.

iPhone Fold

This is the big one. Until now, Apple has sat out the foldable wars, opting to refine its regular iPhone series instead. However, persistent rumors and reports indicate that Apple is working on a foldable iPhone, and it could come out as soon as late 2026.

We don't know a lot about it so far, but expect it to have a smaller exterior display that unfolds into a wider form factor. It will reportedly have a 5.5-inch outer display that unfolds into a 7.8-inch inner display. It will apparently look like two iPhone Air phones fused together, to give you an idea of what to expect when it's unfolded. Aside from that, it might have four cameras: two on the rear, one on the inside, and one on the front.

Unfortunately for the purposes of this article, Apple has done a good job of keeping any other unique features a secret up to this point. But it's starting to feel more and more real, and we might actually finally see it before the year is done.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold Will Google change the look from the Pixel 10 Pro Fold? Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

Last year, Google re-entered the foldable fray with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, a perfectly fine (if unremarkable) device whose name suggests that it could get the same kinds of annual iterations as the regular Pixel family. The good news is that is, by all accounts, going to happen. The bad news is that we don't know much else yet.

Android Authority reported all the way back in January 2025 that the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is in development at Google, with the internal codename "yogi." Sadly, we don't have much else to go on right now. The phone seemingly exists and we should learn more in the summer when Google does its annual Pixel refresh, but for the moment, all we have to go on is this one report confirming the phone's existence from a year ago. You can probably expect the next generation of Google Tensor chips to power it, as well as some camera upgrades, but anything beyond that is speculation.

More options if you're in China

All of the above phones will almost certainly be sold in the west, but there's a vibrant selection of foldables that only come out in Asia, too, courtesy of companies like Huawei, Oppo, and Honor.

For instance, Oppo is rumored to have two foldables coming in 2026, the Find N6 and N7. The former is going to follow up on the N5 and be a book-style foldable in the same vein as the Galaxy Z Fold line, while the N7 is said to be more of a wide-style foldable like the iPhone Fold. Those same rumors point to an early 2026 release date for the N6 and a launch date later in the year for the N7, probably closer to when the iPhone Fold comes out.

Meanwhile, Honor put out the ultra-thin Magic V6 phone a year ago, only to be outdone in thinness by the Galaxy Z Fold 7. There will apparently be a Magic V7 this year with a better chip and a bigger battery, but we'll have to wait and see on how thin it ends up being. Huawei is also reportedly working on the Pura X2, a unique flip-style foldable with a big 16:10 aspect ratio on its inner display. That's set for launch in the second quarter of 2026.

Of course, there will probably be more than just these as the year goes on. Even as a starting point, though, it's clear that 2026 is going to be huge for foldables.

Google Chrome is preparing to drop support for macOS 12 Monterey, meaning older Mac users will need to upgrade their operating system soon if they want to keep their browser secure. The change is happening when the upcoming Chrome 151 release rolls out.

I'm tired of everything being "AI." AI smartphones, AI fridges, AI tablets, AI vacuum cleaners, and most of all, AI PCs. I've seen enough of those to last me a lifetime.

Save $110: As of Jan. 12, Amazon marked down the 27-inch Asus ROG Strix XG27UCG monitor to $339, saving you 24% on the $449 list price.

27-inch Asus ROG Strix XG27UCG $339 at Amazon
$449 Save $110   Get Deal at Amazon

Good gaming peripherals can seriously change your setup, but high price tags don't make it easy to invest in those upgrades.

That's why taking advantage of deals year-round is the way to go, and as of Jan. 12, there's a solid gaming monitor deal worth checking out. The 27-inch Asus ROG Strix XG27UCG is on sale at Amazon for $339, bringing it's price down $110 from its $449 list price. That 24% discount also marks the best price we've ever seen on this monitor.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026: Asus' ROG Zephyrus Duo is finally a proper dual-screen gaming laptop

The monitor has a 4K display, with an excellent resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. The Dual Mode gets you access to a refresh rate of 160Hz for 4K gaming or 320Hz at 1080p, making it an especially intriguing option for anyone who enjoys both AAA games, as well as competitive games where a faster refresh rate is more important than a higher resolution. The response time isn't the best we've seen on a gaming monitor, but decent for the price at 1 ms.

The display also has a 95% DCI-P3 color gamut — it won't be the most vibrant display on the market, but it's decent for the price point. Port-wise, this monitor is more limited with one DisplayPort 1.4, one HDMI port, and one USB-C port that has 15 watts of power delivery.

If you aren't quite ready to invest in a premium gaming monitor that can run you upwards of $1,000, the Asus ROG Strix comes with some cons, but is ultimately a solid get for under $350.

Grok, xAI's all-purpose helper, fact-checker, and content generator, is under close watch from international regulators who worry the chatbot is dangerous.

In early January, X users spotted that Grok was complying with requests to create sexualized depictions of minors in revealing clothing, a form of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). xAI staff said they were looking to strengthen the chatbot's guardrails.

SEE ALSO: Grok says it has restricted image generation to subscribers after deepfake concerns. But has it?

But it's not a simple fix. Recent investigations by Reuters, The Atlantic, and Wired found widespread flaws in the model's safeguards, which have allowed for a proliferation of nonconsensual, sexual, and sometimes graphically violent content to be generated by Grok at the request of users. On X, investigators have uncovered a mass "undressing" problem, marked by numerous accounts of users who have had their publicly posted images edited by the integrated chatbot to don revealing attire. RAINN, the national anti-sexual assault nonprofit, has called this a form of AI or tech-enabled sexual abuse.

Other chatbots and AI-powered image generators have also come under scrutiny for failing to implement safeguards regarding sexual content, including Meta's AI companions.

Replying to user concerns on X, CEO Elon Musk stated that the company takes the generation of illegal content seriously, but argued that the legal ramifications should fall on the users. Musk later responded to comments from UK's leaders about a potential sitewide block, calling it a form of censorship and alleging that foreign governments are eager to silence free speech online.

Governments crack down on xAI

In response to slow movement from X's teams, countries have begun tamping down access to xAI's bot and standalone app, as several conduct investigations into Grok's safeguards, xAI's response, and the possibility that the company is violating various online safety laws.

The company has already faced several investigations before recent claims that Grok enabled CSAM.

In addition to ongoing investigation of X's content moderation and algorithms, members have pushed for the European Union to probe Grok for several alleged violations under its Digital Services Act, including potentially dangerous and "erratic" behavior. In recent weeks, the body ordered X to retain all data and internal documents regarding Grok as it expands its investigation.

Despite a commission spokesperson calling Grok's conduct "illegal," tech watchdogs are skeptical the body would invoke its measures to block the site completely.

The UK's communication regulator, Ofcom, also announced an official investigation into Grok, with a potential revenue fine of up to 10 percent (about $24 million) if it's found to have violated the Online Safety Act.

Organizations in the U.S. have called on federal agencies to investigate xAI, as well, citing the recently passed Take It Down Act, which criminalizes publishing or threatening to publish nonconsensual intimate imagery (NCII) and grants the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) authority to sue social media platforms that don't comply with take-down requests.

Other countries, meanwhile, are moving forward with outright bans until the company complies with investigations or overhauls Grok's safety structure.

Countries that have blocked Grok access

• Malaysia - Temporary suspension

• Indonesia - Temporary suspension

Regions actively investigating or threatening to suspend Grok

• India

• The European Union

• France

• The UK - Considering blocking services

• Brazil - Threatened to suspend Grok

• Australia - Already blocks social media access for users under 16

If you have had intimate images shared without your consent, call the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s 24/7 hotline at 844-878-2274 for free, confidential support. The CCRI website also includes helpful information as well as a list of international resources.

Instagram denied a breach of its systems — but also warned that those sketchy password reset emails were triggered by an external party.

The entire situation is bizarre and, frankly, confusing.

Instagram released a statement over the weekend denying its systems had been breached, though the company did confirm that external parties had been able to trigger password reset emails. So, while many customers did receive unnecessary and unprompted password reset emails, the emails themselves may have been legitimate.

"We fixed an issue that let an external party request password reset emails for some people," Instagram's account on X posted. "There was no breach of our systems and your Instagram accounts are secure. You can ignore those emails — sorry for any confusion."

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Strangely, Instagram users can check their account settings to view all official emails Instagram has sent in the past 14 days; however, the recent password reset emails are not showing up in some users' account settings. It appears this feature only shows password reset emails requested by the user.

As a cybersecurity best practice, if you've gotten a strange or unexpected password reset email for one of your accounts — even one that looks very convincing — do not click any links until you have verified the email is legit.

As we covered at Mashable over the weekend, users online reported a sudden influx of password reset emails from Instagram. Cybersecurity-focused TikTok account @ohhackno posted an explainer on the issue that garnered more than 4 million views.

There were concerns that the reset emails were related to reports of a breach at Instagram, which the company has now denied.

So, for now, follow Instagram's advice and ignore the emails.

NASA will undock a SpaceX Dragon capsule from the International Space Station and bring four astronauts home Thursday morning after a medical problem prompted an early return.

The move is surprising because it marks the first medical evacuation from the station in its 25 years of continuous use, highlighting the limits of health care in space. The agency will not disclose which astronaut is unwell, citing privacy reasons. 

NASA plans for Crew-11 to depart the station at about 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, Jan. 14, pending weather and recovery conditions. The ship is targeted to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off California at about 12:40 a.m. PT / 3:40 a.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 15.

SEE ALSO: Who is the sick astronaut on the ISS? What we know. How to watch Crew-11 return

Live coverage is scheduled to begin at noon PT / 3 p.m. ET Wednesday for the hatch closing on the spacecraft and departure. NASA plans to resume coverage of the return at 11:15 p.m. PT Wednesday / 2:15 a.m. ET Thursday, with a news briefing following a few hours later.

NASA officials said one crew member experienced a serious medical issue that requires a full diagnostic workup on the ground. The astronaut is stable, officials said. NASA characterized the event as a "controlled expedited return," not an emergency deorbit, meaning the crew will follow standard landing rules and approved splashdown zones.

The Dragon spacecraft carrying Crew-11 is expected to depart from the International Space Station on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. Credit: NASA

Crew-11 includes commander Zena Cardman, pilot Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. NASA has not identified the affected astronaut, citing medical privacy. Japan’s space agency said Yui is not the ill or injured party, according to Japanese news reports.

The agency announced the early return after canceling a planned spacewalk last week. Fincke and Cardman had been preparing for a solar panel project when a medical concern arose. Officials said the issue was not related to station operations, spacewalk preparations, or a work-related injury.

After Dragon departs, American astronaut Chris Williams, who arrived on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in November, will remain as the only U.S. crew member aboard the station, supported by Russian colleagues until Crew-12 launches, potentially in mid-February.

NASA said the splashdown and recovery will proceed normally, with flight surgeons on the recovery ship and hospitals on standby.

Apple is finally making a massive move to catch up in the AI race by partnering with Google to power a revamped version of Siri later this year. Under the multi-year deal, Apple will rely on Google's cloud architecture and Gemini lineup to underpin its upcoming foundational AI models.

Leonardo DiCaprio didn't leave the 2026 Golden Globes with a trophy on Sunday night, but the One Battle After Another star did leave the internet with a question it desperately wants answered: Who was he talking to?

A brief, off-stage clip of the actor mid–animated storytelling at the event has gone viral, turning a half-seen joke into a full-blown pop culture whodunit. Here is the clip in question, from New York Times awards season columnist Kyle Buchanan:

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In the short video, DiCaprio can be seen pointing across the room, motioning to his own eyes as if to say, 'I saw that,' before launching into what looks like an exaggerated, somewhat goofy reenactment of a moment from the ceremony.

SEE ALSO: Teyana Taylor's Golden Globes speech is 2 minutes of pure emotion

The identity of the person DiCaprio is addressing remains unclear, though that hasn't stopped social media from trying to solve the puzzle anyway. Amateur lip readers seemed convinced he's talking about KPop Demon Hunters, the Netflix animated hit that took home two Golden Globes, translating his animated gestures as something along the lines of: "I was watching you with the K-pop thing — you were like, 'Is that, who is that, oh, K-pop.'"

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Whatever the backstory, the moment has struck a chord precisely because it's so unscripted, instantly adding yet another iconic Leo meme to the cultural canon.

In an awards show built around carefully crafted speeches and polished appearances, DiCaprio's animated, off-stage persona is a reminder that the most compelling Golden Globes moments often happen when no one's technically watching.

Check out the whole list of Golden Globes award winners and nominees and Mashable's round-up of the night's biggest moments.

Featured Video For You Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio del Toro hope 'One Battle After Another' inspires you to find the humanity in each other

In a crowded SUV market, shoppers often gravitate toward familiar names and larger crossovers, but one smaller Korean model quietly delivers exceptional reliability that most buyers overlook. While bigger and flashier SUVs grab headlines, this compact contender consistently earns high marks for low maintenance costs, strong dependability ratings, and trouble-free ownership, making it one of the most sensible choices in its class.

I wanted to upgrade the audio quality of the TV in my office, but I didn't want to blow a bunch of money on a soundbar. So, I gathered up some cheap components and threw together a small sound system for less than $25. It's far from perfect, but it gets the job done.

Linux Mint 22.3 'Zena' is now rolling out, and it's another great update for the Ubuntu-based distribution. It includes the Cinnamon 6.6 environment, a new system information tool, and other improvements.

SAVE 21%: As of Jan. 12, you can get the DJI Mic 3 (2 TX + 1 RX + charging case) for $259, down from $329. That's a 21% discount and $70 in savings.

DJI Mic 3 (2 TX + 1 RX + charging case) $259 at Amazon
$329 Save $70   Get Deal at Amazon

If your goal for 2026 is to finally launch that podcast or stop relying on your phone's built-in mic for videos, your first step is to invest in good audio. And right now, you can get a top-notch setup for $70 off.

As of Jan. 12, you can get the DJI Mic 3 (2 TX + 1 RX + charging case) for $259, down from $329. That's a 21% discount and matches the lowest price we’ve seen for this specific bundle.

SEE ALSO: The DJI Mic Mini is one of the best upgrades for content creators

When we reviewed the Mic 3, we gave it a 4.25 out of 5 score, largely because it’s such a versatile, set-and-forget tool for creators. It definitely makes some trade-offs: You can’t plug in an external lavalier mic anymore, and the transmitters lost their individual USB-C ports. However, the new adaptive gain control is a lifesaver. It automatically balances your volume, so if a guest suddenly shouts, the audio won't peak and ruin the whole take.

The hardware is tiny enough to fit in a pocket, and the charging case gets you about 28 hours of total battery life. It also records 32-bit float internally, which gives you enough data to "save" audio that was recorded too quiet or too loud in post-production.