Devices

For All Devices

screen protectors: Spigen EZ Fit
skins: dbrand

Laptops

Windows

Note that I am focusing on laptops with a portable form factor (hence no crazy 18” gaming laptops or anything like that)

Note that I have grouped the versions of USB into 5Gbps, 10Gbps, and 40Gbps. This makes it easier to understand what kind of speeds you can get.

USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1, and USB 3.2 Gen 1: 5Gbps USB 3.1 Gen 2 and USB 3.2 Gen 2: 10Gbps USB4 and TB4: 40Gbps

Note that the TB4 specification is stricter than USB4 in that all TB4 devices must support 40Gbps, while USB4 allows 20Gbps. Most USB4 devices do support 40Gbps, however. Usually, Intel laptops support TB4 whereas AMD laptops support USB4.

The best budget laptops are used laptops, such as old ThinkPads. Alternatively, look for a really good sale on a laptop with decent specs

standard
- Intel Arrow Lake: Zenbook 14
  - Zenbook 14 (Core Ultra 5 225H or 7 255H)
    - screen: 14” 16:10 60/120hz OLED touchscreen
    - ports: 2x USB-C 40Gbps + USB-A 5Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack
    - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 1TB
- AMD Kraken Point: Zenbook 14
  - Zenbook 14 (Ryzen AI 5 340)
    - screen: 14” 16:10 60/120hz OLED touchscreen
    - ports: USB-C 40Gbps + USB-C 10Gbps + USB-A 5Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack
    - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 1TB
thin-and-light
- Intel Lunar Lake: Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition / Zenbook S 14 / Thinkpad X9
  - summary:
    - Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is a great option with a good keyboard + solid build quality and has options for both a 15” 120hz LCD and a 14” 60hz OLED
    - Zenbook S 14 is also a great option if you want OLED
    - Thinkpad X9 is a decent option if you want an OLED screen + haptic touchpad + good speakers if you can find it at a lower price
  - Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition
    - Core Ultra 7 Series 2
    - screen: 14” 16:10 60hz OLED touchscreen / 15” 16:10 120hz LCD touchscreen
    - ports: 2x USB-C 40Gbps + USB-A 5Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack
    - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 1TB
  - Zenbook S 14
    - up to Core Ultra 9 Series 2
    - screen: 14” 16:10 120hz OLED
    - ports: 2x USB-C 40Gbps + USB-A 10Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack
    - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 1TB
  - Thinkpad X9 (haptic touchpad)
    - up to Core Ultra 7 Series 2
    - screen: 14” 16:10 120hz OLED
    - ports: 2x USB-C 40Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack
    - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 2TB
- AMD Strix Point: Omnibook Ultra 14 / Yoga Pro 7 / Zenbook S 16
  - summary:
    - Omnibook Ultra 14 is a good value option with a smaller 14” screen and good battery life but is IPS and 60hz
    - Yoga Pro 7 is a great option with a smaller 14” screen + a really good keyboard
    - Zenbook S 16 is a great option with a larger 16” screen + great ports
  - Omnibook Ultra 14 (haptic trackpad, thin and light)
    - screen: 14” 16:10 60hz IPS touchscreen
    - ports: 2x USB-C 40Gbps + USB-A 10Gbps + audio jack
    - memory + storage: 16GB + 1TB
  - Yoga Pro 7 (more performance)
    - screen: 14” 16:10 120hz OLED
    - ports: USB-C 40Gbps + USB-C 10Gbps + USB-A 5Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack
    - memory + storage: 32GB + 1TB
  - Zenbook S 16 (thin and light)
    - screen: 16” 16:10 120hz OLED touchscreen
    - ports: 2x USB-C 40Gbps + USB-A 10Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack + SD card reader
    - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 2TB
- Snapdragon X (ARM): Surface Laptop 7 / Yoga Slim 7x / Zenbook A14
  - summary:
    - Surface Laptop 7 is the best overall ARM laptop with good ports + haptic trackpad
    - Yoga Slim 7x is a good alternative option if you want OLED, but has terrible ports
    - Zenbook A14 is incredibly lightweight but is only 60hz
  - Surface Laptop 7 (haptic touchpad)
    - screen: 13/15” 3:2 120hz IPS touchscreen
    - ports: 2x USB-C 40Gbps + USB-A 5Gbps + Surface Connect + audio jack
      - microSD card reader for 15” only
    - memory + storage: *up to 32GB + 1TB
  - Yoga Slim 7x
    - screen: 14” 16:10 90hz OLED touchscreen
    - ports: 3x USB-C 40Gbps…that’s it?
    - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 1TB
  - Zenbook A14
    - screen: 14” 16:10 60hz IPS (OLED for X Elite varient)
    - ports: 2x USB-C 40Gbps + USB-A 10Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack
    - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 1TB

Lunar Lake processors offer very good battery life. AMD’s Strix Point processors have better performance but don’t offer as great battery life. Qualcomm’s ARM processors have both great battery and decent performance, but are not compatible with some x86 programs.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 has Intel’s Lunar Lake processors and has great build quality, battery life, and an amazing keyboard. However, it is significantly more expensive than other options!

The Dell XPS 13 AI looks promising. Excellent battery life with a Snapdragon processor, a haptic trackpad, and a beautiful design that suits the XPS lineup.

However, the keyboard is edge-to-edge and isn’t fun to type on, the trackpad is “invisible”, the function keys are capacitive (touch) rather than physical, and it has HORRIBLE ports, even worse than the Yoga Slim 7x with only TWO USB-C ports! I do not recommend the XPS 13 due to these issues, especially given the price.

dedicated graphics: Legion Pro 5/5i or 7i (Gen 10) / ROG Zephyrus G14/16 (2025)
- summary:
  - Legion - thicker with more performance + cooling but not overkill
  - Zephyrus - very slim and compact, sacrifices a bit of performance
- Legion Pro 5 Gen 10 (up to Ryzen 9 9955HX)
  - screen: 16” 16:10 240hz OLED
  - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 2TB
  - ports: 2x USB-C 10Gbps + USB-A 10Gbps + 2x USB-A 5Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack + 1G ethernet
  - graphics: up to RTX 5070
- Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 (up to Core Ultra 9 275HX)
  - screen: 16” 16:10 240hz OLED
  - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 2TB
  - ports: USB-C 40 Gbps + USB-C 10Gbps + USB-A 10Gbps + 2x USB-A 5Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack + 1G ethernet
  - graphics: up to RTX 5070 Ti
- Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 (up to Core Ultra 9 275HX)
  - screen: 16” 16:10 240hz OLED
  - memory + storage: up to 64GB + 2TB
  - ports: USB-C 40 Gbps + USB-C 10Gbps + USB-A 10Gbps + 2x USB-A 5Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack + 2.5G ethernet
  - graphics: up to RTX 5090
- Zephyrus G14 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370)
  - screen: 14” 16:10 120hz OLED
  - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 2TB
  - ports: USB-C 40 Gbps + USB-C 10Gbps + 2x USB-A 10Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack + UHS-II microSD card reader
  - graphics: up to RTX 5080
- Zephyrus G16 (Core Ultra 9 285H)
  - screen: 16” 16:10 240hz OLED
  - memory + storage: up to 64GB + 2TB
  - ports: USB-C 40 Gbps + USB-C 10Gbps + 2x USB-A 10Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack + UHS-II SD card reader
  - graphics: up to RTX 5090

The ROG Zephyrus laptops are some of the best thin + lightweight gaming laptops, whereas the Lenovo Legion laptops are solid all-rounders with great performance.

If your use-case somehow requires even more performance and don’t have space for a desktop, then gaming laptops like the ROG Scar and XPG models (as well as plenty of others) are all great options, but they are much thicker due to the extra cooling.

In my opinion, this kind of performance is a bit overkill for a laptop and it makes more sense to purchase a PC, which will run faster, cooler, and quieter than any gaming laptop at the cost of portability.

interesting one: Honor MagicBook Art 14 (haptic touchpad)
- Core Ultra 7 Series 1 / Snapdragon X Elite
- 14” 3:2 120hz OLED touchscreen
- hidden magnetic webcam, can be flipped backwards
- very lightweight magnesium alloy body
repairable
- easy to repair, upgradeable components, modular I/O
- standard: Framework Laptop 13 (Ryzen 300 series)
- more powerful: Framework Laptop 16 (Ryzen 7040 series)
  - modular GPU (RX 7700S)
2-in-1: HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 / Yoga 7i 2-in-1
- Core Ultra 7 256V or 258V
- OmniBook Ultra Flip 14
  - screen: 14” 16:10 120hz OLED touchscreen
  - ports: 2x USB-C 40Gbps + USB-C 10Gbps + audio jack
  - memory + storage: 16GB + 1TB
- Yoga 7i 2-in-1
  - screen: 14” or 16” 16:10 120hz OLED touchscreen
  - ports: 2x 40Gbps USB-C + USB-A 5Gbps + HDMI 1.4b + audio jack + microSD card reader
  - memory + storage: up to 32GB + 1TB

MacOS

cheaper: Macbook Air (M1)
everyday: Macbook Air (M3)
powerful: Macbook Pro (M4)

Linux

standard: System76 Lemur Pro / Tuxedo InfinityBook Pro 14 or 15 Gen 9
- Lemur Pro
  - up to Core Ultra 7 155H
  - screen: 14” 16:10 60hz IPS
  - memory + storage: up to 56GB + 4TB
  - ports: USB-C 40Gbps + USB-C 10Gbps + USB-A 10Gbps + USB-A 5Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack + UHS-I microSD card reader
- InfinityBook Pro 14 or 15 Gen 9
  - *up to Core Ultra 7 155H or Ryzen 7 8845HS
  - screen: 14” 16:10 120hz IPS or 15” 16:10 240hz IPS
  - memory + storage: up to 96GB + 8TB
  - ports: USB-C 40Gbps + USB-C 10Gbps + 2x USB-A 5Gbps + 1x USB-A 480Mbps + HDMI 2.0b + audio jack + UHS-II SD card reader + 1G ethernet
powerful: Tuxedo Stellaris 15 Slim Gen 6
- up to Core i9-14900HX OR Ryzen 7 8845HS
- screen: 15” 16:10 240hz IPS
- memory + storage: up to 96GB + 8TB
- ports: USB-C 10Gbps + USB-C 5Gbps + 4x USB-A 5Gbps + HDMI 2.1 + audio jack + UHS-II SD card reader + 2.5G ethernet
- graphics: *up to RTX 4070
2-in-1: Tuxedo InfinityFlex 14 Gen 1
- Core i5-1335U
- screen: 14” 16:10 60hz IPS touchscreen
- memory + storage: up to 64GB + 8TB
- ports: USB-C 40Gbps + USB-C 10Gbps + USB-A 10Gbps + USB-A 5Gbps + HDMI 2.0 + audio jack + microSD / SIM card slot

Lenovo Thinkpads are also good dedicated Linux laptops.

You could also install Linux on any laptop, but check if the hardware is compatible!

Sleeves

soft: tomtoc Defender-A13
hard: Finpac
leather: Bellroy
waxed canvas: Waterfield

Stands

cheaper: Lamicall
standard: Roost V3
vertical dock: Humancentric
laptop cooler: IETS GT500 (5000 RPM)

Phones

Android

good -> best is based on software updates

flagship
- my ranking:
  - best overall: OnePlus or Oppo
    - chipset (Snapdragon vs Mediatek)
    - ultrasonic vs optical fingerprint scanner
    - Find X8 Pro has an extra 6x telephoto
    - Oppo gets 5 y/o OS updates whereas OnePlus gets 4
  - if you want near-stock OS + great software support: Pixel (limited availability + worse chipset)
  - great hardware, OS is a bit bloated: Honor
    - Honor recently announced that the Magic 7 Pro will get 7 y/o OS updates! Hooray!
  - great cameras, bloated OS: Vivo
  - great hardware, very bloated OS: Xiaomi
  - meh hardware, divisive UI: Samsung (their A5x series phones are decent, but their S series lineup is overpriced)
- good: OnePlus 13 / Xiaomi 15 series / Vivo X200 series (4 y/o OS updates)
- better: Oppo Find X8 series (5 y/o OS updates)
- best: Pixel 9 series (7 y/o OS updates)

main differences between base and Pro models

The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro are identical aside from the addition of a 5x zoom telephoto camera. The Pixel 9 Pro XL offers a larger 6.8” display and a 5060mAh battery compared to 4700mAh.

The Oppo Find X8 Pro has a slightly larger curved screen as well as a 6x zoom camera compared to the Find X8. The Pro model also features a larger 5910mAh battery compared to the 5630mAh battery of the standard model.

The OnePlus 13 is very similar to the Oppo Find X8 Pro, with the important differences being a Snapdragon 8 Elite vs the Mediatek Dimensity 9400, four years of OS updates rather than five, not including the 6x telephoto, and an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.

The Vivo X200 Pro has a slightly larger screen, better camera sensors, and a larger 6000mAh battery compared with a 5800mAh battery in the base X200.

The Xiaomi 15 Pro has a 5x periscope telephoto zoom camera, a much larger 6.7” display, and a larger 6100mAh battery compared to the more compact 15 with a 6.3” display and 5240mAh battery (5400mAh in China). Note that the Xiaomi 15 Pro is China-exclusive so you’ll have to import it.

best cameras: Oppo Find X8 Ultra (5 y/o OS updates) / Vivo X200 Ultra (4 y/o updates) / Xiaomi 15 Ultra (4 y/o OS updates)

Interestingly, Oppo and Vivo both use the higher-performing Snapdragon 8 Elite chip over the Mediatek Dimensity 9400 used in their base and Pro models.

Note that the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has an optional “photography kit” with a shutter button grip that doubles as extra battery. The Vivo X200 Ultra has an optional external 8.6x teleconverter lens!

enthusiast: Sony Xperia 1 VI (headphone jack + good screen + good cameras + front-facing speakers + microSD slot)
audio: Moondrop MIAD-01

Unfortunately, Sony only provides 2 y/o OS updates with 3 y/o security patches. The Xperia 1 VI is also very expensive compared to the competition, so I can’t recommend them for most people.

midrange
- good: OnePlus 13R (4 y/o OS updates)
- better: Galaxy A56 (6 y/o OS updates)
- best: Pixel 9a (7 y/o OS updates)

The Poco F6 (4 y/o OS updates) is a powerful midrange phone, but has bloated software.

budget
- good: OnePlus Nord 4 / Realme GT 6T (4 y/o OS updates)
- better: Moto Edge 50 Neo (5 y/o OS updates)
compact: Xperia XZ1 Compact
matte: TCL 50 NXTPaper 5G (NXTPaper 3.0)
repairable: Fairphone 5 (8 y/o OS updates)

HMD also makes very repairable phones, but have poor OS update support. The HMD Skyline (2 y/o updates) is a solid option with midrange specs, an easily removeable back with just a single screw and is the first phone to support Qi2!

Foldables

clamshell-style
- cheaper: Razr 50
- standard: Galaxy Flip 6 / Razr 50 Ultra
  - Galaxy Flip is more refined, Razr has a larger cover screen
book-style: Oppo Find N5

The Xiaomi Mix Flip is also a solid clamshell-style foldable with a large cover screen and decent cameras. However, it does NOT have an IP rating! Despite this, it is an impressive first attempt by Xiaomi.

The OnePlus Open is based on the predecessor of the Find N5, the Find N3. It’s a bit older but still a great foldable if the Oppo is not available in your region.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (mouthful of a name!) is also a very good foldable. Although it’s not as slim as the Find N5 and has worse battery life, it has Pixel cameras and software. That also means it will get 7 y/o OS updates!

The Samsung Z Fold 6 is not recommended. It has a worse cover screen and crease than the competition. It’s also thicker despite having worse battery life. However, a used Z Fold 3 or 4 can be found for cheaper than any of the new foldables and could be worth it if you are okay with the compromises that comes with previous generation foldables.

iOS

standard: iPhone 17 (leaked to have ProMotion, meaning 120hz LTPO???)

Wait for ProMotion to come in the iPhone 17, a 60hz screen is not acceptable at this price. For now, either buy an Android phone or keep your old iPhone for a bit longer.

best cameras: iPhone 12/13/14/15/16 Pro
The Pro models are all the same with the only differences being:
- notch (12/13) vs dynamic island (14/15/16)
  - slightly less annoying
- Lightning (12/13/14) vs USB-C (15/16)
  - the universal connector :D
- action button (15/16)
  - very useful, can be customised a bunch
- camera control (16)
  - honestly very gimmicky and is in an awkward position where it can be accidentally pressed
- 5x telephoto for Pro Max (15/16)
- 5x telephoto for standard Pro (16)
- stainless steel (12/13/14) vs titanium (15/16)
  - leaks say that Apple might switch back to aluminium for the 17 Pro models. I never got why Apple used SS / Ti to begin with since Al is both cheaper and less dense than both besides the bragging rights of the fancy-pants metal.
- processor
  - the newer phones are a bit faster
- Apple Intelligence (15/16)
  - Half-baked, smart Siri is still not here. Sad.
- …and that’s kind of it I think
Of course, the newer models are more future-proof in terms of software updates, but if you own an older gen Pro model there’s not much need to upgrade.
midrange: iPhone 16e
compact: iPhone SE (1st gen)
- alternative: iPhone 5S (slower processor)

The iPhone 15 Pro can be found used for a bit over the price of the 16e, and you get the triple camera system, LTPO 120hz high brightness screen, and MagSafe.

However, the 16e’s battery life is better than the 15 Pro, and it has a newer processor. Still, if you can find it, the 15 Pro is a really solid option.

Linux

standard: PinePhone
- PinePhone Pro is slightly more powerful but has worse battery

Cases

budget: random case from Amazon/Aliexpress/Taobao/etc
everyday
- iPhone: Caudabe Sheath ($43 for base/Pro models, $44 for Plus/Pro Max models)
- iPhone + Galaxy: ESR HaloLock ($ depends on model)
- iPhone + Galaxy + Pixel: Caseology Nano Pop ($44) / dbrand Grip Case ($59) / OtterBox ($ depends on model) / Ringke Onyx ($ depends on model)
- OnePlus: Sandstone Case ($24)
- a whole bunch: Spigen ($ depends on model, e.g. Liquid Air is $29, Tough Armor is $59)
  - alternative: Tudia MergeGrip ($ varies)
leather (iPhone)
- full leather incl. sides: Bullstrap ($89)
  - alternatives: Andar Aspen ($59) / Ryan London Leather Shell ($72)
- plastic sides: Nomad Modern Leather Case ($49, $69 for folio, $69 for Horween leather, $89 for Horween leather folio)
mounting: Peak Design ($49, $59 for loop case) / Quad Lock ($34, $39 for Mag)
- both have options for iPhone + Galaxy + Pixel), and both have a universal adapter option
physical keyboard: Clicks ($139, $159 for iPhone Plus + Pro Max models)
- options for iPhone + Galaxy + Pixel + Razr

Stands

standard: Ugreen ($12 for 2-pack)
colourful: Lamicall (~~$14~~ $12)
- available in lots of different colours!

Other Accessories

grip: PopSocket ($30, $35 for special designs)
wallet: ESR Geo Wallet (~~$49~~ $37) / Peak Design ($49 for slim wallet, $59 for stand wallet) / PopWallet ($40, $50 for Softgoods)
- ESR only holds 3 cards despite its bulk but has option for Find My support
- Peak Design can fit many cards and is high quality
- PopWallet has built-in Pop Socket
tripod: Peak Design ($79)
camera grip: G-Grip by Greg Williams (~~$69~~ $49)

Tablets

Windows

standard: ProArt PZ13 / Surface Pro 11 (Snapdragon X series)
more powerful (Strix Halo): ROG Flow Z13 (up to Ryzen AI Max 390)

iPadOS

cheaper: iPad
standard: iPad Air
upgrade
- standard: iPad Pro 2022
- better: iPad Pro 2024 (Tandem OLED + M4 but more expensive)

Android

under $100: onn

onn tablet is only available in Walmart

under $250
- Galaxy Tab A9+ (~~$219~~ $149)
  - Snapdragon 695
- Lenovo Xiaoxin Pad Pro 2025 (~~about $349~~ about $249)
  - MediaTek Dimensity 8300
- others
under $500
- Galaxy Tab S9 FE ($449)
  - Exynos 1380
- Xiaomi Pad 7 (~~$359~~ $329)
  - Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3
- Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro (~~$459~~ $399)
  - Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
- others

If you are able to find a tablet with better specs for a good deal in your region, go for that instead!

over $500: OnePlus Pad 2 ($549)
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
over $600: Galaxy Tab S9 (~~$799~~ $649)
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
over $850: Galaxy Tab S10+ (~~$999~~ $869) or S10 Ultra (~~$1199~~ $1059)
- MediaTek Dimensity 9300+
smaller: Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 *(~~$549~~ $489)
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

The Galaxy Tab S9 and S10 series are quite overpriced, but have beautiful OLED screens. The S10 is a minimal improvement, with the only noticeable change being an anti-reflective screen. The S10 series also use MediaTek processors instead of Snapdragon. Unless you want an OLED screen, the OnePlus Pad 2 is better value for most people.

Also, Samsung removed the base model for the S10 series, so now there’s only the Plus and Ultra

Linux

standard: PineTab 2 ($159 for 4GB/64GB, $209 for 8GB/128GB)

Cases

around $20: ESR Ascend ($18) (for base model iPad)
around $30: ESR Rebound (~$25-30 depending on model) (for iPad Air + Pro)
around $50: ESR Shift (~$40-50 depending on model) (for iPad Air + Pro)
ultra-thin: Pitaka MagEZ Folio 2 ($49) (for iPad Air + Pro)

Sleeves

soft: Tomtoc Light-B18 ($21)
hard: Finpac ($28)
waxed canvas: Waterfield SleeveCase ($89)

Stands

under $20: Lamicall (~~$19~~ $14) / Ugreen (~~$11~~ $9)
portable: Twelve South Compass Pro ($29)
drawing tablet: XP Pen AC18 ($49) / Parblo ($ depends on model, e.g. PR100 is $39)

Smartwatches

If you are on a budget, the Amazfit smartwatches are decent for the price. Good options include the Amazfit Bip 5 (~~$89~~ $59), Bip 5 Unity (~~$69~~ $49), and GTR Mini (~~$99~~ $69)

Going used may also be an option if you are on a budget, such as the Fossil Gen 5, the Pixel Watch 1, and older Galaxy Watches. However, note that used smartwatches often have degraded batteries resulting in worse battery life.

Note that Garmin smartwatches are not included as they are more focused on fitness tracking rather than the smartwatch bit. If you do want a Garmin smartwatch, good options include the viv

WearOS

under $200: OnePlus Watch 2R (~~$229~~ $179 for 46mm)
- smaller: Pixel Watch 2 (~~$249~~ $199 for 41mm)
under $350: OnePlus Watch 3 ($329 for 46mm)
- smaller: Pixel Watch 3 ($349 for 41mm, $399 for 45mm)

The OnePlus Watches are recommended as they have impressive multi-day battery life, far exceeding other WearOS watches.

Note that the OnePlus Watch 2/2R and 3 only comes in one size: 46mm. This may be too big for those with small wrists, hence the Pixel Watch 3 recommendation, which comes in smaller 41mm ($349) and 45mm ($399) sizes at the cost of battery life.

The OnePlus Watch 3 has even better battery life and improved health and sleep tracking over the Watch 2/2R, but it is more expensive.

The OnePlus Watch 2R is a cheaper version of the Watch 2 (~~$299~~ $209) using an aluminium body rather than stainless steel, but is otherwise the same. This also makes it a bit lighter. The Watch 2R is a better value compared to the 2.

The Oppo Watch X2 has the same specs as the OnePlus Watch 3, but has a different design with a beautiful blue colour and an indented bezel. It is a bit more expensive, however. If you do purchase this over the OP Watch 3, be sure to get the global version, as the Chinese version runs ColorOS rather than WearOS!

The Pixel Watch 2 is a good option as well. The only thing you won’t get with the 2 is the brighter screen and slimmer bezels of the Watch 3.

If you use a Samsung Galaxy phone, you may prefer to use the Galaxy Watch 7 ($299 for 40mm, $329 for 44mm, cellular is +$50) or the Watch 6 Classic (discontinued) if you prefer a physical dial. Older models may also be worth considering. It is not recommended for non-Galaxy users as a lot of the functionality is unfortunately restricted to Samsung’s Galaxy phones.

watchOS

under $300: Apple Watch Series 5 (discontinued) / SE ($249 for 40mm, $279 for 44mm, cellular is +$50)

The Series 5 is very similar to the SE, with the only differences being an always-on display + ECG

over $300: Apple Watch Series 10 ($399 for 42mm, $429 for 46mm, cellular is +$100)

PebbleOS

B&W screen + plastic body: Core 2 Duo ($149)
64 colour screen + metal body: Core Time 2 ($225)

PebbleOS smartwatches have e-paper screens and have 30-day battery life. PebbleOS is also open-source!

Cases

Apple: Spigen Thin Fit ($19)
Galaxy: Spigen Liquid Air ($19)
Pixel: Spigen Liquid Air ($19)

PCs

Mini PCs

budget: Dell Micro / HP Mini / Lenovo Tiny / NUCs ($ depends on specs)
under $500: Minisforum UM760 Slim ($409)
under $650: Beelink SER8 (~~$599~~ $489 for 32GB/1TB) / Minisforum UM890 Pro (~~$809~~ $649 for 32GB/1TB)
under $800: Minisforum HX99G (~~$799~~ $719 for 32GB/1TB) or HX100G (~~$1029~~ $799 for 32GB/1TB)
kind of overkill / expensive
- Ryzen AI 9 HX 300 series: Beelink SER9 ($1249) / Minisforum EliteMini ($1099)
- external GPU: Beelink GTi14 Ultra (~~$1228~~ $978 for 32GB/1TB + GPU docking station bundle)
MacOS: Mac Mini (M4)

Desktops

budget: Dell OptiPlex / HP EliteDesk / Lenovo ThinkCentre ($ depends on specs)
- Intel 8th gen is the best price/performance
- older CPUs tend to be slower
- newer CPUs tend to be more expensive
cheaper: used PCs / Microcenter ($ depends on specs)

The Framework Desktop is going to be repairable, customisable, and powerful with up to a Ryzen AI Max 395+

E-Readers and Digital Notebooks

e-reader
- B/W: Kobo Clara BW ($129)
- colour: Kobo Libra Colour ($229)

The Kobo Clara Colour ($159) has smaller 6” screen + no note-taking ability, and it is dimmer than the Clara BW, but if you can live with those compromises, it’s a good cheaper alternative to the Libra Colour.

digital notebook
- smaller: Supernote A6 X2 Nomad ($299)
- larger: Supernote A5 X2 Manta ($459)

Dumbphones

budget: Nokia 2760 / TCL Flip 2
cheaper: Cat S22 Flip / Qin F21 Pro (Xiaomi)
standard: Kyocera Dura XV Extreme / Sunbeam F1
better: Kyocera Dura XV Extreme+ / Light Phone II / Kyocera Digno 903KC
keitai phones: Kyocera 902KC/903KC Digno Ketai 3 or A202KC Digno Ketai 4 / others

Japanese keitai phones are great, but they may be region locked. Check if the one you are purchasing works with your carrier!

Other Reviews To Check Out

MKBHD (YT) Marques is generally a reliable, mostly unbiased reviewer
The Tech Chap (YT) Also a good reviewer, and he also reviews phones that aren’t available in the US such as Oppo, Vivo, etc. as he is based in the UK
Mrwhosetheboss (YT) Arun is also a very good reviewer, though sometimes he overhypes certain products and exaggerates a bit
SuperSaf (YT) Great reviewer as well, I really like him
JerryRigEverything (YT) Teardowns on different devices and assessing their durability
GSMArena (Website) Great for finding the specs on different devices
ZONEofTech (YT) Also a decent reviewer as well, but focuses more on leaks + rumours
JustJosh (YT) Focuses on laptop reviews
and there are plenty of others!