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Galaxy phones are changing to adapt to a pandemic world.

You’ll want to change these Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro default settings

Tweaking a few settings can make your app icons match your wallpaper, optimize storage space and more fun and useful things.

I’m still not convinced about the iPhone 13 Mini

Commentary: The iPhone 13 Mini is a big improvement over its predecessor, but there’s a lot I don’t love.

Pixel 6 vs. Pixel 6 Pro: What the extra $300 gives you

We’ll break down the difference between the $599 Pixel 6 and $899 Pixel 6 Pro. Plus, how Google’s new phone compares to the Pixel 5 and 5A.

By all means, clean your dirty TV screen. Just don’t do it like this

Using a chemical cleaner like Windex will harm your TV. Here’s what to do instead.

I don’t think your new iPhone 13 actually needs a case

Commentary: You should free your iPhone from its case already.

New on Apple Arcade: Oddmar and Dandara: Trials of Fear

Check out the newest games to join Apple Arcade today.

Use this Amazon tip to get great deals and discounts this shopping season

One of our favorite Amazon shopping hacks can help you save up to 70% or more, no matter when you shop.

A small iPhone settings tweak made me like my selfies better

We’ll show you how to mirror your iPhone’s front camera to make your selfies look more familiar.

iPhone productivity tip: How to use the camera to copy text from a photo

Digitize a recipe, handwritten notes and more, just by taking a photo with your iPhone.

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Best prepaid phones of 2021

What are the best prepaid phones right now? This is our hand-picked list of some of the most outstanding options.

From 5G connectivity to foldable screens , phone manufacturers are innovating faster than ever to capitalize on many carriers’ unlimited data, unlimited talk and unlimited text offerings. While Samsung’s Galaxy line and Apple’s iPhone are many people’s top smartphone choice, there are other cell phone-makers gunning for their place. Android phones with facial recognition, mobile phones with extended battery life and an increasing array of camera options make for greater competition, and all of it benefits us, giving us excellent phones to choose from at a wide range of prices and plans.

This includes unlocked phone options and prepaid cell phone plans, where you pay for your data (prepaid unlimited data or other data service plans) and text messages or phone calls upfront, rather than with a contract plan. There are a ton of factors to consider when thinking about signing up for a prepaid phone on a prepaid plan. Will the cell phone plan cover as much as a monthly plan? Does the service provider have a solid network? Does the network support your Android phone or iPhone? Is there an activation fee? Will you have access to unlimited calling and texting?

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Read on to see what would be the best prepaid phone for you, and check out our tips on how to buy a new phone . And for more information about prepaid carrier options and service, read our comparison of best prepaid wireless plans: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, Boost and more . We’ll keep this list of the best prepaid phones updated periodically as we review new products.

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Best Android phones you can buy in 2021

These are the best Android phones you can buy right now in 2021, hand-picked by CNET editors.

New Android phones come out all the time, and now that it’s fall, we’re expecting even more handsets from Samsung, Google and other phone makers using Android 11 or Android 12. Features like fast 5G connectivity , vivid Super AMOLED displays and 120Hz refresh rate screens are now commonplace on the high end, and those with even deeper pockets can access futuristic, cutting-edge tech like foldable displays .

Lots of solid Android phone choices are available at a variety of prices, ranging from budget Android phones to high-end flagship phones. We took a close look at them all and rounded up our favorites. These phones all have generally great cameras, screens, battery life or all of the above. We also considered features such as 5G and wireless charging. Read on to see our top picks for the best Android phones and check out our tips on how to buy a new phone , too. We’ll update this list periodically as we review new products.

Top-of-the-line Android

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

E D I T O R S ’ C H O I C E

As Samsung’s elite flagship phone for 2021, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra features a brilliant 6.8-inch AMOLED display with an ultrasmooth 120Hz refresh rate that also supports Samsung’s S-Pen stylus, an awesome rear camera with incredible zoom skills and 5G connectivity for super speedy data. This is the best in mobile technology that Samsung has to offer, and it’s the Android phone to go for if you’re keen to put cutting-edge tech in your pocket.

Best flagship phone with great value

Google Pixel 6 Pro

Google stayed out of the flagship segment for a couple of years. In the meantime, it made its own chip with additions to machine learning and artificial intelligence. The Pixel 6 Pro packs all of it with a photography prowess that’s hard to beat.

Google’s $899 higher-end phone still undercuts rivals on price while including so much value. It is a big phone that features a 6.7-inch display, which is pin-sharp thanks to its 3,120×1,440-pixel resolution. It has an adaptive refresh rate that can go up to 120Hz when you’re playing fast-paced games, but also slows down to only 10Hz when the phone is basically sitting idle. The 5,003-mAh battery should be good for a full day of mixed usage.

Best Android phone under $600

Google Pixel 6

Google Pixel 6 is the smartphone to get if you want a big display, flagship performance, some of the best cameras on the market and a look that distinguishes it from the competition. Google extended its three years of OS and security updates to five. In the US, the Pixel 6 is available both through Google and all major carriers.

The Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch, 1080p screen. It can be set to automatically switch from 60Hz to 90Hz depending on the content onscreen. However, the fingerprint sensor is on the slower side. It comes with two rear cameras: the main camera with a wide-angle lens and a second camera with an ultrawide-angle lens.

If you have $599 and are looking for a new phone, the Pixel 6 is our recommendation.

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Best phones under $500 2021: iPhone 11, Pixel 5A 5G, Samsung Galaxy and more

You don’t need to spend over $500 to get a great phone. Here are our picks of the best ones.

Elite phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro boast the best tech you can find on a mobile phone. They pack stellar performance and a wide set of features, but they also come with large price tags to match. However, many of us simply don’t need the fastest processor, an OLED display or the best rear camera (or cameras, in some cases!) around, making some of those specs may seem like overkill.

These days, it’s easy to shop for a phone, including brand-new affordable handsets through to discounted previous-generation models, on a more modest budget. And despite low prices, a budget smartphone can be advanced, packing features akin to premium phones, like lots of internal storage, great multi-lens cameras, fast processors, a fingerprint scanner and even 5G connectivity. And if you’re willing to buy an unlocked phone, your choices become even more vast.

Check out the list below of the best phones under $500 — which we update regularly — and read CNET’s reviews. Note that we’ve linked to the unlocked version of each budget phone. An unlocked phone should run on most of the big four US wireless carriers, unless specified otherwise.

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Best unlocked Android smartphones you can get today

These unlocked handsets bypass the carrier overlords to let you talk, text and browse on your phone of choice.

Something strange is happening in the US, where wireless carriers once sold dramatically different phones, and buying an unlocked handset through a store that wasn’t your carrier was a risky proposition best left for the gadget-savvy. Now, two-year contracts are practically a thing of the past, most-wanted phones appear on all major networks, and phone-makers are beginning to succeed in selling handsets directly to buyers.

Unlocked phones are on the rise.

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Simply buy a SIM card, stick it in your device, and you’re good to go. There’s no need to wait for activation, and best yet, you can keep your phone around for as long or as short a time as you’d like without paying any surprise fees. Here are some of our favorite handsets that you can purchase and use wherever you go — even all around the globe — carrier-free.

(You can use them on any compatible network; in the US, that’s mostly AT&T and T-Mobile, though Motorola phones will also work with Verizon and Sprint’s network technologies.)

Editors’ note: This piece was originally published June 12, 2012 and updates regularly.

The Motorola Moto G is a great-value budget phone. In fact, it’s one of the best, contract or no.

Motorola Moto G (late 2015 edition)

Motorola continues to crank out Goldilocks phones whose look and feel manage to lure us in, even when the specs are ho-hum. For $220, you get a comfortable, 5-inch display with a decent camera and 16GB of storage, plus, you can swap backplates to add your own flair. There’s an even cheaper model with half the storage and RAM for $180, but in our opinion, this is the one worth getting. (We’re also looking forward to the higher-caliber Moto X Pure, but that isn’t out yet at the time of this story.) Read CNET’s full Motorola Moto G review here.

On the Idol 3, either way is «up».

Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3

For $250, Alcatel’s Idol 3 is a high-value Android handset with a nice 13-megapixel camera, good speakers, and a large, high-resolution screen. Alcatel’s phone also has an unusual feature: its software flips «up» no matter how you hold it. Read the full Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 review.

You can buy four backings if «sandstone» doesn’t do it for you.

OnePlus 2

The sequel to last year’s OnePlus One improves the phone’s design, hardware and software. It gains a metal (rather than plastic) rim, a sliding switch to manage notifications, and specs that include a 5.5-inch display and a respectable 13-megapixel camera that takes nice shots. It costs $390 for the 64Gb version and there are four alternate backings you can buy, such as in Kevlar or wood, if the default «sandstone» isn’t your thing. Read the full OnePlus 2 review.

This is our favorite ZTE phone yet.

ZTE Axon Pro

ZTE’s high-end Axon Pro is a competitively-priced flagship worthy of the name. Its $500 price tag brings with it an ultracrisp 2,560 x 1,440-pixel resolution on a 5.5-inch screen, and its polished body comes in three colors: blue, silver and gold. The phone’s capable 13-megapixel camera and hardware performance make it a truly excellent unlocked handset. Read the full ZTE Axon Pro review.

This is a likable $250 device.

Huawei P8 Lite

It’s got a pretty, lightweight design with a 5-inch screen and all the Android software fixings. This $250 phone gives others in the budget category a run for their money. While specs aren’t as high as on Alcatel’s phone, for instance, the P8 Lite still satisfies casual users. Read the full Huawei P8 Lite review.

The Nexus 6 has a whopping 6-inch screen.

Juan Garzón / CNET

Google Nexus 6

Even while we wait for Google’s next Nexus phone (or phones) to come bursting out of the gate, the Nexus 6 will still hold its value (though we recommend waiting for the Nexus 7 to push prices down on the 6.) The company’s «pure» Android phones boast high-end specs without any custom software, and moderate pricing. As a result, the phone — which you can buy from Google’s online store — is among the first to update to each ensuing version of its Android software. In this case, prepare yourself for Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Read the full Google Nexus 6 review.

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