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

There's still time! Snag extra last-minute savings on my favorite phone accessories with Prime Day deals starting from $7
By John Velasco last updated
Save big right now with the best Prime Day phone accessory deals under $50. They start as low as $7.

Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Here’s which flagship phone could win
By John Velasco published
In our Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max, we take everything we know about the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra and compare that to our own testing of Apple's newest flagship model.

My cats tested this smart water fountain for a month — and now it’s 53% off for Prime Day
By John Velasco published
For over a month, my cats have been testing out the Petlibro Dockstream Smart Water Fountain, which is discounted by 53% off right now for Prime Day.

Some of my favorite PopSockets are on huge discount for Prime Day — starting from $4
By John Velasco published
Amazon's Prime Day sales event has many of my favorite PopSockets on sale, starting from $4 and up.

Now’s the time! This end of the season sale puts my favorite smart air conditioner on clearance at 58% off for Prime Day
By John Velasco last updated
Amazon Prime Day has my favorite smart air conditioner on clearance with the Dreo 12,000 BTU smart air conditioner at 58% off its normal price.

I found the best Pixel 10 deal for Amazon Prime Day — just $549 for one of the best Android phones of the year
By John Velasco last updated
If you want to save big on the Google Pixel 10, Mint Mobile has an amazing deal that includes one year of service.

I put the iPhone 17 vs Pixel 10 through a 7-round face-off — here’s the winner
By John Velasco published
The iPhone 17 and Pixel 10 both cost $799, but I put them to the test and grade their designs, cameras, and performance to see which is better.

I drove the Lexus UX 300h for a week — and it’s the perfect blend of luxury and fuel economy
By John Velasco published
The Lexus UX 300h is a subcompact crossover SUV that offers impressive fuel economy for a hybrid vehicle, while also costing way less than most other luxury cars.

I just tried astrophotography on the iPhone 17 Pro — here's the results
By John Velasco last updated
I tested out astrophotography with the iPhone 17 Pro to try and capture different deep space objects, like galaxies, nebulas, planets, and star clusters.

Best cell phone signal boosters 2025
By John Velasco last updated
The best cell phone signal boosters fix poor service at home or on the road. Some even support all carriers.

My favorite 3-in-1 MagSafe charger is finally on sale at 33% off for Prime Day — and it has one killer feature
By John Velasco published
Amazon is offering the Mophie 3-in-1 Extendable MagSafe Stand at its first major sale with a generous 33% discount ahead of Prime Day.

I tested the iPhone 17 Center Stage camera vs Galaxy S25 Ultra vs Pixel 10 Pro XL — here's the winner
By John Velasco last updated
Apple introduced a new 18MP Center Stage camera with its iPhone 17 lineup, so I put it to the test against its main rivals.

Forget telescopes! I tried these AR smart binoculars and it redefines astrophotography
By John Velasco published
The Unistellar Envision smart binoculars work day and night, with the help of augmented reality to make exploration easier and smarter.

I’ve spent over two weeks with the iPhone 17 — here’s why I recommend it over the iPhone Air
By John Velasco published
After spending two weeks with the iPhone 17, I feel it's the way better value than the iPhone Air. Here's why.

Using iOS 26 CarPlay? Here’s why you’re probably not getting Messages notifications anymore
By John Velasco published
If you've been using CarPlay after updating to iOS 26, then you might notice how the Messages app has disappeared. Here's why,

I told myself I wouldn’t buy a Corolla again, but the Corolla Cross Hybrid changes my mind — here’s why
By John Velasco last updated
The 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is a subcompact SUV that gets outstanding fuel economy, making it an excellent alternative to buying an EV.

iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro — why the regular iPhone is the one to buy this year
By John Velasco last updated
Thanks to all of its upgrades, the iPhone 17 feels like the better buy over the iPhone 17 Pro. Here's why.

Too good to be true! This early Prime Day deal shaves $600 off the Galaxy Z Flip 6
By John Velasco published
Woot has the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 for under $600 for a limited time, letting you grab an unlocked model that comes with 512GB of storage.

I shot over 200 photos with the iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra — here's the winner
By John Velasco published
In this 200 photo shootout with the iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Galaxy S25 Ultra, we test out all of their camera performances to see which is the better one for photography.

I put Waze vs. Apple Maps to the test by driving over 800 miles — and there's a clear winner
By John Velasco last updated
I put Waze and Apple Maps to the test for a month to see which provides the better driving directions and features.

I've spent 2 weeks with the iPhone 17 Pro — here’s my pros and cons (so far)
By John Velasco published
After spending two weeks with the iPhone 17 Pro, I have a better appreciation for what offers. Here's my pros and cons.

OnePlus 15 isn’t waiting until next year to launch — it could be happening sooner than you think
By John Velasco published
The OnePlus 15 is on track for a November release and will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, potentially making it the most powerful phone available.

I put the iPhone 17 vs Pixel 10 through a 6-round zoom camera shoot-out — and it's not even close
By John Velasco last updated
In this iPhone 17 vs Pixel 10 telephoto camera zoom test, I capture the same set of photos at 1x, 2x, and 10x to see which phone delivers the better zoom performance.
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