At first glance, the new iPhone 17e looks remarkably like the iPhone 16e. That’s because the phones are functionally the same in design. You’ll still get the same 6.1-inch display with 800 nits of brightness (1200 nits for HDR); the same overall dimensions, minus an extra .08 ounces; the same IP68 water and dust resistance; a single camera on the back that supports 4K Dolby Vision video; and the same battery life (Apple says 26 hours of video playback). But though there are many similarities, that doesn’t mean these are the same iPhones. In fact, there are a number of upgrades that make the iPhone 17e an interesting choice, especially for the price.

A faster chip, and what else is new with the iPhone 17e

The big hardware upgrade here is the A19 chip: If you take a look at the Geekbench scores for the iPhone 17 (A19) and the iPhone 16e (A18), you’ll see the advantage. The iPhone 17 scored 3627 in single-core, and 9249 in multi-core, with a GPU score of 37146. The 16e scored 3242 in single-core, 7976 in multi-core, and 23888. These are all numbers on paper, and we’ll need to see how the A19 runs on the 17e itself, but there’s a real leap here, especially in multi-core and GPU performance. That means even if you’re coming from last year’s iPhone, you should see improvements in intense games and professional workflows, though not as much for simpler tasks. (I don’t think anyone is writing home about how fast Notes opens on an A19 iPhone.)

That’s not to say the A19 alone is reason enough to upgrade from an iPhone 16e. It’s true there are performance jumps, but they’re not making the A18 obsolete, nor the A17 for that matter. In fact, Apple press release compares the speed of the iPhone 17e to the iPhone 11, which shows you how good the iPhones in between still are, even in 2026. Still, we have to acknowledge the hardware gains here: The A19 is a 3nm chip, with a four-core GPU featuring “Neural Accelerators,” which Apple says gives games a boost.

A faster modem

The 17e also gets the C1X, Apple’s in-house modem. The company says this hardware is up to two times faster than the C1 modem in the iPhone 16e, and uses 30% less energy than the modem in the iPhone 16 Pro. That may help increase battery life when out and about, while maintaining speeds when connected to cellular networks.

A “better” camera

While the 17e still has one rear camera, Apple says it benefits from some improvements—namely, it’s now a “48MP Fusion” camera, with “optical-quality 2x Telephoto.” Optical-quality is not optical, as this lens won’t actually “zoom,” but Apple seems to say the larger sensor can mimic the quality of a 2x camera. While the iPhone 16e supports Portrait mode with depth control, Apple says the 17e supports “next-generation portraits” with depth and focus control.

Credit: apple

A more durable display

One small upgrade that actually will make a big difference is Ceramic Shield 2. This is the display tech that the rest of the iPhone 17 series comes with, and, surprisingly, is one of my favorite features of my 17 Pro Max. Apple says the new glass has three times the scratch resistance, and while I can’t speak to those numbers exactly, I haven’t seen a single scratch on my screen since buying my phone (knock on wood).

What do you think so far? Be the first to post a comment.

MagSafe charging

The iPhone 17e also supports MagSafe, something the iPhone 16e was missing. That means the new iPhone supports first and third-party MagSafe accessories, but also Apple’s faster Qi2 wireless charging, with a 15W or 20W adapter or higher.

Credit: Apple

How to buy the iPhone 17e

The iPhone 17e starts at $599 for 256GB of storage—double the amount the 16e starts with. (That’s effectively a price cut right there.) You can also choose to upgrade to 512GB for $799. It’s available in black, white, or soft pink.

Apple says the iPhone 17e will be available to preorder starting March 4, likely after its big keynote presentation, and will be available to buy starting March 11. Curiously, that’s the same day Samsung is launching the Galaxy S26 series.

iProVPN positions itself as a general-purpose VPN, not a niche privacy tool meant for power users. In day-to-day use, iProVPN covers most of what people expect from a modern VPN: It runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, browsers, routers, and even consoles and streaming devices. You can connect up to 10 devices at once, which is enough to cover a laptop, phone, tablet, and a few shared household devices. The service uses AES 256-bit encryption and includes a kill switch, so your connection shuts off if the VPN drops instead of leaking data. There’s also a Smart Connect option that automatically picks the fastest server, which matters if you don’t want to manually test locations. Speaking of, it has a reasonable geographic spread with over 250 servers across more than 45 countries. Streaming access is supported for services like Netflix, Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer, and speeds are generally stable thanks to WireGuard and OpenVPN support, plus 10 Gbps servers in some locations.

What do you think so far? Be the first to post a comment.

While iProVPN advertises a strict no-logs policy and added features like malware blocking and split tunneling, it doesn’t have the long public track record or independent audits that some higher-priced competitors do. Advanced users who want continuous server expansion or access to niche locations may find the network a bit limited. You also need to activate the plan within 30 days of purchase. Still, for casual streaming, basic privacy on public wifi, torrenting with P2P-friendly servers, and general everyday use, this subscription makes sense on cost alone.

Amazfit’s T‑Rex Ultra 2 Smartwatch

$549.99 at AmazonShop Now

The Ultra 2 features a truly long battery life

So far, the headline for this watch is its battery life. Amazfit claims of up to 30 days of smartwatch use—a roughly 25% jump over the previous model—and up to 50 hours of GPS tracking. So far, battery drain has been impressively slow, even during my cold‑weather workouts (where lithium cells typically suffer).

If you spend long stretches off the grid, or simply hate bringing a charger everywhere, this single upgrade alone may justify the Ultra 2’s substantial size and price hike.

A strong battery life, with options to make it last even longer.Credit: Meredith Dietz

The Ultra 2 includes accurate, offline-ready navigation

The most anticipated day‑to‑day improvement is the new preloaded offline maps and generally more robust mapping experience. For the first time in the T‑Rex lineup, you can load full‑color global maps straight from the Zepp app, then use them on your wrist without a phone or cell service needed.

Here are the biggest highlights I’ve seen myself—and other online reviewers have confirmed:

• Map data is great at distinguishing trails vs. roads.
• Offline route planning now supports up to 100 km.
• GPS accuracy is consistently strong with six‑system satellite support.
• Faster rerouting and improved elevation profiles.
• POI (point of interest) search is fantastic, showing all sorts of water, shelter, trailheads, and emergency points nearby.

I had fun exploring nearby points of interest.Credit: Meredith Dietz

In practice, this has already proven helpful. When heavy snow blocked my usual running route, I hopped into live navigation, zoomed around the map, and found the nearest patch of green space. It felt intuitive and fun. During a standard city run, it was a neat reminder that navigation isn’t exclusively a rugged survival feature.

Re-routing on-the-go.Credit: Meredith Dietz

A note: Route creation in the Zepp app could still be smoother. You can’t drag‑adjust between points, meaning you want to place your route carefully. But the on-watch implementation is strong, and things like Explore Nearby work well once you’re in open space (which my NYC apartment is decidedly not).

You can add voice memos to your workout with this watch

Press and hold the bottom-left button during a workout and you can record a quick voice memo, automatically geotagged. Did a training thought bubble up you don’t want to lose? Is there a trail detail you want to remember? “Don’t run that icy corner again?” It’s a major improvement to be able to record as you go, and a seriously delightful addition that immediately became part of my routine.

For strength workouts, too, this provides a far more intuitive way to track things like reps and weights, all without breaking your flow. Once synced to the Zepp App, your notes are timestamped, transcribed, and saved with playback, making it easy to review exactly what you recorded and when.

Credit: Meredith Dietz

The Ultra 2’s hardware is big, bright, and tough

Amazfit clearly wants the Ultra 2 to compete with the toughest adventure watches on the market. The hardware reflects that ambition:

• 1.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen
• Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
• Grade 5 titanium bezel and case back
• 10 ATM water resistance
• Dual diving certification
• 64 GB storage for maps, music, and activity data

The new 3,000‑nit display is a monster—allegedly triple the brightness of the original Ultra. It’s crisp, extremely visible in full sunlight (or sun-reflecting-off-snow, as I’ve learned recently).

What do you think so far? Be the first to post a comment.

Compare the Amazfit Bip 6 on the left to the T-Rex Ultra 2 on the right.Credit: Meredith Dietz

The Ultra 2’s flashlight got an upgrade, too

Amazfit swapped last year’s red LED for a greener secondary option. The flashlight now sits at the 12:00 position, and the controls are intuitive:

• Press and hold the Up button to turn it on.
• Tap the onscreen icon to toggle.
• Press Up or Down five times to switch brightness or activate green mode.

It’s a small thing, but it reinforces the idea of this being an outdoors-first watch. I’ve yet to test this during night runs, camping, or emergency situations, but I can say that it works fine in a dark city apartment!

The Ultra 2 has workout modes for just about anything

Amazfit packed more than 180 sports modes into the Ultra 2—including extremely niche ones like spearfishing, free diving, parkour, and snorkeling.

There are more than 180 sport types.Credit: Meredith Dietz

In this same arena of sport modes, the watch also includes:

• Grade-adjusted pace for runners
• Improved climb segmentation
• Onboard speaker and mic for Bluetooth calls and audible alerts
• Smooth integration with the Zepp app for fitness, recovery, sleep, and nutrition insights

The early experience here is promising. Even if some newly advertised software features aren’t fully polished yet, Amazfit’s ambition is on full display.

Final (early) thoughts on the Ultra 2

There’s still a lot of testing ahead before I can answer the big question: Is the Amazfit T‑Rex Ultra 2 worth $549—especially when Garmin already dominates the rugged-adventure landscape? That said, there are already clear, meaningful upgrades that impress me—offline mapping that feels complete, the best‑ever battery life for an Amazfit watch, a surprisingly delightful voice‑memo tool, and hardware that feels built for the apocalypse.

Real-time location sharing was previously available in Find Hub but is now being integrated directly into Messages. Until this change, location sharing in Messages was limited to a static Google Maps link. Similar functionality exists in other messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messages on iPhone.

When using real-time location sharing, Google allows you to set a custom duration (up to 24 hours), or you can choose to share for an hour, until the end of the current day, or indefinitely until you manually stop sharing. Note that while your messages are encrypted end-to-end and visible only to the users in your conversations, this feature is powered by Maps, which processes your location.

If you don’t see the update yet, it’s likely coming soon, as Google has published a support article detailing the feature.

What do you think so far? Be the first to post a comment.

How to share your real-time location in Google Messages

To share your location in Google Messages, you need to be signed into your Google Account—you’ll be prompted to do so if you aren’t already. Open a conversation in Google Messages and tap Attachment > Real-time location. (The first time you share, you’ll need to tap I accept to confirm the updates to Location Sharing settings.) Choose the duration and tap Send.

If you want to share your location with someone who has already shared theirs with you, select the message with the contact’s location, tap Share next to your name, set the duration, and hit Send. You can stop real-time location sharing by selecting the message with your location and tapping Stop > Stop sharing next to your name.

Marshall Monitor III A.N.C. Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones

$249.99 at Amazon

$379.99Save $130.00Get Deal

These are over-ear Bluetooth headphones with active noise cancellation, and they’re clearly aimed at people cross-shopping Bose and Sony. The difference is that Marshall is selling a vibe along with the sound. The build feels sturdy, and small details like replaceable ear cushions and a swappable silicone headband strap suggest they’re made to last longer than most. They fold down neatly into a compact hard case (included), but they’re not water-resistant, so they’re better suited for travel and home listening than sweaty workouts.

Living with them day to day is mostly smooth. The small gold joystick handles volume and track controls in a way that feels intuitive after a few minutes. There’s a separate button to toggle noise cancellation and transparency, plus a customizable shortcut button you can set up in the Marshall app. The app itself is simple, with a five-band EQ and a few presets, though it’s not especially deep if you like fine-tuning every frequency. Bluetooth 5.3 keeps connections stable, but you’re limited to AAC and SBC codecs, so there’s no hi-res audio support. You also can’t charge and listen through a traditional 3.5mm cable at the same time, since the single USB-C port handles both charging and wired playback.

What do you think so far? Be the first to post a comment.

Battery life is where these headphones stand out. Up to 70 hours with ANC on is more than enough for long trips, and turning ANC off stretches that to an almost excessive 100 hours. As for sound, they deliver strong bass and crisp highs, with enough punch to make hip-hop and electronic tracks feel lively. Noise cancellation reduces plane engine rumble and city noise well, but it does not match leaders like Bose in blocking midrange chatter, notes this PCMag review. If top-tier ANC is your priority, Bose still has the edge. If you want bold design, long battery life, and lively sound at a significant discount, this deal makes the Monitor III ANC worth a look.

DJI Osmo Mobile 7P

$99.00 at Amazon

$129.00Save $30.00Get Deal

Getting started does not require much setup. You unfold it, snap your phone into the clamp, and it balances itself in seconds. The controls are straightforward and placed where your fingers naturally rest. The joystick lets you nudge the frame left or right, and the record button is easy to hit without shifting your grip. A rear trigger switches between portrait and landscape instantly, so you can move from TikTok to YouTube framing without taking the phone off. There’s also a built-in extension rod for higher or wider angles, and a small tripod in the base for hands-free filming. The magnetic multifunction module is where it becomes more than just a stabilizer. It enables gesture control and subject tracking even inside third-party apps, so you are not locked into DJI’s app ecosystem.

In actual use, the tracking is what changes the experience most. The gimbal locks onto your face and follows you as you move across a room, which makes solo filming feel far less awkward. You do not have to keep checking whether you are still centered in the frame; that alone can save time during retakes. It’s one reason why PCMag gave the Osmo Mobile 7P an “outstanding” rating, and Lifehacker’s Associate Tech Editor Michelle Ehrhardt said it feels like having “your own dedicated camera person” once you learn the basics. Battery life will depend on how many of those features you keep running. DJI estimates up to 10 hours if you are just using the gimbal. Turn on the tracking module, and you are closer to 4.5 hours. Add the fill light, and it drops to around three. For short sessions or content captured in bursts, that is workable. For long events or full-day shoots, you may need a power bank.

What do you think so far? Be the first to post a comment.

If you mostly film static videos at a desk, a simple tripod is probably enough. But if your content involves movement, walking shots, or filming yourself without help, the Osmo Mobile 7P can make your footage look more controlled without making your setup complicated.

While I haven’t had a chance to put the power station to the test during a full blackout, I am impressed by the functionality of the EcoFlow app. You get the ability to prioritize which devices receive power the longest, so when battery power is scarce, the essentials will keep running while the other devices shut off. How that might work in the real world: You leave your refrigerator plugged in overnight, along with your phones and a heater. You can prioritize your refrigerator so if the battery runs low during the night, it will shut off power to your phone and heater to keep you fridge running longer. You can also monitor your energy use, and the app will automatically start charging your power station if it detects a storm is coming.

The power station is extremely quiet when in use. Although it’s heavy, it’s still easily portable with its handle and rear wheels. The unit has seven AC outlets total, including standard, RV, 240 V, and twist‑lock, four USB ports (A and C), two 12 V DC outputs, and solar charging inputs if you ever want to get extra accessories down the road.

What do you think so far? Be the first to post a comment.

The 4096 Wh battery can keep essentials running for a while—it can power the average fridge for up to 28 hours while keeping other essentials like Wi-Fi, lights, phone charging, and AC running simultaneously.

The iPad Air is the same, just now with M4

If you put the M4 iPad Air side-by-side with the M3 iPad Air, you might mix the two up. That’s because Apple has changed virtually nothing about the overall design and appearance of these tablets. The 11-inch M4 Air looks like the 11-inch M3 Air, as do the two 13-inch variants.

Just about the only thing new about the M4 Air, is, well, M4. This isn’t Apple’s newest chip—that would be the M5—but the M4 is one generation newer than the M3, so you should expect some performance gains between the two. The M4 chip in the Air comes with an eight-core CPU with three performance cores and five efficiency cores, a nine-core GPU, 120GB/s memory bandwidth, and 12GB of RAM. That’s one less performance core than the M3 Air, but one more efficiency core. What’s likely going to be more dramatic is the extra 4GB of RAM, as the M3 Air only comes with 8GB. You should be able to run more tasks at once on the new Air without iPadOS needing to refresh an app or page.

We won’t know exactly how those changes will affect performance until testers get their hands on the M4 iPad Airs. However, Apple says the new iPad is up to 30% faster than the previous generation, and up to 2.3 times faster than the M1 iPad Air. (Apple tends to compare its latest products to those from multiple generations past, as the difference is often more subtle from generation to generation). To me, that means this is certainly not an iPad that M3 Air users need to consider upgrading to, but if it would likely be a good option for anyone with an older Air—or older iPad—to jump to.

With that M4 chip, Apple is adding the N1 chip and C1X modem to the iPad Air. The N1 chip comes with all M4 iPad Airs, and supports standards like Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, a smart home standard. If you buy the cellular iPad Air, you’ll get C1X, Apple’s in-house modem that it says is 30% more efficient than the modem in the M3 iPad Air.

What do you think so far? Be the first to post a comment.

Aside from those points, this is the same iPad Air as the M3 model. It comes in an 11- or 13-inch option, with 12MP rear and front cameras; USB-C connectivity with Touch ID; the same battery life (Apple says 10 hours of video playback); and both still start with 128GB of storage. And, notably, it still omits a high-refresh 120Hz display for the usual 60Hz. That’s disappointing.

The AirPods Pro 3 improve on already great premium earbuds with new features (like a heart rate sensor) without increasing the list price. You’ll get Personalized Spatial Audio (so you can hear sounds seemingly coming from different directions as you move your head) and the ability to use head gestures to tell Siri “yes” or “no” (this also works for answering or denying calls). Apple added a live translation feature to both the second- and third-generation AirPods Pro when iOS 26 rolled out last year. You’ll also get features like Conversation Awareness, which lowers your music volume when your AirPods detect that you’re talking to someone; Transparency Mode, which lets you better hear your surroundings while your earbuds are in; and Adaptive Audio, which combines ANC and Transparency mode to adjust ANC levels based on the noise around you.

Since the AirPods Pro 3 have silicone tips that fit inside the ear canal—unlike the AirPods 4, which sit more loosely in the outer ear without creating a seal—the ANC is much better since it naturally blocks out noise with a tight seal. But the ANC technology itself has also improved, as has the sound quality, thanks to the new H3 chip, as PCMag detailed in its “exemplary” review. You can expect about eight hours of juice, depending on your usage, and another 24 hours from the charging case.

The app is also packed with more features than you might be aware of—in fact, it could reasonably claim to be the most capable and versatile social media app out there. From location alerts and data saving, to custom notifications and clever camera tricks, here’s how to get the most out of Snapchat.

Use Snapchat’s buried Data Saver mode to use less storage and prolong your battery life

Snapchat comes with a Data Saver mode that does exactly what it sounds like—it saves on data usage. Snaps and stories won’t load automatically in the background like normal, so you’ll need to manually tap them to trigger the download and see the media. This helps when you’re traveling and away from reliable wifi, and because there’s less background downloading going on, you should save a little battery life too. To enable it, from your profile, tap the cog icon (top right) to open the app settings, then tap Data Saver.

Get notifications only for specific Snapchat stories

Get notifications for specific stories.Credit: Lifehacker

There’s a lot going on in Snapchat, so if you’ve got a significant number of friends, you can quickly get overwhelmed with notifications—especially when it comes to stories. With a little bit of tweaking, you can just get alerts for the stories you care about most.

From your profile page, tap the cog icon (top right), then Notifications—from here you can turn off notifications for stories generally. You can then add story notifications specifically for your favorite contacts, one by one. Tap through to the friend’s profile page, then tap on the three dots (top right): Choose Story Settings > Story Notifications to make sure you get alerts for this particular person.

You can create snaps with multiple cameras at once

You don’t have to limit yourself to just one camera for your snaps: You can capture photos and videos from both the selfie and rear cameras on your phone simultaneously, so you can comment on or react to what you’re seeing. When you’re in the main capture screen, tap the drop-down arrow on the right, then pick Dual Camera. Tap on the Dual Camera icon again to choose from four layout options—including one where a cut out of you gets superimposed over the main view.

Use Snapchat’s Snap Map to let someone know when you’ve arrived safely

You can set up location alerts for trusted friends and family.Credit: Lifehacker

This isn’t something that you’ll want to use widely, but it’s handy for family members and partners: As an extension of the Snap Map location sharing feature, you can also ping a specific contact when you get home (or arrive at any other place on the map).

Head to the contact’s main profile page, tap the three dots (top right), then choose Arrival notifications. You can pick My home, or tap Add to set up another location—it could be school, football practice, or whatever you like.

Let your friends decide if they want to view your custom Snapchat stories

One of Snapchat’s most appealing features is the way you can create custom stories for custom audiences, and these can be set up from your profile page: Just tap New Story. However, you don’t have to pick the contacts who can view your story yourself—you can let your friends decide if they want to get involved instead.

Once you’ve created a story, create a new snap in the usual way, then tap the sticker icon (top right), and Story. This lets you post an invite link to any of your stories, so your contacts can decide for themselves whether they want to see your vacation adventures or thousands of your pet pictures.

The snap can be posted to individuals, or to one of your other stories, so you still get full control over who can see what (and you can kick out story viewers at any time).

You can search through your Snapchat memories

There are some powerful search options for your Snapchat memories.Credit: Lifehacker

Snapchat is focused on content creation, which means you may not realize how much you can do with the photo and video memories that the app builds up for you. From your profile page, tap the three dots (top right), then Memories to make sure they’re being saved (you can also save individual snaps as you capture them).

What do you think so far? Be the first to post a comment.

You can get to your memories later by tapping the image icon to the left of the shutter button on the main capture screen—and there’s a powerful search capability built right in. Try searching for pets, sunsets, locations, or dates (like “August 2023”) and you’ll get results back more or less instantly.

You’ll also see certain images and videos picked out by Snapchat and grouped as flashbacks, and any of your memories can be reposted again as snaps or stories (with new edits, if needed).

Yopu can permanently save your Snapchat chats

Snapchat is known for its ephemerality, but your pictures, videos, and text messages don’t have to disappear right after they’ve been viewed. You can keep them around for longer in certain conversations, turning the app into more of a conventional messaging tool.

From inside any of your one-to-one or group chats, tap the header bar at the top, then the three dots (top right). Choose Delete Chats and you can set them to never expire. You can also save images, videos, and text permanently by tapping and holding on them in the chat, then choosing Save in Chat.

You can make your own Snapchat stickers

You can add your own stickers to the Snapchat selection.Credit: Lifehacker

Anything in your image and video snaps can be cut out as a sticker, ready to be used again in future posts. When you’ve captured the content, tap the scissors icon on the right, and you get three selection tools for picking out the sticker you want. Once you’ve done the cutting, you can reposition the new sticker anywhere you want in the current snap, and find it in the future by tapping on the sticker icon in the top right corner of the capture screen.

You can also use Snapchat in a web browser

Snapchat isn’t just for mobile, and there’s an official web app that offers most of the features you get on Android and iOS. It also makes typing much easier, so if you use Snapchat as a general messaging app, this is something worth looking into. You can view stories on the web, and even send snaps—though you’ll be limited to using your computer’s webcam, so these will mostly just be snaps of your face and whatever room you happen to be in.

Snapchat has a hidden dark mode—and other themes

A dark mode for Snapchat is available.Credit: Lifehacker

There are a variety of different themes for Snapchat on mobile that you can choose between, though these options are pretty well hidden in the app. From your profile page, tap the cog icon (top right), then choose App appearance to get to the themes. Swipe left and right to cycle through them, including light and dark modes and numerous others. If you’re a Snapchat+ subscriber ($3.99 a month), the benefits include being able to customize individual theme elements yourself.