Gift Guide: 15 gift ideas for gamers when the next-gen consoles aren’t an option - TechCrunch

Welcome to TechCrunch’s 2021 Holiday Gift Guide! Need help with gift ideas? We’ve got lots of them. Looking for our other guides? Find them here!

The giving season has arrived, but an ample supply of next-gen consoles has not. Between chip shortages and resellers/bots, the chances of someone getting their hands on a PS5 or Xbox Series X without a whole lot of effort(/luck) are slim to none. It can be done! But you might not want to bet the holiday on it.

If it’s just not gonna happen this year, there’s still plenty of stuff that should make the gamer in your life happy — accessories and nice-to-have extras that any gamer will appreciate and make their current setup a bit comfier while Sony/Microsoft/et al. catch up with demand.

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Headphones

Every gamer needs a good pair of headphones — skimping on this is a one-way ticket to a headache. In many of today’s most popular games, bad audio is a distinct disadvantage.

Trying to decide between wired and wireless? Wired could be fine if they’re gaming at a desk; for couch gaming, wireless will help ’em be more comfortable and less tangled.

Here are some recommendations for each platform

For Xbox or PlayStation: SteelSeries 7X and 7P

Image Credits: Devin Coldewey

I’ve played pretty much every PS5 game with these. They’re just fantastic and much better than Sony’s own PlayStation-branded headsets. Comfortable, amazing sound, good battery life and quick connecting.

They’re not the cheapest but they’re definitely not the most expensive either — there’s a new version that doesn’t change much, so the (still great) last generation is on sale. Note: The 7X is for Xbox consoles and the 7P is for PlayStation — sadly there isn’t one version that works for both. Fortunately if you want something like that, it’s the next thing on the list.

Price: SteelSeries 7X (Xbox), $133 from Walmart | SteelSeries 7P (PlayStation), $150 from Best Buy

For Switch, multiple consoles or for a budget: SteelSeries Arctis 1

Image Credits: SteelSeries

These aren’t as cushy or expansive-sounding as the 7 series but they’re solid, comfortable and (because they’re wired) are compatible with everything under the sun: all major consoles plus phones, and the price is definitely right. If this list seems SteelSeries heavy, it’s just because they really got it right this generation.

Price: SteelSeries Arctis 1, $50 from Amazon

For PC: Razer BlackShark V2 or V2 Pro

Image Credits: Devin Coldeway

This headset is understated in design, sounds great and plenty comfortable. I’ve had nothing but compliments for the sound of the mic.

To be honest I’m not sure it’s worth the extra cash for the wireless (Pro) version, since PC gamers tend to be within three feet of their computers. If you can get the wireless one on sale go for it, but the wired version is a great option when money is tight.

Price: Razer BlackShark V2 (Wired), $75 from Amazon | Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (Wireless), $140 from Amazon

Maybe a mechanical gaming keyboard?

Image Credits: Catherine Shu

This is a tough one. I was originally going to do a roundup of a bunch of keyboards … but, like next-gen consoles, many of the best ones are very hard to find right now.

If your PC-gaming loved one has a keyboard they like, you can sneak a look and get them a new one or an upgraded one of the same brand. But if you hear them talking about what “color” of mechanical switch they like or they’re talking about building their own … maybe back down. Once they go down that rabbit hole, the choices are very individual and it’s hard to get right as a gift. Maybe go with a gift card or something.

Console accessories

Maybe your loved one was lucky enough to get a Series X or PS5 already, or they have one coming soon. Maybe they just want to upgrade their current-gen console. Either way, they’ll probably still want a little extra gear.

PlayStation:

Media remote

Image Credits: Sony

If someone uses their PlayStation 5 as the primary way of watching Netflix, Plex and so on, it gets old pretty fast using the rather large, heavy, easy-to-bump-off-the-couch DualSense gamepad for it. Snag one of these remote controls and no one has to learn whether “O” or “X” means cancel, or whether to use the bumpers, triggers, D-pad or analog sticks to rewind and fast forward. Honestly, this thing should probably come in the box. Super easy and convenient gift for combination gamers/cord-cutters.

Price: $30 from Amazon

A big hard drive expansion

Image Credits: Samsung

On a PS4, you can just buy a big ol’ external USB hard drive and plug it in. You can do the same with a PS5, but there are … limitations. For the most part, it’s better to upgrade the internal storage.

Any reasonably tech-confident person should be able to install this expansion drive for PS5s, which they’ll probably want eventually since games these days are flippin’ huge. This is a one-time purchase and install that will extend the life of the console and make things simpler, especially if they have the “digital” version without a disc drive. The major brands (Samsung, PNY, Kingston) all have PS5-compatible options; just make sure it’s one of those and you’re good. One detail that’s easy to miss: Some models note that they need a heatsink to work with a PS5 but don’t actually include one in the box. THANKS.

Xbox:

Elite controller

Image Credits: Microsoft

This is a bit of a splurge since the vanilla Xbox controllers are pretty excellent … but if the Xbox has been your loved one’s main gaming platform for years, you might be able to help them up their game a bit. The improved ergonomics, sweet D-pad, rear paddle triggers and other improvements can be game changers — no joke. You can do things with those rear paddles that would require ridiculous hand contortions to pull off otherwise. Xbox One-era controllers are compatible with Xbox Series X consoles, so this one is an investment that should work for years regardless of what gen they’re on right now.

Price: $160 from Amazon

Series X storage expansion card

Image Credits: Seagate

Same deal with the PlayStation: External USB drives work well enough on the last-gen Xboxes, but there are limitations when using them with the next-gen consoles.

Not that installing the PS5’s expansion card is particularly hard, but with the Xbox Series X you literally just plug it into the back. That’s it. $220 for 1 TB seems a bit expensive to me, but it’s up to you.

Price: $150-$400, depending on capacity

Switch:

Pro Controller

Image Credits: Nintendo

The only thing better than having a Pro Controller is having two Pro Controllers. These things are excellent and the best way to play most games if you’re on the couch. With the Switch’s focus on multiplayer it can lead to bitterness when one person gets a sweet ergonomic Pro and everyone else is on the tiny Joy-Cons.

Pro tip: While they’re not quite as hard to get as next-gen consoles, first-party controllers are also in short supply this year! Order early to make it happen.

Price: $70 from Nintendo

8BitDo SN30 Pro SNES-style controller

Image Credits: 8BitDo

Nintendo has an ever-expanding library of retro games on its console (if you pay the monthly fee for them) and it just feels better to play them on the original controllers. However, Nintendo seemingly only makes about 50 of those per year and they’re constantly out of stock. Grab an SN30 — they’re wireless, they work with other platforms and they add analog sticks to the SNES layout so you can play any game with ’90s flair. By “you” I mean your loved one, obviously.

Price: $49 from Amazon

A monster microSD card

Image Credits: SanDisk

The Switch can run out of space fast if you’re not careful, and it’s pretty much mandatory to grab a microSD card to expand its storage. Fortunately, expanding the Switch’s storage is easy and relatively cheap! Grab a 256 GB or 512 GB microSD card and banish storage worries once and for all.

Don’t bother paying any markups for a microSD card with Mario on it or whatever — once it’s in the console you never see it anyway.

Price: Varies by capacity/speed. 512 GB microSDXC, as pictured above, is $75 from Amazon

Subscriptions and digital goods

These days most gamers need to subscribe to one thing or another — on the consoles, for example, most of the online multiplayer requires a subscription. Figure out what their subscription of choice is and get ’em set up with a few more months, and you know it’s a gift that’ll go to good use.

Xbox: Game Pass or Live Gold

Image Credits: Microsoft

You’ve got options here. If they just want to play online, Xbox Live Gold starts at around $10 a month. If you also want to give them all-you-can-eat access to a surprisingly solid collection of games, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs around $15 a month and includes Xbox Live Gold.

Price: Varies

PlayStation: PS Plus or PS Now

Image Credits: Sony

Sony also has two different plans: PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. Plus ($10 a month, or $5 per month if you pay by the year) is what you need for online multiplayer; Now (same pricing) gets you access to hundreds of games. Know that these are two separate subscriptions.

Price: Varies

Switch: Nintendo Switch Online

Image Credits: Nintendo

Nintendo Switch Online is pretty bare bones, but if they want online play in Smash Bros or Mario Kart it’s a must. And, as an added little bonus, it comes with access to a bunch of NES and SNES games.

Wondering what the more expensive “Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack” is? The short version: For more than double the price, they’ll throw in access to a bunch of N64 and Sega Genesis games, plus the Animal Crossing Happy Home Paradise expansion. Maybe worth it if Animal Crossing is their thing, maybe not otherwise.

If you’ve got a bunch of family members who want online access, the Family plan lets you add up to eight users to one $35-per-year account, which works out to about $5 per user per year. That’s cheap!

Price: Varies

Paid battle pass/in-game currency

Image Credits: PixelChoice (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

Are they super into a specific game? Fortnite? Apex? Halo Infinite?

This is kind of hard to explain, but maaaany games these days have a system — generally called a “battle pass” — that rewards you with in-game things (think character skins or dances you can do to taunt your enemies) for logging in and playing. Some of those systems have paid tiers that offer more rewards. Buying those premium upgrades can feel like a bit of a luxury — making it, potentially, a solid gift for the person who can’t/won’t splurge on themselves.

One catch? Depending on the game, gifting the battle pass can be tough! The trick, in most cases, is to gift them some of the game’s respective in-game currency (you want to buy it as a code or card from a trustworthy retailer, generally; there are scams aplenty in these waters), which can generally be used to buy the premium battle pass. In most cases battle passes expire with each in-game “season” — so if they’ve already got that season’s pass, they can save it for the next one or just use the currency on in-game skins or something else they’ve been eyeing.

Price: Varies

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New iPhone SE Reportedly on Track for Release in First Quarter of 2022 - MacRumors

Apple plans to release a third-generation iPhone SE in the first quarter of 2022, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce. If this timeframe proves to be accurate, we can expect the device to be released by the end of March.

As previously rumored, TrendForce said the new iPhone SE will remain a mid-range smartphone with added support for 5G:

In terms of product development, Apple is staying with the plan to release its third-generation iPhone SE in 1Q22 and four models under a new series in 2H22. The third-generation iPhone SE is expected to be a major instrument in helping Apple establish a presence in the market segment for mid-range 5G smartphones. Its production volume for 2022 is forecasted to reach 25-30 million units.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously claimed that the new iPhone SE will feature a similar design as the current model, which is based on the iPhone 8, with a 4.7-inch display, Touch ID home button, and thicker bezels. Kuo said key upgrades to the device would include 5G support and a faster processor — reportedly an A15 chip.

There have also been some rumors that Apple is working on a larger version of the iPhone SE, but that device is not expected to be released until 2023 or later.

The original iPhone SE was released in March 2016 and discontinued in September 2018. The second-generation iPhone SE launched in April 2020 and continues to be sold, with pricing set at $399 for 64GB of storage and $449 for 128GB of storage.

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Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip is here to power the Android flagships of 2022 - The Verge

Qualcomm has a new flagship smartphone processor: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, announced at the company’s annual Snapdragon Tech Summit, giving an early preview at the brains behind the most powerful smartphones of 2022.

The successor to last year’s Snapdragon 888, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is the first chipset to bear Qualcomm’s new naming scheme (which the company had previously teased last week), ditching the triple-digit numbering system that Qualcomm has previously used for new, generation-based monikers.

As is the case every year, Qualcomm is promising some major improvements in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, with better performance, camera technology, AI capabilities, security, and 5G.

Let’s start with the hard specs. As expected, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is the first chip from Qualcomm to use the latest Armv9 architecture from Arm. Specifically, the new eight-core Kryo CPU will feature a single prime core based on the Cortex-X2 at 3.0GHz, along with three performance cores based on Cortex-A710 at 2.5GHz, and a quartet of efficiency cores based on the Cortex-A510 design at 1.8GHz. Additionally, the new chip jumps to a 4nm process, from the 5nm process on which the Snapdragon 888 was built.

All told, Qualcomm promises that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will offer up to 20 percent better performance and up to 30 percent more power efficiency over last year’s model.

Meanwhile, the new Adreno GPU (much like the Gen 1’s Kryo CPU, Qualcomm didn’t give a specific number for the updated hardware here) promises to offer 30 percent faster graphics rendering, in addition to 25 percent better power efficiency compared to the Snapdragon 888. It’ll also offer a new GPU control panel for fine-tuning how games are running on your phone.

Making its debut on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65 modem, which promises a whole suite of 5G features and firsts. As Qualcomm’s fourth-generation 5G modem, it builds on the existing mmWave and sub-6GHz compatibility that came before, adding support for up to 10Gbps speeds and the latest 3GPP Release 16 specification. As is always the case, you almost certainly won’t actually see that kind of speed in the real world.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 also supports Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth LE Audio (a first for Qualcomm), and the company’s Snapdragon Sound technology for enabling AptX Lossless wireless audio.

As is traditional for Qualcomm’s top-tier processor, the company is putting a big emphasis on its beefed-up camera capabilities, which the company is bundling together for the first time under a new “Snapdragon Sight” brand.

While the Spectra ISP is once again a triple ISP system, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 upgrades things up to an 18-bit system (up from 14 bits on the 888). That translates to 4,096 times more camera data and up to four additional stops of dynamic range for very bright or very dark scenarios. The triple ISP (image signal processor) also allows for things like shooting 240 12-megapixel photos in a single second or simultaneously shooting in 8K with HDR while snapping 64-megapixel stills thanks to an increased 3.2-gigapixel per second throughput.

Qualcomm is also offering more high-end camera features out of the box, including support for shooting in 8K video with HDR 10 Plus and shooting in 18-bit RAW (assuming your phone has the camera hardware to actually pull it off).

The 8 Gen 1 also features a variety of other imaging improvements, including better dark mode pictures that can use data from up to 30 images in a single shot (up from six images on the 888). There’s also a host of better AI processing techniques, with improved auto-exposure, auto-focus, and auto-face detection technology, a dedicated “bokeh engine” for adding portrait effects to 4K video, and an “ultrawide engine” that can de-warp and remove chromatic aberrations from shots.

Qualcomm is also adding a fourth ISP, located in the dedicated sensing hub on the SoC: unlike the triple ISP for the primary camera, the new ISP is designed specifically to power an always-on camera that’s active at all times. Qualcomm has some big ambitions for what developers can do with the always-on camera, like automatically shutting off your screen when you put your phone down or if it detects someone trying to read over your shoulder.

And while the idea of an always-on camera raises some obvious security concerns, Qualcomm argues that the feature is intended to help make using your device more secure, with any camera data for the always-on camera staying locally on-device in the chip’s secure enclave. Additionally, customers will be able to opt in to using the always-on camera, much in the same way that they can choose whether to use an always-listening microphone feature for voice assistants.

Still, though, the added capability — and how manufacturers implement it into their devices, if they do at all — will be something to watch when the first chips with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 roll out.

On the AI side of things, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 features Qualcomm’s latest Hexagon processor, with its seventh-generation AI engine, which the company says is four times faster than its predecessor and up to 1.7 times more power efficient.

The company showed off a variety of use cases that the boosted AI performance can enable, including the aforementioned camera functionality, a “Leica Leitz Look mode” that emulates Leica lens effects, and improved detection of where you’re holding your phone for optimizing antenna performance. Additionally, Qualcomm is adding AI-powered sampling to offer a DLSS-style effect for improving mobile games, something that it says will happen automatically when gaming on the 8 Gen 1.

Lastly, there are security improvements. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 adds a new hardware-level layer of security with a “dedicated Trust Management Engine,” in addition to offering support for the Android Ready SE standard, enabling support for digital car keys, driver’s licenses, IDs, and e-money wallets. There’s also built-in iSIM support for directly connecting to cellular networks.

Despite the new branding, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 doesn’t appear to break the mold for Qualcomm’s chips, offering the usual generational upgrades we’ve come to expect from the company’s annual flagships. Still, in a world where bespoke chips like Google’s Tensor or Apple’s A-series processors are becoming increasingly popular, it’s good to see that Qualcomm has no intention of slowing the pace on its own top chips, even as the competition heats up.

And with the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 smartphones expected before the end of 2021, it won’t be long before we’ll be able to see just how powerful Qualcomm’s latest chip is for ourselves.

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Microsoft is selling ugly Windows sweaters again, and this time, it’s Minesweeper - The Verge

Microsoft has launched a new Windows software-themed ugly sweater on its Xbox Gear Shop dedicated to the infamous Windows game Minesweeper.

It’s well done: not only is the whole Minesweeper level shaped like a Christmas tree, but it’s also got mines masquerading as snowflakes and “buttons” to minimize the window or exit the game if you so desire, plus the classic wavy Windows logo that hearkens back to Windows 3.1. (If you’re wondering why the sweater has “1990” remaining mines, that’s a reference to the year Minesweeper first came out.)

This is Microsoft’s second year of Windows-themed ugly sweaters. Last year, the company released three ugly sweater designs, including one garment based on the timeless MS Paint application, which humorously looked as if it were designed in that very app. In 2020, Microsoft donated a portion of the proceeds from each sweater to Girls Who Code; this year, the company appears to be giving a lump sum of $100,000 to the AbleGamers charity for gamers with disabilities.

Microsoft is selling the Minesweeper ugly sweater for the explosive price of $74.99 — $5 more expensive than last year’s designs. The sweaters sold out in 24 hours last year with a late December restock, so if you want to look like a pro at flagging mines this holiday, then get one soon.

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Microsoft Keeps Making Its Edge Browser Worse for Some Reason - Gizmodo

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft can’t help but undermine itself, it seems. After launching the new Edge browser last year to widespread praise, Microsoft has seemingly done everything possible to ruin it, including imposing unwelcome features and intrusive restrictions.

The latest blunder integrates a short-term financing app directly into Edge, a move users are enraged about, as reported by Ars Technica. A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced that it would build the Zip (formerly Quadpay) app right into its browser. The financing app lets shoppers purchase a product upfront but pay in smaller “often interest-free” installments in the future.

Zip is unique in that it doesn’t use interest rates but instead charges $1 for every installment (loans are typically paid in four installments over six weeks, so $4 extra) so long as payments are made on time.

The service itself isn’t what’s making Edge users glance in the direction of Chrome, but rather, it is Microsoft’s battering ram of third-party services constantly bombarding people with “look what we added, now use it” notifications.

Made apparent when reading through Microsoft’s support forums is that people just want a browser that is quick and gets out of their way.

“This all feels extremely unnecessary for a browsing experience. I don’t want it,” user Jason Tenpenny wrote. “I don’t even want the shopping and discovery features y’all have pushed out. These kinds of things should be separated into extensions. I am way more interested in a lightning fast browser that uses minimal resources while being secure. Edge on Mac is getting heavier and heavier.”

“This is just sleazy, Edge is on the verge of feeling dirty to use,” another user wrote. “Edge is not just any random browser, it’s the (increasingly hard to change) default of the most important desktop OS in the world.”

These complaints come after Microsoft was slammed for pushing Edge onto users who updated their PCs to Windows 11. Edge appears throughout the browser upon initial startup and is sure to ask you to “set as your default browser” should you even dream about switching over to Chrome, Firefox, or the many other browser options available.

A bigger problem is how painstakingly difficult Microsoft made it to switch browsers, and to make matters worse, the software giant blocked third-party apps like EdgeDeflector from providing workarounds so you could use alternatives in the search bar and the new Taskbar widget.

Now Microsoft is pushing a financing service that not only invades your browsing experience but could also open the door to cybersecurity threats. Microsoft hasn’t clarified how much browsing data, if any, is made visible to Zip or how it plans to keep the app secure. We’ve reached out to the company to get some answers.

For what it’s worth, Microsoft says it “does not collect a fee for connecting users to loan providers,” though it didn’t specify whether it receives any share of transactions. It makes you wonder why Microsoft would add this service in the first place. If it did so because it thought Zip would be a genuinely viable option for users, then it should have no problems removing the financing app after reading the growing number of complaints.

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New images show AirPods prototype with translucent design, more - 9to5Mac

Apple device collector Giulio Zompetti has shared a new round of prototype images of Apple devices on Twitter. Most notably, Zompetti has shared images of prototype AirPods that features an intriguing translucent design.

It’s unclear whether Apple actually planned to release transparent AirPods, but it’s unlikely. The translucent design reveals a lot of the internal quirks of AirPods, including quite a bit of glue. Translucent cases are common during product prototyping to allow engineers to get a closer look at the design.

Today, the AirPods and AirPods Pro are are only available in white — with Apple resisting calls to release its truly wireless earbuds in any other colors. On the flip side, earbuds from the Apple-owned Beats brand, such as the Beats Fit Pro, are available in a range of different colors.

In terms of translucent earbuds, there is one option on the market: the Nothing ear (1). These feature an AirPods Pro-style design with a translucent stem.

In addition to the transparent AirPods, Zompetti has also recently shared images of a 29W Apple Charger prototype as well as an EVT prototype of the original iPhone. Check them out below.

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Xbox Cloud Gaming Is About to Look Clearer on Browser... But Only on Microsoft Edge - IGN

Xbox Cloud Gaming is getting an upgrade as it rolls out a new feature to improve the sharpness when used in Microsoft’s Edge browser.

The new feature, called Clarity Boost by Xbox, lets players sharpen the image output when streaming a game. The idea is to make browser streaming clearer and sharper as a result.

“This feature uses a set of client-side scaling improvements to improve the visual quality of the video stream,” said Xbox Program Manager, Milena Gonzalez in an official statement. The goal is “providing the optimal look and feel while playing Xbox games from the cloud.”

Microsoft Edge's Clarity Boost before and after. (Image credit: Xbox)

These new “client-side scaling improvements” mean that Microsoft Edge has a bit more to do – handling extra processing on your end to improve the quality of the stream.

However, this new feature is only available for those using Microsoft Edge Canary – an experimental version of the popular browser which allows users to try out new features before they’re bundled into the main Edge releases.

Obviously, this means not all Microsoft Edge users will get access to Clarity Boost. At least, not straight away. But Microsoft assures users that Clarity Boost will roll out to all Microsoft Edge versions by 2022. “Clarity Boost will be available to all Microsoft Edge users by next year,” said Gonzalez.

If you want to try out this new feature, it couldn’t be simpler. First, make sure you’re using Microsoft Edge Canary and make sure you’re up to date, using version 96.0.1033.0 or later.

Then, simply head to the Xbox Game Pass website and start a game you want to play. Open up the more actions (…) menu, then enable Clarity Boost. You should see a difference in the way Xbox Cloud Gaming streams the game, with examples showing a much sharper picture.

It’s certainly one way to make Microsoft Edge more relevant – especially since Microsoft announced that Internet Explorer for Windows 10 will be discontinued next year. Microsoft also revealed that it plans to move Xbox beyond consoles by making its games playable on nearly any device.

Xbox Cloud Gaming for consoles recently launched in beta, allowing Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One players to stream a selection of top titles – as long as you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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Android Auto has apparently started rolling out dual-SIM support - 9to5Google

After years of user requests, Google finally confirmed earlier this year that Android Auto would be adding support for dual-SIM smartphones. Now, it appears that functionality is finally rolling out to users.

One Reddit user spotted over the weekend that Android Auto dual-SIM support is up and running on their vehicle, though it seems that this hasn’t rolled out widely. Comments on the same post don’t mention having the feature live on their end. The user who did manage to get this functionality up and running said their app version is 7.1.614554 and that they are enrolled in the beta program.

We’ve not been able to replicate the functionality in our testing on a Pixel 6 Pro running Google Fi on an eSIM and Verizon as a physical SIM.

Dual-SIM support in Android Auto would primarily make itself known in the Phone app, where users would be able to select which SIM to use when making a phone call. Previously, Android Auto would only use the default SIM when starting a call.

As mentioned, in September of this year Google announced this feature would be coming. If you’re seeing it live on your device, let us know in the comments below.

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DJI Mavic 3 drone review: Cinematic power at a price - Engadget

Image Credit: Samuel Dejours/Engadget

The larger sensor also delivers better low light performance, more detail, improved dynamic range and a more cinematic look in general. At the same time, the variable f/2.8 to f/11 aperture makes the camera more flexible in different lighting conditions. If you shoot in really bright sunlight a lot, however, I’d recommend getting the neutral density filter kit.

Shooting at ISO 1600 and 3200, we got clean footage with some noise in shadows and dark areas. However, the noise is well controlled and organic, so it’s not bothersome and can be tamped down with some mild noise reduction. Noise levels start to get excessive at ISO 6400, but that setting is still usable for night scenes if you don’t need a lot of shadow detail.

DJI boosted the H.264 data rate significantly from 100 Mbps to 200 Mbps, and introduced H.265 capture at up to 140 Mbps. That’s an important update, as aerial footage captured by drones can have detail that confounds long-GOP (MP4) compression. As a result, quality is improved under most circumstances, and noticeably so for detailed shots.

That begs the question of whether you even need the ProRes option and 1TB SSD, considering the high price difference. I’d say that it’s a valuable feature for broadcast shooters, as it pushes the drone into professional territory. For others like YouTubers or industrial users, the H.264 quality is easily good enough.

Taken with the Mavic 3 main camera.

Samuel Dejours/Engadget

The Mavic 3 uses Hasselblad’s color profile that’s supposed to deliver accurate hues. In general, it performed well across the color spectrum, whether we were shooting in cities, coastlines or countryside. Skin tones are warm, and while you might not think that’s terribly important for a drone, the Mavic 3 could see a lot of use in weddings, documentaries and even movies. It’s so smooth that it can replace a crane or dolly for certain shots.

To max out dynamic range and editing flexibility, you can shoot 10-bit D-Log footage. Shooting directly into the sun and other tricky situations, I found that it allowed me to retain dynamic range and bring out extra detail in highlights and shadows.

One of the key new features of the Mavic 3 is the 162mm equivalent telephoto camera with a half-inch sensor. I’ve seen some confusion about zooming on the Mavic 3, so here’s how it works.

Shot with 7X telephoto (MP4).

Samuel Dejours/Engadget

The main camera with no digital zoom is equivalent to a 24mm full-frame lens, or what DJI calls a 1X zoom. To zoom in further, you flip the drone into explorer mode on the Fly app. From there, you can either select discreet zoom settings (1X, 2X, 4X, 7X, 14X and 28X) or use a slider for in-between settings. Zooming up to four times is done digitally with the main camera, but the 4X zoom is very pixelated and not usable for any production work.

The 161mm, 12-megapixel f/4.4 telephoto camera kicks in at a 7X zoom, offering 4K video at up to 30 fps. It can digitally zoom up to 28X, but again, quality suffers. For the best-looking footage, you’ll need to stay between a 1X and 2X zoom, or go up to 7X exactly.

The Mavic 2 (not pro), by contrast, has a 28mm lens with a 2X zoom. The Mavic 3’s 7X zoom is more extreme, but does open up some interesting creative possibilities. However, the optical quality on that camera isn’t amazing given the smallish sensor size. In terms of professional use, then, it has limited value.

Photo shot with DNG and retouched in Lightroom.

Samuel Dejours/Engadget

On the subject of JPEGs, it’s also a solid photo drone. I was a bit disappointed when I heard that the Mavic 3 had the same 20-megapixel sensor and less dynamic range than the Mavic 2 Pro (12.8 stops compared to 14 stops claimed). However, the larger pixels more than make up for that with improved light sensitivity and lower noise levels.

That said, you’ll want to make sure your footage is properly exposed. The Mavic 3 generally nails the exposure in automatic shooting modes, but it can get tripped up if you’re shooting into the sun. It helps to shoot using RAW DNG files, which give you much more latitude to adjust images in Lightroom.

Photo quality using the telephoto lens was better than the video quality, delivering crisp photos with good color accuracy, but with one key caveat. You can only shoot JPEGs and not RAW files, which limits your ability to adjust shots in post. Again, that makes the telephoto lens less useful for professionals. On the other hand, it could be extremely handy for other types of work, like inspections, search and rescue, bird spotting and so on.

Steve Dent/Engadget

The Mavic 3 is DJI’s easiest drone to fly, thanks to improved obstacle avoidance, and other features. It offers three flying modes: Cine, a slow flight mode for capturing smooth footage, Normal and Sport, the fastest setting.

The Mavic 3 works with DJI’s simplified Fly app, rather than the Go 4 app used with the Mavic 2 Pro. Camera settings like shutter, ISO, video resolution and so on are adjusted on the main flying screen at the bottom right. The record button and various video/photo settings (QuickShot, Hyperlapse, etc.) are found on the right side. For more advanced settings like Safety, Control, Cameras and Transmission, you have to dive into the three dot menu.

Once you fire up the app and connect your smartphone to the RC-N1 controller, you’re ready to turn on the drone. It plays a jaunty three-note tune on startup and is ready to go in less time than the Mavic Air 2S or 2 Pro.

When you take off, it remembers your home position for the RTH (return to home function). It maneuvers flawlessly, helping pilots easily capture smooth footage under manual control. It’s not quieter than the Mavic 2 or 2 Pro, but it has a slightly lower tone that’s less likely to disturb people or wildlife.

Steve Dent/Engadget

It’s also faster, hitting speeds of up to 42 MPH in sport mode. Just remember that obstacle avoidance is disabled in that mode, so you’ll need to be careful to avoid (high-speed) crashes.

The Mavic 3 is covered with omni-directional sensors on the front, back, top and bottom. The app shows potential obstacles to help you avoid them, while the APAS 5 system lets you program the Mavic 3 to either stop when it encounters an obstacle or go around it.

We ran it through a gauntlet of hazards, including gnarly trees, power lines and more. It either stopped or dodged them, depending on the option we set. It did skim a leaf once while descending in RTH mode, though it didn’t phase the drone. However, it could indicate potential issues with the lower sensor array of the drone. The obstacle avoidance feature can be disabled in all modes, if you dare.

Steve Dent/Engadget

The RTH feature brings the drone back when the battery runs low, choosing the most efficient route possible. We found that it worked in all circumstances, even around tricky terrain and from miles away. The only drawback is that it doesn’t bring the drone back at a great speed, so many pilots may prefer to return manually in normal or sport mode.

One key feature that’s unfortunately not coming until January is ActiveTrack 5. As with DJI’s previous tracking systems, it’s designed to follow you around while you bike, windsurf and do other activities. The latest version is designed to track subjects no matter which way they’re moving and continue tracking even if they move out of frame. As this is an important feature, I may update this review later once I get a hold of it.

Other missing features include QuickShots to do fancy camera maneuvers like circles and boomerangs, along with MasterShots, designed to produce quick video clips for social media users. It also lacks the popular Panorama mode to create stitched photos, and QuickTransfer for rapid WiFi video and photo transfers. 

This missing features aren't ideal, but delaying them at least allowed DJI to release the drone. Cameras from Sony, Canon and others often have key features added after the fact with firmware updates, so DJI isn't alone in doing this. Buyers will likely forgive the delays, but only if the updates arrive in January as promised.  

Steve Dent/Engadget

With its starting $2,200 price tag, the Mavic 3 is designed to take great videos and photos for professional and prosumer users. It strongly delivers in that regard, thanks to the pro-level sensor that delivers stunning image quality, along with stabilization that allows for insanely smooth shots. The ProRes video and 1TB internal SSD are also huge features for pro shooters.

It’s not perfect, though. Those same users may find the telephoto camera to be somewhat useless because it doesn’t deliver even close to the same level of quality as the main camera. They may also wonder why the standard model comes with a basic controller and limited Fly app, considering the relatively high price. The missing features like ActiveTrack 5 are a bummer, but once they arrive, everyone will quickly forget that they weren’t there at launch.

In terms of competition, DJI doesn’t have any peers when it comes to image quality (its tagline for the Mavic 3 is “Imaging Above Everything”). In other words, it’s laser-focused on cameras, as it recently showed with its crazy, amazing Ronin 4D. Other companies like Skydio, however, arguably offer better flying drones with superior obstacle avoidance.

Should these factors impact your buying decision? I’ll leave the final word to Samuel, the professional photographer and certified pilot who owns multiple DJI drones and assisted in this review.

“I am definitely interested in buying it, because it has a sensor that’s larger and performs at a high level so it’s a big step up in terms of image quality. The extra battery life also makes planning easier, and the drone is extremely stable, even in wind, so you feel like you have a ‘tripod in the sky.’ It has some flaws for sure, but for me, those are outweighed by the image quality benefits.”

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Balance Is the Best App of 2021, According to Google - How-To Geek

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The year is officially ending, and Google is rounding out 2021 with its annual best of apps list. Balance and Pokémon Unite top the list, but all sorts of other apps and games have received awards.

Balance is an app designed to help with meditation and sleep, which is especially helpful with the current state of things. The app’s description says, “Improve your stress, sleep, and more with the world’s first personalized meditation program, now free for your first year.” It has over 3,500 ratings on Google Play and a solid 4.7 rating, so it’s not surprising that Google gave it the highest honor this year.

On the game side, Google honored Pokémon Unite, which is a fast-paced MOBA with your favorite Pokémon characters fighting it out. If you like games like DOTA 2 and League of Legends, but you’d prefer matches to take only a few minutes, this might be a game for you. It has a 3.9 rating on Google Play, so it’s not quite as unanimously loved as Balance, but it’s definitely a solid game.

Google also had a users’ choice category. Paramount+ took home the honor for apps, and Garena Free Fire MAX received the award in the game section.

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Here’s the complete list of app winners across various categories, as picked by Google:

Best Apps for Good

Best Everyday Essentials

Best for Fun

Best Hidden Gems

Best for Personal Growth

Best for Tablets

Best for Wear

Popular on Google TV

Here are Google’s choices for best games:

Best Competitive

Best Game Changers

Best Indies

Best Pick Up & Play

Best for Tablets

If you’re an Android user looking for some new apps and games to download, these are worth a look, as they’re the ones Google itself feels are deserving of your time. Many of the apps featured are free, though most also have some in-app purchases or subscriptions available.

RELATED: How to Restore In-App Purchases on Android

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Halo Infinite: 343i increases XP gains for Battle Pass progression - Windows Central

While the core gameplay of the Halo Infinite multiplayer experience has quickly won over the hearts of many Xbox and PC gamers, many fans have been frustrated with how Halo Infinite's multiplayer progression is more tedious than it needs to be. The game's Challenge-driven progression has been difficult to engage with thus far, and since "Play 1 Match" Daily Challenges only give 50 XP, it's very difficult to meaningfully progress through the Halo Infinite Battle Pass once you complete all your Weekly Challenges.

In response to these issues, 343 Industries' Community Manager, John "Unyshek" Junyszek, has announced that the developers are increasing how much XP players earn during their first six matches each day. Players will get 300 XP for playing their first match, 200 XP for playing a second and third match, and 100 XP for playing a fourth, fifth, and sixth match. Any further matches played that day will reward 50 XP. This change will make it much easier for players to rank up their Battle Pass, as they'll get a full level each day just by playing six matches (each Battle Pass level requires 1,000 XP).

1st Game = 300XP
2nd Game = 200XP
3rd Game = 200XP
4th Game = 100XP
5th Game = 100XP
6th Game = 100XP
7th+ Game = 50XP

We believe this increase will help address those slower initial payouts while also benefiting those of you jumping on each and every day.

— John Junyszek (@Unyshek) November 30, 2021

Junyszek then stated that 343 Industries knows that "many of you want even larger changes and we're committed to doing so," but noted that "those will take time." Still, it's great to see the developers make a big improvement like this, as this change will no doubt make consistent time investment into Halo Infinite feel more rewarding.

Halo Infinite's multiplayer is one of the best Xbox shooters available right now, and since it's free-to-play, everyone can pick it up and give it a try. It's available on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs through both Steam and the Microsoft Store. The game can also be played through Xbox Cloud Gaming as well.

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Best Microsoft Cyber Monday deals 2021

Cyber Monday is a huge event. Expect a whole lot of online deals and expect to see those deals throughout November and December. We've got all the details you need right here.

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