Iyaz Akhtar

My Experience

I’m one of PCMag’s mobile analysts. That means I check out phones, hotspots, and mobile networks. Technology has been my passion and hobby since I was a child. I’ve covered tech professionally for over 15 years at outlets including The Apple Blog, This Week in Tech, and CNET.

My Areas of Expertise

• I’ve written and presented information about hundreds of phones, tablets, smart home devices, fitness gadgets, technology business dealings, congressional hearings, and a whole lot more. 

• I enjoy putting advancements in technology in simple-to-understand language with context that explains why it matters or not.

The Technology I Use

My daily driver phone of several years is the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G. I wound up with a Note after I found myself writing ideas on bar napkins while my old phone (a Pixel) sat unused. I looked at it and wondered, “Why can’t I write ON my phone?” 

My choice of computer varies with whatever task I’m doing. If I’m editing video, I’m using my M1 Mac mini. If I’m just casually browsing or writing, any machine with a quality keyboard works for me. I’ve been known to write things using my Note 20 or an iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard. 

I also enjoy having smart home products in my apartment. I’ve been in both the Amazon and Google ecosystems, but mostly use Google Home devices at this point. I’ve spent a lot of time making sure that this smart apartment easily works for my family. That way, I can sneak more and more tech toys into my home without arousing the suspicion of my spouse.