verge-rss

It costs $399.99, there’s no subscription, and it’s generally available starting on July 24th. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge

The hardware is solid. The ideas are intriguing. So long as it holds up in testing, Samsung could have a winner. Samsung may have launched three new smartwatches this year, but the wearable I’ve been most excited to see from the company was the Galaxy Ring. After months of teasing, Samsung officially announced the $399.99 smart ring at today’s Unpacked event — and I finally got to play around with one. Granted, I only got a short time with the Galaxy Ring, but so far, I like what I’ve seen.
Right off the bat, the Galaxy Ring hardware is quite nice, though its overall design doesn’t stray too far from other smart rings. (I know because I showed up to the hands-on wearing four other smart rings.) It comes in three colors: gold, silver, and black. All have a titanium frame and look fetching, but like a magpie, I found myself partial to the gold, as it had the shiniest finish. I can’t quite speak to the durability yet, but it’s got 10ATM of water resistance and an IP68 rating.

At 7mm wide and 2.6mm thick, it felt slimmer when worn right next to my Oura Ring, though that might be because the ring itself is slightly concave. It’s also lightweight, though not noticeably so compared to other smart rings. It weighs between 2.3 and 3g, depending on the size. Speaking of sizes, there are nine total, ranging from size five to 13.
But while the Galaxy Ring didn’t stand out from the other smart rings on my finger, its charging case is eye-catching. Samsung isn’t the first to put a smart ring in a charging case, but the ones I’ve seen don’t have this futuristic transparent design and LED situation going on. Not only does it look chic but it’s also very practical. Some other smart rings, like the Oura Ring and Ultrahuman Ring Air, come with easy-to-lose puck-shaped docks. A case like this is way easier to stuff into your bag if you run out of charge on the go. (It’s also more immune to naughty cats who like to bat things off your nightstand.) The case itself holds 1.5 times the charge, and the rings will get six to seven days of battery. A full charge takes about 80 minutes.
I also got to try Samsung’s sizing kit, which I highly recommend even if you know your standard ring size. You can order the kit online, and it’s worth the extra hassle since size really does matter with smart rings. Fingers can swell in hotter weather, and no two fingers are the exact same size. Case in point, I’m mostly a size 7.5 in non-smart rings, a size 8 in every other smart ring, and a size 9 for the Galaxy Ring. Not to mention, size will impact battery life. The smaller rings (sizes five to 11) get six days on a single charge, while the two largest ones get up to seven.

The sizing kit is a good idea even if you know your standard ring size.

Samsung is mostly sticking to the tried and true for the tech, too. Like the Oura Ring and the vast majority of currently available smart rings, this is primarily meant to be an alternative, more discreet health tracker. If you were hoping for something that can give notifications or has silent alarms like earlier smart rings — you’re out of luck. There are no vibration motors, LED light indicators, or anything like that. As for sensors, you get an accelerometer, optical heart rate sensor (including green, red, and infrared LEDs), and skin temperature sensor. Broadly, you’ll be able to track sleep, heart rate data, and activity, though Samsung is introducing some new Galaxy AI-powered metrics to the mix.
Those include the new Energy Score and Wellness Tips features. The former uses Galaxy AI to determine how you’re feeling based on sleep, activity, sleeping heart rate, and sleeping heart rate variability. It’s similar to the various readiness metrics other health trackers have begun incorporating over the past few years. Meanwhile, based on your data, the latter delivers personalized insights into your well-being, again very reminiscent of what’s offered by the Oura Ring and other competitors. Other health features include cycle tracking, high and low heart rate alerts, live heart rate readings, auto workout detection, and inactive alerts.

A smart ring charging case isn’t unique to Samsung, but I definitely prefer it to docks.

Also like other smart rings, the Galaxy Ring puts a big emphasis on sleep. Users will get a sleep score that takes into account metrics like movement during sleep, sleep latency, and heart and respiratory rate. But although smart rings are ideal for sleep tracking, the Galaxy Ring will not be getting the new FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection feature, nor is it capable of irregular heart rhythm notifications. Those are limited to the Galaxy Watches.
Given this was a hands-on, I didn’t get to actually test out the Galaxy Ring’s software, tracking accuracy, or battery life. That said, Samsung has some interesting ideas of how smart rings ought to work within its own gadget ecosystem.
Sorry, iOS users, but Samsung spokesperson Cole Hagedorn told The Verge that this ring is Android only (provided your Android phone can run the Samsung Health app), but you’ll get a better experience if you’re in the Samsung ecosystem. For example, the new Health AI features like Energy Score won’t be available if you have a non-Galaxy phone. Same with Find My Ring. It uses Samsung Find, which, again, requires a Galaxy phone. Meanwhile, if you use a Samsung Galaxy Watch with the Galaxy Ring, the Samsung Health app will be able to pick and choose which device it’s pulling data from. If you’re running and the signal from your watch is clearer than from the ring — it’ll go with the watch’s data. That, in turn, could lead to increased battery life.

The Galaxy Ring has a double pinch gesture that lets you control the camera or dismiss alarms, so long as you use a Samsung phone.

But the coolest example of this is that if you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, you can use a double pinch gesture to control your phone’s camera or dismiss an alarm hands-free. It’s basically the same as the double tap gesture (aka pinchy pinch) for the Apple Watch. Is it gimmicky? Yes, and it was still very cool when I tried it. Getting the gesture right takes a little trial and error, but I’ve yet to see this on any other smart ring. Unfortunately, it’ll be limited to the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 at launch. Samsung told me it’ll also be coming to the S24 “very soon.”
Based on my extremely limited time with the ring, it already has a few things going for it. The hardware is slick, and despite the $400 price tag, there’s no additional subscription (looking at you, Oura). But the Galaxy Ring’s success hinges on two things: accurate tracking and good battery life. If it can do that while incorporating these ecosystem-specific ideas, Samsung could very well take the lead in the smart ring category. And if not, it’s raised an ambitious idea for where smart rings should go next.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring is available for preorder starting today, with general availability starting on July 24th.
Photography by Victoria Song / The Verge

It costs $399.99, there’s no subscription, and it’s generally available starting on July 24th. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge

The hardware is solid. The ideas are intriguing. So long as it holds up in testing, Samsung could have a winner.

Samsung may have launched three new smartwatches this year, but the wearable I’ve been most excited to see from the company was the Galaxy Ring. After months of teasing, Samsung officially announced the $399.99 smart ring at today’s Unpacked event — and I finally got to play around with one. Granted, I only got a short time with the Galaxy Ring, but so far, I like what I’ve seen.

Right off the bat, the Galaxy Ring hardware is quite nice, though its overall design doesn’t stray too far from other smart rings. (I know because I showed up to the hands-on wearing four other smart rings.) It comes in three colors: gold, silver, and black. All have a titanium frame and look fetching, but like a magpie, I found myself partial to the gold, as it had the shiniest finish. I can’t quite speak to the durability yet, but it’s got 10ATM of water resistance and an IP68 rating.

At 7mm wide and 2.6mm thick, it felt slimmer when worn right next to my Oura Ring, though that might be because the ring itself is slightly concave. It’s also lightweight, though not noticeably so compared to other smart rings. It weighs between 2.3 and 3g, depending on the size. Speaking of sizes, there are nine total, ranging from size five to 13.

But while the Galaxy Ring didn’t stand out from the other smart rings on my finger, its charging case is eye-catching. Samsung isn’t the first to put a smart ring in a charging case, but the ones I’ve seen don’t have this futuristic transparent design and LED situation going on. Not only does it look chic but it’s also very practical. Some other smart rings, like the Oura Ring and Ultrahuman Ring Air, come with easy-to-lose puck-shaped docks. A case like this is way easier to stuff into your bag if you run out of charge on the go. (It’s also more immune to naughty cats who like to bat things off your nightstand.) The case itself holds 1.5 times the charge, and the rings will get six to seven days of battery. A full charge takes about 80 minutes.

I also got to try Samsung’s sizing kit, which I highly recommend even if you know your standard ring size. You can order the kit online, and it’s worth the extra hassle since size really does matter with smart rings. Fingers can swell in hotter weather, and no two fingers are the exact same size. Case in point, I’m mostly a size 7.5 in non-smart rings, a size 8 in every other smart ring, and a size 9 for the Galaxy Ring. Not to mention, size will impact battery life. The smaller rings (sizes five to 11) get six days on a single charge, while the two largest ones get up to seven.

The sizing kit is a good idea even if you know your standard ring size.

Samsung is mostly sticking to the tried and true for the tech, too. Like the Oura Ring and the vast majority of currently available smart rings, this is primarily meant to be an alternative, more discreet health tracker. If you were hoping for something that can give notifications or has silent alarms like earlier smart rings — you’re out of luck. There are no vibration motors, LED light indicators, or anything like that. As for sensors, you get an accelerometer, optical heart rate sensor (including green, red, and infrared LEDs), and skin temperature sensor. Broadly, you’ll be able to track sleep, heart rate data, and activity, though Samsung is introducing some new Galaxy AI-powered metrics to the mix.

Those include the new Energy Score and Wellness Tips features. The former uses Galaxy AI to determine how you’re feeling based on sleep, activity, sleeping heart rate, and sleeping heart rate variability. It’s similar to the various readiness metrics other health trackers have begun incorporating over the past few years. Meanwhile, based on your data, the latter delivers personalized insights into your well-being, again very reminiscent of what’s offered by the Oura Ring and other competitors. Other health features include cycle tracking, high and low heart rate alerts, live heart rate readings, auto workout detection, and inactive alerts.

A smart ring charging case isn’t unique to Samsung, but I definitely prefer it to docks.

Also like other smart rings, the Galaxy Ring puts a big emphasis on sleep. Users will get a sleep score that takes into account metrics like movement during sleep, sleep latency, and heart and respiratory rate. But although smart rings are ideal for sleep tracking, the Galaxy Ring will not be getting the new FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection feature, nor is it capable of irregular heart rhythm notifications. Those are limited to the Galaxy Watches.

Given this was a hands-on, I didn’t get to actually test out the Galaxy Ring’s software, tracking accuracy, or battery life. That said, Samsung has some interesting ideas of how smart rings ought to work within its own gadget ecosystem.

Sorry, iOS users, but Samsung spokesperson Cole Hagedorn told The Verge that this ring is Android only (provided your Android phone can run the Samsung Health app), but you’ll get a better experience if you’re in the Samsung ecosystem. For example, the new Health AI features like Energy Score won’t be available if you have a non-Galaxy phone. Same with Find My Ring. It uses Samsung Find, which, again, requires a Galaxy phone. Meanwhile, if you use a Samsung Galaxy Watch with the Galaxy Ring, the Samsung Health app will be able to pick and choose which device it’s pulling data from. If you’re running and the signal from your watch is clearer than from the ring — it’ll go with the watch’s data. That, in turn, could lead to increased battery life.

The Galaxy Ring has a double pinch gesture that lets you control the camera or dismiss alarms, so long as you use a Samsung phone.

But the coolest example of this is that if you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, you can use a double pinch gesture to control your phone’s camera or dismiss an alarm hands-free. It’s basically the same as the double tap gesture (aka pinchy pinch) for the Apple Watch. Is it gimmicky? Yes, and it was still very cool when I tried it. Getting the gesture right takes a little trial and error, but I’ve yet to see this on any other smart ring. Unfortunately, it’ll be limited to the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 at launch. Samsung told me it’ll also be coming to the S24 “very soon.”

Based on my extremely limited time with the ring, it already has a few things going for it. The hardware is slick, and despite the $400 price tag, there’s no additional subscription (looking at you, Oura). But the Galaxy Ring’s success hinges on two things: accurate tracking and good battery life. If it can do that while incorporating these ecosystem-specific ideas, Samsung could very well take the lead in the smart ring category. And if not, it’s raised an ambitious idea for where smart rings should go next.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is available for preorder starting today, with general availability starting on July 24th.

Photography by Victoria Song / The Verge

Read More 

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Samsung prepares to talk foldables and AI, and likely a lot more. Samsung’s July Galaxy Unpacked event is happening today in Paris, France, at 9AM ET / 6AM PT, where the company is expected to take the wraps fully off the Galaxy Ring, revealing pricing, when it’s available, and what it can do. That’s in addition to a barrage of other heavily rumored products, like new AirPods-like Galaxy Buds, a beefy Galaxy Watch Ultra, and a redesigned Galaxy Z Fold 6 with squared corners and much brighter displays.
The Galaxy Ring is the big one — Samsung’s entry into the field of smart rings marks the first serious smart ring from one of the big phone and smartwatch makers. The ring will be facing off an already entrenched but still fairly niche market occupied by the Oura Ring, Evie, and Ultrahuman.
The company is also expected to reveal a new Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Galaxy Watch 7. We can also probably count on plenty of Galaxy AI talk and the usual litany of promotional preorder incentives that the company loves to do for its Unpacked events.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Samsung prepares to talk foldables and AI, and likely a lot more.

Samsung’s July Galaxy Unpacked event is happening today in Paris, France, at 9AM ET / 6AM PT, where the company is expected to take the wraps fully off the Galaxy Ring, revealing pricing, when it’s available, and what it can do. That’s in addition to a barrage of other heavily rumored products, like new AirPods-like Galaxy Buds, a beefy Galaxy Watch Ultra, and a redesigned Galaxy Z Fold 6 with squared corners and much brighter displays.

The Galaxy Ring is the big one — Samsung’s entry into the field of smart rings marks the first serious smart ring from one of the big phone and smartwatch makers. The ring will be facing off an already entrenched but still fairly niche market occupied by the Oura Ring, Evie, and Ultrahuman.

The company is also expected to reveal a new Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Galaxy Watch 7. We can also probably count on plenty of Galaxy AI talk and the usual litany of promotional preorder incentives that the company loves to do for its Unpacked events.

Read More 

Image: Jackson Gibbs for The Verge

Moving out of and into a smart home requires a lot of attention to detail. This guide will help you through it.  Moving can be a huge headache. Throw in a bunch of connected gadgets you need to factory-reset or uninstall, and things get even more painful. Deciding what to do with your smart home when you move adds a whole other layer of complexity to an already difficult process.
Do you take your smart lock or leave it? Should you uninstall your smart lighting system or provide a detailed manual for your buyer? Is it better to replace the Nest Thermostat with a non-smart one or leave it and buy a newer version for your new home? What about sensors? Speakers? Smoke alarms? The list goes on.
Go through your entire place and decide what should stay and what should go
You’ll need to go through your entire place and decide what should stay and what should go, all while considering your new home: where your old gadgets will fit in and where you might want to buy new ones.
In this guide, we’ll look at which devices make sense to take with you and what is probably easier to leave behind. I’ll also discuss what to do with each gadget: how to decommission it in your old place and recommission it in your new home — or how to reset it if you plan to leave it behind.
Take a smart home inventory

Image: HomePass
HomePass is an iPad / iPhone app that can track all your smart home gadgets and also store details like setup codes and serial numbers.

The first step is to figure out what you have so you can make sure you don’t accidentally leave that expensive smoke alarm behind and are prepared when it comes to reinstalling devices in your new home. Open the main app (or apps) you use to control your gadgets, and from there, create a list of everything you have installed.
You can use a home inventory app or just a good old-fashioned spreadsheet. I recommend using a smart home backup app such as HomePass for HomeKit & Matter (iOS only). This will list all your gadgets by room and store their HomeKit, Matter, or any other numerical codes you might need if you have to set them up again in your new home. I’ve not found an Android alternative, but a password manager such as 1Password should work.
This is also a good time to collate passwords and usernames for any apps you use to manage devices and gather instruction manuals, whether physical or by downloading PDFs. Once you have a complete list, go through it and decide what you plan to leave, what will come with you, and finally, what you will need to purchase for your new home.
Should it stay or should it go?

Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
You’ll need to decide if you want to take devices like smart locks and video doorbells with you. If you take them, you’ll need to leave a working replacement.

Most likely, the new owners don’t want your old smart home gear. They may not trust you’ve fully reset a smart lock or don’t still have access to that video doorbell. But with the right steps, selling your home with its smart gear intact is possible. In some cases — particularly smart lighting and smart thermostats — you may find that your gadgets can increase your home’s value or be used in negotiations.
In broad terms, it’s expected that fixtures of the home — anything wired or screwed in — should stay, and anything plugged in or battery-powered should come with you or be sold, donated, or recycled if you no longer want it. If you choose to take something with you that’s technically a fixture, such as those listed below, either put it in the inclusion / exclusion section of your listing so prospective buyers are aware or swap it out before you show your home.

How to transfer ownership of your smart home gadgets
If you’ve negotiated to leave any of your smart devices behind, make it clear in your sale that you are leaving them “as is.” You don’t want to be on the hook as a sysadmin for the new residents.
However, as a courtesy and to ease a buyer’s possible fears, I recommend setting up a dedicated email address for your home and transferring those devices to that email address. (This will mean factory-resetting them or transferring / sharing ownership to the email.)
When the sale closes, hand over the email address and password to the new owner. Then, go in and remove yourself from any device and delete them from your app (or delete the app if you don’t have any other devices from that company). Do this before you leave since some devices will not let you perform a factory reset unless you are on the same network.
The new owner can use the email address to transfer device ownership to themselves and set up new accounts and passwords, all without bothering you.
Tip: Before you factory-reset or transfer a device, remove any smart home integrations, such as with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, or IFTTT.
Using a service like Gmail means you can also create a Google Drive folder with PDFs of all the manuals and a Google Doc listing the devices and their brands, model names, and any other pertinent details the new owner might need.
As mentioned, you must either factory-reset or transfer every device you leave in the house. However, consider how you treat each device carefully to ensure you don’t “break” the home. If you factory-reset a thermostat, it will no longer work, which could cause damage to the home in extreme temperatures. The same goes for a smart sprinkler system — you don’t want to be on the hook for a new lawn.

Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
If you plan to take your smart thermostat with you, make sure you install a replacement and ensure it’s working correctly so you don’t cause any damage to the HVAC system.

To ensure critical systems stay functional for the new owner, check with the device manufacturer for steps on how to factory-reset and / or transfer ownership. Additionally, security devices like cameras, security systems, and smart locks often require special steps, which are designed to make sure no one can take over your account without your permission. If you factory-reset them without following these steps, you could leave the new owner with a dead gadget.
All of this is why the house email address makes a lot of sense. The new owner can still control and use the devices while they get settled and then easily factory-reset it themselves and transfer permissions to their own email, giving them more confidence that you’ve been fully erased.
Tip: If you are leaving security cameras behind, make sure you also remove or wipe any storage systems, such as microSD cards or cloud backup, and cancel any subscriptions.

How to pack up your smart home gear
For devices you are taking with you, be as methodical as you can about packing things up. As you uninstall devices, place them in their original packaging or containers like a Ziplock bag to keep everything together, such as screws, stands, remotes, etc. Label the bag’s contents with the device name, room, and location. This will make it much easier to set everything back up in your new home.
Do not factory-reset these devices. Just unplug them and pack them away, and remove any batteries if you still have some time before the move. Then, when you move into your new home, set up your Wi-Fi with the same SSID and password that you used previously, power everything back up, and you should see it back on the network and in your smart home app as if nothing has changed.
Of course, a move is also a great time to start your smart home from scratch. But that’s a whole other blog!

Image: Jackson Gibbs for The Verge

Moving out of and into a smart home requires a lot of attention to detail. This guide will help you through it. 

Moving can be a huge headache. Throw in a bunch of connected gadgets you need to factory-reset or uninstall, and things get even more painful. Deciding what to do with your smart home when you move adds a whole other layer of complexity to an already difficult process.

Do you take your smart lock or leave it? Should you uninstall your smart lighting system or provide a detailed manual for your buyer? Is it better to replace the Nest Thermostat with a non-smart one or leave it and buy a newer version for your new home? What about sensors? Speakers? Smoke alarms? The list goes on.

You’ll need to go through your entire place and decide what should stay and what should go, all while considering your new home: where your old gadgets will fit in and where you might want to buy new ones.

In this guide, we’ll look at which devices make sense to take with you and what is probably easier to leave behind. I’ll also discuss what to do with each gadget: how to decommission it in your old place and recommission it in your new home — or how to reset it if you plan to leave it behind.

Take a smart home inventory

The first step is to figure out what you have so you can make sure you don’t accidentally leave that expensive smoke alarm behind and are prepared when it comes to reinstalling devices in your new home. Open the main app (or apps) you use to control your gadgets, and from there, create a list of everything you have installed.

You can use a home inventory app or just a good old-fashioned spreadsheet. I recommend using a smart home backup app such as HomePass for HomeKit & Matter (iOS only). This will list all your gadgets by room and store their HomeKit, Matter, or any other numerical codes you might need if you have to set them up again in your new home. I’ve not found an Android alternative, but a password manager such as 1Password should work.

This is also a good time to collate passwords and usernames for any apps you use to manage devices and gather instruction manuals, whether physical or by downloading PDFs. Once you have a complete list, go through it and decide what you plan to leave, what will come with you, and finally, what you will need to purchase for your new home.

Should it stay or should it go?

Most likely, the new owners don’t want your old smart home gear. They may not trust you’ve fully reset a smart lock or don’t still have access to that video doorbell. But with the right steps, selling your home with its smart gear intact is possible. In some cases — particularly smart lighting and smart thermostats — you may find that your gadgets can increase your home’s value or be used in negotiations.

In broad terms, it’s expected that fixtures of the home — anything wired or screwed in — should stay, and anything plugged in or battery-powered should come with you or be sold, donated, or recycled if you no longer want it. If you choose to take something with you that’s technically a fixture, such as those listed below, either put it in the inclusion / exclusion section of your listing so prospective buyers are aware or swap it out before you show your home.

How to transfer ownership of your smart home gadgets

If you’ve negotiated to leave any of your smart devices behind, make it clear in your sale that you are leaving them “as is.” You don’t want to be on the hook as a sysadmin for the new residents.

However, as a courtesy and to ease a buyer’s possible fears, I recommend setting up a dedicated email address for your home and transferring those devices to that email address. (This will mean factory-resetting them or transferring / sharing ownership to the email.)

When the sale closes, hand over the email address and password to the new owner. Then, go in and remove yourself from any device and delete them from your app (or delete the app if you don’t have any other devices from that company). Do this before you leave since some devices will not let you perform a factory reset unless you are on the same network.

The new owner can use the email address to transfer device ownership to themselves and set up new accounts and passwords, all without bothering you.

Tip: Before you factory-reset or transfer a device, remove any smart home integrations, such as with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, or IFTTT.

Using a service like Gmail means you can also create a Google Drive folder with PDFs of all the manuals and a Google Doc listing the devices and their brands, model names, and any other pertinent details the new owner might need.

As mentioned, you must either factory-reset or transfer every device you leave in the house. However, consider how you treat each device carefully to ensure you don’t “break” the home. If you factory-reset a thermostat, it will no longer work, which could cause damage to the home in extreme temperatures. The same goes for a smart sprinkler system — you don’t want to be on the hook for a new lawn.

Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
If you plan to take your smart thermostat with you, make sure you install a replacement and ensure it’s working correctly so you don’t cause any damage to the HVAC system.

To ensure critical systems stay functional for the new owner, check with the device manufacturer for steps on how to factory-reset and / or transfer ownership. Additionally, security devices like cameras, security systems, and smart locks often require special steps, which are designed to make sure no one can take over your account without your permission. If you factory-reset them without following these steps, you could leave the new owner with a dead gadget.

All of this is why the house email address makes a lot of sense. The new owner can still control and use the devices while they get settled and then easily factory-reset it themselves and transfer permissions to their own email, giving them more confidence that you’ve been fully erased.

Tip: If you are leaving security cameras behind, make sure you also remove or wipe any storage systems, such as microSD cards or cloud backup, and cancel any subscriptions.

How to pack up your smart home gear

For devices you are taking with you, be as methodical as you can about packing things up. As you uninstall devices, place them in their original packaging or containers like a Ziplock bag to keep everything together, such as screws, stands, remotes, etc. Label the bag’s contents with the device name, room, and location. This will make it much easier to set everything back up in your new home.

Do not factory-reset these devices. Just unplug them and pack them away, and remove any batteries if you still have some time before the move. Then, when you move into your new home, set up your Wi-Fi with the same SSID and password that you used previously, power everything back up, and you should see it back on the network and in your smart home app as if nothing has changed.

Of course, a move is also a great time to start your smart home from scratch. But that’s a whole other blog!

Read More 

Image: Jackson Gibbs for The Verge

Renting bins is convenient, slightly more sustainable, and not once did I miss cardboard boxes. I associate lots of things with moving — stress; cursing landlords for raising the rent. But mostly, I think of cardboard boxes — big ones; small ones; half-opened boxes that linger for several weeks in my new home until I find a spot for all my stuff; and finally, piles of cardboard waiting for recycling day once those boxes are broken down.
After I decided to move late last year, I braced myself for yet another Boxpocalypse. I was griping about it in a group chat when a friend asked, “Have you considered renting plastic bins?”
Plastic bin pros
For the past decade or so, plastic bins have emerged as an alternative to cardboard boxes. They’re reusable, water resistant, and sturdier than even the most heavy-duty cardboard options. Since they’re stackable, they also take up less space.
You can buy your own bins or rent them. If you buy them, that makes them an appealing candidate for QR moving labels, which let you scan the label with your phone to see a photo or inventory list of the bin’s contents. If you rent them, a set of bins gets dropped off at your home and you pack up your life and move. In a few weeks, those bins get picked up from your new home.

Image: Bin-It
Most bins look like this, though they come in a variety of colors depending on the company.

If, like me, you plan on renting bins, there’s actually a fair amount of research that you have to do. Here are some of the things I learned to take into consideration before starting a move using bins.
What kind of service do you need?
First: are you hiring movers or doing everything yourself? If it’s the former, it’s much more convenient (albeit pricier) to find a moving company that offers bin rentals and handles the move for you. But if you’re renting a U-Haul and calling in favors from friends and family, you may find it easier to pick a bin rental company that only rents bins. That way, there’s no need to worry about getting upsold on additional moving services.
Check your company’s service area, prices, and rental period
Prices vary depending on how many bins you rent and whether you choose service bundles. That said, bins tend to cost between $5 to $6 per bin on average, not including taxes.
In my case, I was moving across state lines, and while all the companies I checked out would drop off the bins for free, some wouldn’t pick them up from my new home. I’d either have to pay an extra pickup fee, drop them off myself, or find a company that serviced my new neighborhood as well as my old one. I was only moving across the border from New York to New Jersey, but even then, I had to cross a lot of companies off the list.

Screenshot: Bin-It
When researching, bin rental companies often offer breakdowns and bundles to make things simpler.

In the end, although I had to pay extra fees for moving across state lines and the stairs in my new home, I got a decent price: $5 a pop, or $150 total for 30 bins.
You’ll also want to confirm the rental period. Some companies have a strict window and won’t let you extend it. Some offer free extensions, while others do so for a fee.
You’ll also want to check if there’s a minimum number of bins that you must rent. I wanted to order bins a la carte, and I only found one company in my service area that would do it — so long as I rented at least 15. The rest had rental packages based on the size of the room.
What’s included?
Most companies include labels, zip ties, delivery and pickup, and an assortment of bin sizes. But if you rent the bins from a moving company, it’s not guaranteed they’ll move the bins into your home for free. A handful of companies I researched only included moving bins onto the ground floor — multiple floors and apartments without elevators came with an added fee. I moved into a four-story townhouse and would’ve been charged per floor. We ended up paying a fee to have the movers drop off all the bins on the second-floor living room and got in our cardio schlepping the bins destined for the third and fourth floors ourselves.
The ecological choice
Bins are also touted as a more sustainable option than cardboard boxes because they’re reusable and produce less waste. Bloomberg reports that residential cardboard recycling lags far behind that of businesses, partly thanks to the boom in e-commerce. The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that 56 percent of paper and cardboard waste ended up in landfills and that only 38 percent of cardboard is actually recycled. As much as that number makes me cringe, I also can’t deny that breaking down cardboard boxes is one of my most hated weekly chores.

Photo by Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images
Breaking down cardboard boxes is no fun, and a ton of residential cardboard still ends up in landfills.

Packing up
Packing bins isn’t all that different from boxes, though there are quirks.
In past moves, I preferred smaller boxes for heavy or fragile items. However, the company I went with only offered one bin size: large. (Others offer medium and large-sized bins.) Luckily, that didn’t end up being a huge issue. I just had to be more strategic about weight distribution. With some towels and T-shirts for padding, my fragile items made the move intact.
Because bins have interlocking and stackable lids, you don’t have to use tape to close them. Once I was done packing a bin, I just plopped it neatly on top of another, saving space in my cramped New York City apartment. And plastic is water resistant — nobody likes moving on a rainy day, but soggy cardboard makes it worse.
Remember that these bins will have been through many moves
On the other hand, remember that these bins will have been through many moves. While the insides were clean, the outsides of my bins were covered in black Sharpie, with the names of rooms scribbled in various handwriting. One bin had transported things meant for one person’s kitchen, another’s living room, and yet another’s bedroom. The bins also had remnants of other people’s poorly removed moving labels, leaving me hardly any space to write which rooms to place the bins for my move. This meant they weren’t a good option for QR labels, which was a bummer.
Moved and done
What really sold me on using bins was that they come with a time limit: you have to return them after a two-week period. This was the fastest unpacking job I’ve ever done. It was stressful, but by the time the delivery men came to pick up all 30 bins, I was a week into the move and 90 percent done. That helped me relax into my new home a lot faster.
Plastic bins might not be for everyone — but you won’t see me moving with cardboard boxes anytime soon. Switching to bins made moving much less nightmarish than it’s been in the past. That extra convenience — and the fact that I am four months into my move with nary a cardboard box in sight — was well worth it.

Image: Jackson Gibbs for The Verge

Renting bins is convenient, slightly more sustainable, and not once did I miss cardboard boxes.

I associate lots of things with moving — stress; cursing landlords for raising the rent. But mostly, I think of cardboard boxes — big ones; small ones; half-opened boxes that linger for several weeks in my new home until I find a spot for all my stuff; and finally, piles of cardboard waiting for recycling day once those boxes are broken down.

After I decided to move late last year, I braced myself for yet another Boxpocalypse. I was griping about it in a group chat when a friend asked, “Have you considered renting plastic bins?”

Plastic bin pros

For the past decade or so, plastic bins have emerged as an alternative to cardboard boxes. They’re reusable, water resistant, and sturdier than even the most heavy-duty cardboard options. Since they’re stackable, they also take up less space.

You can buy your own bins or rent them. If you buy them, that makes them an appealing candidate for QR moving labels, which let you scan the label with your phone to see a photo or inventory list of the bin’s contents. If you rent them, a set of bins gets dropped off at your home and you pack up your life and move. In a few weeks, those bins get picked up from your new home.

Image: Bin-It
Most bins look like this, though they come in a variety of colors depending on the company.

If, like me, you plan on renting bins, there’s actually a fair amount of research that you have to do. Here are some of the things I learned to take into consideration before starting a move using bins.

What kind of service do you need?

First: are you hiring movers or doing everything yourself? If it’s the former, it’s much more convenient (albeit pricier) to find a moving company that offers bin rentals and handles the move for you. But if you’re renting a U-Haul and calling in favors from friends and family, you may find it easier to pick a bin rental company that only rents bins. That way, there’s no need to worry about getting upsold on additional moving services.

Check your company’s service area, prices, and rental period

Prices vary depending on how many bins you rent and whether you choose service bundles. That said, bins tend to cost between $5 to $6 per bin on average, not including taxes.

In my case, I was moving across state lines, and while all the companies I checked out would drop off the bins for free, some wouldn’t pick them up from my new home. I’d either have to pay an extra pickup fee, drop them off myself, or find a company that serviced my new neighborhood as well as my old one. I was only moving across the border from New York to New Jersey, but even then, I had to cross a lot of companies off the list.

Screenshot: Bin-It
When researching, bin rental companies often offer breakdowns and bundles to make things simpler.

In the end, although I had to pay extra fees for moving across state lines and the stairs in my new home, I got a decent price: $5 a pop, or $150 total for 30 bins.

You’ll also want to confirm the rental period. Some companies have a strict window and won’t let you extend it. Some offer free extensions, while others do so for a fee.

You’ll also want to check if there’s a minimum number of bins that you must rent. I wanted to order bins a la carte, and I only found one company in my service area that would do it — so long as I rented at least 15. The rest had rental packages based on the size of the room.

What’s included?

Most companies include labels, zip ties, delivery and pickup, and an assortment of bin sizes. But if you rent the bins from a moving company, it’s not guaranteed they’ll move the bins into your home for free. A handful of companies I researched only included moving bins onto the ground floor — multiple floors and apartments without elevators came with an added fee. I moved into a four-story townhouse and would’ve been charged per floor. We ended up paying a fee to have the movers drop off all the bins on the second-floor living room and got in our cardio schlepping the bins destined for the third and fourth floors ourselves.

The ecological choice

Bins are also touted as a more sustainable option than cardboard boxes because they’re reusable and produce less waste. Bloomberg reports that residential cardboard recycling lags far behind that of businesses, partly thanks to the boom in e-commerce. The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that 56 percent of paper and cardboard waste ended up in landfills and that only 38 percent of cardboard is actually recycled. As much as that number makes me cringe, I also can’t deny that breaking down cardboard boxes is one of my most hated weekly chores.

Photo by Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images
Breaking down cardboard boxes is no fun, and a ton of residential cardboard still ends up in landfills.

Packing up

Packing bins isn’t all that different from boxes, though there are quirks.

In past moves, I preferred smaller boxes for heavy or fragile items. However, the company I went with only offered one bin size: large. (Others offer medium and large-sized bins.) Luckily, that didn’t end up being a huge issue. I just had to be more strategic about weight distribution. With some towels and T-shirts for padding, my fragile items made the move intact.

Because bins have interlocking and stackable lids, you don’t have to use tape to close them. Once I was done packing a bin, I just plopped it neatly on top of another, saving space in my cramped New York City apartment. And plastic is water resistant — nobody likes moving on a rainy day, but soggy cardboard makes it worse.

On the other hand, remember that these bins will have been through many moves. While the insides were clean, the outsides of my bins were covered in black Sharpie, with the names of rooms scribbled in various handwriting. One bin had transported things meant for one person’s kitchen, another’s living room, and yet another’s bedroom. The bins also had remnants of other people’s poorly removed moving labels, leaving me hardly any space to write which rooms to place the bins for my move. This meant they weren’t a good option for QR labels, which was a bummer.

Moved and done

What really sold me on using bins was that they come with a time limit: you have to return them after a two-week period. This was the fastest unpacking job I’ve ever done. It was stressful, but by the time the delivery men came to pick up all 30 bins, I was a week into the move and 90 percent done. That helped me relax into my new home a lot faster.

Plastic bins might not be for everyone — but you won’t see me moving with cardboard boxes anytime soon. Switching to bins made moving much less nightmarish than it’s been in the past. That extra convenience — and the fact that I am four months into my move with nary a cardboard box in sight — was well worth it.

Read More 

Image: Apple

The “Music Dance Experience” is on its way back. Apple just released the first teaser trailer for the much-anticipated second season of Severance, along with the news that the show won’t be returning until 2025. The first episode will start streaming on Apple TV Plus on January 17th and last 10 episodes.
The short teaser doesn’t reveal much about what to expect in the new season, but according to Apple, “Mark (Adam Scott) and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe.”
A day before the trailer dropped, Apple released an appropriately cryptic teaser:

pic.twitter.com/046vNV03vz— Apple TV (@AppleTV) July 9, 2024

Severance debuted on Apple TV Plus in 2022, and its very particular blend of drab office drama and bizarre sci-fi thriller — which included lots of cool computers and creepy hallways — quickly garnered a dedicated audience. It follows a group of employees at a tech company that “surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives.” In addition to Scott, the show also stars Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette, and Tramell Tillman.
While a second season was announced just ahead of the season 1 finale in April, which ended on an incredible cliffhanger, the show went relatively quiet until Apple teased its return — alongside the postapocalyptic thriller Silo — at WWDC 2024. Over the years since Severance first debuted, Apple TV Plus has steadily grown into an excellent service for sci-fi, with upcoming shows like Sunny and Time Bandits as well as the recently wrapped Dark Matter.

Image: Apple

The “Music Dance Experience” is on its way back. Apple just released the first teaser trailer for the much-anticipated second season of Severance, along with the news that the show won’t be returning until 2025. The first episode will start streaming on Apple TV Plus on January 17th and last 10 episodes.

The short teaser doesn’t reveal much about what to expect in the new season, but according to Apple, “Mark (Adam Scott) and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe.”

A day before the trailer dropped, Apple released an appropriately cryptic teaser:

Severance debuted on Apple TV Plus in 2022, and its very particular blend of drab office drama and bizarre sci-fi thriller — which included lots of cool computers and creepy hallways — quickly garnered a dedicated audience. It follows a group of employees at a tech company that “surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives.” In addition to Scott, the show also stars Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette, and Tramell Tillman.

While a second season was announced just ahead of the season 1 finale in April, which ended on an incredible cliffhanger, the show went relatively quiet until Apple teased its return — alongside the postapocalyptic thriller Silo — at WWDC 2024. Over the years since Severance first debuted, Apple TV Plus has steadily grown into an excellent service for sci-fi, with upcoming shows like Sunny and Time Bandits as well as the recently wrapped Dark Matter.

Read More 

Image: Samsung

Samsung will trot out its next foldables and some new Galaxy AI features during the summer edition of its Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris, France, on Wednesday. You can expect a new Galaxy Z Fold 6 with a squarish look and a not-square Z Flip 6, both with much brighter screens and longer battery life than their predecessors.
Based on recent leaks, the company will announce new AirPods-like Galaxy Buds and even a new squircle-shaped Galaxy Watch 7 “Ultra,” aimed at the Apple Watch Ultra. Keep an eye out for the Galaxy Ring, too. Rumor has it that Samsung’s new wearable smart ring went into mass production in May.
When is Samsung Galaxy Unpacked?
Samsung will stream Galaxy Unpacked at 6AM PT / 9AM ET on July 10th.
Where can I watch Galaxy Unpacked?
Samsung will stream the event both on its website and on YouTube, the latter of which you can watch in the handy embed at the top of this page! You can follow along here at The Verge, where we’ll be blogging the event live.

Image: Samsung

Samsung will trot out its next foldables and some new Galaxy AI features during the summer edition of its Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris, France, on Wednesday. You can expect a new Galaxy Z Fold 6 with a squarish look and a not-square Z Flip 6, both with much brighter screens and longer battery life than their predecessors.

Based on recent leaks, the company will announce new AirPods-like Galaxy Buds and even a new squircle-shaped Galaxy Watch 7 “Ultra,” aimed at the Apple Watch Ultra. Keep an eye out for the Galaxy Ring, too. Rumor has it that Samsung’s new wearable smart ring went into mass production in May.

When is Samsung Galaxy Unpacked?

Samsung will stream Galaxy Unpacked at 6AM PT / 9AM ET on July 10th.

Where can I watch Galaxy Unpacked?

Samsung will stream the event both on its website and on YouTube, the latter of which you can watch in the handy embed at the top of this page! You can follow along here at The Verge, where we’ll be blogging the event live.

Read More 

NSEU officials said 6,500 Samsung workers participated in the initial three-day walkout — and now it’s rallying more of its members. | Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images

Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics in South Korea have indefinitely extended the first-ever strike at the company in a push for better pay and benefits. The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) rallied its over 30,000 members on Wednesday after the company’s leadership showed no indication of holding talks with the union following a three-day walkout.
As reported by Reuters, the NSEU is demanding a 3.5 percent increase in base salary, an extra day off to mark the union’s foundation day, and a fairer bonus system between executives and lower-ranking workers. Samsung, the world’s largest maker of memory chips, announced an estimated 15x increase in operating profits for its latest quarter, following a spike in semiconductor prices driven by the ongoing AI boom.

The NSEU said its objective is to halt Samsung’s chip production, telling Reuters the strike had already slowed production on certain chip lines. Samsung refutes this, however, saying the three-day walkout hadn’t impacted chip production. “Samsung Electronics will ensure no disruptions occur in the production lines,” the company said in a statement to Reuters, adding that it “remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union.”
Union officials said that 6,500 workers had participated in the initial three-day strike that began on Monday, and encouraged its remaining members — who make up almost a quarter of Samsung Electronics South Korean workforce — to join the walkout. “It is time that we need power and help from our fellow members,” NSEU vice president Son Woo-mok said in a YouTube live broadcast. “All members who participated in the first strike [should] continue to strike.”
The walkout follows a major slump in Samsung’s profits in 2023, attributed to weakened demand for memory chips. Anything that could jeopardize the company’s recent rebound gives it enough cause for concern, but given Samsung is responsible for around 20 percent of South Korea’s entire GDP, the entire country could potentially feel its impact.

NSEU officials said 6,500 Samsung workers participated in the initial three-day walkout — and now it’s rallying more of its members. | Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images

Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics in South Korea have indefinitely extended the first-ever strike at the company in a push for better pay and benefits. The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) rallied its over 30,000 members on Wednesday after the company’s leadership showed no indication of holding talks with the union following a three-day walkout.

As reported by Reuters, the NSEU is demanding a 3.5 percent increase in base salary, an extra day off to mark the union’s foundation day, and a fairer bonus system between executives and lower-ranking workers. Samsung, the world’s largest maker of memory chips, announced an estimated 15x increase in operating profits for its latest quarter, following a spike in semiconductor prices driven by the ongoing AI boom.

The NSEU said its objective is to halt Samsung’s chip production, telling Reuters the strike had already slowed production on certain chip lines. Samsung refutes this, however, saying the three-day walkout hadn’t impacted chip production. “Samsung Electronics will ensure no disruptions occur in the production lines,” the company said in a statement to Reuters, adding that it “remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union.”

Union officials said that 6,500 workers had participated in the initial three-day strike that began on Monday, and encouraged its remaining members — who make up almost a quarter of Samsung Electronics South Korean workforce — to join the walkout. “It is time that we need power and help from our fellow members,” NSEU vice president Son Woo-mok said in a YouTube live broadcast. “All members who participated in the first strike [should] continue to strike.”

The walkout follows a major slump in Samsung’s profits in 2023, attributed to weakened demand for memory chips. Anything that could jeopardize the company’s recent rebound gives it enough cause for concern, but given Samsung is responsible for around 20 percent of South Korea’s entire GDP, the entire country could potentially feel its impact.

Read More 

Illustration: The Verge

Google has made it a little easier for those at more risk of targeted online attacks to enroll in its Advanced Protection Program for Google accounts. Now users can set it up with a single passkey — using the built-in biometric authentication of a Pixel phone or iPhone — instead of the two physical security keys the company previously required.
The Advanced Protection Program is aimed not at normal users but people like those working on political campaigns or journalists with sensitive information to protect. When it launched, the company required two physical security keys to activate it, and one of those keys plus a password to log in after that.

Google changed the feature in 2023 to allow users to sign in with just a passkey — a passwordless login method that enables users to securely sign in to their accounts, apps, and services using built-in authentication on their devices. But you’d still need the two physical security keys to actually set it up.
To turn on the program, you can go to Google’s Advanced Protection Program page and click “Get started,” then the page will guide you through setup. At the end, you’ll have an option to set up with a passkey or a physical security key. The company also requires recovery methods like your phone number and an email address or a second passkey in case you get locked out of your account.
It’s very easy to do — in fact, I just did it myself. All I had to do was point my iPhone at a QR code in my browser and authenticate with Face ID.

Illustration: The Verge

Google has made it a little easier for those at more risk of targeted online attacks to enroll in its Advanced Protection Program for Google accounts. Now users can set it up with a single passkey — using the built-in biometric authentication of a Pixel phone or iPhone — instead of the two physical security keys the company previously required.

The Advanced Protection Program is aimed not at normal users but people like those working on political campaigns or journalists with sensitive information to protect. When it launched, the company required two physical security keys to activate it, and one of those keys plus a password to log in after that.

Google changed the feature in 2023 to allow users to sign in with just a passkey — a passwordless login method that enables users to securely sign in to their accounts, apps, and services using built-in authentication on their devices. But you’d still need the two physical security keys to actually set it up.

To turn on the program, you can go to Google’s Advanced Protection Program page and click “Get started,” then the page will guide you through setup. At the end, you’ll have an option to set up with a passkey or a physical security key. The company also requires recovery methods like your phone number and an email address or a second passkey in case you get locked out of your account.

It’s very easy to do — in fact, I just did it myself. All I had to do was point my iPhone at a QR code in my browser and authenticate with Face ID.

Read More 

Image: The Verge

Microsoft has dropped its seat as an observer on the board of OpenAI, less than eight months after securing the non-voting seat. Apple was reportedly planning to join OpenAI’s nonprofit board, but now the Financial Times reports that Apple will no longer join the board.
OpenAI confirmed that Microsoft has given up its seat in a statement to The Verge, following reports from Axios and the Financial Times that Microsoft’s deputy general counsel Keith Dolliver wrote a letter to OpenAI late on Tuesday.
“We’re grateful to Microsoft for voicing confidence in the Board and the direction of the company, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership,” says OpenAI spokesperson Steve Sharpe. “Under the leadership of CFO Sarah Friar, we are establishing a new approach to informing and engaging key strategic partners – such as Microsoft and Apple – and investors – such as Thrive Capital and Khosla Ventures.”
OpenAI’s new approach towards Microsoft and Apple will involve hosting “regular stakeholder meetings to share progress on our mission and ensure stronger collaboration across safety and security.”
The changes to OpenAI’s board come as antitrust concerns over Microsoft’s deal with OpenAI have grown in recent months. UK regulators started seeking views on Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI in December, shortly after the turmoil that led to the ousting of CEO Sam Altman and his return. EU regulators are also looking into the partnership, alongside other Big Tech AI deals. The FTC is also investigating Microsoft, Amazon, and Google investments into OpenAI and Anthropic.
Microsoft has invested more than $10 billion into OpenAI, in a deal that made Microsoft the exclusive cloud partner for OpenAI. Microsoft’s cloud services also power all OpenAI workloads across products, API services, and research. The deal has given Microsoft an edge in the AI race, and OpenAI’s models help power Microsoft’s Bing search engine, Copilot, and a host of AI features across its products and services.

Image: The Verge

Microsoft has dropped its seat as an observer on the board of OpenAI, less than eight months after securing the non-voting seat. Apple was reportedly planning to join OpenAI’s nonprofit board, but now the Financial Times reports that Apple will no longer join the board.

OpenAI confirmed that Microsoft has given up its seat in a statement to The Verge, following reports from Axios and the Financial Times that Microsoft’s deputy general counsel Keith Dolliver wrote a letter to OpenAI late on Tuesday.

“We’re grateful to Microsoft for voicing confidence in the Board and the direction of the company, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership,” says OpenAI spokesperson Steve Sharpe. “Under the leadership of CFO Sarah Friar, we are establishing a new approach to informing and engaging key strategic partners – such as Microsoft and Apple – and investors – such as Thrive Capital and Khosla Ventures.”

OpenAI’s new approach towards Microsoft and Apple will involve hosting “regular stakeholder meetings to share progress on our mission and ensure stronger collaboration across safety and security.”

The changes to OpenAI’s board come as antitrust concerns over Microsoft’s deal with OpenAI have grown in recent months. UK regulators started seeking views on Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI in December, shortly after the turmoil that led to the ousting of CEO Sam Altman and his return. EU regulators are also looking into the partnership, alongside other Big Tech AI deals. The FTC is also investigating Microsoft, Amazon, and Google investments into OpenAI and Anthropic.

Microsoft has invested more than $10 billion into OpenAI, in a deal that made Microsoft the exclusive cloud partner for OpenAI. Microsoft’s cloud services also power all OpenAI workloads across products, API services, and research. The deal has given Microsoft an edge in the AI race, and OpenAI’s models help power Microsoft’s Bing search engine, Copilot, and a host of AI features across its products and services.

Read More 

There are some good EVs and hybrids that are eligible for the incentive. | Screenshot: Umar Shakir / The Verge

Carvana is now offering discounts of up to $4,000 at checkout for eligible used EVs and plug-in hybrids. The discount is essentially an advancement of the federal tax incentive for previously owned vehicles, but it lets customers reap the benefit immediately rather than waiting for tax refunds the following year.
You will still need to file your taxes correctly using IRS Form 8936, and you have to agree to transfer the credit to Carvana once you do file. So, while it’s not making tax season any easier, Carvana is offering a lower cost of entry to buy an electric vehicle, which could help push customers interested in EVs to take the leap.
You can now take advantage of the offer on Carvana’s app or website by searching for EVs or plug-in hybrids with a green tax credit banner. As the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act outlines, not every used clean vehicle is eligible. It has to have at least a 7kWh battery and a price less than or equal to $25,000, including shipping and delivery charges. It’s also only valid on a vehicle’s previous two model years.

Screenshot: Umar Shakir / The Verge
I don’t know if you care, but most eligible Spark EVs are gone.

For instance, if you want a Chevy Spark EV because it’s small, zippy, and fits in any parking space, only the 2015 and 2016 models are eligible. Carvana is selling them for about $11,000 to $14,000 each, so the incentive could bring it down to $10,000 or under (although, as of writing, I’ve noticed some of them no longer have the advertised discount banner).
At checkout, you must confirm your eligibility, which includes the requirement that your income not exceed $150,000 for a married couple filing jointly, $112,500 when filing as the head of a household, or $75,000 for a married couple filing separately, individually, or other.
The credit can’t be claimed for vehicles already purchased with the used clean vehicle tax credit or if you have used that benefit in the past three years (which is not technically possible yet). Either way, take advantage of it sooner rather than later because Republicans may end up killing it eventually.

There are some good EVs and hybrids that are eligible for the incentive. | Screenshot: Umar Shakir / The Verge

Carvana is now offering discounts of up to $4,000 at checkout for eligible used EVs and plug-in hybrids. The discount is essentially an advancement of the federal tax incentive for previously owned vehicles, but it lets customers reap the benefit immediately rather than waiting for tax refunds the following year.

You will still need to file your taxes correctly using IRS Form 8936, and you have to agree to transfer the credit to Carvana once you do file. So, while it’s not making tax season any easier, Carvana is offering a lower cost of entry to buy an electric vehicle, which could help push customers interested in EVs to take the leap.

You can now take advantage of the offer on Carvana’s app or website by searching for EVs or plug-in hybrids with a green tax credit banner. As the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act outlines, not every used clean vehicle is eligible. It has to have at least a 7kWh battery and a price less than or equal to $25,000, including shipping and delivery charges. It’s also only valid on a vehicle’s previous two model years.

Screenshot: Umar Shakir / The Verge
I don’t know if you care, but most eligible Spark EVs are gone.

For instance, if you want a Chevy Spark EV because it’s small, zippy, and fits in any parking space, only the 2015 and 2016 models are eligible. Carvana is selling them for about $11,000 to $14,000 each, so the incentive could bring it down to $10,000 or under (although, as of writing, I’ve noticed some of them no longer have the advertised discount banner).

At checkout, you must confirm your eligibility, which includes the requirement that your income not exceed $150,000 for a married couple filing jointly, $112,500 when filing as the head of a household, or $75,000 for a married couple filing separately, individually, or other.

The credit can’t be claimed for vehicles already purchased with the used clean vehicle tax credit or if you have used that benefit in the past three years (which is not technically possible yet). Either way, take advantage of it sooner rather than later because Republicans may end up killing it eventually.

Read More