John Velasco
John’s a senior editor covering phones for Tom’s Guide. He’s no stranger in this area having covered mobile phones and gadgets since 2008 when he started his career. On top of his editor duties, he’s a seasoned videographer being in front and behind the camera producing YouTube videos. Previously, he held editor roles with PhoneArena, Android Authority, Digital Trends, and SPY. Outside of tech, he enjoys producing mini documentaries and fun social clips for small businesses, enjoying the beach life at the Jersey Shore, and recently becoming a first time homeowner.
Latest articles by John Velasco
iPhone 16 Pro cameras — 7 features Apple desperately needs to add
By John Velasco published
I've been shooting on iPhone for a long time, but these are all the features I'd like to see happen with the iPhone 16 Pro cameras.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Which flagship phone wins?
By John Velasco last updated
In this Google Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra face-off, we put the two flagship Android phones through a 7-round battle to see which is the better Android phone.
Forget iPhone 16 Pro Max — here’s why I'd buy the iPhone 16 Pro instead
By John Velasco published
Leaks suggest that the iPhone 16 Pro could be gaining a telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, which would be more than enough to convince me to buy it over the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
I used the GoPro Hero 13 Black to do the most GoPro thing ever — jet skiing around NYC
By John Velasco published
The new GoPro Hero 13 Black packs upgrades, so naturally, I tested it out by doing the most GoPro thing ever by strapping it on while jet skiing around Manhattan.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review: A dramatically improved foldable
By John Velasco published
There's no smarter foldable phone than this
I drove a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N for a week — and it’s a beast of an EV
By John Velasco published
It satisfies my need for speed
I shot over 200 photos with the Pixel 9 Pro XL vs Galaxy S24 Ultra — here's the winner
By John Velasco published
I shot over 200 photos between the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra to see which is the better phone for photography. Here's what I found out.
iPhone 16 cameras — all the rumors and leaks that have me excited
By John Velasco published
There's been a lot of leaks around the iPhone 16 cameras that have us excited for all the big upgrades that all of Apple's new devices are expected to gain. Here's what we know.
I put the Pixel 8a and iPhone SE through a 7-round face-off — here’s the winner
By John Velasco last updated
The two year spread makes a difference
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: 6 reasons to buy and 3 reasons to skip
By John Velasco published
The decision's harder now that Google's big-screen phone costs more
I gave Google Gemini a picture of Apple’s Glowtime invite — here’s what it thinks we’ll get at the Apple event
By John Velasco published
I asked Google Gemini to see what it thinks we'll get for Apple's upcoming September 9 Glowtime event after sharing the teaser image with the AI assistant.
EVs vs. gas-powered vehicles: I asked Google Gemini which one offers greater long term savings
By John Velasco published
No surprise here that EVs have bigger long term savings
I tried charging an EV with a portable power station — and the results surprised me
By John Velasco published
Good for emergencies, but not for daily charging
I tried Reimagine AI on my Pixel 9 Pro XL to edit photos — here’s what happened
By John Velasco published
Reimagine is a new AI photo editing tool found with Magic Editor for the Pixel 9 lineup. I tried using it on a handful of photos I captured to see how well it works. Here's what I found.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL display brightness tested — this blows away the iPhone 15 Pro Max
By John Velasco last updated
Apple can't afford to come up short in the display race
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: An excellent AI phone that costs more
By John Velasco published
New records are set here, but in a good and bad way
7 things iPhone 16 could learn from the Pixel 9
By John Velasco published
Apple has a chance at hitting it out of the park with the iPhone 16 lineup by looking at what Google has done with the Pixel 9 lineup. Here's how.
I drove the Chevrolet Blazer EV for a week — it ain’t boring anymore
By John Velasco published
The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS AWD edition is a mid-size crossover SUV with an EPA-estimated range of 279 miles. Here's all the pros and cons after driving it for a week.
I don't plan to upgrade to the new Google Pixel 9 Pro — here's why
By John Velasco last updated
After taking a closer look at the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL, I've come to the realization that there's less reasoning for me to ditch my Pixel 8 Pro that I've been using for nearly a year. Here's why.
I just drove Toyota's first EV for a week — here's my pros and cons
By John Velasco published
As Toyota's only all-electric vehicle, the 2024 Toyota bZ4X limited is big on style, but short on range. I test drove it for a week to uncover what's good and bad with this crossover SUV.
The Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL are overrated — this is the Pixel I'd buy
By John Velasco published
There's more incentive to choose the cheapest Pixel
Google Pixel 9 vs Pixel 9 Pro vs Pixel 9 Pro XL: What's the difference?
By John Velasco last updated
They have a lot more in common than you think
Made by Google Pixel 9 event — all the biggest announcements in one place
By John Velasco last updated
The Made by Google event has concluded and we wrap up all the exciting device and features announcements from the show — including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 3, Gemini Live and more.
I took over 200 photos with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 4 — here's the winner
By John Velasco published
In order to see the gains with a 2-year gap, I shot over 200 photos with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Fold 4 to see which has the better camera performance.
I put the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S23 Ultra through a 7-round face-off — is it worth the upgrade?
By John Velasco last updated
To see what changes Samsung made to its premium phone, we ran a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra comparison. Find out if the new model is worth getting.
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