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Labor Day Weekend Travel: What To Do If Your Flight Is Delayed Or Canceled


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Labor Day Weekend Travel: What to Do if Your Flight Is Delayed or Canceled


Labor Day Weekend Travel: What to Do if Your Flight Is Delayed or Canceled

What's happening

An estimated 12.8 million Americans will fly over Labor Day weekend.

Why it matters

While air travel has returned to pre-pandemic levels, many airlines are still plagued by significant delays and cancellations.

Labor Day is here and, despite ongoing flight disruptions and high ticket prices, an estimated 12.6 million Americans will be flying over the three-day holiday weekend, according to data from travel site Hopper.

American Airlines alone estimates 2.5 million customers will board 26,400 scheduled flights through Monday. 

Many of those fliers will face delays and cancellations. On average, 23% of flights in August were delayed from departing US airports, an increase of nearly 30% compared to 2019. And cancellation rates last month were more than double their 2019 rates, as airlines mobilize to address staff shortages, pickets, weather disruptions and other issues.

By 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, American Airlines had already reported 100 delayed flights, according to the website FlightAware, and 23 cancellations. Industrywide, more than 800 flights within, into, or out of the United States have been delayed Thursday morning and 102 canceled.

Analysts don't expect schedules will get back to normal until at least the fall, when demand settles down and new hires have had time to be trained up. 

If you're flying over Labor Day, here's what you need to know about avoiding a travel nightmare, what the airlines owe you if there's a cancellation or delay, and more. 

For more travel tips, here are some great travel gadgets, guidance on renewing your passport online and 19 things to add to your travel checklist. before leaving home.

Why have there been so many delays and cancellations?

canceled flights on board

Layoffs and contract buyouts during the pandemic have left many airlines short-staffed, fueling ongoing delays and cancellations.

Getty Images

Since Memorial Day, US-based airlines canceled more than 50,000 flights and delayed over a half-million, according to NPR. Delta said it canceled 100 scheduled daily flights in the US and Latin America between July 1 and Aug. 7. Southwest Airlines nixed almost 20,000 summer flights.   
The biggest factor has been that airlines are incredibly short-staffed. When the pandemic slowed air travel to a trickle, many carriers bought out employees' contracts and encouraged older pilots to take early retirement.

As a result, from December 2019 to December 2020, the number of airline workers shrank by at least 114,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Now carriers are clamoring to staff back up, but they're finding it hard to fill positions. 

The shortages extend to ground staff, baggage handlers, gate personnel and other workers, FlightAware spokesperson Kathleen Bangs told CNET. "They did a lot of buyouts during the pandemic. It's a remarkable growth period and they're just back-footed." 

It's particularly acute with pilots because it can take up to five years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to train someone to fly a commercial airplane.

"Most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren't enough pilots, at least not for the next five-plus years," United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a quarterly earnings call back in April, NBC News reported.

Extreme weather has also added to the problem: Severe thunderstorms have caused multiple delays and flight cancellations, and that's aside from hurricane and wildfire season. Aircraft can fly at lower altitudes to try to avoid storm systems, but that burns more fuel -- a dicey proposition given the high cost of jet fuel. 

How to avoid having your flight delayed or canceled

There isn't much you can do to prevent a delay or cancellation. But there are some common-sense steps that will give you a better shot at making it to your destination -- or at least relaxing at home or in a hotel room, rather than stewing in the airport.

The American Airlines mobile app

Download your airline's mobile app to keep on top of changes to your flight schedule.

Pavlo Gonchar/Getty Images

Leave extra time for layovers. You might think an hour is plenty of time to get from one gate to another, especially in the same terminal. But if the first leg of your journey is delayed that hour can turn into 30 minutes. And with most airlines closing the plane doors about 15 minutes prior to departure, you could easily miss your connection.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Denver International Airport (DEN) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) top the list of busiest hubs over the Labor Day holiday, according to Hopper.

Don't book a late-night flight. If you miss a connection, most airlines will work diligently to get you on the next available flight. But if you booked the last flight of the day to your destination, that may mean having to wait until morning -- and either pacing through the airport for hours or booking a night in a nearby hotel. 

Download the airline's app on your phone. Opt into flight notifications and start manually checking the status of your flight regularly, at least 24 hours in advance. As soon as you hear your flight has been cut, find out if you've been transferred to another flight.

Monitor the weather at both your departure and arrival airports. Start checking the weather in both places a few days before your flight. Some airlines will actually reschedule your flight in advance of a major weather front at no extra charge. If a storm is on its way, you might consider leaving a few days earlier or later or finding a different route.

Buy travel insurance. Depending on why your flight is canceled or delayed, the airline might not comp any meals, accommodations or transport you're forced to purchase. The payout for travel insurance may not cover all of your expenses, but it will definitely be more than the cost of a policy, typically 5% to 10% of your trip cost.

What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

Time is of the essence, so be proactive about rescheduling your flight. 

"A lot of the time you can reschedule yourself on the flight of your choice" using the airline's app, said David Slotnick, senior aviation reporter for The Points Guy. "It'll save you a lot of time and aggravation." (Like CNET, The Points Guy is owned by Red Ventures.)

If that's not possible, call the airline. Even if you get sent to an automated system, it may have a call-back function. You can still call if you're already at the airport. Do it while you're in line to talk to an agent and take whichever option is available first.

What does the airline owe you if your flight is canceled?

Frustrated man at airport counter

While some airlines are able to get you booked on a different carrier if your flight is canceled, not all can.

Dmitry Marchenko/Getty Images

In the US, if a flight is canceled because of something that is the airline's fault -- a mechanical issue or a staffing shortage -- the carrier is required to refund your ticket.

"If you get canceled for any reason -- you don't take your flight -- they have to offer you a cash refund," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told NPR. "If you'd rather take miles or a different flight, fine. But that's up to you, not them. They've got to give you a refund. That's a basic rule,"  

The Department of Transportation website mandates airlines must also refund the cost of your ticket after a schedule change or significant delay, but the agency hasn't defined what constitutes a "significant delay."

"Whether you are entitled to a refund depends on many factors -- including the length of the delay, the length of the flight and your particular circumstances," according to the DOT website. Whether a refund following a significant delay is warranted is determined "on a case-by-case basis." 

If you don't request a refund, the airline is still responsible for getting you to your destination. But it could be much later than your original flight. Under most circumstances, carriers should provide vouchers for meals and hotels.

Make your plans quickly, though: Airport hotels fill up quickly amid widespread delays and cancellations.

Some airlines will work to get you on another flight with a different airline, Slotnick said, but not every airline has relationships with other carriers. 

What are airlines doing to address delays and cancellations?

Hiring more employees. "All the airlines are doing major hiring initiatives," Slotnick said. "They're rushing to hire pilots and deploy them." They're also trying to improve work conditions for existing workers: In April, Delta announced it would start paying flight attendants during boarding, rather than just once the plane door closes.

The move, a first for a major US airline, is seen as a countermeasure to a unionization push among workers.

Scheduling more flights. Someairlines are boosting service in popular corridors when they can. "They're trying to strike the right balance between adding flights and creating some slack in the system," Slotnick said.

For example, United Airlines recently launched or resumed 30 flights between the US and Europe, its largest expansion ever. Regular flights from Denver to Munich, Chicago to Zurich and New York to Bergen, Norway, are underway, as well as daily service between Boston and London.

When fully operational, United's transatlantic route network will be more than 25% larger than it was in 2019, before COVID-19 cratered air travel.

Plane coming in for a landing at SFO

Some airlines have ramped up their roster of scheduled flights, while others have pared down to avoid having to cancel them later.

James Martin/CNET

Scheduling fewer flights. Otherairlines are going in the opposite direction, reducing their capacity rather than risk being forced to cancel a scheduled flight. JetBlue has already reduced its May routes by almost 10%, Conde Nast Traveler reported, and will likely make similar cuts throughout the summer.

"By reducing our flight schedule for the summer and continuing to hire new crewmembers, we hope to have more breathing room in the system to help ease some of the recent delays and cancellations that we've seen in the industry," a JetBlue spokesperson told the outlet. 

Southwest Airlines, the world's largest low-cost carrier, cut more than 8,000 domestic flights in June "to adjust to capacity," the company told The Business Journals. 

Delta  "temporarily cut" some Labor Day weekend flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and New York's LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports to deal with a large number of airline crew members and air traffic controllers who have already called in sick, The Washington Times reported.

Giving passengers more notice. All the airlines are making a concerted effort to give passengers as much information as possible, Slotnick said, through text updates and other notifications.

"Even a year before the pandemic, airlines were trying to be proactive about informing passengers, even 24 or 48 hours in advance of a possible cancellation," he said.

Offering waivers
United, Delta and other carriers are offering travel waivers to passengers to encourage them to move their flights out of busy time periods. All waiving the usual flight-change fees and some are even foregoing the usual fare difference.

The Department of Transportation has stepped in to hold airlines accountable

On Sept. 1, the U.S. Department of Transportation launched a new website that lets fliers know what they're entitled to when their flight is significantly delayed or canceled. The Aviation Consumer Protection site has a dashboard that compares what policies are regarding rebooking, meal and hotel vouchers and complimentary ground transportation for carriers including Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United.

The Transportation Department's Air Consumer Dashboard

The Transportation Department's Air Consumer Dashboard compares offerings from major carriers.

Department of Transportation

"Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. "This dashboard collects that information in one place so travelers can easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions."

Buttigieg said the goal was to get the airlines to "raise the bar."

"Look, Americans have had experiences with cancellations, delays and poor customer service that just aren't at an acceptable level," he told NPR. "A lot of the airlines are not quite transparent about how and when they'll take care of passengers. "So we're going to put that information out ourselves."

Just knowing that information is out there for air travelers to see has spurred carriers to improve their offerings, Buttigieg added. 

The Department is also collecting comments on a proposed rule requiring airlines to proactively inform passengers about their right to a refund. It would also provide a clearer definition of a "significant change" to a scheduled flight and require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers to passengers unable to fly because they contracted COVID-19 or other communicable diseases.

The proposal would also mandate carriers that receive pandemic assistance issue those passengers refunds instead of vouchers.

Are any airlines better or worse in terms of cancellations?

An airplane with a Delta logo on it

In 2021, Delta had the fewest cancellations of any major US airline.

Boarding1Now

Without naming names, Slotnick says that, broadly speaking, low-cost airlines have tighter margins with less slack, so theoretically you're more likely to face a cancellation.

But booking with a big carrier doesn't mean you're immune.

"The regionals have parked a lot of planes because they don't have enough staff," Bangs said. "And a lot of people who book on a major airline don't realize they're actually flying with a smaller carrier."

SkyWest, a smaller airline out of St. George, Utah, subcontracts for Delta, United, American and Alaska Airlines. So does Indiana-based Republic Airways.

Sometimes, bigger is indeed better: Last year, Delta had the best record in cancellation rates, according to The Wall Street Journal's annual airline rankings. The Atlanta-based airline scrubbed 0.6% of its scheduled departures in 2021, a third of the industry average of 1.8%.


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Should You Buy A Home In 2022? Here's What You Need To Know


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Should You Buy a Home in 2022? Here's What You Need to Know


Should You Buy a Home in 2022? Here's What You Need to Know

This story is part of Recession Help Desk, CNET's coverage of how to make smart money moves in an uncertain economy.

After two years of a wildly hot and competitive housing market with skyrocketing home prices, there are some signs indicating that these record-high spikes might start leveling off. This past April, home price increases declined for the first time in four months, as did sales of new homes

But many experts note that, given the ongoing shortage of properties, home prices will still continue to go up in 2022 -- just at a slower pace. Plus, prospective new homeowners have to contend with relatively high mortgage rates, which keep monthly mortgage payments expensive. Although mortgage rates have dropped slightly since the Federal Reserve announced its fourth rate hike of the year to continue combating inflation, they're still more than 2% higher than they were at the beginning of 2022. So homebuyers should expect their mortgage payments to be higher this year, even if lessening demand decreases competition for homes.

"If we've seen the peak in inflation then we have seen the peak in mortgage rates," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at CNET's sister site, Bankrate. "The outlook for a weaker economy will hold sway as long as inflation pressures begin to show evidence of easing. If we get a couple months down the road and that hasn't happened, then all bets are off."

Even though mortgage rates appear to be leveling off, when taking all of these factors into account, a homebuyer will now pay almost 47% more for the same property compared with a year ago, according to Realtor.com. 

Buying a home is one of the most important money moves you'll ever make. It's an exceptionally personal decision that requires evaluating your long-term goals while making sure you're financially ready, from the down payment to interest on a home loan. Your job stability, household needs and the inventory available where you want to live all play a role in determining what makes sense for you. 

Here are the most important things to consider when buying a house in 2022, including why it might make sense to wait or to rent instead of buy. 

Key factors to consider when buying a home in 2022

Right now, home prices are still seeing double-digit growth nationwide and all-cash offers still make up around a quarter of housing bids, according to Jessica Lautz, vice president of demographics and behavioral insights at the National Association of Realtors. Does that mean you should try to hold off until prices start going down? Not necessarily.

The first thing to keep in mind is that expert predictions are imperfect. No one knows what's going to happen with the economy, even with warning signs for events like recessions. And timing the market, or trying to make decisions based on what you think will happen to prices or rates in the future, is generally not a sound strategy. "With housing, buyers tend to obsess over home values and how buying at a certain time may be better for appreciation and equity," said Farnoosh Torabi, personal finance expert and editor-at-large at CNET. "That's important, but your monthly housing payment is what really matters in the end."

Even if you have a plan, be prepared to pivot in this market. Maggie Moroney, 27, is trying to buy her first home in the Washington, D.C. area, but can't find anything affordable. Between sales and rentals, there's low inventory in both markets. 

"I probably could try to buy something, but it'd be a little bit of a stretch, especially with interest rates," she said. Moroney doesn't want to rush the decision and plans to wait it out if she doesn't find a home she likes, with the hope that more inventory will start to hit the market. "I'd rather have a rental I'm not super in love with than a home I'm not in love with."

If you're teetering between buying a home and waiting, here are some factors to keep in mind.

1. Mortgage rates and price trends

In today's housing market, high prices along with home loan rates are two of the most important factors at play. Although mortgage rates fluctuate daily, they are expected to remain between 5-6% for the rest 2022 -- though what happens next with inflation will tell where rates are headed. So far, rates are already more than 2 percentage points higher than this time a year ago and passed the 5.5% mark in June, but seem to be evening out since the announcement of the Fed's fourth rate hike in July. 

Although rates dipped slightly with the most recent interest hike, it's still important to understand how the rate you lock in for your mortgage will impact your monthly payments, as well as the total amount you'll pay over the lifetime of your loan. 

For example, if you take out a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to buy a $500,000 house at a 5.2% interest rate, you'll pay $488,000 in interest over the life of your loan. But if you wait and buy a $450,000 house at a 6.5% interest rate, you'll end up paying $574,000 in interest over the course of your mortgage. So even though you paid less for your home, you're paying more than the difference in price due to interest over three decades. 

Scaling back your budget and looking at homes that may be smaller or in less-expensive neighborhoods is an option to consider if higher mortgage rates have made your previous housing goals unattainable.

2. Financial and personal goals 

Homeownership is still considered one of the most reliable ways to build wealth. When you make monthly mortgage payments, you're building equity in your home that you can tap into later on. When you rent, you aren't investing in your financial future the same way you are when you're paying off a mortgage.

Another factor to take into consideration is how long you plan to live in the house. If you expect to live there for a decade or longer, you'll likely be able to refinance your mortgage to a lower rate, reducing your monthly payment in the process. However, if you plan to move in a few years, it likely won't make financial sense for you to refinance. In that case, it's worth considering an adjustable-rate mortgage, which can help offset today's high mortgage rates by offering you a lower initial interest rate that only adjusts or increases later on in your mortgage term.

3. Future housing trends and recession risks

As buyer competition decreases when buying a home becomes increasingly unaffordable, it could mean that inventory opens up where you're looking. In June, the national inventory of available homes grew by 18.7% this year compared to last year. More available inventory means that you have more homes to choose from, increasing the chances you can buy something you actually want this year versus scrambling in a bidding war for whatever is available in your budget.

But there's also talk of a looming recession. If you wait to buy instead, you could avoid potentially overpaying for a home that could lose its value in an upcoming economic downturn, said Torabi. Plus, if the economy slows down, it's possible the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates less aggressively, which could benefit potential homeowners trying to lock in a better rate on their mortgage. 

Is it better to rent than buy right now? 

It depends, especially when we're dealing with an unpredictable period of high inflation. 

On one hand, if you buy a house and secure a fixed-rate mortgage, that means that no matter how much prices or interest rates go up, your fixed payment will stay the same every month. That's an advantage over renting since there's a good chance your landlord will raise your rent to counter inflationary pressures. Right now, rents are rising faster than wages, and if homebuyers are priced out of the housing market, there'll be more pressure to rent, which will increase competition. Many are already experiencing a red-hot rental market, leading to rental bidding wars and evictions. 

On the other hand, even though a fixed-rate mortgage can offer you more predictability and budget stability, "as long as inflation continues to outpace wages, there could be benefits to renting right now as the economy worsens," said Torabi. 

For example, one advantage of renting over buying is that you can save the cash you would have otherwise needed to use for a down payment. In a time of economic uncertainty, if you don't have to worry about coming up with a down payment and emptying most of your entire bank account to secure yourself a home, you can stay more liquid. Having more cash on hand can offer you added security if a recession negatively impacts your financial situation.

"It's important to know the differences in cost of owning a home versus the cost of renting," said Robert Heck, vice president of mortgages at Morty, an online mortgage marketplace. "How much is homeowners insurance going to cost? How much are the annual property taxes? Maybe you're not used to paying property taxes if you've been renting. Consider the costs that will go into maintaining a home."

Ultimately, whether you rent or buy often comes down to practical considerations like whether you need more space to start a family, or your lease is ending -- regardless of market conditions.


Source

Should You Buy A Home In 2022? Here's What You Need To Know


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Should You Buy a Home in 2022? Here's What You Need to Know


Should You Buy a Home in 2022? Here's What You Need to Know

This story is part of Recession Help Desk, CNET's coverage of how to make smart money moves in an uncertain economy.

After two years of a wildly hot and competitive housing market with skyrocketing home prices, there are some signs indicating that these record-high spikes might start leveling off. This past April, home price increases declined for the first time in four months, as did sales of new homes

But many experts note that, given the ongoing shortage of properties, home prices will still continue to go up in 2022 -- just at a slower pace. Plus, prospective new homeowners have to contend with relatively high mortgage rates, which keep monthly mortgage payments expensive. Although mortgage rates have dropped slightly since the Federal Reserve announced its fourth rate hike of the year to continue combating inflation, they're still more than 2% higher than they were at the beginning of 2022. So homebuyers should expect their mortgage payments to be higher this year, even if lessening demand decreases competition for homes.

"If we've seen the peak in inflation then we have seen the peak in mortgage rates," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at CNET's sister site, Bankrate. "The outlook for a weaker economy will hold sway as long as inflation pressures begin to show evidence of easing. If we get a couple months down the road and that hasn't happened, then all bets are off."

Even though mortgage rates appear to be leveling off, when taking all of these factors into account, a homebuyer will now pay almost 47% more for the same property compared with a year ago, according to Realtor.com. 

Buying a home is one of the most important money moves you'll ever make. It's an exceptionally personal decision that requires evaluating your long-term goals while making sure you're financially ready, from the down payment to interest on a home loan. Your job stability, household needs and the inventory available where you want to live all play a role in determining what makes sense for you. 

Here are the most important things to consider when buying a house in 2022, including why it might make sense to wait or to rent instead of buy. 

Key factors to consider when buying a home in 2022

Right now, home prices are still seeing double-digit growth nationwide and all-cash offers still make up around a quarter of housing bids, according to Jessica Lautz, vice president of demographics and behavioral insights at the National Association of Realtors. Does that mean you should try to hold off until prices start going down? Not necessarily.

The first thing to keep in mind is that expert predictions are imperfect. No one knows what's going to happen with the economy, even with warning signs for events like recessions. And timing the market, or trying to make decisions based on what you think will happen to prices or rates in the future, is generally not a sound strategy. "With housing, buyers tend to obsess over home values and how buying at a certain time may be better for appreciation and equity," said Farnoosh Torabi, personal finance expert and editor-at-large at CNET. "That's important, but your monthly housing payment is what really matters in the end."

Even if you have a plan, be prepared to pivot in this market. Maggie Moroney, 27, is trying to buy her first home in the Washington, D.C. area, but can't find anything affordable. Between sales and rentals, there's low inventory in both markets. 

"I probably could try to buy something, but it'd be a little bit of a stretch, especially with interest rates," she said. Moroney doesn't want to rush the decision and plans to wait it out if she doesn't find a home she likes, with the hope that more inventory will start to hit the market. "I'd rather have a rental I'm not super in love with than a home I'm not in love with."

If you're teetering between buying a home and waiting, here are some factors to keep in mind.

1. Mortgage rates and price trends

In today's housing market, high prices along with home loan rates are two of the most important factors at play. Although mortgage rates fluctuate daily, they are expected to remain between 5-6% for the rest 2022 -- though what happens next with inflation will tell where rates are headed. So far, rates are already more than 2 percentage points higher than this time a year ago and passed the 5.5% mark in June, but seem to be evening out since the announcement of the Fed's fourth rate hike in July. 

Although rates dipped slightly with the most recent interest hike, it's still important to understand how the rate you lock in for your mortgage will impact your monthly payments, as well as the total amount you'll pay over the lifetime of your loan. 

For example, if you take out a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to buy a $500,000 house at a 5.2% interest rate, you'll pay $488,000 in interest over the life of your loan. But if you wait and buy a $450,000 house at a 6.5% interest rate, you'll end up paying $574,000 in interest over the course of your mortgage. So even though you paid less for your home, you're paying more than the difference in price due to interest over three decades. 

Scaling back your budget and looking at homes that may be smaller or in less-expensive neighborhoods is an option to consider if higher mortgage rates have made your previous housing goals unattainable.

2. Financial and personal goals 

Homeownership is still considered one of the most reliable ways to build wealth. When you make monthly mortgage payments, you're building equity in your home that you can tap into later on. When you rent, you aren't investing in your financial future the same way you are when you're paying off a mortgage.

Another factor to take into consideration is how long you plan to live in the house. If you expect to live there for a decade or longer, you'll likely be able to refinance your mortgage to a lower rate, reducing your monthly payment in the process. However, if you plan to move in a few years, it likely won't make financial sense for you to refinance. In that case, it's worth considering an adjustable-rate mortgage, which can help offset today's high mortgage rates by offering you a lower initial interest rate that only adjusts or increases later on in your mortgage term.

3. Future housing trends and recession risks

As buyer competition decreases when buying a home becomes increasingly unaffordable, it could mean that inventory opens up where you're looking. In June, the national inventory of available homes grew by 18.7% this year compared to last year. More available inventory means that you have more homes to choose from, increasing the chances you can buy something you actually want this year versus scrambling in a bidding war for whatever is available in your budget.

But there's also talk of a looming recession. If you wait to buy instead, you could avoid potentially overpaying for a home that could lose its value in an upcoming economic downturn, said Torabi. Plus, if the economy slows down, it's possible the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates less aggressively, which could benefit potential homeowners trying to lock in a better rate on their mortgage. 

Is it better to rent than buy right now? 

It depends, especially when we're dealing with an unpredictable period of high inflation. 

On one hand, if you buy a house and secure a fixed-rate mortgage, that means that no matter how much prices or interest rates go up, your fixed payment will stay the same every month. That's an advantage over renting since there's a good chance your landlord will raise your rent to counter inflationary pressures. Right now, rents are rising faster than wages, and if homebuyers are priced out of the housing market, there'll be more pressure to rent, which will increase competition. Many are already experiencing a red-hot rental market, leading to rental bidding wars and evictions. 

On the other hand, even though a fixed-rate mortgage can offer you more predictability and budget stability, "as long as inflation continues to outpace wages, there could be benefits to renting right now as the economy worsens," said Torabi. 

For example, one advantage of renting over buying is that you can save the cash you would have otherwise needed to use for a down payment. In a time of economic uncertainty, if you don't have to worry about coming up with a down payment and emptying most of your entire bank account to secure yourself a home, you can stay more liquid. Having more cash on hand can offer you added security if a recession negatively impacts your financial situation.

"It's important to know the differences in cost of owning a home versus the cost of renting," said Robert Heck, vice president of mortgages at Morty, an online mortgage marketplace. "How much is homeowners insurance going to cost? How much are the annual property taxes? Maybe you're not used to paying property taxes if you've been renting. Consider the costs that will go into maintaining a home."

Ultimately, whether you rent or buy often comes down to practical considerations like whether you need more space to start a family, or your lease is ending -- regardless of market conditions.


Source

Garmin Venu Sq Review: A Solid Fitness Tracker Without The Frills


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Garmin Venu Sq review: A solid fitness tracker without the frills


Garmin Venu Sq review: A solid fitness tracker without the frills

The $200 (£179, AU$300) Garmin Venu Sq has almost every fitness- and health-tracking feature you could want in a smartwatch for less than competitors like the Apple Watch ($349 at eBay) and Fitbit Versa 3 ($170 at Target). It has a bright LCD touchscreen, built-in GPS, SpO2 (blood oxygen) tracking and up to six days of battery life, which makes it a compelling buy, especially if you want a watch that's compatible with both Android and iOS. 

It's not the most premium-looking smartwatch out there and it misses out on features like a voice assistant and altimeter, but it makes up for it in health and fitness features that elevate it from the rest. 

A functional watch without the wow factor

Like the name suggests, the Venu Sq has a square watch face with rounded edges, unlike the original Garmin Venu and almost every other Garmin sports watch with circular designs. Its 1.3-inch color LCD display feels a bit cramped compared to other Garmin watches, but it's clear and easy to read even in bright sunlight and you can keep the screen set to always-on. Having used the larger Garmin Venu for a while, the smaller size of the Venu Sq took a bit of getting used to, especially during workouts when I couldn't see as many stats at a glance and had to scroll to find the right metric like heart rate, which was all the way on the last page.

The overall build quality is sturdy enough thanks to an aluminum bezel, although the plastic case and buttons make it feel like a cheaper watch than it actually is, especially compared to something like the Apple Watch SE ($280 at eBay), Galaxy Watch Active 2 ($200 at Amazon) or Fitbit Versa 3 for example, which all have metal finishes and OLED displays. The Venu Sq has two side buttons: one to start/stop activities and the other to navigate back and forth between menus. Once I figured out which did what, it took me a few days to get completely comfortable using them to navigate the interface. 

My biggest complaint with the Venu Sq's design is the vibration motor, which is not particularly strong. Half the time it was the buzzing noise, not the vibration itself, that clued me in on a notification. 

Blood oxygen monitor and heart health alerts 

Garmin's biggest strength is in health and fitness tracking, with the Venu Sq squarely hitting the mark. It has an SpO2 sensor to identify blood oxygen levels, either as a spot check or automatically throughout the day and night, similar to the $399 Apple Watch Series 6. Although setting it to monitor constantly will reduce battery life a lot faster. It's also hard to find the SpO2 option in the menus and I found that adding it as a widget in the settings is the best way to get it to pop up on your wrist. 

Unfortunately I didn't have a pulse oximeter to compare the readings from the Venu Sq to determine accuracy. Either way, it's important to note that the Venu Sq has not been approved to be used as a medical device and should not be used for diagnostic purposes. Always consult with a physician or other qualified health provider about any health-related issues you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

Though the Venu Sq doesn't have an ECG, or electrocardiogram, like the Apple Watch Series 6 and Galaxy Watch 3 ($399 at Amazon), it does give you the option to receive high and low heart rate notifications that will let you know if your heart rate spikes above or falls below what it considers to be a healthy threshold. 

The Venu Sq also uses heart rate variability to determine your stress levels, but doesn't really offer much guidance on how to decrease your stress. I found Garmin's Body Battery meter, which takes into account heart rate variability readings, activity levels and sleep, a more accurate representation of how my body was working that day and helped me decide what kind of workout to do and how hard to push myself. It works better than the Stress Management Score in the Fitbit Sense ($240 at Target) that is a bit more difficult to interpret for me.

Garmin also offers breathing rate and estimated VO2 max, the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise, which can be used to gauge and improve athletic performance. The higher the number, the more fit you are. 

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Screenshot by Lexy Savvides/CNET

Sleep tracking is also great on the Venu Sq and clearly identifies your sleep stages of REM, deep and light sleep. You'll also be able to see breathing rate and SpO2 levels in the morning. The downside is that the Garmin Connect app doesn't give you any tips on improving your sleep quality. Menstrual cycle tracking is also available on the Venu Sq and like other Garmin watches, it offers pregnancy tracking to log symptoms and monitor baby movement.

The Venu Sq has a range of workouts preloaded onto the watch, including cardio, strength, Pilates and yoga, so you can follow along with a preset routine on your wrist. There aren't any visual cues on the screen though, just text cues, so if you're doing yoga for example, you'll need to know what "standing forward bend pose" or "low lunge pose" means to get the most out of the routine. You can also build your own workout, such as a circuit of weights, a Pilates routine or a run, within the Garmin Connect app and sync them to the watch. There are also over 50 additional Garmin-created workouts you can load.

On top of these preloaded routines, the Venu Sq can track more than 20 different workout types, from the usual running and walking variants to golf and pool swimming. There's also a personal running coach you can use to help you train for a race or to hit a set goal. It doesn't give you personalized feedback on your form or audio cues like the Galaxy Watches ($295 at Amazon), for example, instead it's more a guide for when you should warm up or how long you should run for, displayed on your wrist.

The Venu Sq has built-in GPS, meaning you don't have to rely on your phone for distance tracking when you're outside. Just be warned that it does take at least 30 seconds to lock on to a GPS signal when you are outside (regardless of whether you have your phone with you or not), which seems like an eternity if you're an impatient runner like me who just wants to get on with it. Once it finally locked though, it tracked my route accurately.

The downside is that there is no gyroscope or altimeter on the Venu Sq, so if you need accurate elevation data you'll likely want to look elsewhere. The Garmin Connect app does a good job of clearly showing you all the details after your workout, but it doesn't dive any deeper into metrics than what similarly priced rivals like the Apple Watch SE or Fitbit Versa 3 offer.

Like other Garmin watches, the Venu Sq has Garmin Live Track which lets you share your location with a safety contact when you are doing an outdoor workout. It does however require a cellular connection, so you will need your phone with you to use this feature. 

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You can customize the options on this screen to show only your favorite workout types to track.

Lexy Savvides/CNET

Just enough smarts for most people

While the Venu Sq is geared towards fitness and health tracking, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll miss out on smartwatch features. Like almost every other watch, the Venu Sq displays notifications from your phone and pings your phone to locate it if you lose it within Bluetooth range. You'll be able to see call notifications come through regardless of which phone you have the watch paired with, but only Android users will be able to decline calls and respond to text messages from the watch with prewritten responses. There is no speaker or mic onboard so you can't use voice-to-text responses.

The Venu Sq runs Garmin's own operating system (Garmin OS) which is not as seamless as that of Apple or Samsung's smartwatches, but I found it to be stable and more responsive than the Fitbit OS. It's faster to sync updates and doesn't experience any lag in selecting menu options or opening apps.

The biggest pain point for me when using the Venu Sq paired with an iPhone ($500 at Best Buy) has been notifications. The Garmin Connect app on iOS doesn't let you filter out what notifications come through on your wrist and simply mirrors whatever notifications you have set up on your phone. It might not be a deal breaker for many, but I like to push only the most important notifications such as calls and text messages to my wrist, rather than everything that my phone shows. Android users get more control over which notifications come through.

garmin-venu-sq
Lexy Savvides/CNET

If you want onboard music storage, you'll need to opt for the music edition of the Venu Sq that costs $50 more, which is the version I tested in this review. The Venu Sq Music lets you store music for offline listening from apps like Spotify (with a Premium subscription) or songs you already own. It's also the watch to get for faster data transfers as it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, whereas the regular Venu Sq only uses Bluetooth.

Garmin has plenty of watch faces to choose from, including third-party options to help personalize the look, plus a fairly wide selection of apps through the Connect IQ Store (a separate app you need to download on your phone). You can also make contactless payments with Garmin Pay on all versions of the watch. The main Garmin Connect app is where you see all your stats and change settings on the watch, while the Connect IQ Store is for adding apps and watch faces.

The Venu Sq, however, lacks a voice assistant, a feature that by now has become standard for most of its similarly priced competitors. This might not be a deal-breaker for you, but it means you miss out hands-free voice control, which I like.

A week's worth of battery life 

The Venu Sq has great battery life and you can get up to six days worth of use before you'll need to charge it up, though that number may start to whittle down if you're using it for a lot of GPS workouts, listening to music or continuously tracking your blood oxygen levels. Garmin quotes up to eight hours of battery when playing back music, 14 hours if you are using it in GPS mode, or up to six hours with GPS and music playback. 

A great fitness watch without extra bells and whistles

If you're willing to sacrifice a few smart features for better health and fitness tracking, the Garmin Venu Sq is a solid choice that works with Android or iOS. That said, I do wish that Garmin wouldn't charge the extra $50 for the music version, as it does alter the value proposition quite a bit, particularly if you are an iPhone user who might also be considering the Apple Watch SE which, at that point doesn't cost you that much more. 


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Pixel 6 Pro Review: Google's Flagship Is Still A Top IPhone Rival In 2022


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Pixel 6 Pro Review: Google's Flagship Is Still a Top iPhone Rival in 2022


Pixel 6 Pro Review: Google's Flagship Is Still a Top iPhone Rival in 2022

Editors' note: The Google Pixel 6 Pro's solid all-round performance and excellent camera make it a superb high-end Android phone that's well worth your money, which is why we've given it a CNET Editors' Choice award. The original review follows. 


When it launched late in 2021, I said the Pixel 6 Pro isn't just the best phone Google has ever made, it's also one of the best phones you can buy. Half a year later, I stand by those words and strongly recommend you consider this phone if you're looking for a great all-round experience at a more reasonable price. Its strong performance, great software additions, unique design and excellent camera system make it the biggest rival to Apple's iPhone 13 Pro and Samsung's Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Sure, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a few more bells and whistles. The S Pen stylus, for example, not to mention that incredible 10x optical zoom that blows both the Pixel 6 Pro's 4x zoom and the iPhone 13 Pro's 3.5x zoom out the water. The S22 Ultra is faster on benchmark tests, too. But at $1,200 it also costs a lot more than the Pixel, meaning you've really got to be dedicated to having only the most cutting-edge tech in your pocket to want to splash that extra cash.

The Pixel 6 Pro manages to offer its winning combo of specs and design at a price that undercuts its main rivals. The 6.7-inch base 128GB model costs $899 (£849, AU$1,299), a sizable chunk less than the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro's $999 price and even more off the $1,099 Apple wants for the larger 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max. Sure, $899 might not be "cheap" but it represents good value when compared against the prices of other flagship phones.

Google's earlier Pixel 5 was best seen as a midrange phone with some higher-end touches, while the Pixel 6 Pro is premium all the way. From its glass and metal design to its high-resolution display and its superb triple camera, there's a lot to like here. Then there's the Tensor processor, a chip custom-made by Google for the phone, which provides ample power for all of your daily needs, better security features, 5G connectivity and a slick Android 12 interface. Battery life is good -- certainly above average -- but not great, with the iPhone 13 Pro putting in a stronger performance.

Its biggest Android rival right now is the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, which does have some neat camera additions (that 10x zoom, for one thing), but it costs more and the Pixel 6 Pro offers a more user-friendly experience. The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max offer superb all-round use, but come at a higher price and if you're already entrenched in the Android ecosystem, it's likely not worth switching and buying all those apps again. 

Those looking for the best all-round Android experience should absolutely look toward the Pixel 6 Pro. 

pixel-6-pro-cnet-review-hoyle-29
Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Pixel 6 Pro or Pixel 6?

The stepdown $599 (£599, AU$999) Pixel 6 packs the same Tensor processor and lovely Android 12 software for $300 less than the Pro, but there are a few compromises it makes in order to come to that cheaper price.

It has a smaller and lower resolution 6.4-inch display that lacks the curving finesse of the Pro. Its battery is smaller, it has 8GB rather than 12GB of RAM and it lacks the 4x telephoto zoom lens found on the Pro. 

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The Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7-inch display while the Pixel 6's measures 6.4 inches.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

But it's still a great phone that's well worth considering. It provides many of the same perks of the Pixel 6 Pro at a much lower price, especially if you don't care about the top-end performance offered by the flagship. As my colleague Patrick Holland put it in his review of the phone, "For the price, I can't think of a better phone to recommend right now."

A fresh design that stands out 

I didn't love the look of last year's Pixel 5. The matte, rubberized back gave the phone a more budget feel than its $699 price tag suggested. The Pixel 6 Pro is worlds apart. The rear is all glass -- toughened Gorilla Glass Victus, in fact -- that curves at the edges to meet the 100% recycled aluminum frame. 

The glass curves at the edges on the front, too, as does the display beneath it, making it not only look more premium, but feel like a truly flagship device when you hold it in your hand. It's big though, packing in a 6.7-inch display, which will make it more cumbersome for some than the 6-inch Pixel 5 or 6.4-inch Pixel 6. That glass makes it slippery, too, so consider one of Google's protective cases if you're nervous about dropping it. 

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The Pixel 6 Pro, flanked by the iPhone 13 Pro (left) and Pixel 5.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

It is IP68-rated for water resistance, meaning it can withstand being in 1 meter (about 3 feet) of water for up to 30 minutes. No, that doesn't mean you can take it swimming, but it does mean it should be able to shake off having the odd beer spilled over it by your clumsy mates. 

An interesting design choice is the large camera bar that stretches across the back. It protrudes from the phone by about 3mm, so it doesn't lie totally flat when you put it on a table, but nor does it rock from corner to corner like phones with camera bumps just on one side. I like the look of the phone and it certainly stands out. One tip though: Get the Sorta Sunny orangey-peachy color, if you can find it in stock. The black-and-gray option, Stormy Black, looks rather dull by comparison. 

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The camera strip protrudes from the phone by about 3mm. As a result, it won't lie flat on a table.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner seen on the Pixel 5 has been removed, replaced instead with an in-screen scanner, which I found worked accurately and quickly most of the time, although Patrick found the Pixel 6's scanner to be much more hit and miss in his review. There's no face unlock ability, which is a bit of a shame.

Three excellent cameras

That big bar on the back hides three cameras: a 12-megapixel ultrawide; a 48-megapixel telephoto that offers 4x optical zoom; and a main camera that uses a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor, which Google says captures 2.5x more light than the Pixel 5. The cameras on the Pixel phones have always been excellent, and this new generation is no different. 

Images from the main camera lens are stunning. They're vibrant, they're packed with detail and there's an amazing balance of exposure, with bright skies kept under control and shadowy areas being easily visible. 

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Pixel 6 Pro, main camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The golden colors of the leaves have been captured beautifully here, with a rich blue sky visible behind. 

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iPhone 13 Pro, main camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

And here's the same image taken on the iPhone 13 Pro. There's little to choose between them, but if I was being hypercritical, I'd say that the white balance on the Pixel 6 Pro has resulted in a warmer, more orange tone on the tree trunk, which I think looks better. You can see how the Pixel 6 Pro's camera really stacks up against the iPhone 13 Pro's in my photography shootout.

castle-pixel-6-pro

Pixel 6 Pro, main camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

This scene looking towards the beautiful Edinburgh castle is a challenging shot, with dark shadows and an extremely bright sky beyond the trees. The Pixel 6 Pro has handled it well though, maintaining a lovely exposure overall.

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Pixel 6 Pro, main camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

And it's much the same here, with vivid blue skies, superb exposure and plenty of detail. 

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Pixel 6 Pro, ultrawide camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Switching to the ultrawide lens, the scene maintains the rich colors and exposure. Zoom closer in and it's clear it has less overall detail, but it's still a lovely shot. 

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Pixel 6 Pro, ultrawide camera.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Another from the Pixel 6 Pro's ultrawide lens. But check out the iPhone 13 Pro's:

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iPhone 13 Pro, ultrawide lens.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The iPhone's offers a much wider view that lets you capture more in the scene. They're both excellent wide lenses and both do a great job in packing in those beautiful colors, but I'd like to have seen the Pixel offering a slightly wider scene.

The 4x zoom lens is amazing too, providing tons of detail thanks to its high resolution sensor. I think 4x is a great zoom level for a phone as well; it allows you to find compositions that would be beyond the reach of lesser zoom levels, but it's not quite as restrictive as the 10x zoom you'll find on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It's a zoom level I feel I'd use a lot on my travels and have already taken a few 4x shots with the phone that I'm really pleased with as artistic images.

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Pixel 6 Pro, 4x zoom.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

This zoomed-in image is so pin-sharp I can actually read the headline on the newspaper. It's a really impressive lens that doesn't force you to make any kind of compromise on quality in order to achieve those zoom levels. By comparison, the iPhone 13 Pro's optical zoom maxes out at 3x, so the Pixel 6 Pro is able to achieve a closer-up image. Which, frankly, I'd take any day over a wider-angle view.

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Pixel 6 Pro, 4x zoom.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

It's handy as well for focusing your view on a smaller scene like this, capturing intimate little still-life scenes, rather than grand, sweeping vistas. The fine textures on the leaves here are extremely sharp. 

Google has thrown some extra features in too, including a tool that automatically removes people from the background in an image, which sometimes works well, and sometimes leaves a big splotch where a person once stood. Then there's the long exposure mode, which allows you to create ethereal blurred waterscapes and the Nightscape mode, which does an excellent job of taking shots in the dark. 

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Pixel 6 pro, Nightscape photo.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

I'm seriously impressed with the photography abilities of the Pixel 6 Pro and there's no question that it's among the best cameras you can get on a phone right now. Video quality is excellent as well, with superb dynamic range, excellent image stabilization and plenty of detail thanks to the 4K resolution. 

Does Google's Tensor processor make a difference?

At the heart of the phone is Google's first home-baked processor, named Tensor. It's a significant move for Google to produce its own silicon and it shows a strong commitment to remain in the hardware game -- after all, you don't go to the effort of developing your own processors as a one-off experiment.  

But it's essentially irrelevant once you get the Pixel in your hand, as it functions just like any other phone. It's nippy to navigate around the Android 12 interface, games like Asphalt 9: Legends and Call of Duty play perfectly, while photo editing and video streaming are handled exactly as well as you'd get from any other top-end phone right now. 

Pixel 6 Pro benchmark tests

Google Pixel 6 Pro

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Legend:

Geekbench 5 (single core)

Geekbench 5 (multi core)

3DMark Wild Life Extreme

Note:

Longer bars equal better performance

On benchmark tests like the Geekbench 5 processor test and 3DMark's Wild Life Extreme graphics test, the Pixel 6 Pro doesn't score quite as highly as the iPhone 13 Pro, but it's up there with the Galaxy S21 Ultra (and it edged out the powerful OnePlus 9 Pro on the graphics test too). Benchmarks are by no means a direct indicator of real-life performance, but it's good to at least see that Google's new silicon is operating in the same ballpark as its rivals. 

No, the Tensor chip is not setting a new standard for lightning-fast performance. But it doesn't need to; today's phones already pack way more power than any of us are likely to need on a daily basis. Google's push into chip production goes beyond simply creating a "benchmark beater" and a lot of the real benefits will come over time as the company develops more ways to take advantage of its own hardware.

The Tensor processor is particularly designed with machine learning, AI and speech-recognition applications in mind. There are already speech-recognition functions built into the keyboard (for dictating messages or emails) as well as real-time translation tools and improved visual language translations when using Google Lens via the camera. 

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Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro run the latest Android 12 software.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Android 12 is lovely to use

The Android 12 interface is extremely neat and easy to use. It's my favorite version of Android so far, offering an uncomplicated experience that even Android novices won't take long to get to grips with. One of the bigger features that's (for now) exclusive to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro is the ability to create custom themes for the phone based on whatever image you have as your background. 

When you choose a new wallpaper (either one of the many built-in ones, or any of your own images saved to your phone), the phone will automatically pick out the dominant color and will use that, and its complementary colors, to change the look of parts of the interface, including some of the default Google app icons on the home screen, such as the Play Store, Gmail and Photos. It's a nice idea, although it probably shouldn't be the main reason you decide to part with your cash.

Security has been given a particular push both on the software and hardware side. The Tensor processor has a dedicated Titan coprocessor that apparently allows for much better on-device security, while Android 12 offers more granular control of your security and privacy settings. That includes a dashboard that shows what apps have used what information recently and handy buttons in the pull-down notification tray that turn off system-wide access to your camera and microphone. 

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Those quick-access privacy buttons might come in handy.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Google has also promised that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will receive security updates for five years, which will mean these phones will be safer to use for longer. Many older phones are still perfectly usable from a hardware standpoint, but if they don't have the latest security patches on board then they're susceptible to all kinds of hacking nastiness. From both a cost and environmental perspective, being able to use our phones safely for longer is only a good thing.

Vibrant display, solid battery life and fast charging

The Pixel 6 Pro's 6.7-inch display is pin-sharp thanks to its 3,120x1,440-pixel resolution. It's bright, too, with vibrant colors that do justice to colorful games like Candy Crush Soda Saga or video like Netflix's world-dominating show Squid Game. It has an adaptive refresh rate that can go up to 120Hz when you're playing fast-paced games, but also slows down to only 10Hz when the phone is basically sitting idle. Performance when you need it; power-saving when you don't. 

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The Pixel 6 Pro and perhaps its biggest rival, the iPhone 13 Pro.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The phone runs on a 5,003-mAh battery, which should be good for a full day of mixed use. After one hour of streaming a YouTube video at max brightness it had dropped from full to 98%. By contrast, the OnePlus 9 Pro had dropped to 90%, while the iPhone 13 Pro dropped to only 99%. After a further hour the 6 Pro had dropped to 89%, while the iPhone 13 Pro was at 93%. You certainly shouldn't struggle to get through the day with it, but as with all phones, you can help it by keeping screen brightness down, avoiding demanding tasks like gaming or video streaming until you're near a plug, and turning off GPS. 

It has Qi wireless charging and it supports fast charging with a 30-watt charger (not supplied), which will take the phone to 50% full in 30 minutes. That's decent, but not really a match for OnePlus's 65-watt fast charging, which will fully charge the device in the same time. Still, it's fast enough to be able to give your phone a quick boost before you head out and about, and the Extreme Battery Saver mode pauses all but your essential apps to preserve the remaining juice.

Google Pixel 6 specs vs. Google Pixel 6 Pro, Google Pixel 5, Apple iPhone 13


Google Pixel 6 Google Pixel 6 Pro Google Pixel 5 Apple iPhone 13
Display size, resolution 6.4-inch OLED; 2,400x1,080 pixels; 60Hz or 90Hz 6.7-inch LTPO OLED; 3,120x1,440 pixels; 10-120Hz 6-inch FHD+ OLED; 2,340x1,080 pixels 6.1-inch OLED; 2,532x1,170 pixels
Pixel density 411 ppi 512 ppi 432 ppi 460 ppi
Dimensions (inches) 6.2x2.9x0.4 in 6.5x3.0x0.4 in 5.7x2.8x0.3 in 5.78x2.82x0.3 in
Dimensions (millimeters) 158.6x74.8x8.9mm 163.9x75.9x8.9mm 144.7x70.4x8mm 147x72x7.65mm
Weight (ounces, grams) 7.3 oz; 207g 7.41 oz; 210g 5.33 oz; 151g 6.14 oz; 174g
Mobile software Android 12 Android 12 Android 11 iOS 15
Camera 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel ultrawide 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 48-megapixel (telephoto) 12.2-megapixel (standard), 16-megapixel (ultrawide) 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing camera 8-megapixel 11-megapixel 8-megapixel 12-megapixel
Video capture 4K 30, 60fps (rear), 1,080p 30fps (front) 4K 30, 60fps (rear), 4K 30fps (front) 4K HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60fps
Processor Google Tensor Google Tensor Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G Apple A15 Bionic
Storage 128GB, 256GB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB 128GB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
RAM 8GB 12GB 8GB Undisclosed
Expandable storage No No No No
Battery 4,614 mAh 5,003 mAh 4,000 mAh Undisclosed; Apple lists 19 hours of video playback
Fingerprint sensor Under display Under display Rear No (Face ID)
Connector USB-C USB-C USB-C Lightning
Headphone jack No No No No
Special features 5G sub 6 (some carrier models also have 5G mmWave) support, Wi-Fi 6E, 30W fast-charging, wireless charging, Magic Eraser, Motion mode, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Cinematic Pan, 5 years OS security updates, IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, Gorilla Glass Victus (front), Gorilla Glass 6 (back), dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM) 5G sub 6 and mmWave support, Wi-Fi 6E, ultra-wideband, 30W fast-charging, wireless charging, Magic Eraser, Motion mode, Real Tone, Face Unblur, Cinematic Pan, 5 years OS security updates, IP68 rating for dust- and water-resistance, Gorilla Glass Victus (front and back), dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM) 5G enabled; water-resistant (IP68); 90Hz-refresh-rate display; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); reverse wireless charging; fast charging 5G enabled; MagSafe; water-resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)
Price off-contract (USD) $599 (128GB) $899 (128GB) $699 $799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)
Price (GBP) £599 (128GB) £849 (128GB) £599 £779 (128GB), £879 (256GB), £1,079 (512GB)
Price (AUD) AU$999 (128GB)
AU$1,299 (128GB)
AU$999 AU$1,349 (128GB), AU$1,519 (256GB), AU$1,869 (512GB)

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