Stay warm this winter with 20% off Starter fleece and loungewear

Sweatpants are pants. They count. I swear.

Amazon is offering 20% off a bunch of Starter clothing. You can save on jackets, sweatpants, hoodies, sweatshirts, and more. There are 58 items to choose from for the entire family. With the colder months approaching quickly, it never hurts to have some additional layers for extra warmth.

For example, the pictured Starter Men’s Polar Fleece Jacket is down to $19.99. That’s $5 off the normal price, and the full-zip fleece jacket has excellent reviews as well as zippered pockets and a secure chest pocket.

Lots of these items are eligible for Prime Wardrobe, which lets you try them out before you commit to purchasing. If you decide to keep your ordered products, you’ll be charged today’s deal price.

See at Amazon

Listen to the details with Shure’s $149 Professional Monitoring Headphones

These well-reviewed headphones are $50 off today.

The Shure SRH840 Professional Monitoring Headphones are now down to $149 at Amazon. This deal saves you $50 off their regular cost and brings the set back down to one of its best prices yet.

These over-ear headphones offer a closed-back, collapsible design that allows you to fold them up compactly for travel. They’re perfect for audio editing with how precisely they reproduce sound, though they can be used for casual listening too. The audio cable is coiled and detachable, and replacement ear pads are included as well.

If you’re looking for a more affordable pair of headphones, Shure’s SRH440 Professional Studio Headphones are also discounted today by $20. You can snag them for $79 currently.

Nearly 250 customers at Amazon reviewed the SRH840 headphones with 4.1 out of 5 stars collectively.

See at Amazon

How to update apps on NVIDIA Shield TV

Even though the Google Play Store on the NVIDIA Shield TV offers auto-updates for your downloaded apps, it’s still important to know how to manually install app updates or uninstall a recent update.

Products used in this guide

• Amazon: NVIDIA Shield TV ($179)
• Amazon: NVIDIA Shield TV Pro ($299)

How to do the thing

From the Shield home screen, launch the Google Play Store.

Scroll down to My Apps.

Any installed apps with an available update will be listed. Select Update All if you want to update all apps.

You may need to accept app permissions before installing.

Alternatively, you can select each app individually and select Update.

It’s important to keep your apps updated so that you don’t miss out on the latest features and bug fixes. For Android TV apps, updates aren’t too frequent. When updates do roll out, it’s typically a pretty substantial change to the UI and or other general improvements. NVIDIA does a good job supporting the Shield TV with the latest Android and gaming features, but some app updates might cause more issues rather than solving them.

In that case, you can follow the same steps to go back and uninstall the most recent update, which is really handy if something goes wrong with one of your favorite apps.

The best Android streaming box

NVIDIA Shield TV

$179 at Amazon

Amazon offers a great deal for the standard Shield TV

The NVIDIA Shield TV is the most complete and functional Android TV box you can buy in 2018. The standard edition comes with the 16GB console plus remote with the latest NVIDIA software including Google Assistant built in. If you’re into gaming you’ll want to check out the gaming edition that comes with the Shield Controller, too.

If you don’t yet own a Shield TV, now’s a great time to buy one. You can get the 16GB console with the new Amazon Echo Dot ($50 value) thrown in for free.

500GB of internal storage

NVIDIA Shield TV Pro

$299 at Amazon

Get it before it’s gone for good

The 500GB Shield TV Pro is on it’s way out, but you can still snag one if you hate having to deal with mounted storage.

Don’t need an Echo Dot and want to take advantage of all that storage? If 500GB is too hard to resist, you might want to catch this deal before it’s gone.

Review: BodyGuardz Pure 2 EyeGuard Provides Great Drop Protection, Blue Light Filtering as Added Bonus

With the new Pure 2 EyeGuard Blue Light Glass Screen Protector, accessory company BodyGuardz is selling a screen protector that promises extreme impact shock absorption, along with the added bonus of blue light filtering for your eyes.

For those unaware, many people face overexposure to blue light from displays used in their jobs, which has been shown to result in the damage of light-sensitive cells in the eye’s retina and other potentially harmful effects. In a day-to-day sense, this means that computer-heavy work can cause eye strain, fatigue, headaches, dry eyes, blurry vision, and more.

While blue light isn’t only found in modern displays, new technologies and companies are emerging to combat eye strain that results from ongoing exposure to blue light from digital screens, including BodyGuardz’s Pure 2 EyeGuard Screen Protector.

The BodyGuardz accessory promises to filter out up to 43 percent of blue light in an effort to protect your eyes from digital eye strain, while simultaneously safeguarding an iPhone from dangerous drops. The Pure 2 EyeGuard is sized to fit iPhone X and iPhone XS, with an edge-to-edge design that’s also compatible with iPhone cases.

Installation Process

Installing a screen protector can be a daunting process, but BodyGuardz includes a few helpful accessories that make the Pure 2 EyeGuard a bit less of a hassle to place on an iPhone. There is a plastic guide to ensure the screen protector goes on straight, dust removal stickers, a clean wipe, dust wipe, and the screen protector itself.

To start, I placed the plastic guide around the edges of my iPhone X. This acts as a sort of border for your installation process, and definitely makes getting the perfect angle on your iPhone much easier. Next I wiped my iPhone’s screen with the included wet wipe, then finished off with the soft dust wipe cloth.

My iPhone immediately after installing the Pure 2 EyeGuard (left) vs after cleaning it up with dust removal stickers and waiting for bubbles to disappear (right)
I continued by peeling off the screen protector from the plastic sheet it came on, and carefully placing it on top of my iPhone. As it fell into the plastic tray, the edges of the protector lined up easily with the small black bezels of my iPhone X and the top notch. BodyGuardz then guides you to press firmly from the middle of the protector and smooth it outwards.

The company warns that whatever bubbles you see will disappear within 24 to 48 hours, and over the course of my testing I did see fewer bubbles. When I initially installed, however, I just pressed firmly with my thumb to smooth the screen protector out and managed to have no large or unsightly bubbles on the display.

Blue Light Filtering Quality

I have a little bit of experience with blue light filtering technology as I’ve worn Felix Gray glasses for about five months. I’m prone to headaches in the afternoon, after I’ve stared at my Mac’s screen for several hours, and I have found slight alleviation from my symptoms after avoiding blue light overexposure.

I haven’t seen any similar effect using the Pure 2 EyeGuard for the past few weeks. I have a feeling this is likely due to the fact that I don’t stare at my iPhone’s display for extended periods of time like I do my iMac or MacBook; it’s simply not as predominant a worry for me personally as it has been on my larger devices.

Halfway through my testing I increased my iPhone usage to further look into the screen protector’s blue light filtering quality. I found similar results to my initial tests, with no noticeable positive (or negative) outcome or any quantifiable decreases in typical blue light effects.

While I believe in the potential harmful effects of blue light overexposure and will continue to use filtering technologies like the Pure 2 EyeGuard and Felix Gray glasses (mainly because they integrate into my daily routine without any hassle), I’ve found at-home remedies to potentially help the best of all. If you have eye strain, the 20-20-20 rule is surprisingly helpful when you can’t get away from work but need some relief, as is simply taking short breaks from a screen throughout the day.

Daily Use

Throughout testing, I never found the Pure 2 EyeGuard to alter or negatively impact the color or brightness of the display in any noticeable way. My iPhone remained reliably bright and colorful, and the useful True Tone and Night Shift features in iOS were visibly unchanged.

As with most thick screen protectors, one issue with the Pure 2 EyeGuard is the sometimes unreliable inputs you’ll get when using the iOS keyboard. I haven’t used a screen protector in a few months, so there was definitely an adjustment period where I made more typing errors than usual and it took me longer to type out messages. After a week or two, I got used to the Pure 2 EyeGuard on my iPhone X and texting speed returned to normal.

The accessory also has opaque black borders all the way around, which are slightly curved to match the curvature of the iPhone X’s front display. Because of this, the Pure 2 EyeGuard avoids any “halo” effect disadvantages that some other glass screen protectors face, when they stick out at the edges and accumulate dust and other debris while not sticking directly to the smartphone. I definitely still saw a few dust particles sticking around the edges of the screen protector, but it was never to an extent that I found it bothersome.

Screen Damage Prevention

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I got to test out the full screen protection capabilities of the Pure 2 EyeGuard. Customers who face drops and scratches, and who are part of the loyalty program (which only requires your name, email address, and a password), will get free lifetime replacements for all screen protectors and full-body skins. The only catch is you’ll have to pay shipping and have to return the original BodyGuardz product within 60 days.

The strong impact absorption and helpful customer service are perhaps the biggest advantages of the Pure 2 EyeGuard I discovered over the past few weeks. A few days into my testing, I knocked my iPhone off of a couch and into the metal leg of a nearby coffee table, where it made contact with the bottom edge of the iPhone, which is largely defenseless due to the design of Apple’s silicone cases.

At first I thought some of the cracks that immediately appeared on the screen were part of the iPhone X’s OLED display, but once I removed the Pure 2 EyeGuard from the iPhone I found that the aluminosilicate glass of BodyGuardz’s accessory had taken the entire brunt of the damage. No cracks, hairline fractures, or scratches whatsoever had surfaced on the iPhone’s display.

I contacted BodyGuardz about the incident, and while most of the loyalty program process was expedited for review purposes, it appears like it would be as seamless for all customers. I had a new Pure 2 EyeGuard in the mail within a week of dropping my iPhone, and have decided to keep it on for the foreseeable future following the incident.

Bottom Line

The BodyGuardz Pure 2 EyeGuard is a high-quality, super-reliable glass screen protector with a simple installation process and noteworthy replacement program.

While blue light filtering is a big part of the Pure 2 EyeGuard marketing, I’d describe it as more of an added bonus for people who are apt to use their iPhone heavily throughout the day. You might see positive effects from the accessory, and even if you don’t you’ll still have a sturdy screen protector.

How To Buy

The BodyGuardz Pure 2 EyeGuard is available for $44.95 on the company’s website and on Amazon, with occasional sales discounting the protector to around $28.

BodyGuardz provided MacRumors with two Pure 2 EyeGuard screen protectors for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Tag: BodyGuardz
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Apple Now Selling Refurbished iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Models

Apple today added the 2017 iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus to its online store for refurbished products in the United States, offering the smartphone at a discount for the first time.

The refurbished store has a selection of 64GB iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray for sale, all of which are discounted by 14 to 16 percent.

The 64GB iPhone 8 models are priced at $499, a discount of $100 off of the regular price of $599, while the 64GB iPhone 8 Plus models in the refurbished store are available for $599, also a $100 discount off of the regular $699 price.

Apple sells the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus as lower-cost alternatives to the flagship iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. The devices feature a fast A11 Bionic chip, a Touch ID Home button, and a glass body for wireless charging.

There are no iPhone 8 or 8 Plus models with higher storage capacities available from the refurbished store at this time, but refurbished stock fluctuates frequently based on the available devices that Apple has on hand.

Refurbished stock is also limited in quantity and can sell out. Checking the refurbished site often or using a tracking site is the best way to figure out when a particular model that you might want is in stock.

Apple has been offering iPhones in its online refurbished store since 2016, but it often takes some time for new models to show up there. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, for example, were released in September 2017 but have just shown up on the refurbished site.

Purchasing a refurbished iPhone from Apple is a good way to get a like-new device at a lower price point. All of Apple’s refurbished products are tested, certified, cleaned, and guaranteed with a one-year warranty that can be extended with AppleCare+.

For refurbished iPhone models, Apple provides a fresh battery and a new outer shell, ensuring peak performance and no scratches or other cosmetic damage on the device that you receive.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8
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Apple Design Chief Jony Ive Talks iPad Pro Design in New Interview

Following Tuesday’s event, Apple Design Chief Jony Ive did an interview with The Independent, where he shared some thoughts on Apple’s new product lineup and what makes a device “appear magical.”

Ive explained that the design of the iPad Pro is “so singular and integrated” that it stands out from “99 percent of other complex technology products.”

Specifically, Ive pointed out the display of the device, which uses a subpixel anti-aliasing technique to produce rounded corners that flow into the sides of the screen smoothly and without distortion.

Ive said he finds traditional displays with square corners “disappointing” because it turns the display into a distinct component when assembled into a design without square corners.

If you look at the iPad Pro, though, you can see how the radius, the curve in the corner of the display, is concentric with and sympathetic to the actual enclosure. You feel it’s authentic, and you have the sense that it’s not an assembly of a whole bag of different components: it’s a single, clear product.

Ive said that one of Apple’s goals with the iPad was to create a sense that the product is not oriented in a specific way. The new iPad Pro, says Ive, doesn’t have an orientation because there’s no Home button, speakers are all around the device, and Face ID works in landscape and portrait modes.

The simple flat edge of the iPad Pro is also an achievement, something Apple was able to implement when the engineering teams were able to pare down the thickness of the iPad Pro. Ive says Apple couldn’t have attempted a straightforward edge detail like that when the products weren’t as thin.

These seemingly simple changes are “the most difficult thing to do.” Ive said Apple is most proud of the things that should be there but aren’t. “It’s an odd thing when you’re most proud of those things which aren’t there.

As for the second-generation Apple Pencil, the way that it snaps onto the side of the iPad Pro is an example of “a magical feeling.” The new Apple Pencil connects to magnets built into the iPad Pro’s enclosure, and when connected, it both pairs and charges.

Ive says that designing products like the Apple Pencil that introduce features no one knew they wanted until they debuted is a “fundamental part” of his job. He doesn’t work with articulated problems and he says it’s rare that new Apple designs come in response to a known problem.

Ive said when changing a well-known and loved product like the iPad, there’s a need to not “fall into the trap of just making things different.” It’s important when changing things not to “make it different, but make it better.”

“If you are making changes that are in the service of making something better, then you don’t need to convince people to fall in love with it again. Our sense of habit and familiarity with something is so developed, there is always that initial reaction that is more of a comment on something being different rather than necessarily better or worse. In my experience, if we try very hard to make material improvements, people quickly recognise those and make the sort of connection they had before with the product.”

Ive’s full interview, which goes into more depth about the design decisions made for the iPad Pro, can be read over at The Independent.

Tag: Jony Ive
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MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Lifetime Plex Pass and 2TB Western Digital My Cloud Home

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Plex to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a media bundle that includes a lifetime Plex Pass and a 2TB Western Digital My Cloud Home connected storage device.

Plex is an all-in-one media hub that organizes your entire library of content, from TV shows and movies to music, photos, and more. Plex also offers free access to news, web shows, podcasts, and, for cord cutters, live television access when paired with an antenna.

Plex is free to download and use as a media server, but advanced music, photo, TV, and movie features like live TV, automatic photo upload, lyric search, and more, require the Plex Pass. Plex Pass is $119 for a lifetime pass, $4.99 per month, or $39.99 per year.

To use Plex, you need a media hub where all of your content is stored, and that’s where the Western Digital My Cloud Home portion of the giveaway comes into play. Until recently, Plex had a cloud service that let you access your media content anywhere, but that’s been discontinued.

Luckily, with connected devices like the Western Digital My Cloud Home, you can still access your media library from anywhere. My Cloud Home is a network attached storage device, which means it connects to the internet and makes whatever’s stored on it accessible even when you’re away from home.

To use this combo, all you need to do is set up the My Cloud Home, install the Plex Media Server software on it, and then upload your media content like music, photos, and more. Then with the Plex app on the Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and other devices, you can access all of your content anytime, anywhere.

This same setup works with any NAS, and it also works with a plain old hard drive or Mac when you’re connected to your home WiFi network.

We have three My Cloud Home drives from Western Digital paired with three lifetime Plex passes to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (November 2) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on November 9. The winners will be chosen randomly on November 9 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Tags: Plex, giveaway
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First Mac Mini Benchmark Surfaces Ahead of November 7 Launch

The first Geekbench benchmark for one of the 2018 Mac mini models has surfaced (via VentureBeat), giving us an initial look at the performance we can expect from Apple’s revamped desktop machine.

The benchmarked model is a higher-end custom configuration that features a 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, UHD Graphics 630, and 32GB RAM. At a minimum, this configuration would cost $1,699.

Two scores for the machine were uploaded today from the same user taken eight minutes apart. The first features a single-core score of 5070 and a multi-core score of 16818, while the second, which suggests much better performance, features a single-core of 5512 and a multi-core score of 23516.

The higher-end score set puts this particular Mac mini configuration right on par with the high-end 2.9GHz 2018 MacBook Pro, which earned a single-core Geekbench score of 5433 and a multi-core score of 22556. Given the price point of this Mac mini’s configuration, its MacBook Pro-matching performance comes as no surprise.

The Mac mini also closely matches the 2013 Mac Pro models when it comes to multi-core performance and exceeds them when it comes to single-core performance. With the exception of the iMac Pro, it outperforms 2017 iMac models, which were not refreshed this year.

It’s not clear why there’s such a disparity between the two Geekbench readings, but it’s possible with the first that background tasks produced a lower result, hence the retest.

We should see additional Mac mini benchmarks surfacing in the near future as the device is set to launch on November 7. Benchmarks of the base models will give us a better idea of what to expect from the lower priced versions of the device.

MacBook Air and iPad Pro benchmarks have also surfaced over the course of the week, with the iPad Pro also demonstrating MacBook Pro-class performance.

Related Roundup: Mac miniBuyer’s Guide: Mac Mini (Buy Now)
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Apple iPhone XR vs. OnePlus 6T: Spec comparison

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

With the recent release of the iPhone XR, Apple’s yearly iPhone releases are done and dusted — and despite being billed as the lesser option to the iPhone XS and XS Max, we love the lower-cost iPhone XR. With all the same power, but a more vibrant design, we think it might be the best iPhone of the year.

But there’s more than just iPhones out there. The new OnePlus 6T provides flagship power and a beautiful design for less than the usual flagship price. Does the iPhone XR have what it takes to defeat Android’s flagship killer, or will OnePlus add another scalp to its collection? We found out.

Specs

iPhone XR
OnePlus 6T

Size
150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm (5.94 x 2.98 x 0.33 inches)
157.5 x 74.8 x 8.2 mm (6.20 x 2.94 x 0.32 inches)

Weight
194 grams (6.84 ounces)
185 grams (6.5 ounces)

Screen size
6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD IPS LCD
6.41-inch AMOLED

Screen resolution
1792 x 828 pixels (326 pixels per inch)
2340 x 1080 pixels (402 pixels per inch)

Operating system
iOS 12
Oxygen OS (over Android 9.0 Pie)

Storage space
64GB, 128GB, 256GB
128GB, 256GB

MicroSD card slot
No
No

Tap-to-pay services
Apple Pay
Google Pay

Processor
Apple A12 Bionic
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

RAM
3GB
6GB, 8GB

Camera
12MP (with OIS) rear, 7MP TrueDepth front camera
Dual 16MP (with OIS) and 20MP rear, 16MP front

Video
Up to 4K at 60 frames per second, 1080p at 60 fps
Up to 4K at 60 frames per second, 1080p at 240 fps, 720p at 480 fps

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0

Ports
Lightning
USB-C

Fingerprint sensor
No
Yes, in-display

Water resistance
IP67
No

Battery
2,942mAh

Fast charge capable (Additional charger needed)

Qi wireless charging

3,700mAh

OnePlus Dash Charge

App marketplace
Apple App Store
Google Play Store

Network support
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon

Colors
White, black, blue, yellow, coral, (Product) Red
Mirror Black, Midnight Black

Price
$750+
$549

Buy from
Apple
OnePlus

Review score
4.5 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5 stars

Performance, battery life, and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

As befits a flagship, you’ll find powerful processors powering each of these phones. The OnePlus 6T is equipped with this year’s “flagchip”, the Snapdragon 845, and it provides smooth performance and plenty of grunt for tackling the latest mobile games. However, it’s not as powerful as Apple’s A12 Bionic chip, which powers the iPhone XR, not to mention the iPhone XS and XS Max. Despite having less RAM than the OnePlus 6T, the XR easily handled every game we threw at it — which included some ARKit 2.0 apps. You also get plenty of storage on both phones — but there’s no MicroSD card expansion option for either.

On paper you’d expect the OnePlus 6T’s 3,700mAh battery to easily beat the iPhone XR’s 2,942mAh battery — but it doesn’t play out that way. Both phones are more than capable of over a day’s worth of power and beyond, though the OnePlus 6T may have slightly more stamina. The iPhone XR also comes with wireless charging, but you won’t be fast charging with the cable in the box — while the 6T comes with OnePlus’s super-fast Dash charging.

You won’t be unhappy with the performance, battery life, or charging offered by either of these phones — but the iPhone XR’s A12 Bionic processor means it’s the more powerful of the two.

Winner: Apple iPhone XR

Design and durability

This is a much tighter category to judge than the previous one — both are stunning smartphones that are sure to turn heads. The OnePlus 6T takes everything we loved about the OnePlus 6 and ramps it up, reducing the notch to a dewdrop design, and putting the fingerprint scanner beneath the display. On the other hand, the iPhone XR is a combination of the iPhone 8‘s back with the iPhone XS’s front, and it’s a beautiful design — and did we mention we can’t get enough of those colors?

So both get full marks for design — but what about durability? Both use fragile glass in their build, so you’ll find similar durability — a protective case is definitely a good idea. You’ll only find water-resistance on the iPhone XR, however, which comes with an IP67-rating. The OnePlus 6T lacks any certified water-resistance — which means you’ll need to keep it tightly held around pools.

Both of these phones are neck-and-neck in design, so pulling ahead on water-resistance makes the iPhone XR the narrow winner.

Winner: Apple iPhone XR

Display

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The iPhone XR marks the début of Apple’s newest display tech. Named “Liquid Retina”, it’s an LCD display that’s able to be curved — meaning it’s able to curve into a phone’s body without the need to incorporate a large chin. It’s a great tech, and it looks good. However, it is only running a 1792 x 828 resolution. Not only is the OnePlus 6T rocking a 2340 x 1080 resolution — making it sharper than the XR — but it’s also a superior AMOLED panel. It shows deep, inky blacks and vibrant colors the iPhone can only dream of — and it’s the clear winner here.

Winner: OnePlus 6T

Camera

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

There hasn’t been a huge shake-up in camera lenses on the OnePlus 6T, and you’ll find the same 16-megapixel and 20-megapixel lenses as the OnePlus 6. OnePlus has improved the software though, and it’s capable of more than before, including a low-light Nightscape mode, and smoother edge-detection in portrait mode shots. It’s easily the best camera OnePlus has ever released, and it takes some great photos. However, it falls short of matching greats like the Pixel 3, Note 9, and iPhone XS.

The iPhone XR, on the other hand, comes with just a single rear-facing lens — a 12-megapixel lens that’s identical to the iPhone XS’s primary lens. It’s capable of the same Smart HDR as the new iPhones, and also takes some great portrait mode shots — though it’s restricted to only taking portrait mode shots of people. Some versatility is lost without the 2x zoom lens, but it’s not detrimental to its overall performance, and the XR takes some great shots in a variety of lighting.

You’ll be able to capture 4K video on both of these phones, but you’ll only get slow-motion fun on the OnePlus 6T. Selfies from either are likely to be good, but the iPhone’s TrueDepth selfie camera provides excellent portrait mode shots — and is the superior again.

While the 6T is the best camera OnePlus has produced to date, the iPhone XR’s camera suite is just better.

Winner: Apple iPhone XR

Software and updates

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

You’ll find the latest version of Android, Android 9.0 Pie, on the OnePlus 6T, hidden by Oxygen OS. It’s fairly similar to stock Android, and we really enjoyed our time using it. In terms of updates, OnePlus is usually pretty snappy getting major Android updates out, so you shouldn’t be too disappointed with your update speed to Android Q, or even Android R.

The iPhone is always going to update faster though, and that’s simply because Apple has a direct line to its phones. The iPhone XR comes with the latest iOS 12, and we really dig it. It’s a great piece of software, and while some Android heads will never like it, iPhone fans will love it.

Comparing Android and iOS is always like comparing apples and oranges — you probably know your favorite by now. We’re going to rule this a tie.

Winner: Tie

Special features

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The aforementioned TrueDepth camera on the iPhone XR provides most of the fun special features, allowing for face-unlocking via Face ID, as well as support for Animojis. iOS 12 brings gesture navigation with it, which is probably our favorite implementation of gesture navigation so far. The XR doesn’t have 3D Touch support like the rest of this year’s iPhones though, but it does have the more limited Haptic Touch instead.

The OnePlus 6T has a larger set of special features to avail yourself of. There’s now a gaming mode that prioritizes network traffic and performance, as well as OnePlus’s own spin on gesture navigation. The aforementioned in-display fingerprint scanner is cool — even if it isn’t perfect — and the display also includes night-time and reading modes for eye comfort.

While Apple’s special features are all polished and near-perfect, the OnePlus 6T simply has more to play with, and it comes with some stuff we find really cool — like the in-display fingerprint scanner.

Winner: OnePlus 6T

Price

The OnePlus 6T costs from $549, and works on T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. The iPhone XR is also available now, and it’s the cheapest iPhone this year — but that’s relative. Prices start at $750, but it will work with every major U.S. network.

Overall winner: Apple iPhone XR

It was tight battle, but the writing was on the wall by the later categories. The iPhone XR is more powerful, comes with a better camera, and gets a slight edge thanks to its water-resistance. But by no means does that mean the OnePlus 6T is a bad phone. The Snapdragon 845 may not be as powerful as the A12 Bionic, but it’s still capable of handling anything you can throw at it. The 6T’s cameras are also very capable — and we really don’t have to defend the drop-dead gorgeous design.

But at the end of the day, the iPhone XR is simply the stronger phone across our categories. Grab it and you won’t be disappointed with its performance — but if you prefer Android, or the lower price tag, you’ll also be served extremely well by the OnePlus 6T.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple iPhone XS vs. iPhone XS Max vs. iPhone XR
• Apple iPhone XS Max vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 9: Powerhouse face-off
• Apple iPhone XS Max vs. Huawei P20 Pro: Clash of the titans
• Best iPhone: Which Apple smartphone should you buy?
• iPhone XS vs. LG G7 ThinQ: Can LG swing past Apple?

OnePlus 6T vs. Samsung Galaxy S9+: Which should you buy?

When it comes to Android phones, the choices are just as diverse as the people who buy them. We use all of the latest and greatest Android offerings to find the best ones for everyone.

OnePlus 6T

Great value

$549 at OnePlus

Pros

• Top-end specs
• Above-average cameras
• Fast, simple, updated software
• 128GB base storage

Cons

• No headphone jack
• No IP resistance rating
• Bad haptic vibration

OnePlus makes a convincing flagship competitor at a fraction of the price. Its hardware, specs, and capabilities match the competition — plus its software is fast, clean, and up to date. You just give up a few of the extra features in order to save some money.

Samsung Galaxy S9+

A little extra

$710 at Amazon

Pros

• Industry-leading display
• Excellent low-light and front-facing cameras
• Headphone jack
• Stereo speakers
• Wireless charging

Cons

• Cumbersome, bloated software experience
• Higher price for lower storage and memory

The Galaxy S9+ is a better phone, with more features and “nice to have” additions — but then again, at its higher price, it should be. It’s better in every way, except for its software and experience. Whether that balances out to be worth about $100 more is up to your wallet.

The Galaxy S9+ is several months old now, so it’s dropped in price to a point where the new OnePlus 6T, a budget-minded flagship, is in a similar price bracket. Here’s what you need to consider when choosing between the two.

Should you buy a OnePlus 6T or Samsung Galaxy S9+?

OnePlus rode a rising tide of hardware quality to the point where its OnePlus 6T is effectively on the same level of hardware materials and quality as the well-known Samsung Galaxy S9+. There are subtle differences in the finishes and styling, but both of these phones are made of the same high-grade metal and glass put together with tight tolerances to create a solid feel. They’re nearly identical in their dimensions as well — the only real difference is the Galaxy S9+’s curved screen edges.

A rising tide of hardware quality has lifted the OnePlus 6T right up to the Galaxy S9+.

The top-level spec sheets are very similar as well. Screen size, processor, memory, battery size, connectivity options, and more are basically the same. The OnePlus 6T has a leg up with more base storage, 128GB, and optionally higher RAM, 8GB, but you can get the same storage options on the Galaxy S9+ as well.

Where the Galaxy S9+ starts to pull ahead is in the finer points; the hardware “extras” you don’t notice at first. The Galaxy S9+ has an IP68 water resistance rating, whereas the OnePlus 6T doesn’t have any IP certification. The GS9+ does this even though it has stereo speakers, a headphone jack, and a microSD card slot — the OnePlus 6T doesn’t. The GS9+’s glass back hides wireless charging, as well as dramatically better haptic feedback and vibration.

Operating system	Android 9 Pie	Android 8.1 Oreo
Display	6.41-inch AMOLED2340x1080 (19.5:9)Gorilla Glass 6	6.2-inch AMOLED2960x1440 (18.5:9)Gorilla Glass 5
Processor	Snapdragon 845	Snapdragon 845
RAM	6/8GB	6GB
Storage	128/256GB	64/128/256GB
Expandable	No	MicroSD card
Rear camera 1	16MP, 1.22-micron, f/1.7, OIS	12MP, 1.4-micron, f/1.5 – f/2.4, OIS
Rear camera 2	20MP, f/1.7	12MP, f/2.4, OIS
Front camera	16MP, f/2.0Fixed focus	8MP, f/1.7Auto focus
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC, GPS
Audio	USB-CSingle speaker	3.5mm headphone jackStereo speakers
Battery	3700mAhNon-removable	3500mAhNon-removable
Charging	USB-C20W Fast Charge	USB-CQuick Charge 2.0Qi wireless
Water resistance	No rating	IP67
Security	In-display fingerprint sensor	Fingerprint sensorIris scanner
Dimensions	157.5 x 74.8 x 8.2 mm185 g	158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm189 g
Colors	Mirror Black, Midnight Black	Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Coral Blue, Slate Grey

The Galaxy S9+ has a slightly smaller screen area, but the panel itself is of a higher quality — even a Samsung screen from earlier in 2018 is one of the best available in the industry. The AMOLED screen is higher resolution, has bolder colors, and importantly, much higher peak brightness than what OnePlus ships. The resolution and colors aren’t the biggest differentiators, but the high brightness for outdoor visibility is really nice to have in direct sunlight.

OnePlus wins in the software and performance department, and isn’t far behind elsewhere.

Comparing cameras follows the same path. The OnePlus 6T takes great photos, and is incredibly consistent, but it’s missing out on a couple of features and some of the fine tuning found on the Galaxy S9+. The GS9+ has a much better front-facing camera with auto focus, and its secondary rear camera has OIS for clearer zoom shots. The main camera takes photos that are just a bit more vibrant and have sharper textures and edges — all little changes that add up to a better camera experience.

Where the OnePlus 6T shows its strength is in its software, performance, and simplicity. Right from the start, it’s running Android 9 Pie, which is newer than the Galaxy S9+ — and going forward, it will continue to be updated faster, more frequently, and for longer than Samsung’s flagship. The OnePlus 6T’s software is also amazingly quick and consistent, without the bloatware or unnecessary cruft found in so many parts of Samsung’s system. It’s simple, easy to understand, extremely customizable, and filled with nice-to-have features without all of the unnecessary parts you feel compelled to get rid of.

It’s a game of tight margins: the Galaxy S9+ is marginally better, and the price reflects that.

That slick software also leads to longer battery life. The OnePlus 6T’s battery is only 200mAh larger, but its longevity is more akin to the Galaxy Note 9 than the Galaxy S9+. Its 20W Fast Charge capability refills the battery quicker than Samsung’s tech, too, so long as you use its proprietary chargers.

The Galaxy S9+ is a better overall phone, but it should have the advantage because it’s more expensive. There’s just more room for the “extras” that add to the phone experience. But since its debut earlier in the year, the GS9+ has received price cuts that put it more in the realm of the OnePlus 6T. You can get a Galaxy S9+ for about $700, which isn’t far removed from the OnePlus 6T’s $550 starting price — or more likely, your upgraded RAM model at $580. In this game of tight margins, you may be willing to pay the extra money for better features and capabilities — but if you aren’t, know you’re getting nearly the same phone, minus just a few marginal improvements, with the OnePlus 6T. It’s a great phone for the money.

OnePlus 6T

Great value

$549 at OnePlus

A flagship experience missing a few extras

You pay less for a OnePlus 6T than the competition, and you get less of a phone — but the margins are so tight, the parts where it’s “worse” aren’t all that big of a deal. It cuts corners in strategic places, and keeps the core experience solid. Plus, it has excellent software that is worthy of any price.

Samsung Galaxy S9+

A little extra

$710 at Amazon

A proper flagship that does it all

Samsung charges more for the Galaxy S9+ because it’s a downright better phone with more features and capabilities. If you want to do everything, you get the Galaxy S9+. But if you don’t need all of the bells and whistles, you may not be willing to pay $100+ more to get the well-known brand name.