Buying guides

Phone buyer guide for 2026: what to check before choosing

Update years, a telephoto lens and a lab battery score tell you more than a chip name. Here's the order I'd check them in.

Laptop buyer guide for 2026: RAM, chip, screen and weight

A $699.99 laptop with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is a different machine from one with 16GB. I'd check RAM and storage before the chip.

Earbuds buyer guide: fit, noise cancelling, codecs and battery

SoundGuys says SBC and AAC meet the needs of most people, so I'd check your phone first and the codec list last. Fit and noise cancelling decide more.