A beginner’s guide to tech: All of the essential phones and gadgets that are actually worth your money in 2019

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A quality smartphone is one of the best investments you can make.

Smartphones are the most versatile computing devices we own. They're phones, obviously, but they're also cameras, calculators, and full-blown computers that can fit in your pocket or bag.

The biggest choice you'll make is actually pretty simple: Which operating system do you prefer?

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Most smartphones either run iOS which is operated by Apple or Android, which is designed by Google and tweaked (slightly or a lot) depending on the phone you buy.

If you like iOS, that means you're getting an iPhone.

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You can't go wrong with any of the new iPhones from 2018, including the or the , but older models like the , which starts at $450, are still the best deal you can get with Apple.

If you like Android, you have a ton of options.

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Popular picks include the affordable which starts at $550, and the and phones from Samsung, which start at $720 and $1,000, respectively. Samsung will announce the this month, too.

The very best way to experience Android, however, is with Google's own devices: take everything that was great about 2017's Pixel 2 phones, including a clean version of Android and the best camera you can find on a smartphone, and improved upon it.

A streaming device for your TV

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Streaming devices are a worthy investment for any TV owner in 2019. Streaming devices, in short, open up the possibilities for your TV.

Most streaming devices support popular streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu, but depending on the company that makes your device, you'll also typically have access to an online store, like Apple's iTunes Store or Google's Play Store. So, if you purchased movies, TV shows, or games through any of those stores, you'll be able to access them on your TV.

The style is up to you. Several companies make sticks that can plug into your TV's USB port, while other devices plug into your HDMI port and sit on top of a table or stand.

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If your TV has a USB port, consider Amazon's $40 Fire TV Stick or Google's $35 Chromecast.

If you want a device that plugs into your TV's HDMI port, you can't go wrong with the $150 Apple TV or .

One company worth following is Roku , which makes streaming devices in all shapes and sizes, and they're all relatively affordable.

A smart speaker of your choosing

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Smart speakers may seem creepy at first putting a microphone in your home should raise your eyebrows at least a little bit but the benefits of owning a smart speaker, like a Google Home or an Amazon Echo, are absolutely worth it .

What do you actually do with these things? Just about anything: You can ask for the time, or the weather, or how old a certain actor is, or what to cook for dinner.

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You can connect your speaker to smart light bulbs, so you can turn on your living room or bedroom lights with just a simple voice command.

I've found countless uses for my Amazon Echo , which only costs $80, but personally I think these devices are best used in the kitchen , where you can use it to set timers or play music, all hands-free.

You can get a smart speaker for as little as $50.

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Google's Home Mini or Amazon's Echo Dot both cost around $50, and those speakers often go on sale, meaning you can find them sometimes for as little as $35.

You can also buy more high-end speakers, like or Google's $400 Home Max , the latter being the best-sounding smart speaker you can buy .

A modern video game console

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Games help make technology more approachable. They'vetransformed considerably over the years, from a simple form of entertainment to an art form in its own right.

As computers get more powerful, and the tools to make games become more accessible, weve seen dozens of new titles every year, from companies big and small, that push the boundaries of whats possible in a video game.

In 2019, you can play games just about anywhere: on your phone, your computer, or on a game console.

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While gaming on a PC offers the best performance, youll have to buy a computer thats right for you.

Game consoles, on the other hand, offer a one-size-fits-all solution thats often more affordable than a complete gaming PC, and consoles tend to feature more exclusive games you cant play elsewhere.

Each game console has its perks.

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The PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch both cost around $300, and offer the best games you can't play anywhere else like "God of War" on PS4, or "Super Mario Odyssey" on the Switch.

The PlayStation 4 is a home console, though, while the Switch can be played at home on your TV, or on the go: in your lap, or on a tabletop.

You also cant go wrong with the Xbox One , which costs anywhere between $250 and $500, depending on the model you like. Games like "Red Dead Redemption 2" look best on Xbox One.

A nice pair of wireless headphones

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Ignore the death of the headphone jack: Wired audio literally kept people tethered to their devices, and wires got tangled easily or could catch on random surfaces, yanking the headphones off your head.

Wireless audio is more convenient than the wired stuff, and in 2019, there are so many ways to get it.

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Wireless headphones can be costly the best models typically cost around $300 but they're absolutely worth the investment, especially since they can connect to your phone, your laptop, your game console, or even your streaming device, and come in all different styles.

And despite what you might think, wireless headphones sound excellent, plus they let you enjoy your movies or games without disturbing others.

For over-ear headphones, lots of people swear by Bose and Sennheiser, but I personally recommend Sony's $350 1000X-seriesheadphones, as well as the $350Beats Studio headphones, as both options offer incredible sound and also look good enough to wear.

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If you're into wireless earbuds, there are tons of great solutions.

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I really like Master & Dynamic's $300 MW07 True Wireless Earbuds ,the $140 Jaybird Run earbuds , and the wireless earbuds from JLab Audio. Personally, though, my favorite earbuds are Apple's $170 AirPods . I can't recommend them enough. To me, they're the best Apple invention since the iPhone.

A computer that fits your needs

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Computers started off as large, appliance-like machines. These days, they can fit in your pocket, fold onto themselves like a clamshell, and bend and twist in all sorts of different ways.

In 2019, there are more computer options than ever.

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Do you want a giant desktop computer with a big, beautiful, curved display? Do you want an ultra-light laptop that can bend backwards, and stand up like a tent? Do you want a computer that doesn't have a keyboard at all? Those are all actual computers you can buy in 2019.

The biggest question you need to answer when choosing a computer for yourself is: What do you need it for?

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If you want a computer to play video games, you'll probably want a big desktop PC to power those experiences.

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The price of a PC can vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars, but building your own PC is fun, affordable, and easy with the right tools.

Check out this step-by-step guide from my colleague Tony Villas-Boas on how he built his own gaming PC.

If you want a computer to bring back and forth to work, you might want something more portable, like a MacBook or Chromebook laptop.

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Chromebooks can cost as little as $250, while MacBooks are a bit more high end, and can cost anywhere from $1,000 to over $13,000 for a beefed-up iMac Pro.

If you want a computer with a touchscreen, perhaps for drawing, you might consider a Microsoft Surface Goor an iPad.

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Both computers support accessories that turn those tablet-computers into full-on laptops. Microsoft Surface Go starts at $400, while iPads start at $329.

Exploring the horizons of technology

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There are emerging technologies that you can try, right now, on your smartphone or computer. They aren't considered "mainstream" just yet, but they're worth exploring if they sound interesting to you.

Drones are basically autonomous flying robots.

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Skydio

Most times you can have a very tight level of control, although some models, like the $2,500 , simply follow you and do most of the complex work themselves. If you're into photography, or you love the idea of flying robots in general and want to see what they can do, drones are worth tinkering with.

Virtual reality is getting better at complete, untethered immersion.

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Facebook

Older folks may remember all of the times VR was "almost a thing," but failed.

VR has been in development for over 50 years. Now, though, it has the support of billion-dollar companies like Facebook, which makes and sells the Oculus Rift family of VR headsets.

If you really want to invest in the space, you can buy PC-based VR headsets like the $500 HTC Vive , which still provide the best overall experiences, but affordable headsets that don't need a computer,like the $400 that's coming soon, show that the technology is finally catching up with the goal of VR, which is complete immersion no matter where you are.

Augmented reality merges the best of the virtual and real worlds, and it's already here.

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The biggest tech companies in the world, including Apple, are laying the foundation for devices made specifically for augmented reality namely, smart glasses.

Since AR lets you superimpose virtual images on top of the real world and interact with them, lots of people are looking forward to glasses that let you see AR hands-free. But you can currently use augmented reality right now, in many of your favorite apps.

Snapchat , Instagram , and Facebook all use AR for their face "masks" and special effects, and AR is baked into Apple's iPhones and iPads thanks to the company's ARKit software. in iOS 12 is a good example of how AR can be helpful, in addition to being really cool to look at.

A beginner’s guide to tech: All of the essential phones and gadgets that are actually worth your money in 2019

A reliable smartphone

The biggest choice you'll make is actually pretty simple: Which operating system do you prefer?

If you like iOS, that means you're getting an iPhone.

If you like Android, you have a ton of options.

A streaming device for your TV

The style is up to you. Several companies make sticks that can plug into your TV's USB port, while other devices plug into your HDMI port and sit on top of a table or stand.

A smart speaker of your choosing

What do you actually do with these things? Just about anything: You can ask for the time, or the weather, or how old a certain actor is, or what to cook for dinner.

You can get a smart speaker for as little as $50.

A modern video game console

In 2019, you can play games just about anywhere: on your phone, your computer, or on a game console.

Each game console has its perks.

A nice pair of wireless headphones

Wireless audio is more convenient than the wired stuff, and in 2019, there are so many ways to get it.

For over-ear headphones, lots of people swear by Bose and Sennheiser, but I personally recommend Sony's $350 1000X-seriesheadphones, as well as the $350Beats Studio headphones, as both options offer incredible sound and also look good enough to wear.

If you're into wireless earbuds, there are tons of great solutions.

A computer that fits your needs

In 2019, there are more computer options than ever.

The biggest question you need to answer when choosing a computer for yourself is: What do you need it for?

If you want a computer to play video games, you'll probably want a big desktop PC to power those experiences.

If you want a computer to bring back and forth to work, you might want something more portable, like a MacBook or Chromebook laptop.

If you want a computer with a touchscreen, perhaps for drawing, you might consider a Microsoft Surface Goor an iPad.

Exploring the horizons of technology

Drones are basically autonomous flying robots.

Virtual reality is getting better at complete, untethered immersion.

Augmented reality merges the best of the virtual and real worlds, and it's already here.

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