It’s a busy time for the reviews team and Engadget, and with Apple announcing new devices this week, we aren’t letting up any time soon. New products from Samsung, Dell, Google and ASUS headline the roundup this time, and we’ve got a few unique items to discuss as well. Read on to catch up on anything you might’ve missed, including the latest installment of Pokémon.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Samsung / Engadget
While the S26 Ultra might not wow you with a ton of major improvements, it brings subtle upgrades across the board along with a new standout display for anyone who cares about privacy.
Pros
- Superb Privacy Display
- Great performance
- Strong battery life
- Wider aperture for main and 5x telephoto lenses
Cons
- Expensive
- S-Pen is unchanged
- No built-in magnetic ring for Qi2 accessories
This year’s Samsung flagship phone may not impress you with a load of new features, but there’s one in particular that senior reporter Sam Rutherford was wowed by. “This goes double for the S26 Ultra, whose biggest upgrade — the Privacy Display — is something meant to stop other people from snooping at what you’re doing.,” he said. “When it’s on, you probably won’t even be able to tell, which is kind of the point.”
Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro
Samsung/Engadget
The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are the best earbuds for Samsung’s phones, due to device-specific features and the combination of great sound quality and capable ANC.
Pros
- Refined design
- Excellent audio
- Lots of features
Cons
- Design is still unoriginal
- ANC performance is good, not great
- Many features require a Samsung phone
Samsung went all-in with with AirPods mimicry last year, and that continues on the Galaxy Buds 4 and 4 Pro. However, despite big improvements to sound quality and the continued addition of new features, Samsung could certainly do more. “The company is really only lagging behind Apple in two areas: hearing health and heart-rate tracking,” I wrote. “Samsung currently offers the option to amplify voices on its earbuds, but it hasn’t built a hearing test or the hearing protection tools Apple has. The biggest update on the AirPods Pro 3 was the addition of heart-rate tracking last year, which would be a great foundation for a fitness-focused version of the Galaxy Buds.”
Dell XPS 14 (2026)
Dell
Dell’s revamped XPS 14 is lighter and more powerful than ever, but it’s hampered by an annoying keyboard.
Pros
- Gorgeous and light design
- Powerful Intel chips
- Lovely OLED screen
- Fixes previous design mistakes
Cons
- Baffling keyboard issues
- Expensive for beefy configs
- Mediocre battery life
We review a lot of devices that are almost excellent, except for one big flaw. That’s the case with the new XPS 14, where senior reporter Devindra Hardawar had a hard time with very basic functionality. “If I were to judge the XPS 14 based purely on its specs and design alone, it would be my favorite Windows laptop available today,” he wrote. “Dell is so close to making a PC that’s a true MacBook Pro competitor, it’s a shame a simple keyboard issue holds the XPS 14 back from true greatness.”
Google Pixel 10a
Google / Engadget
Despite few upgrades, the Pixel 10a remains an excellent option for those looking for an affordable smartphone.
Pros
- Bright, vivid 120Hz display
- Great camera software
- Satellite SOS included
- Available in a handful of lovely colors
Cons
- Slow wired and wireless charging
- No Pixelsnap support
Google’s A-series devices have consistently been a great option if you’re looking to spend less on phone but still want a capable handset. Despite minimal upgrades on the Pixel 10a, that sentiment still holds true. “On the one hand, part of me wants to dock points because Google has added so few updates,” senior reporter Igor Bonifacic said. “On the other, the 10a is still a great phone for $500, and at a time when consumer electronics are becoming more expensive by the day, the fact it hasn’t gone up in price is a small miracle.”
ASUS ProArt GoPro Edition PX13
ASUS/Engadget
The ASUS ProArt GoPro Edition is the best Windows creator laptop on the market, thanks to the excellent blend of performance and battery life. However, it’s quite expensive at $3,000.
Pros
- Excellent performance
- Good battery life
- OLED touchscreen with accurate colors and rich blacks
- Good keyboard and trackpad
Cons
- Display lacks brightness
- High price
- Fans are loud under load
Creators often need a combination of power and display quality in a laptop that would be overkill for most of us. For those who do need it, contributing reporter Steven Dent found the ASUS ProArt GoPro Edition PX13 nearly checked all the boxes. “ASUS is one of the few PC manufacturers trying to compete with Apple in the creator market, and with the ProArt GoPro Edition laptop, it has largely succeeded,” he said. “This model offers excellent performance and battery life, a huge amount of memory, a very nice OLED HDR display, a nice range of ports and an excellent keyboard and trackpad.”
Ambient Dreamie, Seattle Ultrasonics and more
We also recently reviewed a couple of off-beat gadgets, both of which earned high marks from our team. The Ambient Dreamie is a “bedside companion” that functions as an alarm clock with both bedtime and morning routines. Weekend editor Cheyenne MacDonald was so impressed by how it improved her sleep that she bought one for herself. And the Seattle Ultrasonics C-200 was dubbed “the future of kitchen knives” by Sam.
Sam also played a few hours of Pokémon Pokopia and he was charmed by the new take on gameplay for the series. Lastly, Devindra put the Falcon Northwest FragBox through its paces, discovering a powerful gaming rig in machine that looks a bit like a box of fried chicken
