Xreal's Project Aura is now officially called Xreal Aura! After I went hands-on with them, questions came flooding in, and I'm here to answer them all. While my initial hands-on time was brief, I headed back to see the team, to try them out some more and get more answers from Xreal.

Because let's be real — these are the next step towards AR glasses and VR headsets merging, so while I (and many other publications) have told you how they feel to use, there's plenty of curiosity around some specifics.

And now we're getting some more news on them at AWE 2026, there are a few more things I can share!

What's the resolution?

Xreal has just confirmed that these are 1920 x 1200 pixels per eye. However, from pixel peeping, they definitely seem sharper in fidelity compared to the Asus ROG Xreal R1 (1080p resolution), which I've just finished reviewing!

To my eyes, there's definitely a step-up in detail here — especially when you get close to floating app windows. So maybe this is something to do with upscaling happening in the background? I'm not sure.

Also, a quick note about the 70-degree field of view. I mentioned it in my hands-on, but it's worth talking about in more detail. This does feel like the starting point for bridging the gap between VR headsets and AR glasses, but it comes with some edge blurring.

That being said, in a field of view this wide, the edge blurring is isolated to your peripheral vision. You won't really notice it in use.

What are the specs of these...specs?

This one's going to be a mash-up of a bunch of questions I saw on Reddit:

• There's Snapdragon Reality Elite in the puck: Turns out my prediction was bang on, but the naming was a little off! Snapdragon Reality Elite is the premium sequel to the XR2 Gen 2 that you see in the Samsung Galaxy XR, and with the improved performance and (more importantly) power efficiency and cooler operation, it's ideal for a smart glasses compute puck.
• A new X1S chip powers the spatial side of things: Alongside Snapdragon in the puck, Xreal's X1 chip gets an S-tier upgrade to X1S — stabilizing some of those XR experiences beyond the display goodness it provides elsewhere.
• The compute puck is about the same size as an iPhone 15 Pro: Can't add much more to this than the beginning of the bullet point. There is a fingerprint sensor on the side for security, and a volume rocker on the other. Plus, the top side is a touchpad if you prefer to interact in this way.
• Xreal Aura glasses can work as a standard pair of AR glasses: We got shown a demo of wireless display mirroring from a Chromebook into Android XR. But for other systems, these are USB-C glasses, and they do work as a normal set of AR glasses.
• There is no microSD card slot on the compute puck. This may be just because we were shown prototype models (and I hope one gets added for all the content I'll want to add), but it looks as if you'll be relying on the internal storage.

• These feel heavier on the face than other AR glasses: A pretty even weight distribution does balance these well on your face. But they are slightly heavier than older specs at 95 grams.

What can you do on them?

Basically, anything you could do on a standard Android XR headset. The real beauty here being that their optical see-through (OST) glasses, you're not isolated in a headset viewing the world through cameras.

And developers have created over one hundred Android XR apps, and there's much more to come as Xreal has just announced.

• Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars: I love the film, so I'm definitely curious to see how it plays out navigating my ship in XR.
• Fallout Factions: Turn-based strategy game with all the gesture controls you could want to get into the world of Fallout easily.
• The Nutcracker: A Spatial Awakening: What happens when you take the legendary ballet and capture it in stereoscopic 8K with a Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive three-camera array? You get a new level of immersion into this holiday performance.

And there's more too, including Fox Sports XR, Cubism (love this game), Chess Club, three games from DB Creations (of Table Towers fame), Simply Piano XR teaching you the instrument with AI-powere real-time feedback, ShapesXR to get creative, and more in healthcare and banking.

There's even a real-time AR experiential tour of Aachen's historic city center, which is claimed to bring these historical sites back to life with animations, reconstructions and more.

How much will they cost?

Project Aura is set to launch later this year, but how much will it cost? That's the big question, but it's clear they won't be cheap. Again, Xreal kept this close to its chest. As with a lot of computing products, pricing is fluid amid the shockwaves of RAMageddon.

So all I can do is apply some of my best guesswork here and see what's happened elsewhere. The Galaxy XR is a full-blown Android XR headset that costs nearly $2,000, and while these are AR glasses, it's still that tech fueling the spatial OS crammed into that puck.

Being a betting man, I'd say the target would be somewhere in the $1,299 region. The inner hoping man would've greatly preferred under a thousand bucks (and I do hope this is possible), but I'm not blind to the fact that costs are going up.

How do I order a pair?

This one's easy enough for me to answer! Xreal Aura is now available to preorder with a $99 reservation fee, and for two weeks right now, that $99 doubles to $199 credit toward your purchase when they officially launch.

Any other questions?

Of course, I've picked the five top questions I saw asked after I posted my Aura hands-on review, but I know there'll be more, which is why I'm opening the floor to you.

I'm currently in Long Beach for AWE 2026, and it's all a bit hectic with new announcements (Snap Specs for example). So here's the deal — from June 17th at 9 am PT, I will be able to answer all your follow-ups. Sound good?

And it goes without saying, because you're all lovely folks, but the community rules are in effect: please treat everyone (including yours truly) with respect and avoid any nasty language.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tested Google’s “Intelligent Eyewear,” and found the smart glasses that will defeat Ray-Ban Meta
• Meet X By XREAL — I’m testing the MacBook Neo of AR glasses that people can actually afford
• Windows laptops are entering their MacBook Neo era, but is Windows 11 actually ready for it? 8GB of RAM has me worried

The warmer weather lately has made me appreciate the roses and other early summer flowers coming into bloom outside — and, of course, puzzle over problem areas of my backyard.

If you're also frustrated by gaps in your borders, interested in growing some veggies, thinking about buying a robot lawn mower, or want tips in tackling garden pests or other problems, then ask our experts for their advice. The live Q&A ran Wednesday 20 May between 7am and 12pm (US Eastern Time).

Answering your questions we have Camilla Sharman, our homes and gardens writer and gardening aficionado; Cynthia Lawrence, our Homes editor; and Jonathan Davis, lawn care expert at Lawnsmith. Between them and their years of experience, I'm confident there's nothing they can't answer.

Ask a question with or without photos

It's easy to join in; just type your question into the 'Live Q&A' box below and we'll reply as soon as we can. You should get a notification when we do so, but it's also worth checking back to see what other people are asking as you'll likely pick up some useful tips to try in your own yard!

You can even submit a photo with your question, to help our experts and other readers to understand what you'd like help with. To do so, upload your photo and question together in the Comments section at the bottom of this page (the Live Q&A module can't handle photos yet, sadly).

On that note, feel free to chime in if you've found a hack that could solve someone else's problem. We can't get enough of supportive contributions from our community.

Memorial weekend yard improvements, anyone?

Hello everyone, Ella here, engagement editor at Tom's Guide and massive gardening geek! In case you missed our announcement article earlier in the week, today we're running this session to help you with your lawn and gardening questions.

If you're planning a Memorial Day barbecue and want to spruce up your outdoor space, looking to emulate your favorite aspects of of the Chelsea Flower Show gardens, or wondering how to look after your lawn in the heat, then ask our experts. The lines are now open, so fire away!

Are cheap robot lawn mowers worthwhile?

Reader Mary Smyth1 was the first to ask a question, almost as soon as we posted our announcement about this event! She asked, "I'm seeing lots of robot lawn mowers pop up at stores like Lidl and Aldi - are there any under 500 that are worth buying or do you recommend sticking with a manual one?"

Jonathan Davis, lawn care expert at Lawnsmith, gave us this answer for Mary:

There is something genuinely satisfying about a manual mower. Doing the lawn yourself and standing back to see those neat stripes and a job clearly done is a nice feeling, and for some people, that little bit of effort is half the point of having a lawn. So, if you enjoy it, there is no rush to give it up.

That said, a robot mower is worth it if you ask me. They cut just a little bit each day, which keeps the lawn at a steady length and helps the grass fill in thicker over time. Even the basic ones from places like Lidl or Aldi manage that fine, without turning the whole thing into some big project.

You do still have to lay the boundary wire around the edges first, though, and that takes an hour or two of fiddly work to get right. It is worth checking the height settings too, so you can let it run a bit higher in summer when the grass prefers being left longer.

Weeds stay a bit tricky, since the clippings just sit there rather than getting collected. Running the mower every day cuts most of the heads off before they spread, and pulling out an old mower with the box on for a week or so helps catch the rest. That part tends to get overlooked at first, but it makes a real difference.

So, under £500, I would say go for it, especially if mowing is not a job you love. You might even keep the old manual one for those times you fancy doing it yourself.

In a pickle with your pear tree?

Reader Ash Star asked this question, "Any tips on keeping pear rust at bay? Its ruined my tree for the last few years."

To which our homes and gardens writer and gardening aficionado Camilla Sharman replied:

It can be a worry when you spot pear rust on the leaves of your tree. It appears as orange spots on the upper leaf surface and forms bulky growth on the underside, and it's caused by fungus.

For the fungus to complete its life cycle, it needs both a pear and juniper tree, as the juniper harbors the fungus in winter and it moves over to the pear in spring. Do you have a juniper close by in your yard?

If you plan to eat the fruit — and frankly, I'm sure you do — it's not recommended that you use a fungicide on your tree. Instead, prune out the affected material. However, to stop the fungus spreading, don’t compost the material.

The other option is to remove the nearby juniper (if this applies to you).

My turn to get my narrow garden's problem pathway solved!

Ella again here! The above photo of my garden shows my problem: I'm in the middle of renovating my 1930s home and can't wait to tackle the garden once the builders are done. I have a long and narrow garden in Bristol, South-West England, which is on a steep hill. There's an old concrete path running down one side, and because the plot is on a hill, the path is raised at the point nearest the house.

It feels unsafe for my kids to ride bikes down as it's fairly narrow and raised about a foot off the height of the lawn at its highest point. I also hate how it makes our narrow garden feel even narrower (admittedly the relatively wide borders don't help with that either!)

My question for the experts is if and how I should remove the path, to replace it with a more naturalistic walkway — or if it would be better to build up the height of my lawn to make it safer and hopefully blend it in a bit, visually?

Homes writer Camilla answered: I'd like to suggest removing your border shrubs and replacing them with a climbing plant, like clematis, to help widen your space.

Lawnsmith expert Jonathan Davis advised:

There is no single right answer here, so it is about weighing up how much work, money and space you want to put in. A few options to think through.

The least disruptive route is to build topsoil up to the path so the drop closes. You bring soil up to the gap, level it off, and let it settle naturally over the next year or two. It is the cheapest and easiest in the short term, but bear in mind it does not change the look much, the concrete path stays, and on a slope, the new soil can settle unevenly, so it may need topping up before it really beds in.

The bigger job is to remove the path altogether and lower it down, so a new walkway sits flush with the lawn. That deals with the drop properly and lets you swap the grey concrete for something softer like informal paving or bound gravel, which suits a long, thin garden far better. The trade-off is labour and cost, since breaking out and relaying a path is a proper project rather than a weekend.

It is worth thinking about the borders too, not just the path. You have already spotted that they are eating into the width, and pulling them back a little, perhaps a foot or so each side, would give you back some usable space and ease that narrow feeling. The thing to weigh up is how much you can afford to remove without losing the look and feel of the borders.

So, it comes down to your priorities. If quick and cheap matters most, build up to the path and accept that the look stays similar. If you want the garden to genuinely feel different, removing the path and trimming the borders together, while the builders are already in, gets you the biggest change for the most effort.

We really do love hearing from you ♥️

By the way, we were inspired to run today's event thanks to you, amazing Tom's Guide readers. You consistently show up to vote in polls like the one above, to leave us comments on gardening articles asking for more information or letting us know that you tried one of our hacks, and it really does brighten up our days.

But more than that, it helps us to understand your interests and challenges at a personal level, and to respond with helpful articles.

For example, the poll above revealed to us that almost 1,500 of you (at the time of writing) have problems with squirrels in your garden, so our shopping team put together this roundup of 9 products to deter squirrels from your garden. Personally, I'm on team slugs as my greatest enemy.

Today's event has a similar philosophy, but at a much more personal level, as we're diving in with answers to your individual scenario.

So please do keep the questions coming, with or without photos, and as much information to help our experts as you can give please!

If you've never left a comment on our site before then you may need to sign up to post your first question. It's free to sign up and will unlock a host of other Tom's Club member benefits, such as exclusive rewards and savings, the ability to earn badges and enter giveaways, join in with popular conversations and all Live Q&As, and reveal hints for our quizzes and puzzles.

Feeling inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show?

In case you missed it, it's Chelsea Flower Show week in London, and King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Sir David Beckham are among the guests this year. The King and Sir David even collaborated on making a show garden.

You may not have the space or inclination to host a giant hand-carved Mother Nature sculpture in your backyard (maybe one day, hey)! But has anything else caught your eye and got you feeling inspired to recreate a bit of the world's greatest flower show back home? One thing that's really caught my eye is the trend for gentle, trickling pools and water features as calming spaces, which I'd love to incorporate in my space somewhere.

Astroturf, be gone!

Kate asked, "How can I turn my small, south- facing walled garden into a fragrant and colourful haven with fruits and flowers? I’m moving to this house soon and wondering what to plant when I remove the plastic grass."

To which garden writer Camilla answered:

Wow! I have garden envy. A south-facing walled garden means you have lots of options. Firstly, I’m glad you are going to rip up the artificial grass; you’ll instantly increase biodiversity in your garden and improve drainage.

For a small garden, I would recommend growing climbers to add vertical interest without taking up much space. Honeysuckle, climbing roses and Star jasmine are all great plants to grow, adding color and fragrance to your garden. For an easy climber, I’d recommend Clematis Montana.

Lavender is another favorite with a beautiful aroma that loves a dry, sunny spot — it’s perfect in a bed, as a hedge or in a container. Another option for containers and hanging baskets is scented geraniums, which also add a bright pop of color if you choose red or pink blooms. Herbs are another good option, for both their culinary use and aromatic scent. I’m a keen fan of thyme, which I plant in the ground and containers. It really depends on your preference; a curry plant or rosemary are other options to consider.

If you have a small garden, you might be restricted in what fruit you can go, but you can find dwarf versions of apple and pear trees. You can also grow soft fruits, such as strawberries. For something more exotic, I have a fig tree in a container, but I’m still working on a decent fruit to eat.

Kate replied, "What a great reply, thanks so much. I am taking my potted blueberry bushes with me to this garden. I love your suggestions for climbing plants. A fig tree is a good idea. Herbs, definitely work for me, too. Thyme tumbling over the walls of the raised beds could be pretty. Thank you for all your ideas."

How to save a 'leggy' clematis

Next up, reader jemmajmartin asked, "I have a very large clematis in my garden that has been there for 20 years or more. We have neglected it a bit and it's become woody. When and how can I cut it back?"

And our garden writer Camilla was quick to answer:

It’s well worth taking care of your clematis, as you’ll be able to enjoy an abundance of blooms. However, they can become messy and unruly if they are not pruned, just as you've experienced.

Before you get started, ensure you have a clean, sharp pair of pruning shears; they’ll help you make a clean cut without infecting the plant.

However, pruning clematis is not straightforward as there are three types, and they need pruning at different times:

Type 1: These are early-flowering climbers that bloom in late winter and early spring on last year’s growth. You can prune them back after they finish flowering.

Type 2: These are large-flowered show-stopping hybrids that flower in spring and summer on last year’s growth. This type is best pruned in late winter or early spring, so it’s not a good time right now.

Type 3: These produce flowers on the current growth and flower later than the first two types, blooming in mid-to-late summer. They are the easiest to prune, and should be cut right back to 12 to 18 inches above the soil. However, you’ll need to wait until late winter or early spring before doing so.

I love your question Jemma, and we'll be following up with a feature on how to prune clematis very shortly.

Grass alternatives?

amsipams asked, "We have a peat-based soil, we are south west facing so get plenty of sun, but the garden still seems to be damp and patchy most of the year, we cannot install a soak away or drainage, is there an alternative to grass that we could use as a ground cover that would be more successful?"

So of course we put the question to lawn professional Jonathan, who said:

"Clover would be my first suggestion for ground like yours. Peat-based soil holds onto a lot of moisture, and even with a sunny aspect, grass really struggles where the ground stays damp and cannot drain freely. It is one of the main reasons lawns go patchy, the grass just cannot get the conditions it needs at the roots.

A clover or micro clover lawn copes with those conditions far better. It stays green through damp spells, fixes its own nitrogen so you are not constantly feeding it, and gives you that low, even ground cover you are after without the bare patches. It also holds up well to foot traffic and tends to stay greener through dry summer spells than a standard lawn, since it roots deeper. Micro clover blends in particular look closest to a traditional lawn if that is the finish you want.

One thing to be aware of, clover does flower, which brings in bees, so it is something to think about if you have little ones running around barefoot. Regular mowing keeps the flowers down, but it is worth weighing up before you sow."

Camilla added: I've recently written about alternatives to traditional lawns, including 'lazy lawns', and clover makes a perfect choice.

...Or do you want more grass?

Lawns are emerging as a popular theme today! In contrast to amsipams' previous question about alternatives to grass, mwray59 asked, "How do I get rid of white clover that has taken over my lawn without harmful chemicals?"

To which Jonathan Davis at Lawnsmith has answered:

The good news is you can knock clover back without any chemicals; it just takes a change in how you look after the lawn.

Clover takes over when the grass around it is weak, and that almost always comes down to low nitrogen in the soil. Clover thrives in those conditions because it makes its own nitrogen, while the grass cannot.

So the single most effective thing you can do is feed the lawn properly with a nitrogen-rich lawn feed through spring and summer. As the grass picks up and thickens, it starts to crowd the clover out naturally, which is really the only long-term fix.

Fruit tree problems

Reader mwray59 has asked a second question, this time about their fruit tree: "I also have an apple tree that never leaved out or bloomed this year. The branches are still pliable. I don't know if it's dead or what."

Camilla offers this advice:

It’s good to know that the branches of your apple tree are still pliable. This is a sign that it’s still holding onto water. You can scrape back the bark to check the layer underneath. If it’s moist and bright green, then the tree is still alive. If you give a branch a bend and it doesn’t snap, it’s also a good sign.

It does take a few years for apple trees to mature, which will delay when they bloom, but I assume from your question that your tree has blossomed and produced fruit in the past. It could be the case that the tree is still dormant and needs a little longer to wake up.

Another issue could be that the roots are restricted or the soil is poor, and it can’t gain the nutrients it requires. Ensure it receives adequate water, mulch around the base and add some fertilizer.

That reminds me

Last week, we published two articles about fruit trees that may help other readers: one on fixing yellow lemon tree leaves and the other, inspired by a reader poll, on how to get lemon trees to fruit.

So you're not alone in having issues with your fruit tree, mwray59!

What's everyone else working on?

We’re nearing the end of today’s Live Q&A session already, and the time has flown! So let's check in on the results of our poll above.

Right now, the answers to ‘Which bit of your garden do you most want to improve?’ are:

43% say Lawns

30% say Planting

13% say Landscaping

9% say Seating

4% say Better tools

0% say Water

So for those of you who have voted in the poll but haven't asked a question yet, I've pulled together some of our best recent articles that I hope can help you.

We’ve already answered quite a lot of questions about lawns today, and the team also have a suite of helpful articles on this topic. I recommend you check out 5 common lawn care mistakes that are killing your yard, I tried the ‘lazy’ lawn method, and Why you should stop watering your lawn every day this summer.

For planting tips, check out 7 zero-maintenance plants that will make your front porch look amazing and skyrocket your curb appeal as well as 5 super-fast flowers to sow in May to get your garden blooming quickly and I tried the viral 'cardboard method' in my raised garden bed — and it totally worked.

When it comes to landscaping and outdoor seating, you may find some perfect purchases in this guide to Memorial Day outdoor deals and the 25 Walmart patio and garden deals under $50 that will make your backyard look more expensive.

And finally, we’ve tested all manner of gardening tools, such as the best robot lawn mowers, the best pruning shears, and also have helpful guides such as 7 signs your yard isn’t suitable for a robot lawnmower.

Pests pestering your veggies?

Many of us gardeners are familiar with hungry caterpillars and green aphids. But Kate has asked about some white veggie pests: "I have been growing spinach and red chard in my garden for several years. The only trouble is that tiny white moth-like flies turn up under every leaf and start to eat the leaves too. Is there a natural way to deter them or remove them before they kill off the plants, please?"

Camilla has come back with this tip:

It sounds like whiteflies are enjoying your vegetables. Natural predators, such as ladybugs and spiders, will help to control them. You could also try companion planting, introducing highly scented marigolds and herbs that confuse and deter whiteflies, while pollen-rich, flat-topped flowers and certain aromatic herbs will deter them, while also and encouraging ladybugs.

You can also give your plants a blast with a hose or a spray bottle to dislodge the insect and their eggs. Alternatively, spray your plants with a mixture of dish soap and water (a dash of dish soap per gallon of water).

That's us signing off on today's Live Q&A. Thanks so much to everyone who voted in our poll and posted questions.

And even bigger thanks to Camilla and Jonathan for sharing their years of expertise and passion. I've found it all super valuable and hope you did too!

PS If you're tuning in a little late, you can add a comment to the bottom of the article with any more burning questions, and we'll endeavour to get back to you when we can!

Nurturing seedlings into vibrant blooms awash with bees and butterflies, caring for lush emerald foliage and encouraging a swathe of even lawn is pure joy, in my book. But gardening is not without its challenges. Luckily, from slugs decimating tender crops to bare batches of grass, our team of gardening experts have seen it all — and, crucially, know how to help.

So today we're inviting you to ask our experts anything related to gardening and lawn care, completely free of charge, right in time to make this summer the best year yet for your outside space.

Need some advice on reseeding your lawn? Just post a comment in the 'Live Q&A' box below. Thinking of installing a pond or water feature but not sure where to begin? Let us help. Can't choose between a robot lawn mower vs a manual? Drop us a comment. We will reply to each and every question we receive when we open up our Live Q&A on Wednesday 20 May at 7am-12pm ET.

Answering your questions will be Camilla Sharman, our homes and gardens writer and gardening aficionado; Cynthia Lawrence, our Homes editor; and Jonathan Davis, lawn care expert at Lawnsmith. Between them, I'm confident there's nothing they can't answer.

Ask a question with or without photos

As active followers of waaay too many gardening Facebook groups, we know that sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words in conveying your garden dilemma. Because of that, we're happy to accept photos via the Comments section on this article. Just submit your photo and some words to explain what you want help with, and we'll post our response in next week's Live Q&A article. We'll include your photo and our advice side-by-side, as it may help other readers to see the full story.

On that note, when the Live Q&A launches, feel free to chime in if you've found a hack that could solve someone else's problem. We can't get enough of supportive contributions from our community.

All questions must be related to gardening and lawn care, and we're encouraging everyone to ask questions in the run-up to next week's event (make sure to leave a comment in the Live Q&A box above, or in the Comments below if you're sharing a photo as well). Your question won't be visible to you or others until we flick the switch to make the session go live — but don't worry, we'll have received it so there's no need to send it again.

It goes without saying that we won't answer any questions with inappropriate or offensive language or photos. This Live Q&A is designed to be an open space for anyone looking for help, no matter how "silly" you think that question may be.

Please include as much information about your backyard as possible, to help the experts to give you a really useful answer. Considerations such as where (approximately) you live will be crucial in suggesting plants that grow in your climate, for example. Things like the size of your garden, which direction it faces and the soil type (if known) may also be useful!

If you've never left a comment on our site before then you may need to sign up to post your first question. It's free to sign up and will unlock a host of other Tom's Club member benefits, such as exclusive rewards and savings, the ability to earn badges and enter giveaways, join in with popular conversations and all Live Q&As, and reveal hints for our quizzes and puzzles.

I'll go first

I'm in the middle of renovating my 1930s home and can't wait to tackle the garden once the builders are done. I have a long and narrow garden in Bristol, South-West England, which is on a steep hill. As you can see in the photos below, there's an old concrete path running down one side, and because the plot is on a hill, the path is raised at the point nearest the house.

It feels unsafe for my kids to ride bikes down as it's fairly narrow and raised about a foot off the height of the lawn at its highest point. I also hate how it makes our narrow garden feel even narrower (admittedly the relatively wide borders don't help with that either!)

My question for the experts is if and how I should remove the path, to replace it with a more naturalistic walkway — or if it would be better to build up the height of my lawn to make it safer and hopefully blend it in a bit, visually?

We can't wait to hear from you — let us know what you'd like help with now.

More from Tom's Guide

• Forget renovations: I found 5 upgrades under $50 that will transform your home’s curb appeal in a single weekend
• You asked us live about the MacBook Neo, MacBook Air M5 and the MacBook Pro M5 Pro – read all the questions and answers here
• I asked professional gardeners how to get rid of weeds from my lawn permanently — and they all say this one thing

Welcome to the new Tom’s Guide! I’ve been editor in chief since 2013, and this is by far the biggest relaunch in our history. The new Tom’s Guide is all about connecting you with the experts and information you need to upgrade your life. We’re moving beyond just features to give you real, tangible value — from time-saving AI shopping tools and exclusive expert Q&As to unique video franchises.

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Our front door is now reframed as a must-visit destination. Forget scrolling through endless news — we give you a unique, dedicated live feed right on the Tom’s Guide homepage featuring the biggest tech news and, crucially, our expert reactions. From the latest Apple and Samsung launches to security threats and streaming developments, you’ll always be in the know, immediately understanding the impact.

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To help you avoid bad upgrades, we're also developing a new Leap-O-Meter tool that offers real differentiation. If you’re on the fence about upgrading from, say, the iPhone 14 to the iPhone 17, just plug in the device you own and the one you’re thinking of upgrading to. We’ll instantly give you a decisive Leap Score, quickly summarize the biggest upgrades that matter, and fetch the latest deals live right now.

Next-level Community Engagement: Access to real expert answers

Our Tom’s Guide Club is already a thriving community where over 70,000 members access newsletters, engage with the community, take polls and quizzes, and use exclusive discounts.

We are now elevating this experience with exclusive Live Q&As. This means Tom’s Guide members can directly interact with our category experts, getting personalized answers to questions on the latest products and troubleshooting assistance when problems arise.

We’re also relaunching the Tom’s Guide Daily newsletter and rolling out new specialty newsletters from our senior editors — like Amanda Caswell’s “AI Insider” — designed to demystify the latest innovations and help you immediately put them to good use.

The new Tom’s Guide is about helping you save time and make better decisions

Our ultimate goal remains to be the leading tech lifestyle destination, but now we're hyper-focused on making it more accessible and personal. We want to be your concierge to the tech world, empowering you to find the right products for your needs and budget more quickly, avoid bad buys, and feel confident instead of overwhelmed.

We promise to make that journey more delightful and fun. Check it out and tell us how we’re doing in the comments!

It's been a busy few days for us — reviewing the MacBook Neo, the MacBook Air M5 and the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro. And as you can tell by the sky-high review scores, we like them a lot!

Chances are there's a whole lot of you looking at these laptops, and you may have some questions that'll help you decide whether to pull the trigger and buy one. So, in this Tom's Guide live Q&A, we're here to answer as many of them as possible.

Maybe you want us to run a specific benchmark, discuss whether the upgrade is worth it on a particular machine, or compare that cheaper model against a particular Chromebook or lower-end Windows machine. Whatever it is, we can help!

Because we both know the decision to buy a new MacBook can be tricky, and we want to make sure you buy what's best for you and your needs.

Where to buy

• MacBook Neo: from $599 at Amazon
• MacBook Air M5: from $1,099 at Amazon
• MacBook Pro M5 Pro: from $2,199 at Amazon
• MacBook Pro M5 Max: from $3,599 at Amazon

How to ask questions

It's easy! If you have any questions about the new MacBooks, just pop them in that Live Q&A box you see just below here. We're going to give it a day or two for questions to stack up, and then we'll work through them all together.

Just a note that we'll only be answering questions about the MacBook Neo, MacBook M5 and MacBook Pro M5 Pro. And we want this to be a safe space for anyone to ask anything about them (no such thing as a stupid question). So please treat everyone with respect and avoid any nasty language. Can’t wait to see what you want to know!

The iPhone 17e is here, and I just reviewed it. In short, this is everything I wanted the iPhone 16e to be from the start — a tempting entry-level phone that finally brings MagSafe to the party alongside boosted storage and the more powerful A19 chip.

I know a lot of you are looking at this phone and asking one question: Is it worth it for everything I need to do with an iPhone, or should I shell out more for the iPhone 17? Well, that's why I'm here. Any questions you have about the 17e, whether it's specific benchmarks, camera tests or general use impressions, I'm here to help you as much as possible.

So, in this Tom's Guide live Q&A, I'll help you decide whether you can go with budget mode or need more. Because while many iPhone users get caught in the web of Apple's tempting upsells, you'd be surprised how many of you will be just fine with Cupertino's cheapest slab!

Where to buy

• T-Mobile: free w/ new line + unlimited
• Verizon: free w/ new line + unlimited
• AT&T: $5/month w/ unlimited
• Xfinity Mobile: free w/ unlimited + trade-in
• Best Buy: up to $600 off w/ activation + trade-in
• Apple: up to $685 off w/ trade-in

How to ask questions

Ready to talk iPhone 17e? I’m all ears! Head down to the comments and fire away with your questions. I’ll be tackling them one by one in the order they come in, sharing all my honest impressions along the way.

Let’s keep this a chill, judgment-free zone — bring your curiosity, but please treat everyone with respect and avoid any nasty language. Can’t wait to see what you want to know!

Intel Core Ultra Series 3 made such a strong debut that we gave it top honors in our CES 2026 awards. Now, I'm allowed to talk about the Asus Zenbook Duo sporting the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H chip (spoiler alert: Intel's got it's swagger back), and I want to help you with your buying decisions by running the tests that you want to see.

For Tom’s Guide’s first-ever live Q&A, I have one simple question: what benchmarks/tests do you want me to run? Whether you’re looking for benchmark numbers, something more finite or general use impressions, I’m here to give you as much information as possible.

Based on how many people are reading up on the leaked benchmarks in the CPU wars of 2026, I know a lot of you are keen to see how good this chip is outside of the tests you’ve seen so far. So, to help with the key decision on whether to buy one, get your requests in, and I will be sharing the results soon.

How to ask questions

All you have to do is jump to the comments section at the bottom and ask away. From there, I’ll run through as many of them as I can in chronological order and share results/impressions with you.

I will only be answering questions about this Intel Core Ultra X9 388H laptop, and I want this to be a safe space for anyone to know anything about it. Please treat everyone (including yours truly) with respect and avoid any nasty language.

What is Intel Core Ultra X9 388H?

To catch you up, Intel announced these chips under the codename of Panther Lake back in September 2025, and from the word "go," I was blown away by the performance and power efficiency of this top-of-the-range chip.

That comes down to three key things. First, the new generation of chip architecture (named Intel 18A) makes small but crucial changes to the way transistors are made to ensure every drip of power is committed towards the chip's tasks and not wasted.

Second, the new low power cores are packed with memory that allows them to do more of the general day-to-day tasks at a super lower wattage. And third, that integrated GPU is a bit of a breakthrough — packing 12 beasty Xe3 cores alongside Intel's own AI trickery in XeSS resolution scaling and multi-frame generation to deliver some crazy good performance.

I will be doing so many tests of this myself, and I'm looking forward to running it through the gauntlet of all your test questions too!