Step into a world where the focus is keenly set on Google Fi Plans. Within the confines of this article, a tapestry of references to Google Fi Plans awaits your exploration. If your pursuit involves unraveling the depths of Google Fi Plans, you've arrived at the perfect destination.
Our narrative unfolds with a wealth of insights surrounding Google Fi Plans. This is not just a standard article; it's a curated journey into the facets and intricacies of Google Fi Plans. Whether you're thirsting for comprehensive knowledge or just a glimpse into the universe of Google Fi Plans, this promises to be an enriching experience.
The spotlight is firmly on Google Fi Plans, and as you navigate through the text on these digital pages, you'll discover an extensive array of information centered around Google Fi Plans. This is more than mere information; it's an invitation to immerse yourself in the enthralling world of Google Fi Plans.
So, if you're eager to satisfy your curiosity about Google Fi Plans, your journey commences here. Let's embark together on a captivating odyssey through the myriad dimensions of Google Fi Plans.
Google Fi Price Drops Bring Its Basic Plan Down to $20 Per Month
Google Fi Price Drops Bring Its Basic Plan Down to $20 Per Month
Google said Friday that its Google Fi mobile plans would get price drops and minor upgrades across the board.
Both of Google Fi's monthly plans have gotten cheaper, according to a Google blog post. The basic Simply Unlimited plan has dropped from $60 per month for one line down to $50, or for the plan with four or more lines, from $30 per line down to $20. The cap on high-speed data has been increased from 22GB to 35GB, which now includes up to 5GB for mobile Wi-Fi hotspot tethering. Calls, texts and data for contact to Canada and Mexico are now free as well.
The higher-tier Unlimited Plus plan has gotten marginally cheaper, too. Plans for a single line have dropped from $70 per month to $65, while the plan for four or more lines has dropped from $45 per line to $40. The high-speed data cap has been increased from 22GB to 50GB, and like the cheaper plan, it also now includes unlimited calls, texts and data to Canada and Mexico.
Read more:Google Fi, Mint Mobile, Visible: Which Wireless Networks Do Smaller Providers Use?
The pay-as-you-go Flexible plan's pricing hasn't changed, costing $17 per month per line for four lines and $10 per GB of data used, but users on this tier will get to make unlimited calls to Canada and Mexico.
Google has slowly expanded its Google Fi service since it launched in 2015, and added its cheaper Simply Unlimited plan a year ago. The tech giant's wireless service, which relies on T-Mobile and US Cellular networks, has become an affordable alternative to bigger carriers, especially since all of its plans support 5G (so long as the device is compatible with T-Mobile's 5G network).
Reviews for google pixel 5a google pixel 5a review cnet google pixel 5 or 5a google pixel 5a 5g reviews google pixel 5a amazon google pixel 5a screen replacement cost google pixel 4a
Google Pixel 5A review: Snappy performance, familiar design
Google Pixel 5A review: Snappy performance, familiar design
Update, July 21, 2022: Google has since replaced the Pixel 5A with 5G with the Pixel 6A. You can read our full Pixel 6A review for the latest model. Last year's review of the Pixel 5A with 5G continues unchanged below.
Google's $449 Pixel 5A with 5G is the second major Pixel announcement this year, hot on the heels of the Pixel 6 teaser earlier this month. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor that powers a 6.34-inch OLED display. The phone also has IP67 water- and dust-resistance.
So while Google's highest-end Pixel 6 and 6 Pro phones will include the new in-house Tensor chip, the 5A (as I'll call it from now on) will have more in common with last year's Pixel 4A 5G. For Pixel fans with deeper pockets, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro's chip and redesign could be exciting, but this Pixel likely will be shooting for a more budget-conscious crowd.
For the value, it's hard to not like what Google has done with the Pixel 5A. The only real thing holding it back is Google's inability to commit to supporting upcoming 5G networks that are set to start coming online in a few months.
Like
Nice screen
Speedy performance
IP67 water-resistant
Affordable price
Don't Like
No wireless charging
5G support in the US is unclear
If you're looking for a cheaper Pixel, you won't have to wait for the Pixel 6's release date sometime this fall, as the 5A will be released on Aug. 26 and can be bought in the US carrier-unlocked directly from Google or with Google Fi. The phone will also be available in Japan. (While it's not coming to the UK or Australia, the price converts to roughly £320 or AU$630.)
I've spent the past few days with Google's new phone. While it feels like a worthy successor to the Pixel 4A 5G so far, here's what you'll want to keep in mind if you want a cheaper 5G Pixel or Android phone on a budget.
Snappy performance, familiar design
The 5A's chip is the same as the one used in last year's 4A 5G: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor. The similarities don't end there, as both phones also have 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. They each have similar front and rear cameras with a hole punch for the front camera, and both have a fingerprint reader on the back and a 3.5mm headphone jack on top.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The camera system is nearly identical to last year's Pixel 4A with 5G (and the Pixel 5). It has the same lenses and all the same features, including a portrait mode, Night Sight and an ultrawide lens. In my week with the phone, the cameras proved versatile and more than capable of taking crisp photos during the day and at night.
For more on the Pixel's cameras, see our Pixel 5 review last year.
In daylight, the Pixel 5A does a nice job capturing details and colors.
Eli Blumenthal/CNET
Night Sight isn't the sharpest but it remains an impressive -- and capable -- feature for a $449 phone.
Eli Blumenthal/CNET
The differences begin with a larger 6.34-inch OLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio that's similar to the Galaxy S21. That's compared to a 6.2-inch display on the 4A 5G at a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, which we've seen on devices such as the Pixel 5 and iPhone 12.
The 5A is running Android 11 in my tests, but if past Pixel trends hold true the phone will likely be among the first to get Android 12. The new OS will include the new Material You design, refreshed notifications and even more customizable options that could be exclusive to the Pixel series.
Watching videos on YouTube, Netflix or Disney Plus worked fine. Games on Stadia or Xbox Game Pass also played well, though some (particularly those on Xbox) were letterboxed and wouldn't play in full screen. I encountered a similar issue with YouTube TV (though not the regular YouTube app).
The Pixel 5A letterboxes certain apps like YouTube TV.
Eli Blumenthal/CNET
Performance, however, was solid and it was certainly playable with a good internet connection. More intensive localized games such as Call of Duty: Mobile also worked largely as expected.
The stereo speakers, however, lack clarity. While they can get loud they aren't as full or rich at maximum volume as other devices.
The phone's IP67-rated water and dust resistance should help withstand the elements and features a significantly larger battery (4,620 mAh compared to 3,800 mAh) that can be fast-charged using the included 18-watt USB-C wall charger.
The Pixel's fast charging wasn't particularly speedy in my tests, going from empty to 21% in 20 minutes and needing around 47 minutes to hit 50%. The OnePlus Nord 2 can go from zero to 70% in an hour using its 30-watt fast charger.
Getting up to a nearly full charge took around two hours on the Pixel. I do like that the battery indicator in the notification tray continues to show how much battery you have left, as opposed to a vague percentage.
Google claims the battery should be able to run a full day, and from my limited testing these few days the phone seems to hold up to that estimate even after I was taxing it with gaming, video watching, hotspotting and photo taking.
Impact of the chip shortage
The global chip shortage appears to have affected the Pixel line's tradition of offering a bounty of colors, with the 5A just coming in "mostly black" (which to me looked a little green in certain light). Brian Rakowski, vice president of product management at Google, told reporters that this was a result of "supply chain challenges."
"It's an industry-wide shortage," he said, noting that the limited chips available has also meant limiting the places Google will sell the 5A as opposed to offering a wide distribution through a variety of carriers and retailers.
Sarah Tew/CNET
"We definitely could not get as many chips as we wanted for this."
As with last year's Pixel 4A 5G, there's no wireless charging on this new model. Google also appears to have dropped the "spectral and flicker sensor," which could impact taking pictures or videos of screens or shooting under artificial lighting like fluorescent lights. (These changes may not necessarily be related to the chip shortage.)
The good news is that the 5A keeps most of Google's Pixel software features, including call screening for fighting robocalls, car crash detection and a recorder app that can transcribe in real time, as well as photography features like Night Sight for improved images in low light.
Google is promising three years of Android software and security updates in addition to the feature updates it has routinely offered for Pixel phones.
Sarah Tew/CNET
5G… with a catch
5G support is indeed part of this cheaper Pixel, but the details of that support get complicated. You should be able to connect to low-band 5G networks from T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon.
But whereas last year's Pixel 5 included support for higher-frequency millimeter-wave 5G networks, the 5A does not. This means faster speeds, from what Verizon calls Ultra Wideband and what AT&T calls 5G Plus, won't be supported. For a midrange phone this isn't a deal-breaker, but it isn't ideal.
Since Google Fi runs on T-Mobile's network, it works fine on that carrier's low-band as well as its faster midband 5G offering, which it calls Ultra Capacity 5G.
Looking into 5G's future, the 5A's support will be even more complicated. The phone's support of 5G networks running on the C-band is unclear. This is wireless spectrum that Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile spent billions on earlier this year. For Verizon and AT&T, that should provide a significant speed boost beyond just a handful of city blocks.
The first of these networks from AT&T and Verizon should arrive later this year, with Verizon stating earlier this year that this C-band network will allow it to offer peak download speeds of 1 gigabit per second. The Pixel 5, ironically, was announced as one of the first phones to support Verizon's C-band network.
On a hardware level, the 5A should support these forthcoming networks as it has the proper band support inside (what's known as band N77 or N78). The issue is that Google won't commit to updating the software on the Pixel 5A with 5G to enable it.
"The hardware is capable but there hasn't been a lot of deployment yet in the US so the software work would still need to be done," Rakowski said. "We don't have any plans to announce on that front."
When pressed, Rakowski added that Google will "stay in touch with the carriers and evaluate" future support but added that "we're not going to commit, we're not going to make a statement now about future support for what might come in an update."
We already know that more people are holding onto devices for longer, so the lack of support from Google for this upcoming network upgrade -- especially when the physical hardware supports it -- is concerning.
If you're with T-Mobile or a carrier that runs on its network (like Google Fi) you have less to worry about when it comes to accessing a speedy midband 5G network. As for prospective buyers who have AT&T or Verizon, that lack of future support could muddy what's otherwise a solid $449 phone.
Pixel 5A 5G specs
Pixel 5A 5G
Pixel 4A 5G
Pixel 3A
Display size, resolution
6.34-inch OLED, 2,400x1,080 pixels
6.2-inch OLED, 2,340x1,080 pixels
5.6-inch OLED, 2,220x1,080 pixels
Pixel density
413ppi
413ppi
441ppi
Dimensions
156x73x8.8mm
154x74x8.2mm (Sub-6 only); 154x74x8.5 mm (mmWave + Sub-6)
Google Pixel 5A review: Snappy performance, familiar design
Google Pixel 5A review: Snappy performance, familiar design
Update, July 21, 2022: Google has since replaced the Pixel 5A with 5G with the Pixel 6A. You can read our full Pixel 6A review for the latest model. Last year's review of the Pixel 5A with 5G continues unchanged below.
Google's $449 Pixel 5A with 5G is the second major Pixel announcement this year, hot on the heels of the Pixel 6 teaser earlier this month. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor that powers a 6.34-inch OLED display. The phone also has IP67 water- and dust-resistance.
So while Google's highest-end Pixel 6 and 6 Pro phones will include the new in-house Tensor chip, the 5A (as I'll call it from now on) will have more in common with last year's Pixel 4A 5G. For Pixel fans with deeper pockets, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro's chip and redesign could be exciting, but this Pixel likely will be shooting for a more budget-conscious crowd.
For the value, it's hard to not like what Google has done with the Pixel 5A. The only real thing holding it back is Google's inability to commit to supporting upcoming 5G networks that are set to start coming online in a few months.
Like
Nice screen
Speedy performance
IP67 water-resistant
Affordable price
Don't Like
No wireless charging
5G support in the US is unclear
If you're looking for a cheaper Pixel, you won't have to wait for the Pixel 6's release date sometime this fall, as the 5A will be released on Aug. 26 and can be bought in the US carrier-unlocked directly from Google or with Google Fi. The phone will also be available in Japan. (While it's not coming to the UK or Australia, the price converts to roughly £320 or AU$630.)
I've spent the past few days with Google's new phone. While it feels like a worthy successor to the Pixel 4A 5G so far, here's what you'll want to keep in mind if you want a cheaper 5G Pixel or Android phone on a budget.
Snappy performance, familiar design
The 5A's chip is the same as the one used in last year's 4A 5G: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor. The similarities don't end there, as both phones also have 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. They each have similar front and rear cameras with a hole punch for the front camera, and both have a fingerprint reader on the back and a 3.5mm headphone jack on top.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The camera system is nearly identical to last year's Pixel 4A with 5G (and the Pixel 5). It has the same lenses and all the same features, including a portrait mode, Night Sight and an ultrawide lens. In my week with the phone, the cameras proved versatile and more than capable of taking crisp photos during the day and at night.
For more on the Pixel's cameras, see our Pixel 5 review last year.
In daylight, the Pixel 5A does a nice job capturing details and colors.
Eli Blumenthal/CNET
Night Sight isn't the sharpest but it remains an impressive -- and capable -- feature for a $449 phone.
Eli Blumenthal/CNET
The differences begin with a larger 6.34-inch OLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio that's similar to the Galaxy S21. That's compared to a 6.2-inch display on the 4A 5G at a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, which we've seen on devices such as the Pixel 5 and iPhone 12.
The 5A is running Android 11 in my tests, but if past Pixel trends hold true the phone will likely be among the first to get Android 12. The new OS will include the new Material You design, refreshed notifications and even more customizable options that could be exclusive to the Pixel series.
Watching videos on YouTube, Netflix or Disney Plus worked fine. Games on Stadia or Xbox Game Pass also played well, though some (particularly those on Xbox) were letterboxed and wouldn't play in full screen. I encountered a similar issue with YouTube TV (though not the regular YouTube app).
The Pixel 5A letterboxes certain apps like YouTube TV.
Eli Blumenthal/CNET
Performance, however, was solid and it was certainly playable with a good internet connection. More intensive localized games such as Call of Duty: Mobile also worked largely as expected.
The stereo speakers, however, lack clarity. While they can get loud they aren't as full or rich at maximum volume as other devices.
The phone's IP67-rated water and dust resistance should help withstand the elements and features a significantly larger battery (4,620 mAh compared to 3,800 mAh) that can be fast-charged using the included 18-watt USB-C wall charger.
The Pixel's fast charging wasn't particularly speedy in my tests, going from empty to 21% in 20 minutes and needing around 47 minutes to hit 50%. The OnePlus Nord 2 can go from zero to 70% in an hour using its 30-watt fast charger.
Getting up to a nearly full charge took around two hours on the Pixel. I do like that the battery indicator in the notification tray continues to show how much battery you have left, as opposed to a vague percentage.
Google claims the battery should be able to run a full day, and from my limited testing these few days the phone seems to hold up to that estimate even after I was taxing it with gaming, video watching, hotspotting and photo taking.
Impact of the chip shortage
The global chip shortage appears to have affected the Pixel line's tradition of offering a bounty of colors, with the 5A just coming in "mostly black" (which to me looked a little green in certain light). Brian Rakowski, vice president of product management at Google, told reporters that this was a result of "supply chain challenges."
"It's an industry-wide shortage," he said, noting that the limited chips available has also meant limiting the places Google will sell the 5A as opposed to offering a wide distribution through a variety of carriers and retailers.
Sarah Tew/CNET
"We definitely could not get as many chips as we wanted for this."
As with last year's Pixel 4A 5G, there's no wireless charging on this new model. Google also appears to have dropped the "spectral and flicker sensor," which could impact taking pictures or videos of screens or shooting under artificial lighting like fluorescent lights. (These changes may not necessarily be related to the chip shortage.)
The good news is that the 5A keeps most of Google's Pixel software features, including call screening for fighting robocalls, car crash detection and a recorder app that can transcribe in real time, as well as photography features like Night Sight for improved images in low light.
Google is promising three years of Android software and security updates in addition to the feature updates it has routinely offered for Pixel phones.
Sarah Tew/CNET
5G… with a catch
5G support is indeed part of this cheaper Pixel, but the details of that support get complicated. You should be able to connect to low-band 5G networks from T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon.
But whereas last year's Pixel 5 included support for higher-frequency millimeter-wave 5G networks, the 5A does not. This means faster speeds, from what Verizon calls Ultra Wideband and what AT&T calls 5G Plus, won't be supported. For a midrange phone this isn't a deal-breaker, but it isn't ideal.
Since Google Fi runs on T-Mobile's network, it works fine on that carrier's low-band as well as its faster midband 5G offering, which it calls Ultra Capacity 5G.
Looking into 5G's future, the 5A's support will be even more complicated. The phone's support of 5G networks running on the C-band is unclear. This is wireless spectrum that Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile spent billions on earlier this year. For Verizon and AT&T, that should provide a significant speed boost beyond just a handful of city blocks.
The first of these networks from AT&T and Verizon should arrive later this year, with Verizon stating earlier this year that this C-band network will allow it to offer peak download speeds of 1 gigabit per second. The Pixel 5, ironically, was announced as one of the first phones to support Verizon's C-band network.
On a hardware level, the 5A should support these forthcoming networks as it has the proper band support inside (what's known as band N77 or N78). The issue is that Google won't commit to updating the software on the Pixel 5A with 5G to enable it.
"The hardware is capable but there hasn't been a lot of deployment yet in the US so the software work would still need to be done," Rakowski said. "We don't have any plans to announce on that front."
When pressed, Rakowski added that Google will "stay in touch with the carriers and evaluate" future support but added that "we're not going to commit, we're not going to make a statement now about future support for what might come in an update."
We already know that more people are holding onto devices for longer, so the lack of support from Google for this upcoming network upgrade -- especially when the physical hardware supports it -- is concerning.
If you're with T-Mobile or a carrier that runs on its network (like Google Fi) you have less to worry about when it comes to accessing a speedy midband 5G network. As for prospective buyers who have AT&T or Verizon, that lack of future support could muddy what's otherwise a solid $449 phone.
Pixel 5A 5G specs
Pixel 5A 5G
Pixel 4A 5G
Pixel 3A
Display size, resolution
6.34-inch OLED, 2,400x1,080 pixels
6.2-inch OLED, 2,340x1,080 pixels
5.6-inch OLED, 2,220x1,080 pixels
Pixel density
413ppi
413ppi
441ppi
Dimensions
156x73x8.8mm
154x74x8.2mm (Sub-6 only); 154x74x8.5 mm (mmWave + Sub-6)
Install android os on windows 11 android 11 google installer android 11 google installer how to install android 11 on pc android 11 features android 11 emulator android 11 easter egg
Android 11: You can install Google's new OS on these phones today. Here's how
Android 11: You can install Google's new OS on these phones today. Here's how
Android 11 is ready for your phone, as long as it's compatible. And if it isn't yet, it could be soon -- phone brands will want to fast-track Google's new operating system for their top phones. The Android 11 update brings a slew of new features, including a screen to control your connected devices, redesigned media controls, improved notifications and a new messaging feature called Bubbles, which you'll either love or hate.
As is usually the case with major Android updates, how soon you'll receive the update depends on who makes your device. Google has said that Android 11 is rolling out to its Pixel 2 and newer phones in that range, along with OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo and Realme phones right now.
Own a Pixel? You're a few taps away from Android 11
Open the Settings app on your phone and, on a Pixel phone at least, tap System > Advanced > System update > Check for update. If your phone doesn't find the update right away, be patient. As is always the case with Google, the update is slowly rolling out, so it might take a few days before it shows up on your phone -- just keep checking.
Once your phone finds the update, just follow the prompts to install it like you would any other update. I recommend having your phone plugged into a charger and a strong Wi-Fi connection to ensure the process is as smooth as possible.
Android 11 will arrive just like a normal update on your Android phone.
Jason Cipriani/CNET
There's an open beta for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro
If you have a OnePlus 8 or OnePlus 8 Pro, the company has launched an open beta of its OxygenOS 11 update, which includes Android 11. Anyone who wants to check out the new features before it's officially released needs to visit the OnePlus forums, where instructions and details are posted. The installation process won't force you to reset your device or lose any data, but it is a beta, so proceed with caution.
I installed the update on a OnePlus 8, following the steps outlined in the post, and it took around 30 minutes to complete. You can download the file directly on your OnePlus phone and use the OnePlus file manager app to move it to the root storage folder, or download it on your computer and transfer the file to your phone in order to install it.
You can go back to a more stable version of OxygenOS if there are too many issues with the beta, but be warned, that will wipe all data from your phone.
Get an early look at Android 11 on your OnePlus phone.
Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET
What about Nokia, Xiaomi, Oppo?
Not every phone-maker has publicly announced their rollout plans for Android 11, but we do know that Nokia has confirmed it will release Android 11.
Oppo will officially announce its ColorOS 11 update on Sept. 14 via a livestream, and has also opened a limited beta for the Find X2, Find X2 Pro, Reno3 (4G) and Reno3 Pro (4G).
Xiaomi posted on Twitter that the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro would be the first devices to get Android 11, and the company has also launched a beta program for early adopters.
We will continue to update this list as more device-makers announce their plans for rolling out Android 11 to their respective phones.
What do you do if you were in the public beta?
You shouldn't have to do anything special if you've been testing Android 11 on a Pixel phone through Google's public beta program. Once the update is available for your phone, you'll update to the official version of Android 11 and "graduate" from the beta program.
You can double-check that you're no longer enrolled in the beta program on the beta website: Your device should say "Opt in" under it.
I've been testing Android 11 for a while now, and have found some features that will change the way you use your phone. There's also some significant improvements to privacy features included in the update. For more general, but still just as great, Android tricks, check out these hidden features.
Right lyrics reviews of windows 10 windows 10 reviews cnet windows 10 reviews and complaints windows 10 pro review microsoft windows 10 support microsoft windows 10 media creation tool microsoft windows 10 download
Microsoft Windows 10 review: Microsoft gets it right
Microsoft Windows 10 review: Microsoft gets it right
When Microsoft unveiled Windows 10 in 2015, it delivered an elegant operating system that could -- for the first time -- fulfill the potential of each modern computing form factor. Equally proficient on a touchscreen tablet, laptop, or conventional desktop PC, Windows 10 resuscitated the operating system's best features while setting the stage for Microsoft's ongoing innovation streak that includes idiosyncratic products like the Surface Pro 4, Surface Book and, more recently, the Surface Studio -- a desktop PC for artists and designers in need of high-end horsepower and display -- and the Surface Dial, a touch-friendly dial designed to facilitate fine contextual controls.
Late 2016 update
The next generation of the popular Surface tablet, the rumored Surface Pro 5, is expected to appear in the spring of 2017 -- timing that may coincide with the rollout of the next version of Windows, a free update scheduled for the first half of 2017. Windows "Creators Update" will introduce 4K video game streaming and support "augmented reality," bringing 3D capabilities to legacy applications such as Paint and PowerPoint. It will support 3D rendering for Microsoft's HoloLens technology, which will be incorporated into forthcoming devices from Acer, Lenovo, Dell, HP and Asus. And it will enable a virtual touchpad that lets you control external monitors from tablets, without need for a mouse.
It's worth mentioning that Apple delivered its own operating system overhaul in September 2016. MacOS Sierra added some new features inspired by its own mobile operating system. And though Apple clearly wishes to continue the integration of Macs and iOS products, providing additional incentives to keep your hardware inside Apple's walled garden, it's not always a perfect fit. In fact, the new MacBooks announced in early October 2016, equipped only with USB-C ports, can't connect to the new iPhone 7 and its Lightning Connector, without an adapter.
Editors' note:The original Microsoft Windows 10 review, first published in July 2015, follows.
Windows 10 is the Goldilocks version of Microsoft's venerable PC operating system -- a "just right" compromise between the familiar dependability of Windows 7, and the forward-looking touchscreen vision of Windows 8.
This new Windows, available as a free upgrade for existing Windows 7 and Windows 8 noncorporate users, is built from the ground up to pursue Microsoft's vision of a unified OS that spans all devices without alienating any one platform. It's an attempt to safeguard Microsoft's crumbling software hegemony, assailed on all sides by Google and Apple. And it's a vision of the future as Microsoft sees it, where a single user experience spans every piece of technology we touch. Welcome to Windows as a service.
Yes, this new OS is chock-full of fresh features. To name just a few: a lean, fast Internet Explorer replacement called Edge; Microsoft's Siri-like voice-controlled virtual assistant, Cortana; and the ability to stream real-time games to your desktop from an Xbox One in another room. (And in case you're wondering: there is no "Windows 9" -- Microsoft skipped it, going straight from 8 to 10.)
Windows 10 bridges the gap between PC and tablet.Nate Ralph/CNET
But Windows 10 is also the end of a long, awkward road that began with the release of Windows 8 in 2012, when Microsoft tried to convince a world of keyboard and mouse wielders that touchscreens were the way to go -- or else. Ironically, in 2015, the PC hardware for that touchscreen future is now here -- everything from 2-in-1s such as the Lenovo Yoga line to convertible tablets with detachable keyboards, like Microsoft's own Surface. And Windows 10 smoothly lets users transition from "tablet" to "PC" mode on such devices like never before.
For the rest of the PC universe -- including those who still prefer good old-fashioned keyboard and mouse navigation -- Windows 10 is a welcome return to form. The Start menu, inexplicably yanked from 8, is back and working the way you expect it to. Those live tiles from the Windows 8 home screen still exist, but they've been attached to the Start menu, where they make a lot more sense. And the fiendishly hidden Charms bar has been morphed into the more straightforward (and easier to find) Action Center.
As always, there are some quibbles and gripes with the end product, but all-in-all -- after living with Windows 10 for months -- I can say it's a winner. It's flexible, adaptable and customizable. And it's been battle-tested by an army of beta testers for the better part of a year, making it one of the most robust operating system rollouts in recent memory.
A fresh Start
The Start menu is back; it's almost funny how relieving that is. That humble Start button has been a fixture on the lower left corner of the Windows desktop since the halcyon days of Windows 95, offering speedy access to apps and settings. Press it on Windows 10, and you'll see the latest step in a long conversation about the state of the PC industry.
I spend more time than I'd like to admit rearranging the Start Menu.Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET
The past sits on the left: a neat column with shortcuts to your most used apps. Press the "All Apps" button and you'll get an alphabetical list of all of the apps installed on your PC. There are folders in there too -- press them, and extra options will fly out, just like they always have.
The future -- or at least, the future as Microsoft envisions it -- sits on the right side of the Start menu. These are the colorful, animated live tiles that debuted in Windows 8, pulling double duty as app shortcuts and informative widgets. You can resize these live tiles, drag them about to arrange them into groups and pin as many apps as you'd like -- the entire Start menu can be shrunk or expanded to suit your liking. It's essentially a miniaturized version of the fullscreen Start menu we saw in Windows 8. Hate live tiles? Then unpin them to excise them from your computer, leaving you with the narrow column of frequently used apps we've known for so long.
One step back, two steps forward
The Start menu in Windows 10 is admission that Windows 8 maybe have been a bit too forward thinking. But Microsoft hasn't abandoned that vision of unifying all manner of devices under a single operating system: Continuum in Windows 10 is the latest attempt to bridge the gap between touch and non-touch devices, and this time it doesn't force us to relearn how to work with our PCs.
To start, there's no divide between the Windows 8-style "Modern" apps you get from the Windows app store, and those you install the old-fashioned way. Everything exists as a traditional windowed app, sharing space on the desktop. If you're on a two-in-one device like Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 , pop the keyboard off and Windows 10 will switch to tablet mode. The Start menu and your apps will stretch to take up the entire screen, and all of the miscellaneous apps and shortcuts on your taskbar will disappear, to give your finger fewer obstacles to hit.
Apps go fullscreen, and the taskbar gets a little less cluttered in tablet mode.Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET
Reattach the keyboard, and everything slots back into place. It's an instantaneous, seamless process (once you've shooed away the annoying confirmation window). It's also entirely optional: you can disable the feature and switch to tablet mode manually, or forget that this whole touch concept exists at all.
This is what Windows 8 always should've been: an operating system that bridges the divide between touch and non-touch, without alienating folks who fall into one camp or the other. Like it or not, the future belongs to devices with touchscreens. But Microsoft (finally) understands that we'll all get there at own pace, and Continuum makes the transition painless. And now that there are so many hybrid devices to choose from, making the switch to touch without abandoning the interface we know is more important than ever.
Learning new tricks
Microsoft hasn't stopped at making touch make sense on a Windows PC. With Windows 10, just about every facet of the OS has been tweaked and updated, and a few new features have been rolled in. In typical Microsoft fashion, there's a dizzying array of keyboard shortcuts and touch gestures for each of these features, giving you no fewer than three ways to access the things you're trying to get to. No need to memorize them all -- just use whatever suits you (or your device) best.
Virtual desktops
If I had to pick my favorite new feature, I'd go with virtual desktops. Click the new Task View button on the taskbar and you'll get a bird's-eye view of all of the apps you've got open. Drag one of those apps onto the "new desktop" button, and it'll be moved to its own independent workspace. I can keep one workspace focused on work, a separate desktop for gaming forums, yet another workspace for the new camera lenses I'm checking out; there's no limit to the amount of virtual desktops you can create, and each one is treated as its own little private island.
Virtual desktops help you spread your apps across several workspaces.Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET
Virtual desktops are far from a new development, and they've been available in past versions of Windows thanks to third-party apps. But it's nice to see Microsoft catching up here. The feature could still use some work: desktops are numbered, but if you create a lot of them it can be hard to keep track of where everything is. The "traditional" Win32 apps you might download and install from a website are happy to open a new instance on any desktop, while clicking the shortcut on an app from the Windows store will yank you back to whatever desktop you used it on last.
You can move apps across virtual desktops -- just drag them, or right-click to shunt them over -- but there's no way to reorder the virtual desktops themselves, which would be really useful for staying organized. I'd also like to be able to set a different wallpaper for every virtual desktop -- I can do both of those things in Apple's OSX operating system, and have always found it really handy.
Windows Snap
The Snap feature introduced in Windows 7 has gotten a bit of an upgrade, too. Drag an app to the left or right side of the screen, and it'll "snap" to fill that space. The new Snap Assist feature will then chime in, showing you little thumbnails of any other apps that are currently open -- click a thumbnail, and it'll fill up the remaining space. You can also snap an app into a corner of your display and fill your screen with up to four apps, divided equally across the screen -- this could prove useful for folks with massive monitors.
Action Center
The new Action Center replaces the "Charms" introduced in Windows 8, and is another nod to mobile operating systems. Click the Action center icon on the taskbar to bring up a panel that houses all of your app notifications, and offers quick access to a few important system settings, like toggling your Wi-Fi network or switching in and out of tablet mode -- you can choose the options that turn up here in the settings menu. If you're coming from Windows 7 and have no idea where to find some of the settings you're used to, there's a good chance you'll find them here.
Wi-Fi Sense
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Wi-Fi Sense. While technically not a new feature (it's part of Windows Phone 8.1) its presence in Windows 10 should've been a welcome addition: Wi-Fi Sense connects your devices to trusted Wi-Fi hotspots.
I love the idea. Automatically sharing Wi-Fi credentials with my friends would remove much of the hassle of most social gatherings, when people just want to jump on my Wi-Fi network. And -- this part is key -- Wi-Fi Sense doesn't share your actual password, so it theoretically eases a social transaction (the sharing of Wi-Fi connectivity) without necessarily compromising my network security.
Until Wi-Fi sense offers granular control over sharing, I'd avoid it.Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET
But the implementation is, in a word, daft. I do want to automatically share my network with a select group of friends who are visiting, and have them return the favor. I don't want to automatically share access with everyone in my Outlook address book, or on Skype, or the random assortment of folks I've added on Facebook over the years. Give me the ability to choose who I share access with, down to the individual, and I'll give it a shot. Until then, I'll be leaving Wi-Fi Sense off -- I recommend you do too.
Windows Hello and Windows Passport
Microsoft is also beefing up security with Windows Hello. The feature will use your Windows 10 devices' camera or a fingerprint scanner to turn your body into a password. Once you've authenticated yourself with Windows Hello, Windows Passport will then give you access to a number of third-party sites and products, without forcing you to log in all over again. This should make it a bit more convenient to log in to your devices, so you don't skimp on traditional measures, like having a robust password. The only catch is that Hello isn't widely supported on a lot of existing hardware: you'll need a device sporting Intel's RealSense camera, or a fingerprint scanner.
Chatting with Cortana
Microsoft's virtual assistant Cortana isn't exactly a new feature, as she's been on Windows Phone for just over a year. But the company's answer to Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa and Google Now has made the transition to the desktop with Windows 10, taking over the OS' search functionality, while also handling quite a few housekeeping duties. You can have Cortana trawl through your email and calendar, and keep you notified of any upcoming flights you're taking, or packages you're expecting. She can set reminders and track stocks, and you can even dictate email messages for her to send to your contacts. Cortana can also be set to listen for you to say "Hey, Cortana," and can be trained to recognize several different voices. If you want to learn more about Cortana, head over to my preview on Microsoft's virtual assistant .
Cortana will help you get things done.James Martin/CNET
I'm torn. I love Google Now's proactive stream of useful information, served to me whenever I need it. But my primary mobile device is an Android phone and not a Windows Phone, which keeps my interactions with Cortana sequestered to my desktop.
She's not especially useful here. Windows 10's Voice recognition is rather accurate, but if I have to send an email message and I'm at my desk, I'm just going to use my email client. She'll offer recommendations for places to eat or things to see, but that'd be a lot more useful when I'm out and about than at my desk. The same goes for reminders, which are decidedly less useful if I can't access them anywhere.
Cortana will be making her way to Android and iOS devices later this year, which should clear up most of these issues -- provided most of her functionality crosses platforms without issue. I'll still turn to Cortana for the occasional joke, but until it's available on a phone I use regularly, I'll be sticking to Google for Now.
Microsoft Edge rethinks the browser
Microsoft has added a brand-new browser into Windows 10, and it's called Microsoft Edge. Introducing a new browser in a world that already has Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple's Safari is a pretty bold move. Doubly so when your previous effort was Internet Explorer -- once a juggernaut in the space, now the Internet's favorite punchline.
Annotate webpages with Microsoft's Edge browser.James Martin/CNET
Edge is a fast, modern browser that offers quite a few commendable features. Cortana is integrated right into the browser, and she'll offer detailed information on things like the weather or flight statuses while you're typing into the browser's address bar. Navigate over to a bar or restaurant's website, and Cortana can pull up a little sidebar full of useful information, like reviews or directions. The webnote feature lets you scribble on webpages and share your annotations to OneNote or via email, and you can use the Reading view option to strip a website down to its bare essentials. Edge has also been built with tighter security from the start, to hopefully circumvent some of the headaches that erupted from Internet Explorer.
But there are no extensions to tame overzealous advertisements, or enhance websites like Reddit, or simply organized my tabs -- I've been thoroughly spoiled by Google Chrome. There's no way to sync tabs or bookmarks across devices, and you currently can't import bookmarks from other browsers. All those features will be available eventually, with support for extensions coming sometime before the end of the year -- like Windows 10, Edge is a constantly evolving work in progress. But it's going to take a lot for someone like me, wholly enmeshed in Google's ecosystem, to ditch Chrome for something new. Internet Explorer also isn't going anywhere: it'll remain a part of Windows for the foreseeable future, as legacy apps are dependent on it. Head over to my Microsoft Edge preview to learn more about Microsoft Edge .
Getting your game on
Windows 10 adds and tweaks a few things in the entertainment department. The Xbox Video and Xbox Music apps have been renamed to Movies & TV and Groove Music, respectively. Their function is identical: any music and video files on your device can be found here, but it mostly serves as a means to convince you to buy or rent content from Microsoft's stores. You've got plenty of streaming services to choose from, for music and video.
Xbox Live achievements for Solitaire? Brilliant.Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET
If you're a gamer, the Xbox app will prove far more interesting. It's a window into your Xbox Live feed, letting you see what your friends are up to and send them messages, browse recordings people have made, compare achievements, and all of the expected ways of interacting with the social network. But if you own an Xbox One, you can stream activity from your console to any device running Windows 10.
It's awesome. No, it's not a game changer, and certainly not a reason to run out and grab an Xbox One. But it's still awesome: if someone wants to use the television, I can just plug an Xbox One controller into one of my PCs and continue plugging away at the Xbox One version of The Witcher 3 . The quality of the experience is going to be dependent on your network, so I'd recommend making sure both your console and the PC you're streaming to are connect to your LAN. The console also can't be used by others when it's streaming so this won't enable cooperative gaming. But if you frequently find yourself sharing the TV and have a PC with Windows 10 on hand, it's a fun little addition that could come in handy.
Handy tools for shutterbugs
The new Photos app isn't going to replace something like Adobe Lightroom, but if you take a lot of photos and are looking for a simple tool to keep things organized, you'll do well here.
Use the Photos app to make quick, non-destructive edits to your pictures.Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET
The Photos app scans your devices and OneDrive account for photos, and automatically arranges them into albums. You can use the app as a way to keep track of your pictures, but it also offers some basic editing tools too. If you prefer a hands-off approach, Photos will automatically enhance all of the photos it finds, wrangling red eye and sorting out exposure levels -- it works on RAW files, too. But don't worry: the edits Photos makes are non-destructive, so you can undo any changes it makes, or prevent it from altering your photos altogether.
Windows, everywhere
Windows 10 has finally arrived, but this version of Windows is fundamentally different from any that have come before it. It will truly be an everywhere OS, a concept Microsoft will be pushing with Windows 10 Mobile , and Universal Apps. We've been here before: apps developed for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 could share much of their code, which was supposed to make it easy to create a single app that ran everywhere.
Microsoft's universal apps share an identical codebase: the Excel client on your desktop, for example, will be the exact same client as the one on your phone, with elements adjusted to make sense of the different display, and the lack of a keyboard or mouse. You can currently get a taste of this on the latest version of Windows 10 Mobile, and while I wouldn't recommend editing spreadsheets on your smartphone, it's possible.
Universal apps will lead to their own challenges, as developers will have to weigh creating rich, robust apps that can run on a mobile device, against developing apps that can make use of all of the power a full PC can bring to bear. Microsoft is already drafting a solution using Continuum. Microsoft has demonstrated Continuum for phones: plug a Windows Phone into a display, and the interface will one day morph to mimic the PC-based version of Windows. You'll see the desktop, desktop-versions of Windows Store apps, and get full mouse and keyboard support. There's no word on when Continuum for phones will be available, or what devices it'll run on, but it offers a tantalizing glimpse of what Microsoft has in store.
Getting ready for what's next
The Windows Update process will be key to getting everyone on board with Microsoft's vision of the future of Windows. It'll also prove to be one of the most contentious elements: if you're running the standard Home version of Windows 10, updates are automatic and can't be refused.
This is a great thing. Windows' Achilles' heel has long been its nigh-ubiquity, which makes it a prime target for malware and other digital nastiness. A computer that's kept up to date is a happy computer, as it will offer you the best chance of avoiding viruses and other unpleasant things.
You can delay updates, but you can't avoid them.Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET
This is also a terrible thing. Many of us have encountered software updates that don't quite work out, occasionally breaking more than they fix. One of the last updates to the Windows 10 preview has been triggering software crashes, a recurring reminder that things occasionally don't work out as intended.
Microsoft has plans in place to mitigate these snafus: those of us who've signed up for the Windows Insider program can opt to continue serving as beta testers in perpetuity, and we'll be receiving every update first, for better or worse. But an army of five million testers could go a long way toward making sure these compulsory updates go as smoothly as possible. Insiders will also be able to continue driving the future of Windows by sharing feedback on features and functionality in Windows as they are developed.
I still worry that something will eventually slip through the cracks, and that will be the forced update that sours everyone's mood on the whole process. But I still favor Microsoft's approach: better to deal with the occasional botched update than have the legion of vulnerable or compromised devices that currently exists.
Conclusion
In an ideal world, we'd just call Microsoft's latest operating system "Windows," and sweep version numbers and codenames under the rug. That "10" gives the impression that something comes next, when in reality Windows is transitioning from something you buy (begrudgingly) once every few years, to a living document that's constantly being updated, and tweaked. For many Windows users expecting a predictable upgrade cadence, this is going to be a difficult transition.
Windows 10 will mean the end of grand, sweeping changes, with a marked increase in the sort of minute, quality-of-life tweaks we've grown accustomed to on our smartphones and tablets. Cortana will learn new tricks, and the interface will become flexible enough to support entirely new kinds of devices, like Microsoft's HoloLens . Should Windows Phone survive, we'll eventually see the world Microsoft envisioned back at the launch of Windows 8, when every device was supposed to feel right at home.
All of that comes later. What we have, at present, is a fast, functional OS that that is equally at home on a beefy gaming rig as it is on a Surface tablet. It does everything you expect it to, and bakes in all of the improvements Windows 8 brought to bear. Both Cortana and Edge have a long road ahead of them before they'll supplant Google's vicelike grip on my digital life, but the novelty of dictating emails and requests to my PC is not lost on me. And then there's the price: free, for those upgrading from Windows 7 or Windows 8.
If you're running Windows 7 or Windows 8 you've little to lose, and quite a bit to gain, by making the jump to Windows 10. If you're still on Windows XP, you've probably got your reasons. But Windows 10 marks the first steps in a transition from operating system to ecosystem, a wild dream that gets a little less crazy every time I ask my PC a question, or pop the keyboard of my laptop to get some reading done. This is Microsoft's second attempt at bringing us the future, and this time they're getting it right.
