Best Star Wars games for Android

May the Force be with you always — on your phone!

There are a ton of Star Wars games for Android. Like, so many.

In honor of May the Fourth (be with you), we’ve rounded up the best Star Wars games available for Android — along with a few unreleased games still in early development that might be worth keeping an eye on!

Keep in mind that any AR-experiences or lightsaber simulators won’t make this list because despite how cool they might be, they’re not full-fledged games. Also, a game like Galaxy of Heroes has been omitted because while, yes, it was one of the best Star Wars games for Android a few years ago, the grind for new players to compete against those who have been playing and paying for years is way too steep.

Beyond that, here are the best Star Wars games to play for Android!

Star Wars: Force Arena

MOBA-style games are still all the rage, and this Star Wars version is totally worth checking out.

First you need to build out your heroes and troops. You control your Star Wars hero and cast troops onto the playing field who automatically follow the different lanes and attack advancing enemies. Each hero has their own special abilities and skills to master, so it will take some time to find the character that fits your play style best. Battles are fairly balanced no matter whether you choose to fight for the Rebellion or join the Dark Side, and there are solo and team-based match modes available.

It’s an outstanding game that’s only slightly hampered by in-app purchases, but still fun to play without spending a dime!

Download: Star Wars: Force Arena (Free w/IAPs)

Star Wars: KOTOR

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of those legendary games that fans still speak highly of 15 years after its initial release. This is an epic RPG set in the Star Wars universe that has you play as a force-sensitive character feeling the pull from both the Dark Side and the Light Side of the force.

Initially developed by BioWare and LucasArts, it features a story that takes place 4,000 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, where Sith Lord Darth Malak has unleashed an assault on the Republic and left the Jedi unorganized and scattered. It’s a fresh story from the movie trilogies which, depending on the choices you make in the story, have you either fighting for the Light side and try to defeat Malak — or going full-on sith and try to become the baddest MoFo in the galaxy.

Keep in mind that this game was initially released for the Xbox and PC back in 2003, so the graphics haven’t aged very well. But the gameplay is still fantastic and it’s still regarded as one of the best games set in the Star Wars universe.

Download: Star Wars: KOTOR ($4.99)

LEGO Star Wars games

I don’t know if anyone expected the LEGO Star Wars games to be as good as they are, but they’re some of the best Star Wars games you can play on console, or on mobile!

The beefiest game is LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, which all six games released from the original and prequel trilogies within one app. There are 36 story mode levels to play through along with 120 playable characters to unlock, and no in-app purchases because this is a paid app ($6.99)

There’s also a couple free LEGO Star Wars games available: Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens and LEGO Star Wars Microfighters. Both are free to play but not as complete a collection as the paid collection of games, so we’ll highlight that game instead. But if you love these quirky LEGO games with their cheeky dialogue and just the fun of smashing LEGO about, definitely check out these games on Android!

Download: LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga ($6.99)

X-Wing Flight

It’s a damn shame that Android doesn’t have a direct port of any of the Star Wars flight simulator games such as the X-Wing vs Tie Fighter form the late ’90s or even a remake of Rogue Squadron from the N64. I’m not sure who owns the rights to those games, but man, what a missed opportunity.

Instead, we get this unlicenced flight simulator that’s not half bad but could be way better if Disney through gobs of money behind the concept.

You get to jump into the cockpit of an X-Wing, A-Wing or other Rebel ships (including the Millenium Falcon which is teased as an unlockable ship) and there are 30 attack missions to play through before unlocking harder levels.

The framework for an amazing game is there, it just needs a bit more fleshing out. Certainly worth checking out if you crave a Star Wars space battle on your phone.

Download: X-Wing Flight (Free w/Ads)

Star Wars: Rivals (Unreleased)

We’ll finish off this list with a couple unreleased games that you can play in early access. The first is Star Wars: Rivals, which promises PvP combat featuring the most iconic character from the Star Wars universe. It’s a real-time game that has you bouncing around behind cover and blasting away enemies.

Once you’ve completed the tutorial and have amassed your first selection of characters, you’re able to take on human opponents. First player to 200 points wins.

This is essentially another squad-based third-person cover shooter game in the same style as Hero Hunters except set in the Star Wars universe with all your favorite Star Wars heroes. Pretty fun, but also still very much a work in progress.

Download: Star Wars: Rivals (Free w/IAPs)

Star Wars: Rise To Power (Unreleased pre-Alpha)

Star Wars: Rise To Power is a new real-time strategy game in development by EA for Android, and it’s still quite early in development.

You need to sign a non-disclosure agreement to play test the game, so I can’t devulge much information or screenshots, but here’s a description of the game from it’s Google Play page:

Players will form or join an alliance and engage in epic galactic warfare with other players from around the world in the hopes of emerging victorious. Power is earned by outwitting adversaries in carefully orchestrated attacks and by building a mighty coalition through the loyalty of other players. In Star Wars: Rise to Power, players embrace destiny by engaging in diplomacy or deception to ultimately become a leader of the Empire or New Republic. 

This game is still in a closed pre-Alpha status, so even downloading it might be tough — the Google Play page says that they limit the number of downloads available each day. Check it out If this sounds up your alley and feel like helping crush some bugs.

Download: Star Wars: Rise to Power (Free)

What’s your favorite?

Let us know your favorite Star Wars game in the comments, or which games you’d love to see ported to Android in the future!

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Lenovo Mirage Solo review: Two steps forward, one step back

Lots of cool ideas, but very little to actually do right now.

Ask people who have not yet bought a VR headset why they don’t have one and you usually get one of three answers. Either the headsets are too expensive when you add in the cost of the still-necessary powerful PC, the cable connecting you to a big box is awkward and not fun, or the headset requires you to use your phone and your phone is too busy being your phone to also be your VR computer. (There’s a fourth set of people who say VR headsets “look funny” but I’m not talking to those people right now.)

For the willing remaining group, Daydream Standalone is made for you. A reasonably-priced headset with its own computer and no external tracking hardware to worry about. You put the headset on, the VR world appears before you to interact with, and when you take the headset off, your phone has the same amount of battery it had when you started. It’s the natural evolution of Google’s vision of VR for Everyone, a headset that can deliver an experience good enough to encourage you to wear it for hours at a time without any of the big drawbacks currently associated with the “desktop” VR headsets.

After HTC took its Daydream Standalone headset to China as the Vive Focus, Google partnered with Lenovo to deliver the first of these new VR experiences. It’s called the Lenovo Mirage Solo, and it’s launching with some seriously big expectations to meet.

See at Amazon

Not what you’re used to

Lenovo Mirage Solo Hardware

Forget everything you know about Google’s Daydream headsets. The all-fabric design, removable plush faceplates, and multiple color options to choose from. This is a Lenovo-made headset, which means Lenovo’s design language is on display, for better or worse. That means what you’re getting is functionally much closer to Lenovo’s other VR headset, the Windows Mixed Reality-based Explorer headset.

This headset is almost entirely white plastic with some silver accents and black padding. Instead of straps, there’s a plastic halo with a big gear on the back to help mount it to your occipital bone. This halo design is great for people who don’t like having a VR headset putting pressure on their face, but it also means if you’re in a well-lit room, the light around you can leak in. Some manufacturers solve this problem with dark fabric or matte black plastic to keep the light from being distracting, but Lenovo didn’t do either of these things, so the white plastic really sticks out if there’s a lot of light behind you.

Looking at the Mirage Solo head-on, you’re faced with a pair of big round eyes. These cameras on the front of the headset don’t do any fancy Augmented Reality tricks, but instead power the WorldSense part of the headset to make the inside-out tracking work. That means the headset can figure out where it is without needing any external trackers like the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, which is great. It also works well in a bunch of different lighting situations, including a dark room and direct sunlight. In fact, you can completely cover one of these sensors and it mostly works the same for a little while.

The sides of this headset give you access to power and volume buttons, as well as a headphone jack, microSD card slot, and USB-C port. There are no built-in speakers, though, and you can’t use Bluetooth headphones, so the earbuds included with the headset are a big deal. They also sound nice.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say there’s no screen-door effect at all, but the lines in the display are way, way less noticeable than on the competition.

Inside the Mirage Solo you’ll find specs that sound an awful lot like a phone. A Snapdragon 835 processor is paired with a 4,000mAh battery and a 5.5-inch 2560×1440 LCD display. Lenovo is particularly proud of this display, due to its low latency and 75Hz refresh rate. It’s the first LCD display Google has ever approved for use with its Daydream platform, and this display is pretty great. There’s no noticeable motion blur when moving the headset around, the colors are plenty vibrant, and the 75Hz refresh rate means all of the animations feel a lot closer to the experience I am used to on a desktop-class VR headset. I wouldn’t go so far as to say there’s no screen-door effect, but the lines are way, way less noticeable than any Daydream or Gear VR experience I’ve used.

Your controller (because you absolutely need one) is the standard Daydream version, which you will be immediately familiar with if you’ve used Google’s version. The same three-button setup exists in the same flat white plastic, and it still charges through a USB-C port on the bottom.

It’s difficult to see the Mirage Solo as anything other than generic-feeling after the vibrant, textured experiences I’ve had with Google’s own Daydream, but there’s no denying it is plenty capable on a technical level. This hardware does away with things like display alignment, overheating, and battery concerns simply by removing the phone from the equation, and that removes the barrier to entry tremendously.

Shifting awkwardly to the left and right

Lenovo Mirage Solo Software

Using my Pixel 2 XL in my Daydream View headset is a multi-step process. I need to clean off the display, load it into the headset correctly so the NFC tag picks up and the Daydream app auto-launches, fit the headset to my head, and grab the controller to get started. This is every time I put it on, so switching back and forth between the virtual world and the real world multiple times isn’t something I’m likely to do.

Daydream Standalone, through the Lenovo Mirage Solo, reduces these steps to two: slipping on the headset, and tapping the power button. Daydream is the operating system, so as soon as the display lights up I’m at the Daydream Home menu and ready to do something. And if you’ve ever used a Daydream headset before, this menu system will be immediately familiar. What is special now is you can walk around in this virtual menu. Leaning forward makes you closer to the menu options, squatting down makes you look up at the menu options. You are actually moving in the virtual environment, which isn’t really a thing mobile VR headsets have ever done before.

And as soon as you take more than one step in any direction, the OS ruins the ride by turning everything black and giving you a warning message. This headset operates with what is known to VR folks as Six Degrees of Freedom (6DoF), but has no way to keep you from walking into walls or people. Instead of giving you the ability to create a temporary virtual boundary for yourself like Windows Mixed Reality does, Daydream creates a small square for you to live in automatically. You can’t control the size of this square, and the only way you can turn this square off is if you disable it in developer settings, which Google only recommends for Enterprise applications.

What does this mean for Daydream Standalone apps? Basically, you can lean comfortably in any direction and you can duck. That’s about it. And the collection of 40 games Google has available at launch reflects these limitations quite clearly. You can lean to dodge incoming projectiles from a snowball fight, but as soon as you step out of the box everything goes dark and the game pauses. I talked a little about these limitations with John Linden of Seismic Games, creator of the Blade Runner experience available at launch, and he saw it as a way to give people a little more realism where it mattered most. When you’re flying around in the Spinner, you can actually lean around and see things just like you would if you were actually sitting in the vehicle for real. Linden sees WorldSense as a great way to add immersion to puzzles in VR, by encouraging people to really explore every aspect of the world around them.

Unfortunately, very few of the 40 apps Google has prepped for launch deliver this experience, and the other 250 apps available on Daydream right now are designed for sitting still and consuming media. The good news is this headset does that well, but it also means the overall experience isn’t appreciably different from standard, phone-based Daydream right now. Google promises that more apps with 6DoF WorldSense are on the way, so this problem may be short-lived.

Should you buy it? Not Yet.

In a few important ways, Daydream Standalone is not ready yet. One of those things is the headset itself — Lenovo’s Mirage Solo headset is just not great. The light leak against white plastic in the headset is a step backwards for Daydream, and the rest of the headset isn’t very comfortable. Also, none of the padding is user-serviceable which means when it inevitably gets marred from sweat or from sharing with others it’s going to stay that way. Lenovo seems happy to anticipate third-party accessories to fix this instead of addressing it head-on, which is consumer-hostile.

The software also needs some serious work. Limiting my ability to move is a weird decision given how many great VR experiences there are for desktop-class VR that would have been amazing on here. I put this headset on my son, and his first question was, “Can I play Job Simulator on this?” When he asked why not, I didn’t have a good answer. This headset should absolutely be able to deliver that kind of experience with its WorldSense equipment, but instead, it limits me to a box the size of my office chair and tells me how great my new freedom is.

And then there’s the price. At $399, this headset is double the cost of the Oculus Go. While the Mirage is certainly more technically capable with its WorldSense features, apps load a little faster and the display is a touch nicer, the experience is not $200 better than what Oculus is offering.

Price being one of the big things keeping people from buying more advanced headsets in the desktop-class, this headset is not ready to wow people right now.

See at Amazon

Lenovo Mirage Camera review: Simple, solid VR photography

Google is giving everyone the tools they need to make this great.

Capturing photos and videos for VR is a lot of work. It’s a common misconception that all you need is one of the nice 360-degree cameras that are available today, but those cameras aren’t actually great for viewing in VR. While you can turn your head and see the whole world from a unique perspective, you’re still only seeing a 2D image in a headset built for showing you depth. Google’s JUMP program has made spectacular progress in making tools for creators eager to capture depth in that 360-degree format, but that is hardly something you can slide into your back pocket.

Google’s VR180 program is something different, a way to encourage creators to capture images for VR with easy-to-use software and comparably inexpensive hardware. The first effort in this program is powered by Lenovo, called the Mirage Camera, and it’s a solid step forward in making VR capture a lot better for everyone.

See at Amazon

There’s not much to say about this camera when it comes to looks. It’s a block, roughly twice the thickness of an average phone, but not nearly as tall or wide. That makes it not quick pocket-sized for me, but easily small enough to toss in a bag when I’m on the go. There’s no display on the back, but after using it for a week I didn’t really feel like I needed it. It’s a simple little box, and the little shot of color Lenovo added to its logo looks great.

Everything about the Mirage Camera is about ease-of-use. You’re ready to go as soon as you take it out of the box. Insert the battery (two are included), tap the power button, and hit the shutter when you’re ready. The camera has 16GB of onboard storage for local things, or you can toss in up to 256GB of microSD storage for larger projects. You charge the camera from the USB-C port on the side, and that’s… it. Point the two lenses on the front in the direction you want to capture, and use it like any other point-and-shoot. There’s a toggle on the camera for switching between photo, video, and live streaming, and the lights down the back side make it very clear which mode you are on.

If you want to do something with a little more planning, like maybe framing the shot before capturing or mounting the camera somewhere unusual, you can pair your phone to the camera and use it as a remote viewer. The VR180 app connects via Bluetooth for remote capture, and gives you a quick look at what you’ll be capturing before you do. You can use this as a remote shutter, but you can also control the resolution of the images and video, too. Settings allow you to go up to 4K for video and 9MP for video, including live streaming. Naturally, you can also use the app to see what you’ve captured, as well.

Lenovo’s hardware gets out of the way of Google’s software brilliantly.

While you can sync to your phone via Bluetooth if you like, the app offers a few different options. If you’re near a Wi-Fi network, you can connect the camera and set it to auto-backup to Google Photos. If your phone is on the same Wi-Fi network, it will use it to transfer the photos or video to local storage as well, which would obviously be much faster than Bluetooth. The biggest feature here is simplicity, and Google has absolutely nailed it. Even software updates for the camera happen with ease, and only happen when you’re on Wi-Fi.

Capturing with this camera takes some getting used to. Some lessons from 360-degree cameras apply, like being aware of where your fingers are. With 360-degree cameras you hold with your hand there’s always a risk of that gross hairy knuckle suddenly very close to the camera. With VR180, you just have to make sure your fingers don’t slide over the front edge of the camera body. You really are capturing a 180-degree image, but you adjust quickly.

Google’s software for video capture is a little different than what you may be used to with 360-degree videos as well. There’s nothing going on behind you when you start watching, and the user is standing still. This means if you move the camera, the person watching in VR will be rotated into darkness unless they move their head to match. Google said this was done intentionally to dramatically reduce nausea in motion videos, and in my testing, it works very well. It means the person watching in VR has to do a little extra work to move around, but that is much better than the alternative.

The only place the camera tends to struggle a little is when capturing audio. The microphones struggle with spatial audio, so hearing voices from multiple directions isn’t quite as obvious as it should be. When outdoors, the microphones tend to handle wind poorly as well. You’ll get roughly the same audio you get with your phone, which can be great in some places but not everywhere.

Since everything backs up to the Google Photos app, sharing is simple, too. If you share a Photos link with someone, the recipient can see everything in either 2D on a flat screen or in VR with just about any headset. Even if all you’re doing is passing around Google Cardboard with your phone in it at a family event, the VR immersion takes a huge step in making the viewer feel like they were there.

I would happily buy one of these over a 360-degree camera in most situations.

In a way, this camera feels like a larger sibling to the fairly recent Google Clips camera. Where that camera focuses on being the photographer while you are busy, VR180 is all about putting you in that moment again so you feel like you were there. While it may be cool to see these two ideas merge at some point in the future, the big thing these products share is how dead simple they are to use. Lenovo’s hardware gets out of the way of Google’s software brilliantly, and the soft carrying pouch included in the box encourages me to bring this thing with me everywhere.

This is a great, simple camera. Lenovo’s hardware is comfortable to hold, and Google’s software couldn’t be easier to understand. I would happily buy one of these over a 360-degree camera in most situations, and with its $300 price tag that’s the decision a lot of would-be owners will be making. I probably wouldn’t recommend this camera as a replacement for action cams like some folks do with 360-degree cameras, but for most everything else this camera is the one I will be recommending for quite a while.

See at Amazon

Take 15% off almost any eBay order of $50 or more today only

Shopping spree.

Today only, eBay is having a flash sale and offering 15% off orders of $50 or more site-wide with promo code PMAY4TH. You can only save up to $100 total and you can only use the code once. However, you can use the code on multiple items in the same cart to get the maximum discount, so do all your shopping in one go.

The main exclusions that always apply to codes like this are in the Coins & Paper Money, Gift Cards & Coupons, and Real Estate categories. Unlike most of the other eBay coupons we’ve seen, this deal is not limited to specific sellers! You can use it on any order over $50 as long as the items aren’t in those excluded categories. This sale will go from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time.

Use this flash sale as an opportunity to grab a deal on a pricey device you’ve had your eye on for a while. You could get a brand new Nintendo Switch for just $246.49 from antonline or an Xbox One X from Best Buy for $424.99. Fitbit’s newest fitness tracker the Versa, along with plenty of others, is on sale thanks to eBay right now as well.

I highly recommend using major retailers like Best Buy and Newegg if you aren’t a regular eBay shopper. Plenty of other retailers, including Dyson and BuyDig, have eBay storefronts as well. This code should work with all of them.

Here’s a few deals we like:

• BeatsX wireless headphones – $76.49 (from $90)
• Philips Hue A19 starter kit – $57.79 (from $68)
• Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones – $297.49 (from $350)
• Logitech C920 webcam – $62.89 (from $74)

Remember this sale is site-wide, so be sure to browse to your heart’s content and then buy everything at once.

See on eBay

Solo: A Star Wars Story tickets are on sale now!

Find out what the scruffy looking nerf herder was up to before he met Luke.

In celebration of Star Wars Day – May the Fourth, tickets for Solo: A Star Wars Story have finally gone on sale. You can get tickets online right now through Fandango for showings as early as 7:00 PM on May 24. Yes, that’s the day before the movie’s official May 25 release date. Don’t ask.

See at Fandango

May the Force be with you when getting your tickets!

The newly-released Oculus Go is already down to just $169 at eBay

Not much time to save.

Using the coupon code PMAY4TH at eBay you can pick up the all-new Oculus Go for just $169.15. It was only just released earlier this week, so this is the first discount we’ve seen on it. The standalone headset normally sells for $200, but this limited time eBay sale offers you a way to pick one up for a little less. This discount is available on both the 32GB option and 64GB version. It’s designed to sit between a Gear VR headset and the Oculus Rift, giving you an awesome experience without the need to dock your phone or strap to a computer.

Both listings are via Newegg’s official eBay storefront, so you don’t have to worry about it being a sketchy retailer that you are buying from. Getting the Oculus Go set up can be a bit tricky, but we have a great guide to get you started.

See at eBay

How many connected devices are in your home?

There’s plenty of home tech these days, but not everyone finds it all that useful. Where do you stand?

Smart home accessories are becoming more ubiquitous every year, and these days you can find them everywhere from specialized stores like Best Buy to more broad locations like Target and Walmart. Some home tech, like connected security cameras and smart thermostats, offer immediately obvious benefits for home security and automation. Other gadgets like smart lightbulbs seem a bit unnecessary to some, but can help achieve certain aesthetics in a room.

The one smart home gadget that almost everyone has sitting around is an assistant-powered speaker. Whether it’s an Amazon Echo, a Google Home, or even an Apple HomePod, smart speakers are a great addition to any home that can do anything from playing music and podcasts to controlling other smart home devices, all with a simple voice command. Smaller speakers like the Google Home Mini are often bundled in for free with phones and tablets, making them a great, easily accessible first smart home device for general consumers.

See Amazon Echo (2nd Generation) at Amazon

For those more concerned about security than voice commands, a connected camera or doorbell can be a great addition to the home. Nest is one of the biggest players in this realm, with excellent products like the Cam IQ and the Hello doorbell, but there are plenty of other great alternatives from brands like Ring and Canary. A security camera is only useful as long as you can see the feed, and smart cameras let you see what’s going on directly from your phone — most products in this category even let you hold conversations with people on the other end.

Then there are the more aesthetically focused products. Smart lights from brands like LIFX and Philips Hue have become extremely popular lately, with the ability to set specific colors and color temperatures for each individual bulb. Some can even be set up to flash different colors to notify you of new messages on your phone or incoming weather alerts.

See LIFX A19 Smart LED Light Bulb on Amazon

Of course, we can’t leave out home monitoring and automation tools. This is where Nest got its start, with products like smart thermostats and smoke alarms. Ecobee has also gained some traction with its own line of thermostats. The focus of all of these products is to save you money and, in the case of the Nest Protect smoke alarm, potentially save lives.

See Ecobee4 Thermostat with Sensor on Amazon

This only scratches the surface of the unending selection of smart home tech, and whether you’ve equipped your home with a full range of cameras, lights, thermostats, and more, or you’re only just now dabbling in smart speakers, we want to know.

What are some of your favorite smart home gadgets? If you could only keep one smart device around, which would it be?

Spotify vs. Google Play Music: Which should you subscribe to?

Which music service is right for you?

Music subscriptions can help set the tone for your life, as the music you listen to day in and day out can help keep your energy up, your mood stable and bright, and your fingers tapping out a rhythm. As someone who never, ever leaves home without headphones, I’ve taken a deep look at Google Play Music and Spotify so as to help you figure out which service is more deserving of you and your jam sessions.

Here are the perks and pitfalls for Spotify and Google Play Music, by category.

Look and Layout

• Spotify’s dark theme beats Play Music’s retina-searing white. Spotify’s dark theme gives the app a cleaner, crisper look, and makes the app far easier on the eyes during late night jam sessions or nightly drives.
• The tabs at the bottom of the Spotify app make it easier to jump between sections of the app than Google Play Music.
• Google Play Music’s playback screen features zoomed in album art, which looks awkward and obscures some of the playback controls for albums with busier artwork. Spotify’s playback screen shrinks the artwork a bit, but slivers of other album art give hints at the next and previous songs, however some playlists and albums on Spotify have started adapting the zoomed-in full-screen album art like Play Music.
• Play Music’s Now Playing Queue is standard and straightforward, and you can see ahead several songs on radio stations, and you can swipe away songs you don’t like. Spotify doesn’t always show you what’s coming up, and its queue management is ever so slightly insane.

Sound Quality and Device Limitations

• Spotify offers audio streaming qualities up to 320 kbps when Spotify Premium users set their quality up to “Extreme quality”, and audio quality up to 256 kbps while playing on Chromecast. Google Play Music offers audio streaming qualities up to 320kbps on both the streaming library and uploaded music, though the quality of uploaded music is dependent on the quality of tracks uploaded. Of course, actual audio quality will depend on your streaming settings, the system you’re listening on, and the quality of the music that was uploaded into the library.
• Google Play Music offers to option to stream at a lower quality while on mobile data to conserve data; Spotify has the same audio setting for streaming on both Wi-Fi and data. Google Play Music also features a Stream only on Wi-Fi to help further preserve your precious mobile data.
• Spotify lets you stream Spotify on as many devices as you like but you can only download music for offline playback on three devices, and only up to 3,333 songs. Meanwhile, Google Play Music has a 10-device limit and a four-device de-authorization limit per year, you can download as much music as your device can hold.
• Google Play Music has an app for Android TV, both Play Music and Spotify have apps for Android Wear, and both support Google Cast. Spotify uses Spotify Connect to connect to a wider variety of speakers and devices than just Google Cast, including Sonos and car systems.

Library and Features

• Both Google Play Music and Spotify have over 30 million songs available to their users to stream. Google Play Music offers links to music videos for millions of songs on YouTube, which are ad-free in countries with YouTube Red. Spotify offers a handful of Spotify Original Video Series, which highlight local music, exclusive performances, and more. Both services have also expanded their podcast offerings in recent years, and Spotify can even help you find upcoming concerts in your area.
• Spotify doesn’t let you upload your own music library, but you can 10,000 songs from the streaming catalog to Your Library. Google Play Music lets you upload 50,000 songs to your Play Music library and stream them wherever for free, and you can add as many subscription songs to your library. If you are a paid subscriber, Google Play Music lets you mix and match uploaded content and subscription songs.
• Spotify’s automatic stations and suggested songs seem to be slightly more accurate in their predictions than Google Play Music’s. Spotify also offers up Discover Weekly and Daily Mix playlists to help you keep your music fresh.

Playlists and Sharing

• Google Play Music’s playlists are private by default; Spotify’s playlists are public by default and can allow collaboration. Every song you add to a playlist in Spotify, everyone can hear. Google Play Music only shares subscription songs in public playlists, not uploaded songs.
• Spotify doesn’t allow users on Android (or web) to reorder songs within a playlist without deleting them and re-adding them in the order desired. Spotify doesn’t even allow web users to rename playlists, either. Google Play Music allows you to edit, reorder, and rename playlists on mobile and web platforms.
• Playlist sharing on Spotify lets users listen to the playlist directly on some websites and social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit. Google Play Music’s playlist sharing is just a normal hyperlink.
• If you have friends on Spotify that you follow, you can see what they’re listening to and what playlists they’re building. If you want to listen to something on the down-low, you can start a Private Session and what you’re listening to won’t be shared.

Plans and Pricing

• Spotify Premium for Family and Google Play Music family plan are both $14.99 a month and give up to 6 users their own premium subscription account. You can’t change addresses on a Spotify Premium for Family Plan; if you move, you have either go to individual plans or delete your accounts and start over.
• Google Play Music’s family plan does not require everyone to live under the same roof, which Spotify Premium for Family not only requires, but enforces.
• Google Play Music comes with YouTube Red in the United States, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea, eliminating ads on YouTube and allowing you to save YouTube videos for offline playback.
• Spotify offers a student discount (and Hulu basic access) for college kids for $5 a month; Google Play Music does not offer any student discounting. Spotify also offers a Spotify and basic Hulu bundle to Spotify Premium subscribers for $13 a month.

Where Spotify is better

Spotify is for shufflers and sharers that don’t buy music and just want Spotify to serve up what’s popular or stations based on their genres and artists of choice. It’s great for users who just want a bit of music to fill their lives and tech fiends that switch devices too frequently for Google Play Music’s device limit policy. The app’s dark theme and easy layout are easier for casual listeners to browse. It’s also good for students who need a cheap solo plan and Hulu users looking to save money on a bundled subscription.

Sign up for Spotify

Where Google Play Music is better

Google Play Music is good for families, users with well-established music libraries, and those with particular playlist tastes that they can satisfy between purchased, subscription, and uploaded music. Google Play Music’s family plan doesn’t have nearly the strings that Spotify’s does, and is a better bargain. If you’re in the U.S. even if your family isn’t big on Google Play Music, everyone can ditch the ads on YouTube, which is almost worth the subscription price by itself.

Sign up for Google Play Music

What’s your choice?

Which streaming service do you prefer? Does Spotify have your number with its Daily Mixes and Discover playlists? Do you need the library blending powers of Google Play Music to bring your old-school library to the 21st century? Tell us which service you’re using and why in the comments.

More: Spotify Free vs. Spotify Premium vs. Spotify Premium for Family

Updated May 2018: This article has reflected some updates to the Spotify app and the Spotify-Hulu bundle for Spotify Premium members.

This Chrome extension adds Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB info to Hulu listings

Install, hover. Done.

Now this is pretty cool. If you’ve ever been looking through the Hulu listings on a web browser and wondered “Wouldn’t it be great to have Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB information for each show?” — you’re in luck. It’s been done with a pretty basic Chrome extension from Flixed.io.

Here’s what you do:

You’ll need to be using the Chrome browser. Because it’s a Chrome extension. So Chrome.
Install the plugin.
Hover over a listing in Hulu, and you’ll see the IMDB and RT information right there.

Nice and easy.

Best Wireless Headphones for the Google Pixel 2

What are the best wireless headphones for the Google Pixel 2?

The Google Pixel 2 is a great phone, but you’re going to need a quality pair of Bluetooth headphones thanks to the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Fortunately, there are a plethora of options to choose from, from “Made for Google” options like the Pixel Buds to tried and tested classics. We’ve tried to round out a list that offers a good variety of styles and price points, so you should be able to find the right pair for your needs.

• Google Pixel Buds
• Bose QuietComfort 35
• Jabra Move Wireless
• Libratone Q Adapt
• Bowers & Wilkins PX
• Sony H.ear Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
• Jaybird X3 Sport

Google Pixel Buds

Google unveiled its own wireless headphones alongside its new Pixel phones, and the Pixel Buds look like a compelling option for anyone in need of a fresh new pair of Bluetooth headphones — with advanced smarts built in!

Arguably the biggest feature you get by pairing the Pixel Buds with a Pixel 2 is the ability to trigger the Google Assistant with a quick tap and also use Google’s impressive language translation technology to translate up to 40 supported languages into English nearly instantaneously. This feature is only available for Pixel phones and as such make them a really intriguing option — especially if you love to travel to far-off lands where that live translation feature could come in extremely handy.

See at Google

Bose QuietComfort 35 II

When it comes to over-ear noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II’s are basically the gold standard. The Bose brand is synonymous with high-quality audio products and the QC 35s are a great example of their craftsmanship.

Featuring some of the best noise cancellation you’ll find, these are ideal options for your noisy commute or for frequent travelers who want to cut out the sound of the airplane engines. Cutting out that distracting noise is important and with 20 hours of battery life, you can wear them comfortably for hours without worrying about these dying on you. There’s also a button for quickly accessing Google Assistant, which is awesome.

Sure, these puppies will set you back $349, which is a fair price for what is arguably the best noise-cancelling headphones out there. They’ve been reviewed well by most people who’ve tried them, including AC’s own Phil Nickinson, who called them nearly perfect. If noise cancellation and comfort are your biggest factors when buying headphones, you have to consider Bose.

See at Amazon

Jabra Move Wireless

Not looking to break the bank on headphones? You’ll want to consider the Jabra Move Wireless on-ear headphones. They’re lightweight and durable with a headband made of stainless steel and dirt-resistant fabric on the ear cups. You get up to 8 hours of music playback and 12 days of standby time on a single charge.

These headphones were selected by the Wirecutter as the best wireless Bluetooth headphones you can buy after testing 115 headphones. They say the sound quality and comfortable fit belies the lower price, so if you’re looking for Bluetooth headphones that sound great at a great price, pick up a pair for as low as $66.

See at Amazon

Libratone Q Adapt

These on-ear headphones from Libratone are featured in the Google Store as a “Made for Google” certified accessory. They’ve got a great look to them and feature adjustable noise cancellation, a touch interface for controlling playback and volume, and a built-in microphone for taking calls.

While the Pixel 2 did away with the headphone jack, there’s a good chance that you still own several products that use them, so Libratone has included an optional 3.5mm cable for those times when you’d prefer a wired connection.

The Q Adapt cost $249, which is a fair price to pay for excellent sound and tremendous comfort in a smallish package.

See at Google

Bowers & Wilkins PX

If you’ve got money to burn on your Bluetooth cans, you may be interested in the Bowers & Wilkins PX wireless headphones. B&W is a trusted name in audio equipment and its latest wireless headphones have been earning rave reviews.

The main attraction here is the outstanding noise-canceling and sound quality, making these an ideal choice for any audiophiles living that big city lifestyle. They’re also quite adaptable, supporting both 3.5 mm and USB-C wired connections.

AC’s own Tom Westrick picked up a pair of his own recently and praised them for their comfort and sound quality, which he says are better than any other pair of headphones he’s tried — and for a price of $400, you’d definitely expect a premium experience.

See at Amazon

Sony H.ear Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones

Sony’s wireless over-ear headphones are jam-packed with features such as noise-canceling, NFC connectivity, and a handy carrying case for traveling. They’re wireless with Bluetooth 4.1 technology, but also include a 3.5mm cable with inline volume controls. They have digital noise-canceling that adapts to your surroundings to cut out unwanted sound and deliver high-resolution audio to your ears.

They’ve got a sleek and comfortable design that you can wear for hours, and you can expect up to 20 hours of playback time on a battery charge. If they die, you’ve got a wired connection available, so make sure you got your headphone adapter with you.

These will run you just over $300, and they are arguably better than Sony’s more-expensive WH1000XM2.

See at Amazon

Jaybird X3 Sport

Jaybird has been making quality headphones for quite some time and the Jaybird X3s are no exception.

You can get a full week of workouts on a single charge and a quick 15 minutes of charging will get you a full hour at least. If you rely on your tunes to get you through a workout, check out the Jaybird X3 wireless earbuds and enjoy.

These headphones come in Blackout or Sparta (white) colors, and they’re sweat- and rain-proof, so you can pour your heart and soul into every workout without worrying about frying them. Pricing starts around $100.

See at Amazon

What have you tried?

What are your favorite wireless headphones that you’ve tried? Any thoughts on the options we’ve listed here? Let us know in the comments!

Update, May 4: These are still our top picks for the best headphones you can buy for the Pixel 2, but thankfully some of them are even cheaper.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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