Latest Gear Live Videos
Xiaomi 17 Review: The Compact Flagship That Forgot to Act Small
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Features, Product Reviews,
The global Xiaomi 17 arrives in a market where “small phone” usually means “some compromises included.” Smaller battery. Smaller camera ambition. Smaller sense of occasion. Xiaomi clearly did not get that memo. This thing shows up with a 6.3-inch display, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, three 50-megapixel rear cameras, and a 6,330mAh silicon-carbon battery, all in a body that still reads as compact by 2026 standards. It launched globally on February 28, starting at €999 and £899, which puts it directly in the ring with Samsung, Google, and Apple’s smaller flagships.
And that is the whole story of the Xiaomi 17. It is not trying to be the weird one in the lineup. It is not the camera monster, and it does not have the Ultra’s headline-grabbing hardware. It is the phone for people who want a top-tier Android device that still fits in a real pocket, and according to multiple reviews, it mostly nails that brief. The consensus is simple: excellent battery life, strong overall camera performance, a great display, and the usual Xiaomi software mess that stops the whole thing from feeling truly effortless.
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Apple’s Master Plan: Why the MacBook Neo’s Flaws Are Actually Its Features
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, PC / Laptop, Product Reviews, Videos,
There is a question nobody in the tech space seems to want to answer right now. What if the best computer for most people isn't the most powerful one?
Apple just announced the new MacBook Neo for $599. It features an A18 Pro chip, comes in four fun colors, and has the tech crowd losing their minds over what it lacks. We need to talk about why those missing features are actually a brilliant move.
Click to continue reading Apple’s Master Plan: Why the MacBook Neo’s Flaws Are Actually Its Features
Why the iPhone 17e is Genius (Video!)
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Product Reviews, Videos,
The iPhone 17e is the affordable iPhone Apple should have made from the start. At the same $599 price, it fixes nearly every major complaint people had about the last model with the A19 chip, 256GB of base storage, MagSafe, the new C1X modem, Ceramic Shield 2, and smarter camera features. In this video, I break down the six upgrades that make the 17e feel less like a budget compromise and more like a real member of the iPhone 17 lineup.
What makes this phone so interesting is not just the spec sheet, but how much better the everyday experience looks this time around. Faster wireless charging, more storage at no extra cost, better durability, and a more capable camera all add up to a phone that feels much easier to recommend. If you skipped the previous model because it felt like Apple was holding back, this breakdown shows why the iPhone 17e may be the value pick in the lineup.
Lucid Gravity Grand Touring Review: Fast, Smart, and Almost Unreal
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Product Reviews, Transportation,
There is a very specific fantasy car that keeps showing up in the EV era. It seats a whole family without punishment. It looks expensive without trying too hard. It charges fast enough to make road trips feel normal again. It handles like something much smaller than it is. And it does all of that without becoming another giant rolling refrigerator.
The 2026 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring gets shockingly close to that fantasy.
In its most efficient factory configuration, Lucid says it can go up to 450 miles on a charge. In the real world, that number moves around a lot depending on wheels, tires, and seating layout. The borrowed example here, loaded up with the third row and bigger wheels, wore a 386-mile EPA label, which already tells you the most important thing about the Gravity: this is a vehicle where configuration matters a lot.
The bigger story is that Lucid did not build a soft, compromised family hauler and then sprinkle performance on top. The Gravity Grand Touring makes 828 horsepower, uses a 123-kWh battery, supports charging at up to 400 kW, and has become the rare three-row EV that is both genuinely practical and genuinely exciting to drive. The Gravity is very fast, very spacious, very clever, and still a little unfinished around the edges.
Click to continue reading Lucid Gravity Grand Touring Review: Fast, Smart, and Almost Unreal
You Won’t Believe What’s Inside Your Apple Watch (It’s Insane!)
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Wearables, Videos,
The Apple Watch should not work as well as it does. It's a metal box strapped to a salty bag of water, stuffed with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, cellular, and now even satellite radios - and somehow it still gets a signal when you really need it. So Apple took me underneath Apple Park, into the quietest, strangest rooms in the building, to show how they bend physics so that little square on your wrist can actually save you when things go wrong.
In this video I take you inside Apple's RF labs. There is a silent blue spike chamber where the team tunes antennas down to the level of screws, a human test rig that spins real people around to see how different bodies kill the signal, and an underground GNSS dome that fakes the sky so they can test satellite SOS and dual frequency GPS without leaving the building. This is the engineering work that makes your Apple Watch Ultra 3, Series 11, or SE 3 feel boring in the best possible way when you are lost on a trail or stuck on the side of the road.
If you have ever wondered what is actually happening inside that small piece of teach on your wrist when it says connecting to satellite, or why your watch can hold a call at the gym where your phone used to drop, this is the tour that explains it.
Why 86 Million People Abandoned Nintendo
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Video Games, Videos,
It’s easy to look at the Wii U’s sales numbers - a 13.5 million unit whimpering follow-up to the Wii’s 100 million unit roar - and assume the console itself was the problem.
But it wasn’t.
The hardware was weird, sure, and that chunky GamePad looked a bit like a Fisher-Price toy, but the real issue was that Nintendo forgot how to talk to human beings. Between the disastrous name that sounded like an accessory and an E3 reveal that hid the actual console, Nintendo spent years trying to sell a solution to a problem nobody knew they had. It was a classic case of brilliant engineering colliding with catastrophic messaging, creating a device that even the most die-hard fans struggled to explain to their friends.
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How the Tesla Cybertruck Became a $10 Billion Mistake
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Transportation, Videos,
It has been six years since Elon Musk stood on stage and watched the "bulletproof" window of the Cybertruck shatter in front of the entire world. At the time, we thought it was just a funny PR mishap, but looking back, it was actually the perfect metaphor for what was coming. We need to talk about how the most hyped vehicle in history has turned into a maintenance nightmare, plaguing owners with everything from rust issues to a recall caused by assembly workers using literal soap as a lubricant. It is a classic case of what happens when a company prioritizes "cool" over engineering fundamentals.
But the hardware failures are only half the story. The financial data surrounding the Cybertruck is where things get truly ugly. We are looking at a reservation conversion rate of just 2.5 percent. This means that the vast majority of people who said they wanted this truck, even after putting their money down for one, walked away when it actually arrived. I’m breaking down the numbers, the massive depreciation early adopters are facing, and why Tesla’s refusal to report separate sales figures for this truck tells you everything you need to know about its performance.
This more than just a polarized design or a polarizing CEO. The Cybertruck flop is about a $10 billion bet that seems to be failing to deliver on basic utility. From the cancelled range extender to the struggle of doing basic truck stuff like driving in sand, the Cybertruck is proving to be less of a revolution and more of a warning sign for the future of Tesla. Let's dig into exactly where this went wrong.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Long-Term Review: Still Worth It?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Product Reviews, Videos,
Imagine a phone so thin it rivals the latest iPad Pro, yet it's packed with Google's AI smarts and folds seamlessly in half. That’s the Pixel 9 Pro Fold—a cutting-edge device that redefines elegance and functionality in the foldable smartphone market. But does its second iteration live up to expectations? Let’s dive in and explore everything that makes this device stand out, from its impossibly slim design to its powerful AI integration.
Ultra-Slim Hardware That’s a Marvel of Engineering
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold feels like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. At just 0.2 inches thick when opened, it’s one of the slimmest smartphones ever created, rivaling the thinness of the iPad Pro. Google achieved this feat with ingenious engineering, particularly the hinge mechanism. This hinge folds completely flat, ensuring smooth transitions between phone and tablet modes. It’s a small but impactful detail that enhances everyday usability.
Weighing in at 9.1 ounces, the device strikes a perfect balance between portability and durability. While it’s not the lightest foldable on the market, the weight distribution makes it feel sturdy and premium in hand. If you’ve ever struggled with a clunky foldable, you’ll appreciate the sleekness that Google has achieved here.
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Apple’s HUGE Siri Apple Intelligence Fumble w/ John Gruber - Geared Up 205
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Software, Videos,
Tech legend John Gruber joins Andru Edwards and Jon Rettinger to unravel the story behind Apple Intelligence and its delayed features in this episode of Geared Up. From early WWDC promises to today's reality, they dissect how Apple got comfortable showcasing features it didn't hav eready, and what that says about their internal culture, marketing strategy, and the future of Siri.
Required reading for this episode: Something is Rotten in the State of Cupertino
Gruber shares rare behind-the-scenes insights, including his personal evolution in covering Apple and the moment he realized the company had broken a decades-long precedent. The trio also explores the rocky launch of Vision Pro, Apple's approach to foldables, and why Apple Maps is a cautionary tale for Apple Intelligence.
Head to the Geared Up YouTube channel to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.
iPhone 16e Review: Apple Just Killed the Budget iPhone
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Product Reviews, Videos,
The days of a truly budget-friendly iPhone are over. With the launch of the iPhone 16E, Apple has redefined its entry-level iPhone lineup - but at a higher starting price of $599. The question is, does this new model deliver enough value to justify the cost, or are there better options available? Let’s break it all down.
Unboxing the iPhone 16e: What’s Inside?
If you’re familiar with Apple’s minimalist approach, you already know what to expect. The iPhone 16e comes in a slim box containing the phone itself, a braided USB-C cable (marking the end of the Lightning port), and eSIM setup instructions - no SIM ejector tool, charger, or wired headphones included.
Apple also introduced five silicone case options for the iPhone 16e: lake green, fuchsia, winter blue, white, and black. While the cases add some flair to the otherwise basic black and white phone options, neither the cases nor the phone support MagSafe, which is a notable omission.
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