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TL;DR: Live stream Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA with FuboTV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV.

The Dallas Mavericks head to Wells Fargo Center to face the Philadelphia 76ers in a non-conference matchup. The Mavs are 26-24, which puts the team in ninth place in the Western Conference. The Sixers are 19-29, which puts the team in 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

The Mavs have lost three of their last five games, and are coming off back-to-back losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons. The Mavs have only played one game since trading 25-year-old star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Sixers have won three of their last five games, but are coming off back-to-back losses to the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets.

When is Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers?

Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA starts at 7 p.m. ET on Feb. 4. This game takes place at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

How to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers

You need to choose a streaming service to watch the NBA without cable or satellite TV. We've found some of the best streaming services to consider for the Mavs vs. Sixers basketball game.

Best for single game: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: Fubo TV FuboTV Pro Plan Get Deal

FuboTV offers you more than 250 channels of live TV and the option to watch on 10 screens at once. You can try FuboTV with a seven-day free trial period. 

FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, FOX, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network. 

Most live sports: YouTube TV Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV $49.99/month for your first two months (save $46) Get Deal

YouTube TV's base plan is $49.99 per month for two months for new subscribers ($72.99 per month regularly). The base plan includes over 100 live TV channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and NBA TV.

Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling Orange Plan Get Deal

Sling TV suggests the streamer's Orange Plan for the game, which costs $20 for the first month and $40 monthly after that.

Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBA TV, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.

How to watch Mavs vs. Sixers from anywhere in the world

If you're traveling outside of the U.S. during this game, you might need to use a VPN to unblock this live stream. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server, meaning you can unblock live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming app

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to live streams of the NBA without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $70: As of Feb. 4, the 10th Gen Apple iPad (WiFi, 64GB) is on sale at Best Buy for $279. This is $70 off its list price of $349.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad (10th Gen) $279.00 at Best Buy
$349.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal

If you've been looking to invest in an iPad but don't want to drop an significant amount of cash, the 10th Gen Apple iPad is worth a look. We consider this iPad to be the best budget model in our roundup of the best iPads, and we've spotted a great discount so you can grab it for even less right now.

The 10th Gen Apple iPad (WiFi, 64GB) is currently on sale for $279 at Best Buy. This is $70 off its list price of $349. Not to mention, it comes with a couple of bonuses: Apple Fitness+ for free for three months and up to three months free of Apple Music.

SEE ALSO: Score a free Best Buy credit after purchasing a $100 Apple gift card

In our roundup of the best iPads, Samantha Mangino says "Even though its tech is basic compared to the advanced iPad Air and Pro, it's perfect for someone who wants a portable screen for streaming, playing games, and reading. It's also a nice choice if you're interested in using your tablet as a laptop but don't want to spend a ton of money." And with 64GB of storage, you have plenty of space to stock up on your favorite apps right away.

This is a deal well worth jumping on if you've been looking to pick up a discounted iPad. Don't miss out on $70 off the 10th Gen Apple iPad (WiFi, 64GB) at Best Buy.

There are a few more Apple deals worth checking out right now as well. If you've been looking for new earbuds, the AirPods 4 with ANC and without ANC are on sale right now, alongside the AirPods Pro 2 at Amazon.

A piercing and tattoo shop set in the Final Destination universe — what could go wrong?

In the teaser above for Final Destination Bloodlines – the sixth instalment in Jeffrey Reddick's horror franchise about death catching up with people who've cheated it – the answer appears to be pretty much everything.

We won't spoil what happens, but suffice it to say a nose ring and a chain holding up a ceiling fan do not make for a safe workplace combination.

Final Destination Bloodlines is in theatres May 16.

If you're looking for one interview from the late night shows to watch today on the internet, make sure you catch up on Jon Stewart's chat with his friend Mo Amer.

The Palestinian American comedian and co-creator of Peabody-winning Netflix comedy Mo just hit it out of the park with the show's second and final season, and he chatted to the Daily Show host about it all. Non-shocking spoiler: Mo was not an easy show to write.

Based on Amer's own experiences, Season 1 followed Mo's journey through applying for asylum in the U.S. with his family. In Season 2, we pick up with Mo stuck paperless in Mexico, and see him take hurdle after hurdle through the dehumanising American immigration process.

SEE ALSO: 'Mo' Season 2 review: Here's why it's still one of TV's most important shows

Like Mo, this chat goes from serious to hilarious and back in the same moment. Amer and Stewart unpack the challenging nature of writing Mo, why Mo's character keeps his morals intact in infuriating conversations, and the complexity of deciding whether to talk about Oct. 7 in Season 2 — there was apparently a lot of pressure to do so.

"The writing room was integral to this process and I love them so much for having such difficult conversations," said Amer. "Because we started on April 1, we went on strike May 1, we came back Oct. 23 of '23. Six days later, the only Palestinian show on TV, you can imagine the conversations that were had."

Make sure you watch the whole interview — there are some spoilers for Mo Season 2, so if you haven't seen it, go and watch first then come back to it.

Phone companies are going to need to start doing new releases every two or three years instead of annually if this is how things are going to go from now on.

Annual phone upgrades started looking incremental to regular people years ago, but the tech-savvy among us could always point to at least one or two changes that were actually meaningful. With the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, we might have finally passed the rubicon where even I, a professional tech writer, can't really muster a reason why anyone with a somewhat recent Android phone would need to upgrade to this device. The differences between last year's model and this one are so marginal as to almost not exist.

Yes, the display is very slightly bigger, and there's a new chip inside that puts up nice scores in benchmarks. But much of that new processing power is devoted to AI applications that are mildly useful at best, gimmicky on average, and outright hostile to human creativity at worst. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is not a bad premium flagship by any means, but it's really difficult to think of a reason why you should buy one.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Price and specs Volume and power. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

Starting at a staggering $1,299 (which, to be fair, is the same price as the Ultra model a year ago), the Galaxy S25 Ultra includes these specs:

• 6.9-inch AMOLED display with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and 3120x1440 resolution

• Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor

• 256GB/512GB/1TB storage options

• 12GB RAM

• 5,000mAh battery

For the sake of comparison, the display is a tenth of an inch bigger than the S24 Ultra, while the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip is top-of-the-line phone hardware at the moment. Those are your two functional differences between the Galaxy S25 Ultra and its immediate predecessor. Display resolution, storage and RAM options, and even the size of the battery are all identical between the 2024 and 2025 models.

Samsung actually has a comparison page on its website that highlights just how similar these two phones are. If you don't believe me, take a look for yourself.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Design The rounded edges are a plus. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

One of the bigger differences between S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra is in its physical form factor. To its credit, Samsung has marginally slimmed down this year's model, increasing display size while actually making it a slightly more comfortable phone to hold.

Samsung deserves some flowers here for ditching the hard, 90-degree corners that framed the S24 Ultra and replacing them with curved edges instead. It makes the phone significantly more pleasant to hold, as does its new weight of 218g. That's 15g lighter than the S24 Ultra, which isn't the biggest difference in the world, but it's certainly worth noting. Aside from that, these two phones don't differ too much from each other in terms of design.

For posterity, the color options this year are:

• Titanium Grey

• Titanium Whitesilver

• Titanium Silverblue

• Titanium Black

• Titanium Pinkgold

• Titanium Jadegreen

• Titanium Jetblack

I'd also be remiss not to mention that the S Pen stylus accessory is included with the S25 Ultra, as it has been in recent Ultra models. There's still a little slot in the phone where the pen lives, and you can easily get through your day without even remembering the pen is there if you're not the type of person who likes to use styluses. It's nice if you want it, but to be honest, I never felt like I personally needed it.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Performance Nothing different about the bottom this year. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

A new high-end mobile chipset means higher expectations for performance. I'm happy to report that there are no real problems to be found with the way the S25 Ultra performs on a day-to-day basis, though again, the change from last year might be pretty insignificant.

Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy does an admirable job of keeping things moving, as general phone operations are satisfyingly smooth and snappy. This includes the use of AI features, which are closely tied to the new chip. I'll go into more detail about what those are and how they work later, but for now, it's worth noting that every AI feature I tried worked very quickly and without much hassle.

For the number-crunching heads out there, I ran the S25 Ultra through the Geekbench 6 benchmarking software. The results here are fairly astonishing, as the new device's multi-core score is 10,049, compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra's score of 6,675. That's a pretty big numerical jump! I should note, however, that for everyday app usage, you probably won't notice a huge difference between the two phones. Every recent premium flagship is fast and diminishing returns are inevitable.

Still, credit where it's due: This phone is, according to available metrics, more powerful than the S24 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Battery life

Samsung rates the 5,000mAh battery in the S25 Ultra for 31 hours of video playback. While I couldn't quite replicate that, I was satisfied with the results I got in my testing.

When it comes to general usage, you can go about 24 hours between charges with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. You might be sweating it out at the end of that period, depending on what you like to do with your phone, but it's doable. When I had the phone loop a 1080p video on its display from a 100 percent charge until it died, I got 26 hours and 56 minutes of playback time out of the S25 Ultra.

These figures will likely vary for people depending on how they use their devices, but on the whole, it's hard to complain about the battery here.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: AI features This is a typical Now Brief screen. Credit: Screenshot: Samsung

Samsung, Apple, and Google are all going hard on AI features these days, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is no different. It sports a handful of new AI tricks that are theoretically supposed to be selling points for people. I can't speak for everyone, but if I was a Samsung guy with a flagship released in the last three years or so, none of this stuff would get me to upgrade.

Part of that is because some of the most heavily advertised AI features on S25 Ultra aren't really new. Google's Circle to Search functionality is here, but that's also available on Pixel phones and even the last four generations of Galaxy S-series phones. The same goes for Audio Eraser, a feature that lets you isolate and remove certain sounds from videos you've filmed. It's a neat trick, but Google already had it before.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S25 vs S24: Comparing price, specs and features

In terms of things that are actually new, Now Brief is probably the most handy feature of the bunch. It's a little widget that lives on your home screen and, when tapped, opens up a single, scrollable page that includes info about the day's weather, events on your calendar, and news stories you might find interesting. Now Brief is basically just a way to repackage your morning routine, so you're only checking one app instead of two or three to find all of that information. It's not massive, but in the realm of AI features, it's hard to complain about it.

Cross-app actions are also new and worth talking about. You can now long-press the power button on an S25 Ultra to bring up Gemini, and command it to perform multiple actions across multiple apps for you. For example, if you want to know when the Super Bowl is, you can tell Gemini to "find the Super Bowl schedule and add it to my calendar" or something like that. If all goes well, it can create calendar events, store online recipes in your notes, or share restaurant recommendations with friends, all based on a conversational voice command.

Now Brief and cross-app actions are nifty, but not really essential. I'm fully capable of looking up the day's weather and news, or finding out when a football game is happening in just a few seconds on my own. That's really the best thing I can say about the suite of AI features on S25 Ultra.

Many of the other ones, which are largely made up of already-existing generative editing features for photos and videos, are affronts to my sensibilities. Removing unwanted audio from videos is nice in theory, but filming in a less noisy environment or finding another creative solution are better ways out of that problem. I feel similarly about features that "clean up" photos you've taken by using AI to remove people or objects; just take a better photo instead of using AI to create a fake version of reality.

Do you really want all of your photos of your children to have the creepy sheen of generative AI all over them? Would you like it if you found out someone was texting or emailing you messages that were heavily edited by AI? I don't and I wouldn't. To each their own, but as long as this stuff is the crux of every new phone release, I'm going to complain about it.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Cameras

The rear camera array represents the only other notable hardware difference between S25 Ultra and S24 Ultra. Namely, the ultrawide lens has been upgraded from 12MP a year ago to 50MP this year. Aside from that, everything else is the same: a 200MP wide lens, 50MP telephoto lens, and 12MP selfie camera.

I didn't have an S24 Ultra on hand for direct comparisons, but the new ultrawide lens does produce nice, colorful, sharp shots.

Ultrawide shots look good. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

Regular shots at default settings look similarly crisp and vibrant.

Graffiti is a cheat code for testing phone cameras. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

Portrait mode's bokeh effect is as pleasing to the eye as ever.

No selfies, sorry. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

While the telephoto zoom hasn't been significantly altered this year, I still had a fun time playing with it. You can digitally zoom up to 100x, but I found that keeping things around 30x produced shots that were both impressively clear and didn't have that smudgy "the phone made up details to fill in the blanks" look that digitally zoomed photos often have.

No zoom. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable Approximately 30x zoom. Good stuff. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

The only real issue I had with the S25 Ultra's cameras came when I tried to take photos at night. Nighttime photography can depend a lot on your environment, and NYC is definitely too light polluted to get the best results in my experience. That said, the shots I did get looked a little too warm and artificial in nighttime mode. The version without any software correction was often closer to what my eyes saw, even if it wasn't necessarily something you'd want to post on social media.

No nighttime mode. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable Nighttime mode. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Final thoughts

The only reason I can really think of to upgrade to a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is if you're rocking a really old handset and just need to catch up with the times.

Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is indeed a power boost over previous generations, and quality everyday performance backs that up. A long-lasting battery will also remove unwanted stress from your life, and the camera array is generally pretty good at what it does. This is, in most ways that matter, a fine premium flagship phone.

It's just difficult to find a reason to recommend the S25 Ultra to anyone else for any other reason. Its hardware changes are so iterative as to almost not exist, and whatever new AI features are here are more neat than life-changing. We might seriously need to rethink the whole annual release cycle if this is going to become the status quo.

FREE GIFT CARD: As of Feb. 4, Best Buy is offering a free $10 gift card with the purchase of a $100 Apple gift card at the retailer.

Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy Free $10 Best Buy Gift Card with $100 Apple Gift Card Get Deal

Best Buy has had quite a few exciting deals recently, from discounts on massive TVs to gaming laptops. It's not just the discounts that have caught our eye, though. At the moment, you can take advantage of a nice bonus offer on an Apple gift card, giving you a little bit of extra cash for free with your purchase.

You can score a $10 Best Buy gift card for free with your purchase of a $100 Apple gift card at the retailer right now. This credit can be applied towards anything at the store or attached as a bonus for whoever you're getting the gift card for.

SEE ALSO: Amazon has knocked over $30 off the Apple AirPods 4

This Apple gift card can be used on a wide range of items in the Apple ecosystem. The $10 gift card isn't the only bonus you get, either. This purchase also comes with Apple Fitness+ for free for three months and Apple Music for free for up to three months. What could be better than that?

This deal may not stick around for long though, so act fast to get your free $10 Best Buy gift card with the purchase of a $100 Apple gift card at Best Buy.

Looking for even more deals at Best Buy? There are quite a few worth checking out right now. You can also score a great discount on a 65-inch LG C4 OLED TV ahead of the big game, and select Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra cases are on sale there, too.

SAVE $50: As of Feb. 4, the Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker is available for $99.99 at Amazon, down from $149.95. That’s a $50 discount on this portable water-resistant speaker, featuring deep bass, 24-hour battery life, and Apple and Android compatibility.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Pill $99.99 at Amazon
$149.95 Save $49.96 Shop Now

Beats Pill is back, and it's better than ever. If you're looking for a compact Bluetooth speaker with seriously powerful sound, now's the time to grab it — especially at its $99.99 sale price on Amazon. That's a 33% discount on one of the most popular portable speakers ever.

This ultra-portable speaker features an enhanced racetrack woofer, which displaces 90% more air for deeper bass and punchier audio. Beats Pill delivers a big, bold sound that fills any space. You can play music in your room, host a backyard party, or take it on a road trip.

SEE ALSO: Where to preorder Samsung's new Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra smartphones

With up to 24 hours of battery life, you can keep the music going all day without worrying about recharging. Plus, USB-C charging lets you power up your phone or other devices, so your playlist never gets interrupted.

The Beats Pill's IP67 dust and water resistance rating makes it a great companion for outdoor adventures. It's dustproof, water-resistant, and rugged enough to handle beach days, camping trips, or poolside hangs.

The soft-grip silicone backing and removable lanyard make it easy to carry and secure wherever you go. Sound quality remains top-tier, with a newly redesigned tweeter for crystal-clear highs and rich mids. The bass remains distortion-free even at higher volumes thanks to a reinforced woofer structure.

Want even more power? Pair two Beats Pill speakers together to double the Amplify Mode output or stereo separation in Stereo Mode. Beats Pill integrates seamlessly with Apple and Android devices, offering instant one-touch pairing and Find My support for easy tracking. Built-in voice assistant compatibility means taking calls or using Siri/Google Assistant hands-free.

At $99.99, this speaker is a steal. Beats Pill delivers on all fronts, including becoming a home speaker, travel companion, or outdoor sound system. Get yours before the deal disappears.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, February 4, 2025:

AcrossT-shirt or blouse

• The answer is Top.

Do a novelist's job

• The answer is Write.

Confusing answer to "So I'm supposed to turn left?"

• The answer is Right.

French "to be"

• The answer is Etre.

___-do-well

• The answer is Neer.

DownFearsome cat, in Spanish

• The answer is Tiger.

Alternative option

• The answer is Other.

Marcel the monkey, on "Friends"

• The answer is Pet.

Tiny bird with a piercing "teakettle-teakettle!" song

• The answer is Wren.

Religious ceremony

• The answer is Rite.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.

SAVE $50: As of Feb. 4, Beats Studio Buds are available for $99.99 at Amazon, down from $149.95. That’s a $50 discount on these true wireless earbuds, featuring active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and sweat resistance for Apple and Android.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Studio Buds $99.99 at Amazon
$149.95 Save $49.96 Shop Now

High-quality wireless earbuds without the brand tax are hard to find, but the Beats Studio Buds have dropped to $99.99 at Amazon. That's 33% off the regular price, making this one of the best noise-canceling earbud deals.

Designed for premium sound in a compact form, the Beats Studio Buds deliver balanced audio with deep bass thanks to a custom acoustic platform. This means clear and immersive sound whilst listening to your favorite playlists, watching movies, or gaming. Plus, with active noise cancellation (ANC), you can block out distractions on the go, at work, or during workouts. Prefer to stay aware of your surroundings? Just switch to Transparency Mode to hear what's going on around you.

SEE ALSO: Where to preorder Samsung's new Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra smartphones

Comfort is also key, and Beats includes three different ear tip sizes, ensuring a secure fit for all-day wear. Their IPX4 sweat and water resistance makes these earbuds perfect for the gym, running, or daily commutes — so there's no worry about rain or sweat ruining them.

Battery life won't let you down either. You'll get up to eight hours of listening time per charge, with an additional 24 hours from the compact charging case. That's 32 hours before you need to plug in again. And when you do? Fast Fuel charging gives you an extra hour of playback in just five minutes.

Thanks to Class 1 Bluetooth technology, the Beats Studio Buds also effortlessly pair with Apple and Android devices. That means fewer dropouts, extended range, and seamless connection switching.

At $99.99, these earbuds are well worth the price tag, so don't wait too long — this deal won't last forever.

Donald Trump is picking fights with everyone from Canada to Denmark, and Jon Stewart isn't impressed.

"What is happening? The EU, Canada — do we have any friends?" asks the Daily Show host in the monologue above. "Canada? We're picking a fight with our most reliable and pleasant friend, the labradoodle of allies?

Stewart goes on to mock the way the U.S. president is selecting his targets.

"Denmark, Panama, Canada. We're America. We used to fight the Nazis. Now we're scouring the globe for easy marks. What are we, the Jake Paul of nations?" asks Stewart, before going into Trump impression mode. "I know China's out there, but Panama's a legitimate fight! In fact I'm gonna call everyone out in FIFA's Concacaf division! Ohhh, Trinidad and Tobago, you gotta gang up, huh?"

SAVE $20: As of Feb. 4, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro is available for $179.99 at Amazon, down from $199.99. That’s a $20 discount on one of the most versatile media streamers available, featuring Dolby Vision HDR, AI-enhanced upscaling, Plex media server functionality, and GeForce NOW cloud gaming.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nvidia Nvidia Shield TV Pro $179.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $20.00 Shop Now

If you want a streaming box that does it all, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro is the best does-it-all streaming box you can buy right now. At $179.99 on Amazon, a $20 saving over its $199.99 list price, this is a gaming and binge-worthy bargain. It's a home theater powerhouse, Plex media server, and cloud gaming rig wrapped into one sleek box.

With Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, the Shield TV Pro transforms your living room into a cinematic experience. You'll get crisp 4K visuals and immersive audio from services such as Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, or HBO Max (subscription-dependent). Older HD content gets treated to AI-enhanced upscaling that sharpens it to near-4K quality for a cleaner, crisper picture.

SEE ALSO: Where to preorder Samsung's new Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra smartphones

One of its biggest perks is built-in Plex media server support. If you have a collection of movies, TV shows, or music, the Shield TV Pro can store and stream them across your devices, giving you full control over your personal media library. Unlike regular streaming sticks, this device has USB 3.0 ports, letting you expand storage, connect a keyboard, or even use a USB webcam.

Gaming? No problem. With GeForce NOW, the Shield TV Pro turns into a powerful gaming system with no console required. Play AAA PC games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Fortnite directly from the cloud, with ray tracing and DLSS support for ultra-smooth gameplay. Just connect a controller, and you're ready to go.

Running on Android TV 11, the Shield TV Pro supports all major streaming services, Google Chromecast 4K, and hands-free voice control with Google Assistant and Alexa.

At just $179.99, this deal is a no-brainer. Whether you need a high-end streaming device, a Plex media server, or a cloud gaming machine, the Shield TV Pro does it all — and this discount won't last long.

SAVE $20: As of Feb. 4, the Nvidia Shield TV streaming media player is available for $129.99 at Amazon, down from $149.99. That’s a $20 discount on one of the most powerful Android TV devices, offering 4K HDR streaming, Dolby Vision-Atmos, AI-enhanced upscaling, and GeForce NOW cloud gaming.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nvidia Nvidia Shield TV $129.99 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $20.00 Shop Now

The Nvidia Shield TV just got a rare price drop at Amazon. At $129.99, it’s cheaper than the Apple TV 4K and more feature-packed than any Fire TV Stick or Roku device. With Dolby Vision HDR, AI-enhanced upscaling, and built-in GeForce NOW cloud gaming, this streaming powerhouse is in a league of its own.

The Tegra X1+ processor makes the Shield TV one of the fastest streaming devices, ensuring smooth navigation and instant app loading. If you’ve got a 4K TV, you’ll love the AI upscaling, which sharpens older HD content to near 4K quality. Plus, with Dolby Atmos sound, your movie nights will have cinema-level audio immersion.

SEE ALSO: Where to preorder Samsung's new Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra smartphones

This bad boy is also a cloud streaming beast unlike most streaming sticks on the market right now. With GeForce NOW, you can play AAA PC games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Fortnite on your TV without needing a gaming PC. Pair it with an RTX 3080 GeForce NOW membership, and you’ll get ray tracing, high frame rates, and ultra-low latency.

On Android TV 11, the Shield TV supports all major streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, YouTube, and HBO Max. It also comes with Chromecast 4K built-in, letting you stream directly from your phone or tablet. Plus, you can control your TV hands-free with Google Assistant and Alexa compatibility.

At just $129.99, the Nvidia Shield TV is an absolute steal. It’s faster than a Fire TV Stick, more powerful than a Roku, and smarter than an Apple TV — making it the best 4K streaming device you can buy. But at this price, it won’t last long — grab one before it’s gone.

Kiss of the Spider Woman has a rich and varied history, from Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel to the 1985 Oscar-winning drama by Héctor Babenco to the 1992 stage show on which this latest film is based. This makes viewing it in isolation nearly impossible, but even on its own terms, the 2025 musical movie by Bill Condon is a difficult sell.

Set during the latter years of Brazil’s late-twentieth century military junta, it’s a tale of two wildly different prisoners and the escapist cinema they collectively imagine. The story is ripe for visual re-invention — or at the very least, visual panache. And while Condon’s version aims for something grandiose (while featuring updated sexual politics), its execution fails to capture the imagination, let alone anything resembling time and place.

What is Kiss of the Spider Woman about?

The film begins when an imprisoned Marxist revolutionary, Valentin Arregui (Diego Luna), is introduced to his new cellmate, Luis Molina (Tonatiuh), a queer and distinctly apolitical hairdresser arrested for public indecency. Condon’s film makes it much more explicit than in other versions — which is to say, through more direct dialogue — that Molina is a trans woman, even though she may not have the right terms to label herself in the movie’s 1981 setting.

Whatever qualms Arregui might have about Molina’s identity fade rather quickly, which allows the duo to quickly become friends, despite their opposing natures. Arregui is a quiet, studious learner, while Molina is a gossip and a chatterbox. However, the former becomes entranced by Molina’s stories about Technicolor Hollywood musicals, especially one titled Kiss of the Spider Woman starring her favorite Latin American starlet, Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez). As Molina narrates the film to Arregui, the two picture themselves as supporting characters in its plot, while Condon cuts back and forth between this imagined cinematic landscape and the more dour prison reality they share.

Molina has also been conscripted as a snitch by the prison’s warden, who forces her to inform on Arregui if she wants to get out and see her mother again, though the duo’s growing closeness makes her question this commitment. This broad plot is not unlike all other versions of the story (with some minor deviations: both films are set in Brazil, while the book and the stage show unfold in Argentina), but the major difference is how central and self-reflexive the very idea of musicals is to the duo’s retellings.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is a musical about musicals.

Arregui, a grump and an academic, thinks of musicals as distracting propaganda and an opiate of the masses, while Molina finds beauty and acceptance in them. It’s a simple setup that should, in theory, bring the two characters closer together as Arregui grows more intrigued. However, the film’s Arabian Nights by way of Busby Berkeley telling unfolds in unconvincing ways.

The more Arregui complains about the fantastical nature of musicals (especially the escapism of people bursting out in song), the more Kiss of the Spider Woman ought to counter his assertions with examples of the opposite, but its form is never self-evident enough to be convincing. Instead, during its musical numbers, its frame is too crowded to draw the eye — rarely does Condon use blocking either to tell the story, or to deliver maximum impact — and the film lacks the energy of the golden age Hollywood landmarks it attempts to ape.

This lethargic use of visual form cross-pollinates between the real and the imagined. On one hand, Lopez’s Luna is a dazzling presence, but she seldom elevates Kiss of the Spider Woman beyond its impressions of other movies. Back in the real world, Arregui and Molina’s cramped cell certainly makes for a downtrodden setting, but Condon rarely films it with a sense of space in mind. Tonatiuh is just as impressive as Lopez, but their attempts to imbue their character with a sense of physical struggle, within four walls inching ever closer, is often undone by a haphazard edit.

Something both classical Hollywood musicals and Babenco’s version have over Condon’s version is their use of wide shots, and two-shots, meant to capture actors’ evolving relationships to one another. A major problem with the 2025 movie is that its actors rarely feel as if they’re playing in the same space, so their relationship lands only logistically — as dictated by their dialogue, when they state how they feel about one another — rather than emotionally. This is where it becomes especially hard not to compare this latest iteration to previous versions.

Kiss of the Spider Woman fails where other versions succeeded.

The gender politics of Babenco’s film certainly haven’t aged well — few mainstream films from the 1980s do when it comes to trans representation — but it had an emotional authenticity Condon’s version lacks. While William Hurt’s version of Molina was more caricatured on the surface, the writing and editing also allowed his performance more breathing room, resulting in tremendous dramatic depth. Tonatiuh is just as showy (the way a musical-loving character like Molina ought to be), with panther-like movements that create a sense of physical intrigue. And while their baseline harbors a tug-of-war between optimism and uncertainty, this dilemma is something the film’s construction rarely allows them to access. The editing renders their performance too extreme, with its zero-to-sixty gesticulations and emoting. It has a starting point and an ending point, but rarely does it have a path.

These extreme bookends also guided Hurt and co-star Raul Julia, who played a more reserved, more simmering Arregui, but their journey from one end to the other was the entire crux of Babenco’s film. Theirs was a much more rocky relationship, even though we were dropped into it in medias res. While a more bigoted Arregui might make for a less pleasant viewing experience — especially in an escapist musical — Julia’s incarnation results in complex layers to the character being gradually unearthed. Luna, while fine in the same role, is shouldered with something far less rigorous and remarkable, as a man whose inward and outward discomforts are quickly brushed under the rug.

The duo becoming comrades so quickly not only robs the story of its sense of discovery, but also prevents the 2025 film from accessing a fundamental aspect of Puig’s novel. The author’s formal experimentation meant that both characters’ dialogue was presented free from delineation or attribution, separated only by dashes, leaving you to decipher who’s speaking from context clues. They feel, at times, like one and the same person. Babenco’s drama captures the spirit of this flourish by telling a story of two souls gradually becoming one..

In contrast, any hint of romance in the new Kiss of the Spider Woman is dulled and distant, and its sense of optimism has few ugly depths that allow it to stand out through greater contrast. Forty years after Babenco’s film, Condon’s musical may be more palatable and progressive, but his versions of Molina and Arregui never feel like halves of a whole, leaving the movie feeling emotionally incomplete.

Kiss of the Spider Woman was reviewed out of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

TL;DR: Get three dozen farm-fresh roses for $39.99 shipped — a stunning Valentine’s Day surprise without the florist markup.

Nothing says “I love you” like roses — but why stop at a dozen when you can send three dozen for less than the price of a fancy dinner? This Valentine’s Day, make an unforgettable gesture with 36 beautiful, farm-fresh, handpicked roses delivered straight to their door for just $39.99 (reg. $97).

Whether for a partner, a friend, or someone who deserves a little extra love, this bouquet is guaranteed to impress.

These long-stemmed beauties come fresh from the farm, carefully selected for their vibrant colors and quality. The Farmer’s Color Choice means each bouquet is unique, featuring a variety of stunning hues that add an extra element of surprise. Unlike grocery store flowers that may have been sitting around for days, these roses arrive fresh and full of life, claiming to last 10 to 14 days after delivery.

Ordering is easy. After purchase, you’ll receive a digital voucher to redeem on the Rose Farmers' website, where you can schedule delivery anywhere in the continental U.S. Shipping is completely free, and if you want the roses to arrive on a specific date, it's best to order one to two days in advance to allow for possible carrier delays.

Skip the last-minute flower rush and send a bouquet as grand as your love.

Order three dozen Farmer's Color Choice Roses to be delivered for $39.99 and surprise your favorite person with gorgeous flowers this Valentine's Day.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Rose Farmers Get 3 Dozen (36) Farmer's Color Choice Roses for Only $39.99 Shipped! $39.99
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TL;DR: This refurbished MacBook Pro 16 is only $539.99 while supplies last (reg. $2,399) at the Mashable Shop. Get a powerful laptop with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD.

At one point or another, everyone’s wanted a MacBook. Maybe you want to use iMessage and FaceTime on desktop, run a specific program, or just love the simplicity and beautiful design of Apple products. There's just one problem: the price is holding you back. Here’s how to get around that.

Right now at the Mashable Shop, you can get a refurbished MacBook Pro and save $1,859 on its retail price. Seriously. While it's normally priced at $2,399, you only have to pay $539.99 for this refurbished model with a "Grade A" rating — while supplies last.

Your MacBook dream come to life

There are two MacBook lines: Air and Pro. With the Pro, you get a laptop built for multitasking and running intense programs. If you’re a graphic designer, content creator, or someone who always has 20+ Chrome tabs open, you’ll appreciate the Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM that prevent lag. You also get 512GB of storage for apps and projects.

Something you’ll love about this MacBook is the Touch Bar — a touchscreen strip that replaces the usual function row above the number keys. Depending on which apps you have open, the controls change between volume, text tools, a color picker, or fast forward and rewind buttons. It also has Touch ID for fingerprint log-ins.

Your new-to-you MacBook Pro arrives in near-mint condition, almost like it’s brand new. The only difference is that you may notice some light signs of wear and lower battery life (but a minimum of 80% health) — this is why you’re saving 77%.

Grab your 16-inch refurbished MacBook Pro for $539.99 (reg. $2,399) before we sell out.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro 16" (2019) 2.6GHz Core i7 Touch Bar 16GB RAM 512GB SSD Space Gray (Refurbished) $539.99
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TL;DR: Get a second virtual phone line for calling and texting without revealing your real number — now $20 with code SAVE20 until Feb. 23.

The "Do Not Call" list was supposed to save us from spam calls. Yet thanks to data leaks and the army of scammers in the world, you may get multiple junk calls every day.

Hushed Private Phone Line gives you a second phone line you can use. And for a limited time at the Mashable Shop, you can get lifetime access to a second private phone number.

Here's what's included with your one-time purchase with Hushed:

• Includes 6,000 texts or 1,000 minutes per year for calling and messaging without a contract

• Choose from hundreds of area codes across the U.S. and Canada to customize your second number

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Stay connected while keeping your number private — save an extra 20% off the already discounted price of $24.99 (reg. $150) and get a lifetime subscription to a Hushed Private Phone Line. Pay just $19.99 when you use the code SAVE20 at the Mashable Shop through Feb. 23.

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TL;DR: Get a 10” touchscreen wireless car display with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, GPS, and multimedia playback for just $99.97 (reg. $199) — deal ends February 23.

• Supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can take calls, read messages, and use maps right on your car’s screen

• Built-in GPS navigation lets you use Google Maps or Waze for real-time directions without needing a separate device

• Auto-switches to rear camera view (camera not included) with parking guidelines when you shift into reverse

• Supports audio and video playback with built-in speaker, Bluetooth hands-free calls, and AUX port

• FM transmission allows you to sync with your car’s radio for seamless audio output

• Comes with everything you need for quick setup, including a mounting bracket, power cord, AUX cable, and GPS antenna

Upgrade your driving experience with this 10" touchscreen Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless car display — on sale for $99.97 through February 23.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mesay 10" Touchscreen Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Wireless Car Display with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Support $99.97
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UPDATE: Feb. 4, 2025, 5:00 a.m. EST This article has been updated to include the streaming release details for "Longlegs," as well as the latest VOD pricing.

The best streaming deals to watch 'Longlegs': BEST NON-STREAMING OPTION Rent or buy 'Longlegs' on Prime Video $5.99 or $19.99 Get Deal BEST STREAMING DEAL Hulu annual subscription $99.99 per year (save 16%) Get Deal BEST FOR STUDENTS Hulu Student $1.99 per month (save $8 per month) Get Deal MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK Disney Duo Basic Bundle: Hulu and Disney+ with ads $10.99 per month (save $8.99 per month) Get Deal BEST FOR T-MOBILE CUSTOMERS Hulu with ads Free for one year for Go5G Next customers (save $99.99) Get Deal

We've been anticipating the streaming debut of Longlegs for months, and it finally has a release date — and just in time for Valentine's Day. The horror movie was released on digital back in August 2024, but we had to wait six months for its official streaming release.

Written and directed by Osgood Perkins (I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House) and starring Maika Monroe (It Follows), Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, and the one and only Nicolas Cage, Longlegs was a huge box office hit for the indie studio Neon. Critics called the film "unsettling," to say the least. If you have yet to see Cage in all his serial killer glory or want to make your skin crawl once again from the (dis)comfort of your home, here's everything you need to know about how to watch Longlegs online.

When and where is Longlegs streaming?

After quite a long wait, Longlegs officially has a streaming release date. You can watch the Cage-led horror flick on Hulu starting Feb. 14, 2025. The indie film distributor Neon has an output deal with Hulu, so this comes as no surprise. If you're looking to Hulu & Chill on Valentine's Day with a fellow horror lover, then be sure to sign up for Hulu (or a 30-day free trial) before then.

What is Longlegs about?

Longlegs follows the FBI investigation of a decades-long serial killing spree in Oregon. There's no other evidence at the crime scenes except for cryptic letters signed "Longlegs." It Follows star Maika Monroe is the lead FBI agent, Lee Harker, who is assigned to investigate the serial killer — and it turns out she might be more connected to the case than it seems. Oh, and that serial killer? It's Nicolas Cage in some extremely haunting prosthetics and makeup.

Here's a glimpse at the horror-thriller in the official trailer:

Is Longlegs worth watching?

A surprise hit, Longlegs brought in over $126 million at the worldwide box office. That makes it the highest-grossing indie film of the year and the top-grossing R-rated horror film of 2024. And considering Neon's production budget was under $10 million (before prints and advertising costs), that also makes it a massive success.

Of course, box office numbers don't mean much unless people actually like the film. Fortunately, critic reviews are largely positive for the Nic Cage serial killer thriller. It currently has an 86 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Interestingly, though, audiences aren't quite as enthusiastic, giving Longlegs a 61 percent score based on over 2,500 ratings.

Mashable's own critic noted that while Cage's performance was brilliant, the film "doesn’t fully (or even partway) commit to its most bone-chilling ideas."

Read Mashable's full review of Longlegs.

Can I watch Longlegs at home? Maika Monroe plays Agent Lee Harker in "Longlegs." Credit: Neon

Longlegs made its at-home digital debut on Aug. 23, 2024. You can rent or buy the horror-thriller at digital-on-demand retailers like Prime Video, YouTube, and Apple TV. If you'd rather stream the film, keep reading for more information.

Note: If you choose to rent the film, you'll have 30 days to start watching and just 48 hours once you begin.

Here are some of the platforms where you can rent or purchase the film online:

• Prime Video — $5.99 to rent or $19.99 to buy

• Apple TV — $5.99 to rent or $19.99 to buy

• Fandango at Home (Vudu) — $5.99 to rent or $19.99 to buy

• YouTube — $5.99 to rent or $19.99 to buy

• Google Play — $5.99 to rent or $19.99 to buy

The best Hulu streaming deals

Thanks to a Neon-Hulu output deal, Longlegs will make its long-awaited streaming debut on Hulu on Feb. 14, 2025. Hulu was one of the most affordable streamers at $7.99 per month, but it recently underwent a price hike, putting it on par with many other streamers at $9.99 per month. Fortunately, there are a few ways to save on your Hulu subscription. Plus, if you're new to the streaming service, Hulu offers a generous 30-day free trial.

Best Hulu deal for most people: Hulu annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu (with ads) annual subscription $99.99 per year (save 16%) Get Deal

Rather than paying $9.99 per month for Hulu, which adds up to $119.88 in a year, you can opt for an annual subscription and save 16%. An annual subscription with ads costs just $99.99 up front, which drops the monthly fee down to just $8.33 per month. Sure, you'll have to pay more upfront, but you'll end up keeping more in your pocket in the long run. It also saves you from inevitable price hikes for at least a year.

Best bundle deal: Get Hulu and Disney+ for 44% off Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu / Disney+ Duo Basic bundle: Hulu and Disney+ with ads $10.99 per month (save 44%) Get Deal

If you're already a Disney+ subscriber or you want to get more bang for your buck, you can sign up for the Disney Duo Basic bundle and get both Disney+ and Hulu for $10.99 per month. That's just $1 more than paying for Hulu alone, or a savings of 44%. Even better, if you're a sports fan, you can throw ESPN+ into the mix for only $16.99 per month total. That's 46% in savings on all three services.

Best for students: Hulu Student Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu Student $1.99 per month (save 80%) Get Deal

Students looking to stream Longlegs and other Neon hits can sign up for Hulu for only $1.99 per month. That's a savings of 80% compared to the full cost of Hulu with ads. You'll just have to verify your college email address using SheerID to score the deal.

Best for T-Mobile users: Hulu (with ads) included for one year for Go5G Next customers Opens in a new window Credit: T-Mobile / Hulu Hulu (with ads) Free for select T-Mobile customers Get Deal

One of the best ways to get free streaming services, including Hulu, is to switch your mobile plan to T-Mobile's Go5G Next plan. Customers on this plan get Hulu with ads included in their plan for no extra cost, plus Netflix and Apple TV+. If you're already on a Go5G Next plan, head over to the T-Mobile promo page and choose "redeem now" to claim your offer. You'll have to enter your T-Mobile number and account details in order to sign up for Hulu.

Note: After your initial 12-month promotional period, you'll also have to take action in order to keep your subscription alive.

Any time you shop for a new laptop, a lot of people are going to tell you the same thing: Get a MacBook.

We don't blame them. The best MacBooks are fantastic laptops, and while they don't afford you the freedom of customization that other brands offer, that's not something everyone will care about. Most of us just want a high-quality laptop that'll get us through work, school, and play with minimal fuss.

SEE ALSO: The best iPads for reading, working, and streaming

Although MacBooks can get a bit pricey — with the latest M4 MacBook Pros reaching into truly frightening territory — they justify the price with Apple's signature design, user-friendly OS, and zippy M-series processors. Plus, you can often find MacBook Air and Pro models on sale (with the cheapest ones priced around $850 to $999).

After testing out Apple's entire lineup of laptops, we're here to help you narrow down the choices and take home the Apple machine of your dreams.

Your first big decision: MacBook Pro vs Air

With today's current lineup of MacBooks, you really only have two options: The MacBook Pro or the MacBook Air. So, which is right for you?

If you're a creative who regularly pushes your laptop to the limit with demanding video and photo editing applications, you'll want to aim for the Pro. The name of the game with the Pro line is processing power, and the latest iterations are the speediest and most performance-driven yet.

Testing the M1 MacBook Air after its 2020 release. Credit: Zlata Ivleva / Mashable Testing the super-powered M3 MacBook Pro. Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

If convenience and portability are your top priorities, then the Air will be most suited to you. It's thin and light, and it even comes in a 13-inch option if you'll be lugging it around wherever you go. Plus, ever since the debut of Apple's M Series chips, the MacBook Air has become a pint-sized powerhouse. The most current model utilizes the M3 chip, so you won't be sacrificing all that much in terms of power.

Which generation MacBook is the best?

This will come down to what you're willing to give up in performance, and in some cases, quality. But, whatever you do deem worthy of sacrificing, you'll be paid back in savings. For example, the 2022 model M2 MacBook Air won't come with the latest chip, but you'll still be scoring an impressive laptop that frequently goes on sale for just $849.99. That's compared to the $1,249 price tag of the most recent Air, and the $1,599 asking price of the latest Pro.

A photo from Mashable's test of the M1 MacBook Air. Credit: Zlata Ivleva / Mashable Testing the M2 MacBook Air. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

So, if you've got a lighter budget, don't fret — you can still get a MacBook at an affordable price. Older MacBooks are still very much worthy of your consideration, and they won't cost you nearly as much.

SEE ALSO: The best Windows laptops we tested in 2024: Our pick lasts longer than the M4 MacBook Pro What are the best MacBooks?

After testing out the latest Apple laptops, we think there are five MacBooks worth buying in 2025. Check out our top picks below, their pros and cons, and who we think would like each model best.

It would come as a surprise to more people than you think that "roomba" isn't the universal term for a robot vacuum. It is, in fact, a capital "R" that denotes Roomba as a proper noun rather than a generic trademark, though the Band-Aid level interchangeability really does exemplify just how iconic iRobot has become in the world of automated floor cleaners.

That can be attributed to the fact that iRobot has consistently delivered some of the most reliable robot vacuum models for two decades. More than 20 Roombas have come out since the first one hit homes in 2002, but tracking the best Roombas isn't so chaotic when you consider that only a handful of those models are actually relevant at the time of your shopping.

How to tell the difference between the Roomba models

The arbitrary numbers and letters of the Roomba family tree are confusing at face value, but nothing that can't be told apart after learning a few super general classification themes.

SEE ALSO: A ton of robot vacuums claim to mop, but these 5 hybrids actually do the job

That can be attributed to the fact that iRobot has consistently delivered some of the most reliable robot vacuum models for two decades. More than 20 Roombas have come out since the first one hit homes in 2002, but tracking the best Roombas isn't so chaotic when you consider that only a handful of those models are actually relevant at the time of your shopping.

How to tell the difference between the Roomba models

The arbitrary numbers and letters of the Roomba family tree are confusing at face value, but nothing that can't be told apart after learning a few super general classification themes.

When shopping for a Roomba, you'll really only be choosing from what I call iRobot's core lineup: the group of three to five Roomba series that are actively sold on iRobot's website. Any Roomba whose title includes a letter and a number (like j9+ or i5) or the word Max is more advanced than a Roomba with just numbers in the title (like 692) or just words (like Roomba Vac or Essential).

As of early winter 2025, the five main Roomba collections up for grabs are as follows, from most advanced to least advanced: Max, j series, s series (though nearly obsolete), i series, and Essential series.

SEE ALSO: It wasn't hard to narrow down the Shark robot vacuums to these top 3

A plus sign (like j9+) denotes that the model comes with a self-emptying dock, and Roombas that mop will have "Combo" in the title. Note that there are several Roombas that can be purchased with or without mopping capabilities or self-emptying docks. "Max" is a new layer of Roomba typology that was introduced with the drop of the Roomba Combo 10 Max — it refers to the ability of a mopping Roomba to wash and dry its own mopping pad within the self-empty dock. On the other end of the spectrum, "Essential" means "most basic" in the Roomba family, and that means no smart mapping.

To pinpoint which Roombas have smart mapping, pay close attention to how navigation is discussed in the title or in the list. If you don't literally see the words "Smart Mapping" anywhere, that Roomba cannot map your home and clean specific rooms on command. No, "Smart Navigation" or anything about cleaning in "neat rows" does not count.

When is a new Roomba coming out?

We probably won't see a new Roomba at least until spring 2025, but that probably won't even be the new flagship Roomba. If, in your eyes, a question about "the new Roomba" refers to the next Roomba that'll be a big deal, you'll likely be waiting until August or September 2025.

iRobot is on a different release schedule than most other big robot vacuum brands, who typically debut their new flagship models for the year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. Alternatively, iRobot tends to debut its flagship model for the year in late summer — the past two flagship Roombas (the 2023 Combo j9+ and 2024 Combo 10 Max) were announced in September and July, respectively, both with releases slated for later that fall.

Aside from The Big One, iRobot does drop other Roombas throughout the year, like an updated version of a base-tier Roomba.

Plus, fun stuff happens to the Roombas that are already out all the time. Roombas go on sale pretty frequently, even if it's not the Black Friday, holiday, or Prime Day season. So it's possible that at any point in time you're reading this, the particular Roomba you're eyeing is $100 or $200 off. I list the MSRP for each by default, but will mention the most common sale price that each Roomba drops to in "The Good" section below.)

SEE ALSO: As a Dyson stan, I wouldn't tell anyone to buy the Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum

Not sure which Roomba would be the most worth it in your household? I've tested nearly every Roomba series released since 2019 in my own home, and have composed a running Roomba model comparison guide to all of the best iRobot options at any point in the year.

Not every single Roomba model in existence will be listed in this guide, and not every "main" Roomba on iRobot's website will be recommended as one of the best. Rather, I've pulled Roombas from multiple price points that I think offer the best value in various categories that people care about, whether that's mopping, smart mapping, small obstacle detection, the cheapest possible path to all of those features, or budget alone. Each Roomba's battery life and automatic emptying capabilities will be noted, along with my reasoning for choosing the highlighted model over other Roombas with similar prices.

Here's your easy breakdown of all of the best Roomba vacuums at the start of 2025: