Mashable

TL;DR: The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is $1,000 off with T-Mobile. To claim this offer, switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 18 Pro for under $200   Shop Now

The iPhone Duo is now available to preorder. That's obviously the focus right now, but you can actually score the iPhone 18 Pro for a ridiculously low price if you don't mind missing out on Apple's first foldable.

For a limited time, the Apple iPhone 18 Pro is available for under $200 when you switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.

The full savings are distributed as monthly credits over a 36-month payment plan. If you leave T-Mobile before the end of the three-year commitment, you will be charged the remaining balance. That's how they get you. You're paying a super-low upfront cost, but you're committing to stick it out with T-Mobile.

You do need to pay local sales tax on the phone's full retail value upfront, plus a standard $35 device connection fee per line at checkout. That's something you simply can't escape with this type of mobile carrier deal.

Get the Apple iPhone 18 Pro for under $200 this weekend with T-Mobile.

TL;DR: Watch Leeds vs. Manchester United in the Premier League for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are a number of massive Premier League fixtures taking place this weekend, but Leeds vs. Manchester United might be the most important. Manchester United are struggling right now, and comments made after their poor defeat to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League have heaped the pressure on manager Michael Carrick. They need a win, but Elland Road is not an easy place to get it.

If you're interested in watching Leeds vs. Manchester United in the Premier League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Leeds vs. Manchester United?

Leeds vs. Manchester United in the Premier League kicks off at 9 a.m. ET on Oct. 18. This fixture takes place at Elland Road.

How to watch Leeds vs. Manchester United for free

Leeds vs. Manchester United in the Premier League is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Brighton vs. Arsenal for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Leeds vs. Manchester United for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Leeds vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Leeds vs. Manchester United without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the Premier League?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Leeds vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

A sleep condition.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

APNEA

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Foreign.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 18, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ALIEN

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Picture.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 18, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 18, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

PHOTO

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Divided.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SPLIT

Final Hurdle hint

Range.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

SCOPE

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for people who like soccer.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: The beautiful game

• Green: Boxers

• Blue: Football commies

• Purple: Sports-related things and places

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: The Beautiful Game, In Different Languages

• Green: Oscar-Nominated Boxers

• Blue: Washington Commanders

• Purple: Sports____

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #755 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• The Beautiful Game, In Different Languages: CALCIO, FOOTBALL, FUTBOL, SOCCER

• Oscar-Nominated Boxers: DE NIRO, STALLONE, SWANK, WASHINGTON

• Washington Commanders: DANIELS, SETTLE, STYLES, WAY

• Sports____: BAR, CENTER, ILLUSTRATED, MEDICINE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 18, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for October 18, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 18 Pips

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this purple space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 3-4, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 18 Pips

Greater Than (7): Everything in this space must be greater than 7. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 5-2, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically; 2-4, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 18 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (9): Everything in this space must be less than 9. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically; 6-2, placed horizontally.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically; 2-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (7): Everything in this space must be greater than 7. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 18, 2026 Bureau meaning

A government or organizational department.

Chest meaning

A large, sturdy storage box.

Trunk meaning

A large, sturdy chest or case used for packing and transporting clothes and personal possessions.

Wardrobe meaning

A built-in cabinet with doors, rails or shelves used for hanging and storing clothes.

Butter meaning

A pale yellow, fatty dairy product made by churning cream or milk.

Deodorant meaning

A personal care product applied to the body to neutralize, suppress or mask unpleasant body odors

Dynamite meaning

A powerful high explosive made by soaking nitroglycerin into an absorbent material.

Incense meaning

A substance made from plant materials, gums, spices or essential oils that releases a sweet, fragrant smoke or odor when burned.

Angel meaning

A spiritual, supernatural or celestial being found in various religious and cultural traditions.

Coco meaning

Short for the coconut palm or its fruit.

Obsession meaning

Continuous or recurring ideas, urges, or images that capture mental control.

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Opium meaning

The dried, milky latex collected from the seed capsules of the opium poppy.

Fogerty meaning

An Irish surname.

Hazel meaning

A deciduous shrub or small tree of the birch family.

Mister meaning

A physical apparatus or spray bottle used to emit a fine mist of water for plants or cooling.

Vaporetto meaning

A motorboat that functions as a public water bus in Venice, Italy.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a fashionista.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 18, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Found in a bedroom

• Green: Thin and long

• Blue: Pleasant smells

• Purple: Hard to see

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Places to store clothes

• Green: Things that come in sticks

• Blue: Famous perfumes

• Purple: Starting with things that cloud the air

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1225 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Places to store clothes: BUREAU, CHEST, TRUNK, WARDROBE

• Things that come in sticks: BUTTER, DEODORANT, DYNAMITE, INCENSE

• Famous perfumes: ANGEL, COCO, OBSESSION, OPIUM

• Starting with things that cloud the air: FOGERTY, HAZEL, MISTER, VAPORETTO

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're a cardio junkie.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 18, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Fast fashion

The words are related to being active.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe things worn during exercising.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Running Gear.

NYT Strands word list for October 18

• Vest

• Sunglasses

• Running Gear

• Sneakers

• Watch

• Headphones

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you like to get dolled up.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 18, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To decorate.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter A.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

ADORN

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

Elon Musk doesn't own TikTok, but the short-form video app is evidently sensitive to criticism of the Tesla CEO.

The Hollywood Reporter reported that TikTok has "permanently suspended" the official promotional account for Musk, a new documentary that is critical of Musk's recent activities and is playing in nearly 500 theaters across the United States. The reason given was "political content" that violates TikTok's policies, but THR's report didn't include any specifics as to what, exactly, the account was doing to warrant the ban.

Bleecker Street, the film's distributor, is appealing the move, but the suspension remains in effect during a weekend when audiences are more likely to see the movie. That likely will not help Bleecker's attempts to market the movie; THR reported that the plan was to spend ad dollars to boost TikTok posts about the movie before the ban was enacted.

As THR noted, Musk has no financial (or otherwise) affiliation with TikTok, but the app is partially owned by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. The documentary does apparently feature a scene in which Ellison offers to help Musk pay for his acquisition of Twitter via text message. Of course, that may have nothing to do with the suspension. Until TikTok offers comment on this, we will not know the specific reasoning for the ban.

In Mashable's review of Musk, Senior Tech Reporter Matt Binder called the documentary "scathing," but also noted its fairness, stating that "it features Musk, via his own actions and words, punching himself in the face over and over again."

There's currently some tension between the video game industry and the proliferation of AI tools.

You can see the evidence of this in a recent development regarding the upcoming indie game Drunken Goddess Reflux. It's a game with the objective of imbibing alcohol until a demon vomits up her soul, a decidedly unique premise that would be hard for any AI to come up with.

SEE ALSO: Apple adds further App Store restrictions around AI 'nudify' apps

As spotted by Rock Paper Shotgun, though, the developers had to cancel an upcoming public demo session. The decision is partly due to concerns that AI could quickly clone it for someone else's financial benefit. Instead, they will hold closed sessions for a "limited number of participants."

"We're concerned that the demo's content could be used to quickly imitate or replicate the game's presentation and gameplay with AI or other tools, and that such works could be released before our launch," the developers at Alliance Arts said in a post on X.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

To be fair, that wasn't the only reason given for the demo's cancellation. There were also concerns about being able to properly enforce a rule against livestreaming. But it's clear that the widespread availability of AI vibe-coding tools influenced this decision, as well.

Kotaku reported earlier this year that indie games were being cloned with AI quickly and effortlessly, and Steam has recently become rife with games that used AI in their development. While cloned products may not be as good as the original games made by hand, they can still harm the developer's bottom line and muddy the waters about which came first in the public eye.

Sennheiser is infamous for being fashionably late with its true wireless releases. Just look at the flagship Momentum True Wireless 5, which took more than two years to hit store shelves. So, it’s no surprise that the legacy audio brand waited this long to create its first-ever open earbuds.

So, the Sennheiser Accentum Clip are here, and they join an already crowded market. A direct competitor to market favorites such as the Shokz OpenDots series and the upscale Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, these clip-on buds not only live up to the Accentum line’s critically acclaimed reputation – they’re easily the best-sounding open earbuds money can buy.

There’s just one problem: Are you willing to cross the border to own a pair?

That's right — Sennheiser has decided not to release these excellent open earbuds to U.S. shoppers.

Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable Sennheiser Accentum Clip: Unrivaled sound

Sennheiser developed a 12mm dynamic driver that pumps out vibrant, crisp sound. The fine-tuned combination of airy mids, smooth treble, and steady bass results in a sonically engaging listening experience no other category entry can match.

Audio is terrific right out of the box, though you can personalize it by creating your own EQ or selecting from multiple well-engineered presets in the companion app. Enabling the LDAC codec produces the best sound quality. There’s an uptick in clarity and depth when enabling the latter. Details and nuances are more noticeable. Vocals have a natural presence and remain transparent in rowdy environments; it takes incredibly loud noises to pull you away from music. However, don’t expect full-bodied sound due to the lack of an acoustic seal.

The Accentum Clip’s greatest strength is delivering lively sound without compromising ambient awareness. Some of my most compelling listening sessions occurred while watching videos outside on my balcony. Sennheiser’s Speech Clarity mode emphasized vocals and made dialogue clearer on audiobooks, movies, podcasts, and YouTube clips. External noises weren’t disruptive.

Credit: Alex Bracetti

Everything else that matters

Reviews for the Accentum Clip have been mostly positive. Performance complaints are largely limited to connectivity and wearability. I couldn’t agree more. While acknowledging the product’s weaknesses, I can also share its strengths, and there are plenty. Here’s what else you should know about the Accentum Clip before buying them.

Design: The Accentum Clip look no different from other clip-on buds. They have the same pinch design to latch them onto the outer part of your ear. Construction is made mostly of hard plastic that carries an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, which is ideal for workout buffs. Unfortunately, this material, combined with the thick battery module, makes the buds an uncomfortable wear after two hours of use. The charging case feels flimsy as well.

Sennheiser’s Smart Control app: The mobile app is stocked with several extras that enhance performance. Most features are conveniently placed on the homepage. You can even customize their placement based on preference. The Device Settings page expands functionality by granting access to other key features, including Battery Protection mode, codec selection, wireless priority (Advanced Audio Quality or Robust Connectivity), and more.

Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable

Controls: Touch and voice controls are highly responsive. Every single-tap, multi-tap, and long-hold gesture registers precisely and instantly. The small design does make it difficult to input commands. I was tapping my earlobe and tragus too often. Voice assistance is spot-on, thanks to Sennheiser’s strong mic array. The feature also supports AI-powered programs such as Perplexity, which worked well and demonstrated solid voice recognition.

Battery life: Playtime is sufficient at 7.5 hours per charge when factoring in features and volume. It’s not the 9 hours Sennheiser promises, but it’s still enough for two days of moderate listening before recharging. The non-wireless charging case provides an extra 36 hours and supports quick charging: a 10-minute charge generates 2 hours of listening time.

Call quality and connectivity: The buds are great for phone and video calls, but I wouldn’t make them your go-to because the open design allows a lot of ambient noise to creep in. You’ll be able to communicate clearly in quiet and moderately busy environments. The AI noise-reduction algorithm does a decent job of isolating the wearer’s voice from noisy backgrounds.

Multipoint mode can be wonky at times. Occasionally, my buds refused to switch playback to my second device. There were also times when the Accentum Clip wouldn’t connect to the app.

Now comes the harsh reality for domestic consumers…

Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable The Sennheiser Accentum Clip are not available in the U.S.

You read that correctly. The Accentum Clip are import-only.

They launched in Canada, Central America, and South America with a $269.95 CAD price tag (est. $200 USD). 

Releasing new audio products in select regions isn’t unusual for Sennheiser. It just makes zero sense for the Accentum Clip, especially since the best open earbuds are a major draw right now. Not to mention, the company recently launched its flagship headphones and earbuds several weeks apart. Bringing the Accentum Clip stateside could have given Sennheiser the wireless audio trifecta in the U.S. market.

We asked Sennheiser if a U.S. launch was in the cards. The answer was no.

What a shame.

You might also like...

If you're not reading this in Canada, you can still buy our favorite open earbuds from Shokz, Anker, Sony, and Bose (in that order):

Shokz OpenDots One $139.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $60   See It at Amazon Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2 $79.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $50.00   See It at Amazon Sonly LinkBuds Clip Open-Ear $198 at Amazon
$228 Save $30   See It at Amazon Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (Gen 2) $299 at Amazon
  See It at Amazon See It at Bose See It at Best Buy

Apple is trying to tighten its control of the iOS App Store, especially as it regards AI deepfake nude photos.

In a brief note on its developer website, Apple announced a change to its moderation tactics for the App Store. These new measures target apps capable of generating "nonconsensual intimate imagery" of real people using user-generated content tools.

Pornographic material is already banned on the App Store, and so are apps explicitly designed to do that, but apps that have the potential to do so are now also required to filter such content, provide a way to report it, prevent uploads, and remove anything that gets through all of that.

SEE ALSO: The 5 best smartwatches of 2026: Comparing the latest models from Apple, Google, and Samsung

The change here, essentially, is that app makers are now required to self-police more thoroughly against AI nude photos. If any app is found to violate those rules, as well as a new one prohibiting "bait and switch" tactics (such as misrepresenting what the app can do during the submission review period), it can and will be pulled from the App Store. In addition, developers behind these apps can have their ability to submit to the App Store revoked.

Earlier this year, a study found dozens of apps that can create deepfake nudes of real people on both Apple's App Store and Google Play. Apple removed many of the offending apps at the time, but these new rules show there is still work to be done to prevent more from popping up in the App Store.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon) and Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon) are available to preorder now on Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokemon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon) $694.88 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon) $685.98 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

If you thought Pokémon TCG collectors were already losing their minds over 30th Celebration Booster Bundles and Elite Trainer Boxes, Amazon just opened preorders for the crown jewel of the anniversary expansion: the 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collections.

Both high-end boxes are currently available for preorder at Amazon for under $700 ahead of their official Nov. 6 release date.

As the ultimate flagship products for the 30th Celebration set, both Ultra-Premium Collections come packed with 29 30th Celebration booster packs, one Classic Collection booster pack, custom metal coins, deck boxes, card sleeves, and damage-counter dice. Of course, the real driver behind the hype comes from the exclusive promo cards:

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon): Includes the exclusive Espeon ex promo card with a Daytime Pikachu ex promo card and an Espeon playmat.

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon): Includes the exclusive Umbreon ex promo card with a Futuristic-rarity Pikachu ex promo card and an Umbreon playmat.

The big question when buying trading cards on Amazon is whether or not you're actually getting value for money. Amazon is a reliable pick for finding readily available stock, but you often pay above market price.

TCGplayer's market price for the Day Box is currently $560.87 so there's a decent markup from Amazon here. The market price for the Night Box is $659.98, so the convenience of Amazon actually makes sense in this case.

The best stocking stuffers should surprise and delight, but too often, we miss the mark. Think: tacky socks, bulk chocolate candy from the clearance aisle, and ChapStick. Most of these last-minute gift ideas are just begging to be tossed in a junk drawer or the donation pile, never to see the light of day again. Granted, it's a fate they probably deserve.

But that's a shame, because unpacking your stocking should be the perfect start to the happiest day of the year. So, we consulted our deep bench of shopping reporters, deal hunters, and product reviewers to find out what stocking stuffers they want to wake up to on Christmas morning.

We've gathered our favorite tiny-but-impressive gift ideas that can work for everyone on your holiday shopping list. So, whether you're searching for stocking stuffer ideas under $25 or something fancier that will catch them by surprise, we have more than 60 unique gifts to inspire you.

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options: BEST FOR ESPN ESPN Unlimited $31.99/month for 1 year Shop Now Best for Fox and Big Ten Fox One 3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89) Shop Now BEST FOR SINGLE GAME FuboTV 5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25) Get Deal Best for channels Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $99.99/month Shop Now Best for affordability Sling Orange & Blue $60.99/month Shop Now BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER YouTube TV 5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110) Shop Now

The Wisconsin Badgers are looking to score a major win over the UCLA Bruins in Week 7. Wisconsin are 4-1 overall at 2-0 in conference play, but they still haven't made the rankings. A win over No. 12 UCLA could change that.

UCLA will prove tough competition in this Big Ten showdown. The Bruins are 5-1 overall and 3-0 in conference games, and want to climb beyond that No. 12 spot in the rankings. With both Wisconsin and UCLA on winning streaks, this promises to be an exciting clash.

If you want to watch Wisconsin vs. UCLA for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Wisconsin vs. UCLA?

Wisconsin vs. UCLA takes place at 7.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This game takes place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Wisconsin vs. UCLA is broadcast on NBC.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: ESPN ESPN Unlimited $31.99/month for 1 year Shop Now

Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99/year Shop Now

Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $99.99/month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, in addition to live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Season Pass $60.99/month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV 7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Wisconsin vs. UCLA from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Wisconsin vs. UCLA from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Wisconsin vs. UCLA from anywhere in the world

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best smartwatches make it easy to monitor your health, track your workout progress, and check your notifications on the go. Top brands like Apple, Garmin, Google, and Samsung have all launched new smartwatches in recent months, so whether you're team Apple or team Android, you have excellent choices for your wrist. Now that we've researched the biggest releases, tested a handful of them ourselves, and drawn upon the expertise of our Ziff Davis colleagues at CNET and PCMag to fill in the gaps, we're ready to name the best smartwatches of 2026. Spoiler: You really can't go wrong with any of the latest flagship models.

The best smartwatches at a glance: Best smartwatch for most iPhone users Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $389.99 at Amazon Shop Now Best budget smartwatch for iPhone users Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) $219.00 at Walmart Shop Now Best Android smartwatch Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Bluetooth/WiFi) $399.99 at Amazon Shop Now Best budget Android smartwatch Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro $79.00 at Amazon Shop Now Best Samsung smartwatch Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm, Bluetooth) $379.99 at Amazon Shop Now The smartwatch market is crowded, and that's good news Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

In just the past few months, Samsung, Apple, Garmin, and Google have all rolled out new smartwatches. Later this month, Google will also debut the brand-new Fitbit Edge with a bright display and advanced fitness features. (The Venn diagram of the best smartwatches and the best fitness trackers is basically a perfect circle.) The competition intensifies when you factor in other wearables like smart rings and sleep trackers.

Price-wise, most of our favorite smartwatches cost somewhere between $250 and $400, though they're often on sale for much less. However, you don't have to spend very much to get a kick-ass smartwatch. In fact, we have an excellent option for folks with budgets capped at $100.

So, which watches deserve a spot on your wrist? (Say that five times fast.) Here's our definitive guide to the best smartwatches for 2026 shoppers.

The best smartwatch for iPhone users: Apple Watch Series 12 Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

If you're an iPhone user, we think you'll be very happy with Apple's latest smartwatch, the Series 12. Mashable's Stan Schroeder is in the process of testing it right now, and he said that while it may look similar to last year's model — other than some new ceramic case options — "it does bring a number of big improvements inside."

The Series 12 has a new S11 chip that adds support for Audio Intelligence tools. Moreover, it boasts "an entirely new electrical and optical heart sensor," and offers more battery life during workouts (plus faster charging), Schroeder said. He added, "The star of the show is the heart sensor array, which allows for far more frequent measurements and opens the door for new apps such as Readiness and an overhauled Vitals app."

It's worth pointing out that the Apple Watch Series 12's chip and sensors are the exact same ones you'll find inside the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4, which costs twice as much. The Ultra 4 is awesome in its own right, especially if you prioritize battery life and durability, but this means you don't need to splash out on Apple's most expensive smartwatch to use its most advanced features. The mid-tier option has never been a smarter buy or a more worthwhile upgrade from an older model.

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $389.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Walmart The best budget smartwatch for iPhone users: Apple Watch SE 3 Credit: Apple

Apple hasn't updated its cheapest wearable for 2026, but we're not complaining. Last year's Apple Watch SE 3 is still an outstanding budget pick with all the necessary features you're probably looking for in a smartwatch, like a gorgeous always-on OLED display, heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, gesture controls, and a water-resistant design. (For all intents and purposes, it's a last-gen Series 11 with a shorter battery life and no blood oxygen monitoring.) The new Series 12 is the "better" iOS-friendly smartwatch overall, but it's obviously much pricier and might be considered overkill if you're not especially health-conscious.

CNET's wearable expert Vanessa Hand Orellana tested the SE 3 and deemed it a great option "for anyone new to the Apple Watch world or upgrading from a much older model (think Series 6 or earlier)." It would also make a good starter device for a kid, she noted, letting parents "hold off on a full-fledged smartphone while maintaining a direct line of communication with their child."

The extra-nice thing about the SE 3 is it's much easier to find on sale than Apple's newest smartwatches, since it's technically an "older" model. It's regularly marked down to $219 these days, and on Black Friday, we expect it to dip under $200.

Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) $219 at Walmart
$249 Save $30   Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy The best Android smartwatch for most people: Google Pixel Watch 5 Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Former Mashable senior reporter and marathon runner Christianna Silva gave the Google Pixel Watch 4 a 4.4/5 rating last year, calling it "a true runner's watch." They loved its immersive display, clear audio, repairable design, custom workouts, and "solid" battery life. It used to be our favorite Android smartwatch — until Google released the Pixel Watch 5 this summer. It justifies a $50 price bump with a faster processor, double the storage, improved GPS route tracking, faster charging, and better sleep tracking, including a new breathing emergency detection feature. It can also now monitor blood pressure and insulin resistance trends.

Those who are already using Google's Gemini AI assistant on their Android phones will appreciate its integration into the Pixel Watch 5, which is pretty extensive. Gemini "acts as a proactive companion" within the device, "surfacing your flight details on the way to the airport or suggesting a phone number while you text about dinner plans," writes PCMag's Andrew Gebhart. Plus, certain Gemini features now work offline.

All things considered, we think the Pixel Watch 5 is the best Android smartwatch for most people — though if you manage to find its predecessor in stock for way cheaper, it's still a stellar choice.

Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Bluetooth/WiFi) $399.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Google Store The best budget Android smartwatch: Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

Mashable readers went a bit gaga for this budget smartwatch when it was announced last July — and after testing it out for ourselves, we get it. Mashable contributor and reviewer Lauren Allain gave it a 4.6/5 rating (earning it a Mashable Choice Award), writing that it "looks, feels, and functions like a smartwatch that costs hundreds more." If you're looking for the best smartwatch under $100, nothing else comes close. (It's priced at $99, but often available for $79 these days.)

The British brand Nothing is known for its unique designs, which somehow look both retro and futuristic at the same time. CMF is the company's budget line, but the Watch 3 Pro doesn't perform like most cheap smartwatches. For starters, it offers direct ChatGPT integration, which even the Apple Watch can't do. Samsung and Google are eager to make you use their own AI tools, but if you prefer ChatGPT, then you'll love this watch.

Other spec highlights include blood oxygen monitoring, stress tracking, precise heart-rate monitoring and location tracking, and an extra-long battery life. For a smartwatch this cheap, that's an impressive roster of features. (Remember: The cheapest Apple Watch still lacks blood oxygen monitoring.) Allain said it best when she wrote that the CMF Watch 3 Pro "feels like a pricing mistake."

Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro $79 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Nothing The best smartwatch for Samsung fans: Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is another great Android wearable packed with Gemini-powered features. While we prefer the Pixel Watch 5 a bit more, mainly because its battery life is much better, this is a sensible purchase for those who are already in the Samsung ecosystem. Its feature set includes a new Heart Health score, a Fitness Index score, a Daily Cardio Load metric, and a tool that monitors your vitals overnight. (Aptly, it's called Vitals.)

On the aesthetic side, Samsung retained "squircle" design of the older Galaxy Watch 8 — which really isn't as ugly as some people say, in our opinion. CNET's Katie Collins said it has a "relatively subtle look, which is useful for an accessory you’re just as likely to be wearing to the gym as into the office." She also found it quite comfortable to wear all day, even in the larger 44mm size. "I can’t imagine ever feeling the need to take this one off, except when it needs recharging," she wrote.

The Galaxy Watch 9 also marks a price hike over its predecessor, but only a small one ($30). The older Galaxy Watch 8 remains a good alternative if you find it at a steep discount.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm, Bluetooth) $379.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Samsung

How we chose these earbuds

Let's be clear: Just because these earbuds are affordable, that doesn't mean they skimp on features.

Mashable audio experts have tested all of the most popular wireless headphones and earbuds (not to mention some wired options). And the very best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds typically cost $250 to $300 — the Apple AirPods Pro 3 retail for $249 (but often go on sale for $179), and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) come in at $299.

Fortunately, you don't need to spend $300 to get a great pair of wireless earbuds; in fact, you don't even need to spend $100. The best cheap wireless earbuds under $100 include some great options from JBL, Nothing, Anker Soundcore, and Beats. And if you're willing to spend a little more, the newest Apple AirPods 5 sound great and include new AI features such as live translation.

When reviewing earbuds for this guide, we looked for features such as easy connectivity, rich and balanced sound, active noise cancellation, and a comfortable fit. And among all the earbuds we've tested, which is an extensive list, these are the best budget earbuds for 2026.

What's considered budget? 

Budget is a relative term. We know the Apple AirPods 5 ($129 to $149) and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds ($149.99 on sale) aren't budget earbuds for everyone, but there are plenty of good options under the $100, $50, and even $25 mark.

Our top pick is the Anker Soundcore P42i, which have a list price of $64.99, and have the noise cancellation of a much more expensive pair of earbuds. Going the budget route might mean making compromises, but not sacrifices. For under $100, you can still get active noise cancellation and self-charging cases. 

We do include a model closer to $200, which we get isn't exactly everyone's idea of budget-friendly. The Apple AirPods 5 with ANC is that model. Compared to premium options, the fifth-gen AirPods offer an awfully similar experience for significantly cheaper and allow folks who want to stay in the Apple ecosystem without having to jump to the Pros.

Earbuds we're currently testing 

Three other pairs of earbuds that are currently in consideration for this list are the CMF Buds 2, JBL Vibe Beam 2, and Sony WF-C510. We're currently testing these earbuds and will update this guide once complete.

Other models we've tested 

The models on this list are pulled from our extensive testing here at Mashable. One of our previous top picks on this list was the Apple AirPods 4; however, the AirPods 5 have replaced them, making them more expensive, and they also lack great Android compatibility. 

Another pair we considered for this list were the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds with sound by Bose. We tested these buds, and while they're pretty good for $100, they have a bad case design and just aren't that comfortable compared to other models on this list — plus, the $100 introductory price went up to $129.99.

On a summer morning on Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover woke in its usual crater, opened its shutter, and snapped a sprawling view carpeted in blues and grays. 

The panorama subverts the usual perception of the Red Planet, a reputation that dates to ancient civilizations. Romans called it Mars, the god of war, because its color reminded them of blood. Egyptians called it Her Desher — "the red one." Even people today associate Mars with rust: dry, desolate, and caked with iron minerals that oxidize red.   

Curiosity captured this scene on Aug. 11, around 8:30 a.m. local time with its Mastcam instrument. A pale custard sky hangs above slate-colored terrain.

What makes the image strange is what the U.S. space agency didn't do. The team almost always adjusts the colors in Mars photos before releasing them. This time, it skipped that step and kept the dim morning light as the camera recorded it. In a news release, NASA called it "an artistic choice." 

Which brings up a surprisingly complex question. No human has ever stood on Mars, so what would the planet actually look like to someone who did? The answer depends on several factors: the weaker sunlight to its farther distance, the dust suspended in the air, the minerals on the ground, the camera's sensor, the editing software, and, not to be underestimated, the eye of the beholder.

SEE ALSO: Astronomers spot something positively enormous behind the Milky Way

When mission teams tweak the photos, scientists say the goal is to make the rocks look as they would in sunlight on Earth. Martian dust tints everything the sun touches, so removing its influence shows the rocks' intrinsic colors. 

In photography, that correction is called white balancing. The phone in your pocket already does it, shifting every picture so the scene looks lit by ordinary daylight. 

"The surface of Mars is covered with pink-red dust that disguises the surface geology," Mike Malin, principal investigator for Curiosity's Mastcam instrument, told Mashable. "That dust is also suspended in the atmosphere, and sunlight passes through it to illuminate the surface. If you have ever been near a forest fire or something like that, the coloring of the sunlight is not unlike the coloring of the sky on Mars most of the time."

The uncropped Martian panorama has six Curiosity images stitched together. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

Correcting for that haze gives geologists a stable reference point, whether it's a dusty or clear day, said Mark Lemmon, a co-investigator on the Perseverance rover's Mastcam-Z, who wasn't involved in processing this particular image. It also lets scientists compare the terrain to Mars-like places on Earth where they have done much of their fieldwork. Without it, everything takes on the same dusty cast, and the color differences that reveal detail fade away. When a global dust storm engulfed the planet in 2018, the uncorrected view turned "virtually monochrome," he said.

So is the editing tricking us? In a sense, yes. But the unedited image can't claim to show the real Mars, either. True color, meaning what a person would actually see, is hard to pin down. The planet orbits about 1 1/2 times farther from the sun than Earth, so it gets less than half as much sunlight, Malin said. A visitor standing beside Curiosity that morning probably would peer into a murky landscape and see distant cliffs of light tan. The shadows would reveal little color or detail.

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But the visitor's own eyes would complicate things further because they don't hold a fixed setting. Given time, a person's brain would start doing what software does.

"If you spend time in a very colored environment, the brain starts to white balance the scene," Lemmon told Mashable. "So there is also something human in the white balancing." 

Scientists hope NASA's Curiosity rover reaches the base of the yardangs sometime in 2027. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech infographic

Is the camera tricking us, then? Mostly not. Lemmon traces the blue to the ground itself. Rocks scoured clean of dust and patches of wind-driven sand look gray to blue-gray, and against the surrounding reds, oranges, and yellows, they tend to look especially blue, he said. 

But the camera can deepen the effect, Malin said. A quarter of the sensor's light-detecting elements are designed to catch blue light, yet Martian sunlight carries very little of it. When the team calibrates the camera to compensate for that weak signal, the boost can overshoot and give gray rocks and dark shadows an extra blue tint. Even a well-calibrated camera records Mars in its dust-tinted light. Images that stop at calibration come out looking orange, he said, as the Viking landers' did in the 1970s. 

For research, both scientists say they prefer the corrected view. Neither could recall a case where the raw image actually revealed something the balanced one hid. But Malin cautioned that it's possible to go too far. Some people process images with harsh contrast that turns the colors "garish," and that can distract other scientists trying to interpret the rocks.

Inspecting rocks is what Curiosity has done since 2014, slowly climbing Mount Sharp, a three-mile-high mountain in Gale Crater stacked in layers, each one recording a different chapter of Martian history. Those layers tell of a world that once held lakes and streams, then dried out billions of years ago and left salty minerals behind. In August, the rover passed one kilometer — about 0.6 miles — of elevation gain, the highest any rover has climbed on Mars. 

The cliffs on the panorama's horizon are Curiosity's next major target. Scientists call them yardangs — ridges the wind carves over long stretches of time that form in sedimentary rock of a specific grain size, Malin said. They stretch about 10 miles across the mountain's northwest flank, and they puzzle the mission team. 

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter views dark patches between yardang ridges. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UArizona

"The yardang layer looks out of place," said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a statement, adding that its color is distinct from its surroundings, and the layer almost looks plastered on. One possibility is that ancient volcanoes blanketed the area in ash, but there are other hypotheses.

Color processing does somewhat shape how scientists read a feature like this, Lemmon said, and mostly for the better. But the yardang layer's prominence doesn't depend on editing. 

"The yardang unit stands out in images from orbit, too," he told Mashable.

Scientists hope Curiosity will reach the base of the yardangs sometime in 2027, and the rover's robotic arm can then gather close-up evidence of what they are.

In the meantime, the panorama gives the public rare insight into whether the Red Planet lives up to its name. People tend to picture Mars redder than it is, Lemmon said: "It is frequently much more butterscotch."

TL;DR: Target’s exclusive Owala holiday collection drops on Oct. 18. Eight new colorways are available to purchase this weekend.

Opens in a new window Credit: Owala Owala x Target   Shop Now

If your emotional support water bottle is due for a festive refresh, set an alarm on your phone right now: the first of several Owala holiday drops is officially hitting Target on Oct. 18. These will inevitably sell out quickly, so be warned.

The Target-exclusive collection spans eight colorways for the standard FreeSip 24oz and the contoured FreeSip Sway 30oz:

FreeSip 24oz

• Cozy Does It: A soft cream base paired with warm, knit-inspired accents.

• Bear Hug: Earthy brown tones with a teddy-bear plush aesthetic.

• Toile Be Home: Elegant cream toile print featuring delicate blue floral patterns.

• Take a Bow: Festive pastel pink wrapped with a subtle ribbon motif.

It doesn't get cosier than Cozy Does It. Credit: Owala FreeSip Sway 30oz

• Poinsettia: Metallic shimmer burgundy-red designed for the holiday table.

• Wintergreen: Deep pine green with a matte, frosted finish.

• Rose Quartz: Soft translucent pink hue with metallic undertones.

• Lightly Toasted: Warm golden-oat colorway with a matte finish.

Wintergreen gives off strong pine vibes. Credit: Owala

Limited-edition Owala drops at Target tend to disappear from shelves within hours. Just ask anyone desperately trying to hunt down Owala’s exclusive Pokémon bottles. We don't think this drop will have Pokémon-levels of interest, because nothing really does. But if you're interested, we recommend getting your affairs in order for Oct. 18. You might still need to act fast.