We have updated this ultimate guide with more of the latest and greatest in tech when it comes to traveling this summer.
Any kind of travel can be stressful, and we know sometimes you might forget to pack the right tech gadget.
Android Central's full-time staff and some of its freelance contributors have helped put this entire guide together. We have spent hundreds of hours testing and reviewing these products to handpick the best gear and essentials to enhance your travel experience this summer.
There's a lot in this guide that will help you pick the right gadget to travel with, how to pack, and some great buying guides for your traveling convenience.
I would start by reading the article on "How to use this guide."
We hope you have a great summer vacation, and we hope this guide helps you!
— Shruti Shekar, Editor-in-Chief
How to use this guide
Traveling with your tech
Helpful traveling tips
Need a new phone for your summer travel plans? These are the Android devices you should consider in 2026
The only power and charging kits you need this summer: 6 essentials to keep your battery levels topped up
Tablets are essential travel companions, and I've selected the TOP 9 devices you should consider before hitting the road in 2026
I wouldn't leave my house without these excellent headphones to accompany me on my summer travels
How to lock your phone when traveling to the US
How to set up and use eSIM on Android
Tech must-haves for your pets during your summer travels
Tech, travel, and a toddler: Here's what we're taking on the road
Join Namerah Saud Fatmi as she explores the cool, quirky, and sometimes downright odd world of smartphone accessories, gadgets, and other nerdy toys every week.
Bringing pictures to life takes a whole new meaning with the Homture Magic Frame. This enchanting digital photo frame is loaded with AI goodies and smart sensors, making your still shots move dynamically.
What truly makes this a magical experience is the motion sensor detection. The frame only triggers movement in your static photos once it detects motion nearby. And that is exactly why it feels like a Harry Potter style moving portrait — it literally senses movement and reacts!
The Homture Magic Frame can be set up as a gift or for personal use
(Image credit: Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central)
Priced at $139.99, the latest Homture Magic Frame version was launched in October 2025. The 10.1-inch frame has a Full HD+ (1920x1200) resolution, 64GB of local storage, a one-year warranty, and a 30-day return period. There is a stand built into the back that can be used both horizontally and vertically, and a proprietary power cord is included in the box.
The Homture Magic Frame can be set up for your own use or as a gift for someone else to use and own. This can be done by scanning the QR code on the box, or by sending a digital gift code if it's a long-distance present.
Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android CentralNamerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central
The Homture Magic Frame uses Wi-Fi to connect to the Android or iOS app. Once the frame is paired with your phone, you can add photos from your smartphone's gallery to the Magic Frame.
It is a fairly straightforward setup process that requires you to simply follow the steps indicated on the Magic Frame once you turn it on. The setup process takes about five minutes, including time to install the Homture app on your phone.
The moving photos are AI-powered
Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android CentralNamerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central
The moving pictures are created by using the AI Magic feature within the Homture app. You can select which photos you want to bring to life and what actions you would like them to do. For example, I created an AI Moment of my cat waving at me. Every time I step near the frame, my cat waves hello!
The sensor isn't perfect, and sometimes it doesn't detect movement. To address this, you can tweak the motion detection settings in the frame's Settings menu and choose from high, medium, or no trigger probability options to make the dynamic photos move more or less frequently.
Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android CentralNamerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central
Once these "AI Moments" are created, you can send them to the frame. There are several options within the app, such as the ability to show a certain picture or AI Moment immediately, add and delete pictures from the frame, hide pictures, like pictures, and download pictures. So if the frame is a gift, the recipient can add, remove, or download whatever pictures you loaded for them beforehand.
It is certainly cool, but is it worth spending money on?
(Image credit: Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central)
One big drawback is that the Homture Magic Frame requires AI credit points to create these dynamic portraits. Each moving photo or AI Moment consumes 100 points. You get a 2,000-point card for free with the frame, which translates into 20 AI-generated videos or AI Moments.
AI credit points can be topped up later as well, with 500 credits priced at $4.99, 1,000 credits selling for $9.99, and 2,000 credits going for $19.99. Prices vary per region.
As much as I also wish for Alexa or Google Home integration, that would likely just drive up the price of the smart frame even more.
With the right curation of photos and videos, the Homture Magic Frame can be the most thoughtful gift ever. At its current price, it is a reasonable purchase, cheaper than many alternatives. Just be careful about how you spend your free 2,000 credits so you don't need to purchase any for a while.
Homture Magic Frame
Magical memories
The Homture Magic Frame brings your static photos to life with its AI Moments feature. The screen is a lovely 10.1-inch Full HD+ and the smart frame is super easy to set up. If you're looking for a sentimental gift idea, this is the perfect pick.
Many cinephiles have amazing home theater setups with projectors, reclining and rumbling seats, multi-channel surround sound systems, and probably even a built-in popcorn maker in their theater room. While that's great for people who want to spend a lot of time setting up all the pieces to the home theater puzzle, plenty of people don't have the technical know-how, time, or money for such an endeavor.
Thankfully, Google is making a simple home theater setup with its new Google Home Speaker, which lets you quickly pair your speakers with your Google TV Streamer for a quick surround sound system without all the wires or wall anchors. This is a great option for anyone with less space to work with, or even just as a temporary solution for any reason.
The best smart speakers from Sonos and Amazon have had this capability for quite a while, but Google is finally joining the crowd with its latest speaker, the 2026 Google Home Speaker.
What's it like using a Google Home Speaker with a TV?
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
The 2026 Google Home Speaker upgrades the Nest Mini and Google Home Mini audio experience with a taller design and larger audio components, delivering significantly better bass and sound quality. It also uses 360-degree drivers, which can help create a virtual surround sound system with two speakers.
Traditional surround sound systems typically require you to hook up an amplifier and run wires for speakers that you'd normally mount on a wall or ceiling. Lots of people (including me) opt for soundbars for this reason: they usually connect to your TV, include a subwoofer, and sometimes add a second set of speakers for the rear channels.
All of these solutions generally require running audio wires, whereas a Google Home Speaker only requires a power cable. While the Google Home Speaker is the easiest solution in this set of options, it also comes with some caveats.
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
Compared to a traditional surround sound system or a soundbar, the Google Home Speaker won't have the booming bass of home theater systems, since it doesn't include a dedicated subwoofer. That might be better in a community housing situation (like an apartment), or in smaller living spaces.
While you can pair two Google Home Speakers with a Google TV Streamer, this only provides stereo sound with virtual surround options. It's not a true surround sound system since it doesn't have three or more speakers, so the overall quality and immersiveness of a traditional surround sound system will be missing.
That being said, this is a great option for simplicity's sake, to save space, and to reduce setup time, especially if you're not a person who enjoys running cables. If you pair only one Google Home Speaker with your TV, I recommend placing it under the TV or on a shelf at the front of your room. With two speakers, you have a bit more freedom to place them around the room.
Pairing a Google Home Speaker with your TV
(Image credit: Android Central)
To get started, you'll need at least one Google Home Speaker (two is best), plus a Google TV Streamer. I'll assume for this guide that you've already plugged in and set up your Google Home Speaker for regular use. If you haven't, go ahead and do that, then follow along with the guide:
1. On your Google TV Streamer, press the Home button, then select the Quick Settings option at the top of the screen.
2. On the pop-up window, select Audio output from the list of tiles.
3. In the audio output window, select Connect another device.
4. In the Remotes & Accessories section, select Google speakers from the list, then select Getting started.
(Image credit: Android Central)
5. A list of Google Home Speakers on your account will appear in the next window. Select all the speakers you want to use for TV audio output, then click Next.
6. Once setup is complete, all connected Google Home Speakers should appear in the Google speakers section of the Remotes & Accessories menu.
(Image credit: Android Central)
Now that youre Google Home Speakers and Google TV Streamer are connected, they will automatically connect and be used any time your Google TV Streamer is powered on.
Fixing audio latency issues with a Google Home Speaker and Google TV Streamer
Sometimes, when using wireless audio, you'll find that the image on the TV doesn't match the audio coming from your speakers. This is more than just annoying, as it makes it difficult to watch anything. Thankfully, Google has a simple built-in tool to fix this problem:
1. On your Google TV Streamer, press the Home button, then select the Quick Settings option at the top of the screen.
2. On the pop-up window, select All settings at the top.
3. Select the Remotes & Accessories section.
4. Select the Google speakers option.
(Image credit: Android Central)
5. Select the offending speaker from the list, then select Audio video sync.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to adjust the audio latency to match the audio with the bouncing ball.
(Image credit: Android Central)
Using an older Google Home or Nest speaker as a surround sound system
If you're not willing to shell out $200 for a pair of new Google Home Speakers (and I can't blame you for that), your existing Nest or Google Home speakers can serve a similar function, but it'll likely require a bit more tweaking.
All Google Home and Nest speakers support Bluetooth, so you can pair them with your TV or preferred streaming device to enjoy higher-quality audio than the TV can provide. Bluetooth could have quality, range, and audio latency issues, but let's get things set up first before we assume those things:
1. Open the Google Home app on your phone.
2. Select All devices from the list (it's the 4-square grid icon).
3.Find your speaker in the list and tap it.
4. Tap the settings cog at the top of the screen.
5. Select Audio from the list.
(Image credit: Android Central)
6. Select Paired Bluetooth devices.
7. Tap Enable pairing mode at the bottom, then select the speaker from the audio section of your TV or streaming device.
(Image credit: Android Central)
Since every TV or streaming device is different, I can't walk you through how to find the audio section on those, but it's likely under system settings, audio, then Bluetooth or wireless audio. If you need to adjust audio latency, your TV or streaming device should have options for it in the same section.
Whichever method you use, Google Home and Nest speakers are a great way to add higher-fidelity audio to a TV without running wires, which can make a big difference in your TV experience.
The new Oura Ring 5 is out, and its smaller profile is definitely turning heads among current Oura users and prospective ones, myself included. However, in addition to the $50 price increase over the Oura Ring 4, there's another cost to consider: the Oura Membership.
The Oura Membership isn't required to use the Oura Ring, but the companion app's functionality will be quite limited without it. The $5.99 membership brings a host of features to the app and unlocks a bevy of capabilities that you wouldn't otherwise get.
If you don't subscribe, you won't get all the insights that come along with it. You open the Oura app and see only three things: your readiness score, sleep score, and activity score.
For some people, this may be adequate. I don't fully utilize all the perks of the membership, and the additional insights and features that come with the Oura membership may not be worth the extra cost on top of the one-time hardware cost. That said, there are still some major reasons why I remain subscribed to Oura.
What you get with the membership
For $5.99 a month, the Oura membership provides a ton of features and additional information that you won't get without it. The features include the following, per Oura:
Integration with third-party health and wellness apps like Strava
Advanced temperature monitoring
Blood Oxygen Sensing (SpO2)
Daytime Stress
Dynamic activity goals with Automatic Activity Detection
Heart Health (Cardiovascular Age, Cardio Capacity (VO2 Max))
Metabolic Health (Glucose Tracking, Meals)
Oura Labs
Resilience
Weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, and anniversary reports
Women's Health (Cycle Insights, Pregnancy Insights)
1. Take full advantage of your ring
(Image credit: Android Central)
It's silly to expect every Oura Ring owner to utilize every feature included in the membership, and I definitely don't. For example, none of the Women's Health features are useful for me, but I do use a number of the other features on a near-daily basis.
As someone who absolutely loathes wearing smartwatches to sleep, I've found the Oura Ring to be a vital part of my sleep routine. While you can get your sleep score without the membership, the subscription provides a deeper look into my sleep, including my sleep efficiency, restlessness, and how long it took for me to fall asleep. As someone who struggles with sleep, I find this information very useful in pinpointing ways I can improve.
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
But beyond sleep alone, a combination of these features provides you with a comprehensive view of your overall health and wellness. The Oura Ring is so easy to wear throughout the day that it makes it easy to measure all-day heart rate, automatically track activities, and monitor potential symptoms that may indicate illness or strain on your body.
What's more, you get to try features that Oura is testing before they become fully baked into the Oura experience. The AI Advisor was one such feature that I tested before it rolled out, and it has become a core part of the Oura app.
2. Automatic activity detection is actually pretty great
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
Automatic activity detection is perhaps one of my favorite Oura Ring features and one of the most impressive. While I prefer to manually track workouts, the Oura Ring is actually very good at detecting various activities, both in and out of exercise.
As a member, you will be able to use the ring to detect and analyze various activities, such as workouts and walks. The more you manually track workouts, the more accurate the Oura Ring gets, to the point where it's pretty good at recognizing when I'm doing HIIT or Pilates.
Even better, the Oura Ring can detect more day-to-day activities and even random things like dancing and yard work — something my other wearables, such as my Garmin Venu 4 (my preferred fitness wearable), can't do. Every time I go out, I'm always surprised to see the Oura Ring detect when I was dancing and for how long.
Furthermore, when the ring detects activity, it can include heart rate data and calorie calculations, making automatic tracking a valuable asset for your daily activity and health assessment.
2. Oura Advisor check-ins
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Pretty much every tech company is diving into AI in some shape or form, and before Google introduced its Personal Health Coach, Oura launched the Advisor. With Oura Advisor, you're able to chat with the AI about your health and goals, and the AI will take what it knows about you into consideration.
What I like is that the Advisor checks in on you every so often, based on your daily activity and other metrics, to ensure you're on track. And you can even change the frequency of the Advisor's check-ins so it'll ping you weekly, daily, or somewhere in between. Furthermore, you can choose the Advisor's tone, which can be either more direct or more conversational.
Oura highlights that the Advisor is powered by a state-of-the-art large language model (LLM) and was recently enhanced with a new proprietary LLM designed for women's health. This gives Oura extensive knowledge of medical standards, research, and more, ensuring it's uniquely positioned to answer questions about your health and provide recommendations, especially with the additional context of your in-app data.
Of course, you should always take anything Oura Advisor says with a grain of salt, as it's not a medical product designed to diagnose or treat you, but I've found it gives some pretty sound advice in an easy-to-understand way.
4. Sync with third-party apps
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Oura is great, but the ring doesn't always get all the information. Furthermore, not everyone likes wearing the ring while lifting weights, and I often track my workouts on a smartwatch. That's where third-party app integrations come in.
By connecting with Health Connect, the Oura app can pull workout data from my smartwatches and even weight data from my Withings scale to give me a full look at my day. The timeline feature helps me see my day in moments, including when I wake up, work out, and go to sleep.
Oura is basically a one-stop shop where you can get a pretty comprehensive view of your daily health and wellness, and it all contributes to your long-term health outlook.
And when I do track activities using the ring, the Oura app can send workouts to the Strava app, including location data (from the phone).
5. Oura puts its money where its products are
(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
Considering the benefits, I think $5.99 per month is a pretty reasonable price to pay, especially given that Oura is still a relatively new and small company. We've consistently asked why Oura has retained its subscription model when other smart ring companies have gone subscription-free, and the answer is always the same: Oura uses the membership to help improve the product.
There's a reason why Oura continues to produce the best smart rings on the market, even as the competition heats up with new players and advancements. Even Samsung felt compelled to enter the smart ring market, only to seemingly fall short of Oura, despite not charging a subscription fee.
"We really, actually feel pressure from our members to continually drive research and pioneer what the smart ring can be and invest that back into our product," Oura told us after launching the Oura Ring 4.
After seeing the growth from Oura Ring Gen 3 to Oura Ring 5, it's clear to me that Oura is doing exactly that, expanding on the value of each model by continuously adding new features throughout its lifecycle. To me, that seems well worth the $6 a month.
An alternative way to pay for the Oura Membership
If you're hesitating on buying both an Oura Ring and the membership, it may help you to know that you can purchase both using your FSA or HSA. For many, that money is just sitting there, unused, so this could give you a reason to dip into those funds.
