The Pixel 9a, smart glasses and AMD’s latest CPU

This installment of our reviews roundup goes in several different directions. We’ve got an excellent Android phone, some smart glasses and a powerful CPU. Plus, we revisited our old pal the iPhone 16 Pro and offer up a spoiler-free review of The Last of Us season two. There’s plenty to catch up on, so keep scrolling to see what our reviews team has been up to over the last few weeks.

Google Pixel 9a

There’s a lot to like about the Pixel 9a. In fact, senior reviews writer Sam Rutherford argues it’s the best Android phone you can buy right now in terms of pure value. “I would love to see Google add a true telephoto lens and its charging speeds (both wired and wireless) could be better,” he writes. “But for $500, Google’s most budget-friendly phone covers all the bases and then some.”

Even Realities G1

Daniel Cooper for Engadget

Even Realities’ G1 are smart glasses with a heads-up display for everday use. Notifications, Navigation, Translation and AI from the comfort of your head.

Pros

• Lightweight and seamless
• Beautifully elegant
• Navigation is useful
• Translation has so much potential
• Teleprompter perfect for presentations
• Useful second screen for your phone

Cons

• Fussy controls
• Far more reliant on your phone than it should be

$599 at Even Realities

If you’re looking for a pair of smart glasses that are more practical instead of being a content capture device, Even Realities’ G1 might be for you. The device impressed senior editor Daniel Cooper, but the caveats will be dealbreakers for some people. “I really like Even Realities’ G1 for what they can do right now, but I’m also hopeful that it’ll get far more useful in the future,” he explains. “It seems to me there are so many things that could be tweaked, primped and plumped to make these far more appealing.”

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D

AMD

The 9950X3D is a powerhouse of a desktop processor, with tons of L3 cache to speed up gaming and no compromises for intensive productivity work. The only downside is its relatively high price.

Pros

• Excellent performance
• Noticeable gaming improvements
• Relatively cool temperatures

Cons

• Very expensive compared to other desktop CPUs

$700 at Best Buy

The latest AMD Ryzen CPU is a powerhouse, but it comes with a steep price tag. “After releasing a pair of excellent midrange GPUs, which showed that the company can genuinely go toe-to-toe with NVIDIA, this CPU and its accompanying 3D V-Cache technology is a reminder of how AMD is far ahead of Intel in many ways,” senior editor Devindra Hardawar says. “While it’s certainly not the best deal around, if you can afford it, the 9950X3D is the best desktop CPU you can buy today.”

An iPhone 16 Pro check-in and S2 of The Last of Us

We’re revisiting big devices about six months after their initial release to see how things are progressing. UK bureau chief Mat Smith recently put the iPhone 16 Pro through its paces again, noting that Apple Intelligence remains a disappointment. Deputy news editor Nathan Ingraham got early access to The Last of Us ahead of the season two premiere this weekend. He explains that the show navigates a rough patch in the source material with relative ease, and his review won’t spoil the new episodes.