Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Our smartphones have transformed the way we take photos and videos and our relationship to these digital memories. Most of us will snap at least some pictures and clips every day with the gadget that's always close at hand. If you want to get more creative with photos on your phone, you can. Sometimes you're going to want to take a picture remotely, without your phone in your hand and your finger over the shutter button--maybe you're taking a wide shot of a large group, or you want to capture a lot of your surroundings.

Apple released its latest'budget' phone, the 599 iPhone 16e, back in February after months of feverish anticipation. But not to be outdone, rival tech giant Google has released its own handset at an'unbeatable' price – the Pixel 9a. The device – which at 499 is 100 cheaper than Apple's equivalent – has a 6.3-inch display, two rear cameras and more than 30 hours of battery life on a single charge. It's packed with'helpful' AI tools such as Gemini – Google's chatbot which was built to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT, now on Apple phones. MailOnline tests the new Google handset, described as a more accessible alternative to the firm's flagship Pixel 9 ( 799).

Google is back with another entry-level smartphone, the Pixel 9a. With more AI smarts, a new hardware design, and the biggest battery on any Pixel yet, on paper, it sounds good. In our full Pixel 9a review, Sam Rutherford breaks down where corners have been cut compared to the rest of the Pixel 9 family, namely screen (which is still nice!) and sluggish charging. While there is support for nearly all of Google's AI features, the 499 Pixel 9a doesn't get access to Google's Screenshots app, which is an odd oversight. Especially when the phone has the Tensor G4 chip.

Later than expected, Google has begun rolling a pair of new Gemini Live features to Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 devices. The company first previewed Gemini live video and screensharing during Mobile World Congress in March. As you might have guessed from their names, the two features allow you to take advantage of Gemini's multi-modal capabilities to ask Google's chatbot questions about what you see in front of your or on your phone's screen. It's here: ask Gemini about anything you see. If you don't own a Pixel 9 or Galaxy S25, Google says you can still access the new features through the Gemini app on Android.

OnePlus has been a bit up and down since it merged with Oppo back in 2021. It gained greater access to powerful components and partnerships with brands like Hasselblad, while its software and product lineup took a few steps back before finding its stride again. But now, three generations after the merger, OnePlus' latest flagship phone -- the OnePlus 13 -- feels like a fantastic return to form. In some areas, the company is even pushing the limits of hardware and gadget design in ways that rivals from Samsung and Google aren't. And with a starting price of 900, OnePlus has managed to undercut its closest competitor too, which makes this phone a great choice for anyone who cares more about getting hardware upgrades than fancy new AI tricks.

Samsung's Galaxy S25 smartphones launched today, but when it comes to the all-important cameras, the company leaned on AI rather than making any meaningful changes. There is one welcome addition, though. Samsung finally caught up to to rivals like Honor by introducing log video to allow more precise color grading. Other key updates include improved low-light capability on all models, the new "ProVisual engine," a "virtual aperture" and a much higher resolution ultrawide camera on the high-end Ultra. Last year the Galaxy S24 Ultra's big selling point was the 200MP camera, which made the 12MP ultrawide look weak in comparison.

I've lost count of the number of things we reviewed this year at Engadget. In 2024, the types of products we tested ranged from the typical phones, laptops and headphones to AI wearables, robotic lawnmowers and handheld gaming consoles, alongside games and shows. It can feel hard to keep track of it all, but thankfully, our scoring system helps us highlight the best (and the worst) devices each year. Our team of reviewers and editors evaluate products based on their performance, value and how they hold up against the competition, and at least two people weigh in on every score before it's published. If something gets a result of 80 and up, it's considered a "Recommended" product, while those scoring 90 and more are awarded "Editors' Choice." The latter means they're the best in their class, beating out most of the competition.

In recent years, reflecting on the past 12 months has seemed to bring back nothing but woe. Surprisingly, though, 2024 saw a higher number of candidates for good things in tech than bad. In spite of the continued AI onslaught, widespread dissatisfaction and worldwide political conflict, there were some bright spots this year that put smiles on faces and took minds off things. As we get ready to start saying "2025" when making plans, here's hoping that reminiscing about the best things in tech in 2024 can help us remember joyful times. You likely don't know the name LocalThunk, which is the handle of a Canadian game developer who has yet to share his real identity.

One of the Gemini AI-powered features Google introduced at I/O this year was a solution for never-ending scam calls. It has the capability to detect whether a call is suspicious while it's still ongoing and can alert you so that you could drop the call as soon as possible. That live scam detection feature for phone calls is now available for Pixel 6 and newer devices, as long as you're part of the Phone by Google public beta program in the English language. "[S]cam calls are evolving, becoming increasingly more sophisticated, damaging and harder to identify," the company said in its announcement. Scam Detection uses on-device AI to determine whether a call is a potential scam in real time.

Google's Pixel Buds series has always been a worthy companion for its Pixel phones. The company only lacks a set of over-ear headphones to offer similar options to what Apple provides for iPhone users. Of course, Google got a later start than its rival, but like its Silicon Valley counterpart, the company has designed its earbuds to work best with its own devices. You'll need both a phone and earbuds from Google to get the best features. That's unlikely to change anytime soon.