TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Setup News Ticker
   TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Searching for 'CES'. (Return)

EngadgetFeb 20, 2026
The best cheap Android phones to buy in 2026
Getting a solid Android phone doesn't necessitate spending a small fortune. The best budget models strike a great balance between price and performance, giving you smooth everyday use without cutting too many corners. Whether you're scrolling social media, streaming your favorite shows or snapping photos of a night out, there's an affordable Android phone that can handle it all.

Cheaper phones have come a long way in recent years. Many now feature bright, fast displays, reliable cameras and battery life that lasts well into the next day. You might miss out on top-tier extras like the latest processor or ultra-high-resolution zoom, but what you get instead is value that makes sense. Some models even surprise with cameras that rival far pricier flagships, making them ideal for casual photographers or anyone who just wants to capture a great shot on the go.

We've tested budget Android phones from brands like Google, Samsung and OnePlus to find the ones that deliver the most for less. These are the models that prove you don't need a flagship price tag to get a dependable Android phone.

Best budget Android phones for 2026







SlashDotFeb 19, 2026
Google Announces Gemini 3.1 Pro For 'Complex Problem-Solving'


RELATED ARTICLES
Google Rolls Out Latest AI Model, Gemini 3.1 Pro (CNET News)

Mac RumorsFeb 19, 2026
Report: Meta Revives Smartwatch Plans to Take On Apple Watch
Meta is set to release its first smartwatch this year featuring health-tracking and built-in Meta AI, reports The Information.


EngadgetFeb 19, 2026
Apple's iPhone Air MagSafe battery pack is cheaper than ever
We found the iPhone Air to have a pretty decent battery life for such a thin-and-light phone, somewhere in the region of 27 hours if you're continuously streaming video. But it's still a phone, arguably your most used device on a daily basis, so you may need to top it up during the day if you're using it constantly. That's where Apple's iPhone Air MagSafe battery pack comes in, and it's currently on sale for $79.



This accessory only works with the iPhone Air, but much like the phone it attaches to, it's extremely slim at 7.5mmm, so crucially doesn't add so much bulk when attached that it defeats the point of having a thin phone in the first place. The MagSafe Battery isn't enormous a


RELATED ARTICLES
Apple's C1X Modem Faces First Reported Failure in iPhone Air (Mac Rumors)

Mac RumorsFeb 19, 2026
M1 MacBook Air Out of Stock at Walmart as Lower-Cost MacBook Nears
Apple's older MacBook Air with the M1 chip is now out of stock on Walmart's website in the U.S., amid rumors of a new lower-cost MacBook coming soon.


CNET Most Popular ProductsFeb 19, 2026
Moonquakes: Understanding the Moon's Tectonic Forces Could Protect Future Astronauts
Space agencies and companies looking to set up lunar outposts should build far away from seismic activity.

ResearchBuzzFeb 19, 2026
Mississippi Nonprofits, ChatGPT, Google, More: Thursday Afternoon ResearchBuzz, February 19, 2026
NEW RESOURCES Tippah News: Mississippi auditor creates nonprofit spending database after finding state couldn't tally funding. "The Mississippi Office of the State Auditor said Wednesday it has launched an online Nonprofit Spending […]

RELATED ARTICLES
Ukraine Cultural Heritage, New Testament Manuscripts, Epstein Files, More: Thursday ResearchBuzz, February 19, 2026 (ResearchBuzz)

eWeekFeb 19, 2026
Saudi Arabia Invests $3B in Elon Musk's xAI Empire
Money talks.In AI, it also buys megawatts. Humain says it has poured $3 billion into Elon Musk's xAI, a move that spotlights how the AI race is shifting from splashy launches to buildout math: capital, compute, power, and the places you can actually build. It's also a rare case where a state-backed AI push shows […]

The post Saudi Arabia Invests $3B in Elon Musk's xAI Empire appeared first on eWEEK.



EngadgetFeb 19, 2026
Rivian rolls out an Apple Watch app with vehicle controls and digital key support
Rivian suggests that vehicle owners can leave their phone at home (or perhaps in a glove box) and instead control some aspects of their EV using a new Apple Watch app. With a tap of your watch, you can unlock and lock the doors, sound the alarm and vent the windows. After the digital key is set up, R1S and R1T Gen 2 owners can unlock their vehicle automatically simply by walking up to it thanks to the passive car key feature.

It's possible to set the cabin temperature and a target state of charge by turning the digital crown on an Apple Watch. You also can choose four quick controls to put front and center in the app and add a battery status indicator to your watch face if you so wish. Rivian says it will update its Apple Watch app with new features in the future.

Rivian first enabled digital car key support on Apple, Google Pixel and Samsung devices back in December. Apple started supporting digital car keys on


Mac RumorsFeb 17, 2026
Android-to-iPhone AirDrop Transfers Now Supported on Pixel 9
Google is expanding its cross-platform file sharing feature to additional Android devices, allowing them to transfer files to an iPhone using the AirDrop protocol. AirDrop support for Quick Share is coming to the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold over the next few days.


EngadgetFeb 14, 2026
OpenAI has officially retired the controversial GPT-4o model
OpenAI's GPT-4o may have survived its first brush with going offline, but it won't be as lucky this time. OpenAI has officially retired GPT-4o, the ChatGPT model that was seen as more conversational and notoriously sycophantic, on February 13. The news of GPT-4o's end was first announced in a post on the OpenAI website in January, but the discontinuation also included GPT-5, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini from ChatGPT.

It's not the first time that OpenAI has delisted GPT-4o as an option for ChatGPT. In August, the AI giant sunsetted the GPT-4o model in favor of rolling out and prioritizing the latest GPT-5 model at the time. However, a wave of user complaints led OpenAI to restore access to GPT-4o but with no guarantee that it'll be around forever.

This time around, OpenAI doesn't seem very open to preserving access to GPT-4o, especially since it'll serve only a small portion of the user base. The company wrote on its website that "the vast majority of usage has shifted to GPT-5.2, with only 0.1 percent of users still choosing GPT-4o each day." On top of that, OpenAI is facing several


ResearchBuzzFeb 12, 2026
Maison Margiela, Cambodia Scam Centers, Google, More: Thursday Afternoon ResearchBuzz, February 12, 2026
NEW RESOURCES Dazed: Maison Margiela is opening up its archive to the public via Dropbox. "… alongside those four exhibitions and the Shanghai fashion show, the house has opened up its archive […]
  • CEOExpress
  • c/o CommunityScape | 200 Anderson Avenue
    Rochester, NY 14607
  • Contact
  • As an Amazon Associate
    CEOExpress earns from
    qualifying purchases.

©1999-2026 CEOExpress Company LLC