The Top Phones, Chargers and Apps of 2018

The smartphone was rife with updates in 2018: wireless charging became a thing and app options soared — especially around productivity, fitness, music and photo editing and augmented reality. Accessories with which to charge our phones also saw a bump, including wireless charging pads and portable batteries. If you’ve forgotten anything — you’re forgiven, 2018 went by fast — here’s a gear recap of the year.

iPhone Chargers: This New Portable Power Bank Plugs Directly Into The Wall

It’s actually pretty rare to find in a power bank.

Thanks to Rare Materials, These iPhone Cases Improve Battery Life

The harder you work your phone the more benefits you’ll see.

This Space Gray Wireless Charger Will Perfectly Match Your iPhone X

This wireless charging pad comes with a cool design and it’s capable of fast charging any supported smartphone.

I Badly Want to Ditch My iPhone For the New Nokia Banana Phone

The 8810, announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, is, of course, a new version of the phone that Keanu made popular in the Matrix series twenty-two years ago and will be available for purchase…

This is the New King of Smartphone Cameras, According to DxO Mark

It beat the Google Pixel 2, iPhone X and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 to the top spot.

3 Wireless Fast Chargers for 3 Different Situations

Charge your new iPhone or Samsung smartphone to their fastest potential.

This Beautiful Power Adapter is the Perfect Gift for International Travelers

Charge your devices while traveling throughout the US, Canada and Europe.

Mophie Is Working on the First Qi-Certified Wireless Charging Case for iPhone X

The case is expected to add 1,720 mAH to your iPhone X, or roughly nine hours of use.

This Is the Fastest Wireless Charger for Your New iPhone

And if you act now, you can get a great deal on it.

This Fast Charging Stand Can Horizontally Charge Your iPhone

Case-Mate’s wireless fast charger for iPhone X comes with an optional stand so that you can easily text and take calls while charging.

This New Device Lets You Send Texts Even When You Don’t Have Cell Service

If you’ve ever been out on the trail and lost connectivity to your cell network, you know how frustrating, and dangerous, it can be to be unable to communicate with loved ones and emergency responders….

You Can Now Buy an iPhone 8 and 8 Plus In Red

A portion of the proceeds goes to Product (RED), a charity organization committed to fighting HIV and AIDS in Africa.

The 5 Most Important New Features Google Just Added to Gmail

Google just redesigned Gmail. It’s the first major redesign since 2011. Here’s everything you need to know, plus how to get started.

Mophie’s New Charging Cases Nearly Double Your Phone’s Battery Life

Yes, they also support Qi-wireless charging.

These Wireless Keyboards Make Your iPhone Feel More Like a Mac

Logitech announced new colorways of its popular Keys-to-Go wireless keyboards.

The LG G7 Looks Like an iPhone X, But Has a Brighter Screen, a Smarter Camera and a Built-in DAC

That said, it’s not an iPhone X at all.

Google’s Intelligent ‘Google News’ App Is Now Available on iPhone and iPad

A fresh way to read the news. Fast, simple and specifically curated for you.

Moleskine’s New Productivity App Is a Lot Like Its Notebooks — Really Simple, Really Good

Available on the iTunes store, Actions by Moleskine is a stupidly simple, stupidly pretty productivity app.

This Minimalistic, Monochromatic Smartphone Will Make You More Productive

Stop losing mindless minutes (or hours) each day scrolling through your Instagram, Twitter or Apple News feeds.

This New Flagship Smartphone Has Dual Front-and-Back Camera Systems

It also comes with squeezable sizes. And no, there’s no fake notch.

Mophie’s Wireless Charging Kit Is Perfect for Travelers

It’s a dopp kit for your electronics. And it only costs $50.

This Wireless Fast Charger Brings Modern Flair to Your Workspace

It can charge your smartphone either vertically or horizontally, which is ideal for those who watch Netflix or YouTube videos while charging.

This Is the Most Badass Lightning Cable I’ve Ever Seen

If you have an iPhone, it also might be the only charging cable you’ll ever need.

This Is the Thinnest Wireless iPhone Charger I’ve Seen

Fast charging? Yes, it does that.

This App Makes Transferring Files Between Your Mac and Smartphone Easy

No Bluetooth connection or any USB cable required. If AirDrop has been giving you problems, try this app.

This Is the First Apple-Approved Portable Battery With a Lightning Input

Yes, that means you can charge this non-Apple product with the same cable that you use with your iPhone, iPad and AirPods. Hallelujah.

The Device That Sends Texts Without Service Just Got Better

GoTenna Mesh is a tiny, pocketable device that lets users communicate with each other even when cell service isn’t available. It’s ideal for use in the backcountry, and thanks to a handful of new features,…

This Is the Perfect iPhone Travel Accessory, Made by Mophie

Integrated Lightning cable? Check. Supports wireless charging? Check.

This 3-in-1 Cable Is the Perfect Travel Accessory (It Can Charge All Your Devices)

If your current Lightning, micro-USB, USB-C cable is on the fritz, this is the charging cable I would recommend.

Nike’s Best-in-Class Workout App Now Works on the Apple Watch

Work out more efficiently while also closing out your Exercise ring.

Strava Launches New Tiered Subscription Service With More Options Than Ever for Athletes

The fan-favorite app launches three new programs for fitness fanatics.

Did Logitech Make the Perfect Wireless Charger for iPhone?

Logitech’s first wireless charger ticks all the boxes.

This App Will Help You Make Better Instagram Stories

It’s also refreshingly easy to use.

The Galaxy Note 9 Is Like a Laptop That Fits in Your Pocket

Here’s everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

This Elegant, Leather Wireless Charger Is Also a Valet Tray

It’s made of premium pebble-grain Italian leather and high-grade aluminum alloy.

Mophie’s Slick New Power Banks Can Wirelessly Charge Your Phone

Mophie’s new powerstation wireless and powerstation wireless XL are power banks with a 6040mAh and a 10,000mAh battery capacity, respectively.

The iPhone XR Is Really Affordable, and Still Totally Feature-Packed

Not quite all the flagship tech, but impressive nonetheless — and at a price we can (sort of) get behind.

Meet the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, Apple’s New Gold Standard

Which new iPhone is right for you?

This Is the AirPower Alternative You’ve Been Waiting For

If you’ve been holding your breath for Apple’s AirPower and are getting red in the face, this might actually be a better alternative.

The Most Interesting Smartphone Camera of 2018 Isn’t on an iPhone

The neat thing with the LG V40 ThinQ is that it’s easy to utilize all three rear cameras at once.

Google Pixel 3: The 5 Most Important New Features (So Far)

Google’s latest smartphone has all of the features we expected, plus a handful of groundbreaking ones that we didn’t.

How to Make the New Pixel’s Amazing Camera Even Better

If you buy any of Moment’s smartphone accessories through the Moment app and by Friday, October 12 – you get 20-percent off.

This Tiny Battery Will Power Your MacBook Pro for an Extra 50 Minutes

Ecoflow’s River Rapid is powerful and slim — the ultimate MacBook Pro accessory.

Hate All of the Giant New Smartphones? Try This On For Size

Palm has a tiny 3.3-inch screen and runs Android 8.1. It also has a 12-megapixel camera.

This Year in Gear

Just like that, 2018 has come and gone. Take a look back at the best of what the past 365 days had to offer in This Year in Gear

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