Mashable

SAVE $290: As of Jan. 7, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is on sale for $1,129.99 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra $1,129.99 at Amazon
$1,419.99 Save $290   Get Deal

Ready to kick off the new year with a new phone? Well you're in luck, because Amazon has a great discount on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. As of Jan. 7, this smartphone is down to $1,129.99, that's almost a $300 saving on the list price ($290 to be exact). This price is specific to the titanium whitesilver model, but you can find all color options reduced.

It's a great phone with a whole lot going for it, and it even made it onto our list of the best smartphones in 2025. Standout features include built-in AI which is used to handle multiple tasks at once, and quicker. Even the camera is AI-powered, using it to improve low-light video and reduce background noise for cleaner clips. Portrait photos are designed to look natural, with tools that balance skin tones and keep textures realistic.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

And if you’re switching from another phone, the Smart Switch feature will make it easy to move your photos, apps, messages, and contacts across in just a few steps.

It has an average battery life of 14 hours, so you'll be set for long days out of the house. And with the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, you're getting Samsung's smoothest performance yet.

Pick up this Samsung deal at Amazon now.

Fallout's second season is full of Easter eggs and references to the post-apocalyptic Bethesda games it's based on, including the enemies you try valiantly to avoid. Cooper (Walton Goggins) and Lucy (Ella Purnell) faced down radscorpions early this season, but in Season 2, episode 4, there's no getting around one of Fallout's mightiest foes.

The Deathclaw is HERE.

SEE ALSO: 'Fallout' Season 2 is full of game details. Here's a handy guide.

At the start of the fourth episode of Prime Video's series, we find ourselves back before the global nuclear holocaust, on the Alaskan Front during the war against the People's Liberation Army of China — the Chinese invasion of America is a major event in the Fallout games. Here, Cooper (Walton Goggins) is on the front line testing out that familiar T-45 power armor for the U.S. Marines. He orders his friend Dallas Goldtooth (Charles Whiteknife) back to base before hearing something in the chaos, an animal sound, as a horned beast emerges from the flames. As enemy troops pin Cooper down, the creature takes them all out, then shows its reptilian face, sharp claws, and long tail while giving Coop a major whiff of that maw.

Fans will probably recognise that face instantly as that of a Deathclaw, one of the apex predators that appear in basically every Fallout game. Not a boss you'd want to stumble across in the Wasteland, they're tough as nails — and extremely hard to beat without the games' signature aim-support V.A.T.S. system (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System).

Featured Video For You What tech would the 'Fallout' cast steal from the show?

Unluckily for our protagonists in the Fallout TV series, they don't have V.A.T.S., and it's not the last we see of the Deathclaws, with Cooper and Lucy unfortunately encountering one of the towering creatures on arrival in New Vegas in the same episode. Outside the Gomorrah Hotel and Casino, a key location from Fallout: New Vegas, the pair find the place strangely devoid of people — and full of irradiated, long-hatched eggs. Oh dear.

Out of the casino's illustrated flames emerges a mighty Deathclaw. This Reddit thread might help our heroes?

Fallout Season 2 is now streaming on Prime Video with a new episode every week.

Stephen Colbert has hit President Donald Trump where it hurts: in the ratings. Trump hosted the Kennedy Center Honors for the first time late last month, having boldly declared that the event would attract its highest ratings ever. As Colbert gleefully noted, the reality fell far short of that. Trump's hosting gig ultimately attracted just 3 million viewers on CBS — an all-time low. 

"Now, it is beneath me to gloat. But if it weren't beneath me, I'd call him no talent, low-rated Donald Trump," quipped Colbert, echoing Trump's frequently used turns of phrase.

Putting that viewer number into context, Colbert gleefully compared Trump's ratings to his own when he first hosted the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015. The Late Show host had attracted over three times as many viewers as Trump, with around 9.25 million people tuning in at the time.

"Trump's terrible numbers hurt more when you remember that he predicted it would be 'the highest rated show they've ever done,'" said Colbert. "Well, that's about as far off as a prediction could possibly be. Next to Amelia Earhart's famous words, 'One thing's for sure, I ain't getting lost.'"

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.

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

Insane.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

CRAZY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Glue.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 7, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

EPOXY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To rescind.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 7 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 7, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

QUASH

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A common American last name.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for January 7 Hurdle Word 4 answer

SMITH

Final Hurdle hint

Two on a dice.

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

DEUCE

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

TL;DR: Live stream the 2026 Winter Olympics for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

This is shaping up to be an absolutely huge year for sport. Sure, the World Cup is probably the biggest event on the calendar. But there are so many other massive moments to get excited about. And there's really no need to wait, because the action starts early in 2026.

The 2026 Winter Olympics is kicking things off in February with a host of top events including alpine skiing, ice hockey, bobsleigh, snowboarding, and so much more. You can stay warm and dry whilst the best of the best compete for medals. And better yet, you can follow all the action from Lombardy without spending anything.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

If you want to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the Winter Olympics?

The Winter Olympics is a major international event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. Eight sports and 15 disciplines will feature on the programme for the 2026 Winter Olympics 2026: Biathlon, Bobsleigh (Skeleton, Bobsleigh), Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge, Skating (Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating), Ski Mountaineering, and Skiing (Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard).

Norway leads the all-time medal record for the Winter Olympics.

When is the 2026 Winter Olympics?

The 2026 Winter Olympics is the 25th edition of the famous event. This year's event will take place on Feb. 6-22 at sites across Lombardy and Northeast Italy.

How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics for free

The 2026 Winter Olympics is available to live stream for free on a number of services:

• Australia — 9Now

• Austria — ORF

• Canada — CBC Gem

• France — France TV

• Germany — ZDF

• Ireland — RTÉ Player

• Italy — RAI

• Spain — RTVE

• UK — BBC iPlayer

These free live streams are geo-restricted, but anyone can bypass these restrictions with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, meaning you can acvcess free live streams of the 2026 Winter Olympics from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Winter Olympics 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 a location with free access

4. Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the 2026 Winter Olympics?

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

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2026 Winter Olympics for free with ExpressVPN.

From our view, the Moon is changing every night, shifting through the lunar cycle as different portions of its sunlit side become visible. But what does that mean for tonight's Moon? Keep reading to find out.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Jan. 7, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 80% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

There's lots to see tonight when you look up. Without any visual aids you'll be able to spot the Mares Imbrium and Tranquillitatis as well as the Kepler Crater. With binoculars you'll also see the the Gassendi and Alphonsus Craters, and the Mare Nectaris. Add a telescope to your lineup if you want to spot even more, including the as the Apollo 15 landing spot, the Schiller Crater, and the Descartes Highlands.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon completes one full orbit of its phases in around 29.5 days, a period referred to as the lunar cycle. As the Moon travels around the Earth, it passes through a sequence of distinct phases. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the portion lit by the Sun changes depending on its position in orbit. This variation in sunlight is what causes the Moon to appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The lunar cycle is made up of eight phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Motorola is taking another swing at foldables. The company announced the Razr Fold at CES 2020's Lenovo Tech World, introducing its newest flagship and a more ambitious take on the Razr formula.

Instead of leaning into nostalgia with the flip-style Razrs, the Razr Fold is marketed as a productivity device. Closed, it looks and feels like a standard smartphone thanks to a large 6.6-inch external display. Open it up, and it unfolds into an 8.1-inch 2K LTPO screen meant for multitasking.

SEE ALSO: Hands on at CES 2026: Lenovo debuts two new rollable concept laptops, including one that grows wider

Motorola is also pushing its on-device AI harder here. Features like Catch Me Up and Next Move are designed to surface reminders, context, and suggested actions without requiring constant switching between apps. It’s all part of Motorola Qira, the company’s new unified AI platform which ties Motorola and Lenovo devices together under one assistant.

Camera specs are predictably stacked: a triple 50MP rear setup, including a periscope telephoto, plus separate internal and external selfie cameras. There’s Dolby Vision video, stabilization, and a Sony LYTIA sensor doing most of the heavy lifting. Motorola also confirmed stylus support, which makes the foldable pitch feel a little more serious.

This wasn’t the only Razr news. Motorola also showcased a FIFA World Cup 2026 Edition Razr, featuring custom branding and software enhancements. Pricing and availability haven’t been detailed yet, but it's clear that Motorola wants the Razr to be not only cool, but useful as well.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you have a twin.

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 January 7, 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: Lookalike

• Green: A piece

• Blue: Seen on national pieces

• Purple: Squeezed

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Doppelganger

• Green: Portion

• Blue: Common flag symbols

• Purple: Pressed using a press

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 #941 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Doppelganger: CLONE, DOUBLE, MIRROR, RINGER

• Portion: CONCERN, INTEREST, SHARE, STAKE

• Common flag symbols: CRESCENT, CROSS, STAR STRIPE

• Pressed using a press: CIDER, GARLIC, TROUSERS, WINE

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 7, 2026

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

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 are easy if you're on top of your dental hygiene.

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 January 7, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 7, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Open wide

The words are related to hygiene.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe mouth cleaning.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Dentists Office.

NYT Strands word list for January 7

• Dentists Office

• Floss

• Drill

• Mirror

• Fluoride

• Toothbrush

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 love nutty foods.

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 January 7, 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for January 7, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A nut.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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...

PECAN

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 7, 2026

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

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.

Six months after sending the world's first rollable laptop to market, Lenovo is back with two new concept PCs that have expanding screens. The tech giant unveiled the business-oriented ThinkPad Rollable XD Concept and the gaming-ready Legion Pro Rollable Concept at CES 2026 Tuesday, arriving on the heels of extensive leaks. Mashable was among the first to demo Lenovo's new laptops in the company's private showroom.

SEE ALSO: Hands on at CES 2026: Lenovo's voice-controlled twisting laptop arrives

Like last year's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable AI, these two Windows laptops were birthed from Lenovo's desire to play around with OLED panels, which are super thin and bendy. Both devices seem quite polished even though they're just prototypes, so I'd imagine getting them market-ready would just involve some further durability and stability testing. (Lenovo mentioned that they were delicate before letting us get our hands on them.)

View this post on Instagram

Even if that never happens, I think we can already chalk up these rollables as a win for the company's engineering team. They already work as intended and look sick while they're at it.

Lenovo's ThinkPad Rollable XD boasts an extendable double-sided screen Left: Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable Right: Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable

The ThinkPad Rollable XD has an expandable display that can grow from 13.3 to nearly 16 inches tall, bumping its screen real estate by 50 percent in seconds. It looks a lot like the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 when you're facing it straight-on, but it has an extra gimmick. Its OLED display wraps 180 degrees over the top edge of its lid to create a second "world-facing" display on the back.

Lenovo said it developed a transparent glass cover in partnership with Corning to protect the portion of the OLED panel that curves behind its main "user-facing" display. This has an aesthetic bonus: You can see the fiber cables and motors that power its "rolling" mechanism. (This is now housed in the device's lid instead of its base.) It's such a flex on Lenovo's part.

Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable

You can control the height of the ThinkPad Rollable XD's display by pressing a button or by swiping a finger across the edge of its lid — every part of it has touchscreen capabilities. It doesn't respond to voice commands or hand gestures like last year's rollable, but remember: It's just a concept for now. Both control options could wind up on a market-ready model eventually.

Left: Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable Right: Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable Lenovo's Legion Pro Rollable practically has an entire hidden monitor

Lenovo's second new concept laptop at CES, the Legion Pro Rollable, has a 240Hz OLED display that expands from both sides. It can grow from 16 inches in "Focus Mode" (its standard "unrolled" size) to 21.5 inches in "Tactical Mode," and expands a full two feet in "Arena Mode." It's basically producing an external monitor out of nowhere. For those who need more screen real estate, I think it would feel more instinctive than a dual-screen gaming laptop like the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo.

Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable

I noticed some skid marks on the Legion Pro Rollable's screen when it unfurled (seemingly from an internal mechanism), but they were superficial and wiped off easily. There was some subtle creasing where the OLED panel retreated into its housing. Like I said, any market-readiness polishing will probably entail some build quality improvements. Lenovo states that it's currently rated to last 25,000 roll cycles.

The Legion Pro Rollable will be configured like Lenovo's Legion Pro 7i, a premium 16-inch laptop for competitive PC gamers. Think high-end Intel Core processors, a Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, and a ton of ports.

Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable

Aesthetically, it's decked out with RGB accent lighting: There's an RGB keyboard, a glowy "Legion" logo on its lid, and dynamic rainbow LED strips lining its chunky rear fan vents. It's almost Lisa Frankian in its gaudiness — you can't look away.

Heft and heat are two obvious downsides to making a laptop this flashy. It was blasting out hot air while we demoed it, and we didn't even have a game pulled up.

Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable

While neither prototype is guaranteed to hit shelves, the arrival of the original Lenovo rollable laptop two years after its conceptual debut gives me hope that we'll able to buy them in a couple years. Considering the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 retailed for $3,499.99, I would start saving now.

[UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL JAN 6 AT 8PM ET/5PM PT]

Lenovo's voice-controlled twisting laptop is officially hitting the market later this year, and Mashable got to go hands-on with it at CES 2026. The PC giant still has one kink to iron out before it lands in consumers' hands this summer, but overall the device is a fun and constructive twist on the 2-in-1 form factor.

Announced Tuesday, the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist is a unique hybrid business PC with a swiveling 14-inch touchscreen that rotates on a motorized hinge. The user can open, close, and reposition its lid manually or by saying "Hey Tiko" followed by a voice command. If necessary, you can switch it between clamshell and tablet modes without lifting a finger. The screen can turn 90 degrees to the right and a full 180 degrees to the left.

Do the twist. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Auto Twist has some other fun tricks up its sleeve. Its 10MP webcam can follow your face, and if you scoot too far to one side of the frame, the device will automatically adjust the position of its display to make sure it's always facing you. This seems perfect for presentations.

Additionally, the Auto Twist's webcam supports an AI-powered "Desk View" feature that lets it look around and analyze objects near it. A Lenovo rep had it sniff out a spec card that was sitting next to it; the device's lid swiveled around so that the camera could find and scan its contents. It also clocked the dimensions and price point of the spiral-bound notebook I was holding while standing in front of it. (Six-by-eight inches, $5 to $10, college-ruled.)

Hey chat. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Booting up the Auto Twist's "Companion Mode" puts a pair of eyes on its screen that reminded me of a minimalist Nick Jr. "Face." When you chat with it, the screen's position moves as it "thinks" and "emotes." Necessary? No. Cute? Kinda!

I ran into one snag whenever I manually rotated the Auto Twist's screen back up from tablet mode, which would cause its picture to get stuck upside-down. A Lenovo rep was able to re-orient it in the settings menu, but I'm hoping a fix is coming pre-release.

Left: Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable Right: Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Auto Twist initially debuted as a prototype at the IFA trade show in September 2024. Lenovo says the market-ready version has a faster, quieter, smoother, and more durable hinge with a refined electromotor design. It also got upgraded with a nicer 2.8K OLED display.

The Auto Twist is powered by an Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processor with integrated Intel Graphics, up to 32GB of memory, and up to 2TB of storage. Its OLED screen has a 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness. Its Dolby Atmos speakers rotate with the screen so that they're always front-facing, ensuring clear audio quality.

Super sleek. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Auto Twist hasn't been rated for battery life, but Lenovo notes in a press release that its 75Wh battery "provides long-lasting productivity."

The device is equipped with a decent mix of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. It measures 0.63 to 0.94 inches thin, and it starts at 3.09 pounds. It comes in a Luna Gray finish, and it's set for release in June with a base cost of $1,649.

You know you twist so fine. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Auto Twist marks Lenovo's third crack at a laptop with a twisting display after 2012's ThinkPad Twist and 2023's ThinkPad Plus Twist. The latter was quirkier in that it had an second e-ink touchscreen on the back of its lid, though neither older device supported voice commands, giving the Auto Twist an edge from an accessibility standpoint.

The Auto Twist isn't to be confused with Lenovo's ThinkBook VertiFlex Concept from IFA 2025, which had a screen that rotated from landscape to portrait mode similar to a Samsung Sero TV. Lenovo's communications manager Jeff Witt told me via email that it's still just a concept — for now. "Give us some time," he said.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

For the past couple of years, tech companies have been pushing to make a wearable AI companion that actually breaks into the mainstream. Whether that company ends up being Motorola remains to be seen, but the smartphone maker is clearly angling for a shot. At CES 2026, Motorola debuted a new wearable AI proof of concept for guests and press during its Lenovo World Tour event.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026: JBL's new open earbuds lineup gives listeners 5 unique options

I had the chance to see the device in action a few days earlier at a private media preview, where company spokespeople were careful to stress that this is very much a proof-of-concept device. What they showed us works largely as you’d expect this category of hardware to function right now. Powered by Motorola’s new AI assistant, Qira, the wearable can identify and explain objects in front of you, summarize information, and even navigate to events by launching apps on a paired phone.

Credit: Motorola

The device itself is small and minimalist, resembling a chunky pendant more than a traditional gadget. It’s encased in a glossy, pearl-like shell with softly rounded edges and hangs from a thin necklace chain. A subtle Motorola logo sits near the center, while a small camera lens and sensor array are positioned at one end. Aside from a narrow speaker slit and tiny pinhole microphones, there are no visible buttons or displays.

In practice, it teeters on the edge of being an agentic AI. Rather than just spitting out directions, the device actually opened Google Maps on the demo phone and entered the destination on its own. Some of the demos, however, felt redundant — including one where a spokesperson held up an event flyer, and the device more or less repeated the text verbatim, with only minimal added context about the speakers.

Still, Motorola may have an opening here. The bar for minimalist, wearable AI remains unsurprisingly low. Humane’s AI Pin flamed out almost immediately, criticized for its limited usefulness and high price. The Friend necklace followed, drawing immediate backlash for allegedly borrowing its design from someone else.

Motorola was clear that this wearable is still a long way from any commercial release.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

One of the coolest parts of CES is getting to preview the future of technology. LG’s iRobot-like helper robot and Sony’s XYN headset are two such examples from last year's event. Those are rather large and ambitious tech projects, but Lenovo is tackling a different sort of problem with its Self-Charging Kit Concept, which consists of a solar-powered mouse and keyboard that can charge themselves without natural sunlight

Lenovo says this technology provides "one of the industry's first true no-charging" experiences.

Credit: Lenovo

The tech uses what Lenovo calls “next-level light-harvesting technology,” which charges the mouse and keyboard using indoor light as low as 50 lux. For reference, most grocery stores are somewhere between 200 and 500 lux, so 50 lux would be equivalent to an overcast day, give or take.

These days, virtually every device comes with a throwaway USB-C charging cable, and we love the idea of having a truly wireless gadget with no charging required. Based on product images, it appears that the charging panel is right above the arrow keys on the keyboard and integrated into the mouse’s entire top side. 

Lenovo was a little vague in terms of other features, but based on the concept images, there are three Bluetooth buttons, indicating that the kit will be able to connect to multiple devices with the push of a button, and an eco mode button that will likely reduce functionality to help the battery last longer.

Credit: Lenovo

Lenovo gets points for having such a neat concept, especially one that can charge in such low light. This concept already exists in some products, such as this Logitech solar-powered keyboard, which can hold its charge for up to three months in total darkness. However, Logitech’s documentation says that keyboard needs at least 100 lux to charge, so Lenovo’s concept not only has a cleaner design, but also works in much dimmer lighting. 

Since this is a concept product, there is no release date or price tag. For comparison’s sake, Logitech’s previous solar model sells for $300 when not on sale.

Lenovo has debuted a ton of new concept products and AI laptops for CES 2026, and Mashable got the chance to spend some hands-on time with the products. Check our CES 2026 hub for the latest news and updates as Mashable reports live from the biggest show in tech.

Smart glasses are a major trend this year at CES 2026, and though TCL has been in the space for a while, its RayNeo glasses haven't made as many waves as competitors like Meta Ray-Ban and Xreal. That could be about to change. At CES, the brand announced the upcoming launch of the TCL RayNeo Air 4 Pro, which boasts an HDR-capable Micro-OLED display and a very competitive price tag.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026 live updates: See the latest news, surprises, and strange tech from LG, Samsung, Lego, and new startups

The TCL RayNeo Air 4 Pro will officially launch on Jan. 25 for $299, significantly less than similar augmented reality smart glasses. Not only that, but TCL says the Air 4 Pro is the world’s first HDR10-enabled AR glasses.

The Air 4 Pro operates like other AR glasses, and they have to be tethered to a connected smartphone or laptop via USB-C. They project a virtual screen in the surrounding environment, letting you bring an extra screen with you wherever you go.

The TCL RayNeo Air 4 Pro will be released Jan. 25. Credit: TCL Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

I got the chance to demo the glasses ahead of their official launch, and the display was surprisingly crisp, bright, and colorful. I've been testing the Xreal One Pro AR glasses for a few months now, and the difference in the display quality was immediately noticeable. While the Xreal display can be a bit dim, the new RayNeo AR glasses were almost too bright.

In addition to the impressive Micro-OLED display, the glasses feature Bang & Olufsen speakers and AI 3D video conversion, though I wasn't able to test these capabilities during the demo.

The TCL RayNeo Air 4 Pro glasses have an impressive specs list as well:

• Display: SeeYa 0.6-inch Micro-OLED display

• Processor: Vision 4000 processor

• Brightness: Up to 1,200 nits

• Color accuracy: 98% DCI-P3

• Refresh rate: 60 to 120 Hz

• Weight: 76 grams

In addition to the RayNeo Air 4 Pro, TCL also showed off its RayNeo X3 Pro Project eSIM, a new concept pair of AR glasses with a built-in eSim. TCL says the RayNeo X3 Pro Project eSIM glasses are another world-first, and they have embedded eSIM (4G) connectivity that would let them operate untethered from a smartphone or laptop. Of course, those would likely be very expensive, as the just-launched standard RayNeo X3 Pro without an eSIM is priced at $1,299.

That said, untethered AR glasses have obvious benefits. They also look a lot cooler than some other alternatives, which I think is self-evident in my photos from the demo.

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

TL;DR: Invest easier and more confidently with a lifetime subscription to Sterling Stock Picker, now just $55.19 (reg. $486) with code STOCKS20.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sterling Stock Picker Sterling Stock Picker: Lifetime Subscription $55.19
$486 Save $430.81   Get Deal

The stock market can be complicated, but there’s now an app that can make it a whole lot easier. Sterling Stock Picker helps you make informed decisions on when to buy, sell, and hold stocks and can even build your portfolio for you.

Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to Sterling Stock Picker for only $55.19 with code STOCKS20 (reg. $486).

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

If you’ve avoided investing because the stock market seems overwhelming, it’s time to check out Sterling Stock Picker. This AI-powered, award-winning app simplifies the stock market so you can make confident choices without stress.

Sterling Stock Picker’s North Star Rating System helps you decide when to buy, sell, hold, or avoid certain stocks. It also includes a five-minute questionnaire to determine your risk preferences and personal values, guiding you toward the best stocks for your portfolio.

If you’d rather be hands-off, Sterling Stock Picker offers a Done-for-You Portfolio Builder that creates a diversified portfolio tailored to your risk tolerance and investment goals.

You’ll also have access to Finley, Sterling Stock Picker AI’s financial coach. If you have any questions about your portfolio, individual stocks, or the market in general, Finley is there to help. There’s also a community chat forum for you to connect with fellow investors.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced at CES 2026 in Las Vegas this week that its new superchip platform, dubbed Vera Rubin, was on schedule and set to be released later this year.

The news was one of the key takeaways from the highly anticipated keynote from Huang. Nvidia is the dominant player powering the AI industry, so a new line of chips is obviously a big deal. Here are four things to know as we await Vera Rubin's drop later this year.

1. There are 6 new chips across the Rubin platform

Nvidia introduced six chips on the so-called Rubin platform, one of which is the so-called Vera Rubin superchip that combines one Vera CPU and two Rubin GPUs in a processor.

"Rubin arrives at exactly the right moment, as AI computing demand for both training and inference is going through the roof," Huang said in a statement. "With our annual cadence of delivering a new generation of AI supercomputers — and extreme codesign across six new chips — Rubin takes a giant leap toward the next frontier of AI."

2. The new line of chips is aimed at big companies

Massive AI companies will look to package different parts of this new line of chips together to make massive supercomputers that power their products.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026 live updates: See the latest news, surprises, and strange tech from LG, Samsung, Lego, and new startups

"These huge systems are what hyperscalers like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and social media giant Meta are spending billions of dollars to get their hands on," wrote Yahoo.

3. We're not exactly sure where production is on the Vera Rubin

Nvidia assured the public the chips were set to be released this year, but when, exactly, remains unclear.

"Typically, production for chips this advanced—which Nvidia is building with its longtime partner TSMC—starts at low volume while the chips go through testing and validation and ramps up at a later stage," wrote Wired.

There had been rumors of delays, so the announcement at CES seems aimed at quelling those fears.

4. The chips should make AI more efficient

Nvidia has promised the Vera Rubin superchips are powerful and more efficient, which should, in turn, make AI products relying on them more efficient. That's why major companies will likely be lining up to purchase the new line of products. Huang said the Rubin chips could generate tokens — the units used to measure output — ten times more efficiently.

We're still waiting to get all the details — and to see when the chips actually hit the market — but the announcement certainly was a major bit of AI news out of CES.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

CES is all about wacky concepts, and Razer brought one of its own to the 2026 showcase.

The gaming accessory giant unveiled a concept gaming headset called Project Motoko that does more than just deliver audio and accommodate voice chat with friends. Much more, in fact. Motoko is actually a wireless AI wearable that's compatible with all the big AI systems like Gemini and OpenAI and does a lot of the same things that a pair of smart glasses could do. Just, you know, in the form of a headset instead of glasses.

SEE ALSO: 8 gadgets from CES 2026 that you can buy right now: Dell, Xreal, Soundcore, more

By that, I mean it can use first-person cameras positioned on the front of the device to recognize objects and text in real-time, with language translation and document scanning provided as examples by Razer.

It's also got multiple on-board microphones for recognizing voice commands for whichever AI assistant you feel like using. It really does seem, feature-wise, like it's got parity with any number of AI-powered smart glasses that are on the market today, but just in a different form factor.

Of course, the difference is that those glasses are actually on the market and Project Motoko is not. This is just a concept, with no release date or price at the moment.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

Neurable’s pitch at CES 2026 is bold: what if performance tracking didn’t just include your mouse, keyboard, or heart rate, but also included your thoughts?

That idea is now packed into a pair of chunky-but-surprisingly-comfortable gaming headphones, built in partnership with HP's HyperX brand. Inside the headset are EEG sensors designed to read brain signals in real-time, allowing Neurable’s software to track focus, cognitive load, and reaction speed while you play.

Credit: Chance Townsend / Mashable

I tried Neurable’s neurotech headphones during a private demo with the team inside the Palazzo, away from the chaos of the show floor. The headset features thick earcups and fabric padding that are designed to conceal EEG sensors without resembling lab equipment.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026 live updates: See the latest news, surprises, and strange tech from LG, Samsung, Lego, and new startups

It should be noted that Neurable didn’t start in gaming. Much of the company’s underlying tech was developed in academic settings and tested with the Department of Defense, including applications for monitoring brain health after blast exposure.

The headset supports live metrics for streamers and coaches, including focus, cognitive speed, and “brain battery,” a measure meant to indicate when you’re mentally fatigued and should probably take a break.

Before any "performance boost" happens, the system establishes a baseline. Sitting at a demo station, I watched a live graph respond to nothing more than my thoughts: focusing pushed the line upward, distraction pulled it back down. No calibration session, no gel caps, no wires running across my scalp — something CEO Ramses Alcaide emphasized as a major hurdle Neurable claims to have solved using AI-driven signal processing.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026: AMD says 'You ain't seen nothing yet' on AI

From there, the demo moved into Aimlabs, a familiar FPS training tool used by esports players to measure accuracy and reaction time. The goal is to hit as many targets as possible in a fixed time window. My first run went well, though not spectacularly, and was also hindered by the fact that my contact lenses kept sliding every time I focused too hard.

That baseline run mattered because it set the stage for PRIME.

PRIME is Neurable’s neurofeedback system, and it’s best described as a personalized meditation warm-up for your brain. Instead of asking you to "clear your mind" in the abstract, PRIME visualizes your focus and cognitive load in real time. As you relax and concentrate, dots on the screen slowly collapse into a single point — feedback that your brain is entering an optimal state.

Alicia Howell-Munson, the research scientist who developed PRIME, described it less as a relaxation exercise and more as cognitive tuning. The session lasted just over a minute for me. Others, I was told, can take anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes, depending on fatigue, stress, or how far off their baseline they are that day.

When it ended, I felt oddly alert. Not wired, but ready. The best comparison I can make is the feeling right after a good meditation session, except with a clearer sense of purpose. Unfortunately, my contacts were still drifting.

Credit: Chance Townsend / Mashable

After PRIME, I retook the same Aimlabs test. Despite my eyes fighting me, the numbers improved. I hit more targets, and my reaction time dropped noticeably, from roughly 500 milliseconds down into the mid-450s.

That aligns with what Neurable claims to have observed in early testing. According to the company, everyday gamers and esports athletes using PRIME showed average reaction time improvements of around 40 milliseconds, along with gains in accuracy and target hits. In competitive contexts, those margins matter.

The feeling afterward was quite pleasant, all things considered. Everything on screen felt slightly slower, but I was reacting more quickly. Alcaide described it as "bullet time for your brain," which sounds corny until you experience it.

While still a proof of concept, the team has high expectations to have this headset on the market in the very near future.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

I spent many nights of sleep over a few months trying out earplugs and earbuds ranging from $50 to $349 to find the best of what's out on the market — and to see if getting earbuds just for sleep is actually worth it.

As a note, we generally no longer recommend the Ozlo Sleepbuds as their price point isn't on par with the features offered by their competitors. At their full price point, I'd say to skip them. However, if you're especially intrigued by their design (and have no qualms with the lack of ANC), grabbing them for $299 instead of their usual $349 is the absolute most we'd recommend paying for these earbuds to get true value.

SEE ALSO: Dodow review: A simple sleep gadget that's best for back sleepers The best earbuds for sleeping

Below, I pulled three of the best sleep earbuds on the market. Between the overall best, upgrade, and earplug picks, there's a wide range of price points, but as with any product, the most expensive of the bunch isn't necessarily the best overall. With that in mind, I highlighted where each earbud excelled, whether that be in comfort, noise cancellation, or ease of use, to help you pick the best sleep earbud possible.

UPDATE: Aug. 18, 2025, 9:45 a.m. EDT As of April 2024, the Ozlo Sleepbuds increased in price from $299 to $349 on Ozlo's website and Amazon in the United States due to tariffs. While we initially scaled back our recommendation to only grabbing them on sale, since testing the Soundcore Sleep A30s, which offer similar feature sets for far less, we no longer recommend the Ozlo Sleepbuds as one of our top pick sleep earbuds.

How are sleep earbuds different than normal earbuds?

A confession: I used to wear AirPods nearly every night to sleep. More accurately, I used to wear a single AirPod so I could actually sleep on my side.

After testing earbuds designed for sleeping, I can tell you that everyday earbuds don't match up to the sleep earbud experience. For starters, standard earbuds aren't designed to be worn while you're lying on your side, so they often stick out of your ears and put hard plastic in contact with your ear. Not to mention, earbuds typically cap out at six to seven hours of battery life per charge, so if you're getting at least eight hours of sleep, you run the risk of interrupting it with the sound of your earbuds powering off.

Sleep earbuds, like the Soundcore A20 ones pictured in the middle, have a much thinner profile than traditional earbuds. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Sleep earbuds, on the other hand, can offer white noise options, better battery life, and significantly more comfort (that actually allows you to wear more than one earbud at a time). The pairs I tested came without microphones and with touch controls that worked but were less sensitive than traditional earbuds, so you can lie on your side without activating them. When I initially tested options for this guide, there weren't really any with active noise cancellation, but that has since changed thanks to the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds. Still, you'd be surprised at how well passive noise cancellation, a good fit, and white noise work.

SEE ALSO: The 7 best earbuds to buy in 2025 from Bose, Sony, and more Is it safe to wear earbuds to sleep every night?

First and foremost, it's important to consider that sleep earbuds aren't the only way to approach nighttime noises that might be keeping you up.

I consulted Dr. Ashley Kita, an otolaryngologist and assistant professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA, to discuss any risks associated with wearing earbuds all night. While she didn't warn against using earbuds, she suggested that if what's keeping you up is a partner's snoring, you start looking for solutions there.

SEE ALSO: Loop earplugs are actually worth it — here's how to choose the right pair

"If you're doing all of this to avoid a partner who is snoring, sometimes gently encouraging that person to investigate why they're snoring is kind of an important consideration," Kita said. "Because we find that obstructive sleep apnea is really underdiagnosed, and snoring, for some people, is the only sign of it."

If, however, what's keeping you up is less in your control, then you do want to be aware of three main aspects of using earbuds all night: proper hygiene, safe noise levels, and your ear comfort.

Proper hygiene

When I started testing these earbuds, I realized I was now wearing earbuds uninterrupted for longer than I typically would in the course of a day, even as someone who tests headphones for a living. When I asked Dr. Kita how that wear time might raise someone's risk for infection, she drew a comparison to the wear time of hearing aids:

"Many individuals wear hearing aids for longer hours during the day than they sleep at night," she said. And yet, folks who wear hearing aids don't often have ear infections, though long wear times may increase their risk.

SEE ALSO: How to set up Hearing Aid mode on your AirPods

With the long wear times, Kita said the main concern she could anticipate was wax buildup since the natural path for wax to exit the ear canal would be blocked. However, she said it's not necessarily a cause for concern, as wax can typically exit the ear canal at other points during the day when you're not wearing earbuds (or blocking your ear canal in any other way).

As for any heightened infection risk, Kita shared that it can increase when there's greater wax buildup that can then trap bacteria. She recommended cleaning the buds with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton pad after each use, if possible. (One of the brands we tested, Ozlo, recommends a weekly cleaning.) With all that said, someone's risk for infection really comes down to personal susceptibility — some people are more prone to ear infections than others. If you fall into that category, being more proactive about cleaning your earbuds is a good practice.

Noise levels

Noise-induced hearing loss is the second most common type of hearing loss (behind age-related hearing loss), so it's important to be aware of the level of noise you expose yourself to. Kita pointed me in the direction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) chart for how long people can be exposed to certain decibel levels safely.

In its FAQ, Ozlo also cites OSHA's recommendation, as well as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's recommendations, which top out at 90 decibels and 85 decibels for eight hours, respectively. We reached out to a rep from Soundcore to see if its earbuds have specific upper decibel limits, and will update this guide when we hear back. In general, though, Kita said the less noise, the better, recommending that you always try to use the lowest volume possible.

SEE ALSO: Video game industry makes it easier to find accessible games for disabled players

"While I don't necessarily love the idea of extra noise when you're not even conscious to appreciate it, if it's the thing that's keeping you asleep or letting you sleep, it just comes in this category of risks and benefits," Kita said. "Just make sure that it's quiet enough, then it really isn't that much different than using a white noise machine on your nightstand."

Comfort

Earbuds fitting comfortably is important for you to be able to fall asleep, but also for your ear health.

"Everyone's ear canal is shaped differently," Kita said. "And so something that might be really comfortable for your ears might really cause my ears to ache."

In other words, giving yourself earbuds-induced earaches every night can actually impact your ear health. If one of the below recommendations really isn't sitting right, even with adjustments to the ear tip sizes, don't be afraid to return them.

Other sleep earbuds we tested

At the end of the initial testing period, the one product that didn't make the cut was the 1More Sleeping Earbuds Z30, which, at $89.99, were the least expensive earbuds I tested. While significantly cheaper than the earbuds that did make the cut, their battery life, app features, and fit didn't quite match up to the other options on my list. However, if you're looking for very barebones low-profile earbuds (and don't mind hearing them die in the early hours of the morning), these aren't a bad option under $100.

1More Sleeping Earbuds Z30 $59.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

In keeping up with my value criteria, I decided to ultimately pull the Ozlo Sleepbuds as our best upgrade pick. After their price jumped up from $299 to $349 — far outpricing our existing picks (and most premium standard ANC earbuds, for that matter) — I determined their features didn't justify their price tag. The addition of sleep tracking (which is in the works) or ANC would make these earbuds much more competitive. On that note, the newly-released Soundcore Sleep A30 took their spot, as the only sleep earbuds with ANC on the market at the time of writing.

Ozlo Sleepbuds $274 at Amazon
$349 Save $75   Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Ozlo

Next up in our testing pipeline is the Sleep A30 Special earbuds from Soundcore, announced at CES 2026. The model is an upgrade to one of our existing picks, the Sleep A30 earbuds, with improved battery life and a lower price point at $199.