Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.
Latest articles by Philip Michaels
Best Android apps in 2024
By Philip Michaels, John Velasco last updated
There are plenty of apps in the Google Play store, but we tracked down the best Android apps that deserve a place on your smartphone.
Qualcomm exec on the Snapdragon 8 Elite: 'You have something that rivals any PC you've ever used in your pocket'
By Philip Michaels published
Qualcomm's Chris Patrick explains the changes the chip maker made to the Snapdragon 8 Elite and why they should excited mobile phone users.
I tried on the latest Snap Spectacles AR glasses — and they nearly turned me into a pool shark
By Philip Michaels published
Snap released its 5th generation Spectacles last month, and we got the chance to go hands on with the smart glasses that developers are using to build AR apps.
A smarter ride awaits, as Qualcomm's Snapdragon automovie chips get better AI, new Oryon CPU
By Philip Michaels published
xQualcomm brings its Orion CPU, AI improvements to its automotive chipsets
Snapdragon 8 Elite unveiled — here's how Android phones could blow away the iPhone 16
By Philip Michaels last updated
New CPU, more AI capabilities highlight Qualcomm's top mobile chipset
ESPN Plus review: Offers plenty of live sports but not always what you want
By Philip Michaels, Malcolm McMillan last updated
ESPN Plus offers a lot of live sports for a little money, but it's no replacement for the mainstream match-ups you'll still find on cable. Here's our review of ESPN's streaming service.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip is almost here — can it challenge Apple’s A18?
By Philip Michaels last updated
Here's what to expect at the Snapdragon Summit this week
I've been testing Apple Intelligence — 5 features I love and 4 I don't
By Philip Michaels published
After testing Apple Intelligence, I've seen some hits and misses with Apple's AI
Best international phone plans in 2024 — what travelers need to know
By Philip Michaels last updated
Before you head overseas, find out what your cellphone provider will charge you to use your phone. Here are the different options offered by the four major wireless carriers.
I tried Apple’s new call recording feature — and this iOS 18.1 addition was worth the wait
By Philip Michaels published
Record calls, get transcripts and more, thanks to this new feature
Apple just announced a big change for the iPhone that will help you separate real businesses from spam
By Philip Michaels published
That's no robo-caller, that's my pharmacist
iOS 18 Photos — all the new features available on your iPhone
By Philip Michaels last updated
The Photos app gets a redesign with Apple's iOS 18 update — here's what's new
200-photo face-offs: All of our head-to-head camera phone comparisons
By Philip Michaels published
When we test the top camera phones, we put them through 200-photo face-offs with similar devices. Here's where you'll find every camera comparison we've done on recently smartphones.
Is the iPhone 16 Plus going to be Apple's last Plus model? I certainly hope not
By Philip Michaels published
I was once a Plus skeptic — now I think it's a key part of Apple's phone lineup
I tried Apple Intelligence to improve my writing — here’s what happened
By Philip Michaels last updated
How good is Writing Tools at improving your tone?
iPhone SE 4 vs. Google Pixel 9a: Which budget phone will win?
By Philip Michaels published
Cameras, AI features figure to be where the iPhone SE4 and Pixel 9a battle it out
Prime Day foldable phone deals — big savings on the biggest phones
By Philip Michaels last updated
Don't pay big bucks for a foldable phone — jump on these sales instead, as we bring you the best discounts we've found on foldable devices from OnePlus, Samsung and Motorola.
One of my favorite budget phones just crashed to its lowest price at Amazon
By Philip Michaels published
The OnePlus 12R is one the longest-lasting phones we've tested this year. And its already-low price has fallen even further during Amazon Prime Deal Days.
Apple Intelligence summaries — what apps support this feature and how you use it
By Philip Michaels published
AI-generated summaries help you get through long articles, messages and more
iPhone SE 4 — top 5 rumored changes to Apple's budget phone
By Philip Michaels published
From a new look to Apple Intelligence support, a lot of big changes are rumored for the iPhone SE 4. Here are the most interesting improvements that are reportedly coming next year.
My iPhone 17 wish list — 5 things I want to see from next year's phones
By Philip Michaels published
There's a lot to like about the newly released iPhone 16. But Apple can still improve next year's phones in several key ways with these iPhone 17 additions.
I use this wearable to beat the heat — and Amazon just dropped its price to an all-time low
By Philip Michaels published
The Hakt Ice Ring Neck Cooler is my secret weapon whenever the temperatures spike, and Amazon has cut the price to less than $10 ahead of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.
iPhone 16 battery life vs Samsung vs Google — which flagship phones last the longest?
By Philip Michaels published
Here's how battery life compares for the leading smartphones
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