Latest articles by John Velasco
I tried Samsung DeX on the Galaxy S25 Ultra — and it's a wasted opportunity
I've been using Samsung DeX on the Galaxy S25 Ultra to see what's new about it. Unfortunately it's a wasted opportunity.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra battery life tested — there's good news and bad news
It's the longest lasting Samsung phone we've tested
I drove the Honda Civic Hybrid for a week — and it’s better than the cheapest EV
EVs still cost a lot of money, which is why I put the Honda Civic Sport Touring Hybrid to the test to see if it can hold its ground against the cheapest EVs.
Forget Galaxy S25 Edge — these are Samsung's most ambitious phone designs ever
With the tease of the Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung could be embarking on a new era for smartphone design. However, other Samsung phones have sported looks that were just as groundbreaking.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max displays tested — here's the winner
The Galaxy S25 Ultra has the brightest display in any Samsung phone we've tested. Here's the results from our display benchmarking test.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 stole this genius idea from a dead phone and finally made it a reality
At Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung introduced its Personal Data Engine that powers personalized AI features on the Galaxy S25. It's very similar to the Palm Pre's Synergy.
I drove the Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid for a week — and it’s a PHEV that most people can afford
The Kia Niro PHEV blends gas and electric power into a subcompact crossover SUV. I drove it for a week to see how much value it offers over EVs and traditional gas-powered cars.
The Galaxy S25 has no chance of winning unless Samsung copies this feature from Apple and Google
The Galaxy S25 Plus is in trouble if it can't match the 5x optical zoom cameras found in Apple and Google's phones.
I shot over 200 photos with the OnePlus 13 vs Galaxy S24 Ultra — here’s the winner
I captured over 200 photos with the OnePlus 13 vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra to see which is the better camera phone.
Best phones under $300 in 2025
We've gathered the best cheap phones for those who are on a tight budget. You have to make serious compromises with these devices, but at least they're inexpensive.
I used the OnePlus 13 to capture professional headshots — and I'm surprised by the results
With its upgraded triple camera system, I put the OnePlus 13's portrait mode to the test to capture professional headshots.
Best foldable phones of 2025
More phone makers than ever are coming out with devices you can fold into more compact designs. These are the best foldable phones we’ve tested.
New Galaxy S25 Slim renders tease Samsung's thinnest phone ever
New renders of the Galaxy S25 Slim gives us a glimpse to its design and size, courtesy of OnLeaks and SmartPrix.
I drove the Chrysler Pacifica PHEV for a week — and it's the last great minivan
The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle blends gas and electric power. I drove it for a week to see if it could change my mind about minivans.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra camera rumors seem lame — here's why I think it could still beat the iPhone 16 Pro Max
I really don't think Samsung will bring back a 10x optical zoom camera with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. But I'm fine with that because of how effective AI has become at tweaking camera performance.
I shot over 200 photos with the OnePlus 13 vs iPhone 16 Pro Max — here’s the winner
In my OnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max photo shoot-out, I took over 200 photos to see which is the better camera phone.
Samsung Galaxy S25 renders leak ahead of Unpacked — and they’re our best look at the upcoming phones
Ahead of Galaxy Unpacked, leaked renders of the Galaxy S25 series give us our best look of the upcoming phones courtesy of leaker Evan Blass.
I created this short cinematic clip with the OnePlus 13's video camera — here's the result
I tested out the OnePlus 13 video camera to capture and produce a shot cinematic video that highlights the new phone's performance and shooting modes.
I tried astrophotography on my OnePlus 13 to shoot nebulas, star clusters, and planets — these were my best captures
The OnePlus 13 has a new triple camera system and image processing algorithms, so I tried astrophotography on it to see what it can capture of the night sky.
I tried the new OnePlus 13 AI Editor on my photos — is it any good?
The OnePlus 13 introduces a new suite of AI Editor tools that makes complex photo edits a breeze. Here's what happened when I tried them out.
Segway Xyber is a terrifyingly powerful new ebike — 0 to 20 mph in under 3 seconds
At CES 2025, the cyberpunk inspired Segway Xyber is an ebike unlike any other with its mighty acceleration and endurance that leaves other electric bikes in the dust.
Segway’s new performance driven electric scooter is a speed demon on wheels — 0 to 30 mph in under 4 seconds
At CES 2025, Segway introduced its next-generation of electric scooters, complete with a pair of performance driven models that are built for speed and range.
7 features to try first on the OnePlus 13 — camera tools, walkie-talkie, OnePlus AI, and more
The OnePlus 13 is finally official and it's accompanied by new features ranging from AI to better ways to use the camera. Here's all the new features to try first.
