Articles by Hayato Huseman

Everything you need, without the luxuries you don’t.

Update, February 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 review, 1 month later

It’s easy to get drawn in by the allure of über-premium devices like the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but if there’s anything Samsung learned from last fall’s shockingly performant Galaxy S20 FE, it’s that for many users, the best Android phone isn’t necessarily the one with the highest price tag. That’s especially true now, as thousands across the U.S. are struggling to make ends meet amidst a global pandemic; for those people, dropping four figures on a smartphone is hardly a top priority.

The Galaxy S21 feels like the right phone arriving at the right time. It’s $200 cheaper than last year’s S20 at launch, and with aggressive trade-in offers, it can be had for much less. While it makes a few concessions in order to reach that lower price, the S21 still offers a fully-fledged flagship experience that I think most people will be perfectly happy with — but make no mista…

Best answer: No. Although the Pixel 4 has held up well over time, Google’s more recent releases cover a wide variety of price ranges and better battery quality, so it’s hard to recommend buying a Pixel 4 in 2021. Bargain hunters may want to consider the Pixel 4a, one of the best cheap Android phones.

How much does the Pixel 4 cost these days?

After selling through its existing inventory, Google actually discontinued the Pixel 4, along with the larger Pixel 4 XL, back in August 2020. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t get the phone through other retailers.

Currently, Amazon offers the Pixel 4 for just under $550, down roughly $250 from its original launch price of $800. On its own, that’s a decent price for a phone that’s still plenty capable, but weighed against newer options like the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5, it’s much more difficult to justify.

What’s it like to use the Pixel 4 in 2021?

The biggest selling point of every new Google device is having front access to new version…

You don’t have to wait to get a great deal on Samsung’s new hotness.

The Galaxy S21 is one of the best Samsung phones on the market, packing the latest Snapdragon 888 processor and offering great cameras, a beautiful 120Hz display, and an eye-catching new design. It may have only launched a few weeks ago, but it’s already seeing massive discounts that may tempt holdouts to finally make the jump.

As if launching for $200 less than its predecessor, the Galaxy S20, wasn’t enough on its own, various retailers are currently knocking yet another $100 off of the sticker price, and some are even offering the 256GB upgraded storage tier for no extra cost. This is about as good of a deal as we could ask for less than a month in, and there’s no telling how long this offer will last.

Fantastic value

Samsung Galaxy S21

$700 at Amazon
$700 at Best Buy
$700 at B&H

One of Samsung’s best deals gets even better

The Galaxy S21 has high-end specs, including the latest Snapdragon 888 proce…

Minor visual tweaks and under-the-hood improvements.

The first developer preview of Android 12 has arrived, and with it, a myriad of minor visual tweaks and development tools. As is always the case with developer previews, this build is mostly intended to give software developers a base platform on which to prep their apps and services, ensuring a smooth transition when Google eventually rolls out the official public-facing build.

This build isn’t intended for daily use, and you absolutely should not install it on your primary phone, but if you have a spare device sitting around, the good news is that you don’t need one of the best Android phones to run it — this initial developer preview is available for the Pixel 3 series and all subsequent models. With that in mind, I flashed the build onto my Pixel 5 to see how it differs from Android 11.

Jump to:

Under the hood
Redesigned notification shade
Screenshot UI
4×5 grid on the home screen
Safety & emergency
Share Wi-Fi wit…

Image editing has come a long way, and you don’t need to be a Photoshop expert to touch up your photos anymore. If you’ve taken a group photo with an unwanted photo bomber, or a cityscape shot that was almost perfect if it weren’t for that one person in the shot, the Galaxy S21’s new Object Eraser feature could be the solution you didn’t know you needed. Thanks to AI-based image editing on the best Samsung phones, you can now remove subjects from an image with just a few taps.

Products used in this guide

The best cameras: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra ($1,000 at Amazon)
Pocket-friendly: Samsung Galaxy S21 ($700 at Amazon)

How to enable Object Eraser

Open the Gallery app.
Select an image with an object you want to remove.

Tap the pencil icon to open the image editor.
Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the Gallery app, then tap Labs.
Tap the switch next to Object Eraser to enable the feature.

Because Object Eraser is still a beta feature, you’ll need to enable it bef…

Everything you’d expect from a modern flagship without the modern price.

For years, there’s been a stigma around using plastic designs in high-end, expensive phones. Consumers have come to expect more luxurious materials like metal and glass which, despite being more fragile than plastic, typically have a more “premium” feel.

I’m definitely guilty of shying away from devices whose spec sheets feature the word polycarbonate. I was reluctant to try the Galaxy Note 20 for exactly that reason. But once my review unit came in, my concerns surrounding creakiness and a cheap in-hand feel disappeared. Build quality in general has, of course, massively improved since the days when plastic flagships were commonplace, and the Note 20 felt just as solid as any other phone I’d tested in recent memory.

The story is the same with the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition — better known as the S20 FE. This phone is the latest in Samsung’s crusade to dominate every pricing tier with a well-rounded device t…

Space Zoom isn’t new to the best Samsung phones, but one of the biggest improvements made to telephotography on the S21 series is the addition of Zoom Lock, which intelligently stabilizes the camera at particularly far zoom ranges. Zoom Lock makes a huge difference in sharpness and reducing shakiness while shooting, but how do you even activate it in the first place?

How to enable Zoom Lock

Open the Camera app.
Zoom in on the camera until you see a wide-angle preview of your shot in the upper lefthand corner of the viewfinder. On the Galaxy S21 and S21+, you’ll see this preview starting 20x. On the S21 Ultra, it’ll appear at 30x.
Aim the camera at a distinct subject, such as text or a person. The camera will analyze the shot and, after a moment, the preview box will turn yellow to denote that Zoom Lock has automatically turned on.

Zoom Lock on the Galaxy S21 series drastically reduces shakiness using a combination of optical and electronic image stabilization, along with AI. T…

Many of the best Samsung phones are equipped with incredible video-centric features like 8K video, even manual controls, and ultra-smooth OIS. But no matter how good that built-in stabilization is, it’s hard to beat a real gimbal for smooth and steady video, which counters against any shaky hand movements. The DJI OM4 is cost-effective, compact, and easy to use, but it’s far from your only option.

Best Overall: DJI OM 4

The DJI OM 4 is the easiest way to quickly jump into shooting stable video without having to worry about carefully calibrating each axis of your gimbal. While you can fine-tune the axes a bit, the motors inside are strong enough to correct for almost any imbalance, and the OM 4’s adjustable clamp can expand out large enough to fit any phone — even the Galaxy S21 Ultra (though thicker cases may give you some trouble).

DJI makes it easy to shoot stunning-looking video not just with great stabilization, but it includes hands-free gesture control and built-in prese…

Best overall

Samsung Galaxy S21

$800 at Samsung
$800 at Amazon
$800 at Best Buy

Pros

Gaming-optimized Snapdragon 888
Aggressive trade-in deals
Smaller, trimmer design
Newer One UI 3.1 software

Cons

No microSD slot
No charger in the box

The Galaxy S21 is a compact, affordable flagship with three great cameras and the latest One UI 3.1 software. The display is better than ever, and with Samsung’s current trade-in offers, you can grab the S21 for an unbeatable price.

Even better value

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

$700 at Amazon
$700 at Best Buy
$700 at B&H

Pros

Expandable microSD storage
Optical 3x telephoto camera
Retails for $100 less
Larger battery

Cons

Older specs and software
Less generous trade-in

The S20 FE is a terrific phone at a great price, with many of the same features as the newer S21. It’s the most affordable option in the Galaxy S series, with a larger display and plenty of great colors to choose from.

When the Galaxy S20 FE launch…

An incredibly powerful video tool at an accordingly high price.

What you need to know

The Xperia Pro is launching as Sony’s first 5G-capable phone in the U.S. for an eye-watering $2,499.99.
While functionally identical to the Xperia 1 II that launched last year, the Xperia Pro is designed specifically for video-oriented professional work, with HDMI monitoring and live streaming capabilities.
The Xperia Pro will be offered through Verizon in the U.S., along with various retailers.

Nearly a year after its initial unveiling, Sony has officially launched the Xperia Pro, its first 5G-capable smartphone in the U.S., with an assortment of extremely powerful (and niche) creative tools that could easily make it the best Android video camera on the market. Sony says that the Xperia Pro will sit alongside the Xperia 1 II, rather than replacing it in the company’s mobile lineup, and is priced significantly higher at $2,499.99.

How is Sony justifying that eye-watering price tag? The Xperia …