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The United States briefing

Brand reviews, head-to-heads and shortlists for United States shoppers. Just the need-to-know.

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Our ranked brands up top, then everyone else we've put through the wringer. Every link goes straight to the article.

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ReviewUS

Smart Glasses in 2026: The Display Era Arrives, With Caveats

Meta added a display and a muscle-reading wristband, Samsung brought Gemini to Warby Parker frames, and courts started banning both. The 2026 state of play.

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ReviewUS

Apple Watch Series 12 vs Galaxy Watch 9: Health Showdown

Apple rebuilt its heart-rate hardware. Samsung switched chips and added glycation and antioxidant indices. Here is how the two 2026 flagships really compare.

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ReviewUS

iPhone 18 Pro Review: The Aperture Finally Moves

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max add a true variable-aperture camera, the 2nm A20 Pro and a shrunken Dynamic Island. Here is what actually changed.

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Brand ReviewUS

Apple's 2026 Lineup: What to Buy and What to Skip

Apple's US range in 2026, model by model: a foldable iPhone, a cheap MacBook, dual-die Mac silicon and a rebuilt Watch sensor. Here is what is worth your money.

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Top PicksUS

The Best Smartphones Right Now: A US Buyer's Shortlist

Seven phones worth your money in the US this autumn, from the iPhone 18 Pro Max to the Galaxy S26 FE, with who each one actually suits and what to skip.

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Top PicksUS

Best Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers Right Now in the US

Apple rebuilt its sensors, Samsung switched chips, Oura got thinner. Eight wearables worth buying in the US this autumn, and exactly who each one suits.

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ReviewUS

Apple Watch Series 12 Review: The Sensor Finally Moved

Apple Watch Series 12 rebuilds the heart-rate hardware, reads every five seconds all day and adds a readiness score. Ceramic cases return. Here is the intel.

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ReviewUS

The AI Features on 2026 Phones That Actually Earn Their Keep

Three years into the on-device AI push, some features are genuinely useful and some are still demos. Here is what works on 2026 phones, laptops and watches.

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ReviewUS

iPhone 18 Pro vs Pixel 11 Pro XL: Optics vs Algorithms

Apple built a moving aperture. Google built a bigger zoom sensor and better AI. Here is how the iPhone 18 Pro Max and Pixel 11 Pro XL actually differ in 2026.

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ReviewUS

Pixel 11 Pro XL Review: Better Zoom, Smarter Software

Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL brings a bigger telephoto sensor, Tensor G6 and Gemini Intelligence. The camera improved; the battery quietly did not.

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Brand ReviewUS

Google's 2026 Pixel Lineup: What to Buy and What to Skip

Google refreshed the whole Pixel range on one August day. Here is every current model, from the Pixel 11 to the Pro Fold and Pixel Watch 5, and which to buy.

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Brand ReviewUS

Microsoft's 2026 Hardware: Surface and Xbox, Buy or Skip

Microsoft's US hardware in 2026: two silicon families across Surface, a privacy screen nobody else has, and Xbox consoles caught in a memory price squeeze.

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ReviewUS

Valve Steam Machine Review: A Console-Shaped PC, At Last

Valve's cube-shaped Steam Machine runs SteamOS, sits between a PS5 and a Series S on paper, and is almost silent. The 4K claim did not survive review week.

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ReviewUS

MacBook Air M5 vs Surface Laptop 8: Silence or Touch

Apple's fanless MacBook Air M5 against Microsoft's Snapdragon X2 Surface Laptop 8, with its 120Hz touch panel and one-key privacy screen. Which fits your desk?

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ReviewUS

Surface Laptop 8 Review: A Privacy Screen Changes Things

Microsoft's Surface Laptop 8 adds a hardware privacy screen, Snapdragon X2 or Panther Lake silicon and a sharper 15-inch panel. The design did not move.

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Top PicksUS

The Best Laptops Right Now: Eight US Picks That Earn It

From the fanless MacBook Air M5 to Microsoft's privacy-screen Surface Laptop 8, here are the laptops worth buying in the US this year and who each one suits.

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ReviewUS

MacBook Air M5 Review: Still the Default Laptop

Apple's MacBook Air M5 doubles base storage, doubles SSD speed and adds Wi-Fi 7. The screen still stops at 60Hz. Here is who should actually upgrade.

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