Best Android Phone Under $700 in 2018

• Best overall
• Best for battery life
• Best for less
• Best in compact size

Best overall

Google Pixel 2

See at Best Buy

The smaller of Google’s Pixel phones is fantastic, thanks to a no-nonsense design and plenty of features to get enthusiasts and average users alike excited. For a starting price of $649, the Google Pixel 2 mirrors the last 5-inch flagship with a manageable size and sleek hardware.

But it has a laundry list of upgrades, including a faster processor, more default storage, a better-calibrated OLED display, and, of course, a stupendous 12MP camera that beats just about everything else on the market. Plus, the latest version of Android first — and for three years.

The battery life can be a little weak compared to larger phones, but considering it’s $200 less than the Pixel 2 XL it’s easy to say the standard Pixel 2 is a better overall value.

Bottom line: There’s nothing quite like the Pixel, which marries hardware and software into an exceptional Android experience.

One more thing: Verizon touts the Pixel 2 as an “exclusive” device, but you can buy it unlocked to use on whatever carrier you wish.

Why the Google Pixel 2 is best

If you weren’t a fan of the first Pixel’s looks but enjoyed everything else about it, the Pixel 2 is for you. Available in three awesome colors with a soft-touch metal finish that’s perfect to hold without a case, the Pixel 2 is easy to use in one hand, extremely performant and reliable, and easily has one of the best cameras on the Android market today.

Not only does Google give its Pixel phones first dibs on updates to the latest version of Android, but it’s also promising three years of updates, which is unprecedented in the Android space. Google has done a lot to improve the reliability of the Pixel 2 (despite some early software issues) and battery life has also improved considerably over the first version.

Best for battery life

Moto Z3 Play

See at Amazon

From the beginning, Motorola’s Z Play lineup has been all about battery life, and the latest Moto Z3 Play is no exception. With a sealed 3000mAh battery and a power-efficient Snapdragon 636 processor, the Z3 Play is able to last though the day with ease as-is — but once you attach the included 2220mAh Moto Power Pack Mod, its battery life stretches even further, reaching as far as eight hours of screen-on time.

The Z3 Play isn’t a one trick pony, either; when you don’t need the extra battery life, you can attach other Mods to the phone that add better speakers, pico projectors, Polaroid printers, and more. If you don’t mind carrying a few Mods around, the Moto Z3 Play is an incredibly versatile device that can morph to fit your needs.

Maybe best of all, Motorola’s software experience is clean and simple, with a near-stock build of Android 8.1 that gains a few useful shortcuts thanks to the Moto Actions suite. Just don’t get your hopes up for Android P any time soon, since Motorola’s track record for software updates is a bit shaky.

Bottom line: The Moto Z3 Play doesn’t have the most powerful processor, but the included battery Mod makes it the longest-lasting phone on the list.

One more thing: You can grab the Z3 Play for less than $500 through Amazon’s Prime Exclusive program.

Best for less

OnePlus 6

See at OnePlus

There’s no better value for the spec-obsessed than the latest OnePlus phone. Even as prices gradually rise year over year, the OnePlus 6 is an incredible deal at just $529 — for that money, you get a Snapdragon 845, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. For just $50 more, you can bump up the RAM to 8GB and double the storage.

OnePlus’s OxygenOS software is a blazingly fast and customizable take on Android 8.1, and lag is basically nonexistent thanks to the phone’s top-of-the-line specs. Add to that great front and rear cameras, a huge and vibrant display, and a sleek glass design available in a myriad of finishes, and the OnePlus 6 is pretty tough to beat at its price point.

Bottom line: The OnePlus 6 offers flagship-tier specs and performance for hundreds of dollars less.

One more thing: It doesn’t work on CDMA carriers, so Sprint and Verizon customers will have to look elsewhere.

Best in compact size

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact

See at Best Buy

Sony’s new Xperia XZ2 comes in a “Compact” size, and that also brings with it a smaller price — just $649 retail. The 5-inch 18:9 display and rounded body make this feel like a more modern phone than previous Sony models, albeit at the cost of some of that distinctive Sony design language. On the other hand we get water resistance, a rear fingerprint sensor and stereo speakers — making this a phone with very few compromises.

Internally, the XZ2 Compact has top-notch specs despite its smaller size. A Snapdragon 845 processor runs the show, and all of the supporting cast is here to offer up a flagship-level experience — and a 2870mAh battery should be enough for most people. The 19MP rear camera is a good improvement over the last generation as well, even though it still lacks OIS.

Bottom line: For a lower price, you get a little less phone — but this is absolutely a flagship in every way but screen real estate, and some may even prefer its manageable size.

One more thing: The Xperia XZ2 Compact is only available unlocked in the U.S., and won’t be fully available until mid-May.

Conclusion

The Pixel 2 is a fantastic phone with so much going for it, and it happens to be under $700 as well. For a larger size and longer battery life you can pick up a Huawei Mate 10 Pro for about the same price, and for something smaller you can go with the Xperia XZ2 Compact.

Best overall

Google Pixel 2

See at Best Buy

The smaller of Google’s Pixel phones is fantastic, thanks to a no-nonsense design and plenty of features to get enthusiasts and average users alike excited. For a starting price of $649, the Google Pixel 2 mirrors the last 5-inch flagship with a manageable size and sleek hardware.

But it has a laundry list of upgrades, including a faster processor, more default storage, a better-calibrated OLED display, and, of course, a stupendous 12MP camera that beats just about everything else on the market. Plus, the latest version of Android first — and for three years.

The battery life can be a little weak compared to larger phones, but considering it’s $200 less than the Pixel 2 XL it’s easy to say the standard Pixel 2 is a better overall value.

Bottom line: There’s nothing quite like the Pixel, which marries hardware and software into an exceptional Android experience.

One more thing: Verizon touts the Pixel 2 as an “exclusive” device, but you can buy it unlocked to use on whatever carrier you wish.

Update July 2018: The Google Pixel 2 is still our top choice in the sub-$700 segment, but we’ve replaced the Huawei Mate 10 Pro with the Moto Z3 Play as a good choice for a larger size and longer battery life. The OnePlus 6 also joins the list as a great choice for even less money.

BlackBerry KEY2 Lite shown off in hands-on photo

The phone will come in red, blue, and copper colors.

Even though the KEY2 was just released earlier this month in the U.S., that apparently hasn’t stopped TCL from working on new BlackBerry hardware. Thanks to a new report, it looks like we’ll soon be getting a BlackBerry KEY2 Lite.

Evan Blass took to Twitter on July 18 to share the photo to the right. Along with this, Blass says it’s:

Alleged BlackBerry Luna, a.k.a. the “KEY2 Lite” (Lite and not Mini ‘cuz they supposedly have the same form factor). Said/shown to come in red, blue, and copper.

Those color options certainly sound exciting, but if the red variant shown here is anything to go by, it’ll act more as an accent color than anything else (though we’ve yet to see how the paint job affects the front of the phone).

Also, seeing as how this will be a “lite” version of the KEY2, expect lower-end specs across the board and a more affordable price. The current KEY2 is powered by the Snapdragon 660 and costs $549, so maybe the KEY2 Lite will have a Snapdragon 429 or 439 with a $400 price tag? Who knows.

What are you hoping to see in the BlackBerry KEY2 Lite?

Where to buy the BlackBerry KEY2

BlackBerry KEY2

• BlackBerry KEY2 review
• BlackBerry KEY2: Everything you need to know!
• BlackBerry KEY2 specs
• BlackBerry KEYone review: Coming home
• Join our BlackBerry KEY2 forums!

Buy the BlackBerry KEY2

Best Memory Cards for Amazon Fire Tablet

The Amazon Fire Tablet is a great investment, but it can run out of storage space pretty fast. That means it’s time for a microSD card. Here are some you should definitely check out.

Whether you have a Fire Tablet for yourself or your kids, you’ve probably noticed that the internal storage doesn’t go very far. You can easily fill it up with some games, a few apps, and media, which is a bit disappointing. Instead of trying to figure out what to delete, and how to better manage the storage, why not make things easier and add a microSD card so it can hold more?

There are tons of great microSD cards out there, and not all of them are expensive. Depending on your needs, you can get cards with as little as 8GB or as much as 400GB. Spend whatever you’re comfortable spending. Figure a 32GB card will be the bare minimum you’ll want, and frankly getting anything less is just a waste of a shipping fee. But if I were you, I’d get whatever’s on sale in the highest capacity you can afford. (Because this is the sort of thing you can use anywhere, not just in an Amazon tablet.)

Whether you are waiting for your brand new Amazon Fire tablet to arrive, or are using the previous generation, here are some great options you will want to consider.

• SanDisk 64GB microSD
• Samsung 32GB microSD
• Silicon Power 64GB microSD
• PNY Elite 128GB microSD
• SanDisk 200GB microSD
• SanDisk Ultra 400GB microSD

SanDisk 64GB microSD

SanDisk is a well-known brand when it comes to portable storage, and its cards are almost always highly recommended. The company offers a bunch of different cards in different storage capacities, and this one is specifically made for the Fire Tablets and Fire TV. For most of what you will do with your Fire Tablet, the microSDXC UHS-I will be fast enough to meet your needs. It may take a few seconds longer for the initial transfer of information to the card, but after that, you won’t notice much of a difference.

With 64GB of extra storage, you’ll easily be able to install a ton of new apps, save music and movies locally to access whenever you want, and much more. Priced at around $22, it’s hard to find a much better value than this microSD card.

See at Amazon.end

Samsung 32GB microSD

Samsung has been making storage products for quite some time and has been offering extremely affordable microSD cards as well. You won’t find the smaller sizes, like 8GB or 16GB from Samsung, but from 32GB all the way up to 256GB, you’ll find great deals. This high-performance card offers transfer speeds of up to 80MB/s, and they’re built to last. These cards are water-, temperature-, magnetic-, and even X-ray-proof.

All of these good things must mean that it is on the pricey side, right? Wrong. A 32GB card will only set you back around $14, which is less than many people pay to go see a movie.

See at Amazon.end

Silicon Power 64GB microSD

Silicon Power’s 64GB microSD offers speeds you’d expect out of a memory card for this price, with nothing crazy that makes it stand out. It can work in a variety of devices and comes with a lifetime warranty, so you shouldn’t have to worry much about it. Another great feature of the cards is the included SD adapter which allows you to put the microSD card in your computer, camera or anything else that takes a full-sized SD card.

Coming in at around $17, you can’t go wrong with adding one of these to prevent the inevitable running out of storage.

See at Amazon.end

PNY Elite 128GB microSD

If you are looking for more storage, PNY may make the card for you. The company makes a variety of different sizes at different price points, and the 128GB sits at a pretty sweet spot. It may be more than you need initially, but having extra space is never really a bad thing. With it you can load tons of movies, endless amounts of apps and pictures, and have to worry very little about filling it up.

Of course, the more storage you get the more it will cost. PNY is quite reasonable with pricing, having this card listed at around $45 right now.

See at Amazon.end

SanDisk Ultra 200GB microSD

200GB is the largest capacity that the Fire Tablet is meant to use, and you may just want to purchase a microSD of that size to put in and forget that it is there. Sure, 200GB is a lot of space to have, but do you want to have to worry about storage ever again? A few years ago it would have cost a fortune to put that much storage inside your tablet, but now it is totally affordable.

You can usually find a pretty good deal on this card, making it run anywhere from $55 to $60, which is a great price for how much it can hold. If you don’t want to worry about what you have on the tablet or deleting one thing to install another, you’ll want to get one of these right now!

See at Amazon.end

SanDisk Ultra 400GB

Sure, 200GB is cool. But you know what’s really cool? Twice that much storage. Nearly half a terabyte of storage. So much storage that your storage has storage. Because, yo dawg.

Seriously, this is a ridiculous amount of removable storage. It’s a Class 10 card, with transfer speeds up to 100MB a second. And that’s good, because there are a LOT of MBs on this thing. It’s also not inexpensive, at upwards of $185.

See at Amazon.end

Your favorite?

Do you have a favorite microSD card that isn’t listed here? If so, be sure to drop a link and brief description of why you like that one so others can check it out as well!

Updated, July 2018: Updated pricing. These are still the best microSD cards for your Fire tablet!

Corning announces Gorilla Glass 6 to be stronger than ever

Corning makes the touchscreen glass for most smartphones around the world. Will cracked screens be a thing of the past?

Corning just unveiled its next-generation Gorilla Glass, developed specifically to be more resistant to drops and scratches. Corning says Gorilla Glass 6 is two times better than it’s predecessor at surviving drops from 1 meter. It also performed better from higher distances than Gorilla Glass 5.

In a press event, the company announced the upgrade and explained the testing and performance process. Not only was the glass designed to better resist drops, but it was also put through the paces to resist scratches from rough surfaces.

Gorilla Glass 6 has higher compression, which makes it more resistant to cracks when dropped on stress points from 1-meter heights. It’s getting better scratch resistance, too.

Gorilla Glass 6 is an entirely new glass composition that can be chemically strengthened to give it significantly higher levels of compression than is possible with Gorilla Glass 5. This enables Gorilla Glass 6 to be more resistant to damage,” said Dr. Jaymin Amin, vice president of technology and product development, Corning Gorilla Glass and Corning Specialty Materials. “Moreover, with breaks during drops being a probabilistic event, the added compression helps increase, on average, the likelihood of survival through multiple drop events.

Corning’s Gorilla Glass is what’s used on just about every smartphone nowadays, and as such, we can fully expect this sixth-generation version of it to be present on all of next year’s flagships — including the Galaxy S10, LG G8, etc.

Who’s hyped for stronger glass?

Moto Z3 Play review: Buy it on sale

Here are the best surviving deals from Prime Day

Prime Day is over. Saving is not.

Update: We have updated this post with plenty of deals that are still live as of July 18.

Amazon’s Prime Day 2018 is over, and the Thrifter team has sorted through thousands of products to find a few hundred of the best deals during the event. As expected, some deals sold out within minutes, but others lasted much longer than anticipated. Instead of trying to sort through all of the deals that have been posted to see what is or isn’t still available, we decided to make things easy for you.

Luckily, some of our favorite deals are still going strong even after two days of coverage. From memory cards to streaming media players to Xbox controllers, these deals continue to thrive. Many of them aren’t from Amazon, but all of them are low prices worth considering.

On Amazon

• $20 off $60 Home Essentials Purchase
• Audible subscription – $4.95 a month for 3 months
• BlackBerry KEYone unlocked smartphone – $399.99 (from $500)
• Lego Batman Movie The Batmobile building kit – $38.97 (from $48)
• Logitech MX Sound stereo speakers – $69.99 (from $100)
• Philips Hue candle bulbs – $24.99 (from $30)
• Philips Hue 4-pack white bulbs – $41.99 (from $50)
• Roku Streaming Stick – $34.99 (from $48)
• Samsung HMD Odyssey Windows mixed reality headset – $399 (from $500)
• Skullcandy Hesh 2 Bluetooth headphones – $49.99 (from $73)
• TCL 32-inch Roku 720p Smart TV – $129.99 (Was $200)
• Tekton 15-piece combination wrench set – $29.15 (from $42)
• WD Elements 4TB desktop hard drive – $79.99 (from $95)
• Xbox One Lego Disney Pixar’s The Incredibles video game – $29.99 (from $60)

Everywhere Else

• TP-Link HS100 Wi-Fi two smart plugs – $26.99 at B&H (from $43)
• Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum gaming mouse – $49.99 at eBay (from $65)
• Apple iTunes $100 gift card – $85 at eBay
• Vizio 70-inch 4K Ultra HD TV – $1,099.99 with $300 gift card at Dell (from $1,200)
• Xbox One Minecraft wireless controller – $39.99 at Walmart (from $65)

Remember, just because Prime Day is over doesn’t mean deals are. Our team at Thrifter is still working even now to find the best possible savings for you. Follow us on Twitter or visit our site for new deals all day, every day.

Far Cry 5: Lost on Mars – what’s changed

Head to the red planet to stop an alien invasion.

The latest Far Cry 5 expansion is out for those who want to extend their time in its murderous world. It’s called Lost on Mars, and it’s not quite what we expected to see.

What’s new in Far Cry 5: Lost on Mars?

As the name implies, this DLC takes you to the planet Mars. As pilot Nick Ryes, you find yourself flying so close to the stratosphere that you’re teleported to the red planet by a character named Hur Drubman Jr. Hurk was seemingly on a mission in space when he was dismembered by martian arachnids.

That’s right — Lost on Mars is all about finding someone’s reproductive organ, and other weird body parts, too. (The term “space junk” suddenly takes on a whole new meaning.) Hurk himself is somehow still alive despite being little more than a floating head inside a space helmet at this point.

Alongside finding his fond parts, Hurk’s ultimate goal is to reactivate an alien AI he’s fallen in love with. To do so, you’ll be tasked with collecting power cores to reactivate the alien structures found on the planet.

Alien enemies

Your task won’t be a walk in the park. You’ll find resistance in the form of an arachnid army. Some of these guys have sniper rifles and hardened armor. And there are queens in the background controlling them.

You eventually learn about their true goal: a plot to take over the earth. Your job, of course, is to stop them.

Zero gravity

You’ll traverse the planes of Mars with your gravity belt and a wingsuit. The belt allows you to make some incredible leaps, and it’s not just for dodging incoming enemy fire.

Your first need is to keep your boots off the sand. Enemies can detect your presence if you’re walking, so you’ll want to be jumping around as much as you can. But more than that, you’ll need to use the belt to scale the various puzzle towers in the game to activate those power cores. It makes for some fun new gameplay possibilities that wouldn’t have made sense in the base game.

Space weapons

A trip to Mars wouldn’t be a trip to Mars without being able to use some alien weaponry. You’ll have your usual range of laser-equipped rifles, pistols, and the like, as well as some unique things like the Blaster of Disaster, Hellfire, and the Morphinator.

That last one is a grenade that summons chickens meant to distract the aliens. There’s also a power glove that basically turns you into Luke Cage.

Back on earth, you’ll get to play around with weapons named Obliteratorrrr, Taser Phazer Annihilazer, Nerve Reaper, and Grape Popper. Those cults haven’t seen crazy until they’ve seen you use some of this stuff.

Far Cry Arcade

Those who enjoy making custom maps using Far Cry Arcade will appreciate the addition of the Mars assets. You’ll be able to make cool sci-fi maps as a result.

When can you play it?

Lost on Mars is out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. You can buy the DLC for $10, but those who purchased the season pass for $30 will have access to it with no additional charge.

See at PlayStation Store

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

How to Use Screen Time in iOS 12

Apple in iOS 12 introduced Screen Time, which is designed to provide you with information on how you’re using your time on your iPhone and iPad.

With Screen Time, you can see how often you pick up your iOS device, which apps you’re using, which apps are sending the most notifications, and other details.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

Accessing Screen Time

There’s no dedicated app for Screen Time, so it might not be immediately obvious how it’s accessed when you first install iOS 12. All Screen Time features are actually available in the Settings app.

Open up the Settings app.
Scroll down to the “Screen Time” section that’s grouped with Notifications, Sounds, and Do Not Disturb.
Tap on “Screen Time” to see your usage statistics.

Screen Time Syncing

Screen Time statistics are collected from all iOS devices running iOS 12 where you’re logged in with your iCloud account. That means it will aggregate data from all iPhones and iPads that you use during the course of a day.

You can view your data across all devices or on a per device basis. To view other devices, tap on the “All Devices” label on the main Screen Time screen and then choose “Devices” from the upper right hand corner.

Info Available in Screen Time

When you open up Screen Time, a chart is displayed with information on your last 24 hours of iPhone usage, organized by each individual app or which app category you’ve used the most, such as Productivity, Games, Creativity, or Messages.

If you tap on that chart, you can see even more information from either the last 24 hours or the last 7 days, including your longest usage setting, the number of times you picked up your device during the day, and how many notifications you got, along with details on which apps are sending you the most notifications.

Other Screen Time Features

In the Screen Time section, you can set scheduled Downtime for yourself to restrict yourself (or a child) from using apps outside of those that have been allowed with App Limits, you can set specific time limits on app categories like social networking or games, and you can access Content & Privacy Restrictions, useful if you’re managing a child’s device.

If you use Family Sharing with a spouse, friend, or child, and you’re the family manager, you’ll also see family members’ names listed under “Family” and will be able to see and control their app usage.

These features are relatively simple to use, but we’ll be looking into them in more depth in future how tos.

Disabling Screen Time

If you don’t want to use Screen Time, you can turn it off in the Settings app.

Open the Settings app.
Tap “Screen Time.”
Scroll down to “Turn Off Screen Time” and tap it.
Turning off Screen Time on your device will delete all app, website, and notification history. You can re-enable Screen Time at any time, but it does not save data nor does it begin collecting data until enabled.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
Discuss this article in our forums

With a public API, Venmo’s default privacy settings expose private user data

Those who use Venmo as their primary money-transfer app, may want to consider changing their privacy settings. After a security researcher analyzed over 200 million Venmo transactions back in 2017, it became clear the app exposes a large amount of private details about its users, The Guardian reports.

The project was created by Berlin-based researcher Hang Do Thi Duc, who highlighted all of her findings via a website called “Public by Default.” On the site, she explains how she was able to learn an ‘alarming amount’ about Venmo’s users by pulling a total of 207,984, 218 transactions all via the app’s public application programming interface (API) — which can be accessed by anyone.

Even though Venmo does allow you to choose what is or isn’t public, all transactions are public by default — which some users may not realize. To protect your information, you can choose to make any future transactions visible by only the sender and recipient — that way, they won’t show up on the public feed. There’s also the option to make all past transactions private as well.

Using the logged data via the API, Do Thi Duc was able to piece together the lives of five different Venmo users identified as: ‘The Cannabis Retailer,’ ‘The Corn Dealer,’ ‘The Lovers,’ ‘The YOLOist,’ and ‘The All Americans.’ Each one includes stories of who they are with specific details she was able to find simply by sifting through their transactions — including exactly how many transactions were carried out by each person in 2017. While she was also able to see full names, she did not publish that identifying information.

“This Venmo user — a young woman with a Greek last name — had 2,033 transactions in eight months’ time. And through her Venmo transactions emerges an unhealthy portrait. She loves Coca Cola (280 transactions) and pizza (209 transactions), and often goes for coffee with the same three friends. She also likes to eat a lot of sweets, especially donuts,” she writes about ‘The YOLOist.’

On the site, Do Thi Duc explains the project will hopefully shed light on the fact that companies should be putting user data protection first. While Venmo’s public feed seems harmless — and even a source of entertainment for some — we don’t truly realize how much information we’re sharing. This includes your first and last name, transaction history, and blatantly revealing where and with whom you’re spending your time by listing who it is the money is going to.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Venmo will no longer let you pay or charge your friends on its website
• Don’t wait for a money transfer in Venmo — just use its Mastercard debit card
• Flipboard’s latest update makes it easier to stay on top of all things tech
• Facebook fuels fake-news fight with fleet of fact checkers
• Twitter sold tweets to the guy who made the Cambridge Analytica app

Benchmark test shows Core i9 severely throttled in 15-inch MacBook Pro

YouTuber Dave Lee is reporting what we already expected would happen with Apple’s latest 15-inch MacBook Pro refresh with the Core i9-8950HK six-core processor crammed inside: Performance throttling. There is just simply not enough space in the 0.61-inch-tall chassis to sufficiently cool the chip, thus to prevent damage from overheating, the MacBook Pro throttles down its speed.

The Core i9-8950HK is Intel’s first “Core i9” chip for mobile, and one of the company’s first six-core chips for laptops. Launched in April, it has a base speed of 2.9GHz, a maximum speed of 4.8GHz, 12MB of cache, and an integrated UHD Graphics 630 component. It’s a powerhouse of a mobile chip, but because of the MacBook Pro’s thin environment, the chip reportedly isn’t reaching its potential.

According to Lee, you can see the throttling begin after a few seconds of rendering in Adobe Premiere. It can’t even maintain its base speed of 2.9GHz, he says, and forget about hitting that maximum turbo speed. To give a taste of the throttling problem, he provides a rendering test.

In a normal office environment, the Core i9 rendered a 4K clip (H.264) in 39 minutes and 37 seconds. That is a few minutes faster than the Core i7-7820HQ four-core chip in 2017’s 15-inch MacBook Pro, which rendered the same clip in 35 minutes and 22 seconds. But when he ran the same rendering test in an open freezer, the Core i9’s time dropped down to 27 minutes and 18 seconds. That’s a 12-minute 19-second difference.

“This degree of thermal throttling is not acceptable,” he says. “This is isn’t something Apple should put out on the market and just blindly sell to people because people that purchase this device will never know their laptop is throttling to this degree. This type of thermal throttling affects the end user.”

This is a significant problem. Professionals looking for high-performance laptops will see these six-core chips — Intel’s Core i7-8750H is the cheaper option of the two — as a selling point for their investment. The base configuration with the Core i7, 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage is $2,799. Bump that configuration up to the Core i9 and you’re paying $3,099. For that price, you should get every ounce of performance the six-core chip provides.

That said, if you’re only using the MacBook Pro with Intel’s Core i9 to troll Facebook or shop on Amazon, you will never see the throttling. But the MacBook Pro really doesn’t target the mainstream user: It’s a MacOS laptop built for professionals that likely use Final Cut, Adobe Premiere, and/or develop software. It’s the “extended computational work” where the MacBook Pro throttles the Core i9’s performance.

Unfortunately, he didn’t go into details about the Core i7’s performance, but the report is good food for thought if you were eyeing the Core i9 version and its hefty ball-and-chain price tag. We expect to see more benchmarks pop up over the coming weeks as testers get their hands on the new MacBook Pros released last week.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The MacBook Pro may finally get updated with faster processors
• Intel Core i5 vs i7
• Intel’s Core i9 for laptops is great, but it’s not a true Core i9
• Intel throws down a gauntlet with its 28-core extreme CPU
• Rumored six-core MacBook Pro could be the fastest Apple ever made

Best Cheap Bluetooth Speakers Under $50 in 2018

Want to fill your house with lovely music? Check out these wireless speakers!

Nothing makes a party better than some music. And nothing makes playing music easier than a Bluetooth speaker, especially as more and more phone manufacturers omit the 3.5mm headphone jack. Fortunately, you don’t need to spend a fortune just to make your tunes louder.

These are the best cheap Bluetooth speakers under $50!

• Anker Soundcore 2
• Anker Soundcore mini
• Anker Classic Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
• AUKEY Bluetooth Stereo Speaker
• AUKEY Outdoor Speaker Wireless Bluetooth

• ELEGIANT Bluetooth Computer Speakers

Anker Soundcore 2

Anker leads the pack when it comes to inexpensive accessories, and they have four great cheap speakers to choose from. “Cheap” doesn’t mean “junk”; these are well-built products that can withstand your day to day use. The best speaker for most people will be the standard Soundcore 2: this is a compact speaker that offers 24 hours of battery, 12 watts of sound, and surprisingly good bass for the size. The speaker is rated IPX5 water-resistant: don’t expect it to survive a raging river, but it’s fine to take in the shower. This speaker charges with Micro-USB, and features a 3.5mm input in addition to Bluetooth 4.2.

Anker’s Soundcore 2 speaker is available in black for $40, and in blue or red for $42.

See at Amazon

Anker Soundcore mini

If you need something even more compact, Anker still has you covered. Its Soundcore mini has a shorter battery life, doesn’t get as loud or as bassy, but is more compact in return. The cylindrical speaker fires your music up, with play/pause and volume buttons on the front. Around back you’ll find the Micro-USB charging port, 3.5mm input and microSD slot, and you can, of course, connect to your phone with Bluetooth 4.0. The battery allows for 15 hours of playtime, more than enough for most parties. There’s no official IP rating, so exercise caution if you want to use this while you shower.

The Anker Soundcore mini is available in black, gold, grey and pink for $30.

See at Amazon

Anker Classic Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

If you want a bit of a different design, Anker’s Classic Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker is for you. This speaker is shaped like a cube instead of a cylinder, but the speaker still fires up to fill out your space. The play/pause and volume buttons are still accessible on the front, and the Micro-USB port, 3.5mm jack and power switch are still located on the back. The battery is good for between 15 and 20 hours of playback, depending on your volume. Once again there’s no IP rating, so don’t try to take this near the pool.

Anker’s Classic Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker is available in black for $28.

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AUKEY Bluetooth Stereo Speaker

AUKEY is another big name in the accessory space, and it offers great Bluetooth speakers as well. Its Bluetooth Stereo Speaker sounds great and looks classy, the two most important things for speakers to do. Playback controls are located on top, with the speakers facing outward to blast through your rooms. The Micro-USB charging port and 3.5mm input jack are located on the back, and you can, of course, connect to your phone with Bluetooth 4.0. Battery life is weak at only ten hours, so you’ll be making frequent use of that charging port. There’s no IP rating, so be cautious of where you use this speaker.

AUKEY’s Bluetooth Stereo Speaker is available in silver for $44.

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AUKEY Outdoor Speaker Wireless Bluetooth

If you need something with super long battery life, something that can take a beating — or both — AUKEY has another speaker just for you. Its Outdoor speaker offers 30 hours of playback and a rugged design that’ll gladly accompany you on a trip to the lake or up in the mountains. The Micro-USB charging port and 3.5mm audio jack are hidden behind a rubber door, and playback controls are on top. The speaker even features a threaded hole for mounting it to a tripod, bicycle, or another compatible accessory. There’s no official IP rating, but AUKEY says the speaker is “water-resistant.”

AUKEY’s Outdoor speaker is available for $47.

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ELEGIANT Bluetooth Computer Speaker

If you’re looking for something a bit more permanent — or need a speaker to pull double duty at your computer desk — ELEGIANT has the speaker for you. This speaker can be permanently placed to output music from your desktop, or it can come with you for parties. Battery life isn’t great at between five and ten hours, but if you keep this plugged in at your computer station a majority of the time that won’t be an issue. This can connect to devices with either Bluetooth 4.0 or a 3.5mm jack. Playback controls are on the back, but volume is controlled with a lovely knob on the right side. ELEGIANT doesn’t mention any sort of water resistance, so keep this away from the river.

ELEGIANT’s Bluetooth Computer Speaker is available for $40.

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What’s your pick?

Which cheap speaker do you like the most? Let us know down below!