Articles by Joe Maring

As much as we love playing with and testing the latest and greatest phones here at AC, there is something we can universally agree on that we aren’t fans of — paying full price for flagship devices. If you’re in the market for a quality Android phone but don’t want to spend a thousand dollars, refurbished models offer a great experience at a fraction of what you’d typically spend. Here are our favorite options!

Still a stunner

Google Pixel 3a

Staff pick

Although it has been discontinued to make way for the Pixel 4a, the Pixel 3a is still a fantastic value. The device sports the same camera from the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, along with a clean design that you’re accustomed to. Plus, you’ll still get a few more major software updates before Google moves onto bigger things.

From $270 at Amazon
From $280 at Back Market
From $299 at Gazelle

Ahead of its time

OnePlus 7 Pro

The OnePlus 7 Pro is so great that OnePlus is still selling it for new. But finding this refurbished allows you …

Chatting with the AC forums.

The Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra are official. Both phones are now up for pre-order, they officially go on sale later this month, and we cannot wait for fans to start using the phones for themselves.

As great as the devices are on their own, they’re made better with the right accessories. This is true of any phone that launches, with the Note 20 series being no exception.

Some of our AC forum members recently shared which accessories they’ve purchased for their Note 20, with some of their picks including the following:

Mr Segundus
08-06-2020 03:28 PM

“

Not sure if there is a formal discussion on accessories so I thought I’d start one.

I purchased the Unicorn Beetle Pro SUPCASE on Amazon, a Whitestone Dome Glass screen protector from Whitestone’s website, and Dome Glass camera protector from Amazon. The Whitestones will be delivered on Monday and the case will …

It’s a terrible value, but an ingenious business move.

Unless you ignored the entire tech world last week, chances are you’ve heard about Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. These were two of the most highly-anticipated phones of 2020, continuing Samsung’s high-end Note series with ample upgrades compared to last year’s Note 10.

At least, that’s partly true. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has all of the new features and specs you’d hope to see in a Samsung flagship, and it does so at an appropriately high price. The regular Note 20, by comparison, is really confusing. It’s missing a lot of the Ultra’s standout features, is worse than the Note 10 in some regards, and does all of this while still selling for $1,000 outright. It’s a phone that’s gotten Note fans scratching their heads, and rightfully so. From Samsung’s perspective, however, it may be one of the smartest business decisions it’s ever made.

Just to make sure everyone’s up to speed, let’s do a small recap on why pe…

Fifth time’s the charm?

If there’s one way we could describe the Pixel 4, it would be “frustrating.” Google made a lot of smart moves with the phone, notably its phenomenal cameras and ultra-fast face unlock, but inexcusably bad battery life held it back from being an easy recommendation. As you might guess, this has left us eager to see how things can be improved for the Google Pixel 5.

Using the Pixel 4 is a wonderful thing, but there’s no getting around the compromises required to use it as a daily driver. All the Pixel 5 needs to do in order to be a great phone is to give us the same Pixel 4 experience, use a reasonably-sized battery, and add an ultra-wide camera.

Is that what’s happening? Read on to find out everything we know so far about the Google Pixel 5!

Pixel for less

Google Pixel 4a

$350 at Amazon
$350 at Best Buy

No need to wait

The Pixel 5 will undoubtedly be an interesting handset, but there’s no sense in waiting until October just to buy a Google phone. …

The Galaxy S20 Ultra is a premium phone in just about every regard. It has a colossal AMOLED display with a buttery smooth 120Hz refresh rate, powerful camera system with zooming capabilities up to 100x, and a giant 5,000 mAh — just to name a few of the highlights. If you want to make your experience of using the phone just a little bit nicer, it’s worth picking up a leather case. Not only will this ensure protection for the S20 Ultra during daily use, but it’ll also make sure it looks good while doing so.

Perfect pairing

Samsung Leather Cover

Staff Pick

Being a premium phone, the Ultra deserves a leather case that’s every bit as high-end as it is. If you ask us, the leather case that meets those standards is the official Samsung Leather Cover. Offered in six gorgeous colors, this case gives you genuine leather that looks incredible, a microfiber lining to protect the phone, and aluminum buttons that feel great to press.

$36 at Amazon
$50 at Samsung
$39 at Best Buy

Ma…

The Galaxy S20+, introduced back in March, has a 120Hz display, Snapdragon 865 processor, and an impressive array of rear cameras. All of that is to say that it’s a darn good phone. However, without the right case, it’s susceptible to severe damage. A leather case will ensure this doesn’t happen, while simultaneously giving your S20+ a touch of elegance.

Keep it official

Samsung Leather Cover

Staff Pick

Samsung makes only one leather case for the S20+, and lucky for us, it’s darn good. Before you scoff at the Leather Cover’s high price, consider everything it’s bringing to the table. Not only is there genuine leather on the outside, but Samsung also has a microfiber lining on the interior to give your S20+ a soft place to call home. The buttons are made of aluminum, there are six colors, and it’s one of the least bulky leather cases out there.

$41 at Amazon
$50 at Samsung
$45 at Best Buy

Customizable buttons

CYRILL Ciel Leather Brick Series

Right off the bat, the CY…

The regular Galaxy S20 may not be the most expensive or technically impressive device in the S20 family, but it still stands out as a worthy flagship that gets a lot of things right. It has a blazing-fast processor, 120Hz display, capable cameras — the list goes on. A leather case is a great way to add an extra layer of sophistication and class to the phone, and these are the best ones we’ve found for the Galaxy S20.

Straight from the source

Samsung Leather Cover

Staff pick

There’s a reason this is the most expensive case on the entire list. It’s the only leather case that’s made by Samsung, meaning you can rest assured that it’ll fit the S20 like a glove. The outside of the case is genuine leather, while the inside features a microfiber lining to keep your phone nice and safe. It’s available in a ton of colors (black, blue, brown, red, white, and gray) and features aluminum buttons to round out the premium experience.

$37 at Amazon
$50 at Samsung

European Nubuck leat…

The Beans have arrived.

Over the years since the launch of AirPods, Samsung has worked tirelessly to establish itself as the go-to brand for wireless earbuds if you have an Android phone. Its audio gear gets better year after year, and its latest attempt comes in the form of the Galaxy Buds Live.

The Galaxy Buds Live are one of the most unique entries we’ve ever seen in the wireless earbud space, featuring a bean-like design that no other company has tried before. It combines that eye-catching look with powerful features and specs, hoping to be Samsung’s best pair of buds to-date.

Whether you’re looking for a full review of the Buds Live, its official specs, pricing, or anything else, here’s everything you need to know about them!

Beans

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live

$170 at Amazon
$170 at Best Buy
$170 at B&H

The new wireless earbud champ

True wireless earbuds are a dime-a-dozen, but the Galaxy Buds Live manage to stand out as one of the best and most unique options out th…

The best headphones just got better.

In the world of premium Bluetooth headphones, there are two companies that come to mind as the market leaders — Bose and Sony. These brands have found massive success with their noise-canceling headphones over the past few years, and in an effort to one-up Bose, Sony has come to market with its new WH-1000XM4.

At first glance, the 1000XM4 look a lot like the XM3. The design is virtually identical, the price is almost the same, and audio quality is unchanged. However, as you start digging a bit deeper, you’ll find a slew of new features that make the headphones pretty exciting.

From pricing info, specs, and more, here’s everything you need to know about the Sony WH-1000XM4!

Better than ever

Sony WH-1000XM4

$350 at Amazon
$350 at Best Buy

Refining a formula that was already great

The WH-1000XM4 aren’t a complete overhaul of the XM3 that came before them, but that’s perfectly OK. With the XM4, Sony kept what worked with its previous hea…

The Galaxy Note 10+ is an amazing device with a large display, big battery, and a microSD card slot. It’s also a very thin phone, and if you want to retain that thinness while also keeping the phone out of harm’s way, you’ll want to pick up an excellent thin case. Here are our top recommendations.

Snap-on in a second

Spigen Thin Fit

Staff pick

Featuring a snap-on design similar to the Anccer case, Spigen’s remarkable case Thin Fit is made out of scratch-resistant material, has open button cutouts, and works with magnetic car mounts. Definitely one of the best thin cases you can buy!

$11 at Amazon

All the colors

Anccer Colorful Series

Phone after phone, one thin case that stands out above everything else is the Anccer Colorful Series. This snap-on style case fits the Note 10+ like a glove, offers ample daily protection, and comes in a variety of gorgeous colors. Not to mention, it has a price that’s hard to beat.

$12 at Amazon

Military-grade protection

Spigen …