Sometimes, it’s hard to get a handle on the latest phones, tablets, computers, and gaming devices through text alone—as much as we appreciate you reading us here at Lifehacker, I acknowledge that video can be really helpful when making a big tech purchase.
Thankfully, there are plenty of great YouTubers out there making high-quality unboxing videos, deep dives, and reviews for free. Here are some of my favorite technology YouTubers to help flesh out your knowledge when text alone just doesn’t cut it.
Marques Brownlee/MKBHD
Marques Brownlee, also known as MKBHD, is a great first source when it comes to phones, tablets, and wearables. Marques started making videos in 2009, while he was still in high school, and his long-held personal interest in consumer technology shows.
Brownlee has a high level of access to the industry, almost always snagging day-one reviews on devices from Apple, Google, Samsung, and even smaller companies like Nothing. He has also interviewed the likes of Tim Cook, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg. Even with his connections to larger companies, he keeps an eye on devices across budget ranges, with his annual smartphone awards giving a pretty thorough breakdown of the state of the industry. He also has a side channel where he reviews electric cars, although his Tesla coverage sometimes makes it to his main channel.
Marques’ reviews are thorough, well-produced, and calm—and despite his connections and a wholesome approach that has gotten him on Sesame Street, he isn’t afraid to criticize. Recently, he spun up a bit of a controversy after a scathing review of the Humane AI Pin, but wasn’t afraid to stick by his opinion in response.
Linus Tech Tips
Linus Tech Tips is the next biggest tech reviewer on YouTube behind MKBHD, and he tends to cover the geekier side of tech, but in a way that’s approachable for general audiences. Videos are usually (but not always) hosted by the proudly sandals-and-socks wearing Linus Sebastian, who got his start making videos for now defunct video computer store NCIX. Topics include laptops, GPUs, CPUs, custom PC builds, and wacky experiments like water cooling a PC using a pool, although LTT isn’t afraid to also comment on big innovations from the likes of Apple and Google when necessary.
Linus Tech Tips did come under fire last year when fellow tech channel Gamers Nexus called them out for misleading, rushed, or error-prone reviews, as well as conflicts of interests and unfair handling of certain products. After taking some time off, the channel came back with a promise to improve transparency and quality control, and is still going strong as a general place to keep up with the more enthusiast side of tech.
Gamers Nexus
When Gamers Nexus criticized Linus, it wasn’t some upstart taking a shot at the king. The channel, operated by former computer industry engineer Steve Burke, has millions of subscribers in its own right and covers similar topics to Linus Tech Tips, even having shown up in previous Linus Tech Tips videos. The difference is in approach.
While Linus Tech Tips has big personalities and a multi-camera approach that focuses more on general information, wacky experiments, and entertainment, Burke’s videos tend to be more down-to-Earth and vlog style. The main character here is not Burke himself, but the numbers from the many vigorous benchmarks he puts products through before reviewing them. Burke may also get a bit more niche in the products he covers and is not afraid to speak to specific subsets of his audience.
Before you start thinking that deep dives on heatsinks and PC cases might be a bit geeky for you, don’t worry. The channel’s regular HW News videos offer an approachable way to keep up with tech, and it’s worth subscribing to the channel for those alone. Structured like an evening newscast, they feature Steve in an anchor-like position, dedicating a few minutes each to the biggest tech news stories of the moment. All the stories are listed in a sidebar on the left side of the video with timestamps for each topic, complete with what I can only call loading bars that update as you progress through the video. It’s a quick, simple way to get a no-nonsense update on what’s worth keeping up with in the tech world.
Linus also isn’t the only one Gamers Nexus has taken to task. The channel has a bit of a reputation as a crusader for ethics, most recently criticizing computer manufacturer Asus for a confusing and misleading returns process, an expose that actually got the company to overhaul its returns and repairs service. When it comes to YouTubers who have concretely changed tech for the better, Gamers Nexus is high on the list.
Unbox Therapy
Most of the channels on this list do some kind of unboxing from time to time, but Unbox Therapy is the only one dedicated to it. Despite the more general name, this is a tech-focused channel, focused largely on anticipated products from major manufacturers like Apple or Sony. The videos here do include reviews and guides, but are more often focused on first impressions and showing what a product’s out-of-the-box experience looks like. Unbox Therapy has covered everything from the Google Pixel 8a to the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, and his videos do not skimp on detail. You’ll get to see multiple color options, configurations, comparisons with past products, and pretty much everything you need to know to figure out how a gadget stacks up in the real world.
Dave2D
Dave2D is like a bit of a cross between Marques Brownlee and Gamers Nexus, regularly mixing coverage of products like the Apple Vision Pro with more specialty gear like the MSI Claw gaming handheld. The host, Dave Lee, tends to keep his videos under 10 minutes, making them great for short and to-the-point refreshers. The approach here is informative and somewhat similar to MKBHD’s, but works well as a complement to that channel, thanks to the somewhat wider breadth of topics. Brownlee regularly admits that he isn’t a gamer, and Dave2D does a great job of discussing devices that MKBHD doesn’t cover in a less geeky and somewhat more approachable way than Linus Tech Tips or Gamers Nexus. Even when covering more popular general tech, though, Dave2D’s videos are clean, comprehensive, and approachable.
Digital Foundry
There are two ways to review video games. One is to cover the title’s art, story, music, gameplay, and general game design. The other is all about how the game performs as a piece of software. Ideally, a review should do both, but Digital Foundry is the reigning champion of the latter.
Knowledgeable and not afraid to mix in opinion about the games themselves, Digital Foundry has become the first port of call for gamers wondering whether their PCs can run a game or which console to buy a game for. For each game it reviews, the channel breaks down frame rates across a variety of systems and graphics settings, while also explaining why performance might suffer in a way that helps gamers understand what they’re buying—and helps developers know what to fix.
Digital Foundry doesn’t just cover the big AAA releases, either, also being sure to hit indie titles like Penny’s Big Breakway and fan projects like Zelda 64 Recompiled. (Note that Digital Foundry is partially owned by the Gamer Network, which was recently purchased by IGN, a sister company to Lifehacker.)
LGR
There’s more to tech than reviewing the hottest new gadgets. Sometimes, there is plenty to learn from looking at the past. That’s why I love LGR Oddware, hosted by Clint Basinger. A recurring feature on the wider LGR channel (formerly Lazy Game Reviews), the show features Clint unboxing, describing, building, and testing the weirdest computer gadgets and gizmos of yesteryear. Part history lesson and part schadenfreude generator, Oddware has covered everything from weird video game controllers to drink-serving robots from the 1980s. Reviews, surprisingly, aren’t always negative, and are a fascinating look at the creativity old school tech designers resorted to before standards were set on things like phones, controllers, and mice.
Technology Connections
You’re probably using your dishwasher wrong. That’s what I learned from Technology Connections’ half-hour explainer last month, and my dishes have never looked so spotless since. Acting as a sort of guru for home appliances, Technology Connections explains the history and methodology behind common devices like air conditioners, dishwashers, and power outlets in a genuinely fun way that might also teach you a few tricks and tips that will make your life better. The documentary style approach is comprehensive yet approachable, and while topics often have some bearing on what you have in your house right now, the channel has also done LGR Oddware-style breakdowns on odd trends or gadgets that aren’t really around anymore.
