Days after furloughing dozens of its employees without pay, EV startup Canoo told the remainder of its staff they will be on a “mandatory unpaid break” through at least the end of the year, TechCrunch reported Friday. A company email seen by the outlet said employees would be locked out of Canoo’s systems by the end of Friday, with their benefits continuing through the end of this month.
The report follows Canoo’s announcement last week that it was idling its Oklahoma factories and furloughing employees while it worked “to finalize securing the capital necessary to move forward with its operations.” As TechCrunch notes, the company reported that it had only about $700,000 left in the bank last month.
Also on Friday, the company announced a 1-for-20 reverse stock split, effective December 24th. Canoo says the consolidation aims to keep its stock listed on the Nasdaq exchange and attract “a broader group of institutional and retail investors.”
Canoo was founded in 2017 to sell electric vans and trucks to adventure-seeking customers but has mostly only ever made vehicles for the US government. As The Verge’s Andrew Hawkins wrote last year, analysts have warned of its risk of insolvency as it’s teetered on the edge of running out of cash since 2022. Canoo has lost a steady stream of executives since then, including all of its founders and, more recently, its CFO and general counsel.
A Google Nest doorbell camera. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Apple is working on a new smart doorbell camera that uses Face ID to unlock your door, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in today’s Power On newsletter. The camera could be released by the end of 2025 “at the soonest,” Gurman writes.
The lock would work just like your iPhone, automatically unlocking your door when you or another resident looks at it. Like biometric login info on other Apple devices, the camera would be equipped with the company’s Secure Enclave chip that stores and processes Face ID information separately from the rest of the system’s hardware.
Gurman writes that this device will “likely” work with existing third-party HomeKit smart locks and that the company may also partner with a smart lock company “to offer a complete system on day one.” He expects the camera will make use of Apple’s in-house “Proxima” combination Wi-Fi / Bluetooth chip that’s rumored for new HomePod Mini and Apple TV devices next year.
This doorbell camera joins a broader collection of rumors surrounding a renewed Apple push into the smart home that’s centered around Apple Intelligence. Those include another new smart home camera, a possible Apple-branded TV, and new smart home displays — one a simple iPad-like device that magnetically attaches to wall mounts or speaker bases, while another display sits on the end of a robotic arm attached to a larger base.
Do we really need all this? | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The grid is a comfortable place to live.
The app grid, I mean: the rows and rows of app icons on your iPhone’s homescreen. It’s familiar. Safe. It’s how I’ve lived with my various phones over the past decade. But at some point, it started to feel oppressive.
All those icons staring at me in the face, vying for my attention. The clutter! The distracting little notification badges! The grid was a reasonable way to organize apps when I had like, ten of them. There are sixty on the iPhone I’m using now, and I set it up from scratch a few months ago.
Naturally, living off-grid or in a non-traditional homescreen arrangement has been possible for much longer on Android. Google’s OS lets you keep your screen clear and just find your apps in the app drawer, which is always a swipe away. You can even replace the launcher entirely. But iOS — where every new app you download winds up on your homescreen by default — hasn’t exactly made it easy to abandon the grid.
That started to change when iOS 14 added widgets, an app library, and the ability to hide apps from your homescreen — though I haven’t developed the muscle memory to use it much. Now, iOS 18 adds even more flexibility. You...
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 65, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, get ready to take up all your phone’s storage space, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
This is the last Installer of the year! I’m taking a couple of weeks off for the holidays, and I hope you’re getting some relaxation in too. Thank you so much to everyone who has subscribed to this newsletter, emailed me your recommendations, told me I’m a lunatic about to-do lists, and generally been part of the Installerverse this year. Making this newsletter is so much fun, and I’m so thrilled to get to do it with you. Bigger and better next year!
In the latest version of the Files by Google app, summoning Gemini while looking at a PDF gives you the option to ask about the file, writes Android Police. You’ll need to be a Gemini Advanced subscriber to use the feature though, according to Mishaal Rahman, who reported on Friday that it had started rolling out.
If you have the feature, when you summon Gemini while looking at a PDF in the Files app, you’ll see an “Ask about this PDF” button appear. Tapping that lets you ask questions about the file, the same way you might ask ChatGPT about a PDF. Google first announced this screen-aware feature during its I/O developer conference in May.
Rahman posted a screenshot of what it looks like in action:
Other context-aware Gemini features include the ability to ask about web pages and YouTube videos. For apps or file types without Gemini’s context-aware support, the assistant instead offers to answer questions about your screen, using a screenshot it takes when you tap “Ask about this screen.”
The US Commerce Department has awarded Samsung and Texas Instruments with a combined over $6 billion in “direct funding under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication,” according to a pair of announcements published on Friday.
Samsung will get the larger of the two awards at $4.745 billion. The Commerce Department says the company will use this as part of its planned $37 billion investment in Texas chip facilities that include two new “leading-edge logic fabs and an R&D fab” in Taylor, Texas, and the expansion of its plant in Austin.
The company was originally slated to receive $6.4 billion. In a statement reported by Bloomberg, the company said that its “mid-to-long-term investment plan has been partially revised to optimize overall investment efficiency,” which suggests the company has dialed back its plans, according to the outlet.
Texas Instruments will receive $1.61 billion to bolster the $18 billion it plans to spend on projects like constructing two wafer fabs in Texas and a third in Utah. The Commerce Department announced smaller awards this week too, including $407 million in funding for Amkor Technology, a US-based company that...
Asus has announced the Asus NUC 14 Pro AI, the first Copilot Plus-capable AI mini PC that crams an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor into a form factor resembling a black M4 Mac Mini. First introduced at IFA in September, Asus is providing a little more detail about the mini PC’s specs than it did before, but still isn’t saying it will become available or how much it will cost.
The NUC 14 Pro AI will come in five CPU configurations, from the Core Ultra 5 226V processor with 16GB of integrated RAM to a Core Ultra 9 288V processor with 32GB of RAM. The company says it has up to 67 TOPS of GPU performance and 48 NPU TOPS, and that its M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 x 4 slot supports 256GB to 2TB NVMe SSDs.
All of that is packed into a PC that measures 130mm deep and wide and just 34mm tall; comparatively, the Mac Mini is 127mm deep and wide and 50mm tall. Here are some pictures from Asus’ website:
The Asus NUC 14 Pro AI features a fingerprint sensor on top and a Copilot button on the front for speaking voice commands to Microsoft’s AI assistant. Also on the front are two USB-A ports, a Thunderbolt 4 port, a headphone jack, and a power button. Around the back, you’ll find a 2.5Gbps ethernet jack, another Thunderbolt 4 port, two more USB-A ports, and an HDMI port. For connectivity, it features Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
Asus still hasn’t said when the NUC 14 Pro AI will be available, nor how much it will cost.
A screenshot from TCL’s The Audition. | Screenshot: TCLtv Plus
Earlier this year, TCL released a trailer for Next Stop Paris — an AI-animated short film that seems like a Lifetime movie on steroids. The trailer had all the hallmarks of AI: characters that don’t move their mouths when they talk, lifeless expressions, and weird animation that makes it look like scenes are constantly vibrating.
I thought this might be the extent of TCL’s experimentation with AI films, given the healthy dose of criticism it received online. But boy, was I wrong. TCL debuted five new AI-generated short films that are also destined for its TCLtv Plus free streaming platform, and after the Next Stop Paris debacle, I just had to see what else it cooked up.
Though the new films do look a little better than Next Stop Paris, they serve as yet another reminder that AI-generated videos aren’t quite there yet, something we’ve seen with many of thevideo generationtools cropping up, like OpenAI’s Sora. But in TCL’s case, it’s not just the AI that makes these films bad.
Here are all five of them, ranked from tolerable (5) to “I wish I could unsee this” (1).
5. Sun Day
This futuristic short film basically has the same concept as Ray Bradbury’s short story “All Summer in...
You’d be hard-pressed to find an OLED TV for less right now. | Image: LG
One of the best Black Friday deals has returned — and this time, it’s done so with an added perk. Right now, LG’s B4 Series OLED TV is matching its all-time low at Best Buy, where you can pick it up in the 48-inch configuration for $599.99 ($200 off) with a $50 digital gift card. The larger 55-inch panel, meanwhile, is on sale at Best Buy with a $100 digital gift card for $999.99 ($400 off), its best price yet.
Although LG is likely to introduce its 2025 lineup at CES in a few short weeks, the B4 is likely going to remain a bargain, especially at this price. You don’t get the same brightness levels or performance speeds as LG’s flagship C4 or G4 — the B4 lacks the AI-focused a11 processor found in the latter — but it provides all the core benefits you’d expect from an OLED panel. It offers deep blacks and wide viewing angles, along with four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports that are capable of 4K 120Hz gaming, making it a great pick for use with modern consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X.
Personally, as the current owner of a 48-inch OLED, I find the smaller size more than big enough for my entertainment needs. It’s not as much of an eyesore in my living room as my previous 65-inch panel, yet I have little trouble watching movies and playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth from my couch. The real question is whether you need all the bells and whistles on LG’s high-end TVs or if an entry-level OLED will suffice.
More weekend deals and discounts
Twelve South’s quirky Butterfly charger is on sale at Amazon for a cool $103.99 ($26 off), which is the first discount we’ve seen. The travel-friendly 2-in-1 charger consists of two aluminum-clad discs connected via a vegan leather strap, one of which can fast-charge an Apple Watch and another that can supply 15 watts of power to any MagSafe-compatible phone. Moreover, it comes with a 30W power supply, complete with swappable international prongs.
If you’re not concerned regarding the shipping timeline, Apple’s latest entry-level iPad is matching its all-time low of $249.99 ($100 off) in select colors at Amazon thanks to an on-page coupon (it’s also on sale at Walmart and Best Buy for $279). The 64GB base model isn't as capable as the newer Air or Pro models, but it offers USB-C charging, plenty of power, and enough battery life to burn through The Penguin, the second season of Silo, or whatever else is on your holiday watch list this year. Read our review.
If you’re a bike commuter, investing in a proper tail light this time of the year is a must. Thankfully, the Garmin Varia RTL515 is down to $149.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Target, matching its best price to date. The bright, IPX7-rated light can be seen from up to a mile away and offers up to 16 hours of battery life in select modes; however, the main attraction is its ability to alert you of rear-approaching vehicles via the Garmin app or a Garmin Edge computer, which is done using a combination of visual, vibration, and tone alerts.
Between The Penguin, Dune: Prophecy, and I Saw the TV Glow, Max has you covered when it comes to last-minute streaming options to get you through the holidays.
The Department of Justice’s list of solutions for fixing Google’s illegal antitrust behavior and restoring competition in the search engine market started with forcing the company to sell Chrome, and late Friday night, Google responded with a list of its own (included below).
Instead of breaking off Chrome, Android, or Google Play as the DOJ’s filing considers, Google’s proposed fixes aim at the payments it makes to companies like Apple and Mozilla for exclusive, prioritized placement of its services, its licensing deals with companies that make Android phones, and contracts with wireless carriers. They don’t address a DOJ suggestion about possibly forcing Google to share its valuable search data with other companies to help their products catch up.
According to Google’s lawyers, the ruling pointed to arrangements with Apple and Mozilla for their browsers, the companies that make Android phones, and wireless carriers. Google regulatory VP Lee-Anne Mulholland writes on the company blog, “This was a decision about our search distribution contracts, so our proposed remedies are directed to that.
For three years, its proposal would block Google from signing deals that link licenses for Chrome, Search, and its Android app store, Google Play, with placement or preinstallation of its other apps, including Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini AI assistant.
It would also still allow Google to pay for default search placement in browsers but allow for multiple deals across different platforms or browsing modes and require the ability to revisit the deals at least once a year.
While the company still plans to appeal Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling that said, “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” first, it says it will submit a revised proposal on March 7th, ahead of a two-week trial over the issue in April.
When 19-year-old Josh King suggested he would single-handedly redefine mobile gaming with his 3D-printed gamepad, drawing a direct line from himself to Steve Jobs, I have to admit I thought it was a bit much!
It’s no taller or wider than an iPhone, so it should slide into a pocket. It’s got a MagSafe pattern of magnets to attach it to your magnetic ring device. You don’t have to remove it to use your phone like a phone, because the whole gamepad retracts underneath, a little like the slide-out keyboard phones (or PlayStation Phones) of old — and now, it’s mounted on a spring-loaded arm that pops out at the push of a button and also slightly angles your device towards your face.
Video by Josh King / OhSnap
The OhSnap Mcon’s hinge in action.
OhSnap even found room for a pair of Nintendo Switch-esque analog sticks, with drift-resistant Hall effect sensors, and pair of fold-out grips so you can (theoretically) hold it more like a full-size gamepad. The sticks are clickable buttons, and it’s got a full set of shoulder buttons and triggers as well.
Image: OhSnap
An illustration with the grips unfolded.
Two months ago, Retro Game Corps came away impressed with a prototype, and it seems King has been very busy since then. As he explains on YouTube, he initially tried to start his own company around the gamepad, even attracted a few investors, manufactured some boards and was working toward injection molding, before he started running out of money and reached out to OhSnap about a partnership.
Speaking of money, we don’t have any idea how much it’ll cost, particularly at retail — OhSnap is planning to launch a Kickstarter on January 2nd to raise funds. It’s taking signups here for now.
I should be getting my own hands on a prototype next month at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, and I’ll let you know how it feels.
NSO Group, the organization behind the Pegasus spyware, has been found liable in a lawsuit brought by Meta’s WhatsApp over attacks on about 1,400 devices, as reported by The Record.
NSO Group is liable for charges of violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, violation of the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, and breach of contract, according to today’s ruling. A trial will now move forward “only on the issue of damages.” The spyware maker has argued that it isn’t liable because Pegasus was operated by clients investigating crimes and cases of national security but the judge rejected those arguments, which could establish a precedent for other companies in the same business.
“This ruling is a huge win for privacy,” Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, says in a Threads post. “We spent five years presenting our case because we firmly believe that spyware companies could not hide behind immunity or avoid accountability for their unlawful actions. Surveillance companies should be on notice that illegal spying will not be tolerated.”
NSO Group didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
A federal jury in Delaware determined on Friday that Qualcomm didn’t breach its agreement with Arm through its 2021 acquisition of Nuvia, a startup founded by three former Apple engineers. As reported earlier by Bloomberg and Reuters, the decision stems from a two-year-long legal battle that accused Qualcomm of misusing the chip designs Arm licensed to Nuvia before its acquisition.
Despite delivering a win for Qualcomm, the jury couldn’t determine whether Nuvia breached its agreement with Arm, meaning the case can be tried again. “I don’t think either side had a clear victory or would have had a clear victory if this case is tried again,” US District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika said, according to Reuters.
Qualcomm bought Nuvia for $1.4 billion to bolster the company’s lineup of next-generation chips, like the Snapdragon X chips inside current Copilot Plus laptops. Still, testimony during the trial revealed that Qualcomm's internal documents also showed the company projected it could save as much as $1.4 billion every year on payments to Arm.
Split decision
In 2022, Arm ignited a legal battle after Qualcomm continued to pay its existing royalty fees to Arm, which were allegedly much lower than what Nuvia was paying. After the two failed to come to an agreement, Arm argued the designs licensed to Nuvia were no longer valid, and that Qualcomm should destroy the technology created with them.
During an interview on Decoder this week, Arm CEO Rene Haas couldn’t share much about the trial, but said, “The principles as to why we filed the claim are unchanged.”
The jury ultimately sided with Qualcomm after viewing Arm’s internal documents that estimate Arm could’ve lost $50 million in revenue as a result of Nuvia’s acquisition, according to Reuters. This week, Nuvia co-founder Gerard Williams also testified that the startup only used “one percent or less” of Arm technology in its finished technology, Reuters reported.
“The jury has vindicated Qualcomm’s right to innovate and affirmed that all the Qualcomm products at issue in the case are protected by Qualcomm’s contract with ARM,” Ann Chaplin, Qualcomm’s general counsel and corporate secretary, said in an emailed statement to The Verge. “We will continue to develop performance-leading, world class products that benefit consumers worldwide, with our incredible Oryon ARM-compliant custom CPUs.”
The Verge reached out to Arm with a request for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.
The US government has charged a dual Russian and Israeli national with allegedly building and maintaining LockBit’s malware code, while receiving over $230,000 in cryptocurrency for his work. The 51-year-old Rostislav Panev was arrested in Israel pending extradition to the US, making him the third member of the LockBit ransomware group in custody.
Authorities are still searching for Lockbit’s alleged ringleader, Dmitry Khoroshev, with a reward worth up to $10 million. The DOJ claimed in May that “Khoroshev alone allegedly received at least $100 million in disbursements of digital currency through his developer shares of LockBit ransom payments,” based on a 20 percent share of ransom payments extorted by affiliates who used the group’s software.
Law enforcement linked Panev to LockBit after finding login credentials on his computer for a dark web repository housing “multiple versions of the LockBit builder,” which is the tool that allowed members “to generate custom builds of the LockBit ransomware malware for particular victims.”
Panev allegedly admitted to writing and maintaining LockBit’s malware code in interviews with the Israeli police. Some of the code he’s said to have created can disable Windows Defender antivirus software, run malware on multiple computers on a network, and print LockBit’s ransom note on all the printers in a victim’s network. Panev claimed he didn’t realize he was involved in illegal activity at first, according to the complaint.
As people scramble for last-minute gifts and late-year bargains, everyone is double-checking their lists and figuring out the fastest way to get their purchases. Thankfully, many retailers are offering generous shipping policies for their products, with some offering free two-day shipping or even same-day delivery if you pay extra. And just in case the gift you choose isn’t quite right, many retailers are also offering extended return policies so your giftee can get something more to their liking.
For your convenience, we’ve collected the current holiday shipping cutoff windows for items that can still arrive by Christmas. We’ve also checked the latest return policies for several major retailers below, highlighting which will give you a little more time to place that order or start a return. Hopefully, knowing more about how much leeway you have will help lessen that inevitable holiday angst (fingers crossed).
Amazon
Shipping: Same-day delivery is not available on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. However, Prime members can get free same-day delivery on select products in qualifying ZIP codes through December 24th, provided they meet the “minimum threshold” (which varies by location) of eligible items in their cart. One-Day Delivery with no minimum purchase amount required is also available to Prime members for qualifying products through December 23rd, while Two-Day Delivery is available through December 22nd. Non-Prime buyers will find shipping options on the order page of each specific product.
Returns: During the holidays, most items purchased between November 1st and December 31st can be returned until January 31st, 2025. Apple products, however, must be returned by January 15th, 2025. Note that this policy applies to both Prime and non-Prime buyers.
Apple Store Beijing
Apple
Shipping: Apple offers free delivery of in-stock items by Christmas Eve if you order by 9PM ET on December 21st, though engraved items won’t ship in time by Christmas. Apple also offers two-hour delivery for an added fee from local stores in most metro areas, or you can opt to pick up purchases yourself by visiting your local Apple Store.
Returns: Except for T-Mobile- and Verizon-financed iPhones, all products purchased online between November 8th and December 25th can be returned through January 8th, 2025. Purchases made after December 25th are subject to the usual terms and conditions, and must be returned within 14 calendar days of your initial purchase date.
Target
Shipping: Target offers free two-day shipping on many orders if you spend $35 or more or use your Target RedCard. Select purchases made by December 23rd at 1PM ET will arrive before Christmas. You may also be able to take advantage of same-day shipping or in-store pickup on December 24th. Same-day delivery costs $9.99 per order, but it’s included with a Target Circle 360 membership ($10.99 a month or $99 a year). Your mileage may vary for same-day delivery availability based on the item and your location.
Returns: Target allows electronics and entertainment items (excluding Apple products) purchased from November 7th through December 24th to be returned as late as January 24th, 2025, for a full refund. Mobile phones and Apple products (including Beats products) purchased during the same window must be returned by January 8th, 2025. Target’s standard return policy applies for most other items, with a generous 90-day window for third-party products and up to a year for Target-branded products with a receipt.
Walmart
Shipping: For eligible orders of $35 or more, Walmart provides free next-day delivery in eligible ZIP codes, free two-day delivery, or free standard shipping. However, be aware you must order your gifts by 12:30PM local time on December 23rd to get them in time for Christmas. Walmart Plus subscribers also get free next-day and two-day shipping with no order minimum.
Same-day delivery and pickup is available on December 24th for orders made by 12PM local time. If you’re willing to pay a $10 Express Delivery fee and order by 4PM local time, Walmart will also deliver your packages in less than two hours on Christmas Eve. Walmart Plus subscribers may be exempt from paying this fee, however, as members get one Express Delivery for free during the month of December.
Returns: Most items purchased between October 1st and December 31st may be returned until January 31st, 2025. Some exceptions, like phones, may apply.
B&H
Shipping: During the holidays, B&H offers free two-day and next-day shipping on select items, including discounted products. Most other products are eligible for free standard shipping (that’s one to seven business days), and free expedited shipping (one to three business days) is generally available for items over $49.
Returns: B&H allows purchases bought after November 3rd through December 31st to be returned or exchanged through January 30th, 2025 (with the usual exceptions of non-returnable items such as computers or TVs whose packaging has been opened).
Photo by Umar Shakir
Best Buy
Shipping: Best Buy is offering free next-day and two-day shipping on qualifying orders for My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members. Non-members, meanwhile, can get free next-day shipping on qualifying orders totaling $35 or more.
If you’re ordering a gift for Christmas, Best Buy’s extended holiday shipping window gives you until 11:30AM ET on December 23rd if you want your gift to ship for free and arrive before December 25th. You can also get free same-day delivery by 7PM on December 24th if you place an order by 12PM local time. The cutoff for placing curbside or in-store pickup orders is 5PM local time through December 24th. Stores will close at 7PM that day.
Returns: Purchases made November 1st through December 31st can be returned through January 14th, 2025. This doesn’t include items that come with a third-party contract, such as phones, cellular tablets, and wearables (which have a 14-day return period), or holiday products, such as tree decorations and major appliances, which have a 15-day return window. My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members also have until January 14th, 2025, to return any purchases made between October 24th and November 16th; otherwise, there’s a 60-day return window for purchases made on November 17th or later.
Costco
Shipping: At Costco, shipping fees depend on the product and the shipping method, though in many cases, shipping is free. The wholesale retailer also offers a variety of delivery options, including “white glove” service for larger appliances. You can get your gift in time for Christmas without paying for shipping when you place a qualifying order by 5:59PM ET on December 20th. Same-day delivery is also available on some items via Costco’s partnership with Instacart.
Returns: Costco generally has an open return policy, except for electronics such as TVs and computers, which have a 90-day return window. There are other exceptions, though, which are listed on its return page.
Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge
GameStop
Shipping: GameStop currently offers free shipping on orders over $35. It also offers same-day delivery in certain locations if you order from your local store at least three hours before closing.
Returns: Products purchased between November 17th and December 24th can be returned until January 18th, 2025. The package must be unopened, however, and certain items like trading cards, clearance items, and seasonal products can’t be returned.
Dell
Shipping: Most of Dell’s products come with free standard shipping (no minimum purchase necessary), and some gifts may ship for free in time for Christmas if you place your order by December 21st. The delivery window can vary based on your order, but Dell does offer expedited shipping options as well as a delivery date estimate based on the zip code you provide at checkout. Orders placed by December 23rd with qualifying express delivery windows should arrive before December 25th.
Returns: Dell offers a 30-day return policy with some exceptions; a restocking fee of up to 15 percent may be charged.
DJI
Shipping: DJI offers free shipping on purchases of $149 or more. Otherwise, shipping fees are specified on the order form. Shipment times can vary for each product depending on availability.
Returns: DJI offers returns within 14 days of receiving the purchase, provided it remains in like-new condition or suffers from some type of manufacturing defect.
Google
Shipping: All standard orders qualify for free shipping with no minimum. Just note that this applies to the lowest-cost shipping available, which may not be the fastest.
Returns: Google will accept returns through January 15th, 2025, for all purchases made between November 21st and December 31st. Standard return dates for products purchased within that window that extend beyond January 15th will be eligible for the later return date. All purchases made after January 1st, 2025, are subject to the standard return policy, which allows you to return most items up to 15 days after receipt (or 14 days for AT&T phones). However, Nest Thermostats and Verizon contract phones have an extended, 30-day return window.
HP
Shipping: For many items, standard (three- to six-day) shipping is free. You can get ready-to-ship gifts in time for Christmas with free express shipping if you place an order by 3AM ET on December 21st. Orders placed by December 23rd can still arrive by Christmas, though you’ll have to pay extra for priority shipping. HP will not ship or deliver items on Christmas, Thanksgiving, or New Year’s Day.
Returns: Items purchased between December 1st and December 25th can be returned until January 15th, 2025, or 30 days after delivery, whichever is later. There are exceptions, however, and select items may be subject to a restocking fee of up to 15 percent. Returns totaling more than $250 may also require additional review before your return request is approved.
Microsoft
Shipping: Most products sold through the online Microsoft Store include free two- to three-day shipping with express shipping available for an additional fee. To receive your gifts by Christmas Eve, however, you’ll have to place your order by 2PM ET on December 23rd.
Returns:You can return most physical products purchased online from the Microsoft Store within 60 days of receiving the product, provided they’re in like-new condition. The item must also be in its original packaging with all parts, manuals, and anything else that was originally sent with the product included. Items exempt from this policy include digital gift cards and gift cards for services and subscriptions, as well as select hardware (including the HoloLens 2).
Newegg
Shipping: Many of Newegg’s items come with free shipping and are delivered within one to five business days; for details, check the individual product page. If you want your gifts to arrive in time for Christmas, you’ll have to place your order by 12PM local time on December 23rd and opt for next-day delivery.
Returns: Qualifying items purchased between October 7th and December 31st can be returned or replaced until January 31st, 2025.
Sam’s Club
Shipping: According to the Sam’s Club FAQ, the shipping cost for most items varies based on the item’s size, weight, shipping method, and delivery address. Plus Members get free shipping on many online items, and same-day delivery or curbside pickup is available for free if you’re a Plus member ($110 a year) and place a qualifying order totaling $50 or more by 1PM local time. Club members ($50 a year) can pay $12 for same-day or next-day shipping, or get free curbside pickup on orders of $50 or more.
Returns: Sam’s Club has no specified return period; some return periods may be stated for specific products. For example, electronics and major appliances have a 90-day return window, while phones are subject to a 14-day return policy.
Sonos
Shipping: Sonos offers free shipping on all of its products, with in-stock items typically shipping the same day if they’re purchased by 11AM local time. If you want to receive your items by Christmas, though, you’ll likely have to pay extra for two-day or express shipping.
Returns: Sonos gives you 30 days to return a purchase and even offers free return shipping. However, you must have bought the product directly from Sonos and the return must be initiated within 30 days of receiving your purchase. The product must also include the original packaging and be in new or as-new condition to be eligible.
Update, December 20th: Updated the shipping deadlines and return policies as they pertain to the 2024 holiday season.
