On August 20th, the Google Pixel 10 will arrive. That’s great news if you want the newest and latest phone. But, it actually means you’re running out of time if you want a solid budget phone, at a further discounted price, that’s been tested by the public for some time. And by this, we mean Google’s deal on the Pixel 9a, which has only a couple days remaining. The deal takes the $499 unlocked Pixel 9a with 128GB of storage and gives it to you for $399 after a $100 discount. Tap the button below to see if the deal is still available, or keep reading to get a refresher about the Pixel 9a’s capabilities.
By now in the Google Pixel 9 series cycle, if you’ve been interested in the phone you probably know exactly why. Here’s a brief refresher only. In our Pixel 9a review we were blown away by the simplicity and joy of the phone’s responsiveness, great battery life, and “super slimline” body that does away with the camera bump. Comparing the Pixel 9a vs the Pixel 9 wasn’t as cut and dry as expected either, and at the end of the day we called it a “close call.” In our early assessment of the Pixel 9a vs the iPhone 16e (Apple’s budget-tier phone of the same generation) we actually gave the award to the 9a for its “beefier” battery, longer software support window (7 years), and it’s lower standard price (only made sweeter by this deal).
If you’re ready for the Pixel 9a and want it at this great deal price, tap the button below. Again, it’s going to be $499 for the long haul, but now is your last chance to get this introductory deal offer that takes $100 off the price and moves it down to just $399. If you decided that you don’t want the Pixel 9a or missed the offer (it is ending really soon) you can check out these other phone deals or check back in a few days as we learn more about the Pixel 10.
A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a server run by the VPN provider. Websites see the VPN server’s IP address instead of yours, and you can get around geo-blocks, censorship, and ISP throttling. The best VPN services are paid, but there are still a handful of free options that do the job well.
Most free VPNs come with a hidden cost, because running servers isn’t cheap and a company that doesn’t charge you has to make its money somewhere else. Many do so by logging your browsing activity and selling it to advertisers, while others flood you with ads and track you across apps.
There's nothing quite like curling up with a good book on a cold evening. As much as I love the feel of a physical book, books take up a lot of space, and carrying more than one on a trip quickly becomes a chore. That's where e-readers come in, and the Amazon Kindle remains one of the best options.
Amazon just refreshed its Kindle lineup with thinner, lighter designs, a new flush-front display, and colors that wrap from front to back. Add the Kindle Scribe and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft to the mix, and you have more choices than ever before.
A good Android app should earn its place on your phone. It might make an everyday task easier, handle something the built-in software can't, or let you change an experience that never quite worked for you.
These 20 apps cover everything from quick notes and password management to automation and local file sharing. Some are free, others charge for advanced features, and a few take some effort to figure out. The point isn't to install them all. It's to find the ones that make your phone work better for you.