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2023 Hyundai Palisade First Drive Review: Steady As She Goes


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2023 Hyundai Palisade First Drive Review: Steady as She Goes


2023 Hyundai Palisade First Drive Review: Steady as She Goes

Since its introduction in the 2020 model year, the Hyundai Palisade has done a great job acting as the automaker's flagship SUV. This three-row family machine is comfortable, competent and packed with good creature comforts. Solid as it is, there's always a little room for improvement. That's the conceit behind the Palisade's mid-cycle refresh: A few light tweaks here and there make a good car better.

The Palisade always looked fresh, but I think the 2023 refresh ramps it up. I like how the front grille is more prominent, maybe more intimidating, better blending with the daytime running lights and giving off a much stronger vibe. Hyundai's designers added a smidge more overhang up front to improve its side profile, but I barely notice a difference. The rear end loses some overhang and the lower half of the bumper picks up a butch new skid plate, but the overall look doesn't change much. A new set of auto-dimming side mirrors rounds out the exterior redo.

The Palisade's interior gets a little more love. A revised instrument panel looks just a bit fancier, with a full-width trim piece connecting the vents to add more visual width. The steering wheel looks fresher, too. The center console remains massive, housing most of the controls and offering a big storage cubby underneath. The third row remains a little tight for adults thanks to its raised floor, but it's more than spacious enough for kids, and a bevy of USB ports and storage spots means those in the back don't miss out on the Palisade's practicality.

Aesthetic tweaks aren't really the best part of the Palisade's refresh. Instead, it's all the new tech and creature comforts the automaker crammed in here. The 2023 Palisade picks up heated third-row seats, a massaging driver's seat, a 4G LTE Wi-FI hotspot running on the Verizon network, a boatload of faster USB-C ports, beefier wireless device charging and a digital rearview mirror. All trims now rock a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are onboard, it's a wired affair only. Hyundai also improved its phone-as-a-key tech, which is now compatible with Apple products as well as Samsung devices. The underlying infotainment tech remains the same, which is to say it's easy to use and mighty responsive.

Hyundai's steering wheels are some of my favorites in the industry, and the Palisade's is no exception.

Hyundai

Safety tech abounds, as well. All Palisade trims come with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, full-speed adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, and lane-keep assist. Highway Driving Assist, which combines some of the aforementioned systems to reduce some of the tedium of long expressway jaunts, is also standard on every Palisade. Moving up through the trims adds other features, like a surround-view monitor, blind-spot cameras and remote parking assist. Highway Driving Assist can also be upgraded to HDA II, adding lane-change assistance and shifting the vehicle's lane position if someone else is crowding you on either side.

The 2023 Palisade's powertrain is unchanged, with its 3.8-liter V6 producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, routed through the buyer's choice of the front or all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission. It's plenty fine, providing more than enough power for a three-row SUV with a decent exhaust note that never overwhelms the cabin. The transmission is a smooth shifter, and the stop-start system offers clean, annoyance-free operation. Simply put, it's a delight to pilot around town and never feels too large or onerous, even on tighter city streets.

Despite its size, the Palisade never really feels like a handful in the city.

Hyundai

The interior is a bit quieter than before, thanks to improved sound absorption materials, and my top-of-the-line tester offers some very cushy Nappa leather to keep occupants nice and comfortable. Visibility remains good from all angles, and the digital rearview mirror makes up for any heads in between my eyes and the rear glass. The ride quality is on the softer side, comfortable without feeling too floaty. I like that the suspension is the same across the entire range of trims, so whether you opt for the base SE or the high-end Calligraphy trim, the coddling is exactly the same. Load the SUV up with kids and cargo, and the ride should feel even smoother.

During my time with the Palisade, Hyundai put together an off-road course to show that the refreshed SUV can handle dirt and mud better than I might expect in all-wheel-drive guise. With a locking center differential, the Palisade cruises through deep, muddy ruts with ease, though its standard all-season tires aren't exactly engineered for the rough stuff. Bumpier, rockier roads don't really upset the car, nor introduce any strange sounds into the cabin; hell, the suspension is so competent that it stays pretty comfortable throughout the off-roading portion of my evaluation. The Palisade doesn't exactly offer class-leading approach and departure angles, but a couple steep drops didn't so much as plink the bumpers, so I am confident 99.9% of buyers will have no problem taking their Palisades wherever they want to go.

Is your Jimmy Buffett concert at the end of a gravel road? Have no fear, the Palisade can handle that, and a fair bit more, too.

Hyundai

The 2023 Palisade offers an impressive range of trims and price points. The base Palisade SE starts at $36,245 (including $1,295 for destination), with the SEL running $39,245 and the new rugged-looking XRT trim sliding in at $41,545. The penultimate Limited will set you back $47,795, while top-of-the-line Calligraphy trim asks for $50,195. All those prices are for front-wheel-drive models, mind you; if you want all-wheel drive, it's a flat $1,900 upcharge on every trim.

While the 2023 Hyundai Palisade might be on the light-to-medium side of mid-cycle refreshes, it's because Hyundai didn't need to do all that much. A few visual nips and tucks keep the aesthetics interesting, while a healthy addition of cabin tech and creature comforts make sure it remains competitive against cars like the Toyota Highlander and Ford Explorer. It's a great family car made even better.


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Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 Is Too Expensive And That's The Point


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Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 Is Too Expensive and That's the Point


Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 Is Too Expensive and That's the Point

Among the devices revealed at its Unpacked event last week, Samsung showed off its new flagship Galaxy Z Fold 4 foldable phone, which packs improvements like better multitasking software, a slimmer design and a more durable body. One thing Samsung didn't change is the sky-high $1,800 price tag -- which few consumers can likely afford. But that exclusivity is exactly why the Fold 4 exists. 

It may seem perplexing to keep the Z Fold 4 at about twice the price of other premium phones when Samsung wants foldables to become more mainstream, as CEO TM Roh said during Unpacked. I argued that price cuts would be the best way Samsung could combat Apple this holiday season. Since Samsung is holding steady with the Z Fold 4's price, it's clear the company is content to keep it a niche device that's out of reach for all but the most deep-pocketed consumers.

The Z Fold 4 sits atop a strata in which it has no real rivals. It's essentially a Ferrari amid Mercedes and BMWs. Creating that level of exclusivity is entirely the point, giving Samsung an exciting and aspirational product that generates buzz and interest in the entire lineup. Chipping a few hundreds dollars off its price won't make a difference, said IDC Research Director Nabila Popal.

Keeping the Z Fold 4 at $1,800 is "the right move, in my opinion, even if it won't be affordable to the masses," Popal said.

This dynamic, which runs counter to the idea that a lower priced foldable may spur interest in the category, is one of the predicaments this whole area faces. Foldables occupy an exciting niche of the phone business, which has seen an endless parade of drab metal and glass slabs come through for more than a decade. But the high price tag keeps them from really breaking out. 

The only answer is to slowly build up the market and interest through a combination of exciting, but less attainable, options like the Z Fold 4, and the comparatively affordable $1,000 Z Flip 4.

Samsung is hoping the Z Fold 4's dynamic design -- which is still impressive in person -- gives the company a pop ahead of Apple's own event next month and generates excitement about foldables in general. 

Samsung is relying on the Z Flip series to sell the vibe of foldables, transitional phones that alter their shape. And Samsung has work to do, because they're still scarce in the wild, with research firm IDC estimating that a bit over 7 million foldables shipped in 2021 compared with 1.3 billion smartphones sold last year.

From a market perspective, the small volume the Z Fold 4 could get may help Samsung gain back some of the global share of high-end phones, as Apple sells seven of every 10 $800-and-up premium phones globally. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Screenshot by CNET

No price cuts while parts are expensive

Though price cuts would help Samsung make its foldable phones more mainstream, the company may have little choice but to keep its prices static. Unlike truly mainstream products, like Samsung's Galaxy S series, which have flat displays and components used in many other smartphones, the small volume of foldables sold every year have specialty parts.

"That means the very specialized components required ... are still only produced in small quantities and therefore are likely still very expensive," Technalysis Research analyst Bob O'Donnell said.

That leads to a chicken-and-egg problem that impacts every specialty device: Parts can't get cheaper until they're made at scale, and there's no point in making them at scale while consumers buy too few of the pricey devices using those parts. That's the reason so few phone-makers are making foldables, including Apple, O'Donnell said.

"We can't really ignore the fact that the supply chain is not really ready for an Apple-level product, and that's part of the reason Apple hasn't [made a foldable] either," O'Donnell said.

Samsung is splitting the difference with the Z Flip 4, a clamshell foldable that has half the footprint of a "flat" smartphone when it's closed, yet unfolds to show an inner screen as large as any regular phone's display. Samsung sees the Z Flip 4 as an "entry device" that turns bold buyers into foldable lifers, an on-ramp for consumers to eventually upgrade to the bigger, pricier Z Fold line. 

Samsung says the Z Flip is the better-selling series, accounting for 70% of the company's foldables shipped, but both devices serve different demographics. The Z Flip is stylish but ultimately just a shrinkable version of a typical 'flat' smartphone, not a junior edition of the productivity-enhancing Z Fold devices that unfold into tablet-size screens.

More foldables are being sold every year, and IDC predicts shipments will grow to 25 million foldables in 2025. Whether that's enough volume to enable cheaper foldables is tough to forecast. Samsung has at least gotten creative with offering foldables with more value. 

Facebook network on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

Facebook on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Screenshot by CNET

Cheaper foldables through trade-ins and carrier deals

The industry is working to make foldables a thing. You can get a Galaxy Z Fold 4 for less than $1,800 through Samsung's generous trade-in values and various carrier deals. Samsung retains its elite price tag, carriers get more customers signed on to their services, and customers  get their hands on the next evolution in phones.

Samsung's trade-in deals knock $1,000 off the list price of a Z Fold 4 if you send in your older Z Fold 3, Z Fold 2 or this year's Galaxy S22 Ultra. But trade-in values are still pretty generous for the original Z Fold or other flagship Samsung phones from the last few years. Apple's priciest phones also get decent trade-in value, but you'll get barely anything for phones from Google, Motorola, LG or OnePlus.

Carriers can also save you money on the Z Fold 4, with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile offering varying trade-in deals to lower the price by up to $1,000. Verizon also offers $800 off a second Z Fold 4 after buying a first, should your household need two foldables.

The other option is to wait for Black Friday or the holiday season, when Samsung may introduce new deals to discount its foldables. 

Just don't hold your breath for Samsung to discount its most premium mobile device. Unlike the Z Flip 3, which got a $150 price cut once its successor was revealed this week, the Z Fold 3 has the same $1,800 price on Samsung's website that it had when it launched a year ago. With high parts prices, years of R&D to recoup, and a lack of competition, there's not much pressure for Samsung to lower its prices.

Samsung is "leading in this space at the moment and can afford to charge a premium before other Android players ramp up in this space, and perhaps even Apple in a couple of years," Popal said.


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Samsung's Galaxy Tab S7 FE Is Coming To The US, Preorders Start Aug. 5


Samsung's Galaxy Tab S7 FE is coming to the US, preorders start Aug. 5


Samsung's Galaxy Tab S7 FE is coming to the US, preorders start Aug. 5

Samsung's next big Unpacked event may be set for Aug. 11, but that doesn't mean the Galaxy-maker doesn't have some other new products in the works before then. On Wednesday the company announced its latest tablets, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE and Tab S7 FE 5G. 

The new "Fan Edition" devices, which will be available in the US starting on Aug. 5, will sport 12.4-inch LCD displays with support for the company's S-Pen stylus, which is included in the box. The tablets will also feature 4GB of RAM to go with 64GB of storage (expandable up to 1TB through microSD), run on Android 11 and pack two cameras: an 8-megapixel shooter on the rear and a 5-megapixel main lens upfront. 

galaxy-tab-s7-fe-mysticblack-hback-with-s-pen

The back of the Galaxy Tab S7 FE. 

Samsung

The Wi-Fi variant of the Tab S7 FE will run on Qualcomm's SM7325 chipset while the 5G device will be powered by Qualcomm's 750G processor. 

As with the FE versions of its Galaxy S phones, the Tab S7 FE seems to be a compromise of an existing Samsung device by offering several slightly scaled-down versions of features while costing a bit less. With these new tablets, the reference seems to be last year's Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, which offered a more robust 12.4-inch, 120Hz Super AMOLED display and ran on Qualcomm's 865 Plus chipset.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 appear in leak

That tablet, however, is a little pricier, with a starting price of $850 for the Wi-Fi model or $1,050 for a 5G version. The Wi-Fi edition of the new Tab S7 FE will be available for preorder Thursday for $530, with availability "beginning in September." 

The Tab S7 FE 5G will run $669 and be available for orders starting on Thursday at Samsung.com, AT&T and Verizon. Samsung says that the 5G tablet will also be heading to T-Mobile, US Cellular and "other retailers," with additional details in the "coming days."

§

Samsung's ready to update its foldable devices. The company on Tuesday said it will host a virtual Unpacked event on Aug. 11, where it's expected to show off less expensive foldables that aim to move the devices beyond niche products. 

The company sent invites to reporters, saying its virtual keynote will take place at 7 a.m. PT on Aug. 11. While parts of the world are reopening in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, tech companies aren't yet holding product launches in person. The invite touted: "Get ready to unfold."

Samsung's next Unpacked event will be Aug. 11. 

Samsung

While Samsung hasn't yet detailed what it will announce at Unpacked, it has already opened up its Reserve Now system for Galaxy fans to claim a device in advance. Customers who reserve early are eligible for perks such as 12 months free of Samsung Care Plus, up to an extra $100 trade-in credit and a special pre-order offer that Samsung hasn't yet detailed. 

The event on Aug. 11 is Samsung's third Unpacked of the year, and it's expected to continue a trend set by previous launches -- making devices more affordable for consumers. In January, the company unveiled its flagship Galaxy S21 smartphone, which it sold for $200 less than its predecessor. Then in March, it highlighted its inexpensive Galaxy A line of smartphones.

TM Roh, the company's head of mobile, said in a December blog post that Samsung planned to expand its foldable lineup and make the devices "more accessible," which likely means more affordable.

"The Z Fold 2 was praised as a smartphone that reimagines what's possible with mobile technology, and I'm excited to say, it's just a hint of what's to come as we continue to explore, evolve and expand this category-changing space," Roh wrote at the time. 

Samsung's bigger push with making devices more affordable reflects the reality we're all living in. Phone designs aren't changing much from year to year, and consumers are holding onto devices for longer, about three years in the US versus two in the past. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt millions of people financially. While high-end specs and cutting-edge features are nice for attention and buzz, people still care about what they're spending on phones -- especially right now.

Samsung typically uses its August Unpacked event to show off its newest Galaxy Note devices. The Note line, which kicked off the craze for big-screen phones, used to showcase Samsung's latest and greatest technology. But that title now goes to the company's foldables lineup. The devices, which first hit the market in 2019 with the $1,980 Galaxy Fold, incorporate bendable displays that let them expand into tablets or fold smaller to protect the inner screen. While Samsung likely won't introduce a new Note this year, the company has said the line isn't dead

Samsung followed up the Fold with its Z Flip in February 2020. That device, which retailed for $1,380, was a clamshell design that folded outward -- a sort of high-tech flip phone. Samsung updated it with 5G connectivity and boosted the price to $1,450 in July of that year. Samsung's latest device, the Z Fold 2, fixed the original Fold's problems and packed in bigger screens and 5G connectivity. Priced at $2,000, it became the company's most expensive phone. 

Samsung's first Galaxy Fold, which folded outward from a phone into a tablet, wowed most people who tested early versions of the device. But foldables have been too expensive to attract mainstream buyers, and so far, they've remained niche products

This year, Samsung is expected to introduce a new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and an updated Z Flip 3. The former device is expected to feature a front-facing camera embedded beneath the screen, refined rear-facing cameras and support for a special version of the S Pen, which has gradually moved beyond the Note to work with other devices. The Z Flip 3 could have a new two-tone color scheme and a larger exterior screen for when the phone is folded shut. 

Along with foldables, Samsung's Unpacked is expected to include a new Galaxy S21 FE 5G phone, adding a second device to the less expensive FE lineup. The Galaxy S20 FE, which hit the market in September for $300 less than the S20, proved to be popular with buyers. A Samsung executive told CNET in March that the company planned to introduce future versions of the device

Samsung also likely will unveil Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic smartwatches and Galaxy Buds 2 wireless earbuds. 


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Google Pixel 5A Review: Snappy Performance, Familiar Design


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. 

google-pixel-5a-cnet-review-2021-13
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). 

Pixel 5A with 5G YouTube TV

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. 

google-pixel-5a-cnet-review-2021-20
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. 

google-pixel-5a-cnet-review-2021-11
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) 151x70x8.2mm
Weight 6.45 oz; 183g 5.93 oz; 168g (Sub-6 only); 6.03 oz; 171g (mmWave + Sub-6) 5.19 oz; 147g
Software Android 11 Android 11 Android 9.0
Camera 16-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (dual pixel) 12.2-megapixel (standard), 16-megapixel (ultrawide) 12.2-megapixel
Front camera 8-megapixel 8-megapixel 8-megapixel
Video 4K 4K 4K
Chipsets Snapdragon 765G (processing power chip), Titan M chipset (security chip) Snapdragon 765G 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 670
Storage 128GB 128GB 64GB
RAM 6GB 6GB 4GB
Headphone Jack Yes Yes No
Battery 4,620 mAh 3,800 mAh 3,000 mAh
Special features 5G, IP67 water resistance, dual SIM (nano-SIM and e-SIM), stereo speakers, 18W fast charging 5G, dual-SIM (nano-SIM and e-SIM), fast charging AR in Google Maps, time-lapse video shooting
Price (USD) $449 $499 $399

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Verizon Gets Its First 5G Laptop In Lenovo's Flex 5G


Verizon gets its first 5G laptop in Lenovo's Flex 5G


Verizon gets its first 5G laptop in Lenovo's Flex 5G

Lenovo's first 5G-capable PC is ready to ship, with Verizon users able to get it on June 18. 

First announced back at CES in January, the $1,400 Flex 5G will hit Verizon's website later this week marking the first time a US carrier is selling a laptop capable of tapping into 5G wireless networks. 

The two-in-one computer features a 14-inch full HD touchscreen display that is capable of 400 nits of brightness, weighs just under three pounds (1.35 kg) and runs Windows 10 off of Qualcomm's 8cx computing platform with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. As with other Lenovo PCs, the Flex 5G can be used as a traditional laptop, or with the screen folded all the way back to become a tablet. 

Other specs include a 720p HD webcam with infrared for logging in through Windows Hello, two USB 3.1 Type-C ports as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. Lenovo claims the PC is capable of getting 24 hours of battery life on a single charge. Bluetooth 5.0 is available, but there's no support for the new Wi-Fi 6 standard. 

A one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Personal, which includes Microsoft Office and 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage, is included with each Flex 5G purchase from either Lenovo.com or Verizon.

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The Lenovo Flex 5G in "tent" mode. 

Lenovo

The Flex 5G is capable of tapping into the carrier's existing millimeter-wave 5G network that is active in parts of 35 cities around the country. As with other recent Verizon 5G devices, it will also be able to use Verizon's new, wider-ranging low-band 5G network when it goes live later this year. 

Beyond needing to be in a city with 5G, those looking to take advantage of the faster connectivity will need to be on Verizon's new 5G Ultra Wideband Connected Device Plan. The plan runs $30 per month for those who already have wireless service through Verizon or $90 per month for those without. 

As part of the plan, you'll be able to get unlimited 5G millimeter-wave data, hotspot and 4K streaming on the laptop when in an area that has a millimeter-wave signal (what Verizon calls "ultra wideband"). 

When on 4G LTE, the plan will offer unlimited 4G LTE data (with 15GB available before the risk of being slowed down in areas of "congestion"), 15GB of 4G LTE hotspot (with unlimited data available thereafter at significantly slower speeds of 600Kbps) and 720p video streaming.  

4G LTE-only plans are also available, including an option to add it to your existing plan. 

Known internationally as the Yoga 5G, the computer will be sold by other wireless carriers including EE in the UK, Sunrise in Switzerland and CMCC in China later this year. 


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Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers Of 2022


Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers of 2022


Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers of 2022

The good ol' 802.11 standard we commonly call Wi-Fi gets updated every several years with new features and faster speeds. The latest iteration (802.11ax) arrived in 2019, marking the sixth major generational update, and the Wi-Fi industry dubbed it Wi-Fi 6 to make things less complicated and easier to identify for customers.

Since then, Wi-Fi 6 has established itself as the de facto standard for next-gen gadgets. Just about every new phone and computer release supports it, and we're starting to see support pop up among peripheral devices, too. Did you pick up an Apple TV 4K or Amazon Fire TV 4K Max media streamer last Black Friday? Both of those support Wi-Fi 6. Have you managed to score a new PlayStation 5 console yet? That's a Wi-Fi 6 gadget, too.

Wi-Fi 6 devices like those are backwards compatible with older routers, but if you want to unlock their full potential, then you'll need a Wi-Fi 6 router running your home network. That was an expensive proposition back when Wi-Fi 6 first arrived, but not any more. Shop around, and you'll find a number of options available for less than $100, as well as mesh systems, gaming routers, range extenders and more. Some do the job better than others -- but that's where we come in, with comprehensive, hands-on tests to help identify the best upgrade picks for the money. 

Expect regular updates to this post as we continue to put Wi-Fi 6 to the test in 2022. Whenever we find a new router that merits consideration, we'll add it to the list. For now, here are the models I'd recommend for anyone making the purchase in August 2022.

Ry Crist/CNET

When a router supports Wi-Fi 6, that means that it's capable of using new features like OFDMA and 1024-QAM to deliver faster speeds and lower latency to busy networks with lots of connected devices. That's true even with the budget-priced value picks -- and among those, the one that performs the best is the TP-Link Archer AX21.

Currently priced at $100 and on sale for $70, the Archer AX21 did an outstanding job in my at-home speed tests. At the end of multiple days of tests across five spots in my house, the Archer AX21's average download speed on a 300Mbps fiber network was a near-perfect 299Mbps. That includes triple-digit download speeds in the very back of my house, a common dead zone where a lot of the routers I test struggle to stay connected at all. In 2022, I retested the AX21 after upgrading my home network to gigabit speeds -- it isn't powerful enough to top out a connection like that, but it still delivered fast, consistent speeds, with my downloads averaging in at 441Mbps.

That level of performance was strong enough for the Archer AX21 to beat out similar models from Netgear, Asus and D-Link, and it even kept the pace with fancier routers that cost significantly more. It's also a cinch to set up, thanks to TP-Link's Tether app for Android and iOS, which also offers quick access to basic network settings without bombarding you with ads like some other router apps will.

All of that makes the Archer AX21 an extremely worthy pick for small- to medium-size homes, and one of the best value picks you'll find that supports Wi-Fi 6.

Read our TP-Link Archer AX21 review.

Ry Crist/CNET

2021 was a very good year for TP-Link, and it wasn't just because of the Archer AX21. There's also the TP-Link Deco W7200, which cruised through my speed tests to earn a spot as my top-rated mesh router of the year. With multiple devices working like a team of routers to spread a faster, more reliable signal across a larger area than a single router can, it's a fantastic pick for large homes -- and one that won't set you back very much at just $233 for a two-pack.

What's great about the Deco W7200, along with its full support for Wi-Fi 6, is that it's a tri-band model with the usual 2.4 and 5GHz bands plus an additional 5GHz band that the system uses as a dedicated wireless backhaul connection between the main router and its satellites. That dedicated backhaul is the key to unlocking the best mesh performance, because it keeps those system transmissions separate from your regular network traffic. Tri-band mesh routers like those will often cost you $400 or more, but the Deco W7200 gets you there for hundreds less.

Sure enough, the performance was outstanding when I tested the system out. In fact, of all of the mesh routers that I've tested at home, only two averaged faster download speeds -- the first costs more than $200 more than the Deco W7200, and the other costs more than three times as much. That makes the Deco W7200 a flat-out unbeatable value, and a better, more noticeable upgrade for most homes than splurging on a high-powered standard router. 

The only real downside? So far in 2022, it's been a bit of a challenge to catch the Walmart exclusive in stock. If you're struggling to find it, keep reading for other suggestions, or check out the TP-Link Deco X90, a slightly higher-end model that performed even better than the W7200 in my tests. It's a bit more expensive, but Amazon currently has it marked down to $400.

Read our TP-Link Deco W7200 review.

Ry Crist/CNET

Asus is one of the top names in the gaming router category, boasting the best variety of fast, flashy routers that promise elite performance, low latency, and advanced controls for your connection. The Asus RT-AX86U is actually one of the more understated routers in that mix -- it doesn't include color-changing lights or an oversize, ostentatious design -- but it's still one of the best gaming routers you can buy. Gaming aside, it's one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers you can buy, period.

Along with offering fast, consistent speeds, the RT-AX86U did a better job at managing latency than any other router I tested it against, and it comes with a full suite of tools for optimizing your connection while gaming, including an adaptive quality-of-service engine and an Open NAT database of game- and platform-specific port forwarding rules. There's even a Mobile Game Mode designed to instantly prioritize traffic to your phone.

In other words, the RT-AX86U checks all of the boxes you'd want from a gaming router (except the color-changing lights, I guess -- though you can get it Zaku-styled if you're willing to spend a little more). Most importantly, it makes strong enough use of Wi-Fi 6 to ensure that even the non-gamers in your household will appreciate having it around. 

At around $250 or less, it's definitely an upgrade pick, but a reasonable one that's still less expensive than a lot of gaming routers (and, as of writing this at the start of June, it's marked down to $200 on Amazon). And, if you're thinking about upgrading to a new multi-gig internet plan from AT&T, Frontier, Xfinity, Verizon, Ziply Fiber or another provider offering plans like those, you can get an upgraded RT-AX86U equipped with a multi-gig Ethernet jack supporting incoming wired speeds of up to 2.5Gbps for $250.

Read our Asus RT-AX86U review.

Ry Crist/CNET

Remember how I mentioned that the TP-Link Deco W7200 outperformed every other mesh router I've ever tested except for one? Well, here's the one that beat it -- the AX6000 version of the Netgear Orbi mesh system. 

With that all-important tri-band design and full support for Wi-Fi 6, the AX6000 Orbi blew us away with excellent signal strength and downright impressive top speeds when we first tested it out a year or two ago. Those speeds have held up ever since -- whether we're clocking top speeds in our lab or testing real-world speeds at home, literally nothing else I've tested performs as well. On top of that, the AX6000 Orbi deserves credit for being one of the first mesh routers to offer a multigig WAN port and breaking the bottleneck that capped incoming wired speeds at just a single gig.

Performance like that usually comes at a premium, and sure enough, the AX6000 Orbi costs $700 for a two-pack. Like a Mercedes Benz for the mesh category, it's more machine than most people need, but there's nothing wrong with coveting one -- or waiting for the rare sale. If it were my money, I'd rather go with that Deco W7200 system and spend the hundreds I'd save on something else, but if you just want the best mesh router performance that we've seen in our tests, full stop, money be damned, here it is.

Read our Netgear Orbi AX6000 review.

Ry Crist/CNET

Going with a mesh router makes a ton of sense if you live in a large, multi-story home with a lot of space to cover. In cases like that, it's worth it to prioritize getting a system with more than two devices in the mesh -- and Amazon's Eero 6 Plus gets you there for $299, complete with full support for Wi-Fi 6.

The Eero 6 Plus takes the Eero 6 that preceded it and beefs things up with a faster AX3000 build and new support for full-width 160MHz channels, up from 80MHz. Those wider channels allow the system to move data twice as efficiently to compatible devices, and they made a huge difference in my performance tests, where the 6 Plus finished as a top ten finisher among the thirty or so mesh routers I've tested at home. None of the routers that beat its average download speeds can beat its value, and that makes the Eero 6 Plus an excellent pick.

Read our Eero 6 Plus review.

Ry Crist/CNET

It was a bit too pricey for me to recommend when it launched at $380 for a two-piece setup, but I've seen the Asus ZenWifi XD6 marked down to $300 at multiple outlets in recent weeks, which makes it a much better value -- and right now, Amazon and other outlets are offering it for even less, at $260 for a 2-pack.

For the money, you're getting a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh router that performed more like a fancier tri-band model in our tests, and one that was fully capable of optimizing our speeds throughout the entirety of the 5,400-square-foot CNET Smart Home. In fact, I'd go so far as to call it the most capable dual-band mesh router I've ever tested. 

As of writing this, multiple retailers (including Amazon and B&H Photo) have the XD6 on sale for $260, which is a great deal. If that price jumps up above $300 again, feel free to skip it. But this is a solid mesh router with one of the more comprehensive control apps available from a major manufacturer, making it a good pick for intermediate and advanced users who want to fine-tune their home network experience.

Read our Asus ZenWifi XD6 review.

Wi-Fi 6 router FAQs

If you've got questions about the ins and outs of Wi-Fi 6, be sure to check out my full explainer on the standard and what makes it better than the Wi-Fi of yore. You can also reach me by looking me up on Twitter (@rycrist) or by clicking the little envelope icon on my CNET profile page to send a message straight to my inbox. In the meantime, I'll post answers to any commonly asked questions below. 

What makes Wi-Fi 6 better than before?

Wi-Fi 6 includes support for new Wi-Fi features that help devices pass data back and forth faster and more efficiently. One of the key upgrades is 1024-QAM, which stands for quadrature amplitude modulation, or the trick your router uses to send radio waves that other devices can read as a series of ones and zeroes -- the binary code that makes up everything you see, read and experience online. 1024-QAM allows your router to send out 10 digits of binary code with each transmission, compared to eight digits of binary from Wi-Fi 5 routers that use 256-QAM. That's one of the key reasons why Wi-Fi 6 offers top speeds that are roughly 30% faster than before.

Other features of note include OFDMA, or orthogonal frequency division multiple access, which improves network efficiency by allowing your router to send data to multiple clients within a single channel at once. Think of that like a pizza delivery driver dropping off multiple pizzas to multiple customers in one trip to save gas. There's also Target Wake Time, which lets the router schedule devices that need to periodically check in so that they don't cause interference with one another. And, though it isn't specifically tied to Wi-Fi 6, most next-gen routers will support WPA3, the latest standard for Wi-Fi security.

Will older devices still work with a Wi-Fi 6 router?

Yes -- Wi-Fi 6 is fully backward compatible, so earlier-gen Wi-Fi devices will still be able to connect to them and get online. They just won't be able to take advantage of the new Wi-Fi 6 features that speed things up for current-gen devices.


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