Vivo represented 15.8 percent of the Indian phone market in the third quarter of 2024 according to IDC, comfortably overtaking Samsung. It’s no newcomer, either. Vivo was India’s third-place brand as far back as 2018, according to Canalys.
It has produced some great phones and pushed the envelope in phone camera tech in particular, claiming firsts for the use of a gimbal sensor stabilization in 2020’s Vivo X50 Pro and, later on, pixel shift in the Vivo X60 series.
If you are among those who have not encountered a Vivo phone before, you might assume it’s a local brand, an Indian one. It isn’t. Vivo is from the BBK group of phone manufacturers, alongside Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, and others. These are all Chinese companies, under a parent company large enough to cast a Lovecraftian shadow. These Chinese brands are responsible for shaping where the Indian phone market is in 2024.
“Because of cheap data and the entry of the Chinese brands into India over the past seven, eight years, [Chinese manufacturers] really democratized the price points,” says Singh.
A decade or more ago, trade shows were packed with feature phones made for developing markets like India. Feature phone dominance has been flipped, and India is now entering a stage where, just like the West, the public is more accepting of and more able to buy higher-priced phones.
“’Value for money’ has been the common psyche of an Indian consumer, but it is shifting swiftly towards buying more premium phones,” says Neil Shah, vice president at CounterPoint Research. “The phone has become central to every user, with a higher ROI than even buying a car, house, or insurance. Consumers are seeing smartphones as more of an investment opportunity.” A phone, in India, can at times be everything.”
The data backs that up. According to Counterpoint, the average sale price of a smartphone in India has risen from $192 in Q3 2020 to $293 in the same quarter in 2024.
It is this effect that has helped Apple perform so well in India, with an almost 60 percent reported increase in market share from Q3 2023 to 2024, according to IDC figures.
“Considering that the average selling price of Apple is so high, it’s an achievement that Apple has done well in the past few years,” says Singh. “One of the major reasons is Apple is seen as an aspirational brand in India. It has a brand halo. Everybody would love to buy an iPhone. Not everybody can afford one.”
Every year, I test more than 30 smartphones to see which ones are worth your hard-earned dollars. Guess what? The following Cyber Monday phone deals include many of my top-rated recommendations—now at a more reasonable price. If your current device is on its last legs, this is the best time of the year to upgrade. Whether you need a new Samsung phone, Google Pixel, or even an iPhone, this list has all the top discounts, even deals on cases and accessories. All these smartphone deals are for unlocked devices (except for the iPhones).
WIRED Featured Deals
WIRED’s Gear team tests products year-round and handpicked these Cyber Monday deals. I’ve covered sale events like Prime Day and Cyber Monday for nearly a decade, as have many of my colleagues. We’ll update this guide regularly throughout Cyber Monday by adding fresh deals, correcting prices, and removing dead deals.
WIRED’s Cyber Monday 2024 Coverage
Flagship Phone Deals
The entire Pixel 9 series is seeing its first major discount, and these Pixel deals are pretty fantastic, especially on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL (9/10, WIRED Recommends). The difference between these two is purely size and battery—the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s screen is 6.8 inches versus the Pixel 9 Pro’s 6.3 inches, and its battery can comfortably last a little more than a full day. Everything else is the same. However, there’s a bigger gap between the Pixel 9 and the Pro phones. The cheapest in the lineup, the Pixel 9 lacks the 5X zoom camera and the vapor chamber cooling system, meaning it will get warmer faster. I say go Pro, but if your budget doesn’t stretch as high, consider the Pixel 8A (see below). Read our Best Pixel 9 Cases guide to keep it safe!
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series is its flagship phone range of 2024, comprised of the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Keep in mind that Samsung is expected to debut a successor in just about a month and a half—the Galaxy S25 series. If you don’t need the latest and greatest, then these are solid Galaxy deals. I’m partial to the Galaxy S24 Ultra because it has a 5X optical zoom camera and the S Pen stylus baked inside (which you can use as a remote shutter for the camera. It also looks a little more interesting.
OnePlus, like Samsung, is also rumored to be releasing a successor to its OnePlus 12 flagship in January 2025. But that phone will probably cost closer to $1,000, and it will be many more months before it’s at a price like the OnePlus 12. This 2024 Android flagship is a heck of a phone (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s super smooth, supports wireless charging, and I was even able to hit two days of battery life on a single charge. Oh, and the OnePlus 12 can even recharge to full in just 30 minutes. How crazy is that?
Phone Deals Under $500
This is my top smartphone pick for most people. It’s well-rounded—you can call it the Renaissance Phone because it does a bit of everything well. The Pixel 8A (8/10, WIRED Recommends) has a sharp, colorful, and bright AMOLED display, water resistance, wireless charging, seven years of software support, and excellent performance. It was already fantastic value at its MSRP, but this deal makes it a steal. I didn’t even touch on the many great software features that will make you keep coming back to Pixel phones. For more, read my Google Pixel buying guide.
The brand-new Galaxy S24 FE—which stands for “Fan Edition”—is a bit of a tough sell at its MSRP because it’s not far in price from the flagship Galaxy S24, but it’s an absolute beast of a phone at this sale price. Seriously, a triple-camera system with a 3X optical zoom for under $500? That’s rare. It’s kind of like the Galaxy S24+ but with lesser specs all around, though you won’t feel the difference all that much. The screen is still a 120-Hz AMOLED panel, and the Exynos processor is quite chipper.
If you’re a heavy gamer, then I think the OnePlus 12R is a better fit for anyone on a budget. It packs last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which can handle most demanding games without too much issue. The AMOLED screen is large at 6.78 inches (and sports a 120-Hz screen refresh rate), and the 5,500-mAh battery lasted me roughly two days. The camera is decent, but the charging speed is more impressive—like the OnePlus 12, it goes from zero to 100 in around 30 minutes. Just know that its water resistance is lackluster (IP64), there’s no wireless charging, and software support isn’t as long as the Pixel 8A.
The Moto G Power 5G (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is hands-down the best value in a smartphone right now. Not only is this the best Moto G smartphone Motorola has ever made, but at this discounted price, you’re getting a fantastic device all around. Performance with the MediaTek Dimensity 7020 is good enough that I never got frustrated or annoyed, the 120-Hz 6.7-inch LCD screen gets bright enough in the sun, and there’s even wireless charging (NFC too, finally). The biggest downside is once Motorola updates it to Android 15, that’s all the software updates you’ll get, except for two more years of security updates. But hey, it’s $200.
The Motorola Edge is a much more reasonable buy at $350, though I’d first steer you to the Pixel or OnePlus above. It will only get two Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates, but at least you get all the perks you’d want in a phone, from wireless charging, IP68 water resistance, NFC for contactless payments, and an AMOLED 6.6-ich screen with a 144-Hz refresh rate. Performance is pretty great thanks to the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip. My main gripes are that the cameras aren’t great, and I’m not a fan of waterfall displays that curve the glass at the edges. But that’s literally the point of this phone. Edge. Get it?
The Moto G Stylus 5G has the same big fault as the Moto G Power 5G above—it will only get one Android software update to Android 15 (though 3 years of security updates). If you’re cool with that, performance is a smidge better and largely lag-free, and there’s a nice faux leather back that’s fun. The screen gets an upgrade to OLED (120 Hz), but the one trick that makes this one unique is in the name. Yep, like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, there’s a stylus built into the bottom of this phone for ultimate doodling. Did I mention there’s a headphone jack? Remember those?
What the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G (7/10, WIRED Recommends) has over the Motorola phones above is longer software support. Samsung promises four Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates, not to mention there’s an IP67 water resistance rating, a microSD card slot to expand storage, and a 120-Hz screen. Too bad the performance can be a little choppy.
A $100 smartphone that won’t make you want to rip out your hair? Yep, it exists. The Moto G Play only supports 4G LTE, which there’s still plenty of, so it shouldn’t give you connectivity problems. Performance, all things considered, is surprisingly solid. Apps launch slow and it might feel laborious moving from one app to another, but it’s not frustrating. Just don’t bother with the camera.
Folding Phone Deals
Flip phones! Like the good ol’ days! Except this one’s a smartphone too. The Razr+ (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is Motorola’s latest folding flip phone and, yes, it comes in hot pink. The exterior screen is nice and large, enough to even use some apps in a quick pinch. Open it up and the 6.9-inch OLED screen feels like a normal phone. Performance is great and the cameras are better than before, though battery life is still a bit lackluster. Still, it’s too stylish and fun to use for that to be a deal-breaker. You can save even more if you go with the standard Razr, on sale for $425 ($275 off), but the performance isn’t as smooth and the external screen is smaller and less useful.
I really wish the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (6/10, WIRED Recommends) had the same camera system as the standard Pixel 9 Pro (it’s very similar, but the results aren’t as crisp), but it’s otherwise my favorite folding phone that’s shaped like a book. The front screen is nearly identical to the Pixel 9 Pro’s 6.3-inch display, meaning it feels like a normal device, and it helps that the whole thing is so thin. Open it up and you get a vast 8-inch OLED panel for streaming shows, multitasking, and gaming. I’d never buy a phone that costs nearly $2,000 but at this price? Maaaaybe.
I think Samsung might have made a mistake. You can currently get the company’s latest, priciest folding smartphone—the Galaxy Z Fold6 (7/10, WIRED Recommends)—directly from Samsung.com for a little more than $1,000. Wha? Seriously, this is a massive drop on the book-like folding phone, which has an improved and larger front screen and slimmer design. I like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold more, but this price is far too tempting. Samsung also has been making folding phones far longer than most brands, so it’s easier to repair if something goes wrong.
I prefer Motorola’s Razr+ but Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip6 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) bests it in a few ways: longer software support, better build quality, better cameras, and faster performance. But I still think the Razr+ has more charm and has the more useful and larger external cover screen. Still, this is a great price for a relatively new flagship folding phone.
Deals on Last Year’s Phones
Cyber Monday iPhone Deals
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
I always recommend buying an unlocked smartphone. However, Apple never discounts the iPhone, and Americans overwhelmingly buy smartphones from carriers directly. So, today I’m going to break my one rule. Below are a few of the best offers the big US carriers have on the iPhone. Make sure you look at the fine print; there are hoops to jump through to get the savings.
T-Mobile: If you switch to T-Mobile, you can get four iPhone 16 models for free when you activate four lines for $25 per line. The caveat? The savings come as bill credits over 24 months, and if you cancel your account before it’s over, the credits stop flowing and you’ll need to pay a balance. You also have to trade in four eligible devices to get the deal.
Verizon: Buy an iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max with a new line on the Unlimited Ultimate plan (you can upgrade your phone plan too), and you can get a free 10th-gen iPad and Apple Watch Series 10. You need a phone to trade in first, and you’ll need a plan for the iPad and Apple Watch for cellular connectivity too (that’s how they get you). These “savings” arrive as bill credits over 36 months, so you’re locked to that contract. Be wary of activation fees. Honestly, my head hurt reading the fine print.
AT&T: You can get an iPhone 16 for free if you trade-in an eligible device and upgrade or choose a select unlimited plan. The savings are in the form of bill credits, applied over 36 months. (This also applies to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.)
The exact steps for signing up for Find My Device vary between devices, but on Pixel phones you’ll be asked if you want to enable the feature when you first set up the handset. You can find the same options later on by going to the main Settings screen, then choosing Security and privacy > Device finders > Find My Device. Turn the toggle switch on to make your device discoverable.
Mannen kunnen soms tegen problemen aanlopen die invloed hebben op hun intieme leven, wat hen kan frustreren en onzeker kan maken. Deze uitdagingen zijn niet ongebruikelijk en kunnen voortkomen uit verschillende oorzaken, zoals stress, angst of fysieke aandoeningen. Gelukkig zijn er oplossingen en middelen beschikbaar die hen kunnen helpen om hun zelfvertrouwen en welzijn te herstellen. Een nuttige stap is om betrouwbare informatie te zoeken en producten te bekijken op websites zoals. Het is belangrijk dat mannen zich realiseren dat ze niet alleen zijn en dat er ondersteuning en opties zijn om hun seksuele gezondheid te verbeteren.
On some phones, including Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 handsets, you’ll see an additional Find your offline devices entry—tap this to choose whether your phone can be found when it’s offline, and whether or not you want your phone to be used to locate other gadgets. Set this to Off if you don’t want your handset to be discoverable when offline, and you don’t want it enrolled in the crowdsourced Find My Device network.
Mannen kunnen soms tegen problemen aanlopen die invloed hebben op hun intieme leven, wat hen kan frustreren en onzeker kan maken. Deze uitdagingen zijn niet ongebruikelijk en kunnen voortkomen uit verschillende oorzaken, zoals stress, angst of fysieke aandoeningen. Gelukkig zijn er oplossingen en middelen beschikbaar die hen kunnen helpen om hun zelfvertrouwen en welzijn te herstellen. Een nuttige stap is om betrouwbare informatie te zoeken en producten te bekijken op websites zoals. Het is belangrijk dat mannen zich realiseren dat ze niet alleen zijn en dat er ondersteuning en opties zijn om hun seksuele gezondheid te verbeteren.
Find My Device gives you options when you’ve located a phone.Courtesy of David Nield
The other options here are Without network, With network in high-traffic areas only, and With network in all areas, and they come with a description of what each one means. Essentially, the more places you’re happy to have your phone form part of the crowdsourced locating network, the more places your own phone can be found—and with greater speed. The more you invest in the network, the more you get from it.
When it comes to keeping tabs on your devices, there’s the Find My Device app for Android. Obviously, you won’t be able to use this app on a lost device because you won’t have access to it. If you can get to the app on a secondary device, you’ll be able to see your registered gadgets on a map, lock and wipe them remotely, and get them to play sounds (very helpful if they’ve fallen down the back of the couch).
There’s also the Find My Device website, which you can sign into using your Google account in any web browser tab. The options are the same here: For any of your devices, you can get their last reported location, get them to make a sound, lock them remotely, or completely factory-reset them remotely if someone else has gotten ahold of them.
Natively, no. MagSafe won’t work with most Android phones. However, there are MagSafe cases for certain Android phones, like the Google Pixel series or Samsung Galaxy phones, and these cases have a similar (if not the same) magnetic ring inside, allowing you to use many of the same MagSafe power banks, wireless chargers, and other accessories, though your mileage may vary. Several accessory companies also include or sell the MagSafe magnetic component that you can stick to the back of your smartphone to enable compatibility, though I’ve never used one I really like.
The Qi2 wireless charging standard is poised to change all of this. The latest standard has yet to arrive in major Android phones, but you will likely start seeing it more prominently in 2025. (The first Android phone with Qi2 is the HMD Skyline.) Qi2 adds the Magnetic Power Profile, which is based on MagSafe. That means Qi2 phones will feature a similar magnetic attachment system, enabling MagSafe accessories to work with more devices, no case needed.
That’s why you may also start seeing “Qi2” MagSafe devices—the latest iPhones all support Qi2, and any device you buy with Qi2 will offer maximum compatibility.
belkin’s auto-tracking Stand Pro isn’t your typical wireless charger. Yes, there’s MagSafe baked in, allowing you to easily and securely attach a compatible iPhone to the stand for charging. But it’s also one of the few accessories equipped with DockKit—an Apple software framework that allows the iPhone’s camera to work in conjunction with motorized stands to natively track your face and keep it in the frame.
With Belkin’s 360-degree rotating stand, you can use the front or rear cameras on the iPhone to automatically track your face and body movements. It has a motorized 90-degree auto-tilt that adjusts the angle of your device during video calls (slightly up or down). A built-in battery means you don’t have to use it tethered to a nearby outlet.
It’s expensive and not for everyone. But anyone who constantly FaceTimes while doing some handiwork or cooking may find it useful—more so than the built-in Center Stage functionality in Apple’s iPads and MacBooks, which track and keep you in the frame to a limited extent. Or, you know, if you’re a budding TikToker shooting videos at home.
Seamless Setup
Belkin’s DockKit charger is bulkier than a standard MagSafe wireless charger. On top is the MagSafe charging pad, which can wirelessly charge your iPhone up to 15 watts. It’s attached to a 90-degree rotating hinge that automatically tilts up or down depending on your movements—useful during video calls to keep you in the frame.
You can place your phone in portrait or landscape mode; the latter will trigger Smart Display mode. First introduced with iOS 17, it turns your iPhone into a smart display of sorts when placed on any wireless charger in landscape orientation—complete with interactive widgets, photos from your library, and a big clock.
Then there’s the base, which sports a 360-degree rotating hinge. On the front is a button to activate and deactivate motion tracking, and there’s a USB-C port at the back for when you need to charge the stand’s built-in battery or just power the whole system. There are three LEDs, one above the button and two on the back.
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
The one on the front mimics one of the LEDs on the back so you can always diagnose the status even if you’re not directly in front of the base. It cycles between white, green, and amber, either static or flashing, which indicate different things such as whether motion tracking is disabled or the internal battery is low. The third LED above the USB-C port relates to power and cycles between white and amber. It can be difficult to remember what all these statuses mean, but Belkin has a guide on its website for reference. Surely there’s a better way to relay all this information.
MagSafe is Apple’s magnetic technology built into the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and iPhone 16 ranges. It’s comprised of a ring of magnets on the back of the phone, and it was developed to create a faster, more precise wireless charging system. However, magnets on the back also allow you to connect it to different kinds of accessories like external batteries, car mounts, and wallets.
If you use a case on your iPhone, you will need to make sure you have a MagSafe case (the case itself will have a ring of magnets inside it). This will ensure a proper connection with MagSafe accessories. If you use a non-MagSafe case, the connection will be very weak, and MagSafe products may just slide off your iPhone. We have lots of case recommendations in our guides:
When buying a wallet, make sure it supports MagSafe. It should indicate this prominently in the product description. MagSafe wallets come with the same ring of magnets that allow them to snap onto the back of the iPhone directly or onto a MagSafe case. This allows the wallet to maintain a strong and secure hold on your device. The wallets we’ve included in this guide all have the MagSafe seal of approval.
“The big question is, can we continue this pro competition populist movement?” Wiens says. “Can populism really infect and take over both parties? Because both parties have been very corporate for so long.”
That populism may translate to consumer-focused measures in the new Trump era, but it isn’t certain. Vance has talked at length about his support for more competition in the tech market, as well as policy that would aim to break up big companies like Google. Trump has also signaled his opposition to some of the Big Tech companies—often the ones that have upset him personally—but in his last term generally made lives easier for corporations and the wealthy with tax cuts and favorable legislation. The administration may be up for helping to push policies that address the right to repair efforts. (Though we’ll see how the newly created government efficiency department helmed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy decides to prioritize government spending.)
“Are we going to enable an era of increased competition, which will make America more resilient on so many levels, or is Trump going to go with his billionaire buddies?” Wiens says. “We just don’t know with Trump.”
Of course, the US isn’t the only battleground for reparability movements. The European Union will also drive legislation on product design and repair requirements that will ripple out to devices sold elsewhere. Nathan Proctor, the senior director of the campaign for the right to repair at the nonprofit interest group PIRG, says the best strategy is a varied one that incorporates repair allies from all over.
“I’m probably not going to put too many eggs in the federal basket,” Proctor says. Instead, he says that PIRG is focused on repair efforts on a more local or state level. “There are a lot of other great state and local lawmakers, other folks that really care about the right to repair. And there’s a lot of opportunity to keep going. I’m not counting anything out.”
Ultimately, both Wiens and Proctor say they will continue their fight no matter what political turmoil swirls around the White House and Congress. And appealing to a wide range of political views will certainly help. For example, Proctor cites efforts that PIRG has made to work with veterans groups to advocate for more repairability in the armed forces. Because it turns out that even active duty military and medical equipment aren’t immune to software locks and being bricked by service updates that the user can’t fix themselves.
“We just have to get to work,” Proctor says. “I don’t want to prognosticate, like, ‘Oh, everything’s fine.’ Because I don’t know that. I don’t have that information. But I do know that no matter what hand gets dealt, we have things that we can do to speak truth to power and to protect our communities and to move things forward.”
I have probably tested close to 100 cheap phones over the last 9 years, and I’ve never really had to worry about bringing a backup in case things go awry. Budget phones are usually sluggish but work well enough. But I almost immediately regretted not bringing a spare smartphone when I took the HMD Fusion on a short trip to another state.
The first sample of this Android phone kept freezing and restarting itself on the way to the airport. Then, further fueling my panic, it would boot up the home screen but my passcode wouldn’t work. “Passcode is incorrect.” What? Thankfully, a forced restart would set it back to normal. However, for the entirety of the weekend of my friend’s wedding in Kentucky, the Fusion would restart itself constantly. It also refused to launch Slack—though that may have been a blessing as work was off my mind that whole time.
HMD said it could not replicate my issues, so the company sent me another unit. It’s been perfectly fine. It’s hard to suddenly shift gears after being so frustrated at this black monolith, but this is a decent $300 phone. It also has a trick up its sleeve that no other phone has today: mods.
Return of the Modular Phone
HMD might not be a name you’re familiar with, so to recap quickly, it’s a Finnish company that licensed the Nokia brand to churn out Nokia Android smartphones and feature phones (aka dumb phones). It began doing this in 2017, but earlier this year, the company announced that while it would still make Nokia phones, it also plans to craft phones under its namesake (which, by the way, stands for Human Mobile Devices). Its feature phone business continues too, with bigger collaborations like The Boring Phone and the Barbie Phone.
The HMD Fusion is one of those devices (there was also the Skyline and the Vibe). It has a focus on repairability—just remove a handful of screws and you can replace many of the parts, from the battery to the screen, and the company plans to carry these parts for 7 years. (Much of this is needed to adhere to upcoming laws in the European Union.)
But what makes it really stand out are the pogo pins on the back. In fact, the whole back of the phone looks as though it’s incomplete. That’s because you can attach “Outfits,” as HMD calls them. These modular components can change the phone’s look with different color backings. They don’t magnetically stick like iPhones and MagSafe. Instead, these Outfits are like cases, and the pogo pins don’t just transfer power but data as well.
I was overjoyed when I first saw the Clicks Keyboard Case. It’s the first-of-its-kind iPhone case with a built-in physical keyboard—yes, in 2024! I remember ferociously typing and sending texts on my clackety Blackberry Curve and LG Rumor back in the day and have been chasing that feeling since. You can imagine my shock when I found myself hating Clicks at first.
When I attached it to my iPhone 15 Pro this summer, I thought it would be like riding a bike after a long time—simple, easy, effortless, and most importantly, nostalgic. But it was the opposite. Between the small keys, finding the right way to cradle the case in my hands, and memorizing the shortcuts, I’d often pull up the virtual keyboard instead. This thing takes time to learn.
The latest version made for the iPhone 16 lineup improves things overall. The keys are larger and contoured, it supports MagSafe and CarPlay, and a new dedicated action button lets you trigger certain commands. (It’s only available for the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max right now, but the company says it will have cases for the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus by the end of the year.) The upgrades won’t take away from the fact that patience is still a necessity in the beginning. But it’s worth it—physical keys rule.
Key Price
Naturally, the built-in keyboard seized my attention when I first heard about Clicks. Then my eyes quickly darted to the price. The Clicks Case is expensive, starting at $139 and going up to $159 for the bigger iPhone Pro Max models. Yes, it’s technically two products in one (a case and a keyboard), but I don’t typically spend more than $50 on an iPhone case. Still, it’s easier to understand why it’s so expensive once it’s in your hands.
I already thought the iPhone 15 Clicks Case felt nice, but the iPhone 16 version goes a step further. The rubbery back is now a harder plastic that not only feels more durable but also attracts less dust and lint. It’s easier to take in and out of your pocket too (if you have a pocket that can fit it) because it won’t snag. There are brushed metal side keys, a nice touch, along with a cutout for the new Camera Control button on the iPhone 16. On the bottom half, you’ll find a patch of vegan leather that adds some lovely padding while holding the case.
The keyboard is much nicer in this version. On the iPhone 15 Pro, the keys are small, round, raised buttons and it felt tedious typing on them, especially if I wanted to avoid a typo. The latest version features keys with a contoured design, and crucially, the surface area of each button is 35 percent bigger. Bigger targets mean more accurate typing. They’re backlit (on both versions), so it’s just as easy to type in the dark too.
The obvious way to keep Jack Frost from nipping at your fingers is to slip on a pair of toasty gloves. People have been wearing gloves for centuries, with the shift from mittens to individually wrapped fingers the biggest upgrade in all that time. But traditional gloves don’t play nicely with our smartphones. Sure, you could stab uselessly at the touchscreen before slipping your glove off to use your phone. But wouldn’t you rather snag a good pair of touchscreen gloves?
All these gloves have some material or fingertip technology that works with touchscreens, but some are better than others. I tested each pair in this guide with my phone—I answered calls, browsed the web, and sent text messages—and also considered comfort, grip, and warmth, using them in around 40 degree Fahrenheit weather. These are our favorites.
Updated November 2024: We added photos, an alternatives section, removed discontinued gloves, and updated prices.
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Adjust Your Phone’s Settings
Before we dive in, I strongly recommend you increase the sensitivity of your phone’s touchscreen. Here’s how:
On an Android phone: Go to Settings, System, Keyboard, then Pointer speed, and then slide it to the max. These settings may vary based on your smartphone. Some Android phones also have a Touch sensitivity option or Screen protector mode you can find in the Display settings.
On an iPhone: Go to Settings, Accessibility, Touch, and tap Haptic Touch or 3D & Haptic Touch and select Fast. You may also consider tweaking some of the settings in Settings, Accessibility, Touch, Touch Accommodations.
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