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Computer company Framework wants you to upgrade and repair your laptop
Computer company Framework wants you to upgrade and repair your laptop
Framework
A common complaint about modern laptops is that they're essentially sealed boxes with no user-serviceable parts inside. A new tech startup, Framework, wants to bring the DIY vibe back to portable PCs with laptops that encourage tinkering and upgrading.
Laptops used to come with removable batteries at least, and sometimes they'd have upgradable RAM, storage or even GPUs. Today, that's the rare exception to the rule, especially with companies such as Apple integrating batteries tightly into the design -- MacBooks are essentially laptop-shaped batteries with tiny bits of computer wrapped around them. Many manufacturers now also solder RAM and storage directly to the motherboard.
Expansion bays allow for swappable ports.
Framework
The Framework Laptop is a 13.5-inch system that the company says was designed to, "empower you with great products you can easily customize, upgrade, and repair, increasing longevity and reducing e-waste in the process."
In this case, that means an expansion card system, socketed storage and RAM and a (hypothetically) replaceable main board and central processing unit. Also, "high-use parts like the battery, screen, keyboard and color-customizable magnetic-attach bezel are easy to replace, with spares available directly through our web store."
It sounds like a great idea, at least on paper, and the four accessory bays can choose between housing inserts for USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort, MicroSD, extra storage or even a dedicated headphone amp.
The base system will weigh just under 3 pounds and be 15.9mm thick. Other key specs include:
13.5-inch, 3:2 aspect ratio 2256x1504 display
1080p 60fps webcam
57Wh replaceable battery
11th Gen Intel Core Processors
Wi-Fi 6
Up to 64GB of DDR4 memory and 4TB of storage
The Framework company was founded by Nirav Patel, one of the early members of the Oculus team dating back to its Kickstarter days, and later the company's head of hardware. Pricing, exact specs and availability details for the Framework Laptop line will be forthcoming, with an expected launch this summer. Three base models will ship with Windows 10 Home or Pro, and a DIY edition will let you install your OS of choice -- yes, even Linux.
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Apple's iPad and M1 Mac Sales May Tell Us Whether the Chip Shortage Is Finally Ending
Apple's iPad and M1 Mac Sales May Tell Us Whether the Chip Shortage Is Finally Ending
Two years ago, Apple was one of the first companies to warn that the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting global manufacturing. Now the tech giant may offer the first signs that things are improving.
Apple will announce its earnings for its second fiscal quarter after market close Thursday. Usually, Apple executives who discuss the results with analysts on a public conference call like to talk about how popular its products are and how exciting the next ones will be. But over the past year, they've also increasingly warned that they're struggling to build enough iPads and Macs to meet demand, missing out on billions of dollars in potential sales.
Though Apple isn't providing forward-looking guidance during the pandemic, analysts on average expect the company to report $1.43 in profit per share on $93.9 billion in sales for the three months ended in March, according to surveys published by Yahoo Finance. That would amount to a 2% increase in profit per share from the same time a year ago and roughly 4% increase in sales.
Assuming Apple meets or beats those expectations, analysts say it's likely the iPhone and its associated accessories made the biggest difference. And that's even though demand for its Mac computers and iPad tablets has risen to record levels.
"We believe demand for the iPhone 13 held up better than expected through the end of the March quarter," Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty wrote in a note to investors last week. "iPhone data points out of China were notably strong in the face of broader market weakness."
The chip shortage has impacted a lot of companies, ranging from car makers to appliance manufacturers.
Scott Stein/CNET
Whatever Apple says will likely be seen as a bellwether for the tech industry, which has struggled with supply shortages, particularly as demand for computers, tablets and cameras and other technology jumped amid the pandemic.
The ongoing supply shortages have rippled throughout the global economy, slowing production of everything from cars to medical equipment. The constrained supplies have also pushed prices higher, contributing to inflation.
Apple and other tech companies have vowed to increase production in the US to help offset slowdowns in international shipping and manufacturing, but many of those projects are still years from completion. In the meantime, some supplies of chips have improved.
Analysts will likely be listening for any further signs from Apple on Thursday, particularly as the world struggles war started by Russia invading Ukraine. Lockdowns from another wave of rising COVID infections in China have shuttered ports In Shanghai and others cities, further contributing to shipping delays.
Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi said in a note to investors Monday that consumers appear to be slowing their spending binge that was a hallmark of the pandemic. "With slowing growth, high inflation and geopolitical uncertainty tied to the Russia-Ukraine conflict," he wrote, "consumer sentiment appears to be waning."
There are also signs that the manufacturing slowdowns may still impact financial results for the summer, particularly as Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani noted that factories that make about 20% of iPhones were shut down this month amid rising health concerns. "Revenue growth will likely decelerate," he wrote in typical Wall Street lingo on Monday, adding that sales may drop more than even some analysts may be expecting.
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The best Amazon Cyber Monday deals you can get right now
The best Amazon Cyber Monday deals you can get right now
This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.
mBlack Friday chaos is winding down and Cyber Monday is your last day to get in on some of the best deals of the year. Major retailers including Best Buy, Walmart and Target all have their final waves of deals live today, and Amazon is no exception, offering big savings on headphones, laptops, TVs, vacuums and more. You can see the entire selection of sales on Amazon's Cyber Monday homepage. But with only a couple of hours left on these discounts, we've gone ahead and sorted through page after page of deals so you can shop for the best offers without the legwork. Browse our list of the top Cyber Monday deals at Amazon below.
Latest Cyber Monday deals
As stock starts to dwindle after the madness of last week, sale items can come and go pretty quickly. We'll keep updating this page with the latest restocks and new deals, so be sure to check back often for the latest. These are current as of Monday, Nov. 29.
Amazon Cyber Monday deals at a glance
Amazon Cyber Monday PC deals
Amazon's Cyber Monday PC deals include a wide variety of Chromebook models, some tablets and a whole bunch of PC accessories like storage, keyboards, headsets and more.
Belkin
The $35 Belkin Power Strip is down to $25. This powerful addition to your work desk comes with a single compact surge-protected extension cord. You get 10 surge-protection AC outlets for charging your computer, laptop, phone, camera and more.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
The Chromebook Flex 3 from Lenovo features an 11.6-inch display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and up to 10 hours of battery life per charge. While not designed for intense gaming or video editing, Chromebooks are great for web browsing, social use, document creation and more. This Chromebook should get updates through June 2028.
More great Amazon Cyber Monday PC deals:
More great Amazon Cyber Monday PC accessory deals:
Amazon Cyber Monday Echo and Fire device deals
More great Amazon Cyber Monday Echo and Fire device deals:
Amazon Cyber Monday TV deals
If you need a new TV for a room of your home or happen to be looking to upgrade your audio or streaming experience, these Amazon Black Friday TV deals are what you'll want to check out. There are lots of TVs on sale, from basic 1080p sets to top of the line OLED 4K TVs, so don't miss out right now.
Amazon
This year Amazon began making its own television sets that ran the Fire TV OS alongside the Insignia and Toshiba models that do the same. The Omni Series offers hands-free TV with Alexa and Dolby Vision, where the 4-Series has a few less features but comes in a bit cheaper. There are multiple sizes available for each model.
More great Cyber Monday Friday TV deals:
Amazon Cyber Monday kitchen deals
Air fryers, cookware, blenders, coffee machines and so much more are included in Amazon's Cyber Monday kitchen deals. Whether you want a new Hydro Flask to store your water or a Nespresso to brew you a great cup of coffee in the morning, these are the discounts you've been waiting for.
Nespresso
Making a delicious cup of coffee at home just got a whole lot more affordable with these great Nespresso deals. You can make coffee, iced coffee, espresso and much more with just the tap of a button. The roast is consistent every time and the Nespresso does all the work for you, there's no settings to change or anything based on the pod you use.
Kaffe
This compact, electric blade grinder is a great way to get richer, bolder coffee by grinding at home, rather than picking up stale grounds from the store. It comes in a couple of different finishes, including stainless steel and copper, to match your kitchen decor.
More great Amazon Cyber Monday kitchen and smart home deals:
Amazon Cyber Monday Headphone deals
If you're in the market for a new set of headphones, Amazon's Cyber Monday deals have you covered. The online retailer has wireless, wired, on-ear, in-ear and more all at amazing prices right now. There's a ton of brands on sale as well as different styles and colors, so be sure to check them all out now.
David Carnoy/CNET
With the arrival of Beats new Fit Pro earbuds, I assumed we'd see some nice discounts on the earlier and less feature-rich Beats Studio Buds, which list for $150, or only $50 less than the new $200 Beats Fit Pro. I predicted we might see their price dip to $100 and sure enough, that's what their price is (and a new low).
The Beats Studio Buds look a lot like the rumored stemless AirPods that people were talking about but never materialized -- as AirPods anyway. Geared toward both iOS and Android users, they're missing a few key features on the Apple side of things (there's no H1 or W1 chip), but they're small, lightweight earbuds that are comfortable to wear and offer good sound. They fit most ears securely, including mine -- I run with them without a problem -- but others may find a better fit with the Beats Fit Pro and their integrated wing tips.
Note that using code BYZPPJADUODB during checkout will score you a $10 Amazon credit in addition to the upfront discount.
Read our Beats Studio Buds review.
More great Amazon Cyber Monday audio deals:
When do Amazon Cyber Monday deals end?
Amazon's Cyber Monday deals are mostly an extension of the company's Black Friday deals, which have been live for almost a week or longer. Amazon continues to push new daily deals at midnight PT, so be sure to keep checking back for what's new and to make sure you aren't missing out on any great deals. But don't delay: While a handful of Amazon Cyber Monday deals may stay on for a few hours, or even days, most of the best prices will end at the end of the day on Nov. 29.
Will Amazon have the PS5 or Xbox Series X for Cyber Monday?
Honestly, it's unknown at this point. Amazon could hold another restock event at any point during the weekend. As it stands now, we anticipate that Walmart will have some online availability on Cyber Monday, but nothing else is confirmed or rumored at this point.
Apple's MacBook Pro Models With M1 Pro Chip Hit New Lows, With Up to $350 Off
Apple's MacBook Pro Models With M1 Pro Chip Hit New Lows, With Up to $350 Off
If you've been holding out for a steep discount on Apple's top-tier MacBook Pro models, your patience is being rewarded today with some of the best MacBook deals we've seen to date. Apple's MacBook Pro models with its powerful M1 Pro chip have had prices slashed at Best Buy with as much as $350 taken off their regular prices. The My Best Buy member-exclusive markdowns apply to both 14-inch and 16-inch versions and make for the lowest prices ever on these machines.
If you want Apple's largest laptop, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is the very fellow. It packs in a gorgeous 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion and 1,600 nits of peak brightness. Inside, the devices are powered by Apple's M1 Pro chip with a 10‑core CPU, 16‑core GPU and 16GB of RAM. Both the 512GB and 1TB configurations are discounted by $350 at Best Buy right now -- a better price than during Prime Day earlier this month.
On the smaller side, the more portable 14-inch MacBook Pro is available for as little as $1,699 at Best Buy, which is $300 off. That's the lowest we've seen this machine go and the 1TB configuration is discounted by even more at $350 off. Both machines are also running Apple's M1 Pro chip with 16GB of RAM.
There's no telling how long these deals will last, so it's best to place your order as soon as possible if you want to get in on the current savings. As mentioned, the full discount on each laptop is exclusively available to My Best Buy members, though it's free to sign up for a membership, making it well worth doing. If you're not seeing the full savings, make sure you're logged in with your My Best Buy account.
Inflation, Interest Rates and Jobs: How Today's Economy Compares to Recessions of the Past
Inflation, Interest Rates and Jobs: How Today's Economy Compares to Recessions of the Past
This story is part of Recession Help Desk, CNET's coverage of how to make smart money moves in an uncertain economy.
What's happening
There's still debate about whether the US economy is officially headed into a recession, but the economic downturn is causing widespread stress.
Why it matters
Periods of financial volatility and market decline can drive people to panic and make costly mistakes with their money.
What's next
Examining what's happening now -- and comparing it with the past -- can help investors and consumers decide what to do next.
Facing the aftershocks of a rough economy in the first half of 2022, with sky-high inflation, rising mortgage rates, soaring gas prices and a bear market for stocks, leading indicators of a recession have moderated slightly in the past month. That could mean the economic downturn won't be as long or brutal as expected.
Still, the majority of Americans are feeling the sting of rising prices and anxiety over jobs. The country has experienced two consecutive quarters of economic slowdown -- the barometer for measuring a recession -- even though the National Bureau of Economic Research hasn't made the "official" recession call.
At a time like this, we should consider what happens in a recession, look at the data to determine whether we're in one and try to maintain some historical perspective. It's also worth pointing out that down periods are temporary and that, over time, both the stock market and the US economy bounce back.
I don't mean to minimize the gravity and hardship of the times. But it can be useful to review how the economy has behaved in the past to avoid irrational or impulsive money moves. For this, we can largely blame recency bias, our inclination to view our latest experiences as the most valid. It's what led many to flee the stock market in 2008 when the S&P 500 crashed, thereby locking in losses and missing out on the subsequent bull market.
"It's our human tendency to project the immediate past into the future indefinitely," said Daniel Crosby, chief behavioral officer at Orion Advisor Solutions and author of The Laws of Wealth. "It's a time-saving shortcut that works most of the time in most contexts but can be woefully misapplied in markets that tend to be cyclical," Crosby told me via email.
Before you make a knee-jerk reaction to your portfolio, give up on a home purchase or lose it over job insecurity, consider these chart-based analyses from the last three decades. We hope this data-driven overview will offer a broader context and some impetus for making the most of your money today.
What do we know about inflation?
Historical inflation rate by year
Macrotrends.net
Current conditions: The US is experiencingthe highest rate of inflation in decades, driven by global supply chain disruptions, the injection of federal stimulus dollars and a surge in consumer spending. In real dollars, the 8.5% rise in consumer prices over the past year is adding about $400 more per month to household budgets.
The context: Policymakers consider 2% per year to be a "normal" inflation target. The country's still experiencing over four times that figure. The 9.1% annual rate in July was the largest jumpin inflation since 1980 when the inflation rate hit 13.5% following the prior decade's oil crisis and high government spending on defense, social services, health care, education and pensions. Back then, the Federal Reserve increased rates to stabilize prices and, by the mid-1980s, inflation fell to below 5%.
The upside: As overall inflation rates rise, the silver lining might be increased rates of return on personal savings. Bank accounts are starting to offer more attractive yields, while I bonds -- federally backed accounts that more or less track inflation -- are attracting savers, too.
What's happening with mortgage rates?
30-year fixed-rate mortgage averages in the US
Current conditions: As the Federal Reserve continues its rate-hike campaign to cool spending and try to tame inflation, the rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage has grown significantly. In June, the average rate jumped annually by nearly 3 percentage points to almost 6%. In real dollars, that means that after a 20% down payment on a new home (let's use the average sale price of $429,000), a buyer would roughly need an extra $7,300 a year to afford the mortgage. Since then, rates have cooled a bit, even dipping back down below 5%. What happens next with rates depends on where inflation goes from here.
The context: Three years ago, homebuyers faced similar borrowing costs and, at the time, rates were characterized as "historically low." And if we think borrowing money is expensive today, let's not forget the early 1980s when the Federal Reserve jacked up rates to never-before-seen levels due to hyperinflation. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in 1981 topped 16%.
The upside: For homebuyers, a potential benefit to rising rates is downward pressure on home prices, which could cause the housing market to cool slightly. As the cost to borrow continues to increase with mortgages becoming more expensive, homes could experience fewer offers and prices would slow in pace. In fact, nearly one in five sellers dropped their asking price during late April through late May, according to Redfin.
On the flip side, less homebuyers mean more renters. Rent prices have skyrocketed, and housing activists are asking the White House to take action on what they call a "national emergency."
What about the stock market?
Dow Jones Industrial Average stock market index for the past 30 years
Macrotrends.net
Current conditions: Year-to-date, the Dow Jones Industrial Average -- a composite of 30 of the most well-known US stocks such as Apple, Microsoft and Coca-Cola -- is about 8.5% below where it started in January. Relative to the broader market, technology stocks are down much more. The Nasdaq is off almost 19% since the start of the year.
The benchmark S&P 500 stock index hit lows in June that marked a more than 20% drop from January, which brought us officially into a bear market. Since then, it's bounced back up a little, but some experts warn that a current bear market rally is at odds with expected earnings and we could see even lower stock prices in the near future.
The context: Stock price losses in 2022 are not nearly as swift and steep as what we saw in March 2020, when panic over the pandemic drove the DJIA down by 26% in roughly four trading days. The market reversed course the following month and began a bull run lasting more than two years, as the lockdown drove massive consumption of products and services tied to software, health care, food and natural gas.
Prior to that, in 2008 and 2009, a deep and pervasive crisis in housing and financial services sank the Dow by nearly 55% from its 2007 high. But by fall 2009, it was off to one of its longest winning streaks in financial history.
The upside: Given the cyclical nature of the stock market, now is not the time to jump ship.* "Times that are down, you at least want to hold and/or think about buying," said Adam Seessel, author of Where the Money Is. "Over the last 100 years, American stocks have been the surest way to grow wealthy slowly over time," he told me during a recent So Money podcast.
*One caveat: If you're closer to or living in retirement and your portfolio has taken a sizable hit, it may be worth talking to a professional and reviewing your selection of funds to ensure that you're not taking on too much risk. Target-date funds, a popular investment vehicle in many retirement accounts that auto-adjust for risk as you age, may be too risky for pre- or early retirees.
What does unemployment tell us?
US unemployment rates
Current conditions: The July jobs report shows the unemployment rate holding steady, slightly dropping to 3.5%. The Great Resignation of 2021, where millions of workers quit their jobs over burnout, as well as unsatisfactory wages and benefits, left employers scrambling to fill positions. However, that could be changing as economic challenges deepen: More job losses are likely on the horizon, and an increasing number of workers are concerned with job security.
The context: The rebound in theunemployment rate is an economic hallmark of the past two years. But the ongoing interest rate hike may weigh on corporate profits, leading to more layoffs and hiring freezes. For context, during the Great Recession, in a two-year span from late 2007 to 2009, the unemployment rate rose sharply from about 5% to 10%.
Today, the tech sector is one to watch. After benefiting from rapid growth led by consumer demand in the pandemic, companies like Google and Facebook may be in for a "correction." Layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks downsizing at tech startups, logged close to 37,000 layoffs in Q2, more than triple from the same period last year.
The upside: If you're worried about losing your job because your employer may be more vulnerable in a recession, document your wins so that when review season arrives, you're ready to walk your manager through your top-performing moments. Offer strategies for how to weather a potential slowdown. All the while, review your reserves to see how far you can stretch savings in case you're out of work. Keep in mind that in the previous recession, it took an average of eight to nine months for unemployed Americans to secure new jobs.
§
What's happening
Home prices overall are up by 37% since March 2020.
Why it matters
Surging home prices and higher interest rates make monthly mortgage payments less affordable.
What's next
Rising mortgage rates will make borrowing money more expensive, which will lessen competition to buy homes and eventually flatten prices.
Home prices continued to skyrocket in March as buyers tried to stay ahead of rising mortgage rates.
Prices increased by 20.6% this March compared to last year, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices, the leading measures of US home prices. This was the highest year-over-year increase in March for home prices in more than 35 years of data. Seven in 10 homes sold for more than their asking price, according to CoreLogic.
Out of the 20 cities tracked by the 20-city composite index, Tampa, Phoenix and Miami saw the highest year-over-year gains in March. Tampa saw the greatest increase, with an almost 35% increase in home prices year-over-year. All 20 cities experienced double-digit price growth for the year ending in March.
The strongest price growth was seen in the south and southeast, with both regions posting almost 30% gains in March. Seventeen of the 20 metro areas also saw acceleration in their annual gains since February.
"Those of us who have been anticipating a deceleration in the growth rate of US home prices will have to wait at least a month longer," said Craig Lazzara, managing director at S&P DJI, in the release. "The strength of the Composite indices suggests very broad strength in the housing market, which we continue to observe."
Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, home prices overall are up by 37%. The current surge in home prices is a result of tight competition between buyers in a low-inventory market as they attempt to lock in lower mortgage rates before rates jump even higher throughout the year, as experts predict they will.
If you're considering buying a new home -- or are actively in the market -- the news isn't all bad. Interest rates are at their highest point in more than 40 years, and one potential benefit of that may, eventually, be downward pressure on home prices. As it becomes increasingly expensive to borrow money, fewer people will seek to do so, and homes for sale may receive fewer offers leading to, eventually, lower prices. In fact, nearly one in five sellers lowered their asking price during a four-week period in May and April, according to Redfin.
"Mortgages are becoming more expensive as the Federal Reserve has begun to ratchet up interest rates, suggesting that the macroeconomic environment may not support extraordinary home price growth for much longer," said Lazzara. "Although one can safely predict that price gains will begin to decelerate, the timing of the deceleration is a more difficult call."
Apple's M1 Pro and M1 Max chips mean new trouble for Intel
Apple's M1 Pro and M1 Max chips mean new trouble for Intel
A year ago, Apple announced it was taking on Intel's most efficient chips by introducing lightweight MacBook laptops powered by the M1, a homegrown processor. On Monday, the consumer electronics giant expanded its challenge, launching MacBook Pro laptops built around the new M1 Pro and M1 Max that take on Intel's beefier chips.
The new MacBook Pros bode well for Apple's attempt to take firmer control over its products. And they're bad news for Intel, whose chips Apple is ejecting from its Macs after a 15-year partnership. It's a loss of revenue, prestige and orders to keep its factories running at full capacity.
"Intel has completely lost the Mac and is unlikely to regain it any time soon," New Street Research analyst Pierre Ferragu said in a research note Tuesday.
Intel didn't lose this big customer overnight. The company that was once synonymous with consumer computers -- remember Intel Inside? -- fell on hard times because of difficulties upgrading its manufacturing. New CEO Pat Gelsinger has started an Intel recovery plan, including an effort to revitalize manufacturing progress. But turning around a behemoth requires patience.
Meet the Mac's new chips
Intel's troubles encouraged Apple to develop its own chip expertise and technology for computers. (It already designed its own A-series chips for the iPhone and iPad, and indeed the M-series chips capitalize on that investment.) The company's M1 processors, which came in last year's MacBook Air and low-end 13-inch MacBook Pro, were evidence it wanted to take control of its own future.
The M1 Pro and M1 Max demonstrate the company's increasing power as a chip designer. Both are designed for more capable models, the 14-inch and 16-inch Pros, geared for video editors, programmers and others with intense computing needs. The heft of the chips -- each of which sports eight performance and two efficiency cores, compared with the M1's four-by-four design -- is intended to sustain heavy work. They also come with much more powerful graphics processing power and memory, up to 16GB for the M1 Pro and 64GB for the M1 Max.
Miniaturization is what lets chip manufacturers economically squeeze in more transistors, a chip's electronic circuitry elements. The new M1 models are doozies of miniaturization, with 34 billion transistors in the M1 Pro and 57 billion in the M1 Max. That's how it could add special chip modules for graphics, video, AI, communications and security into its high-end MacBook Pros.
Intel's troubles
Intel, which for decades has led the world in chip technology, suffered for the last half decade as an upgrade to its manufacturing technology dragged on longer than the usual two years. The company's problem came as it tried to move from a 14-nanometer manufacturing process to 10nm, the next "node" of progress. (A nanometer is a billionth of a meter.)
Intel didn't respond to a request for comment. Apple didn't comment for this story.
Apple's chip foundry, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., took advantage of Intel's lag to the benefit of Apple, Nvidia, AMD and other Intel rivals. It now leads in electronics miniaturization and the all-important measurement of performance per watt of power consumed.
The result is the M1 Pro and M1 Max, which according to Apple's measurements are 1.7 times faster than Intel's current eight-core Tiger Lake chips, formally called 11th generation Core. Compared differently, the M1 Pro and Max consume 70% less power than the Tiger Lake chips at the same performance level.
Apple doesn't reveal which speed tests it uses, so the results are hard to validate at this stage. The consensus, however, is that the performance claims are valid in broad terms.
"I am overall impressed at what Apple has been able to do on the latest process from TSMC," said Patrick Moorhead, analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy. He estimates that Apple saves a few hundred dollars per laptop because it doesn't have to buy Intel processors, although it spends a lot of that money designing its chips.
Don't count Intel out yet
To be sure, Intel won't be hurt badly by the loss of Apple's business. The company has plenty of other business. The vast majority of Windows PCs still use x86 processors from Intel and AMD. And customers only rarely change from Windows to MacOS or vice versa.
It also doesn't have a lot of competition. Apple doesn't license its chips to others, and Qualcomm's efforts to sell processors to PC makers has been a limited success at best.
Intel mostly has to worry about AMD, which makes increasingly capable chips but still trails in market share.
Intel also has its Alder Lake processor, scheduled for later this year, and Meteor Lake processor, coming in 2023, to generate excitement. The chips will bring speed boosts in part by adopting a combination of performance and efficiency cores, just like the M1 does, and by adopting the new Intel 7 and Intel 4 manufacturing processes.
Still, Apple has taken wind out of Intel's sails. Intel may narrow the gap as its new chips hit the market. But in the meantime, Apple's M series could help it steal market share from Windows computers, Intel's stronghold.
Stock Market Secrets: My Smartest Investment Tips After 16 Years of Reporting
Stock Market Secrets: My Smartest Investment Tips After 16 Years of Reporting
This story is part of Recession Help Desk, CNET's coverage of how to make smart money moves in an uncertain economy.
If there's one thing I've learned in all my years of reporting, it's this: The stock market is moody.
In 2006, I began a new role as a financial correspondent reporting from the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. My job was to make sense of why the market was up or down each day. I'd start out each morning interviewing mostly older, white male brokers who were in charge of buying and selling shares on behalf of large institutional investors. (Also true: I was required to wear closed-toe shoes and a blazer. The dress code then was strict and a bit ridiculous.)
I learned if tech stocks slumped just after the market opened, it might have been due to lower-than-expected earnings the evening before from an industry giant like Apple. Any hint of turbulence in the tech sector induced panicked brokers to drop shares at the opening bell.
The market doesn't actually reflect reality. It measures the moods and attitudes of people like the brokers I used to interview.
"Today's stock prices aren't because of how businesses are performing today," said Matt Frankel, a certified financial planner and contributing analyst for The Motley Fool, in an email. "They are based on future expectations."
That's the problem: Current prices serve as a gauge of investor confidence, but stock market predictions are, at best, educated guesses. And to further complicate matters, "the markets are not always correct," according to Liz Young, head of investment strategy at SoFi.
Reporting from the floor of the NYSE during the May 2010 "flash crash," when major stock indices crashed and then partially rebounded within an hour.
Screenshot/CNET
Sound discouraging? I hear you, but it's still worth investing. Here's why.
While the stock market represents an elite class of investors (the wealthiest 10% of Americans hold 89% of stocks), it has proven over time to be a reliable way to grow your money for anyone with the tools and information to try. And technology has made it cheaper and easier to access. Now, a whole new generation has the chance to start investing and building wealth. If you can afford your basic needs and have some emergency savings set aside, there's no better time than now to invest -- even if it's just $20 a month.
Of course, the stock market feels particularly risky right now and it's natural to want to safeguard your money when the economy is volatile. If you're on the fence about investing because you're worried about a recession, or you just don't feel comfortable taking financial risks right now, you're not alone. Over 40% of Americans surveyed earlier this spring said that the bear-market downswing made them too scared to invest.
But waiting to invest is an even bigger risk. Here's what I know for sure about how to overcome worry and invest for success.
The 'Right Time' to Invest Is Right Now
Yes, the market is risky. Yes, there will be more crashes. But there's a high probability that the market will recover, just like it bounced back (and then some) a few years after the 2007-09 global financial crisis.
"Things will get better again. They always do," as my friend David Bach, author of the New York Times bestselling book The Automatic Millionaire told me on my podcast So Money.
Sure, it's better to buy at a low price so that you can cash in later from as much appreciation, or compound interest, as possible. But since it's very hard to predict where prices will go, the "right time" to strike is often something we only realize in hindsight. Waiting to invest until the time feels right, when you think stocks have hit a "bottom," can set you up for more failure than success.
Your time in the market is more important than timing the market. Lying low until stocks rebound just means you're going to pay more. Instead, invest consistently and continuously, and let compounding interest build. You'll buy the dips and the highs, but ultimately, over the years, you'll come out ahead. "If you're in your 30s, or your 40s, or your 50s, and you're not retiring in the next year or two, guess what? Everything's on sale," Bach said.
For example, had your parents invested $1,000 in the year 1960, it would be worth close to $400,000 today. That's after a presidential assassination, multiple wars, a global pandemic and many recessions, including the Great Recession. If the past is any indicator of the future, it's proven that markets will eventually recuperate from a downturn, and that they have greater periods of growth than decline.
Read more: Investing for Beginners
Diversification is your best tool against volatility and market tumbles. Investors who are more cautious could try US bonds, which are considered "safe haven" investments because they are backed by the Treasury and offer a predictable return.
Right now, with inflation at 8.5%, Americans are flocking toward Series I Savings Bonds, a government-issued investment that's protected against inflation. I bonds have both a fixed rate and an inflation rate that's adjusted every six months. Right now, I bonds will deliver a 9.62% annualized interest rate, which means they'll get you higher guaranteed returns than any other federally backed bank account.
Technology Makes Investing Cheaper and More Accessible
Investing can be unnecessarily complicated and exclusionary, and the financial industry as a whole can do a lot more to break down barriers to entry. Guests on my podcast So Money, especially women, people of color and young adults, have shared how they wish they'd learned about investing sooner.
My advice? Lean on technology, as well as the proliferation of social media and podcasts, to gain better access and education. At CNET, we are big fans of robo-advisors, such as Wealthfront and Betterment, that provide low-cost portfolio management. There's no need to wait until you have $1 million in the bank, which is what some professional investment advisors require before working with clients. You can start with just a little cash.
And whether you're a fan of TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, there are some reputable experts there offering free education. One cautionary tip: Be sure to check their backgrounds and ensure whomever you're following is not a salesperson disguised as an investment educator!
Read more: Investing Doesn't Have to Be Intimidating. Pros and Cons to Robo-Advisors
Once you're investing, embrace automation so you never go astray. Automating our savings or retirement contributions is a smart move that, honestly, saves us from ourselves. With money in our hands, it's much easier to spend than it is to save, but technology can automatically move that money into an account. We're more likely to save for our future if we're already enrolled in a company retirement plan as opposed to choosing to opt in with each paycheck. Start your contribution with the maximum employer-match rate and try to increase your contribution to 10% or even 15%. That could net you thousands of dollars more each year.
Pro-tip: If you're saving for retirement, see if your plan provider will automatically increase your savings rate each year (60% of employers offer this feature, according to the American Benefits Council).
For all other types of long-term investments such as a brokerage account or Roth IRA, create a calendar reminder at the beginning of the year or on your birthday to increase your contributions.
Read more: Need to Save for Retirement? This Is the Easiest Way
You may also be able to set your portfolio to auto-rebalance so that it adjusts and automatically scoops up more stocks after a down period in the market, which can give you the right balance of stocks and bonds in your portfolio.
Auto-rebalancing is a feature many banks and brokerages offer to ensure your portfolio's allocation doesn't fall off-kilter, says David Sekera, chief US market strategist for MorningStar. For example, let's say you set up your portfolio to have an equal mix of stocks and bonds. A bear market like the one we're in now may reduce the weight of stocks and be too heavy with bonds. But an auto-rebalance can fix that by buying more stocks when prices are low again, according to Sekera.
I've seen first-hand how market volatility is creating a lot of uncertainty, and I know why it's hard to feel confident about investing. But history shows that staying on the sidelines as an investor can be riskier than participating in the market and riding out the dips and highs.
Getting into the market sooner rather than later can be one of the smartest decisions on the road to building personal wealth and economic security. Along the way, be mindful of your risk tolerance, stay diversified and rely on automation to help you stay the course.
Last minute shopper? These stores offer same and next-day delivery
Last minute shopper? These stores offer same and next-day delivery
This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.
If you haven't finished up your holiday shopping, you may be noticing that it's becoming harder and harder to find gifts that you can get delivered in time. We've passed the shipping deadline for several online retailers already, and if you're against going to an actual store to shop you may be feeling a bit hopeless.
There are some stores out there that offer same-day and next-day shipping options in certain areas, so you may be able to pull this off. Keep in mind that these services are not available in all locations and often have specific requirements for order amounts and daily time deadlines.
Below is some information that may be able to help you get the perfect gift for that special someone in time for the holidays.
Read more: Holiday shipping deadlines expired: Do Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Apple curbside pickup instead
Amazon
Amazon's same-day delivery service is available to Prime members in various ZIP codes across the country. To qualify for free same-day shipping you'll need to spend $35 on qualifying products, which are marked as "Prime Free Same-Day Delivery." There is a daily cut-off time and the listing will tell you how much time you have left to order it so you can receive it the same day.
Best Buy
Some Best Buy locations offer same-day delivery on in-stock products. You need to place your order by 5 p.m. local time daily (except Sunday, which is 3 p.m.) to qualify. This service is far more limited than Amazon and Walmart's, but be sure to check and see if you can get anything delivered the same day, otherwise you may want to opt for curbside pickup.
Walmart
Walmart offers free same-day shipping on orders of $35 or more as part of its Walmart Plus subscription. The items will need to be available in your local Walmart for the same-day shipping to happen, otherwise there are a ton of items that are available with free next-day shipping. Walmart Plus members can have anything shipped to their home for free without limits.
Target
Target's same-day delivery service is powered by Shipt, which is a bit different from the others in this list. Shipt is a third-party service that requires a membership in order to get the benefits. One great part of the service is that you can schedule the delivery (within available times) and in some locations you can get the order as soon as 60 minutes after placing it.
Sephora
Sephora has partnered with Instacart for its same-day deliveries. If you're a member of Sephora's Beauty Insider program you can get free same-day delivery through Christmas using code SAMEDAY.
Macy's
Through a partnership with DoorDash, Macy's is able to deliver a lot of items to you the same day or the very next day. Eligible items have a special icon next to them so you can easily identify these as you shop. You will need to pay a $15 fee for orders that would qualify for free standard shipping, or $26 for any other order.
GameStop
For orders placed on GameStop's site or mobile app you can get same-day delivery when you pick "Deliver Today" during the checkout process. It's available up until three hours before your local store closes, and does vary based on inventory at that store.
Costco
While it's mainly for groceries, Costco does offer same-day delivery through Instacart for orders of $35 or more. It's worth noting that the price in the app and the price in Costco's warehouse are often different, so you will likely be paying a little extra on each item for the convenience.
Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond may not be the first place you think of, but it offers thousands of items with same-day delivery for a $10 flat-fee. Availability will vary based on local inventory, but it's worth checking to see what it has if you can't find what you want elsewhere.
TV Shopping? Consider buying a 2021 TV (and Save Money)
TV Shopping? Consider buying a 2021 TV (and Save Money)
What's happening
New 2022 TV models are now available, but plenty of 2021 TVs are still out there.
Why it matters
2022 TVs might be newer, but they're also more expensive and have similar features to the 2021 models. You'll save money right now by grabbing a 2021 unit. Or wait until the fall when 2022 TVs will be on sale.
If you're looking to get a new TV without breaking the bank, opting for last year's model or waiting a few months until prices drop on 2022 models are your best bets to get all the features you want while still saving money. That's because TVs are a mature technology, which means that new, groundbreaking features don't come out every single year. Changes are incremental, with new models adding only minor updates year-over-year. For example, a 2021 TV at a given size or price will generally have similar picture quality and features to its 2022 counterpart. There are still deals on 2021 TVs, which are significantly less expensive than the current models.
When deciding which TV to buy and when, everyone should know about the annual television pricing cycle. It starts at CES, the huge tech show that happens every January, when new TVs (plus other tech like laptops and car technology) are announced each year. Later in the spring and summer -- basically now -- many of the new models are already on the shelves. But those new sets are at their highest prices of the year. During the fall, manufacturers start slashing prices to make way for next year's crop of new TVs.
If you want the latest and greatest technology you're probably already set on a 2022 model and you'll certainly be able to save money on those in the fall. But if you're looking to get a new TV right now, scooping up a deal on a 2021 set is going to be the most affordable option. Just know that you'll probably have to jump on a bargain when you see them, as eventually manufacturers will sell out of their 2021 models.
Read more: LG C1 vs. LG C2: Which OLED TV Should You Buy?
Sony and Samsung TVs with QD-OLED, a new technology promising better picture quality, are expensive and only available in 55- and 65-inch sizes.
Sony
If I buy a 2021 model now, what new features am I missing?
To put it succinctly, not too much. There's always something new around the corner, but changes from year-to-year are usually incremental. If you worry about missing out on the latest and greatest tech, it should give you peace of mind that even if something really new hits the market, it's going to be very expensive.
New QD-OLED TVs from Samsung and Sony are a good example. They combine OLED displays with quantum dot technology, and claim higher brightness and better color compared to current OLED TVs. One of these new sets might sound enticing, but QD-OLEDs come with a premium price tag, so they might be tough to recommend over more-affordable OLEDs like the LG C2.
Read more: QD-OLED: Everything We Know About the Newest TV Tech From Samsung and Sony
In 2022, traditional OLED TVs are arriving in untraditional sizes. This year, LG introduced the 42-inch C2 Series TV, the smallest OLED on the market, while also laying claim to the largest OLED available with the 97-inch G2 TV.
New for 2022, LG's OLED C2 now comes in 42- and 97-inch sizes.
Richard Peterson/CNET
Mini-LED TVs are also on the rise and could deliver close-to-OLED picture quality, but the new models we know about so far will also be expensive. The Sony Z9K and X95K are the company's first models with mini-LED, and the TCL X925pro has a new kind of slimmer mini-LED backlight, but none of them will be cheap. Samsung, TCL and Vizio are expected to announce more TVs later this year, many of which will use mini-LED, but we doubt they'll offer huge improvements over the 2021 models.
Also rolling out across the country is NextGen TV, aka ATSC 3.0. This is free over-the-air 4K TV, and it's moving forward quite quickly -- it might already be available in your city. In 2022 we'll see more TVs with built-in tuners that cost less than ever. Don't feel you need to rush to upgrade, or get those specific models however, since in the worst case you'll be able to buy a cheap external tuner and connect that to your TV.
Read more:Gaming Modes, Webcams and QD-OLED: Which 2022 TV Trends Stand Out?
There's also HDMI 2.1. While 2.1 has several new technologies that are great, it's not going to make any current TVs obsolete (unless it's a current 8K TV, but that's yet another story). As long as your current TV works with your current sources, you should be fine.
Really old TVs, older than 10 years, might have issues connecting to modern streaming and disc sources, but there's no real workaround for that. If your TV doesn't work with a new Roku or Blu-ray player, then you might need to upgrade if you want to use one of those.
Do I need to upgrade?
Forget all the new tech. If your TV works and you're happy with it, keep it. Don't feel any pressure to upgrade.
Modern TVs are, on average, brighter and have better picture quality than the TVs from a few years ago. Unless you're the type of videophile who wants to tweak every setting and fixates on nits and color accuracy, however, you probably don't need a new TV.
The pressure to upgrade is pervasive in our tech culture, but TVs tend to last (and be perfectly functional) longer than most devices. They don't, for example, have batteries that lose capacity like mobile phones -- or have wires that wear out like headphones. A TV from five or even 10 years ago likely works fine, though it might not look as good as the current 4K HDR TVs. So again, if that's not a huge deal for you, you can likely keep what you have for a few more years.
Read more: Best TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X, Series S
This is even true when considering new consoles, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. If you've got a PS4, Xbox One or any console connected via HDMI, the new consoles should work fine. They might look better on a new TV, but they'll still look great on yours.
If your TV is having issues, or you just want something larger, that's a different story. New TVs are much cheaper per inch than TVs of the past. You'll be able to replace your current TV with something the same size, looks better and is cheaper than your old TV. Or you can pay the same amount as your old TV and get something that's far bigger.
When is the best time to buy a TV?
TV sales are the biggest in the fall and culminate on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There are always some incredibly cheap 4K TVs on offer, but that's not the whole story.
First of all, the TVs that get the huge discounts are usually either no-name brands, or low-end models from name brands. They're fine if you just want a cheap TV, but they're not going to offer the picture quality of an even slightly higher-end model. The best TVs go on sale as well, but deep discounts on those are less common.
TV sales happen all year, but Black Friday season sees the biggest discounts.
Roberto Machado Noa/Getty Images
Second, massive discounts on TVs are rare in general. It might be counterintuitive, but TVs typically don't have much mark-up. There isn't a lot of profit in a $500 TV. So unless the store is trying to clear out stock, you shouldn't expect a gigantic drop in price even during sales. Plenty of good discounts are available, they're just not going to be "50% off" or similar, unless there's a specific reason that model is getting such an extreme discount. Or it's a doorbuster in limited quantities.
Third, most big companies don't allow stores to offer their own pricing. This is called UPP, or unilateral pricing policy. It means that a TV from that company is going to cost the same, whether it's on Amazon, in Best Buy, or anywhere else. Well, anywhere else that wants to continue selling TVs from that company. If this sounds sketchy, it is, but that's a topic for a different article.
The Samsung Frame may look sophisticated, but your current TV might work just as well.
Samsung
All in all, is it worth upgrading my TV?
Here's the short version:
Get a new TV now if:
Your current TV is having issues, or is too old to connect to a streaming service like Netflix.
You're willing to buy from a place that has a price-match policy, in case there's a sale.
You want something bigger than what you have now.
Don't get a TV now if:
Your current TV works fine.
There's literally anything else you need or want to spend money on.
If you've got the itch for something new, but you're still on the fence, consider giving your TV a bit of a makeover. If you've never adjusted the settings, it's easy to do and will probably make your TV look better than it ever has. That might tide you over for a bit.
And if you finally decide that, yes, you're ready to buy a new TV now, we at CNET do have some guidelines and suggested models.
As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff Morrison does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, airplane graveyards and more.
You can follow his exploits on Instagram and his travel video series on YouTube. He also wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, along with a sequel.
§
NextGen TV, aka ATSC 3.0, is continuing its rapid rollout across the country. Major markets like Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver, Houston and more all have stations transmitting. Meanwhile New York, Boston, and many other markets are slated to have broadcasts later this year. While not every station in every market has a NextGen TV counterpart, more and more are coming on the air.
What's NextGen TV? It's an update to the free HDTV you can already get over-the-air in nearly every city in the US. There's no monthly fee, but you do need either a new TV with a built-in tuner or a standalone external tuner. The standard allows broadcast stations to send higher quality signals than ever before with features like 4K, HDR, 120 Hz, and more. ATSC 3.0 proponents also claim better reception indoors and on-the-go -- whether it's on your phone, or even in your car. The best part is that if you're watching it on your TV it uses the same standard antennas available today.
One potential downside? ATSC 3.0 will also let broadcasters track your viewing habits, information that can be used for targeted advertising, just like companies such as Facebook and Google use today.
Read more:Best TV antennas for cord cutters, starting at just $10
NextGen TV to you
ATSC.org
Here's the top-line info:
If you get your TV from streaming, cable or satellite, NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 won't affect you at all.
The transition is voluntary. Stations don't have to switch. Many have already, however, for reasons we'll explain below.
It's not backwards-compatible with the current HD standard (ATSC 1.0), so your current TV won't be able to receive it. Your current antenna should work fine though.
Stations that switch to NextGen TV will still have to keep broadcasting ATSC 1.0 for five years.
There are multiple models and sizes of TV with built-in tuners available now from Hisense, LG, Sony, Samsung and others.
As of the beginning of 2022 the majority of the largest markets in the US have at least one channel broadcasting NextGen TV. By the end of 2022, nearly all major and many minor markets will have multiple channels .
Here's the map of actual stations as of January 2022. Orange denotes stations that are live now. Blue is launching before summer. White sometime after the summer.
ATSC
How it will work in your home
Put simply: If you connect an antenna to your TV you will receive free programming, just like most people can get now. Yet, that is selling the potential benefits of NextGen TV short.
NextGen TV is IP-based, so in practice it can be moved around your home just like any internet content can right now. For example, you connect an antenna to a tuner box inside your home, but that box is not connected to your TV at all. Instead, it's connected to your router. This means anything with access to your network can have access to over-the-air TV, be it your TV, your phone, your tablet or even a streaming device like Apple TV. There will be traditional tuners as well, of course, but this is a new and interesting alternative.
This also means it's possible we'll see mobile devices with built-in tuners, so you can watch live TV while you're out and about, like you can with Netflix and YouTube now. How willing phone companies will be to put tuners in their phones remains to be seen, however. You don't see a lot of phones that can get radio broadcasts now, even though such a thing is easy to implement. We'll talk more about that in a moment.
'Voluntary'
In November of 2017, the Federal Communications Commission approved ATSC 3.0 as the next generation of broadcast standard, on a "voluntary, market-driven basis" (PDF). It also required stations to continue broadcasting ATSC 1.0 (i.e. "HD"). This is actually part of the issue as to why it's voluntary.
During the mandatory DTV transition in the early 2000s, stations in a city were given a new frequency (channel, in other words), to broadcast digital TV, while they still broadcast analog on their old channel. These older channels were eventually reclaimed by the FCC for other uses when the proverbial switch was flipped to turn off analog broadcasts. Since a changeover isn't occurring this time around, stations and markets are left to themselves how best to share or use the over-the-air spectrum in their areas.
Because there's no new bandwidth, broadcasters will temporarily share transmitters. Two or more stations will use one tower for ATSC 1.0 (HD) broadcasts and those stations will use another tower for ATSC 3.0 (UHD) broadcasts. This will mean a temporary reduction in bandwidth for each channel, but potentially a limited impact on picture quality due to the better modern HD encoders. More info here.
ATSC/TVTechnology.com
While it's not a mandatory standard, many broadcasters still seem enthusiastic about NextGen. At the beginning of the roll-out, then executive vice president of communications at the National Association of Broadcasters Dennis Wharton told CNET that the improvement in quality, overall coverage and the built-in safety features mean that most stations would be enthusiastic to offer ATSC 3.0.
John Hane, president of the Spectrum Consortium (an industry group with broadcasters Sinclair, Nexstar and Univision as members), was equally confident: "The FCC had to make it voluntary because the FCC couldn't provide transition channels. [The industry] asked the FCC to make it voluntary. We want the market to manage it. We knew the market would demand it, and broadcasters and hardware makers in fact are embracing it."
Given the competition broadcasters have with cable, streaming and so on, 3.0 could be a way to stabilize or even increase their income by offering better picture quality, better coverage and, most importantly, targeted ads.
Ah yes, targeted ads…
Broadcast TV will know what you're watching
One of NextGen TV's more controversial features is a "return data path," which is a way for the station you're watching to know you're watching. Not only does this allow a more accurate count of who's watching what shows, but it creates the opportunity for every marketer's dream: targeted advertising.
Ads specific to your viewing habits, income level and even ethnicity (presumed by your neighborhood, for example) could get slotted in by your local station. This is something brand-new for broadcast TV. Today, over-the-air broadcasts are pretty much the only way to watch television that doesn't track your viewing habits. Sure, the return data path could also allow "alternative audio tracks and interactive elements," but it's the targeted ads and tracking many observers are worried about.
The finer details are all still being worked out, but here's the thing: If your TV is connected to the internet, it's already tracking you. Pretty much every app, streaming service, smart TV and cable or satellite box all track your usage to a greater or lesser extent.
Return data path is still in the planning stages, even as the other aspects of NextGen TV are already going live. There is a silver lining: There will be an opt-out option. While it also requires Internet access, if this type of thing bothers you, just don't connect your TV or NextGen TV receiver to the internet. You will inevitably lose some of the other features of NextGen TV, however.
That said, we'll keep an eye on this for any further developments.
Free TV on your phone?
Another point of potential contention is getting ATSC 3.0 tuners into phones. At a most basic level, carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are in the business of selling you data. If suddenly you can get lots of high-quality content for free on your phone, they potentially lose money. Ever wonder why your phone doesn't have an FM radio tuner? Same reason.
T-Mobile made a preemptive strike along those lines all the way back in September 2017, writing a white paper (PDF) that, among other things, claims, "In light of the detrimental effects that inclusion of ATSC 3.0 can have on the cost and size of a device, the technology trade-offs required to accommodate competing technologies, and the reduced performance and spectral efficiency that it will have for other mobile bands and services, the decision as to whether to include ATSC 3.0 in a device must be left to the market to decide."
"The market" determined you didn't need an FM tuner in your phone, and in the few phones that had an FM tuner, if you bought it through an American provider, it was almost always disabled.
TV broadcasters, on the other hand, are huge fans of ATSC 3.0 on mobile phones. It means more potential eyeballs and, incidentally, a guarantee of active internet access for that return data path. John Hane of the Spectrum Consortium feels that tuners built into phones is "inevitable," and that international adoption of ATSC 3.0 will help push it forward. Wharton says that the focus is getting TVs to work, but mobile is in the plan.
Then there's portable TVs, of which there are HD versions on the market and have been for years. The next-generation ATSC 3.0 versions of these will likely get better reception in addition to the higher resolution offered by the new standard.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Cost (for you)
NextGen TV is not backward compatible with current TV tuners. To get it, you'll eventually need either a new TV or an external tuner.
However, you shouldn't feel a push to upgrade since:
1. NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 isn't mandatory, and it doesn't affect cable, satellite or streaming TV.
2. HD tuners cost as little as $30 to $40 now, and NextGen TV tuners, which currently sell between $200 and $300, will eventually be cheap as well.
3. Even after they start NextGen broadcasts, stations will have to keep broadcasting regular old HD.
Here's the actual language:
"The programming aired on the ATSC 1.0 simulcast channel must be 'substantially similar' to the programming aired on the 3.0 channel. This means that the programming must be the same, except for programming features that are based on the enhanced capabilities of ATSC 3.0, advertisements and promotions for upcoming programs. The substantially similar requirement will sunset in five years from its effective date absent further action by the Commission to extend it."
In other words, the HD broadcast has to be essentially the same as the new 3.0 broadcast for five years, perhaps longer depending on future FCC actions.
Which brings us to point 3. By the time people had to buy them, HD tuners were inexpensive and are even more so now. The HD tuner I use is currently $26 on Amazon. The first generation NextGen tuners available now are more expensive than that, though they're not outrageous. We'll discuss those below. By the time anyone actually requires one, however, they'll almost certainly be affordable.
Which is good, because there aren't any planned subsidies this time around for people to get a tuner for cheap. I'm sure this is at least partly due to how few people actually still use OTA as their sole form of TV reception. Maybe this will change as more stations convert, but we're a ways away from that.
As you can see, there are lots of parts that need to get upgraded all along the chain before you can get 3.0 in your home.
ATSC/TVTechnology.com
Here's another way to think about it: The first HD broadcasts began in the mid-90s, but when did you buy your first HDTV? As far as the 3.0 transition is concerned we're in the late-90s, maybe generously the early 2000s, now. Things seem like they're moving at a much more rapid pace than the transition from analog to DTV/HDTV, but even so, it will be a long time before ATSC 3.0 completely replaces the current standard.
How to get NextGen right now
LG
If you want to check it out for yourself, many of you already can. The first stop is to go to WatchNextGenTV.com. That website will help you find what stations in your area are broadcasting, or which ones will soon.
Next up you'll need something to receive it. If you're in the market for a new TV there are several options available from Hisense, LG, Samsung, and Sony. Here's our list of all the 2022 TVs with built-in next-gen tuners.
If you want to check out NextGen TV without buying a new television, you'll need an external tuner. It's still early days, so there aren't many options.
The Tablo ATSC 3.0 Quad HDMI DVR
Nuvvyo
At CES 2022 Nuvvyo announced the Tablo, a quad-tuner box that can connect to a TV directly, or transmit over a network to Rokus, Apple TVs, or computers on your home network.
The Silicon Dust has two models, the $199 HomeRun Flex 4K and the $279 HomeRun Scribe 4K. Both have ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 tuners.
If you want a more traditional tuner, BitRouter plans to start shipping its first ZapperBox M1 tuners in the spring. You can reserve one now for $249. It doesn't have internal storage, but BitRouter plans to add the ability to save content on network-attached storage, or NAS, devices via a firmware update. They also plan to add the ability to send the content around your home network, like what the Scribe 4K does.
Zapperbox
Then there's what to watch. Being early in the process, you're not going to find much 4K content, possibly not any. This was the same with the early years of HDTV. It's also going to vary per area. There is certainly a lot of 4K content being produced right now, and that has been the case for several years. So in that way, we're in better shape than we were in the early days of HD.
Basic and paid cable channels over-the-air?
One company is using the bandwidth and IP nature of NextGen to do something a little different. It's a hybrid paid TV service, sort of like cable/satellite, but using over-the-air broadcasts to deliver the content. It's called Evoca, and right now it's available only in Boise, Idaho. Edge Networks is the company behind it, and it wants to roll it out to other small markets where cable offerings are limited, and broadband speeds are slow or expensive.
It's an interesting idea for underserved and often forgotten-about markets.
Read more: Cable TV channels and 4K from an antenna?
Seeing the future
The transition from analog broadcasting to HD, if you count from the formation of the Grand Alliance to the final analog broadcast, took 16 years.
Though many aspects of technology move rapidly, getting dozens of companies, plus the governments of the US and many other countries, all to agree to specific standards, takes time. So does the testing of the new tech. There are a lot of cogs and sprockets that have to align for this to work, and it would be a lot harder to fix once it's all live.
But technology moves faster and faster. It's highly doubtful it will take 16 years to fully implement NextGen TV. As we mentioned at the top, dozens of stations are already broadcasting. Will every station in your city switch to NextGen TV? Probably not, but the bigger ones likely will. This is especially true if there are already other NextGen TV stations in your area. There's a potential here for stations to make additional money in the long run with 3.0, and that's obviously a big motivator.
There's also the question of how much content there will be. If it follows the HDTV transition model, big sporting events in 4K HDR will come first, followed by lots and lots of shows featuring nature scenes and closeups of bugs. Seriously -- this was totally a thing. Then we'll see a handful of scripted prime-time shows. My guess would be the popular, solidly profitable ones that are produced (not just aired) by networks like CBS and NBC.
So should you hold off buying a new TV? Nope, not unless you only get your shows over the air. And even if you do, by the time there's enough content to be interesting, there will be cheap tuner boxes you can connect to whatever TV you have.
For now, NextGen TV seems to be well on its way.
As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000 mile road trips, and more. Check out Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.
He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, along with a sequel. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and his YouTube channel.
