The Google Pixel 8 was officially announced in late 2023 bringing quite a few improvements with it at the time, though it’s since been succeeded by the new Pixel 9 series. The Pixel 8 can often be found at a sharply discounted price these days, but it’s also pretty similar in specs to the Pixel 8a. Which of these devices should you actually buy? Good question. Let’s dive in and take a brief look at the Pixel 8 vs Pixel 8a.

Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 8: Specs

In many ways, the Google Pixel 8a and Pixel 8 are so similar that they’re easy to compare. They share nearly identical displays, dimensions, software experiences, and update commitments, many of which we’ll get to in a minute. That said, the similarities also make it far more difficult to find daylight between the two when deciding which one is right for you.

In some ways, however, the similarities pay off for fans of the more affordable Pixel A series. Both phones pack the same Tensor G3 chipset, Titan M2 security core, and identical options for both RAM and storage. As a result, they produced almost identical results in our performance benchmarks and day-to-day usage.

As you can see in the graphs, the more affordable Pixel 8a delivers results nearly identical to those of the Pixel 8 and, in our graphically intensive stress testing, actually maintains its performance better than the flagship. While benchmarking numbers don’t usually mean too much in an average day of mixed usage, they’re often a good indicator of how well a phone will keep up, and the Pixel 8a has no problem cruising through a day of web browsing, social media scrolling, and light gaming just as well as its premium counterpart.

On top of that, the Pixel 8a and Pixel 8 ship with Android 14 out of the box and one of the best update commitments in the industry. Google decided to keep pace with Apple’s lofty promise when it added seven years of Android updates, feature drops, and security patches to the Pixel 8 series in late 2023, and now the Pixel 8a gets the same benefit. That not only puts it on par with the flagships but ahead of its similarly priced rivals.

All of these shared features also mean that both the Google Pixel 8a and Pixel 8 support the same set of AI-powered features and lean heavily on Gemini as Google transitions to its powerful new assistant (with Google also confirming Gemini Nano on-device support that will land in a future Feature Drop). You can tap into helpful extras like Circle to Search, generative wallpapers, Live Translate, and several calling features like Hold for Me, Call Screen, and Smart Replies. Both phones have plenty of photo editing options, too, which we’ll come back to down below.

Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 8: Design, size comparison, and colors

I don’t blame you if you feel like you’re seeing double looking at the picture above. Google’s Pixel design is pretty well nailed down at this point, with flat displays and camera bars across the board, but the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a are about as close to twins as you can get.

The two devices are nearly the same height, width, and thickness despite the Pixel 8 offering an extra tenth of an inch of display real estate, sitting at 6.2 inches to the Pixel 8a’s 6.1 inches. Yet, despite its slightly smaller display, the Pixel 8a offers almost the same specs as its more polished counterpart. There’s only a weight difference of a few grams between them, something I hardly noticed while carrying both around for a few days. Both phones have 60 to 120Hz Actua Displays with 14 hundred nits of HDR and 2,000 nits of peak brightness, and they feel just about identical if you’re swiping up and down or mindlessly scrolling social media. Just note that the Pixel 8a comes locked at 120Hz by default, so you’ll have to opt in for the variable refresh rate. On top of that, the OLED panels have the same 1,080 by 2,400 resolution, meaning that the more affordable Pixel is just a hair more pixel-dense.

Honestly, I’ve found that the best way to tell the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a apart is the latter’s much rounder corners, making it feel a bit smaller in the hand — something that I thoroughly appreciate as a person with smaller hands. Google’s premium Pixel 8 sports glossy Gorilla Glass Victus on the back, too, while the Pixel 8a has a matte composite (it’s plastic, call it plastic) back that looks a bit more like the Pixel 8 Pro. Personally, I prefer the feeling of the 8a when I reach into my pocket, mostly because I know I won’t pull out a phone that’s covered in smudges. The flagship Pixel 8 is the slightly more durable of the two, using Gorilla Glass Victus on both the front and back and carrying an IP68 rating against water and dust to the Pixel 8a’s IP67.

Both Pixels also share matching in-display fingerprint readers and matching buttons and ports scattered around their aluminum frames. To my eye, both fingerprint readers seem to register at the same speed, so it’s nice to see Google keep one standard fingerprint reader instead of going cheaper for the mid-range. Also, you’ll find the power and volume controls on the right edge with a lone SIM tray holding down the left. The USB-C port is also flanked by a pair of stereo speakers.

Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 8: Camera

Although the camera bars on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a may look the same, they have a few differences across their dual-camera setups. The Pixel 8a’s budget camera setup offers more megapixels to play with, pairing a 64MP primary camera and a 13MP ultrawide sensor. Don’t be fooled by the bigger numbers, though, as the individual pixels are slightly smaller on both sensors, meaning that the cameras aren’t quite as well equipped for lower-light scenarios. The Pixel 8a’s ultrawide sensor also has a slightly narrower 120-degree field of view and misses out on Macro Vision — a software feature that both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro support.

Moving over to the more premium Pixel, it pairs its 50MP primary camera with a 12MP ultrawide sensor, both of which are larger than the options on the Pixel 8a. On top of having slightly larger individual megapixels, the Pixel 8’s primary camera is capable of a 2x in-sensor crop, giving you a little bit more optical zoom range before switching to digital zoom.

Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a have dual rear cameras, but the flagship packs a bit more punch.

The Pixel 8a has a slightly sharper selfie camera, too, with 13MP to the Pixel 8’s 10.5MP, though the results are pretty similar from both sensors based on our tests.

As you can see in the samples below, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a are just about neck and neck in some of the most common shooting scenarios. They’re well matched in color and details, and even the ultrawide shots are almost identical despite the slightly different fields of view.

Google Pixel 8a Google Pixel 8

There are a few slight differences when it comes to capturing selfies, though. Despite both phones defaulting to 1x zoom when you flip the camera around, not all definitions of 1x zoom are created equal. The Pixel 8a offers a much wider frame than the Pixel 8, making it much easier to fit additional people and background details into your selfie. Both shots look good as far as colors go, but it’s somewhat surprising to see such a difference between the default zoom lengths.

Google’s Pixel 8 also handles its longer zoom lengths much better than the Pixel 8a. Its larger sensor seems to maintain both color and detail better than the smaller sensor on the mid-range phone. The difference is most noticeable on finer lines like the name of the ship below and the details in the wood planks of the dock.

As far as camera features go, Macro Vision is the only major omission from the Pixel 8a — everything else is almost exactly the same. Neither device offers Google’s new Pro controls, but both can tap into Night Sight, Top Shot, Portrait Mode, Cinematic Pan, and punch in with Super Res Zoom up to 8x.

Both phones also offer similar video features, with up to 4K recording from the front and rear sensors. However, the Pixel 8 packs a few more options regarding the frame rate, with 24fps available on both front and back and 60fps on the selfie camera. Google’s Pixel 8a, on the other hand, is limited to 30fps from the selfie camera at both 4K and 1080p.

Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 8: Battery life and charging

Given their similar overall size and specs, it’s no surprise to see the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a toting nearly identical batteries. The Pixel 8 has the slightly larger cell of the two — 4,575mAh to the Pixel 8a’s 4,492mAh — but our battery testing showed that the mid-ranger stretched its juice further in most cases. In fact, it put up better numbers while on a Zoom call, snapping photos, recording 4K video, and even significantly better 4K playback performance. Outside of the lab, both phones can easily power through a full day of usage. I got into a habit of using adaptive charging overnight and regularly found myself hitting the end of the day with at least 20% remaining.

However, one area where there’s a little bit of daylight between the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8a is in their charging setups. The Pixel 8 is much quicker, supporting up to 27W wired charging with a compatible USB PD PPS charger, while the Pixel 8a tops out at 18W. There’s a big difference in wireless charging capabilities, too, with the more expensive device capable of up to 18W with the second-generation Pixel Stand and 12W with other Qi-enabled pads while the mid-ranger is limited to 7.5W, no matter the charger.

While the difference in charging speed from 18W to 27W may not sound too vast, our controlled testing showed that the Pixel 8a took about 20 more minutes to reach a full battery than its Pixel 8 counterpart, so it might pay to spend just a little bit more if you need to get back up and running in a hurry.

Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 8: Price and availability

If you’re close to making your decision between buying the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a, I guess you should know how much each phone will cost you. Well, for starters, both phones are widely available in the US, both unlocked and on deals through major carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T.

If you’re leaning toward the Pixel 8a, it starts at $499 with 128GB of storage — the same price as the previous Pixel 7a. It’s also available in four colors: Bay, Aloe, Obsidian, and Porcelain. Should you decide you need 256GB of storage right off the bat, it’ll set you back $559, and you’re limited to the Obsidian finish.

On the other hand, if you’re leaning toward the flagship Pixel 8, it kicks off at $699 with the same 128GB of storage. It launched in three colors, Hazel, Obsidian, and Rose, but Google has since added a fourth Mint color that’s a little softer than the Pixel 8a’s Aloe option. You can upgrade to 256GB of storage for the same $60 fee, bumping your price to $759.

Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 8: Which should you buy?

Now that we’ve gone through every last piece of the Google Pixel 8 and the Google Pixel 8a, it’s about time to decide which one is right for you. Unlike a lot of comparisons where we end up saying that the right one comes down to your personal preference, there’s a pretty clear winner here — but it comes with a caveat.

The easy answer when choosing between the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8a is to tell you to buy the flagship Pixel 8 — one of the best Android phones around — but only to do so when you can find it on sale. These two phones share so much in common, from the chipset to the camera quality to 90% of their respective designs, that Google is relying on the difference in price to sway people one way or another.

At MSRP, it's a tricky call, but recent sales for the Pixel 8 make the Pixel 8a a tough sell.

When compared at full price, the Pixel 8a seems like a great deal, given how many flagship specs it boasts, but as soon as you factor in discounts, the $200 gap suddenly feels much smaller, and the Pixel 8’s more premium aspects like faster charging and better materials feel that much more attainable.

Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 8: FAQ

Garmin is extremely prolific when it comes to smartwatches, constantly churning out new models and updates. With the arrival of the Vivoactive 5, we see a very different watch to a line that hadn’t been updated since 2019, one much more akin to the Venu 3.

If you’re in the market for a new Garmin watch, you might have a tough time making a decision between these two. So which should you buy? Let’s take a look in this Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs Venu 3 comparison.

Samsung took the wraps off its latest flagships earlier this year, the Galaxy S24 series, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra setting the early benchmark for other Android smartphones this year. It’s another year of refinement as far as the design goes but with a significant focus on AI-driven software and features. If that sounds familiar, it’s the exact intro we could have used for Google’s 2023 flagship, the Pixel 8 Pro. Interesting design refinements, upgraded hardware, and a plethora of new software features make for an interesting comparison between the two flagships. Here’s a look at the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro!

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: At a glance

Everyone loves an underdog story. Names like Rudy, Rocky, and Bilbo get us to root for the undersized, underpowered hero in the face of unthinkable odds every time. For a while, my favorite underdog story was the one where Motorola, the original king of the flip phone, tried to reclaim its crown from Samsung. It pitted the Razr against the Galaxy Z Flip, hoping that nostalgia, a slightly bigger cover screen, and a cleaner Android skin would take it back to the top.

At first, it didn’t work. Samsung grabbed all of the headlines for its Galaxy Z Flip series, drawing me into the world of flip phones. Then, Motorola skipped a year or two, practicing and creating the training montage that every good underdog flick needs. Now, Motorola is back with its second Razr Plus, and I don’t think it’s an underdog anymore. The Motorola Razr Plus (2024) vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is finally a flip phone title match.

Little screens, big expectations

Falling in love with a flip phone is all about how you use the big screen — or rather, the not-so-big screen. And when it comes to the Motorola Razr Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, the cover screens are about as different as can be. Where Samsung’s experience is locked down and measured, Motorola’s is open and flexible. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 forces apps into a smaller, square window within its folder-shaped panel, while the Razr Plus allows them to stretch across its entire display, even if the camera cutouts are in the way. Somehow, the acceptance of imperfection is what wins me over.

I understand why Samsung didn’t change its latest Flex Window from the 3.4-inch Super AMOLED panel it introduced on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 — most people still haven’t tried a flip phone, let alone purchased one. Unfortunately, that also means it hasn’t fixed what people (or at least I) didn’t like about the complicated software experience, either. Good Lock is still a requirement if you want to put more than Maps, YouTube, and Google Messages (not Samsung Messages) in your app drawer. I, of course, jumped through the hoops to get the rest of my apps on the Flex Window, but I had to reference the guide I wrote a year ago explaining how to do it. It feels like an over-engineered solution to a problem that Motorola just ignored — the fact that apps optimized for tall, thin phone displays won’t run perfectly on short, square cover screens.

Sorry, Samsung, but one app drawer is always better than two.

To its credit, Samsung has an excellent set of widgets on the Galaxy Z Flip 6. They’re set up so that you can combine multiple widgets on each panel of the Flex Window, making it almost feel like a giant Galaxy Watch or a small Nest display. One or two — like Spotify — need a layout all their own, but I can appreciate having my calendar, weather forecast, and easy access to a voice recorder all on one page, even if they don’t offer as much information right up front.

And yet, I still think I like Motorola’s experience better. The Razr Plus gained some extra real estate for 2024, stretching from 3.6 inches to an even 4-inch AMOLED panel that covers almost the entire top of the phone. It’s an overpowered display, combining a variable 165Hz refresh rate with up to 2,400 nits of peak brightness and packing in nearly 100 more pixels per inch than its Samsung rival. Motorola’s cameras are less intrusive, too, sitting in lower, rounded housings instead of Samsung’s relatively tall, color-matched rings.

Design and specs aside, I prefer Motorola’s cover screen because of the software experience and its willingness to embrace imperfection. Yes, it sounds backward, but it’s true. I just finished saying how tall, thin apps don’t work as well on short, square displays, but Motorola at least lets them try with as much of its display as possible. You can add any app to your cover screen drawer with a simple flip of a toggle, and Motorola programmed a button to push apps above the camera cutouts should they block parts of the interface. It lets me doom scroll through Instagram, catch up on House of the Dragon on a display it was never meant to be seen on, and try to outscore fellow tech journalists in Freekick Football without opening my phone.

Samsung doesn’t get all the credit for the best widgets, either. Although Motorola’s aren’t quite as flexible — you can’t put several on one page — they offer far more information upfront. When I set up my Razr Plus, it came with games, access to my contacts, my calendar, and the weather right out of the box — oh, and just one app drawer to worry about. The Galaxy Z Flip 6, on the other hand, gave me a weather widget in the corner of one panel, leaving me to do the rest on my own. Some people might love that flexibility, but it could create a steep learning curve for those who’ve never used a flip phone.

Opposing viewpoints

Even though I don’t think the Razr Plus is an underdog anymore, part of that mentality still exists within the phone. Specifically, the fact that underdogs usually have to be clever and try new things to outsmart their opponent, be it Chick Hicks, Davy Jones, or the Globo Gym Purple Cobras. To its credit, Motorola decided to think differently about the cameras on its latest Razr Plus. I’m just not sure if this is a winning strategy.

Instead of sticking with the wide and ultrawide combination that we’re used to on flip phones — well, and any other dual-camera device — Motorola decided to double down on portrait mode. It upgraded its 12MP primary camera to a sharper 50MP sensor, then ditched the reliable 13MP ultrawide camera for a 50MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom. Normally, I’d be thrilled since I’m not the biggest believer in the ultrawide field of view, but there’s something about a telephoto sensor in this form factor that doesn’t feel quite right.

Motorola went all-in on portrait mode... only to limit its cover screen to 1x zoom.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that a dual-camera flip phone can zoom in as far as the triple-camera Galaxy S24, but that’s not where phones like this are at their strongest. I prefer to use the Razr Plus and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 closed, treating their large primary sensors like super-powered selfie cameras. But when I do that, I rarely exceed 0.5x or 1x zoom — neither of which needs a telephoto sensor. Perhaps more confusingly, the Razr Plus won’t let you zoom beyond 1x on its cover screen, saving all of its portrait power for when the phone is open.

Samsung, on the other hand, follows the underdog vs rival story perfectly (at least in Hollywood terms). It knows what works, and it stuck with it. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 packs the wide and ultrawide camera pairing that it’s had since the beginning, this time with a higher-resolution 50MP primary sensor for the bulk of your shooting. Sure, it has smaller individual pixels and bins by default (Motorola does, too), but the swap means that Samsung can crop its sensor for 2x optical zoom. Oh, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 lets you zoom in on the cover screen, no telephoto sensor required.

Samsung’s flip phone finally supports Expert RAW now, too, in case you want even more control over your camera settings. Though, once again, it’s more fun to pull up the front cameras and snap away. And, if you’re going to do that, Samsung’s Auto Zoom makes it much easier to frame your shot and automatically zoom before you use a gesture to take your photo. It’s not lightning fast — the camera takes a second or two to identify you — but it’s made life significantly easier when lining up pictures with friends.

Here are just a few shots and some of my thoughts from both cameras:

Motorola Razr Plus

It feels somewhat unfair to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 that I’ve spent more time with the Motorola Razr Plus, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. The Razr Plus has come with me for several adventures, including its own launch event in Brooklyn, a trip to the Guinness Open Gate Brewery here in Baltimore, and a stop at an Orioles game. I’ve put it through its paces at all of my stops, and I’ve picked up on a few things. For starters, I’m still not convinced that it needs a telephoto camera. Sure, it’s capable of 2x optical zoom, but everything beyond 4x is pretty much digital, and it all looks pretty rough. The 30x image of a player at home plate looks closer to a painting, which isn’t a great thing.

The Razr Plus struggles a bit with shadows, too. In the second row of photos, it’s tough to pick out the centers of the metal flowers around the archway, and the Razr Plus darkened my friend Derrek’s face even though we took a selfie in the middle of a bright warehouse. But hey, I used a Razr to take a picture of Paris Hilton, the original Razr influencer, so that’s something.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

As mentioned, I haven’t spent quite as long with the Galaxy Z Flip 6, but it’s long enough to notice a few things. For starters, I definitely missed having an ultrawide angle during my time with the Razr Plus. Living in a tall city, there are plenty of times when you want to fit just a little bit more in your shot. Also, Samsung definitely skews to a darker color profile. The mural of a jaguar is lighter in real life, and the statue of two lacrosse players is as well. Sometimes, the darker hues work out for Samsung — its greens are still extremely punchy, but I don’t think I’d call it true to life.

Things like recording video from either side and taking selfies on the internal cameras generally come out in the wash. The Razr Plus (2024) and Galaxy Z Flip 6 support up to 4K video at 60fps, 1080p at 240fps, and HDR10 Plus from their primary cameras, both with optical image stabilization. Motorola’s 32MP punch hole selfie camera and Samsung’s 10MP option are both fine, too, but I’ve hardly used either one because of how much better the primary cameras are.

Need for power, need for speed

Our ex-underdog still has one major limitation in its quest to dethrone the Galaxy Z Flip 6, though — its chipset can’t quite keep up. While both the Razr Plus and Galaxy Z Flip 6 ship with the same base RAM and storage (12GB and 256GB, respectively), the modified configuration of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is no match for Samsung’s overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. In film terms, Anakin Skywalker’s podracer doesn’t get the same thrust from its engines as Sebulba’s.

As we all know, Anakin wins the Boonta Eve Classic in the end, but it’s not down to raw power. If it were, he’d lose every time, just like the Razr Plus does in most of our benchmarking tests against the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The difference isn’t always a big one — the single-core Geekbench 6 and PC Mark tests were relatively close — but Samsung’s flip phone opens a much wider gap regarding graphics. Its performance in the Wild Life test started at triple the score of the Razr Plus, and even after 20 runs, it remained more than 50% higher than its competitor. Much of the gap in graphics performance comes back to the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 using an older GPU, so sometimes it pays to grab the latest chipset.

Of course, it’s not all bad news for the Razr Plus. It still puts in a solid shift and feels capable of making it through a mixed day of usage — so long as you trust the cover display for lighter tasks. Honestly, you’re probably not going to notice too many of the gains from Samsung’s more powerful chipset anyway — it might be a hair quicker here and there, but both chipsets are perfectly capable of cruising through day-to-day tasks like web browsing, answering emails, and a little bit of gaming anyway.

Where the Razr Plus does make up some significant ground is in its battery life and charging setup. Like Anakin, it might not be more powerful, but it can run longer and return to full strength quicker. Both the Razr Plus and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 pack 4,000mAh batteries, and in our battery drain test, Samsung’s flip phone only ran away in one category: 4K video playback. It more than doubled the Razr Plus’ performance, which is great news if you watch a lot of high-resolution videos, but Motorola came out at least slightly ahead in Zoom calling, web browsing, camera snapping, and even gaming battery life, a mix of which you’re more likely to do throughout the day.

Motorola also keeps its edge (pun intended) when it comes to charging. The Razr Plus (2024) offers Galaxy S24 Ultra-level 45W wired TurboPower charging, which easily beats the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s 25W wired speed with a compatible charger. Both tie in 15W wireless charging, though Motorola has a slight advantage in reverse wireless speeds, too, at 5W instead of 4.5W.

Galaxy AI still reigns supreme

Oh, and don’t think I’ve forgotten about 2024’s buzzword of the year — AI. One of the most important pieces of both Samsung’s and Motorola’s choice in the chipset is that both Snapdragon models support on-device AI features. From there, it’s up to the two companies to see how quickly they can roll out their respective features.

So far, like every underdog story worth its salt, Samsung is winning. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is further ahead in all manner of Galaxy AI-powered features, with things like Auto Zoom, Sketch to Image, and Portrait Studio debuting in One UI 6.1.1. They’re new additions on top of Circle to Search, Live Translate, and Photo Assist, which Samsung introduced in previous generations. I’ve only really come to trust Circle to Search and Auto Zoom, as they feel the most straightforward, though I’ll also generate a wallpaper here and there — if you still want to classify that as exciting, on-device AI.

On the Razr Plus, Moto AI needs to catch up. Right now, Motorola is only ready to offer a few of its generative features, including two forms of wallpaper generation called Style Sync and Magic Canvas. It also has a couple of camera wrinkles — Adaptive Stabilization and Action Shot — but the best of its on-device power is coming… eventually. Remember that it took Motorola over a year to bring Android 14 to its previous Razr Plus, so who knows when “eventually” could be.

The Motorola Razr Plus (2024) finally deserves its crown

There are plenty of ways to end an underdog story. Rudy sacks the quarterback, Rocky wins the fight, and Luke Skywalker blows up the Death Star (or defeats the emperor, take your pick of Star Wars film). No matter which one you prefer, there still has to be a winner. And, despite its more useful pair of cameras, more powerful chipset, and longer update commitment, I can’t bring myself to pick the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Yes, it’s an excellent phone and easily Samsung’s most complete Galaxy Z Flip to date, but it also feels like a phone stuck spinning its wheels.

There are so many things that Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Flip 6 has in its corner. It has a better ecosystem of accessories, an almost infinitely customizable software experience, and a build quality that’s worthy of a museum display, and yet it feels too surgical and precise for my liking. There are phones I think should feel like well-oiled machines, like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, but they’re the opposite of the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Instead, this phone should be leaning on its uniqueness and embracing the fact that it’s smaller and more portable than a Klondike Bar.

Samsung's flip phone feels like a tool, but I prefer the imperfect flexibility of the Razr Plus.

Which is exactly what the Razr Plus does. Motorola’s top-end flip phone is less powerful, won’t get seven years of updates, and has cameras that make almost no sense in this form factor, and yet it’s by far the more enjoyable to use. The Razr Plus’ rounded frame is comfortable to hold and use for hours on end, while its vegan leather (or suede) back panel adds a softness and a pop of color that reminds me of the Motorola of old. I didn’t have to jump through any hoops to add an app drawer to the cover screen, nor did I have to reorganize the preloaded widgets — I just fired up the Razr Plus and got to exploring until my battery died. Then, I charged it back up at a speed that Samsung reserves only for products named Ultra.

Of course, I can’t speak for everyone. I know some Samsung die-hards will only consider the Galaxy Z Flip when they pick up a flip phone. They’ll happily spend the extra cash (Samsung bumped its price by $100) to stay within the Galaxy ecosystem. However, I will keep returning to the Razr Plus as long as Motorola continues to embrace the fun side of Android.

Everyone loves an underdog story. Names like Rudy, Rocky, and Bilbo get us to root for the undersized, underpowered hero in the face of unthinkable odds every time. For a while, my favorite underdog story was the one where Motorola, the original king of the flip phone, tried to reclaim its crown from Samsung. It pitted the Razr against the Galaxy Z Flip, hoping that nostalgia, a slightly bigger cover screen, and a cleaner Android skin would take it back to the top.

At first, it didn’t work. Samsung grabbed all of the headlines for its Galaxy Z Flip series, drawing me into the world of flip phones. Then, Motorola skipped a year or two, practicing and creating the training montage that every good underdog flick needs. Now, Motorola is back with its second Razr Plus, and I don’t think it’s an underdog anymore. The Motorola Razr Plus (2024) vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is finally a flip phone title match.

Little screens, big expectations

Falling in love with a flip phone is all about how you use the big screen — or rather, the not-so-big screen. And when it comes to the Motorola Razr Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, the cover screens are about as different as can be. Where Samsung’s experience is locked down and measured, Motorola’s is open and flexible. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 forces apps into a smaller, square window within its folder-shaped panel, while the Razr Plus allows them to stretch across its entire display, even if the camera cutouts are in the way. Somehow, the acceptance of imperfection is what wins me over.

I understand why Samsung didn’t change its latest Flex Window from the 3.4-inch Super AMOLED panel it introduced on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 — most people still haven’t tried a flip phone, let alone purchased one. Unfortunately, that also means it hasn’t fixed what people (or at least I) didn’t like about the complicated software experience, either. Good Lock is still a requirement if you want to put more than Maps, YouTube, and Google Messages (not Samsung Messages) in your app drawer. I, of course, jumped through the hoops to get the rest of my apps on the Flex Window, but I had to reference the guide I wrote a year ago explaining how to do it. It feels like an over-engineered solution to a problem that Motorola just ignored — the fact that apps optimized for tall, thin phone displays won’t run perfectly on short, square cover screens.

Sorry, Samsung, but one app drawer is always better than two.

To its credit, Samsung has an excellent set of widgets on the Galaxy Z Flip 6. They’re set up so that you can combine multiple widgets on each panel of the Flex Window, making it almost feel like a giant Galaxy Watch or a small Nest display. One or two — like Spotify — need a layout all their own, but I can appreciate having my calendar, weather forecast, and easy access to a voice recorder all on one page, even if they don’t offer as much information right up front.

And yet, I still think I like Motorola’s experience better. The Razr Plus gained some extra real estate for 2024, stretching from 3.6 inches to an even 4-inch AMOLED panel that covers almost the entire top of the phone. It’s an overpowered display, combining a variable 165Hz refresh rate with up to 2,400 nits of peak brightness and packing in nearly 100 more pixels per inch than its Samsung rival. Motorola’s cameras are less intrusive, too, sitting in lower, rounded housings instead of Samsung’s relatively tall, color-matched rings.

Design and specs aside, I prefer Motorola’s cover screen because of the software experience and its willingness to embrace imperfection. Yes, it sounds backward, but it’s true. I just finished saying how tall, thin apps don’t work as well on short, square displays, but Motorola at least lets them try with as much of its display as possible. You can add any app to your cover screen drawer with a simple flip of a toggle, and Motorola programmed a button to push apps above the camera cutouts should they block parts of the interface. It lets me doom scroll through Instagram, catch up on House of the Dragon on a display it was never meant to be seen on, and try to outscore fellow tech journalists in Freekick Football without opening my phone.

Samsung doesn’t get all the credit for the best widgets, either. Although Motorola’s aren’t quite as flexible — you can’t put several on one page — they offer far more information upfront. When I set up my Razr Plus, it came with games, access to my contacts, my calendar, and the weather right out of the box — oh, and just one app drawer to worry about. The Galaxy Z Flip 6, on the other hand, gave me a weather widget in the corner of one panel, leaving me to do the rest on my own. Some people might love that flexibility, but it could create a steep learning curve for those who’ve never used a flip phone.

Opposing viewpoints

Even though I don’t think the Razr Plus is an underdog anymore, part of that mentality still exists within the phone. Specifically, the fact that underdogs usually have to be clever and try new things to outsmart their opponent, be it Chick Hicks, Davy Jones, or the Globo Gym Purple Cobras. To its credit, Motorola decided to think differently about the cameras on its latest Razr Plus. I’m just not sure if this is a winning strategy.

Instead of sticking with the wide and ultrawide combination that we’re used to on flip phones — well, and any other dual-camera device — Motorola decided to double down on portrait mode. It upgraded its 12MP primary camera to a sharper 50MP sensor, then ditched the reliable 13MP ultrawide camera for a 50MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom. Normally, I’d be thrilled since I’m not the biggest believer in the ultrawide field of view, but there’s something about a telephoto sensor in this form factor that doesn’t feel quite right.

Motorola went all-in on portrait mode... only to limit its cover screen to 1x zoom.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that a dual-camera flip phone can zoom in as far as the triple-camera Galaxy S24, but that’s not where phones like this are at their strongest. I prefer to use the Razr Plus and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 closed, treating their large primary sensors like super-powered selfie cameras. But when I do that, I rarely exceed 0.5x or 1x zoom — neither of which needs a telephoto sensor. Perhaps more confusingly, the Razr Plus won’t let you zoom beyond 1x on its cover screen, saving all of its portrait power for when the phone is open.

Samsung, on the other hand, follows the underdog vs rival story perfectly (at least in Hollywood terms). It knows what works, and it stuck with it. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 packs the wide and ultrawide camera pairing that it’s had since the beginning, this time with a higher-resolution 50MP primary sensor for the bulk of your shooting. Sure, it has smaller individual pixels and bins by default (Motorola does, too), but the swap means that Samsung can crop its sensor for 2x optical zoom. Oh, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 lets you zoom in on the cover screen, no telephoto sensor required.

Samsung’s flip phone finally supports Expert RAW now, too, in case you want even more control over your camera settings. Though, once again, it’s more fun to pull up the front cameras and snap away. And, if you’re going to do that, Samsung’s Auto Zoom makes it much easier to frame your shot and automatically zoom before you use a gesture to take your photo. It’s not lightning fast — the camera takes a second or two to identify you — but it’s made life significantly easier when lining up pictures with friends.

Here are just a few shots and some of my thoughts from both cameras:

Motorola Razr Plus

It feels somewhat unfair to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 that I’ve spent more time with the Motorola Razr Plus, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. The Razr Plus has come with me for several adventures, including its own launch event in Brooklyn, a trip to the Guinness Open Gate Brewery here in Baltimore, and a stop at an Orioles game. I’ve put it through its paces at all of my stops, and I’ve picked up on a few things. For starters, I’m still not convinced that it needs a telephoto camera. Sure, it’s capable of 2x optical zoom, but everything beyond 4x is pretty much digital, and it all looks pretty rough. The 30x image of a player at home plate looks closer to a painting, which isn’t a great thing.

The Razr Plus struggles a bit with shadows, too. In the second row of photos, it’s tough to pick out the centers of the metal flowers around the archway, and the Razr Plus darkened my friend Derrek’s face even though we took a selfie in the middle of a bright warehouse. But hey, I used a Razr to take a picture of Paris Hilton, the original Razr influencer, so that’s something.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

As mentioned, I haven’t spent quite as long with the Galaxy Z Flip 6, but it’s long enough to notice a few things. For starters, I definitely missed having an ultrawide angle during my time with the Razr Plus. Living in a tall city, there are plenty of times when you want to fit just a little bit more in your shot. Also, Samsung definitely skews to a darker color profile. The mural of a jaguar is lighter in real life, and the statue of two lacrosse players is as well. Sometimes, the darker hues work out for Samsung — its greens are still extremely punchy, but I don’t think I’d call it true to life.

Things like recording video from either side and taking selfies on the internal cameras generally come out in the wash. The Razr Plus (2024) and Galaxy Z Flip 6 support up to 4K video at 60fps, 1080p at 240fps, and HDR10 Plus from their primary cameras, both with optical image stabilization. Motorola’s 32MP punch hole selfie camera and Samsung’s 10MP option are both fine, too, but I’ve hardly used either one because of how much better the primary cameras are.

Need for power, need for speed

Our ex-underdog still has one major limitation in its quest to dethrone the Galaxy Z Flip 6, though — its chipset can’t quite keep up. While both the Razr Plus and Galaxy Z Flip 6 ship with the same base RAM and storage (12GB and 256GB, respectively), the modified configuration of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is no match for Samsung’s overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy. In film terms, Anakin Skywalker’s podracer doesn’t get the same thrust from its engines as Sebulba’s.

As we all know, Anakin wins the Boonta Eve Classic in the end, but it’s not down to raw power. If it were, he’d lose every time, just like the Razr Plus does in most of our benchmarking tests against the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The difference isn’t always a big one — the single-core Geekbench 6 and PC Mark tests were relatively close — but Samsung’s flip phone opens a much wider gap regarding graphics. Its performance in the Wild Life test started at triple the score of the Razr Plus, and even after 20 runs, it remained more than 50% higher than its competitor. Much of the gap in graphics performance comes back to the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 using an older GPU, so sometimes it pays to grab the latest chipset.

Of course, it’s not all bad news for the Razr Plus. It still puts in a solid shift and feels capable of making it through a mixed day of usage — so long as you trust the cover display for lighter tasks. Honestly, you’re probably not going to notice too many of the gains from Samsung’s more powerful chipset anyway — it might be a hair quicker here and there, but both chipsets are perfectly capable of cruising through day-to-day tasks like web browsing, answering emails, and a little bit of gaming anyway.

Where the Razr Plus does make up some significant ground is in its battery life and charging setup. Like Anakin, it might not be more powerful, but it can run longer and return to full strength quicker. Both the Razr Plus and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 pack 4,000mAh batteries, and in our battery drain test, Samsung’s flip phone only ran away in one category: 4K video playback. It more than doubled the Razr Plus’ performance, which is great news if you watch a lot of high-resolution videos, but Motorola came out at least slightly ahead in Zoom calling, web browsing, camera snapping, and even gaming battery life, a mix of which you’re more likely to do throughout the day.

Motorola also keeps its edge (pun intended) when it comes to charging. The Razr Plus (2024) offers Galaxy S24 Ultra-level 45W wired TurboPower charging, which easily beats the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s 25W wired speed with a compatible charger. Both tie in 15W wireless charging, though Motorola has a slight advantage in reverse wireless speeds, too, at 5W instead of 4.5W.

Galaxy AI still reigns supreme

Oh, and don’t think I’ve forgotten about 2024’s buzzword of the year — AI. One of the most important pieces of both Samsung’s and Motorola’s choice in the chipset is that both Snapdragon models support on-device AI features. From there, it’s up to the two companies to see how quickly they can roll out their respective features.

So far, like every underdog story worth its salt, Samsung is winning. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is further ahead in all manner of Galaxy AI-powered features, with things like Auto Zoom, Sketch to Image, and Portrait Studio debuting in One UI 6.1.1. They’re new additions on top of Circle to Search, Live Translate, and Photo Assist, which Samsung introduced in previous generations. I’ve only really come to trust Circle to Search and Auto Zoom, as they feel the most straightforward, though I’ll also generate a wallpaper here and there — if you still want to classify that as exciting, on-device AI.

On the Razr Plus, Moto AI needs to catch up. Right now, Motorola is only ready to offer a few of its generative features, including two forms of wallpaper generation called Style Sync and Magic Canvas. It also has a couple of camera wrinkles — Adaptive Stabilization and Action Shot — but the best of its on-device power is coming… eventually. Remember that it took Motorola over a year to bring Android 14 to its previous Razr Plus, so who knows when “eventually” could be.

The Motorola Razr Plus (2024) finally deserves its crown

There are plenty of ways to end an underdog story. Rudy sacks the quarterback, Rocky wins the fight, and Luke Skywalker blows up the Death Star (or defeats the emperor, take your pick of Star Wars film). No matter which one you prefer, there still has to be a winner. And, despite its more useful pair of cameras, more powerful chipset, and longer update commitment, I can’t bring myself to pick the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Yes, it’s an excellent phone and easily Samsung’s most complete Galaxy Z Flip to date, but it also feels like a phone stuck spinning its wheels.

There are so many things that Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Flip 6 has in its corner. It has a better ecosystem of accessories, an almost infinitely customizable software experience, and a build quality that’s worthy of a museum display, and yet it feels too surgical and precise for my liking. There are phones I think should feel like well-oiled machines, like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, but they’re the opposite of the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Instead, this phone should be leaning on its uniqueness and embracing the fact that it’s smaller and more portable than a Klondike Bar.

Samsung's flip phone feels like a tool, but I prefer the imperfect flexibility of the Razr Plus.

Which is exactly what the Razr Plus does. Motorola’s top-end flip phone is less powerful, won’t get seven years of updates, and has cameras that make almost no sense in this form factor, and yet it’s by far the more enjoyable to use. The Razr Plus’ rounded frame is comfortable to hold and use for hours on end, while its vegan leather (or suede) back panel adds a softness and a pop of color that reminds me of the Motorola of old. I didn’t have to jump through any hoops to add an app drawer to the cover screen, nor did I have to reorganize the preloaded widgets — I just fired up the Razr Plus and got to exploring until my battery died. Then, I charged it back up at a speed that Samsung reserves only for products named Ultra.

Of course, I can’t speak for everyone. I know some Samsung die-hards will only consider the Galaxy Z Flip when they pick up a flip phone. They’ll happily spend the extra cash (Samsung bumped its price by $100) to stay within the Galaxy ecosystem. However, I will keep returning to the Razr Plus as long as Motorola continues to embrace the fun side of Android.

MultiVersus development studio Player First Games has been acquired by the game's publisher, Warner Bros. The studio's co-founders will continue to lead the studio. The platform figher's second season is due to go live tomorrow, adding a ranked mode and new characters Samurai Jack and Beetlejuice.

Read more

MultiVersus development studio Player First Games has been acquired by the game's publisher, Warner Bros. The studio's co-founders will continue to lead the studio. The platform figher's second season is due to go live tomorrow, adding a ranked mode and new characters Samurai Jack and Beetlejuice.

Read more

MultiVersus has only been fully launched a week, but already there's an oasis of leaks - and player excitement - mapping out much of what's already set to arrive in the game next. Warner Bros' free-to-play platform fighter is designed as a nexus point for characters and franchises to come together and beat each other up, Super Smash Bros. style, with a rotating roster of unlocked combatants that changes every 24 hours. And it's this growing roster of famous faces that is clearly designed to be its star.

As someone who plays Fortnite on the daily, the concept of a live-service game sustained by a conveyor belt of crossover content is nothing new - and countless games are doing it. From Call of Duty: Warzone to Fall Guys mobile rip-off Stumble Guys, everyone is inviting Snoop Dogg or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to their party. Smash Bros. itself gave up being Nintendo-centric years ago, with Ultimate hosting everyone from Fallout's Vault Boy to Minecraft's Steve.

In MultiVersus, there's the expected representation from Warner Bros.' own stable of game franchises, with a base roster that bares striking resemblence to the publisher's previous multiverse effort Lego Dimensions - its enjoyable toys-to-life project that was sadly wound down before its time. There's plenty of faces from the DC Universe, Scooby-Doo, Adventure Time and Gremlins, then, with more likely to follow, alongside cartoon favourites such as the Looney Tunes gang, Tom & Jerry, plus Rick and Morty.

Read more

Now that MultiVersus launched and we’ve had a chance to get comfortable, it’s time to talk about the characters we like the best. The game has its issues, for sure. But there’s also some fun to be had if you can deal with quirks like finding lives up for sale that is apparently a “bug.” Let’s talk about our mains.

Sadly, I found MultiVersus to be Very Bad and dropped it after about a day of playing around with the beta. However, if I must pick a character I had some enjoyment out of, it's easily Bugs Bunny. I've always been a Looney Tunes nerd since I was a kid and that trickster god of a rabbit is my favorite cartoon character of all time. And despite the problems I had with the game overall, I did feel he was represented well. He had all the Acme props you'd expect plus a sneaky burrow move which you could mess with other players with. If the relaunch improves the game, he would be a strong candidate for a personal main. — Leigh

I also didn’t stick with MultiVersus, so my opinion may not be the best for those looking for a character to pick. I really liked Wonder Woman! She’s always been one of my favorite DC heroes and she’s easy enough to get. She’s a Tank type fighter, so it meant I didn’t have to worry about being defeated too quickly before I figured things out. Plus I really found her Sword of Ares and Amazon Shout attacks. — Jenni

MultiVersus is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Which MultiVersus Character Is the Best? appeared first on Siliconera.

MultiVersus welcomed over 100,000 Steam brawlers on its relaunch, but new character restrictions have left a bad taste in the mouth of players.

The multi-franchise Warner Bros. fighter re-released last night across PC, Xbox and PlayStation, following the end of its open beta last year. On Steam, it recorded a concurrent player peak of 114,515 in the last 24 hours.

However, despite some fairly impressive numbers, the free-to-play brawler has come under fire from the community for a number of reasons, with the main issue being new character restrictions.

Read more

The developer of MultiVersus has gone "above and beyond" to ensure the game is protected from dataminers.

The free-to-play fighter is out next week and includes villains like The Joker and Agent Smith from The Matrix, both of which were rumoured long before their reveals.

Now, it seems the developer has put stronger defences in place to protect the game from future dataminers, though there's no guarantee there won't be further leaks.

Read more

Samsung took the wraps off its latest flagships earlier this year, the Galaxy S24 series, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra setting the early benchmark for other Android smartphones this year. It’s another year of refinement as far as the design goes but with a significant focus on AI-driven software and features. If that sounds familiar, it’s the exact intro we could have used for Google’s 2023 flagship, the Pixel 8 Pro. Interesting design refinements, upgraded hardware, and a plethora of new software features make for an interesting comparison between the two flagships. Here’s a look at the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro!

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: At a glance

Everything And Then The Licensed Kitchen Sink fighting game MultiVersus returns next week after an almost year-long self-imposed post-beta exile. With the decision to pull the game from sale and turn off its servers for months on end after allowing people to sink their real-life money into unlocking costumes and such (with no refunds), its developers are now looking to seemingly give something back in return.

Read more

MultiVersus - aka Warner Smash Bros, or The Game Where Scooby-Doo’s Velma Punches Batman While LeBron James Decks The Iron Giant - hasn’t quite returned from its self-imposed exile after ending its open beta last year, but it’s already adding more Iconic Characters(™) to its already teetering pile of familiar Licensed IP.

Read more

It’s the end of May, and the welcoming of June 2024. Summer is here. Pride month is here. And we’re taking the time this weekend to cram in some more gaming with a few recent titles, a wonderful indie game from a couple of years ago, the return of a GameCube title from 2004, and more.

Read more...

Some might say that Google is back to stepping on its toes again. And by that, I mean it just introduced the third member of its Pixel 8 series, the mid-range Pixel 8a, which sits remarkably close to its smaller flagship, the Pixel 8. As such, you might struggle to decide between the two when it comes time to upgrade your phone, and that’s where we come in. I’ve been testing both devices side-by-side, so let’s compare the Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 8 to help you pick your next phone.

Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 8: At a glance

Developer Player First Games has published a video that walks players through the new MultiVersus PvE Rift Mode ahead of its relaunch in a few weeks.

The developer detailed the mode in a highlight video hosted by Scooby Doo’s Velma and Adventure Time’s Finn and Jake. While MultiVersus …

MultiVersus is set to make its return later this month, and - as previously rumoured - Mark Hamill's Joker will be joining the line up.

The news of Joker's upcoming MultiVersus debut comes with a reveal trailer, titled "Get a Load of Me". It all begins with Batman - voiced by the late Kevin Conroy - striding purposefully through an underground cavern-like area as green smoke billows around him. Other MultiVersus characters, such as Bugs Bunny and Arya Stark (I still find the whole line up quite bizarre) are also here, and look a little worse for wear. What, or who, could be doing this?

Of course, it's The Joker at the root of all this chaos. "Oh Batman, we have got to stop meeting like this," he teases with a laugh, before emerging from the smoke. You can check it out for yourself in the video below.

Read more

MultiVersus is set to make its return later this month, and - as previously rumoured - Mark Hamill's Joker will be joining the line up.

The news of Joker's upcoming MultiVersus debut comes with a reveal trailer, titled "Get a Load of Me". It all begins with Batman - voiced by the late Kevin Conroy - striding purposefully through an underground cavern-like area as green smoke billows around him. Other MultiVersus characters, such as Bugs Bunny and Arya Stark (I still find the whole line up quite bizarre) are also here, and look a little worse for wear. What, or who, could be doing this?

Of course, it's The Joker at the root of all this chaos. "Oh Batman, we have got to stop meeting like this," he teases with a laugh, before emerging from the smoke. You can check it out for yourself in the video below.

Read more

MultiVersus is set to make its return later this month, and - as previously rumoured - Mark Hamill's Joker will be joining the line up.

The news of Joker's upcoming MultiVersus debut comes with a reveal trailer, titled "Get a Load of Me". It all begins with Batman - voiced by the late Kevin Conroy - striding purposefully through an underground cavern-like area as green smoke billows around him. Other MultiVersus characters, such as Bugs Bunny and Arya Stark (I still find the whole line up quite bizarre) are also here, and look a little worse for wear. What, or who, could be doing this?

Of course, it's The Joker at the root of all this chaos. "Oh Batman, we have got to stop meeting like this," he teases with a laugh, before emerging from the smoke. You can check it out for yourself in the video below.

Read more

The Joker is coming to MultiVersus, and he’s bringing longtime voice actor Mark Hamill with him.

Warner Bros. and Player First Games confirmed the news today, revealing that the character will join its already stacked platform fighter’s roster when it launches later this month. The Joker is one of the most …

WB Games and Player First Games (PFG) are set to relaunch MultiVersus (MVS) soon, bringing back one of the most exciting “platform fighters” in recent memory. The situation around the Open Beta period was fraught with some confusing messaging and technical issues leading to frustration from the fans, to say the least.…

Read more...

Source

Hello and welcome back to What To Play! We've returned from a little hiatus, which you definitely noticed and have been very sad about, of course. It's finally edging towards spring here in the UK, but don't let that tempt you into going outside, there's video games to be a-playin'!

As ever, this is where we'll round up the best games from the month gone by, and the things we're most excited to play from the month ahead - plus, any other suggestions for what might complement it. Here's What To Play This May 2024.

Availability: Out now on PC, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

Read more

Eight months after Warner Bros.' platform-brawler MultiVersus went dark, following an announcement its open beta would be shutting down until a return sometime in 2024, its social media account has sprung back to live, teasing an update announcement soon.

MultiVersus launched into Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC open beta back in July 2022, and got off to a flying start - ratcheting up over 10m players in the space of a month. However, its player numbers rapidly dwindled and by the time developer Play First Games pulled the game offline last June, its Steam concurrent player count had fallen from a high of 153,000 to just 448.

As to when MultiVersus would be likely to return, that remained vague, with Play First Games only saying it expected servers to come back online sometime in "early 2024". And it's proven to be a particularly controversial period of downtime, not only for its length but because Warner Bros. refused to refund players for any packs, passes, premium currency bundles, or cosmetics they'd purchased across MutliVersus' nearly year-long, multi-season open beta, insisting all purchased items would be usable again once the game returned.

Read more

Samsung took the wraps off of its latest flagships, the Galaxy S24 series, with the Galaxy S24 Ultra setting the early benchmark for other Android smartphones this year. It’s another year of refinement as far as the design goes but with a significant focus on AI-driven software and features. If that sounds familiar, it’s the exact intro we could have used for Google’s 2023 flagship, the Pixel 8 Pro. Interesting design refinements, upgraded hardware, and a plethora of new software features make for an interesting comparison between the two flagships. Here’s a look at the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro!

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro: At a glance

Samsung unveiled its first 2024 flagships, the Galaxy S24 series, and if you were undecided about picking up a Pixel 8 series device or waiting for Samsung’s latest, now is an excellent time to choose. While the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel 8 Pro make all the headlines, Samsung’s and Google’s smaller smartphones are far better value propositions. They offer many of the high-end features of their respective larger siblings while being significantly cheaper. But what’s the best choice between the two? Here’s a look at the Samsung Galaxy S24 (and Galaxy S24 Plus) vs Google Pixel 8!

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Google Pixel 8: At a glance

When a new device hits the market, the initial focus often gravitates towards peak performance. Take, for instance, the recent launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 range. Numerous videos, including mine, have discussed its peak performance, examining Geekbench and 3DMark scores. While these metrics are undoubtedly intriguing, considering sustained performance is equally important. How does the device fare after an extended period of use? In this article, I’ll be delving into the sustained performance of various flagship processors, including those from Samsung, Qualcomm, Apple, and more.

Why is sustained performance important?

There are several ways to evaluate the performance of a system-on-chip (SoC). Peak CPU and GPU performance provide insight into what a mobile SoC can achieve under optimal conditions. However, these conditions are fleeting. Therefore, examining sustained performance is beneficial, revealing what happens when the test is run multiple times. How do the thermals behave? Does the processor slow down? Is the peak performance somewhat deceptive, as it can only be maintained briefly? This approach provides a more accurate reflection of performance during prolonged use, especially during gaming sessions.

The Nothing Phone 2a is a unique new phone in the Carl Pei-led brand’s lineup, as it’s the first truly budget-minded phone from the startup. It’s not aiming for premium flagship territory, and it’s also not going for value flagship territory either. This is a phone designed for folks who want to spend as little money as possible while still getting all the basics. But how does it compare to the Nothing Phone 2? I spent time with both to find out.

Nothing Phone 2a vs Nothing Phone 2: What’s the same?

The Google Pixel 8 was officially announced in late 2023 bringing quite a few improvements with it. The Pixel 8 includes a new Tensor G3 processor, faster wired charging, a slightly improved camera, and the most impressive software update policy in the mobile world. Of course, it’s also a bit more expensive than previous Pixels. Should you get the new Pixel 8 or wait for the next budget Pixel? Let’s dive into everything we know about the Google Pixel 8 vs Pixel 8a to see if it’s worth spending the extra money.

Pixel 8 vs Pixel 8a: Performance and specs

The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a are expected to share a lot of the same DNA, but there are certainly some differences. Please keep in mind that everything we know about the Google Pixel 8a is based on rumors and speculation.

The Pixel 8 series arrived in late 2023 bringing an improved SoC, a new camera sensor, and more. For those hanging on to the now three-year-old Pixel 5, is it time to finally upgrade? We take a closer look in this Google Pixel 5 vs Pixel 8 comparison.

Google Pixel 8 vs Pixel 5: At a glance

We’re finally seeing more foldable smartphones arrive in the US market. Samsung has dominated the US with its Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, and only recently did we get the Google Pixel Fold. Now, OnePlus has arrived with the OnePlus Open, heating up the competition with its superior spec sheet. But which foldable should you buy? We compare the OnePlus Open vs the Galaxy Z Fold 5 to find out.

OnePlus Open vs Galaxy Z Fold 5: Specs

The OnePlus Open and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 are book-style foldables that have a full-sized outer display and open up to reveal an even larger inner display. Both foldables have two incredible displays, but the OnePlus Open edges out the Galaxy Z Fold 5 for the top spot.

Not only are both displays on the OnePlus Open better on the spec sheet than the Fold 5, but they are more useful, too. OnePlus has gone with a wider cover display that is akin to a regular smartphone, so you will find yourself quite content keeping the Open closed.

The OnePlus Open's cover display is like a normal smartphone, while the Galaxy Z Fold 5's is taller.

On the other hand, the Fold 5’s outer display is usable, but since it is fairly tall, you may find it constricted in certain situations, like two-hand typing.

We found the OnePlus Open’s hinge to be a bit snappy, completing the closing action if you reach under a certain angle. In comparison, the Fold 5’s hinge is rock solid at all angles and does not have a mind of its own. Both felt premium and sturdy, so no concerns in that regard.

Inside, both the OnePlus Open and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 are powered by a similar processor. OnePlus offers more RAM at 16GB, but also defaults to a single 512GB storage variant, whereas the Fold 5 has a lower RAM at 12GB but storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

One key area where the Galaxy Z Fold 5 retains the upper hand is the IP rating. The Fold 5 is IPX8-rated for water resistance, surviving being submerged in up to 1.5m freshwater for up to 30 minutes. The OnePlus Open is IPX4-rated for water resistance, which means it will be okay if you splash a little water on it.

The Fold 5's IPX8 water resistance is significantly better than the Open's IPX4 rating.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 also supports the S Pen Fold Edition, which is sold separately and housed externally. This means you’ll probably need an appropriate Galaxy Z Fold 5 case to keep it safe. You can use the stylus on the inner foldable display. The OnePlus Open supports the OPPO Pen active stylus, though this is not officially sold as a compatible accessory. It will work if you can manage to import one, and it will work on both the inner and the outer display.

As for software, Samsung has been in the foldable game for a while, and it shows in the maturity of One UI’s foldable optimizations. There are plenty of features — like app pairs, the ability to open a very large number of apps in floating windows, Flex mode, and more — that work tremendously well to take advantage of the large inner display. The Open is the first attempt from OnePlus at a foldable, and while Oxygen OS does have a few foldable-centric features, we found some room for improvement.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 launched with Android 13 and One UI 5.1.1. The OnePlus Open launched with Android 13 and Oxygen OS 13.2. Both phones are promised to receive four major Android OS updates and five years of security patches.

OnePlus Open vs Galaxy Z Fold 5: Size comparison

This is where things get interesting and in favor of OnePlus. Both phones use typical glass and metal materials we see on foldables, though the camera hump on the Open is considerably larger than that on the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

When folded, the OnePlus Open is wide enough to be comfortable to use. In comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a taller stance, which can feel unnatural and cramped.

When you unfold the phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 becomes quite pleasant to use, while the Open manages to retain its comfortable characteristics.

Opening the Open isn’t required to use it as a daily driver smartphone, while you will find yourself opting to unfold the Fold 5 in more instances, comparatively speaking.

What further helps the OnePlus Open is its thin profile, which is over 1.5mm thinner than the Fold 5. It’s a relatively small difference, but it made a noticeable difference when we held it in our hands.

Combine it with the lower 239g (Black)/245g (Green) weight, as compared to the 253g weight of the Fold 5, and the OnePlus Open wins a lot of points for being the more practical smartphone to use daily.

OnePlus Open vs Galaxy Z Fold 5: Camera

The cameras are the biggest point of difference between the two phones. While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a good camera setup that is practical and performs well across several scenarios, it does not compete against advanced camera setups that we see on glass-slab smartphones. In fact, the Fold 5 has the same camera setup as the Fold 4 before it. On the other hand, the OnePlus Open has significantly better hardware that comes very close to glass-slab smartphones.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5’s primary sensor is a 50MP Samsung GN3 sensor, while the OnePlus Open has the new 48MP LYTIA LYT-T808 sensor that gathers more light in a smaller footprint.

The OnePlus Open has a significant advantage over the Galaxy Z Fold 5 when it comes to cameras.

The differences widen for the ultrawide sensor (48MP on the Open vs 12MP on the Fold 5), telephoto (64MP vs 10MP), and exterior selfie camera (32MP vs 10MP). The inner selfie camera on the OnePlus Open is a 20MP conventional camera, while the Fold 5 opts for a 4MP under-display camera, which is technologically impressive but produces poor results.

We were very impressed with the photography chops of the OnePlus Open in our review. Check out our camera deep dive to learn more, but suffice it to say that it performed well in a variety of lighting conditions, giving Samsung a run for its money.

OnePlus Open vs Galaxy Z Fold 5: Battery life and charging

The OnePlus Open comes with a bigger 4,805mAh battery that supports 67W wired fast charging, which OnePlus claims charges from 0-100% in 42 minutes. The company also includes a compatible charger in the box. There’s no wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, though. In our testing, we got a solid six hours of screen on time between charges, easily lasting a full day and then some. It charged from 0-100% in just 41 minutes using the included charger.

The OnePlus Open has a bigger battery and charges faster, though the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has wireless charging.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a smaller 4,400mAh battery that supports 25W charging. In our Fold 5 battery life and charging tests, we found that the Fold 5 lasts for barely a day, even when you rely more on the outer display. If you use the larger inner display more, then you’d cut some more hours out. The charging speed is also sluggish, taking an approximate 85 minutes for a 0-100% charge. There is also no charger in the box, so you have to buy a charger separately.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 does have 15W wireless charging through proprietary wireless chargers, 10W Qi wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.

In short, the OnePlus Open will last longer on a charge and will charge much more quickly when it does run out. However, if you are a fan of wireless charging, then the Fold 5 is your only choice.

OnePlus Open vs Galaxy Z Fold 5: Price and availability

The OnePlus Open has a lower starting price than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, marking the Open to be $100 cheaper. If you compare it against the equitable 512GB version of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, the OnePlus Open is $220 cheaper.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 launched on July 26, 2023, and went on open sale on August 11, 2023, in the US. Samsung regularly has discounts and trade-in deals to keep the Fold 5 exciting for potential buyers.

The OnePlus Open has launched on October 19, 2023. It is available for pre-orders right now and will go on open sale on October 26, 2023, in the US. OnePlus will accept any phone in any condition for a trade-in and give you at least $200 in credit towards the Open.

OnePlus Open vs Galaxy Z Fold 5: Which should you buy?

The OnePlus Open has several distinct advantages over the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and its lower price tag also makes it all the more appetizing.

The OnePlus Open is better and cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

For folks looking to make the jump onto a foldable, the OnePlus Open offers a comparable experience where they won’t be missing their old phone all that much.

The only few areas where the Galaxy Z Fold 5 makes sense are if you really need wireless charging, the better IPX8 water resistance, or if you want active stylus support (and don’t want to bother with importing one). The Fold 5’s software also has more tricks up its sleeve to take advantage of the large display. Samsung’s ecosystem is also better populated with laptops and wearables, and the integrated experience is good. If you’re already a Samsung fan, you probably won’t be disappointed.

But if these reasons don’t hold sway over you, the OnePlus Open is hands-down the better foldable against the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.

The highly-anticipated Garmin Venu 3 (and the smaller but otherwise identical Venu 3S) has officially made its way to wrists, and the series packs a lot of impressive features. In particular, for active shoppers looking for a smartwatch experience, the Venu 3 delivers all the basics, plus in-depth, accurate health and fitness tracking. It incorporates all the best tools of the Venu 2 (and Venu 2 Plus!) and sprinkles in a few extras. To learn more about what the newer watch offers compared to its older sibling, we’ve compiled a Garmin Venu 2 vs Venu 3 comparison.

Garmin Venu 2 vs Garmin Venu 3: Specs

Garmin Venu 2 vs Garmin Venu 3: Design

Compared to Garmin’s fitness-focused wearables, the Venu moniker represents the company’s more approachable, everyday smartwatch. This is reflected in the device’s clean, minimalist aesthetics and beautiful AMOLED displays. When comparing the Garmin Venu 2 vs Venu 3, the two generations share nearly identical overall designs and dimensions.

Both series offer a full-size model as well as a second option for smaller wrists. The Venu 2 is less than 1mm larger than the Venu 3 and the Venu 2S is just a fraction of a mm smaller than the 3S. All four devices feature stainless steel bezels, fiber-reinforced polymer cases, and Gorilla Glass protection over their displays. Yet, thanks to minimized bezels, the Venu 3 and 3S offer slightly larger displays than their respective predecessors. Measuring 1.4 inches and 1.3 inches, the Venu 3 and 3S displays offer more room for on-device stats and sleeker overall appearances.

With a peek at the watches from the side, shoppers will also notice the addition of a third button on the newest lineup. Originally intended to activate the device’s speaker, this extra middle button first made an appearance on the Venu 2 Plus. Since the Venu 2 doesn’t offer a speaker or microphone, the older model only features two buttons.

Garmin Venu 2 vs Garmin Venu 3: Features

In terms of features, the Venu 3 offers everything found on the Venu 2, plus almost all the added tools of the Venu 2 Plus. This means a built-in microphone and speaker for on-wrist phone calls and voice assistant support, as well as music playback. The Venu 3 also adds a quick-access flashlight, a handful of new watch faces, and the ability to text photos (Android only). However, these crucial smartwatch features are far from the only improvements shoppers will find on the newest model.

The Garmin Venu 3 offers nearly all the best tools of the Venu 2 and Venu 3 including on-wrist phone call and voice assistant support.

On the wellness front, the Venu 3 epitomizes a dedicated focus on recovery and sleep tracking, offering and upgraded experience we loved during our Garmin Venu 3 review. One of the biggest highlights of the new device is its automatic nap detection, a first for the Garmin stable. The Venu 3 also records overnight HRV status as well as offers personalized sleep coaching with sleep recommendation factors. We found these tools helpful for diagnosing our sleep needs.

For training purposes, Garmin upgraded the device’s Body Battery feature and added a broad list of additional tools, including Recovery Time, Workout Benefit, Perceived Exertion, Morning Report, and a new Daily Summary (similar to Morning Report but in the evening). Users will also find a few added activity profiles, as well as wheelchair push detection and wheelchair-specific activities. We were particularly excited to see Open Water Swim make its way to the Venu 3 as well as a new Meditation activity. Users can even create custom interval workouts and pair the Venu 3 with additional sensors and power meters.

Most importantly, we found GPS and heart rate sensor accuracy significantly improved on the Venu 3. Garmin’s Gen 5 Elevate heart rate sensor is the current top-of-the-line. It provided reliable data throughout our workouts. It has also since been approved by the FDA for Garmin’s ECG app. Now both the Venu 3 and Venu 2 Plus offer users this advanced health tool.

The Venu 3 boasts improved GPS and heart rate sensor accuracy, and now features the same FDA-approved ECG app found on the Venu 2 Plus.

To poke around all its new features and tools, the Venu 3 also offers an updated user interface. The redesign streamlines navigation primarily by optimally organizing menus. We found the user experience greatly improved by the device’s recent widgets menu. Likewise, we also appreciated the new separation of sport profiles from other apps. The extra, customizable button (compared to the Venu 2) also positively impacts the usability of the watch.

Last but not least, the Venu 3 still offers fantastic battery life, especially compared to other leading smartwatches. The Venu 2 puts up impressive stats as well. However, the Venu 3 offers noticeable improvement despite its larger display and added features.

Garmin Venu 2 vs Garmin Venu 3: Price and colors

The Garmin Venu 2 launched in April 2021 at $399.99. The 45mm model is available in Silver with Granite Blue or Slate with Black. Shoppers can grab a 40mm model in Light Gold with Light Sand, Slate with Graphite, Silver with Mist Gray, or Rose Gold with White. In January 2022, Garmin introduced the half-step Garmin Venu 2 Plus priced at $449.99. The Venu 2 Plus is available in just one 43mm case size. It comes in Cream Gold with Ivory, Silver with Powder Gray, or Slate with Black.

In light of its added features, the Garmin Venu 3 also launched with a $449.99 price tag. The 45mm Venu 3 is available in Silver with Whitestone or Slate with Black. The 41mm 3S is available in a few more options. These include Soft Gold with Ivory, Slate with Pebble Gray, Silver with Sage Gray, or Soft Gold with Dust Rose.

Garmin Venu 2 vs Garmin Venu 3: Should you upgrade?

The newest Garmin smartwatch is well worth the upgrade for anyone holding onto a Venu 2 or older. It adopts all the useful smartwatch features introduced on the Venu 2 Plus. It also debuts a few new Garmin tools, including automatic nap detection. Meanwhile, the device’s top-notch sensor accuracy, detailed recovery tools, and added fitness-tracking features make it a powerful workout companion. Given how much the Venu 3 has to offer, we don’t recommend anyone buy older Venu models at this point. The only exception might be the Venu 2 Plus if you can get in on a great deal, but even then, the Venu 3 is a clear step up.

The Venu 3 offers shoppers plenty of improvements and new features worthy of an upgrade.

On the other hand, the smartwatch market is consistently heating up, with new tools, features, and devices landing constantly. Though a well-rounded fitness watch, the Venu 3 can’t really compete with wearables like the Apple Watch Series 9 ( ) when it comes to smartwatch features. Anyone after a true smartwatch experience should take a careful look at an Apple vs Garmin comparison before committing to Garmin’s stable, but if you want an amazing fitness tracker with some smartwatch features and attractive looks, plus killer battery life, the Venu 3 is a clear hit.

Are you upgrading from the Venu 2 to the Venu 3? Let us know in the poll below.