The best Cyber Monday tech deals

Black Friday sales are everywhere. Whether you’re listening to the radio, watching television, or just casually walking down the street, you can expect to be bombarded with advertisements for the annual event. Which is why it can be so easy to forget the online phenomenon that follows: Cyber Monday.

The deals don’t have to end with the passing of the weekend, and neither does your excitement for them. Cyber Monday is filled with great savings and sales, sans the lines and negative social implications that come with Black Friday. If you’re looking to do your shopping online this year, make sure to check back here for the latest offers. We will be scouring the depths of the web to bring you the best Cyber Monday deals as they go live.

If you can’t wait until Monday to start shopping, you can check out our Black Friday coverage for additional holiday deals, many of which are available now.

Where are the best Cyber Monday deals?

Online shopping has continued to gain popularity with each passing holiday season. Consumers spent a record-breaking $3.45 billion on Cyber Monday last year, making it the biggest day in the history of U.S. ecommerce. With such a high number in the books, you can be sure retailers will be competing heavily for your business next week.

As a consumer, we don’t think you should have to wade through the madness to find the deal you’re looking for. Let us be your guide to everything tech-related this Cyber Monday, as we work hard to find the best deals and discounts available.

Amazon

Amazon is the largest online retailer in the United States, so it’s no surprise that the Seattle-based tech giant is at the top of our list. You can expect discounts on everything from headphones to baby products, not to mention a wealth of various Amazon devices. The company’s Cyber Monday deals won’t be going live as soon as the Black Friday deals come to an end, but you can bookmark this page in preparation.

You can also check out our roundup of some of Amazon’s better Black Friday deals, if you’re looking for current deals.

Walmart

Although Walmart is better known for it’s Black Friday deals than it’s online presence, that doesn’t  mean the retail chain won’t have some great Cyber Monday deals to kick your way following Thanksgiving. You can expect huge savings on a host of popular brands — Samsung, Google, etc. — come Monday.

If you want a better idea of what to expect, check out our Walmart Black Friday preview.

Newegg

While other online retailers are great for finding a wide variety of deals, sometimes you’re looking for something a little bit more specific. If saving on laptops, desktops, and anything related to computers is what you’re after, Newegg is the way to go.

You can also check out Newegg’s Daily Deals for new discounts every day.

Dell

If you’re a big fan of Dell, then we have some excellent news for you — the company has already detailed its forthcoming discounts for the holiday shopping season. Everything from laptops to desktops to gaming monitors will be on sale during both Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Most of the deals are time-sensitive, but, thankfully, you can check out Dell’s deal schedule ahead of time.

Looking for more great deals on tech and electronics? Check out our Deals page, or sign up for our Deals newsletter for weekly updates.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and choose what we cover carefully and independently. If you find a better price for a product listed here, or want to suggest one of your own, email us at dealsteam@digitaltrends.com.Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Count down to the Best Black Friday 2017 deals, and score some early savings
• Scan the horizon for savings with our Walmart Black Friday preview
• Take a sneak peek at the Best Buy Black Friday deals before you buy
• What is Green Monday and when will it have the best deals?
• Count down to Black Friday with our favorite deals available now

The best Cyber Monday tech deals

Black Friday sales are everywhere. Whether you’re listening to the radio, watching television, or just casually walking down the street, you can expect to be bombarded with advertisements for the annual event. Which is why it can be so easy to forget the online phenomenon that follows: Cyber Monday.

The deals don’t have to end with the passing of the weekend, and neither does your excitement for them. Cyber Monday is filled with great savings and sales, sans the lines and negative social implications that come with Black Friday. If you’re looking to do your shopping online this year, make sure to check back here for the latest offers. We will be scouring the depths of the web to bring you the best Cyber Monday deals as they go live.

If you can’t wait until Monday to start shopping, you can check out our Black Friday coverage for additional holiday deals, many of which are available now.

Where are the best Cyber Monday deals?

Online shopping has continued to gain popularity with each passing holiday season. Consumers spent a record-breaking $3.45 billion on Cyber Monday last year, making it the biggest day in the history of U.S. ecommerce. With such a high number in the books, you can be sure retailers will be competing heavily for your business next week.

As a consumer, we don’t think you should have to wade through the madness to find the deal you’re looking for. Let us be your guide to everything tech-related this Cyber Monday, as we work hard to find the best deals and discounts available.

Amazon

Amazon is the largest online retailer in the United States, so it’s no surprise that the Seattle-based tech giant is at the top of our list. You can expect discounts on everything from headphones to baby products, not to mention a wealth of various Amazon devices. The company’s Cyber Monday deals won’t be going live as soon as the Black Friday deals come to an end, but you can bookmark this page in preparation.

You can also check out our roundup of some of Amazon’s better Black Friday deals, if you’re looking for current deals.

Walmart

Although Walmart is better known for it’s Black Friday deals than it’s online presence, that doesn’t  mean the retail chain won’t have some great Cyber Monday deals to kick your way following Thanksgiving. You can expect huge savings on a host of popular brands — Samsung, Google, etc. — come Monday.

If you want a better idea of what to expect, check out our Walmart Black Friday preview.

Newegg

While other online retailers are great for finding a wide variety of deals, sometimes you’re looking for something a little bit more specific. If saving on laptops, desktops, and anything related to computers is what you’re after, Newegg is the way to go.

You can also check out Newegg’s Daily Deals for new discounts every day.

Dell

If you’re a big fan of Dell, then we have some excellent news for you — the company has already detailed its forthcoming discounts for the holiday shopping season. Everything from laptops to desktops to gaming monitors will be on sale during both Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Most of the deals are time-sensitive, but, thankfully, you can check out Dell’s deal schedule ahead of time.

Looking for more great deals on tech and electronics? Check out our Deals page, or sign up for our Deals newsletter for weekly updates.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and choose what we cover carefully and independently. If you find a better price for a product listed here, or want to suggest one of your own, email us at dealsteam@digitaltrends.com.Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Count down to the Best Black Friday 2017 deals, and score some early savings
• Scan the horizon for savings with our Walmart Black Friday preview
• Take a sneak peek at the Best Buy Black Friday deals before you buy
• What is Green Monday and when will it have the best deals?
• Count down to Black Friday with our favorite deals available now

The best Cyber Monday tech deals

Black Friday sales are everywhere. Whether you’re listening to the radio, watching television, or just casually walking down the street, you can expect to be bombarded with advertisements for the annual event. Which is why it can be so easy to forget the online phenomenon that follows: Cyber Monday.

The deals don’t have to end with the passing of the weekend, and neither does your excitement for them. Cyber Monday is filled with great savings and sales, sans the lines and negative social implications that come with Black Friday. If you’re looking to do your shopping online this year, make sure to check back here for the latest offers. We will be scouring the depths of the web to bring you the best Cyber Monday deals as they go live.

If you can’t wait until Monday to start shopping, you can check out our Black Friday coverage for additional holiday deals, many of which are available now.

Where are the best Cyber Monday deals?

Online shopping has continued to gain popularity with each passing holiday season. Consumers spent a record-breaking $3.45 billion on Cyber Monday last year, making it the biggest day in the history of U.S. ecommerce. With such a high number in the books, you can be sure retailers will be competing heavily for your business next week.

As a consumer, we don’t think you should have to wade through the madness to find the deal you’re looking for. Let us be your guide to everything tech-related this Cyber Monday, as we work hard to find the best deals and discounts available.

Amazon

Amazon is the largest online retailer in the United States, so it’s no surprise that the Seattle-based tech giant is at the top of our list. You can expect discounts on everything from headphones to baby products, not to mention a wealth of various Amazon devices. The company’s Cyber Monday deals won’t be going live as soon as the Black Friday deals come to an end, but you can bookmark this page in preparation.

You can also check out our roundup of some of Amazon’s better Black Friday deals, if you’re looking for current deals.

Walmart

Although Walmart is better known for it’s Black Friday deals than it’s online presence, that doesn’t  mean the retail chain won’t have some great Cyber Monday deals to kick your way following Thanksgiving. You can expect huge savings on a host of popular brands — Samsung, Google, etc. — come Monday.

If you want a better idea of what to expect, check out our Walmart Black Friday preview.

Newegg

While other online retailers are great for finding a wide variety of deals, sometimes you’re looking for something a little bit more specific. If saving on laptops, desktops, and anything related to computers is what you’re after, Newegg is the way to go.

You can also check out Newegg’s Daily Deals for new discounts every day.

Dell

If you’re a big fan of Dell, then we have some excellent news for you — the company has already detailed its forthcoming discounts for the holiday shopping season. Everything from laptops to desktops to gaming monitors will be on sale during both Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Most of the deals are time-sensitive, but, thankfully, you can check out Dell’s deal schedule ahead of time.

Looking for more great deals on tech and electronics? Check out our Deals page, or sign up for our Deals newsletter for weekly updates.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and choose what we cover carefully and independently. If you find a better price for a product listed here, or want to suggest one of your own, email us at dealsteam@digitaltrends.com.Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Count down to the Best Black Friday 2017 deals, and score some early savings
• Scan the horizon for savings with our Walmart Black Friday preview
• Take a sneak peek at the Best Buy Black Friday deals before you buy
• What is Green Monday and when will it have the best deals?
• Count down to Black Friday with our favorite deals available now

Torch it, roast it with a jet: These are the most absurd ways to cook a turkey

Although each year a turkey or sometimes even two, are pardoned by the president, another nearly 50 million are consumed each Thanksgiving across this truly blessed land. While the number of vegetarians has increased in the United States in recent years, even a third of these admit to scarfing down hunks of animal flesh after a few drinks. And considering Thanksgiving is one of the drunkest of American holidays, come Turkey Day, booze will be quaffed, (for some) ethical stances thrown to the wayside, as sheer tons of smoldering piles of turkey are consumed by the literal boat loads.

But why traditionally cook a turkey using tried and true culinary methods when you can just as easily risk life, limb, and homestead to torch your feast to perfection with a jet engine? What could be more American than putting the finishing touches on your Flamin’ Hot Cheetos turkey recipe with a blowtorch? Absolutely nothing. Completely rhetorical.

In the supersized land of the free, bigger and badder is always better. Besides, if the early American colonists taught us anything it was most certainly a lesson or two about overkill. So sit back, relax, bust out the bibs and ranch and enjoy the most completely unnecessary ways to systematically transform a turkey into carbon this Thanksgiving.

Just roast it with your Lambo

Finally, a cooking method fit for a Big Tymer. If you have a candy-painted Lamborghini, you take any and every opportunity to flaunt it. Even if this means conspicuously and inefficiently using exhaust backfire to prepare your Thanksgiving feast. Since you’re already seemingly just burning money, might as well punt a Butterball in the quarter-of-a-million-dollar dumpster fire.

Can your Mercury Topaz do that? Nah.

Torch it to death with this thing

If there is one thing we love more than a glazed hunks of torched cancer-meat, it’s monster truck things — making this a regular twofer. What is that abomination you ask? Oh, that is the Flash Fire Jet Truck with a “fire-breathing 12,000 horsepower jet engine” slapped on the back for full-effect. Simply hang your preferential bagged Butterball somewhere, anywhere behind this beast and dinner is all but served.

Let’s face it, this turkey was born for the sole purpose of being brutally defeathered with a shop vac, slow roasted in carbon emissions, and then transcend into its next life through our bowels.

Maybe a bunch of flashlights?

The real-world lightsaber FlashTorch flashlight is powerful enough to ignite combustible materials on contact and even fry an egg. We had the opportunity to test one these bad boys in the office and, believe it or not, it’s just as terrifying in person. Apparently, some humans have attempted to cook a turkey with a jury-rigged apparatus of said terrifying flashlights. Using this method, will the flesh putrefy before it ever is thoroughly cooked? Yes. Do you risk a high probability of foodborne illness using this approach? Also, yes. The choice is yours.

Texas Turkey: Cook it in a trash can

Seeing as The Lone Star State has led the nation in Thanksgiving Day grease- and cooking-related insurance claims for seven years running, it’s really no surprise this proud Texan took the cooking to outside just to be safe. While there are higher quality and slightly more informative step-by-step trashcan turkey tutorials online, none hold a candle to the pure cinematic gold seen above. As noted by our fine host, remember to have your welding gloves handy because that trash can is “mucho caliente.” That’s Spanish for “a lot of hot,” specifically.

Hell, may just lob it at the sun

A few years back, some industrious individuals at NASA came up with a few clever ways to cook up a turkey with some of the most sophisticated gadgets the space agency had lying around. This ranged from using a run of the mill satellite dish and some Kapton to even stowing a turkey on a solar probe.

Perhaps when the agency launches the Parker Solar Probe next summer, the agency will consider bringing a turkey in tow. Considering the additional weight should only cost $150,000 to launch into the cosmos, this seems reasonable enough. The probe will orbit just 4 million miles from the sun and experience temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit — more than enough to get those 13 herbs and spices up to temp.

Besides, what could be a more appropriate tribute for our species than a jettisoned twice-baked, antibiotic-resistant, gentically modified turkey drifting through interstellar space destined to burn up in an alien atmosphere as a shooting star? Absolutely nothing.

Thanks given indeed.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Next-gen cochlear implant restores hearing by shining a laser beam in your ear

Could focused laser light be used to help deaf people hear again? Based on some innovative work by a team of researchers in Europe, the answer certainly seems to be a resounding “yes.” What the team of engineers from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria have invented is a brand-new type of cochlear hearing implant that uses laser pulses to trigger auditory signals from hair cells in the inner ear. The result? A more focused listening device that could prove transformative for those lucky enough to wear it.

The laser-based approach differs significantly from conventional cochlear implants, which use electric fields to stimulate auditory nerves. The problem with this method is the challenge of stimulating a single auditory nerve in the cochlea, due to the fact that the auditory portion of the inner ear is tiny and crams lots of nerves into a closed space — meaning-less focused electric fields, and worse sound quality. Lasers, on the other hand, are much more efficient at targeting specific areas of the ear.

“[We’ve built] a prototype of a cochlear implant based on opto-acoustic stimulation,” Dr. Mark Fretz, a physicist and project manager at the wiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology, told Digital Trends. “We use laser light in the infrared range to generate a sound wave in the fluid inside the cochlea. The process is somewhat similar to the thunder following lightning. In both cases, the sound is the result of rapidly heated fluid, with the distinction that in our device the light is actually generating the sound by heating up the liquid, whereas in the case of the lightning, a strong electric current quickly heats up the air, consequently generating both the light and the thunder.”

Over the past three years, the team has demonstrated its theories about using laser light to stimulate auditory nerves using guinea pigs. They have also created a device (not yet tested in vivo), comprising a palm-sized box containing the necessary electronics components and two ultrathin implantable lasers.

Going forward, the main challenges are to turn this into a finished product, while finding a way to deal with the issue of energy consumption, as well as increasing the number of lasers per device  and looking at different stimulation patterns.

Should all go to plan, however, it may not be long before focused laser light is a crucial part of helping people who are deaf or hard of hearing to register sound again.

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Want to chime in? Viewers can now ask to join any Instagram live-stream

Instagram is better with friends — and now the social media platform allows viewers to request to join a live-stream to become part of the broadcast. On Tuesday, November 21, Instagram launched the ability to request to join a live-stream, a feature that expands the shared live-stream options that first launched three weeks ago.

While viewing a live video, a new request button allows you to ask to join the live-stream. If the host accepts the invitation, the screen will split, with the bottom half containing a display that tells the guest to prepare to go live, with a brief countdown before joining the stream. Guests can also leave the live-stream at any time.

For hosts, requests to join the stream will show up as a new smile icon at the bottom right of the screen, with a red notification icon showing the number of requests. While streaming, hosts can see the request in the comments section, then accept to share the stream or ignore the request.

The feature expands on the shared live-stream tools globally launched in October after testing the feature with a select group of users in August. While streaming, hosts can still invite any viewer that is tuned into the stream to join in on the broadcast instead of waiting for requests. Instagram says live video hosts can remove guests and add another at any time during the stream. And like earlier live videos, those videos can be added to Stories or discarded after the stream ends.

“Going live together is the best way to connect in real time and have fun with friends, even when you’re not together,” Instagram’s official announcement reads. “With this update, friends have even more ways to quickly join each other’s live videos.”

The update continues Instagram’s expansion of live video after launching the feature late in 2016 with a global rollout in January of this year. Along with sharing the stream, Instagram added the ability to use augmented reality face filters in real time earlier this fall. Those updates followed the option to save a live video in the spring, with the option to add to Stories for 24 hours following in June.

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A saliva test can diagnose a concussion and tell you how long it will last

Thankfully, awareness of concussion-related trauma has increased in recent years. Although diagnosing a concussion can still be a guessing game — thereby potentially exposing patients to additional risks. Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine think they have a new diagnostic tool for the job, however: By analyzing folks’ saliva. The results are 85 percent accurate not just at predicting whether a person is suffering from a concussion, but whether or not the symptoms will last longer than four weeks.

“Currently, doctors mainly rely on reports of symptom and medical history to make educated guesses about how long symptoms may last after a concussion,” Steven Hicks, an assistant professor of pediatrics, told Digital Trends. “In this study of 52 children with concussions, we showed that epigenetic signaling molecules in saliva, called microRNAs, can potentially predict symptom duration with greater accuracy than standard concussion survey methods.”

As a doctor who specializes in pediatric medicine, Hicks told us that he regularly sees kids in his clinic who may or may not have suffered concussions. While it’s possible to diagnose likely concussions based on the events that have taken place, he says that he has “a difficult time determining who will have prolonged symptoms and who will recover in the typical timeframe.”

The current work is Hicks’ attempt to come up with an objective test that could help doctors to make more informed decisions about which patients need a referral to a concussion specialist, when it is safe for them to return to play, and whether a child might benefit from medications typically reserved for severe or prolonged concussions.

As neat as the discovery is, though, it is likely to take a bit longer before every coach is able to carry around a portable spittoon for diagnosing head trauma.

“Though novel and promising, the results of this study need to be validated prospectively in a large cohort of patients,” Hicks said. “We also need to learn more about the various factors that can influence saliva microRNA expression — things like exercise, diet, age, and medications.”

A paper describing the work, “Association of Salivary MicroRNA Changes With Prolonged Concussion Symptoms,” was recently published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

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Walmart looks to keep store floors squeaky-clean by using self-driving robots

Cleaning the floors at Walmart isn’t exactly an enviable job, and now it’s becoming one that humans no longer have to do. As originally reported by LinkedIn, the retail giant is currently applying some high-tech to a generally low-paying task. Walmart now has self-driving machines of its own, but you won’t see any of them on highways. Rather, these bristle-wielding devices designed by Brain Corp. are autonomously rolling themselves around Walmart stores, cleaning up after customers and employees.

The autonomous floor cleaner is currently being tested in five stores in the vicinity of company headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. With its sensors, cameras, and even Lidar, the floor scrubber features all the bells and whistles of a self-driving car, though for different purposes. As LinkedIn noted, the machine exists somewhere between a Roomba and a Tesla. And while a human is needed to first show the scrubber the ropes (guiding it on its path, alerting it as to when the store is busiest and emptiest), the autonomous vacuum otherwise works on its own.

“We’re always testing new ideas and new technology,” Walmart spokesperson Kory Lundberg told LinkedIn. “We still have a lot more to learn about how this technology will work best for our different retail locations.”

Though folks may not generally associate Walmart with cutting-edge technology, the retailer has made strides in recent months to integrate digital innovation into its stores. For example, there’s the Walmart app, meant to speed up both the checkout and return process, as well as the Walmart grocery delivery service, in which folks actually walk into your home and drop off purchases.

In fact, this is far from Walmart’s first foray into robot technology. In October, the company expanded its existing fleet of robots to even more retail locations, where these machines are slated to take on monotonous tasks like “scanning shelves for out-of-stock items, incorrect prices, and wrong or missing labels.”

Of course, all this automation has employees concerned that their jobs might be in danger. “Retailers are looking for opportunities to automate processes and stop paying people,” nots Richard A. Feinberg, a professor of consumer sciences and retailing at Purdue University, in a LinkedIn interview. “It changes the nature of the jobs; it may not mean fewer jobs, it may mean they can retrain the people to do things that are more useful for them, business-wise,” he added. “It wouldn’t surprise me if it reduces head count, but I don’t know.”

But when it comes to scrubbing floors, it seems like few folks will be complaining about having that particular task removed from their list of responsibilities.

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OnePlus 5T vs. Pixel 2: Battle of the Android superstars

If you want to know what it means to be an Android phone, then you need look no further than Google’s Pixel 2. The newly released smartphone is the most advanced Android smartphone on the planet, pairing the best technology with up-to-date Android advancements straight from Google itself. It’s one of the best smartphones in the world and it garnered its share of hardcore fans.

OnePlus has established a reputation for value, offering great specs at surprisingly low prices. But can a cheaper device from a smaller company measure up against the might of Google and its flagship? To find out, we took the newly revealed OnePlus 5T and put it head to head with the Pixel 2.

Specs

OnePlus 5T

Pixel 2
Size
156.1 x 75 x 7.3 mm (6.15 x 2.95 x 0.29 inches)
145.7 x 69.7 x 7.8 mm (5.7 x 2.7 x 0.31 inches)
Weight
162 grams (5.7 ounces)
143 grams (5.04 ounces)
Screen
6.01-inch AMOLED
5-inch AMOLED display
Resolution
2,160 x 1,080 pixels (401 ppi)
1,920 x 1,080 pixels (441 ppi)
OS
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Android 8.0 Oreo
Storage
64GB, 128GB
64GB, 128GB
MicroSD card slot
No
No
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
RAM
6GB, 8GB
4GB
Connectivity
GSM / CDMA / LTE
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
Camera
Front 16MP, Rear Dual 16MP and 20MP
12.2 MP rear with OIS, 8 MP HD front
Video
4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 60fps, 1080p at 30fps, 720p at 30fps, slow-motion 720p at 120fps
4K at 30fps, 1080p at 120fps, 720p at 240fps
Bluetooth
Yes, version 5.0
Yes, version 5.0
Audio
Bottom-facing speaker, headphone jack
Stereo front-facing speakers, no headphone jack
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors
Gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, proximity,
Barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor, Active Edge
Water resistant
No
Yes, IP67
Battery
3,300mAh
2,700mAh
Charging port
USB-C
USB-C
Marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Colors
Midnight Black
Black, Blue, and White
Availability
OnePlus

Google, Verizon

Price
$499
$650
DT review
Hands-on review
4 out of 5 stars

In terms of technological hardware, we’re looking at two very similar phones. The Pixel 2 and the OnePlus 5T both use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, which has become fairly standard for any 2017 flagship Android phone (the Note 8, LG V30, and Razer Phone all use the same processor). It’s a powerful little chip, and we expect great performance out of both of these handsets — though nothing that could really set them apart.

It’s a similar story with internal storage — both the Pixel 2 and the OnePlus 5T offer a 64GB model and an upgraded 128GB model. Neither has a slot for MicroSD card expansion, so think carefully before choosing one storage option over the other.

RAM is where we start to see a difference between the two. The Pixel 2 has a respectable 3GB of RAM, while the 64GB OnePlus 5T comes with 6GB of RAM and the 128GB model comes with a staggering 8GB. That is a lot of RAM — we have previously seen the same amount on the Razer Phone, but it’s still an exceptionally large amount. While the impact a large amount of RAM has on a phone is debatable, the extra brainpower on the OnePlus 5T should mean it will be a more capable multi-tasker than the Pixel 2.

Audiophiles will be happy to learn that both phones come with the additional signal strength and features of Bluetooth 5.0, but the OnePlus 5T has an advantage over the Pixel 2 with the courageous decision to continue supporting a headphone jack. We’ve seen many manufacturers drop the venerable port in the last year, and it’s nice that OnePlus is still fighting the good fight.

It’s a tight fight between these two smartphones where specs are concerned. While the extra RAM may be a relatively small advantage, it still scores the OnePlus 5T some points over the Pixel 2 — and the headphone jack seals it. The OnePlus 5T takes the win here.

Winner: OnePlus 5T

Design and display

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Google Pixel 2 may have cutting-edge flagship specs that can battle with the best of them, but the design falls somewhat short of 2017’s standard. Unlike the Pixel 2 XL, the Pixel 2 eschews the edge-to-edge display that we have seen many flagship phones adopt this year and it means that the Pixel 2’s large bezels look a little dated. However, it’s not a bad-looking phone, mirroring the iconic looks of the original Pixel phone, including the rear glass panel and fingerprint scanner. The 5-inch screen is an AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, and, as we’ve come to expect from OLED screens, it delivers a gorgeous picture with vivid colors and dark, inky blacks.

The OnePlus 5T is OnePlus’s first attempt at making a bezel-less phone, and the attempt has paid off — the OnePlus 5T is gorgeous. Unlike the Pixel 2, the 5T’s design is very 2017, with a massive 6-inch screen that dominates the front of the phone and shrinks the bezels to the very edges of the phone. The forehead and chin are reminiscent of the slim bands at the top and bottom of the Galaxy S8 and LG V30 (no Essential Phone or iPhone X-style notches here). The 6-inch screen is another AMOLED display, with an 18:9 aspect ratio and 2,160 x 1,080-pixel resolution. It was clear, sharp, and bright during our hands-on review, and we fully expect it to be just as good as the display in the Pixel 2. The only real downside to the OnePlus 5T is the massive camera bump. It extends a significant amount from the body, and it’s ugly. So many manufacturers have their cameras flush to the back, so why hasn’t OnePlus?

Moving on to durability, the Pixel 2 wins some points back with the addition of IP67 rated water-resistance, which means the Pixel 2 should be able to take a short trip into the bath or down the toilet. Unfortunately, the OnePlus 5T is lacking in any sort of water protection, so try not to take it swimming. OnePlus does win some points back with the full aluminum body — while we’re a fan of the Pixel 2’s unique glass band, we tend to worry about glass bodies on smartphones. Throw a case on it and it’ll be fine, though.

This is another tough category to call. While the OnePlus 5T brings a massive 6-inch display to the battle, the camera bump is such a turn-off. The Pixel 2 might have an older style, but it’s unique and we quite like it. The Pixel 2 also comes with water-resistance, meaning less potential time in a bag of rice. We’re judging this one a tie.

Winner: Tie

Camera

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Peer into the OnePlus 5T’s cameras and you’ll find some serious snappers staring back at you. The dual lens-setup contains a 16-megapixel lens paired with a 20-megapixel lens, both with a wide f/1.7 aperture. If you’re familiar with the lenses on the previous OnePlus 5, then you will notice that the zoom lens has been replaced by the 20-megapixel lens — OnePlus says this is to help boost low light photography, but we are still disappointed to lose the optical zoom on the OnePlus 5T. We  have yet to put the OnePlus 5T’s camera through our tests, but we anticipate that OnePlus’s good history with smartphone photography, as well as the solid numbers we’ve seen, should lead to a pretty impressive camera on the 5T.

Still, we can’t see it beating the Google Pixel 2’s camera. On paper, this seems like a mismatch; the Pixel 2 brings only a single 12-megapixel f/1.8 lens to the battle with OnePlus’s double shooters, but despite seeming outgunned, the Pixel 2’s camera is a serious contender for being the smartphone camera of the year. It broke DxOMark records when it launched, and we’ve seen the Pixel 2’s camera produce consistently fantastic photos with awesome color accuracy and a frighteningly good simulation of “bokeh” in the portrait modes.

Camera quality is where flagship smartphones are increasingly able to show off their pedigree, and while OnePlus has a great history with smartphone cameras, the 5T just can’t beat the incredible software contained in Google’s Pixel 2 camera. While we haven’t had the chance to test the 5T fully, we can’t anticipate it beating the Pixel 2 at this time, but we will update this if it turns out to be a Pixel-beater. For now, the Pixel 2 reigns supreme.

Winner: Pixel 2

Battery life and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Battery life is where it gets a little sketchy for the Pixel 2, with a 2,700 mAh battery. Our review tests found that moderate to heavy usage throughout the day would often leave the phone at around 20 percent at 7 p.m. That is a hard sell for a smartphone battery and it caused no end of battery-focused anxiety, and led to us carrying the charger around with us, topping up the battery where we could. Thankfully, the charger included in the box comes with Google’s fast-charging technology, which enables the battery to go from 15 percent to 65 percent in around 45 minutes. Still, we prefer a larger battery to make sure it can see through the day.

The OnePlus 5T’s battery is significantly larger than the Pixel 2, weighing in at a respectable 3,300mAh. We have yet to test the battery fully, but OnePlus is adamant that the 5T’s battery will match up to the performance of the OnePlus 5, which easily lasted the day on moderate usage, hitting 10 p.m. with just under 50 percent remaining — even light usage on the Pixel 2 saw it drop to 42 percent by 8 p.m. The OnePlus 5T also comes with the proprietary Dash Charge technology, which we saw give the OnePlus 5 60 percent in 30 minutes. It’s seriously impressive technology.

Thanks to the aluminum bodies on these phones, neither comes with wireless charging. Every hero has a chink in their armor, and the Pixel 2’s is in the battery area. The OnePlus 5T wins here with a larger battery and faster charging times.

Winner: OnePlus 5T

Software

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The OnePlus 5T is Android 7.1.1 Nougat overlaid with Oxygen OS 4.7 — OnePlus’s custom Android skin. Ironically, it is a very similar experience to the stock Android you get on the Pixel devices, having few changes to the underlying Android. Still, there is a touch more customization than you can get on stock Android, and OnePlus has pared out some of the bigger additions to recent Android to keep the experience sleek and smooth — Google’s Daydream VR didn’t make the cut, and there’s no addition of a voice assistant outside of Google Assistant. You might also have noticed that the 5T isn’t running the latest version of Android — Android 8.0 Oreo. That is expected in early 2018, according to OnePlus.

As you would expect from the owner of Android, Google made sure the Pixel 2 comes with the latest Android software innovations. The Pixel 2 ships with Android 8.0 Oreo and the close integration between Google’s hardware and software means that Android runs buttery smooth on the Pixel 2; it’s possibly the best place to experience Android as it should be. But it’s not all about the stock Android experience — Google has added a few extra tidbits, just for the Pixel line. Active Edge is a new feature for the Pixel, fresh from HTC’s Edge Sense, and it allows you to activate your Google Assistant by simply squeezing the edges of your phone. It’s a small addition, and it’s mostly useful for areas where you don’t want to activate the Assistant with your voice. Other features, such as “Now Playing”, compares any music you might be listening to against an internal database, so you can be always sure what music is playing around you. There is very little that’s life-changing here; they’re very much quality of life improvements, but we appreciate them nonetheless.

The OnePlus 5T has a great stock Android-like experience, but the extra additions from Google in the Pixel 2 help to carry the day. The Pixel 2 wins here.

Winner: Pixel 2

Price and availability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The OnePlus 5T is set to release November 21, with prices starting from $500 for 64GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, and rising to $560 for the 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM model. It will be sold exclusively on the OnePlus website, for now, while no U.S. carriers have announced deals for it. There is bad news for Verizon and Sprint customers, too — the OnePlus 5T has limited support on their networks, so it’s worth giving it a pass if you’re stuck with either of those two.

The Pixel 2 is currently available, with prices starting at $650 for 64GB of internal storage — the 128GB model will set you back a further $100. At the moment, Verizon has exclusivity on carrier sales, though you can buy the phone unlocked for use on any U.S. network, so that needn’t worry you if you’re a customer elsewhere. You can find all the purchasing options in our Pixel 2 buying guide.

We have to call this one a tie. The OnePlus 5T represents incredible value for money, but the lack of support for two major carriers makes it a tough sell within the U.S. The Pixel 2 is significantly more expensive, at $150 more at a base level — but it’s usable on every network.

Winner: Tie

Overall winner: Pixel 2

The OnePlus 5T is an incredible phone, and a worthy addition to OnePlus’s line of fantastic smartphones. However, it’s outmatched by the raw power of the Pixel 2. While the Pixel 2 may look dated, especially next to a phone as pretty as the OnePlus 5T, the experience of Android is second-to-none, it’s fast, and the camera is perhaps the finest we’ve seen to date.

Don’t get us wrong — if you don’t the budget for the Pixel 2 (and we totally sympathize with that), then you should not be ashamed to end up with the OnePlus 5T. It’s an amazing phone that will serve you well. But if you have the money for the Pixel 2, you should always be picking Google’s best over the OnePlus.

Editors’ Recommendations

• OnePlus 5 vs. OnePlus 5T: Is it worth making the upgrade?
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Enjoy photos in all their 4K glory with the latest Facebook Messenger update

As messaging apps become increasingly visual, Facebook Messenger is now allowing users to share high-resolution photos while chatting with friends. On Tuesday, November 21, Facebook announced an updated version of Messenger that supports image sharing at a 4K resolution, rather than getting downsized to 2K. The Messenger update comes at the same time PayPal is expanding their Messenger add-ons to include the ability to send an invoice within the platform.

With the update, Messenger now supports sending and receiving images that are up to 4,096 pixels in each direction. Despite the added resolution, Facebook says sending images through the messaging app will be just as fast as when those same photos were downsized.

4K is the resolution of many smartphone cameras, Facebook says, so the added ability allows users to see more detail in photos shared in Messenger. That could be pretty significant since the company says users share 17 billion images on Messenger every month. All users need to do to send a 4K photo is to make sure the app is updated before hitting the camera icon inside of a conversation.

Facebook says messaging is becoming more visual and that the use of images allows users to be more emotional and expressive — and it’s hard to disagree. From Snapchat to Messenger’s own redesign to focus on camera features, sending friends a message is no longer just typing a few words.

The enhanced resolution support is available by updating the Messenger app for users in the U.S., Canada, France, Australia, the U.K., Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea. The feature will roll out to additional countries over the next few weeks, Facebook said.

PayPal’s Messenger Extension also recently launched the ability to send invoices via Messenger. The tool allows users to exchange money without leaving Messenger by using PayPal’s One Pay. Users can send invoices by choosing PayPal from the Messenger extensions menu. After creating the invoice in the app and sending, the recipient can hit the “Pay with PayPal” button and pay much in the same way as checking out with PayPal when shopping online. The tool expands the PayPal Messenger extension that also allows sending money to friends.

Editors’ Recommendations

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