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Buying an iPhone 11 in 2022 Might Make Sense for You

Buying an iPhone 11 in 2022 Might Make Sense for You

Since the debut of the iPhone 11 in 2019, we've since seen the debut of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12. And in a few days, we're likely to see the debut of the iPhone 14 at Apple's next event on Sept. 7. The iPhone 11 may be over two years old, but it might still be a good choice, especially since Apple discounted it to $499 last year. While we recommend that you wait for the next Apple event before buying any iPhone at all, especially since prices for current iPhone models will likely decrease afterward, the iPhone 11 does have a lot to like as a phone that's under $500.

For instance, do you mind using an iPhone that feels a bit dated? Or do you think saving several hundred dollars is more important than carrying the latest phone? What about 5G -- how important is that to you? If you're shopping on a budget, the iPhone 11 is still a great choice. Although you'll be missing out on some newer features, the iPhone 11 gives you all the basics you'd want from an iPhone, including battery life that's on par with the iPhone 12, a great dual-lens camera that includes night mode and a processor that's still fast enough for everyday tasks. 

Read more: Here's how the iPhone 11 compares to the iPhone 12 and how the iPhone 13 compares to the iPhone 12.

But if you have some wiggle room in your budget, here are some questions to ask yourself. (For the purposes of this article, I'm going to assume that you are currently using an iPhone.) And if you're still mulling over your decision after that, here's how the iPhone 13 compares to the last five years of iPhones as well as our list of the best iPhones. Plus, check out all the differences between the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.

5G connectivity: iPhone 11 doesn't have 5G. But do you really need it right now?

One of the iPhone 11's biggest missing features compared to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 is 5G connectivity. The iPhone 11 is an LTE-only device, and if you don't care for the next-gen wireless tech just yet (service is patchy in the US after all), then the iPhone 11 should suit you just fine. Remember that 5G debuted on the iPhone 12 lineup and getting access to faster bands of 5G depends on where you live, so going for the iPhone 12 makes your purchase more future-proof. 

Angela Lang/CNET

Display quality: You won't get a 120Hz refresh rate on an iPhone 11 (or iPhone 12)

The iPhone 11 uses a crisp LCD screen that refreshes at 60 frames per second, or 60Hz. Apple traded up in the iPhone 12, equipping it with an OLED screen, though it kept the display at 60Hz just like most phones. OLEDs are typically more vibrant than their LCD counterparts, with richer contrast and inkier blacks. If you watch a lot of videos on your iPhone and want a superior viewing experience, an OLED screen might make more sense for you. The iPhone 13 also boasts an OLED panel too, though Apple bumped up the refresh rate for the Pro models to 120Hz. The faster refresh rate will translate to smoother, snappier scrolling through apps and websites. 

Apple's Wallet app will be able to store driver's licenses in iOS 15. 

Screenshot by CNET

Software support: How long will the iPhone 11 get iOS software updates? 

Apple's latest operating system, iOS 15, is supported on many older iPhones, and the oldest is the 2015 iPhone 6S (Here's how to download the new OS, but you may want to wait.) Based on that and some quick mental math, we can deduce that Apple plans to provide iPhone support for up to six years from launch. As a result, with the iPhone 11, unveiled in 2019, you can rest comfortably knowing that you can expect updates through 2025. 

Read more: iOS 15's biggest new features: FaceTime, Apple Wallet and Notifications get new tricks

Durability and water resistance: How durable do you want your iPhone to be?

If you do opt for the iPhone 11, you will miss out on a few durability features that are available on the newer iPhone models. One of the iPhone 12's big improvements is the material of its display. Apple calls it "ceramic shield" glass. Made by Corning, the ceramic shield glass covering the phone's display is apparently harder than most metals. Indeed, we can confirm that the iPhone 12's ceramic shield is tough. Our iPhone 12 drop tests show it protected the hardware from drops as high as 9 feet. (CNET's iPhone 12 Mini drop tests yielded similar results.) The iPhone 13 also has the same ceramic shield glass on its display.

So if you're a big klutz and are prone to slips and drops, springing for the iPhone 13 or iPhone 12 is a wise move (or just get a really nice iPhone case). Keep in mind, the iPhone 11 isn't a delicate darling, either. It also survived CNET's drop and water tests and earned a CNET Editors' Choice Award. You can read our iPhone 11 review for more details. 

Read more: Farewell iPhone case: The case for the caseless phone

Price and budget: How much do you want to spend on an iPhone?

As I said earlier, Apple is selling the nearly two-year-old iPhone 11 for $300 less now than when it first launched, making it a great choice for those shopping on a budget. But, as also mentioned previously, the iPhone 11 could become even cheaper once Apple debuts its 2022 line of iPhone models. Also of note, the current iPhone 12 and 12 Mini might come down in price and hit that $499 level, as typically Apple lowers the price of existing iPhone models once the newest model goes on sale.

It's also worth considering carrier deals from Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, all of which may subsidize the price of an iPhone in exchange for committing to a cellular service plan. Last year the three companies offered hundreds of dollars off with those contracts, and possibly pay off the phone entirely with a device trade-in. Just keep in mind that there are plenty of caveats to those deals, like commitments ranging from 24 to 36 months.

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Apple's getting ready for a Sept. 7 event , which is very likely to be the moment we learn about the company's next iPhone line. 

The newest version, expected to be called the iPhone 14, is rumored to include an always-on display similar to what's on the Apple Watch now, allowing for constant glanceable information without ruining battery life.

Apple hasn't really said what it plans to announce at its event, only sending out a cryptic invitation to the press, with an Apple logo seemingly set in a night sky, suggesting potential camera improvements or last year's rumored satellite emergency calling. The image looks like something we might see from the James Webb Space Telescope, whose stunning photos have already begun changing how we view the cosmos since first being released earlier this summer. In its announcement, Apple included the teaser words "Far out." 

Read more: Apple Makes 'Far Out' iPhone Launch Event Official For Sept. 7

The iPhone 14 launch will also mark the 15th year since the original iPhone's debut, in June of 2007. Back then, the device wasn't the sure hit it is today. Many tech industry watchers were enthusiastic about Apple's prospects of course, but it hadn't proven it can build reliable phone technology before then. It was also up against massive competitors such as Microsoft, Palm and Research in Motion, whose Blackberry devices ruled the business world at the time. Within a decade though, Apple -- as well as Google's popular Android software -- had bested all three companies.

While the iPhone will be a key product we see at Apple's event this year, and likely what most people focus their attention on, the company's expected to hold other events later this year with other devices to show off. Those include new Mac computers with upgraded chips and new iPads.

Read more: Everything We Know So Far About the iPhone 14

When is the Apple event?

Apple's online-only event will be Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. PT, which is 1 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. BST and 3 a.m. AEST. (Sorry, Australia.) Here's a handy time zone converter to help find what time it'll be where you are.

Where can I watch Apple's livestream?

You'll be able to stream Apple's event straight from the company's website. Meanwhile, we'll be reporting on the event live here at CNET.

What can we expect, besides the iPhone 14 launch?

Apple's digital events are fast paced and slickly produced. And even though Apple's now trying its hand at in-person events again as coronavirus pandemic-era health concerns slowly recede, the company still seems to be applying what it's learned about how to make its events more compelling. During its last event, the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, Apple held a livestream but then offered in-person demos for the press afterward. 

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Windows 11 speed vs windows 10 windows 11 vs windows 10 size windows 11 vs windows 10 battery life windows 11 vs windows 10 2022 windows 11 vs windows 10 ram usage windows 11 vs windows 10 security windows 11 vs windows 10 speed windows 11 release date

Windows 11 vs. Windows 10: What's Really Different?

Windows 11 vs. Windows 10: What's Really Different?

Thinking about upgrading to Windows 11? Microsoft's latest operating system completed its phased rollout earlier this year and is now available on compatible devices. Although the two operating systems share many similarities, there are some big differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11. The newer version offers a more Mac-like aesthetic and more productivity features -- plus the chance to finally use Android apps on your computer with Windows 11. 

Let's dig into the big changes Microsoft made and what's actually different. And make sure you check out our favorite Windows 11 features and how to use them, everything we wanted in Windows 11 but didn't get and how to set your default search engine. Once you're ready, we'll show you how to download the new OS.

Design and interface

Windows 11 features a new design with a centered Start menu and Taskbar.

Microsoft/Screenshot by Sarah Tew/CNET

Windows 11 brings a brand-new, more Mac-like interface to the OS. It features a clean design with rounded corners and pastel shades. The iconic Start menu also moves to the center of the screen along with the Taskbar. But you can move those back to the left, where they are in Windows 10, if you prefer.

Android app integration

Windows 11 finally lets you download Android apps to your PC.

Microsoft/Screenshot by Sarah Tew/CNET

Android apps are now available for Windows 11 through the Microsoft Store, via the Amazon Appstore. (There were a couple of ways to access Android apps on Windows 10, including if you had a Samsung Galaxy phone, but this will make it native.) This is something Windows users have been waiting for for years and marks another move toward the merging of mobile and laptop devices. 

Read more: Windows 11 Finally Adds Android Apps. Here's How to Download Them

Better virtual desktop support

You'll find it easier to create and toggle between different virtual desktops in Windows 11 than in Windows 10.

Microsoft/Screenshot by Sarah Tew/CNET

Windows 11 lets you set up virtual desktops in a way that's similar to on a Mac. It allows you to toggle between multiple desktops at once for personal, work, school or gaming. In Windows 10, this feature was harder to set up and use. 

Read more: Windows 11 is Here, So Does That Mean I Should Buy a New Laptop?

Easier transition from monitor to laptop

It's easier to group different sets of windows and apps together and move between a desktop and a monitor thanks to Snap Layouts and Snap Groups.

Microsoft/Screenshot by Sarah Tew/CNET

The new OS includes features called Snap Groups and Snap Layouts -- collections of the apps you're using at once that sit in the Taskbar, and can come up or be minimized at the same time for easier task switching. They also let you plug and unplug from a monitor easily, without losing where your open windows are located. 

Microsoft Teams added to the Taskbar

Microsoft Teams is built directly into the Taskbar in Windows 11 for easier video calling. 

Microsoft/Screenshot by Sarah Tew/CNET

Teams got a face-lift and is now integrated directly into the Windows 11 Taskbar, making it easier to access (and a bit more like Apple's FaceTime). You can access Teams from Windows, Mac, Android or iOS. 

Widgets (well, sort of) 

Launch widgets from the Taskbar in Windows 11 to see at-a-glance information like weather, news and stocks.

Microsoft/Screenshot by Josh Goldman/CNET

While they've been around for a while (remember desktop gadgets on Windows Vista?), including in a recent Windows 10 update, you can now access widgets directly from the Taskbar and personalize them to see whatever you'd like. 

Enhanced touchscreen, voice and pen support

Microsoft made Windows 11 easier to use on tablets than Windows 10.

Microsoft/Screenshot by Sarah Tew/CNET

For tablets, Microsoft has aimed to improve the experience for touch, with more space between icons on the Taskbar, and support for gestures. Windows 11 also adds haptics to your digital pen, so you can hear and feel vibrations as you use it for taking notes or drawing. Finally, the OS introduces voice typing and commands across the system. 

Xbox tech to improve gaming

Windows 11 brings some tech additions from the Xbox for better gaming. 

Microsoft/Screenshot by Sarah Tew/CNET

Windows 11 will get certain features found in Xbox consoles , like Auto HDR and DirectStorage, to improve gaming on your Windows PC. This marks another move toward integrating PCs and Xbox consoles for Microsoft. 

For more, check out everything we know about Windows 11 and how to download Microsoft's latest OS.

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iPad Air 2020 review: The budget iPad Pro

iPad Air 2020 review: The budget iPad Pro

It's hard to keep track of iPads. Apple's tablets are pretty fantastic and versatile, but also blend together across a wide spectrum of sizes and prices. Knowing which one to get is usually a matter of weighing what you're willing to spend and how much you're planning to do.

All iPads, right now, can do similar things. They all support Pencil sketching, keyboards and trackpads and all current models have pretty new processors. So the redesigned iPad Air, starting at $599 (£579, AU$899), is either one of two things: a fancier everyday iPad for you, or a cheaper iPad Pro. And the price, based on how you configure and deck it out in accessories, can vary widely.

After using it for weeks now, it's become my favorite iPad. In fact, I've mostly forgotten about the iPad Pro. The Air is basically as good, for less. And if you're really, really interested in a Pro, which was last updated back in March, I'd consider just waiting till next year to see what else gets introduced -- like a mini LED display, perhaps. The more I've used the Air, the more I've appreciated that Apple has really made an affordable Pro that strips out a few features you probably were never likely to use.

Adding USB-C, a crisp larger display and fast performance, plus support for the Magic Keyboard and Pencil 2, make it feel pretty great. And it's the same size as what was previously my favorite iPad, the 11-inch iPad Pro.

But that doesn't mean the Air is necessarily the best iPad for you. For its price, the standard eighth-gen iPad remains the better deal, and the go-to for most people (especially kids). Consider the eighth-gen iPad this way: basically last year's iPad Air at a lower price. 

The perfect size, with one new Touch ID button

The 11-inch iPad Pro has been my favorite size for a while. This new fourth-gen iPad Air is exactly the same size and fits the 11-inch Pro's cases and keyboards, too. It feels identical, with one exception: It has Touch ID on the top power button, instead of Face ID.

So I slapped the old Smart Keyboard from the iPad Pro 11 on and things felt almost exactly the same. iPad Pro who?

The display is basically the same as the 11-inch Pro, but not exactly. It's weird. The 11-inch Pro has an 11-inch, 2,388x1,668-pixel LCD with 600 nits max brightness. The Air has a 10.9-inch, 2,360x1,640-pixel LCD with 500 nits max brightness. I never noticed the difference. The side bezels seem a hair bigger on the Air. The iPad Pro also has smoother ProMotion screen refresh, at up to 120Hz, versus the iPad's more normal feel. ProMotion is lovely, but I'm also fine without it.

Touch ID is right there, on the power button.

Scott Stein/CNET

What about the new Touch ID button, though? The Air doesn't have Face ID, which the Pros and iPhones have. The Face ID camera is cleverly hidden around the black bezel of the Pro and works at nearly any orientation. Meanwhile, the Air is Apple's first device with a fingerprint sensor on the small power button on its edge, instead of the circular home button (which this iPad doesn't have). 

You have to remember which direction your iPad is facing, because that Touch ID could end up just about anywhere. Luckily, a pop-up on-screen indicator lets you know where it is when Touch ID is needed. But the orientation sometimes works for my left forefinger, sometimes for my right. I registered two fingers for practical comfort in landscape and portrait. The new Touch ID button seems to work reliably so far and there's no reason why future iPhones (or even the Apple Watch) couldn't get these little Touch ID buttons, too.

Compared to the 2019 iPad Air, the 2020 version gets a big chip boost and Pro-like extras (USB-C).

Scott Stein/CNET

How fast is it?

The new A14 chip, also in the iPhones 12, is in the Air. It sounds faster than any other iPad and that's half-true. The A14 is certainly faster than the A12 on the iPad and iPad Mini, based on benchmarks in Geekbench 5 and even in everyday use (initial runs show a score of 1,118, and a multicore score of 4,675 -- higher is better). But the iPad Pro's A12Z is faster in multitasking, while the Air beats it in single-core speed. Which is weird. The A12Z has more graphics power in its chip. But if you really wanted an iPad Pro, it would make me want to wait for a Pro with a possible A14Z chip next year.

The front camera is fine, but still not great for Zoom

We're all in video chats now. The iPad Air hasn't solved the iPad's biggest video chat problem, which is that the front camera ends up on the side in landscape mode. You'll look like you're staring off-screen in Zooms. The 7-megapixel camera is better than the entry-level iPad's, but I would have preferred something more centered for video chats.

Magic Keyboard and Pencil: not included.

Scott Stein/CNET

Accessories will cost you

Apple's iPad pricing slope starts seemingly affordable ($329, often on sale for $299 or less) and climbs up from there with storage tiers, models with extra features and pricey but useful accessories. It's a lot like car shopping -- suddenly you're getting the all-leather interior and deluxe extras.

The Air is a semiexpensive midrange model in that analogy, and those fancy extras can add up fast. The base 64GB $599 (£579, AU$899) iPad Air doesn't feel like enough storage for an iPad made to last years. But there's no 128GB model, so the 256GB version bumps to $749. (Skip the cellular add-on unless your office is paying.)

And then, the Pencil and keyboards. The Air supports all the newest Apple accessories like the snap-on magnetic Pencil 2 and the Magic Keyboard with trackpad. The Pencil 2 is $129 and the Magic Keyboard is $299, which is half the price of the iPad Air itself. You end up climbing to over $1,000 and now this is hardly a budget iPad anymore. No, it's not compatible with the first-gen Pencil, either.

You could even end up talking yourself into the iPad Pro at that point: the 128GB 11-inch Pro is $799, $50 more than the 256GB Air. And so it goes.

With a keyboard, still great for writing.

Scott Stein/CNET

It multitasks, but iPads are still not the same as laptops

A word, once again, on the promises and limits of iPads as true computer replacements. iPads are shockingly versatile and with a keyboard case slapped on, I can find myself suddenly using it like a laptop for hours on end. That's the great thing about iPads and iPadOS. The 10.9-inch screen is big enough to split two apps reasonably well and monitor different things at once, too.

Apple's also made a lot of strides in iPadOS 14 to enable file storage, drag-and-drop between multitasked apps, plus trackpad and mouse support and better Pencil support for scribbling and annotating on the iPad more easily. But, it still doesn't feel exactly like a laptop. File storage can get weird. Browser support is better but not perfect. And when I tried split-screening Zoom and Gmail and discovered that my camera was cut off in multitasking mode, I realized that there are some limits that have real impacts right now. 

The iPad Air, between the 2020 iPad (left) and iPad Pro (right). The Air is Pro-like, but the basic iPad is as good as last year's Air.

Scott Stein/CNET

A more affordable fancy iPad, but do you need it?

For my tastes, I prefer the new iPad Air over any other current iPad. And I'd want the Magic Keyboard, too, plus the extra storage. But that places me at $1,100 or so after tax, and that's a pretty fancy iPad setup indeed.

And much like a lot of Apple's product lineups, that's the key: knowing where you should land on pricing and upgrades. The odds that you'll just use the base 64GB iPad out of the box with no extras is pretty slim, unless you already have some 11-inch iPad Pro accessories lying around.

Just know that this Air really does feel like it's left off some less essential iPad Pro features and offered up a more affordable device in return. It's like when the iPhone XR arrived after the iPhone X. Not exactly the same, but in a lot of ways more than good enough.

It's great that Apple upgraded the Air so much since last year. But also remember that last year's perfectly capable iPad Air is still around: It's just basically been turned into the entry-level iPad and it's more affordable than ever.

Update, Nov. 24: Adds CNET Editors' Choice award.
First published Oct. 21.

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What has the pandemic changed people have changed since the pandemic how the pandemic has impacted healthcare how the pandemic has impacted healthcare the pandemic changed health care how has the pandemic changed healthcare how has healthcare changed since the pandemic the pandemic the pandemic institute

The pandemic changed health care, and there's no going back

The pandemic changed health care, and there's no going back

This story is part of The Year Ahead, CNET's look at how the world will continue to evolve starting in 2022 and beyond.

If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it's how to take our health into our own hands. 

We've become our own triage nurse, analyzing a sore throat with such urgency that, in another time, would've been considered a little obsessive. We've been asked to monitor our temperatures and even become citizen public health surveyors with the help of at-home COVID-19 tests. But one day (hopefully soon), the consequences of leaving the house with a sore throat won't mean we're risking someone's life. Soon, our physical health will remain a core piece of our well being, but we'll shake the neurosis of a pandemic mindset – hopefully, keeping our newfound sensitivity to public health and a desire to not harm others in the process.

But will our health care system?

"The pandemic accelerated a lot of changes that were kind of percolating in the background," says Matthew Eisenberg, associate professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Eisenberg studies how neoclassical economics ("supply and demand") applies to health care. While COVID-19 "catalyzed" many of the changes -- and inequities -- already budding in health care, he said, it will be up to policy makers as well as the supply-and-demand cycle of health care to decide what sticks and what doesn't.

Telemedicine: a thing of the past, or the future?

Video-calls-as-doctor's-visit wasn't a tool created because of COVID-19, but the pandemic has transformed it from an obscure practice to the new way to do health care. Importantly, policy changes made during the pandemic helped knock down some barriers for telemedicine access, and helped providers get paid for it.

Private insurance companies as well as public payers (i.e. Medicare) relaxed their policies on telemedicine reimbursement for health care providers because of COVID-19. As more health care providers get paid for telemedicine (which gives them incentive to provide it), the more supply there is for patients, Eisenberg says. 

"Prior to the pandemic, the only way a Medicare provider could be reimbursed for telemedicine would be if a patient was in a rural area where they could not physically travel to a provider," he says. "Even then, they had to go to a specialized facility and do the telemedicine at some out-patient facility's computer." 

Even through a computer screen, there are roadblocks to accessing health care. Before COVID-19, some patients, depending on where they live and what medical condition they have, would need to drive across state lines to access a specialist (which requires an amount of time and money many patients don't have). The loosening of interstate licensure laws during the pandemic has allowed people to connect with a doctor miles away, and even fill a prescription across state lines. 

Dr. Megan Mahoney is a family medicine doctor and the chief of staff at Stanford Health Care. Stanford Health Care, along with many other providers and organizations, have advocated to keep those restrictions loose once COVID-19 is no longer a public emergency, and the emergency rules no longer apply.

"We have noticed that there are states that don't have a single pediatric endocrinologist," says Mahoney. These specialists treat children with diabetes, for example. "We have a whole team of pediatric endocrinologists."

But in order to participate in telemedicine, you need an internet connection. Mahoney called the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which has a $65 billion budget for expanding internet access to rural communities and helping families pay their internet bill, a "tremendous" help in health care access. In the new virtual health landscape, access to broadband is a "social determinant of health," she says. Some policies and benefits put into place during the pandemic to help families access the internet, like the Emergency Broadband Benefit, were temporary. As broadband continues to mold in its form as a public good, its relationship to health care access will only strengthen.

FS Productions/Getty Images

Sliding into your doctor's DMs

In addition to telemedicine, the pandemic also gave us nearly unlimited access to our doctors' inbox through the patient portal. According to a report published in JAMA, which looked at instant messaging data between patients and their providers from March 2020 through June 2021, the number of patient messages increased, despite fewer patients seeking care in some specialties.

"The sheer demand that we're seeing is very much a testament to the patients' desire for this new channel of care," Mahoney says.  

Even older patients, whose relationship with technology sometimes gets a bad rap, are sending their doctors messages and embracing telemedicine, she says. 

"That was what propelled and accelerated the transformation," Mahoney says. When elderly people, who were originally reluctant to use telemedicine, were forced to use it in order to get care during the lockdown, "that helped them get over that hurdle." 

"What I've noticed is the digital divide, while we do need to be aware of it, it can be overcome and sufficiently addressed through additional education," she says. 

Some of that education for patients requires medical assistants to take on tech support roles. In addition to taking blood pressure and temperature when patients come into the room, they also need to make sure patients are comfortable signing into their patient account and feel comfortable with the technology, according to Mahoney. 

That shift in the patient-provider dynamic, and more direct access to care, is necessary to maintain a system Mahoney says can help people get early intervention and, hopefully, prevent visits to the emergency room.

Many of the messages Mahoney receives from patients involve correcting misinformation patients have heard about COVID-19 -- the type of preventative, education-based work that the current health care structure "does not support," she says. For example, sustaining a more thorough patient-doctor messaging system would require providers be paid for their time consulting with patients off-hours. It also requires online communication to be in the patient's language – a barrier for many people in the US who don't speak English or speak it as a second language. 

"I hope that health care can keep up with this cataclysmic shift that's happening," Mahoney said. "It will have to."

There are arguments against telemedicine as the end-all-be-all. Dr. Thomas Nash, an internist in New York City, told The New Yorker in a June 2020 report that though telemedicine is "doable...I worry that it's going to delay a good exam, and get in the way of deeper interactions between people and their doctors." The informal setting of telehealth may also be less likely to pick up on big issues which routine in-person exams would normally detect, such as high blood pressure, California Healthline reported. And it's more difficult to build an open relationship with your doctor through a screen than it is when you're sitting in their office.

But that also assumes people had a relationship to lose in the first place. As of Feb. 2019, one year before the pandemic began, about one fourth of all adults and half of all adults under 30 didn't have an ongoing relationship with a doctor, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. This is also a group that shows a strong preference for telehealth, and is the target audience for pre-pandemic care-on-demand services, including Nurx, which allows people to get birth control prescriptions and other medications online, sister sites Hims and Hers, Curology and more.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The great vaccine race 

Scientists impressed the world by moving quickly to develop highly effective COVID-19 vaccines in record time – doses of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine, with Moderna's authorized right behind it, were available to the first round of eligible adults in the US less than a year after the the country went into lockdown. According to Nature, the fastest anyone developed a vaccine was for mumps in 1960, and that took four years from development to approval (Pfizer's vaccine for people age 16 and up has full approval by the US Food and Drug Administration, while Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have emergency use authorization). While there's much left to be desired about how the vaccines are distributed and accessed by populations in countries outside the US (only 8.9% of people in low-income countries have had a coronavirus shot), an estimate from the Yale School of Public Health reports the vaccines have saved about 279,000 lives and prevented 1.25 million hospitalizations a s of early July 2021. 

Part of the reason the vaccines were developed so quickly was because research on the technology they use was already underway (the mRNA vaccines were developed using information from HIV research). While the global society has shown we can be very efficient at producing effective and safe vaccines, don't get your hopes up too high that it'll happen that fast again, says Michael Urban, an occupational therapist and program director at the University of New Haven.

"The thing people have to remember is that the federal government pumped tons and tons of money into this development," says Urban. "Globally, not just the United States." 

One reason for that is because COVID-19 had such a prominent impact on our economy. "The fact that this [vaccine] came out is because this is disrupting the fabric of life," Urban says. "How we make money, how we engage with people – how we enjoy our lives."

While it's tempting to hope that because scientists banded together to create a vaccine for COVID-19 and the US government helped fund much of that work it will usher in more resources to find preventative measures and treatments for other diseases, it's unlikely. The incentive for the government to subsidize research and development of treatments for other things that are more individualized, such as cancer or HIV, Urban says, might not be as strong, which leaves it up to the drug companies themselves. And without a public health emergency as transmissible and widespread as COVID-19, it's unlikely drug companies will pour quite as much time and effort into finding treatments.

And when addressing a drug company that profits "billions off of cancer treatments," for example, is it really in the best interest of the company to find an effective preventative measure? 

"If they can do one shot and get rid of cancer, is it really in their best interest?" Urban says. "I hate to say that," says Urban.

Two steps forward, two steps back

In addition to propelling us into trends that've been helpful in health care, the pandemic has magnified our shortcomings and has disproportionately affected the same people who have been mistreated by the medical system for years. Black and Hispanic Americans have been hospitalized with COVID-19, and died from the disease, in much greater numbers compared to white Americans.

Dr. Shantanu Nundy, a primary care physician and author of the book Care After Covid: What the Pandemic Revealed Is Broken in Healthcare and How to Reinvent It, told NPR in a May 2021 report that the pandemic scramble to find a testing site, get a vaccine appointment or access preventative care exposed those who might not have ever experienced it to the perils of health care. 

"The pandemic magnified long-standing cracks in the foundation of the US healthcare system and exposed those cracks to populations that had never witnessed them before," said Nundy in the NPR interview.

Another weak spot exposed because of COVID-19 was the US public health response, and its subsequent communication to the public about what to do when you're sick. When the pandemic struck, public health agencies were relying on "old methodologies" in terms of quarantine requirements and testing rules for COVID-19, Urban says. Compared to other countries, we have issues with containment and quarantine restrictions that don't always prevent people from spreading the virus, he says. The CDC's latest isolation guidance for people who test positive for COVID-19, for example, has been criticized by some for being too relaxed and not requiring a negative test.

In the US, there's a one-and-done mentality. "You do a one-time test, you're cleared," Urban says. "Have a nice day." 

When the next pandemic happens, he says the US is likely still not set up with the structure and tools needed to respond appropriately to a public health emergency. "We didn't learn from the Spanish flu," Urban says. 

An early December report from the Global Health Security Index, an assessment of health security across the globe developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and the Economist Impact, backs that up. According to the report, 195 countries across the globe are "dangerously underprepared for future epidemic and pandemic threats, including threats potentially more devastating than COVID-19." 

But importantly, the blame isn't solely on public health agencies, Urban says. The CDC, for example, is "under pressure" to get people back to work and everyday life, Urban says. To do so, the agency has to work within US federal law and the vastly different state and local laws which govern what we can and can't expect people to do.

Looking forward

As we move away from the immediate threat of COVID-19, our appreciation for mental health care is likely to stay. Eisenberg says that we may see specialized mental health services, including some practices that are virtual-only, and some that are a hybrid of in-office and virtual visits. There may also be a shift away from medication treatments for mental health conditions and more provider-focused psychotherapy, Eisenberg finds. 

"It's a small shift, but that could have big implications down the road," he says.

While there are structural and policy changes needed to ensure everyone has autonomy over their health, the pandemic has shifted the way care providers approach health care. Now more than ever, there's an emphasis on public health. 

In an interview with the American Medical Association, Nundy explained the framework he believes is necessary to progress health care after the pandemic. Through the course of the pandemic, Nundy said, doctors "built a muscle" for operating with public health in mind. 

"Let's take that muscle and let's start applying it to diabetes, let's start applying it to mental health," Nundy said. "So much more is possible." 

Correction, Jan. 14: The original version of this story misspelled Shantanu Nundy's last name. 

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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Galaxy Watch 3 review: A stunning smartwatch with SpO2 tracking and ECG

Galaxy Watch 3 review: A stunning smartwatch with SpO2 tracking and ECG

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 3 has a lot working in its favor. It's one of the best-looking smartwatches out there, with a physical rotating bezel and bright, circular AMOLED display. It also brings new health and fitness tools such as a running coach, better sleep tracking than earlier models, blood oxygen monitoring and an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG). But at $399 (or higher) it's on the pricier end of the smartwatch spectrum, and battery life on the smaller version is disappointing. 

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Samsung aims for the ultimate Android watch

Looks go a long way with this watch 

I was already a fan of the original Galaxy Watch with its round face and physical rotating bezel, and the Watch 3 looks even nicer. It has a bright, beautiful AMOLED screen that's easy to read even in broad daylight. It's also useful if you're on a run and need to quickly check your stats during a workout. The screen can always be on if you need it, although it'll cost you in the battery department (more on that later). I like navigating the interface with the rotating bezel instead of smudging the screen with my fingers. 

Gazing at the Watch 3 on my wrist, I think it could almost pass for a traditional analog watch thanks to its classic design. The smaller bezels mean the screen is bigger than the original's even though the body of the watch has gotten smaller. It still bulges out from under the stainless-steel frame, however, making it thicker than I'd like and not as comfortable to wear at night as the Galaxy Watch Active. 

I tried out the bronze 41mm version (the watch also comes in a 45mm size), with the tan-pink leather straps -- a welcome step up from the silicone straps on the original Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Active series. The bronze is a lot less flashy than the gold of the original Galaxy Watch, and it looks softer and more flattering on my wrist. If you're planning on using it for working out or swimming (or, in my case, bathing small children), you may want to invest in a sports strap as well. I can see the leather getting worn after a while due to frequent contact with water.

A staggered rollout of its health features

Aside from its looks, what really made the Galaxy Watch 3 stand out for me was its impressive list of new health features. It has ECG, an SpO2 app that measures oxygen saturation in the blood, a blood-pressure monitor, fall detection, advanced sleep tracking, period tracking and a detailed post-run analysis. But I have to admit I was a little skeptical as to whether Samsung could deliver on all of these promises. The Galaxy Watch Active 2, for example, also launched with an "ECG feature" which is still pending over a year later. The blood-pressure feature from the original Active was unreliable at best when we tested it and calibrated it against a blood-pressure cuff. 

Samsung has since received FDA clearance for its ECG feature  which can also screen for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), and rolled out the feature to both the Watch 3 and the Active 2. But blood pressure that's still pending FDA clearance in the US. (Blood pressure is only available in South Korea at the time of writing.) 

Tracking blood oxygen levels on the Galaxy Watch 3 

Samsung has had SpO2 tracking on past Galaxy devices like the S10, but I was excited to test it out on the watch to see how it had improved. Apple's new Apple Watch Series 6 also tracks blood oxygen levels on demand,  while other smartwatches from Fitbit and Garmin use blood oxygen levels for sleep analysis or to determine VO2 max during exercise.

Tracking blood oxygen has become especially important during the coronavirus pandemic. People with COVID-19 can experience shortness of breath and serious dips in blood oxygen. 

Doctors and hospitals use pulse oximeters placed on the tip of the index finger to measure blood oxygen levels, but these have become a hot commodity during the pandemic as many patients experiencing shortness of breath have turned to these small sensors to determine whether or not to head to the emergency room. 

To test accuracy of the SpO2 app on the Galaxy Watch 3, I took a side-by-side reading using a medical-grade pulse oximeter and both gave results within a few points of each other (98 and 99). It also took a few minutes more to get a read on the Watch 3 and you have to position it correctly on your wrist for it to work. 

Because my oxygen levels were within the healthy range, it's hard to know whether the Watch would be as accurate as the pulse oximeter in the lower ranges as well. It's also important to note that any watch or consumer tech device should only be used as a starting point, never in place of a physician and medical care. 

Like its predecessor, the Watch 3 can monitor stress levels using your heart-rate data. The test takes a few seconds and requires you to keep your arm still. Once it has the information it needs, it'll grade levels on the stress spectrum and give you the option to go through a minute of breathing exercises to help get your rating down.

I took my stress test while on deadline writing this review and it detected very low levels, so I'm a bit skeptical about its accuracy. 

It's also added menstrual cycle or period tracking: You enter the data in your watch and it syncs with the Samsung Health app, which can give you information about your next period and predicted fertility window. The feature isn't native to Samsung and is powered by the Glow app, which was already a relatively established name in the menstrual health tracking category and one I'd used before. 

The other big health feature exclusive to the Galaxy Watch 3 is the trip-detection feature, which I hope I'll never need. If the watch detects that you're not moving after a hard fall, it immediately calls your emergency contact and shares your location. It's not on by default, so you'll have to set it up from the advanced settings option on the Watch 3 and designate an emergency contact. I tried activating it by falling on my bed a few times but I was unsuccessful. The Apple Watch (Series 4 and later) has a similar feature called fall detection that's actually saved lives.

CNET screenshot/Samsung

New ways to work out with the Galaxy Watch 3 

Despite its dressed-up exterior, the Galaxy Watch 3 doubles as a fitness tracker. It tracks 40 different workouts, including swimming (both indoors and outdoors) and will automatically detect and track seven of those workouts. Within about 10 minutes of my starting my walk, I received a notification to start a workout and it gave me credit for the 10 minutes prior. 

A heart-shaped dashboard shows you a breakdown of your active minutes, calories burned and stand time during the day compared with your target. 

I took it on my usual 3-mile run alongside the San Francisco Bay without my phone, and I found it to be fairly accurate at displaying my distance, pace and heart rate. 

You'll have to tweak the settings to display the information you want at a glance during your run, because the default doesn't include heart rate, which I personally like to have on hand. But I liked that it showed me a map of my run and a breakdown of my heart rate zones at the end of the run. It told me I had sustained my maximum heart rate for 2 minutes during the uphill portion of my run. You can also access this data after the fact on the Samsung Health app.

It also has a few bonus features for runners. The first is a running coach, the same one that debuted on the Active 2, which provides real-time feedback about pace and form during a run. Instead of starting a normal run, I selected the running coach on the watch and plugged in my earbuds. A robotic female voice told me to start my warmup. The voice gave me pace alerts throughout the run and generic tips about lengthening my stride and landing on the front of my feet instead of the heel. Be warned that using the running coach will drain the battery a lot faster than if you are tracking a regular run.

What's new to the Galaxy Watch 3 is a post-run analysis, with details including flight and contact time, asymmetry and stiffness to help identify areas of improvement. It's not as comprehensive as the data you'd get on a dedicated running watch such as the Garmin Forerunner, but it could help if you're training for a race or just looking to get more out of your usual route. 

Apparently my "stiffness" needed improvement. Good to know, but it'd be nice to get this feedback live from the running coach so I could have adjusted during my run. It can also calculate your VO2 max, or maximum oxygen consumption during exercise, to give a sense of your overall fitness and tells you what your percentage is within your age group. This is the same metric you'd get if you were doing a VO2 max test in a lab on a stationary bike or treadmill, wearing a mask that measures oxygen exchange. I'm yet to compare them to determine whether or not the reading I got on the Galaxy Watch 3 was accurate. 

Mitchell Chang/CNET

Another first on the Galaxy Watch 3 is a feature that lets you sync it with home workout videos you can control from your wrist. I wasn't really a home workout videos kind of person before March, but I think the global pandemic has made us all rethink how we exercise and I've since been doing a lot of Pilates and yoga classes on my TV. Having the workout on my wrist was a big step up from my usual routine. 

I selected an abs program on the Health app, which consisted of three 15-minute workouts during the week, and was able to cast the first of the series on my Samsung TV and and follow along with my watch. The watch vibrated to let me know when it was time to move on to the next exercise and let me pause with a press of the button when I had to readjust my position. Plus it gave me the appropriate calorie credit at the end of it (or at least what I think is appropriate based on similar previous workouts). 

This is not the first watch to offer training prompts from your wrist: Fitbit's Premium account gives workout videos that sync with the Versa, and there are third-party workout apps for the Apple Watch. But it's nice that Samsung offers it natively and for free. My one complaint is that the workout I chose had the same robotic woman's voice as the running coach guiding me through the workouts -- and let's just say she's not exactly motivating when you're trying to hold a plank for 60 seconds. 

Sleep tracking finally makes sense on the Galaxy Watch 3

One of my biggest complaints about the sleep tracking feature on the original Galaxy Watch was that it provided little context about your sleep habits, especially for if you don't know much about sleep to begin with. 

The Watch 3 has learned a lot from the mistakes of its predecessors, and now gives a more comprehensive look at your night. It gives you a full breakdown of the stages of sleep (light, REM, deep), and compares yours with a normal range. It also gives you a score based on these factors. 

I've never found the score to be helpful, but having the context of seeing my data compared with a normal range helped me figure out how to get the most out of my sleep. While my total sleep time was good, I found I wasn't spending much time in "deep" sleep compared with what's typical. I tried going to bed an hour earlier, and though my total sleep time didn't change, I was able to extend my deep sleep time and felt more rested in the morning. 

Samsung

The basic smartwatch features, but no MST for Samsung Pay

I tested the Galaxy Watch 3 with an iPhone 11 Pro and a Galaxy S20 Ultra and, while it worked well on both, some of its features, which include text responses and mobile payments, are only available for Android users. The Watch runs on Samsung's own Tizen operating system, which is easy to navigate and offers a lot more customization than some of its competitors. You can set widgets and rearrange apps right from the watch screen.

You can type, scribble, dictate or doodle a response and take calls from your wrist. It doesn't have a huge selection of third-party apps (Spotify and Strava are among the few), but it does receive notifications from most of them including Facebook, WhatsApp and even CNET news alerts.

With Spotify you get full music control, offline listening for Premium subscribers and streaming over LTE (you'll pay about $50 more for the cellular version of the Galaxy Watch 3). 

The Galaxy Watch 3 has Samsung Pay, but sadly it's NFC-only and the feature will only work at NFC-enabled terminals. The Galaxy phones and Gear S3 have MST technology so you can use them for contactless payment at nearly all credit card terminals with a magnetic strip. 

Battery life is disappointing

Samsung says the battery on the Galaxy Watch 3 will last for up to two days, which it can, but there are a few caveats. For starters, this claim only applies to the larger 45mm version of the watch. I tested the smaller, 41mm version and Samsung says this size will last closer to a day and a half with "normal use." As always, mileage may vary depending on how you intend to use it. 

With the always on display set to auto brightness, tracking a full night of sleep and taking it on a 30-minute jog (without my phone) I only just made it to the 24-hour mark. 

The watch offers some battery-saving tips including turning off the always-on feature, limiting the screen timeout and turning off location data. I made those changes and the watch lasted a day and a half when I didn't have time for a run and had the always-on screen off, but I feel like those features should be factored into Samsung's claim.

I was also disappointed to find that the watch doesn't come with its own USB wall adapter, just a cable with the magnetic charging puck, but the upside is that you can charge it on any Qi compatible wireless charger, or get a quick boost on the go using the Power Share feature on Samsung's Galaxy phones (S10 or later). 

A good-looking smartwatch with great potential

The Galaxy Watch 3 has come a long way in terms of its features and user experience. Starting at $400 for the base 41mm model, you're getting a premium-looking smartwatch that can finally keep up as a fitness tracker. But the Watch 3 won't feel fully finished until it can deliver on all of its health features.

If you're not too attached to the design, or the physical bezel, you might also consider the Galaxy Watch Active 2, which shares a lot of the same features for about $200 less.

First published Aug. 10.

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