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The best phones offer stellar performance, cameras, and battery life at affordable prices. Our top picks include the Samsung Galaxy S24 (left) and iPhone 15 (right).
Antonio Villas-Boas, Les Shu/Business Insider
It's tough to go wrong with most phones available in the US these days, and it's almost impossible to find a bad phone if you're looking for a premium device in 2024. With that in mind, the "best phone" depends on your budget and priorities. Still, we can make a general assessment of the best phone overall.
Among the best phones available, Apple's iPhone 15 is our top option for most people due to its balance of performance, camera quality, camera reliability, battery life, and ecosystem for the price. Samsung's Galaxy S24 is the ideal pick for Android users for the same reasons as the iPhone 15.
On the more affordable end of the spectrum, Apple's iPhone 13 and Google's Pixel 7a are superb devices that offer incredible value. It's true they're not exactly "cheap," but we think they're well worth the price considering what they offer and their potential longevity.
These days, most smartphone users fall into either Team iPhone or Team Android. If you're platform agnostic and want a phone that requires the fewest compromises, we recommend the iPhone 15. (For those who prefer Apple, our best iPhone guide shows what else we recommend.)
While Android phones seem to go through identity changes more often than Ethan Hunt, iPhones have stayed relatively consistent year over year. Apple is largely sticking to a successful playbook for the iPhone 15: A phone that delivers a great user experience that revolves around a stable operating system, best-in-class camera system, popular apps, and the latest tech.
It may look like a typical iPhone, but the iPhone 15 has several improvements and new features over its predecessor.
Les Shu/Business Insider
The iPhone 15 isn't a big departure from the iPhone 14, but there are noteworthy upgrades. It runs on the A16 processor and incorporates the Dynamic Island notification display, both of which were introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro. Performance has increased over the iPhone 14 and 13, which used the A15. The 6.1-inch display is also much brighter, with a slightly higher resolution.
The big new feature is the iPhone's switch to USB-C from Lightning, which, depending on the user, could be a celebration or an annoyance. There is satisfaction in using the same cable to charge all your devices. But it's inconvenient if you own just Lightning cables and accessories, which would require purchasing new chargers and adapters.
Most people, however, probably already have USB-C accessories, particularly those who own the newest MacBooks, iPads, PCs, and even Android phones, which have been using USB-C for some time now. Our disappointment with the iPhone 15's USB-C implementation is that it doesn't offer an improvement over Lightning regarding fast charging and data transfer.
The iPhone 15's main camera sensor has been bumped up to 48 megapixels from 12, and the optical zoom is now 2x instead of 1x. While iPhone cameras have always been solid, the iPhone 15 delivers improved low-light performance and picture quality, particularly when cropping into a photo.
While the newest Android phones aren't anything to sneeze at, we still recommend the iPhone for most people due to the polished hardware and software, ease of use, and Apple's lauded support.
For older iPhone owners who held back due to the lack of upgrades in the iPhone 14, the iPhone 15 is a more attractive recommendation. However, those who could use Apple's latest high-end features should consider the iPhone 15 Pro models, as they exclusively offer faster USB 3 charging, a customizable Action button, and dedicated zoom lenses.
With its triple-lens camera, class-leading performance, AI features, and excellent battery life, the Samsung Galaxy S24 is the complete package. No other phone offers as much as the Galaxy S24 for an $800 base price, even among iPhones.
Indeed, the Galaxy S24's three cameras set it apart from other Android phones in its 6.1-inch size range and $800 price range. By including a 3x zoom lens, the Galaxy S24 offers a more versatile camera experience, allowing you to take better-quality photos of subjects further away.
Samsung's Galaxy S24 is easily the top Android phone for most people, as it makes the fewest compromises for a solid price.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Ironically, the Galaxy S24's cameras are among our few complaints. To be sure, they're very good cameras, but they're generally less consistent than premium phones from Google and Apple, as irregular lighting can produce flat, shallow photos with reduced character.
That said, overall, the Galaxy S24 is our top pick among the best Android phones, as it is likely to satisfy most people with its stellar performance and high-end features at a reasonable price point.
If you're looking for the best iPhone experience for the lowest price, go for the iPhone 13 rather than the iPhone SE (2022). Yes, the iPhone 13 has a $599 starting price compared to the iPhone SE's $429, which stretches the definition of "budget." However, we feel the iPhone 13's extras are well worth it.
The iPhone 13 runs on Apple's A15 Bionic processor (the same as the iPhone SE, coincidentally). Although two generations old, it can easily handle any app or game in the App Store.
The iPhone 13 is expensive for a "budget" iPhone, but it's a significantly better phone than the true budget iPhone SE (2022).
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The iPhone 13 also features Apple's modern design rather than the iPhone SE's antiquated look with its top and bottom bezels. It also includes Face ID, a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, a dual-lens camera, and support for Apple's MagSafe wireless charging and accessories. To top it all off, the iPhone 13 has significantly better battery life than the iPhone SE.
With all this in mind, we think you'll better enjoy the experience with the iPhone 13 for the years you'll use it. Based on Apple's support cycle, we'd estimate Apple will support the iPhone 13 for another three years.
However, if budget matters more than features and design, you'll still be happy with the iPhone SE (2022), as it remains another top option among the best cheap phones available. But be aware that the iPhone SE uses an outdated design with a small screen and Touch ID.
Best budget phone for Android users
Budget Android phones often try to appear more premium than they are, mostly with high-refresh-rate displays and bunk "macro" cameras that few people will use. Most fall flat when it comes to performance or camera quality. Google's Pixel 7a, however, is the exception.
At its $499 starting price, the Pixel 7a pushes the boundaries of "budget." Yet, we feel it's well worth it if your budget allows for it, as it's easily the best budget Android phone you can buy now, and it's often discounted. (We expect Google to announce a new A-series model during the company's I/O event on May 14. Consequently, you might want to wait for a price drop of the Pixel 7a or see what the next model offers.)
Google's Pixel 7a can be pricey for a budget phone, but the features are worth it.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The Pixel 7a has a smooth 90Hz display, but that's par for the course on budget Android phones. What's impressive is that it runs on the same Tensor G2 processor as Google's flagship Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, meaning it has high-end performance at an excellent value.
The Pixel 7a's cameras also beat any other phone in its price range. In fact, the Pixel 7a's camera system comfortably competes with phones that cost twice as much. You don't get a dedicated zoom lens with the Pixel 7a, but it's not expected on a budget phone.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro has three cameras: a 48MP ultrawide camera, a 50MP main camera, and a 48MP 5x zoom camera. It takes excellent photos and imparted the most confidence during our testing, over both Samsung and Apple phones, that it would reliably do so repeatedly.
The Pixel's signature photo look is present, with rich and natural colors, and lighting is properly balanced without trying to enhance darker and brighter details with extra brightness. Pixel photos have plenty of contrast, too, which gives photos gorgeous depth.
The Pixel 8 Pro gives us the most confidence that photos and videos will turn out great.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The Pixel 8 Pro's three lenses offer plenty of versatility, and we love its 5x zoom compared to the 3x zoom cameras that are more common.
If you want to stick to Apple's ecosystem, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers the best camera system among iPhones, and it's the only option that matches the Pixel 8 Pro's 5x zoom lens.
The iPhone 15 Plus is our recommendation if you're looking for a phone that can last over a day on a single charge. Every user's mileage will vary, but we achieved, on average, 66% of battery life remaining after rounds of testing. A close runner-up is the Samsung S24 Ultra, which yielded similar test results but is a more expensive phone.
In terms of performance and features, the iPhone 15 Plus shares the same pros and cons as the iPhone 15. But the iPhone 15 Plus is a larger device that can accommodate a bigger battery. It also has a 6.7-inch display versus 6.1, which gives you more viewable real estate. The problem is that you can't get longer battery life without getting a large phone, so it's something to consider and worth trying out at a store. That said, we haven't experienced issues when holding it in our hand or stashing it in a pocket.
The iPhone 15 Plus' larger size allows for a bigger battery. Most people can expect over a day's worth of battery life before recharging
Les Shu/Business Insider
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, with its 6.8-inch display, is a good example of how larger phones tend to offer longer battery life. However, it scored notably higher than other phones with large screens, like the Galaxy S24 Plus and Google Pixel 8 Pro. That's all to say that the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers the best battery life for Android users, but they have to pay a higher price than iPhone users.
We prefer book-style foldable phones that unfold into compact tablets for their superior functionality and performance relative to clamshell foldables, which fold into compact squares.
Among the three phone-tablet hybrid foldables available in the US, the OnePlus Open is our favorite option, topping the Google Pixel Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.
The OnePlus Open sets itself apart with its build quality, larger displays, and a traditional shape and size for the cover display that's familiar and comfortable to use.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
All phone-tablet hybrid foldables essentially offer the same level of performance, top-of-the-line displays with premium specs, like 120HZ refresh rates and OLED panels, excellent camera quality, and superlative battery life.
What sets the OnePlus Open apart is its superior, rock-solid build quality, its cover display that's sized and shaped like a traditional phone, and its slightly larger cover and tablet displays compared to other available foldables.
The only gripe we have with the OnePlus Open is the omission of wireless charging, which should be expected on a phone with a $1,700 price tag. It does support super-fast 67W charging speeds, but only with the included proprietary OnePlus charger.
See our guide to the best foldable phones for more information and other top options.
What is the best phone to buy right now?
Overall, Apple's iPhone 15 is the phone we'd recommend to most people, at least those who live in the US. Android phones these days are fantastic, but they still lack certain key features, like advanced biometric authentication that's on par with Apple's Face ID. Even minor features, like Apple's Dynamic Island, make us lean toward the iPhone 15 for an overall recommendation.
48MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 2x zoom (uses main camera sensor)
48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 64MP 3x zoom
Storage
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
128GB, 256GB
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
128GB
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
512GB
How we test phones
We test iPhones and Android phones as if they were our daily drivers for at least a week, often longer, to get a feel for their performance, battery life, cameras, and new features. We have extensive experience testing various phone models from different companies at various price points, which lets us quickly identify any issues.
In addition to real-world usage, we conduct standardized tests on all phones reviewed and included in our guides.
For performance, we put phones through a series of benchmarking apps to check for discrepancies between devices. We use Geekbench 6 for general performance and the 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test to gauge extended heavy gaming performance. These tests help us estimate how long a phone could maintain its performance relative to comparable phones.
For camera testing, we photograph a consistent set of scenes with every phone and compare the results with their direct competitors. We take photos and videos with each lens on each phone and evaluate the differences. We even compare budget camera phones to premium options to assess the discrepancies in image and video quality.
For battery life, we run phones through a stress test that simulates a range of typical daily workloads, like streaming video and music, and high-intensity activities, like playing demanding games. This test includes five runs of the Geekbench 6 app, two runs of the 3DMark Wildlife Stress Test, two hours of video streaming at a set average brightness, and one hour of music streaming with a Bluetooth speaker connected. At the end of the test, we note the phone's remaining battery percentage.
FAQs
How much storage should a phone have?
These days, 128GB is the standard, minimum option for storage on most phones. Anything lower than that, like 64GB, can be quite limiting in terms of how many apps you can install, and you can basically forget about storing a significant number of photos, videos, and music.
128GB of storage can be enough, especially if you use cloud storage for photos and often stream. Depending on how many apps you use, you can also get by downloading videos for flights.
You should opt for more than 128GB of storage if you tend to download your music rather than stream it or store lots of photos and videos on your phone. More storage can be helpful if you have many apps and games.
How long should a phone's battery life last?
A phone's battery should last you through a typical day, even for heavy users with extensive screen time. Thankfully, most phones tend to have good enough battery life to do so.
Larger phones tend to have longer battery lives than smaller ones, so heavier users would benefit from a larger phone if not for the larger display.
Your best options for a phone that can last longer than a day routinely are Apple's iPhone 15 Plus and Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra, large-screen devices that scored the highest among all phones in our intensive battery test.
What is a good camera for a phone?
More than anything, a good camera for a phone should give you the confidence that you'll get a high-quality photo or video without making you feel like you need to check and retake your content.
We find that Google's Pixel phones and Apple's iPhones tend to give us the most confidence in this regard. Correspondingly, our top overall picks for phone camera systems are Google's Pixel 8 Pro and Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max, which both offer a dedicated 5x zoom lens.
Best phone overall: iPhone 14
Apple's excellent iPhone 14 offers exceptional value at its new starting price.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider
Pros: Enhanced value after recent $100 price drop, stellar performance, excellent camera quality, excellent battery life, valuable safety features
Cons: 60Hz display feels outdated, no dedicated zoom lens
Apple has released the iPhone 15 generation, and once we've reviewed those phones, one of those models will likely replace the iPhone 14 as the best phone overall. For now, however, the iPhone 14 is still technically our pick for the best iPhone and best phone overall, and that's especially the case now that its starting price has dropped by $100 down to $699.
The iPhone 14 offers a hard-to-beat balance of features, battery life, camera quality, and performance for its price, which all combine to make it our top recommendation for most people.
Some might point out that Samsung's Galaxy S23 devices, which are among our best Android picks, don't make the same compromises as the iPhone 14 does, like a 60Hz display, or a camera system with "only" two lenses. These are valid points, but looking at the overall picture, the iPhone 14 is still the phone we can most widely recommend.
Apple's ecosystem is still a major hook for the iPhone, and while Samsung is building out its own ecosystem, it's not there yet. Popular Apple devices, like the Apple Watch, Macs, AirPods, iPads, and iPhones work seamlessly with each other to offer access to popular services like iMessage, FaceTime, AirDrop, taking and making phone calls, and instant mobile hotspot connectivity.
The safety features Apple introduced with the iPhone 14 series, including Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection, especially, are valuable to have on hand, even if you hope to never use either. Both have proven to save lives, or at least been useful, in emergency situations.
There's also something to be said about Apple's physical presence with Apple Stores — if iPhone users need help or repairs, the Apple Store is an easy, clearly defined place to go. To be fair, official repairs by Apple are often pricey. Still, at least it's a convenient option to get help, if imperfect, compared to the murkier options available for Android phone users.
Cons: Occasional shutter lag, some unwanted bloatware
Chances are that if you're looking for a particular feature, or all the best phone features you can get in 2023, Samsung's Galaxy S23 Plus has what you need at a starting price of $1,000.
The Galaxy S23 Plus, our best Android phone overall, is a delight to use thanks to its smooth 120Hz display and incredibly snappy performance from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor that's specially optimized for Samsung's Galaxy S23 phones.
To be sure, the Galaxy S23 Plus with its 6.6-inch display is for those who like larger displays. But despite its screen size, the Galaxy S23 Plus maintains a comfortable 6.91-ounce weight, which is positively featherweight for a phone of this size.
Battery life is excellent and support for fast 45W charging speeds is a cherry on top. Wireless charging is included and rated for up to 15W on the Qi common standard. You can even charge other devices off the back of the Galaxy S23 Plus, albeit at a slow 4.5W that's best suited for smaller accessories, like wireless earbuds.
The Galaxy S23 Plus' versatile triple-lens camera offers nearly everything you would want in a premium phone, with sharp, clear, high-quality photos and video.
Apple’s iPhone SE offers entry to the Apple experience and ecosystem for the lowest price.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Pros: Excellent performance-to-price ratio, impressive single camera, lightweight, 4.7-inch display is comfortable to use one-handed
Cons: Antiquated design, lacks multiple cameras, 60Hz LCD display, short battery life compared to larger phones
The least expensive way to get the Apple experience, as well as access to its ecosystem of apps, accessories, and services, is the third-generation iPhone SE. Starting at $429, it's also less expensive than even our budget Android pick.
The iPhone SE runs on Apple's A15 Bionic processor, which also powers the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. That means it's a powerful processor that opens and runs apps quickly now and for the next few years.
For its relatively low price, the iPhone SE is missing some high-end features. It has a 4.7-inch LCD display, which not only is small, but isn't as high-quality as the OLED displays on other more expensive iPhones. Having a small display and overall size doesn't have to be a negative, as some may actively want a smaller screen for the most comfortable one-handed reachability. Plus, at 5.09 ounces, the iPhone SE is the lightest iPhone currently available.
The biggest caveat with small phones like the iPhone SE is a smaller battery, which leads to shorter battery life than bigger iPhones — it might need a charging top-up once or twice during the day, depending on your usage.
The iPhone SE also has an antiquated design. Many liken it to the iPhone 8, but the design with large bezels above and below the display can be traced back to the iPhone 6 generation from 2014.
Still, having such large bezels affords the iPhone SE an old favorite — Touch ID. While not as seamless as the more modern Face ID, Touch ID is still incredibly reliable, and some prefer to use their fingerprints rather than their faces to unlock their iPhones.
Then there's the question of cameras, or a single camera, to be precise. The iPhone SE lacks the ultrawide and zoom lenses of more expensive iPhones, but its main camera can still hold its own with high-quality photos. Again, they're not as high-quality as those on more expensive iPhones, but anyone would be more than happy with the iPhone SE's photos for its sub-$500 price.
Best budget phone for Android users: Google Pixel 7a
Google's Pixel 7a is available at a new low price that further cements its position as the top budget Android phone.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Pros: Flagship performance on a budget phone, stunning dual-camera system, 90Hz display, wireless charging
Cons: mmWave 5G model is more expensive and a Verizon exclusive, thicker and heavier than premium phones its size
Budget Android phones often try to appear more premium than they are, mostly with smooth high refresh-rate displays and bunk "macro" cameras that few people will use. Most fall flat when it comes to performance or camera quality. Google's Pixel 7a, however, is the exception.
Marked down from its typical MSRP of $499, the Pixel 7a is an especially great deal at its current starting price of $374, which easily makes it the best budget Android phone you can buy.
The Pixel 7a has a smooth 90Hz display, but that's par for the course on budget Android phones. What's impressive is that it runs on the same Tensor G2 processor as Google's flagship Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, meaning it has high-end performance at an excellent value.
The Pixel 7a's cameras also beat any other phone in its price range. In fact, the Pixel 7a's camera system comfortably competes with phones that cost twice as much. You don't get a dedicated zoom lens with the Pixel 7a, but it's not expected on a budget phone.
Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra is simply the best phone for taking photos thanks to its versatile four-lens camera and S Pen that offers more precision for on-device editing.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider
Pros: Exceptional quad-lens camera system, 10x optical zoom ability, stellar optical image stabilization, large screen and S Pen make on-device editing easier
Cons: Surprisingly lackluster battery life for its size, may be too large for some people, occasional shutter lag
Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra has the most camera tech out of any other phone we've tested. It's the most versatile phone for taking photos thanks to its four lenses, including a main camera, an ultrawide, a 3x zoom, and a 10x zoom.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra's 200MP camera takes 12MP photos by default, but you can set it to take photos at 50MP or the full 200MP for stunning clarity and detail. The caveat is that a 200MP photo can take up to 200 megabytes, so storage inside and out of the phone should be a consideration.
Another perk of the massive 200MP sensor is better low-light performance, as more megapixels can combine to capture more light in a process called "binning." Indeed, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is also the best phone for taking high-quality photos in low-light situations.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra's 10x zoom lens is one of those things you never knew you needed until you tried it. I often wish I had 10x zoom when I'm using a different phone, as no other phone can capture far-away subjects as sharply and clearly as the Galaxy S23 Ultra. To take sharp photos at such a high zoom, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has impressive optical image stabilization, too, which also makes for incredibly stable video recording.
Then, there's the S Pen — a built-in stylus that offers more precision and functionality than any finger could for editing photos right on the device, which is only made easier by the Galaxy S23 Ultra's larger-than-usual 6.8-inch display. There's no better phone if content capture is your top priority.
Once we've finished testing and reviewing it, the new iPhone 15 Plus could replace the iPhone 14 Plus as the phone with the longest battery life. For now, though, the iPhone 14 Plus still reigns in that department.
Apart from offering the big-screen iPhone experience for less than a Pro Max model, the iPhone 14 Plus also has the best battery life out of any phone we've tested to date. It ended our intensive battery test with 73% remaining, which is astounding. Out of the dozens of phones I've tested with our latest battery test, only one other phone obtained a result in the 70th percentile — the OnePlus 11 with a 71%.
Otherwise, the iPhone 14 Plus is essentially a bigger version of our pick for the best phone overall, the iPhone 14. It runs on the same processor, has the same cameras, the same 60Hz screen, and the same features.
Following the announcement of the iPhone 15 generation, Apple reduced the iPhone 14 Plus' price by $100 down to $799. That's a stunning deal for an iPhone with a 6.7-inch display, but you may find the iPhone 15 Plus warrants the $100 premium.
Google's Pixel Fold is the best foldable we've reviewed thanks to the familiar, traditional shape of its exterior display.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Pros: Smooth flagship performance, excellent five-camera system, familiar-shaped exterior display, 120Hz displays inside and out, stellar battery life, thin and light as a tablet
Cons: Thick and heavy as a phone, prohibitive pricing
Between clamshell-style foldables like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus, and tablet hybrids like the Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 5, we've decided the hybrid design is the best form factor for foldable phones. That's primarily because clamshell phones sorely lack the battery life and cameras of traditional flat phones, while the best hybrid foldables are more comparable to high-end flat phones in those respects.
Out of the tablet-hybrid foldables we've tried and reviewed, Google's Pixel Fold tops our list thanks in large part to the exterior display's familiar, traditional phone shape. The tall, narrow displays on the Galaxy Z Fold series phones are more awkward to use and take more getting used to than the Pixel Fold's exterior display. (The new OnePlus Open foldable has a cover screen that strikes a welcome middle ground between the narrowness of the Z Fold phones and the width of the Pixel Fold, and it could take the Pixel Fold's spot here once we've finished testing and reviewing it.)
The Pixel Fold runs on the same Tensor G2 processor as the Pixel 7 flagship lineup, so performance is stellar. It also comes with a total of five cameras, and when talking about Google's excellent Pixel cameras, more can only mean better — there are three cameras on the rear, a front-facing camera, and an interior camera for tablet mode. Not to mention, you can unfold the Pixel Fold and use its superior main rear camera to take selfies while using the exterior display as a viewfinder, which is a common perk in foldable phones.
Both the Pixel Fold's OLED displays run at a smooth 120Hz for a seamless experience, inside and out.
As with any tablet-hybrid foldable, the Pixel Fold is rather heavy and chunky as a traditional phone, even more so with its smaller 5.8-inch exterior display. Still, its small display means it's comfortable to use one-handed and offers superior reachability with your thumbs relative to large displays. To boot, the Pixel Fold is also thin and light as a 7.6-inch tablet.
Battery life is also excellent on the Pixel Fold, as it ended our intensive battery test with a 69% result while in folded phone mode — that's a result we'd expect for phones with larger, 6.7-inch displays. In tablet mode, the Pixel Fold scored 65%, which may not seem impressive for a 7.6-inch tablet, but it still means you can use the Pixel Fold exclusively in tablet mode all day, like you would your traditional phone, without worrying about battery life, though that'll depend on how intensively you use it.
While we rigorously test the iPhone 15 series, Apple's iPhone 14 offers the best overall combination of performance, camera quality, battery life, and value with its new starting price of $699. If you want to buy into the Apple ecosystem at a more affordable price point, we recommend the third-generation iPhone SE starting at $429 as the best budget iPhone currently available.
The new Google Pixel 8 phones have the best explicit support window of any phones on the market with their guaranteed seven years of Android operating system and security updates, and they'll likely take at least one spot on this list once we've finished testing and reviewing them.
While Apple doesn't explicitly state how long it will support its devices, the company's recent history has shown that it will support iPhones for at least six years of software updates. That means the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and third-generation iPhone SE included above should see iOS and security updates at least through 2028.
Among the Android phones on our list, Samsung's flagship devices have the best current support window for software and security updates, as the company said its Galaxy S23 phones will get four years of Android software updates and five years of security updates from their February 2023 release.
The Google phones included above, on the other hand, have a comparatively short support window. Google said that the Pixel Fold will see Android software updates until June 26, 2026 and security updates until June 25, 2028, while the Pixel 7a will see software updates until May 8, 2026 and security updates until May 7, 2028.
Superyacht sales fell 17% in 2023, but still stayed above pre-COVID levels.
Sanctions imposed on Russian oligarchs dented the market, but America helped split the difference.
Florida, where most US users base their boats, has been doing especially well, one expert said.
Both new and used superyacht sales of vessels longer than 100 feet fell again 2023 — in part due to sanctions imposed on Russian oligarchs.
But steady sales in America are helping to split at least some of the difference.
A total of 203 superyachts were sold globally in 2023 — a 17% drop from the 245 sold last year, according to the SuperYacht Times' annual State of Yachting report.
That's down from 2021's peak of 313 superyacht sales — though the report notes the market still remains high above its pre-COVID levels, and that "any number over 200 is historically still a high number."
Sales for superyachts over 200 feet slowed more than their smaller counterparts due to high pricing and longer build times, according to the report. And the fallout from Russian sanctions will likely impact the market for years to come, especially with respect to the larger ships that Russians have purchased in the past.
"Russian buyers remain largely absent from the newbuild market, which has an impact on the market for large newbuilds in particular," according to the report.
That said, SuperYacht Times' head of intelligence, Ralph Dazert, told Business Insider that sales in America are helping to fill some of the void.
"The strength of the US economy just continues to defy expectations, and Florida (where most of the US owners base their boats) has been doing particularly well," Dazert said. "The top end of the market has been hit by the Russian pullout, but it is beginning to bounce back, with mainly inquiries from the US again."
The US share of overall superyacht ownership stayed steady at 23.6% from 2023 to 2024, according to the report, while Russian ownership continued to decline from 8.1% to 7.8% over the same period.
And while Americans have tended to buy slightly smaller yachts than Russians in the past, Dazert said they are gradually moving up in size.
For new superyachts longer than 130 feet, Russia's share (now at 6%) has declined over the past decade, while the US share (29%) has continued to increase, the report found.
The report concludes that the superyacht market could see "further slowdown" in 2024, citing the conflict in the Middle East and the US presidential election — an event that's sometimes thought to impact sales.
Ships from NATO navies sail in formation in the Baltic Sea during the exercise Baltic Operations 2023 on June 4, 2023.
US Marine Corps/Staff Sgt. Shawn Coover
If Ukraine loses to Russia, NATO forces would face an emboldened Russian military, war experts say.
Ukraine's defeat may lead Russia to become a greater military risk, potentially driving toward NATO borders.
If Ukraine wins though, it could make it more challenging for Russia to threaten the alliance.
If Ukraine loses to Russia, NATO countries could consequently find themselves facing an emboldened, "battle-hardened" Russian army with a clearer path to war, an analyst argues.
The Institute for the Study of War's Fredrick W. Kagan wrote that unless the US resumes sending military aid, Ukraine will be defeated and Russia will become an even greater military threat able to then "drive toward the NATO borders from the Black Sea to central Poland."
In the event that Russia attacked the alliance, NATO would likely have to resolve threats at Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary's southern borders, holding up its forces that are tasked with defending countries in the Baltic region like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Able to overrun a defeated Ukraine, Russia would be threatening parts of the alliance that haven't faced a Russian threat since the fall of the Soviet Union.
In that dire scenario, "NATO troops, inexperienced in fighting modern mechanized war, would be staring down a battle-hardened Russian military, emboldened from its victory in Ukraine," Kagan wrote.
He said that it "is almost impossible to overstate how much the success or failure of Ukraine's current efforts to fight off the Russian attack changes the prospects of a future Russian attack against NATO's northeastern flank," which would be front-line fighting in a war with Russia.
Kagan emphasized that regardless of whether or not Ukraine is a NATO member, empowering it to stand strong against Russia is in the best interests of the US and the broader alliance.
"An independent Ukraine with a strong military and a pro-Western government will make a Russian attack on NATO much more difficult, risky, and costly for Moscow," he wrote.
Currently, Kyiv has been waiting on US aid for months, waiting for a decision on billions of dollars in aid from Congress that could make or break it in the war against Russia.
Ukraine has found short-term solutions. Its dependence on drones, for instance, stems from its struggle to find enough artillery ammunition and other supplies to sustain its ground forces. Ukraine recently used seven drones to take down a Russian radar system worth millions of dollars, but they aren't enough, as Ukraine's leadership has said.
Ukraine has regularly said it needs more weapons and more ammo, such as air defense and artillery.
"It's a lot to preserve ourselves. It's very difficult for us. We are fighting against a large army," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with PBS this week.
"They have an unlimited number of people and a lot of shells. They use thousands of drones against us. Tell me, please, how can you fight against these thousands if you don't have weapons to take them down?" he said, adding that what Ukraine needs, it's partners have.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly said that helping Ukraine fight Russia today keeps NATO from having to fight it later.
Kagan argued in his analysis that a "victorious Russia that succeeds in its aim of destroying Ukraine entirely" will likely "pose a major conventional military threat to NATO in a relatively short period of time."
He added that "it will be much harder to deter future Russian aggression and both more difficult and far more costly to defeat it if deterrence fails."
Elon Musk informed Tesla employees that the company would be making cuts overnight.
Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA/Getty Images
Last year's job cuts weren't the end of layoffs. Further reductions have begun in 2024.
Companies like Tesla, Google, Microsoft, Nike, and Amazon have announced plans for cuts this year.
See the full list of corporations reducing their worker numbers in 2024.
A slew of companies across the tech, media, finance, and retail industries made significant cuts to staff in 2023. Tech titans like IBM, Google, Microsoft, finance giants like Goldman Sachs, and manufacturers like Dow all announced layoffs.
This year is looking grim too. And it's only April.
Nearly 40% of business leaders surveyed by ResumeBuilder think layoffs are likely at their companies this year, and about half say their companies will implement a hiring freeze. ResumeBuilder talked to about 900 leaders at organizations with more than 10 employees. Half of those surveyed cited concerns about a recession as a reason.
Here are the dozens of companies with job cuts planned or already underway in 2024.
Nike's up-to-$2 billion cost-cutting plan will involve severances.
Athletic retailer Nike will be making reductions to staffing as part of a cost-cutting initiative.
CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Nike announced its cost-cutting plans in a December 2023 earnings call, discussing a slow growth in sales. The call subsequently resulted in Nike's stock plunging.
"We are seeing indications of more cautious consumer behavior around the world," Nike Chief Financial Officer Matt Friend said in December.
Google laid off hundreds more workers in 2024.
Google confirmed the layoffs to Business Insider in an email.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
On January 10, Google laid off hundreds of workers in its central engineering division and members of its hardware teams — including those working on its voice-activated assistant.
In an email to some affected employees, the company encouraged them to consider applying for open positions at Google if they want to remain employed. According to the email, April 9 will be the last day for those unable to secure a new position.
The tech giant laid off thousands throughout 2023, beginning with a 6% reduction of its global workforce (about 12,000 people) last January.
Discord is laying off 170 employees.
Jason Citron said rapid growth was to blame for the cuts.
Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Discord employees learned about the layoffs in an all-hands meeting and a memo sent by CEO Jason Citron in early January.
"We grew quickly and expanded our workforce even faster, increasing by 5x since 2020," Citron said in the memo. "As a result, we took on more projects and became less efficient in how we operated."
In August 2023, Discord reduced its headcount by 4%. According to CNBC, the company was valued at $15 billion in 2021.
Citi will cut 20,000 from its staff as part of its corporate overhaul.
CEO Jane Fraser has been vocal about the necessity for restructuring at Citigroup.
Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images
The layoffs announced in January are part of a larger Citigroup initiative to restructure the business and could leave the company with a remaining head count of 180,000 — excluding its Mexico operations.
In an earnings call that month, the bank said that layoffs could save the company up to $2.5 billion after it suffered a "very disappointing" final quarter last year.
Amazon-owned Twitch also announced job cuts.
Twitch is cutting more than 500 positions.
NurPhoto/Getty Images
Twitch announced on January 10 that it would cut 500 jobs, affecting over a third of the employees at the live-streaming company.
CEO Dan Clancy announced the layoffs in a memo, telling staff that while the company has tried to cut costs, the operation is "meaningfully" bigger than necessary.
"As you all know, we have worked hard over the last year to run our business as sustainably as possible," Clancy wrote. "Unfortunately, we still have work to do to rightsize our company and I regret having to share that we are taking the painful step to reduce our headcount by just over 500 people across Twitch."
BlackRock is planning to cut 3% of its staff.
BlackRock expects to lay off 3% of its workforce.
Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress
Larry Fink, BlackRock's chief executive, and Rob Kapito, the firm's president, announced in January that the layoffs would affect around 600 people from its workforce of about 20,000.
However, the company has plans to expand in other areas to support growth in its overseas markets.
"As we prepare for 2024 and this very exciting but distinctly different landscape, businesses across the firm have developed plans to reallocate resources," the company leaders said in a memo.
Rent the Runway is slashing 10% of its corporate jobs as part of a restructuring.
Rent the Runway is laying off a few dozen people in its corporate workforce.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
In the fashion company's January announcement, COO and president Anushka Salinas said she will also be leaving the firm, Fast Company reported.
Unity Software is eliminating 25% of its workforce.
Unity Software plans to cut roughly 1,800 jobs.
Sutro Software
Around 1,800 jobs at the video game software company will be affected by the layoffs announced, Reuters reported in January.
eBay is cutting 1,000 jobs.
eBay wants to become "more nimble."
ullstein bild Dtl/ Getty
In a January 23 memo, CEO Jamie Iannone told employees that the eBay layoffs will affect about 9% of the company's workforce.
Iannone told employees that layoffs were necessary as the company's "overall headcount and expenses have outpaced the growth of our business."
The company also plans to scale back on contractors.
Microsoft is reducing its headcount by 1,900 at Activision, Xbox, and ZeniMax.
Microsoft is being challenged by the FTC on its planned purchase of Activision Blizzard
SOPA/Getty Images
In late January, nearly three months after Microsoft acquired video game firm Activision Blizzard, the company announced layoffs in its gaming divisions. The layoffs mostly affect employees at Activision Blizzard.
"As we move forward in 2024, the leadership of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard is committed to aligning on a strategy and an execution plan with a sustainable cost structure that will support the whole of our growing business," Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said in a memo obtained by The Verge.
The cuts followed a wave of cuts at the cloud giant last year. In 2023, Marc Benioff's company laid off about 10% of its total workforce — or roughly 7,000 jobs. The CEO said the company over-hired during the pandemic.
Flexport lays off 15% of its workers.
Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen returned to the company in September.
Sam Barnes/Sportsfile for Collision via Getty Images
In late January, the US logistics startup laid off 15% of its staff which is around 400 workers.
The move came after Flexport founder and CEO Ryan Petersen initiated a 20% reduction of its workforce of an estimated 2,600 employees in October.
Flexport kicked off 2024 with the announcement that it raised $260 million from Shopify and made "massive progress toward returning Flexport to profitability."
iRobot is laying off around 350 employees and founder Colin Angle will step down as chairman and CEO.
iRobot's executive vice president and chief legal officer Glen Weinstein has been appointed interim CEO upon Angle's exit from the company.
Kimberly White/Getty Images
The company behind the Roomba Vacuum announced layoffs in late January around the same time Amazon decided not to go through with its proposed acquisition of the company, the Associated Press reported.
UPS will cut 12,000 jobs in 2024.
UPS CEO Carol Tomé told investors that the company will reduce its headcount by 12,000 by the end of 2024.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The UPS layoffs will affect 14% of the company's 85,000 managers and could save the company $1 billion in 2024, UPS CEO Carol Tomé said during a January earnings call.
Paypal CEO Alex Chriss announced the company would lay off 9% of its workforce.
PayPal announced layoffs at the end of January.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Announced in late January, this round of layoffs will affect about 2,500 employees at the payment processing company.
"We are doing this to right-size our business, allowing us to move with the speed needed to deliver for our customers and drive profitable growth," CEO Alex Chriss wrote in a January memo. "At the same time, we will continue to invest in areas of the business we believe will create and accelerate growth."
Okta is cutting roughly 7% of its workforce.
Okta announced a restructuring plan at the start of February.
SOPA Images/ Getty
The digital-access-management company announced its plans for a "restructuring plan intended to improve operating efficiencies and strengthen the Company's commitment to profitable growth" in an SEC filing in February.
The cuts will impact roughly 400 employees.
Okta CEO Todd McKinnon told staff in a memo that "costs are still too high," CNBC reported.
Snap has announced more layoffs.
Snap has announced another round of job cuts.
Snapchat, Tyler Le/Insider
The company behind Snapchat announced in February that it's reducing its global workforce by 10%, according to an SEC filing.
Estée Lauder said it will eliminate up to 3,100 positions.
Between 1,600 and 3,100 jobs will be eliminated from the company.
Reuters
The cosmetics company announced in February that it would be cutting 3% to 5% of its roles as part of a restructuring plan.
Estee Lauder reportedly employed about 62,000 employees around the world as of June 30, 2023.
DocuSign is eliminating roughly 6% of its workforce as part of a restructuring plan.
The electronic signature company is cutting 6% of its workforce.
Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
The electronic signature company said in an SEC filing in February that most of the cuts will be in its sales and marketing divisions.
Zoom is slashing 150 jobs.
Videoconferencing company Zoom laid off 1,300 people last February.
Kena Betancur
The latest reduction announced in February amounts to about 2% of its workforce.
Paramount Global is laying off 800 employees days after record-breaking Super Bowl.
CEO Bob Bakish sent a note informing employees of layoffs on Tuesday.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP
In February, Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish sent a memo to employees announcing that 800 jobs — about 3% of its workforce — were being cut.
Deadline obtained the memo less than a month after reporting plans for layoffs at Paramount. The announcement comes on the heels of Super Bowl LVIII reaching record-high viewership across CBS, Paramount+, and Nickelodeon, and Univision.
Morgan Stanley is trimming its wealth management division by hundreds of staffers.
The layoffs mark one of the first major moves by newly-installed CEO Ted Pick.
Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Morgan Stanley is laying off several hundred employees in its wealth-management division, the Wall Street Journal reported in February, representing roughly 1% of the team.
The wealth-management division has seen some slowdown in recent months, with net new assets down by about 8% from a year ago. The layoffs mark the first major move by newly-installed CEO Ted Pick, who took the reins from James Gorman on January 1.
Cisco slashes more than 4,000 jobs amid corporate tech sales slowdown.
The cuts comprised 5% of the networking company's workforce.
REUTERS/Mike Blake
In February, networking company Cisco announced it was slashing 5% of its workforce, or upwards of 4,000 jobs, Bloomberg reported.
The company said it was restructuring after an industry-wide pullback in corporate tech spending — which execs said they expect to continue through the first half of the year.
Expedia Group is cutting more than 8% of its workforce.
Peter Kern, CEO of Expedia Group
Business Wire
Cutbacks part of an operational review at online travel giant Expedia Group are expected to impact 1,500 roles this year, a company spokesperson told BI.
The company's product and technology division is set to be the worst hit, a report from GeekWire said, citing an internal memo CEO Peter Kern sent to employees in late February.
"While this review will result in the elimination of some roles, it also allows the company to invest in core strategic areas for growth," the spokesperson said.
"Consultation with local employee representatives, where applicable, will occur before making any final decisions," they added.
Sony is laying off 900 workers
The tech company is slashing 900 workers from its workforce.
NurPhoto/Getty Images
The cuts at Sony Interactive Entertainment swept through its game-making teams at PlayStation Studios.
Insomniac Games, which developed the hit Spider-Man video game series, as well as Naughty Dog, the developers behind Sony's flagship 'The Last of Us' video games' were hit by the cuts, the company announced on February 27.
All of PlayStation's London studio will be shuttered, according to the proposal.
"Delivering and sustaining social, online experiences – allowing PlayStation gamers to explore our worlds in different ways – as well as launching games on additional devices such as PC and Mobile, requires a different approach and different resources," PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst wrote.
Hulst added that some games in development will be shut down, though he didn't say which ones.
In early February, Sony said it missed its target for selling PlayStation 5 consoles. The earnings report sent shares tumbling and the company's stock lost about $10 billion in value.
Bumble is slashing 30% of its workforce
Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble.
Eugene Gologursky/Stringer/Gr
On February 27, the dating app company announced that it would be reducing its staff due to "future strategic priorities" for its business, per a statement.
The cuts will impact about 30% of its about 1,200 person workforce or about 350 roles, a representative for Bumble told BI by email.
"We are taking significant and decisive actions that ensure our customers remain at the center of everything we do as we relaunch Bumble App, transform our organization and accelerate our product roadmap," Bumble Inc CEO Lidiane Jones said in a statement.
Electronic Arts is reducing its workforce by 5%
Electronic Arts is cutting hundreds of jobs.
Getty Images
Electronic Arts is laying off about 670 workers, equating to 5% of its workforce, Bloomberg reported in late February.
The gaming firm axed two mobile games earlier in February, which it described as a difficult decision in a statement issued to GamesIndustry.biz.
CEO Andrew Wilson reportedly told employees in a memo that it would be "moving away from development of future licensed IP that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry."
Wilson also said in the memo that the cuts came as a result of shifting customer needs and a refocusing of the company, Bloomberg reported.
IBM cutting staff in marketing and communications
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said last year that he could easily see 30% of the company's staff getting replaced by AI and automation over the coming five years.
Sajjad Hussain/Getty Images
IBM's chief communications officer Jonathan Adashek told employees on March 12 that it would be cutting staff, CNBC reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
An IBM spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement that the cuts follow a broader workforce action the company announced during its earnings call in January.
"In 4Q earnings earlier this year, IBM disclosed a workforce rebalancing charge that would represent a very low single-digit percentage of IBM's global workforce, and we expect to exit 2024 at roughly the same level of employment as we entered with," they said.
IBM has also been clear about the impact of AI on its workforce. Last May, IBM's CEO Arvind Krishna said the company expected to pause hiring on roles that could be replaced by AI, especially in areas like human resources and other non-consumer-facing departments.
"I could easily see 30% of that getting replaced by AI and automation over a five-year period," Krishna told Bloomberg at the time.
Stellantis is slashing 400 white-collar jobs
Stellantis is cutting 400 jobs.
Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters
On March 22, the owner of Jeep and Dodge announced it's laying off employees on its engineering, technology, and software teams in an effort to cut costs, CNBC reported.
Workers learned they were being let go through video calls after the car company ordered them to work remotely for the day. The cuts are set to occur on March 31.
Amazon is laying off hundreds in its cloud division in yet another round of cuts this year
The cuts follow several rounds of layoffs at Amazon last year.
The reduction will impact employees on the sales and marketing team and those working on tech for its retail stores, Bloomberg reported.
"We've identified a few targeted areas of the organization we need to streamline in order to continue focusing our efforts on the key strategic areas that we believe will deliver maximum impact," an Amazon spokesperson told Bloomberg.
On March 26, Amazon announced another round of job cuts after the company said it was slashing 'several hundred' jobs at its Prime Video and MGM Studios divisions earlier this year to refocus on more profitable products.
"We've identified opportunities to reduce or discontinue investments in certain areas while increasing our investment and focus on content and product initiatives that deliver the most impact," Mike Hopkins, SVP of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, told employees in January.
This year's cuts follow the largest staff layoff in the company's history. In 2023, the tech giant laid off 18,000 workers.
Apple has cut over 600 employees in California
The cuts follow Apple's decision to withdraw from two major projects.
The cuts follow Apple's decision to withdraw from its car and smartwatch display projects.
The tech giant filed a series of notices to comply with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification program. One of the addresses was linked to a new display development office, while the others were for the company's EV effort, Bloomberg reported.
Apple officially shut down its decadelong EV project in February. At the time, Bloomberg reported that some employees would move to generative AI, but others would be laid off.
Bloomberg noted that the layoffs were likely an undercount of the full scope of staff cuts, as Apple had staff working on these projects in other locations.
Representatives for Apple did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside normal business hours.
Tesla is laying off over 10% of its workforce
Impacted employees were notified Sunday night that they were being terminated, effective immediately.
JOHN THYS / Getty
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent a memo to employees Sunday, April 14, at nearly midnight in California, informing them of the company's plan to cut over 10% of its global workforce.
In his companywide memo, Musk cited "duplication of roles and job functions in certain areas" as the reason behind the reductions.
An email sent to terminated employees obtained by BI read: "Effective now, you will not need to perform any further work and therefore will no longer have access to Tesla systems and physical locations."
Grand Theft Auto 6 publisher Take-Two Interactive is reducing its workforce by 5%
Take-Two Interactive is slated to cut around 600 roles this year.
Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, said on April 16 that it would be "eliminating several projects" and reducing its workforce by about 5%.
The move — a part of its larger "cost reduction program" — will cost the video game publisher up to $200 million. It's expected to be completed by December 31.
As of March 2023, the company said it employed approximately 11,580 full-time workers.
Elon Musk's pay package at Tesla will be up for vote in June. The board wants shareholders to vote yes.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images
Tesla is seeking shareholder approval for Elon Musk's pay package, which a judge previously struck down.
The company argues the package is "critical to the future success of Tesla."
The pay plan grants Musk stock options that vest when Tesla hits certain financial targets.
Why does Tesla's board think Elon Musk deserves a $55 billion pay package?
It's a matter of respect and fairness.
Tesla plans to ask shareholders to vote again on Musk's $55 billion pay package after it was struck down by a Delaware Judge earlier this year.
The chair of Tesla's board of directors, Robyn Denholm, highlighted several key reasons why the carmaker wants shareholders to vote in favor of the package in a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday.
Denholm calls the pay package, as well as a motion to move Tesla's state of incorporation from Delaware to Texas, "critical to the future success of Tesla."
The board chair said a vote in favor of Musk's pay package will "restore Tesla's stockholder democracy" and the issue is a "matter of fundamental fairness and respect to our CEO."
"Because the Delaware Court second-guessed your decision, Elon has not been paid for any of his work for Tesla for the past six years that has helped to generate significant growth and stockholder value," Denholm writes, adding that shareholders have "benefited from unprecedented growth under Elon's leadership."
Since the beginning of 2018, Tesla's shares have increased nearly six times in value.
The filing also argues that the pay package will further motivate the Tesla CEO to keep driving growth at the company as the plan requires Musk to hold onto his Tesla shares for five years after he exercises his options.
"He will continue to be driven to innovate and drive growth at Tesla because the value of his shares will depend on it!" according to the filing.
Tesla made similar arguments during the trial over the compensation plan last year.
Tesla shareholders will be able to vote on the issue during the company's annual meeting in June.
When Court of Chancery Judge Kathleen St. J. McCormick voided Musk's compensation package in January, she said that Musk had undue influence over the package due to his close ties to several board members and said Musk's influence resulted in an "unfair price."
Musk does not receive a salary from Tesla and his pay package centered on a series of goalposts around the carmaker's financial growth, initially set in place in 2018. Specifically, the plan involves a 10-year grant of 12 tranches of stock options vested when Tesla hits certain targets. According to the carmaker, Tesla has accomplished all of the 12 targets as of 2023. When each milestone is passed, Musk gets stock equal to 1% of outstanding shares at the time of the grant.
The package was valued at around $55 billion at the time it was struck down, but is now valued around $47 billion, according to The New York Times.
Amazon Prime had 180 million members in March, according to new data.
That's 75% of all US shoppers, Bloomberg Businessweek reported.
It shows how ubiquitous Amazon has become in online shopping.
Now more than ever, you're more likely than not to be an Amazon Prime member.
About 180 million people had a Prime membership as of March, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. That represents an 8% increase from 2023, according to the data.
It also brings the share of US consumers who have Prime to 75%, per the report. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Online shopping, including from Amazon, took off during the pandemic. The new numbers suggest that Prime still has growth potential, albeit at a less rapid rate.
Prime fees, which cost $15 a month or $140 annually, are a key source of revenue for Amazon. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg expect the company's subscription revenue for the first quarter will jump 12% to $10.8 billion; data are due April 30.
Other retailers are trying to popularize their own membership services, which offer perks like free shipping on online orders and access to streaming services. Last month, Target said it would offer Circle 360, a membership that provides unlimited same-day delivery on orders from its stores, for $49 a year.
Some shoppers have still managed to avoid signing up for Prime. But in a sign of how engrained Amazon has become in the e-commerce world, even items bought on other websites, such as eBay, end up being shipped by Amazon.
Do you work for Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods, or another part of Amazon's retail business and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com
US President of the United States Joe Biden delivers remarks on student debt and lowering costs for Americans at Madison College in Madison, Wisconsin, United States on April 8, 2024.
Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images
The public now has 30 days to comment on Biden's new student-loan forgiveness plan.
It's the next step in implementing a broader version of debt relief for borrowers.
The proposals include relief for those with unpaid interest, along with those in repayment for 20 years.
After announcing details of Biden's second attempt at student-debt relief last week, the Education Department formally published the draft text of the new rules on the Federal Register on Wednesday. The publication of the rules officially kicked off the 30-day public comment, set to end on May 17. Comments can be submitted to the Federal Register here, which the Education Department will then review.
The draft text currently consists of nine rules "that permit separate and distinct types of waivers using the Secretary of Education's longstanding authority under the Higher Education Act," the Education Department said in a Tuesday press release.
The rules address distinct types of borrowers that would qualify for relief under this new plan: those whose balances have grown due to unpaid interest, those who would be eligible for relief under certain repayment plans but have not yet enrolled, those who have been in repayment for at least 20 years, and those who have attended programs that left them with too much debt compared to post-graduation earnings.
The Education Department also said a separate rule to address relief for borrowers experiencing financial hardship will be released in the coming months.
"These historic steps reflect President Biden's determination that we cannot allow student debt to leave students worse off than before they went to college," Undersecretary of Education James Kvaal said in a Tuesday statement. "The President directed us to complete these programs as quickly as possible, and we are going to do just that."
The department aims to begin implementing relief as early as this fall. Still, as Business Insider previously reported, legal threats to the relief could imperil the department's timeline. While lawsuits have yet to be formally filed against Biden's administration, Missouri's Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote on X in response to Biden's relief proposals: "See you in court."
And some experts said a conservative Supreme Court could likely rule like they did with Biden's first debt relief plan, striking it down.
"The administration is certainly still facing a very skeptical Supreme Court," Cary Coglianese, an administrative law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, told BI. "Even though it's a different statute, it's still a skeptical Supreme Court. It's still a pretty big program even though it's a smaller one."
Following the public comment period, the Education Department will review comments and could choose to adjust their proposals based on the feedback they receive. It will then finalize the rule and move toward implementation.
Thiel, 56, launched himself into the tech industry when he cofounded PayPal in 1998, but he's since shifted to other ventures, including those involving artificial intelligence. Palantir, a company he cofounded in 2003, provides artificial intelligence models to world militaries like Ukraine and Israel.
During the interview, host Tyler Cowen noted that large language models like ChatGPT are growing and expected to become more advanced with time. When asked if writers should worry, Thiel responded that math lovers are the ones who should be on high alert.
"My intuition would be it's going to be quite the opposite, where it seems much worse for the math people than the word people," Thiel said. "What people have told me is that they think within three to five years, the AI models will be able to solve all the US Math Olympiad problems. That would shift things quite a bit."
Thiel then touched on how different societies prioritized math or writing throughout history, prompting him to discuss Silicon Valley.
"If I fast-forwarded to, let's say, Silicon Valley in the early 21st century, it's way too biased toward the math people," Thiel said.
Aerial view of Silicon Valley.
Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
Thiel said that math tends to be used as a benchmark for competency, but that might have shortcomings. Thiel used his lifelong love of chess as an example.
"In the late '80s, early '90s, I had a chess bias because I was a pretty good chess player. And so my chess bias was, you should just test everyone on chess ability, and that should be the gating factor," Thiel said. "Why even do math? Why not just chess? That got undermined by the computers in 1997."
He added: "Isn't that what's going to happen to math? And isn't that a long-overdue rebalancing of our society?"
The brand on Tuesday announced a two-week search to find a "Chief Tractor Officer" who would create social media content to reach younger consumers.
One winning applicant will receive up to $192,300 to traverse the country over the next several months showcasing the way John Deere products are used by workers, from Yellowstone National Park to Chicago's Wrigley Field and beyond.
"No matter what you do — whether it's your coffee, getting dressed in the morning, driving to work, the building you go into — it's all been touched by a construction worker, a farmer, or a lawn care maintenance group," Jen Hartmann, John Deere's global director of strategic public relations, told AdAge.
To kick off the search, John Deere tapped NFL quarterback Brock Purdy (who will presumably be a bit busy this Fall to take the job himself) to star in a clip in which he attempts to set out on a road trip in an industrial tractor.
Suited up in the obligatory vest, work boots, and John Deere hat, Purdy's progress is interrupted by teammate Colton McKivitz hopping into the cab while a string of messages floods in from other athletes and influencers expressing interest in the job.
The clip also represents the first time that the 187-year-old company has used celebrities to promote itself, Hartmann told AdAge.
According to the contest rules, entrants have until April 29 at midnight to submit a single 60-second video making their pitch for why they should be the face and voice of the company.
In addition, entrants must live in the 48 contiguous states or DC — sorry Hawaii and Alaska residents. Interestingly, any AI-generated submissions are prohibited, too.
Videos will be judged against four categories — originally, creativity, quality, and brand knowledge — after which five finalists will be chosen and notified after May 17.
Normally, people who run big publicly traded companies are encouraged to just do that one thing and are discouraged from doing side projects. But Musk does his own thing, and for a long time, the idea that he's a guy who does so many things was part of the pitch: Normal people couldn't pull this off, but Elon is Not Normal.
None of this is secret. Tesla spells it out to shareholders in its public filings, where it describes all of Musk's other jobs.
And for a long time, this has all been … fine. Particularly over the last few years, when the market fell head over heels for Tesla and turned it into a company with a trillion-dollar valuation.
Tesla's stock price might cause a rethink of Musk's roles
Tesla stock is now down more than 60% from its pandemic-era peak; it's dropped 37% so far this year.
All of which makes me wonder if some Tesla investors will eventually work up the nerve to demand that Musk spend more time working on Tesla and a little less on at least some of his side projects. Or, failing that, if Musk will at least start performatively demonstrating that he's spending more time on Tesla.
The knee-jerk response here ought to be: Good luck with that! Musk does what Musk wants. And that's worked out great for the third-richest man in the world.