Reviews

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, PC
Release date: October 4, 2024 

Until Dawn has leaped from the shadows to reacquaint fans with yet another creepy horror game classic. But while this new version of Sony and Supermassive Games' playable slasher flick spawned from the 2015 PlayStation 4 original, it's not being billed as a ‘remaster’ or ‘remake.’

Perhaps that's because Until Dawn brings a bit from both camps. Like most remakes, it's been rebuilt from the ground up – a fact that's showcased in every frame of its stunning, Unreal Engine 5-fueled visual presentation. But save for a few other tweaks and additions, the rest of the experience will feel very familiar to anyone who braved Blackwood Mountain nearly ten years ago.

The result is a definitive, director's cut-like offering that retains the appeal of its predecessor, while also making it a whole lot prettier. It’s potentially one of the best PS5 games right now, but that's not to say Until Dawn is perfect. Even more changes, extra content, and a cheaper price tag would've been appreciated. 

 Mostly familiar frights

(Image credit: Sony)

Until Dawn's core gameplay, story, and characters (including strong performances from Rami Malek, Hayden Panettiere, and Peter Stormare) mostly remain unchanged from the original. Once again, players are put in the quaking boots of eight young adults who've reunited one year after a tragic, mysterious event put two of their friends – twin sisters – on "Missing Person" posters. Hoping to honor their pals, and also put the painful past behind them, the group meet at the same remote mountain estate where the girls were lost.

Unsurprisingly, things go south before the friends can crack their first beer, leading the player to navigate them through a living nightmare that lasts, well, until dawn. As the scared crew begins to splinter – like typical horror movie victims – players take control of the individual characters on their separate paths. What differentiates Until Dawn from most games though, is the fact that any of the protagonists can die. Depending on how you steer the story, you may reach the credits with everyone still breathing – or all eight in body bags.

Whether or not they survive or die largely depends on a few things, most notably your dialog choices along the way and how well you perform quick-time events. It's a unique, risky formula that Supermassive pretty much nailed, and new developer Ballistic Moon has smartly not messed with. The result is a highly cinematic, character-driven, story-focused – but not narratively linear – experience that essentially makes you feel like you're playing a horror movie.

Cinematic slasher 

(Image credit: Sony)

While its gameplay loop is largely unchanged, Until Dawn's visual presentation has received a scary-good makeover. Entirely rebuilt in Unreal 5, the game has been brought up to speed with – and sometimes surpasses – PlayStation 5's prettiest first-party stunners. 

In fact, the first thing that hits you when you fire up the game isn't the business end of a psychopath's blade, but the striking character close-ups. The incredibly realistic models sport the sort of nuanced details – from facial stubble and pores to birthmarks, blemishes, and, of course, blood – usually reserved for live actors. 

But while I spent an embarrassing amount of time studying the imperfections on Peter Stormare's face, it was the lighting work that regularly had me pining for a photo mode (which is unfortunately not included). The varied, specific effects that came from different sources, including moonlight, lanterns, lighters, flashlights, smartphones, and more literally stopped me in my tracks on several occasions. 

Of course, the presentation is at its breathtaking best when all these enhancements combine to deliver something truly eye-popping. Fairly early in the 8 or so-hour story, for example, you'll find yourself clutching a lighter as you navigate a narrow, dark hallway. You'll immediately spy the slick effects cast on the walls and items surrounding you, but you'll also want to stop and stare at your bespectacled character's face. On top of the aforementioned facial details being realistically lit by the tiny, dancing flame, you can see its flicker reflected in his glasses while its glow illuminates the individual hairs on his parka's fur hood. 

A definitive edition, with a scary price 

(Image credit: Sony) Best bit

(Image credit: Sony)

Having played the original multiple times, I found myself enjoying the remake more for its stunning visuals than its jump scares. The best moments were any that saw its graphical upgrades – from the enhanced lighting work to the richly detailed character models – firing on all cylinders. 

The lighting and character models steal the show, but they're not the only upgrades the game has received. Adding to the nerve-fraying atmosphere is the DualSense Wireless Controller's adaptive trigger, haptic feedback, and other immersion-ratcheting features. Like the lighting work, these inclusions never settle for a ‘one size fits all’ approach, but are rather nuanced and situational. 

So while you probably expect the feel of your footsteps to change organically when you proceed from a snow-covered dirt path to an icy wooden bridge, you might be surprised when the rumble of a power generator delivers a different sensation than a reverberating boiler. A less subtle, but no less effective trick, includes the DualSense mimicking your pounding pulse while you're tasked with keeping the controller completely still.

Until Dawn has also stripped out its predecessor's fixed camera for a closer, over-the-shoulder view that offers far more freedom. In a game that's often controlled with quick-time events, it feels good to have a bit more leeway when simply exploring, taking in the sights, or searching for collectibles. And on the topic of shiny trinkets, this updated take has also added more hidden totems, and creepy wood carvings that trigger deadly premonitions when interacted with.

(Image credit: Sony)

Until Dawn's most notable enhancements undoubtedly deliver a more cinematic, immersive experience, ensuring the game is back in my regular nightmare rotation. Still, I would've liked to see these updates complemented with some fresh content or new features that better justify its $60 price tag. 

The story's prologue has been, er, fleshed out a bit more, and new post-credits scenes do offer some fun surprises. But these inclusions, while welcome, generally feel like director's cut extras rather than significant additions. All that said, if you've never played the original or you're a super-fan looking to have your pants scared off all over again Until Dawn's got you covered like a blood-soaked sweater. 

Accessibility

Keeping in line with Sony's more recent first-party releases, Until Dawn features far more accessibility options than its predecessor. Before starting the game, it offers multiple selections for subtitles and a screen reader. Once inside the game, you can dig deeper into these specific features by going into the settings menu. Various other adjustments, from content censoring and camera movement to gameplay difficulty and even the ability to disable the game's "don't move" challenges, can also be tweaked in the settings menu. 

Should I play Until Dawn?

(Image credit: Sony) Play it if…

You're a horror fan seeking your next fix
Until Dawn is as close as you'll come to a playable slasher movie. It's also incredibly accessible, so even if you're not much of a gamer – but love the idea of interacting with a horror movie – you’ll be able to dive right in. 

You loved the game, but haven't returned to Blackwood Mountain since
Until Dawn is the same game you remember, but with significantly better visuals and other presentational upgrades that complement its cinematic qualities. It's the definitive version of the horror classic. 

Don’t play it if…

You remember the original well
While Until Dawn looks a whole lot prettier and benefits from a few other tweaks, its story and core gameplay are unchanged. If the original was a one-and-done for you, the remake won't convince you to come back.

How I reviewed Until Dawn

I spent about fifteen hours playing Until Dawn, completing its eight or so-hour campaign before replaying some portions to test out the choice-driven dialog systems and other features – like keeping characters alive – that encourage replayability. 

I paid particular attention to the various graphical upgrades, as well as the new DualSense integration. I also fired up the original version to compare both the visual and the new over-the-shoulder camera.

I played on my PlayStation 5, using a DualSense Wireless Controller, on a budget model TCL 4K display with HDR. I primarily tested with the television's stereo audio but also played for a few hours with PlayStation's Pulse Explore earbuds. I also paired the latter with PlayStation Portal, which made for some especially spooky sessions while tucked into bed.

First reviewed October 2024.

DJI Air 3S: one-minute review

The Air 3S is the latest flagship model in DJI’s mid-range Air series of consumer camera drones, supplanting the July 2023-launched DJI Air 3. Like the Air 3, the Air 3S’s main draw is its two-camera setup: instead of a single camera for aerial photos and video, its camera module pairs wide-angle and medium-telephoto cameras, mounted on a three-axis gimbal on the drone’s nose.

In many ways – physical design, specifications, battery life, and pricing – the Air 3S and Air 3 are close, if not virtually indistinguishable. That being said, the Air 3S does offer a couple of notable improvements over its predecessor: a larger image sensor on one of its cameras, and a more effective omnidirectional object-sensing system to help it avoid mid-air collisions with obstacles. With the front-facing sensors now powered by LiDAR rather than standard vision tech, DJI says the Air 3S is better at navigating tricky terrain at night. It’s also packed with technology that makes it easy to fly, including automatic take-off and landing, advanced return-to-home flight, and super-stable video transmission courtesy of DJI’s O4 system. The battery life is very impressive too, with a full charge providing up to 45 minutes of flight time.

The cameras are both excellent, able to shoot raw photos and 10-bit 4K video at 60fps (120fps in slow-motion mode) with HLG or D-Log M color profiles that allow more flexibility in post-production. Users can expect up to 14 stops of dynamic range, plus superb stability in footage thanks to the three-axis gimbal. The new larger sensor on the wide-angle camera, meanwhile, gives the Air 3S a distinct advantage over the Air 3 when it comes to shooting in lower-light conditions.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

DJI suggests that the Air 3S’s compact size and camera arrangement make it ideal for travel photography and video, but potential buyers should note that its take-off weight puts it in a class of drone that requires much more regulatory and administrative hoop-jumping than an ultra-lightweight model like the DJI Mini 4 Pro. EU- and UK-based users will need to have completed a paid competency course and passed an exam in order to fly it in almost any public space or built-up area, and US-based users will have to register the drone and pass an exam.

If you can live with the paperwork and revision, however, the DJI Air 3S is a truly fantastic mid-range camera drone that’s safe and easy to fly, capable of capturing gorgeous photos and videos, and only a little more expensive than the Air 3. If you already own the latter, we’d suggest you stick with it for now, but for anyone upgrading from an entry-level drone, the Air 3S represents a logical progression.

DJI Air 3S: release date and price

• Released October 15 2024
• Base kit costs $1,099 / £959 / AU$1,699
• Fly More Combo bundles from $1,399 / £1,239 / AU$2,129

The DJI Air 3S is available to buy from the day it was announced to the world: October 15 2024.

At launch, it’s available in three different configurations. The base kit, which consists of the drone, a single battery and an RC-N3 controller, costs $1,099 / £959 / AU$1,699, and there are also two Fly More Combo bundles available. These include the drone, three batteries, a battery charging hub, an ND filter set and a shoulder bag, in addition to a controller. The Fly More Combo with an RC N3 controller costs $1,399 / £1,239 / AU$2,129, and the Fly More Combo with an RC N2 controller costs $1,599 / £1,439 / AU$2,429.

This makes the Air 3S slightly more expensive than the Air 3, as you’d expect, slightly cheaper than the larger Mavic 3 Classic and significantly cheaper than the Mavic 3 Pro.

• Price score: 4.5/5

DJI Air 3S: specs DJI Air 3S: design and handling

• Compact folding design
• Weight puts it in UK A2 subcategory
• Level 6 wind resistance (up to 12m/s or 26mph)
• 42GB of internal storage plus microSD card slot

The Air 3S sports a folding design that’ll be familiar to anyone who’s encountered a DJI Mini, Air or Mavic drone before: a blocky main body with a gimbal-mounted camera at the nose and space for a battery at the back, plus four fold-out arms holding the motors and rotors that keep the drone airborne.

When fully folded it’s compact and lightweight enough to carry around in a small bag – although with extras like a controller and spare batteries you’ll probably want to carry it in something with a bit of room and extra protection. I found that the shoulder bag that comes with the Fly More Combo bundles does the job perfectly, as it features padded partitions to keep all the elements snugly and safely in place, plus a zip-up pocket for cables, spare propellers, ND filters and the like. DJI also supplies the Air 3S with a hard plastic cover to keep the delicate camera and gimbal protected during transport.

Image 1 of 4

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 2 of 4

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 3 of 4

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 4 of 4

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

At 724g take-off weight, the Air 3S is subject to more restrictions on its use than a sub-250g drone like the DJI Mini 4K. In the US, for instance, recreational Air 3S users will need to register their drone with the FAA and have passed the TRUST exam. In the UK, recreational users, in addition to getting a flyer ID and passing the CAA’s free online theory test, will also need to fly the Air 3S at least 50m away from people and 150m from ‘residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas', with the latter including parks, beaches and the like. UK pilots who take and pass the A2 CofC course (which costs around £100 and requires taking a 90-minute invigilated exam) will be able to fly their drone in the above areas, provided it remains at least 50m from people.

So, the Air 3S’s weight does present an issue that sub-250g drones do not. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means – anyone willing to put in a bit of time, effort and money into learning how drones work can have a lot of legal fun with this thing – but I think it’s enough to put off casual users. They should just get a Mini or DJI Neo instead.

I found the Air 3S to be a solidly constructed piece of equipment and, while I’ll talk about its flight capabilities in the next section of this review, its sturdiness and motor power mean it can stand up to pretty strong winds, hovering in place in gusts of up to 12m/s or 26mph.

It’s flown with a remote controller. For this review, I used the touchscreen-equipped, 420g RC 2 controller, which is also solidly built and comfortable in the hand. It has a bright 5.5-inch Full HD screen, 32GB of storage capacity, and controls for both flight and camera functions. It connects to the drone in seconds, and it’s just excellent all-round, and I much prefer it to having to mess around with my iPhone and a smaller controller.

The drone’s connectivity is nice and simple. At the back there's a USB-C port which can be used to charge the battery or transfer data, plus a microSD slot for storing videos and photos. However, you may not need to use the latter, as DJI has added 42GB of on-board storage here – room enough for about one hour of 4K/60p footage, 2.5 hours of FHD/60p footage, over 2,200 raw photos or 5,400 JPEGs.

• Design score: 4.5/5

DJI Min 4K: features and performance

• Up to 45 minutes flying time per battery
• Automatic return-to-home feature
• Omnidirectional obstacle sensing including forward-facing LiDAR
• Up to 20km transmission distance

When it comes to flight performance and safety, the Air 3S improves even on the strong showing of previous Air and Mavic drones.

The battery life is roughly the same as the Air 3’s, lasting an impressive 45 minutes in ideal conditions. In reality, due to wind speed and other factors, you’ll get significantly less, but I never felt any major anxiety over the battery running low while flying due to the strong starting point. I also had two additional batteries to use as I was sent the Fly More Combo for testing, so I could land the drone, quickly swap out a flagging battery for a fresh one and get back in the air, all within a minute or so.

Batteries can be charged on the go ‘in-drone’ using the USB-C port, but the Fly More Combo’s charging hub does things much better. Not only can it accommodate three batteries at once, charging them in sequence; it can also consolidate the remaining battery power from two half-spent batteries into a third. Charging speed varies depending on the power adapter used, but a DJI 100W adapter will refill an empty battery in about one hour.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Flying itself is about as simple as it gets. The controller’s flight app takes care of a lot of the busy work (you press a button on the touchscreen to take off, for instance), and GPS means the drone can be brought back to its home point at any time for a safe landing; it’ll also return to home automatically in the event of the signal being lost or the battery reaching low levels. As with most DJI drones there are three flight modes: Normal, Cine (which slows things down to help you get smooth video), and Sport, which turns off safety features and increases the top speed to around 21m/s (or about 50mph).

The twin stick controls are easy to learn, and the Air 3S flies much like any other quadcopter – as someone who’s been flying them for over a decade now, very little has changed except for battery life and the level of safety features, both of which just keep getting better. The Air 3S has omnidirectional object sensing, allowing it to avoid crashing into trees, lampposts and the like (either by braking automatically or re-routing itself around them), and is DJI’s first drone to use LiDAR for the front-facing sensors. DJI claims that this helps to make the obstacle detection far more effective at night, where traditional vision-based sensors can fail to spot objects.

Due to UK restrictions about flying in public parks or built-up places, I wasn’t able to test the Air 3S’s obstacle-dodging capabilities as rigorously as I would have liked, but even during some dusk-time flying I noticed the directional sensor indicators blinking on the controller’s screen when I was taking off and landing the drone. I would say, though, that the front-facing LiDAR isn’t going to help object sensing with obstacles to the side or rear of the drone at night. These sensors still use vision to detect things, and in low light they don’t work as well. So you'll still need to exercise caution at night.

DJI’s O4 video transmission system (the same as used on the Air 3) is robust and slick, beaming a low-latency FHD/60fps image live from the Air 3S’s camera to the RC 2’s screen. I never had it cut out or even stutter during the week I was testing the drone. That said, even though the transmission’s theoretical range is up to 20km I never flew the Air 3S further than a few hundred meters from me due to UK drone laws dictating that drones must remain in visual range of the operator.

In terms of special flight modes, the Air 3S features ActiveTrack 360º, which debuted on the DJI Mini 4 Pro and was later added to the Air 3 via firmware update. This feature allows you to drag a box around a subject on the touchscreen and have the drone perform movements around it while keeping it centered in the shot, all while using its obstacle detection system to avoid crashing. The idea is that you can walk, run, ride a bike, ski or skateboard and the drone will automatically follow along, effortlessly dodging potential obstacles while moving around you and creating cinematic shots.

• Features score: 4.5/5

DJI Air 3S: image and video quality

• Dual-camera setup (wide-angle and medium-tele)
• 1-inch (wide-angle) and 1/1.3-inch (medium-tele) sensors
• 4K video at up to 120fps and 2.7K vertical shooting
• DNG raw and JPEG still photos

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

The Air 3 has a dual-camera array, with wide-angle (equivalent to 24mm on a standard 35mm camera) and medium-telephoto (equivalent to 70mm) options to switch between. The Air 3S has practically the same setup but better, thanks to DJI upping the physical size of the wide-angle camera’s CMOS sensor from 1/1.3-inch to 1-inch. The tele camera keeps the same 1/1.3-inch CMOS as the Air 3’s. Both cameras’ lenses are fixed-aperture, so videographers will probably want to ensure they get hold of DJI’s ND filter set in order to use slower shutter speeds on sunny days.

I think having more than one camera on a drone is a brilliant asset. The tele lens really expands the Air 3S’s creative options, both by allowing it to get ‘closer’ to subjects while staying physically far away and by giving it the ability to compress perspective to give a scene a different look. There’s a digital zoom option for both cameras, but it does noticeably soften the video quality, and I tried to avoid using it in order to keep my videos and photos as sharp and crisp as possible.

Image 1 of 9

DJI Air 3S shot with wide-angle camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 2 of 9

DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 3 of 9

DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 4 of 9

DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 5 of 9

DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 6 of 9

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 7 of 9

DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 8 of 9

DJI Air 3S shot with wide-angle camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Image 9 of 9

DJI Air 3S shot with medium tele camera (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

DJI has packed a lot of video and photo options into the Air 3S, albeit nothing that really surpasses the range of options that comes with the original Air 3. Both the wide-angle and tele camera can capture 4K video at 24/25/30/48/50/60/120fps (with 120 reserved for slow-motion footage), FHD video at the same frame rates plus 240fps (again, with 120 and 240fps reserved for slow-motion), and TikTok-friendly 2.7K vertical 9:16 video at 24/25/30/48/50/60fps. Video can be captured in normal, HLG and D-Log M color modes, with 8-bit and 10-bit options for normal (HLG and D-Log M are always 10-bit) encoded in H.264 or H.265.

Photos can be capturing in DNG raw format and/or JPEG. The wide-angle camera takes photos at 12MP or 50MP resolution, while the medium tele takes them at 12MP or 48MP resolution.

The major difference between the cameras here and on the original Air 3 is the larger sensor on the wide-angle camera, which boosts its performance, particularly in low-light situations.

As you can see from the photo and video samples above, image quality is generally excellent – including in those tricky dusk and night-time conditions. I thought the Air 3 was a fine performer in this regard already, but the Air 3S’s larger sensor bumps the wide-angle camera’s low-light capabilities; these images look clean, clear and noise-free in situations where smaller sensor 4K cameras, like the one on the DJI Mini 4 Pro, would struggle.

I had a blast color-correcting and grading the footage shot in 10-bit D-Log M. I used DaVinci Resolve Studio 19 for this, which already includes some DJI LUTs for converting D-Log M footage. There was plenty of scope for grading here, and aerial videographers who want to create great-looking footage and have maximum control over the end results will love what the Air 3S’s cameras can do.

• Image quality score: 4.5/5

DJI Air 3S sample video 4K DJI Air 3S: testing scorecard

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen) Should I buy the DJI Air 3S? Buy it if...

You need a two-camera drone
The Air 3S’s dual-camera setup opens up a world of new shooting possibilities. If you’re used to wide-angle only, having the extra camera feels like a breath of fresh air.

The Mavic 3 Pro is too expensive
The triple-camera Mavic 3 Pro is still the pinnacle of DJI’s consumer range – and still pricey. If you want something approaching its capabilities at a much cheaper price, the Air 3S is ideal.

You want great battery life
Up to 45 minutes from a full battery takes much of the time-related anxiety out of flying. And you'll get three times that with the Fly More Combo bundle.

Don't buy it if...

You want a casual camera drone
The price and weight class of the Air 3S makes it more suited to drone experts than beginners. If you’re starting out, a cheaper sub-250g drone like the DJI Mini or Neo is a much better choice.

You already own a DJI Air 3
The Air 3S is an improvement on its predecessor, but not enough of one to warrant an expensive upgrade – unless you’re really picky about low-light video performance.

DJI Air 3S: also consider DJI Mini 4 Pro

Currently our favourite sub-250g drone around, the Mini 4 Pro is an ultra-lightweight folding drone that can be legally flown almost anywhere. It doesn’t lack for advanced features, though, with omnidirectional object avoidance tech and a fantastic gimbal-mounted 4K camera.

Read our in-depth DJI Mini 4 Pro review

DJI Mavic 3 Pro

The world’s first triple-camera consumer drone is about as versatile and high-quality as it gets for aerial imaging without spending many thousands of dollars or pounds. It’s easy and safe to fly too, but its 900g weight means it’s subject to the same legal flight restrictions as the Air 3S.

Read our in-depth DJI Mavic 3 Pro review

How I tested the DJI Air 3S

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

• One week of use
• Flown with the DJI RC 2 Controller
• Camera tested in sunny, cloudy, windy and low-light conditions

I’ve been testing the DJI Air 3S for a week using pre-launch firmware and the Fly More Combo, which meant I had a couple of extra batteries and the RC 2 touchscreen controller, plus the ND filter set and a nice sturdy bag to carry everything around in.

I flew the drone in a variety of locations near my home on the English coast, including in potentially tricky windy and low-light conditions, although legal restrictions meant I couldn’t fly it close to buildings or in public parks, which did make testing out the drone’s obstacle avoidance system quite hard.

I captured photos and videos in a wide variety of formats, editing and adjusting my images and clips using Adobe Lightroom and DaVinci Resolve 19 on my computer.

First reviewed October 2024

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch
Available on: Nintendo Switch
Release date: October 17, 2024 

With the holidays fast approaching, you can’t really go wrong with a new Mario Party game as the best way to bring people together or drive each other crazy. Super Mario Party Jamboree is even more special as the third entry on the Nintendo Switch, which feels like a big blowout for both the series and the console, as it takes the best of everything to make it the Mario Party with the biggest and most varied amount of content for every type of player.

Motion controls are back for those who enjoyed them in Super Mario Party, though if you didn’t you can opt out as they only take up a small portion of the more than 110 minigames in Jamboree. There are even more options for online multiplayer, including two modes made exclusively for online play (or AI if matchmaking becomes an issue). 

Minimayhem

(Image credit: Nintendo)

For newcomers, the Switch game Super Mario Party Jamboree is essentially an interactive board game where up to four players roll (or rather bump) dice to move across a range of lovingly designed Mario-themed boards, competing to win coins and in turn obtain stars to come out on top. That’s the civil description, as of course it also involves a lot of shenanigans with minigames where you’re actively screwing over your rivals to bag the most coins or having to work together in 2v2 or 3v1 minigames.

Those underhanded tactics, often based on luck, also play out on the board themselves, each with different mechanics and paths to take. For example, on Goomba Lagoon, the changing tide might find you stranded and going around in circles for a couple of turns, and while the star is always at the same location in Mario’s Rainbow Castle, you can flip the rules so that your rival has the misfortune of collecting a fake star instead. Nothing however is quite as evil as getting a Boo to steal stars for you.

Best bit

(Image credit: Nintendo)

As a fan of rhythm games as well as being a bit of a foodie, I couldn’t help but instantly take to Rhythm Kitchen, which combines well-timed motion-controlled shaking with food-themed minigames. From spreading butter on bread slices to skewering meats and vegetables flying towards you, it’s all rather delightful. For those less motion-inclined, there’s also some mouthwateringly-rendered food in button-based minigames that can also be grouped together in Minigame Bay’s Daily Challenges.

This level of unpredictability is, much like the controversial blue shell in Mario Kart, Nintendo’s unique brand of leveling the playing field, so that no matter how good or bad you think you are at Mario Party, everyone’s got a chance to be a superstar. Even then, minigames, from the super-short item minigames to the gauntlets required to obtain an ally character who can also double your rewards, are simple and intuitive enough for players of all skill levels to understand, while by default you can practice as long as they like until everyone’s ready to play the minigame for real.

Suffice to say that much of what makes Mario Party work so well is being able to play together, so I found the board mechanics and watching everyone to have their turn tedious when just playing solo with AI players, even with the option to speed up some animations. Boards can be played online too, and there are some charming emotes you can use, which have also been designed so that trolls can’t spam them repeatedly, but even post-pandemic, it’s a poor substitute to being in the same room. If you are going to play online, then I can only recommend setting up a group with friends instead of random matchmaking and to also have your own separate voice chat group rather than the Switch Online app. 

Don't play alone

(Image credit: Nintendo)

While the main attraction, boards are just one aspect of Super Mario Party Jamboree, as you can traverse this bountiful party resort, reminiscent of Wii Sports Resort’s Wuhu Island, and pick a range of other modes, while the Party Plaza hub also contains what you could call the game’s single-player campaign; Party-Planner Trek.

It’s the weakest element of the package, since playing Mario Party by yourself can feel like a drag outside of minigames. It’s all the more peculiar that it guts the boards of their inventive mechanics as you simply move across them freely while ticking off a series of mundane fetch quests to earn mini-stars. It may be a short campaign but I still resented playing this mode in order to rank up with achievements and unlock game content. Your mileage may vary with unlockables, but I found it frustrating that the game’s newest features, such as new playable characters Pauline and Ninji, require jumping through a bunch of hoops first. 

Faring better is side content that cuts out the futz and focuses on minigames. Minigame Bay is the perfect pitstop for short burst sessions, whether you want to play whichever of the more than 110 minigames available or jump into the Daily Challenge, with a selection of minigames grouped into themes. I was however most taken by the bespoke motion-themed islands, such as Toad’s Item Factory, a series of puzzle challenges as players guide balls around to a goal using motion-controlled platforms and blocks, and which feels fun even when soloing. 

For the times when getting people together is impossible, there are also online-specific modes. Compared to the stop-start of co-op-based Bowser Kaboomb Squad, the 20-player Koopathlon has a peculiar charm to it as you’re competing against other players but almost always in parallel. Each minigame you’re thrown into gives you the chance to collect as many coins, which in turn keeps your character moving along a racetrack that’s also visible to the right of the screen. It’s a refreshing mode in a post-Fall Guys world and one that may have the most staying power, given its also button-only minigames make it easy to jump into for a quick handheld session. 

Accessibility

Super Mario Party Jamboree doesn’t have accessibility settings as such but you’ll have the option to toggle various settings before the start of any mode. These include adjusting difficulty, whether or not to start each minigame with a tutorial, or the option to turn off motion minigames. Note that there are no alternate button controls for motion minigames, which means modes such as Rhythm Kitchen will be inaccessible if you’re not able to play with the required control configuration.

(Image credit: Nintendo) Should you play Super Mario Party Jamboree? Play it if...

You love having people over for couch multiplayer
Getting up to four people together in front of the TV is the way Super Mario Party Jamboree is best experienced, providing all manner of charm, hilarity, and shenanigans that anyone can enjoy.

You’re after a varied party package
There’s not just a large selection of boards but other modes, including some dedicated to motion controls, that provide a good variety if you’re after a quick burst of fun.

Don't play it if...

You’re prefer single-player Mario adventures
The joy of Super Mario Party Jamboree comes from playing with others in the same room. While there are single-player and online options, they pale compared to good old couch multiplayer.

How I reviewed Super Mario Party 

I played Super Mario Party Jamboree for more than 15 hours on my Nintendo Switch OLED, which included multiple local multiplayer sessions. I was able to complete the single-player campaign, unlock all the party boards, try every minigame, and unlock lots if not all cosmetic items. Nintendo didn’t host online play sessions during the review period, so my experience with the online modes was limited to playing with AI players.

I played primarily in docked mode on an LG C2 OLED TV and played with a single Joy-Con, which is the default configuration if you want to swap between button and motion minigames. I also spent some time playing in handheld mode, which didn’t impact visuals and performance but would mean I wouldn’t be able to access motion-based minigames.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: October 11, 2024

Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series developer Atlus is back with its first original franchise in years in the form of Metaphor: ReFantazio. This new game trades in the modern-day Japan backdrop for a decidedly dark fantasy setting - something we haven’t really seen from Atlus since the Etrian Odyssey series.

However, Metaphor’s take on fantasy is remarkably different from its peers - and it’s highly ambitious. The game presents a world racked by discrimination and a broken class system in which church and state very much operate hand in hand. It explores how peoples’ fear and anxiety can be weaponized against them - and how that can cause people to confidently act against their own best interests time and again.

This - paired with an evolution of Atlus’s challenging ‘press turn’ battle system that merges the best elements of the developer’s other franchises - makes for a constantly engaging role-playing game (RPG) that never once grew stale across its mammoth 80-hour runtime. With all that said, Metaphor: ReFantazio is easily the best RPG of the year, one of Atlus’s best games to date, and shouldn’t be missed whether you’re familiar with the developer’s back catalog or not. 

Fight for your right

(Image credit: Atlus)

Metaphor: ReFantazio’s world is inhabited by numerous humanoid tribes, each with their own defining features such as horns, wings, or facial markings. Most of the tribes tend to keep to themselves, with rarely a nice thing to say about one another. Most have also fallen into the teaching of the Sanctist Church, which also acts as the world’s primary governing body.

Our protagonist hails from the eldan tribe, a near-extinct race defined by the fact that they have no, well, defining physical features at all. They are the closest to resembling real-world humans and thus are the most shunned of all of Metaphor’s societies. What the game refers to as ‘humans’ are instead towering, demonic monstrosities that roam the land, terrorizing countryside and communities both. You can see a bit of meta-commentary starting to form there, then, but to divulge more here would be to encroach on spoiler territory.

The story in Metaphor begins as the world is thrust into a rite of royal succession. The culprit is a high-ranking military man known as Count Louis. After assassinating the king in cold blood and placing a curse on the prince that puts him into a coma, we, as the prince’s aide, are tasked with bringing the Count to justice. However, that’s much easier said than done; while the populace knows Count Louis to be the culprit, discontent with the royal family and the Sanctist Church have made him a popular figure and thus a frontrunner to succeed the throne.

Best bit

(Image credit: Atlus)

The battle system in Metaphor: ReFantazio is its crown jewel. Archetypes are a phenomenal evolution of both Personas and Shin Megami Tensei’s highly customizable demon builds. Being encouraged to change up your party and archetype composition between quests and dungeons means you’ll constantly have your thinking cap on when it comes to clearing content as efficiently as possible.

Much of Metaphor’s narrative revolves around the ‘Tournament for the Throne’- a contest set into motion by the deceased king. It’s here where our protagonist and his band of comrades must make a name for themselves in order to be considered worthy of Louis’ attention.

It’s an eclectic and diverse bunch, too. There’s Strohl - a nobleman’s son bent on killing Louis after razing his village to the ground - as well as Hulkenberg, a decorated royal knight who blames herself for being unable to protect the family in her charge. And that’s just the first two party members; the rest each have their own vibrant personalities, motivations and backgrounds that are equally rich and tragic. I’m also a huge fan of the wide variety of British accents used in the game’s English dub, ranging from East London ‘cockney’ and Welsh to Irish and Liverpudlian.

Overall, Metaphor: ReFantazio presents a constantly gripping story that I found incredibly difficult to step away from. It’s a veritable virtual page-turner where I often found myself playing into the wee hours of the night just to unfurl the next chain of unpredictable events. 

Royal beggars

(Image credit: Atlus)

The flow of gameplay in Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like a broad mixture of systems from other Atlus games. Like the Persona series, Metaphor features a calendar, but it only covers about four months as opposed to a year. The tradeoff there, then, is that you’re not attending school in Metaphor, and therefore there’s more you can do in a single day. Days are broadly split into two halves; day and night. Performing an activity consumes one of these halves, unless you’re exploring a dungeon, which will take up the whole day.

Metaphor repurposes Persona’s social link system as ‘Followers.’ There are 14 of these that’ll gradually unlock over the course of the game, and includes your party members and non-player characters (NPCs) that play a key role in the narrative. Improving your standing with your followers is crucial, as you can unlock various benefits such as increased battle experience, cheaper rates at shops, and new Archetypes to take into combat (more on those later).

You’ll also have opportunities to perform activities that increase the protagonist’s five Royal Virtues. These are Courage, Wisdom, Tolerance, Eloquence and Imagination, and upgrading them is essential to unlocking further bonuses with your Followers. My tip would be to spend your free days improving these, if you don’t have any dungeons to explore or present Follower conversations to see to.

Tasks like these will most often be done in the days you have before a plot-crucial deadline, which usually comes in the form of clearing one of the game’s major dungeons. I often found myself planning out my days in advance, and there’s a great deal of satisfaction in clearing up your to-do list with enough time to spare.

What's your Archetype?

(Image credit: Atlus)

Metaphor: ReFantazio employs Atlus’s ‘press turn’ style of battle system most commonly found in the Shin Megami Tensei series. Essentially, on your turn, you’ll have up to four actions based on the number of characters in your party. By attacking, guarding, or using an item, you’ll consume one of these actions by default. However, hitting an enemy’s elemental weakness (or passing a character’s action onto another) will only consume ‘half’ of it, thus increasing the number of actions you can perform in a whole turn. On the other hand, if an enemy dodges, blocks or repels your attacks, you’ll lose precious actions or possibly even your whole turn.

As a result, battles will typically either be a resounding success or a crushing disaster. Mercifully, Atlus has thrown in some lifelines this time. You can choose to restart a battle at any time (with enemy weakness and resistance analysis carrying over), and the game isn’t instantly over if the protagonist dies in battle.

The real genius of Metaphor’s battle system, though, is Archetypes, which feel more like traditional RPG classes that each bring their own sets of skills and abilities.These are Persona-esque summoned entities in appearance, but they really feel more like Shin Megami Tensei’s demons, with all the customizability and player expression those bring.

Also, there are zero restrictions on party members equipping different Archetypes. Unlike Persona, it’s not just the protagonist that gets free reign. As a result, different quests and dungeons will typically require you to change up your party and Archetype composition each time. For example, some enemies may be susceptible to a specific element, encouraging you to bring along magic casters. Others, rather humorously, might be enraged if they so much as see a staff, implying you should bring along a number of melee-based Archetypes.

(Image credit: Atlus)

Now, party members do have base stats to consider. Hulkenberg has high Endurance by default, making her excel with tankier Archetypes like the Knight or the Brawler. Heismay (a former knight hailing from the mouse-like eugief tribe) is physically weaker but has naturally high Agility, meaning Thief and Gunner Archetypes are perfect for him. Strohl is something of an all-rounder, making him handy for trying out specialist Archetypes like Merchant (which has attacks that literally cost money) and Faker (which specializes in applying debuffs to enemies).

Archetypes also have some leeway in which skills they can equip with up to four free slots with which they can inherit skills from others. This means that you can carry over skills that you regularly rely on should a quest or dungeon require you to change up your Archetypes. Each also has its own set of resistances and elemental weaknesses, which you’ll need to take into account to avoid enemies getting too much of an advantage.

To summarize, I think this is Atlus’s most rich and in-depth battle system to date. You simply can’t plow through the entire game relying on the same handful of Archetypes; you’re constantly asked to adapt to the situation at hand. This means you’ll get plenty of use out of every party member (there’s little room for choosing favorites here), and discovering which Archetypes are best suited to each - not to mention unlocking more powerful versions of them - is an adventure in itself.

Delightfully dystopian

(Image credit: Atlus)

While not the most visually stunning game on the market, Metaphor: ReFantazio nonetheless sells its setting with incredible art direction. The brutalist architecture of the royal capital of Grand Trad is striking, as are its dingy alleyways where the least fortunate in society congregate. Even in more seemingly well-to-do areas like the castle town of Martira or the port of Brilehaven feel like they’re subtly stagnating, helped in part by the deliberately drab color palette that goes a long way to sell the grim fantasy setting. It’s certainly Atlus’s grittiest-feeling game - probably since the PlayStation 2’s Digital Devil Saga.

The game’s soundtrack is also a highlight with renowned composer Shoji Meguro returning for the score. Here, he trades in the infectious pop beats of Persona and the grimy rock sound of earlier Shin Megami Tensei games for something more orchestral and offbeat. The battle themes are the crowning achievement here, for sure; while they took some time to grow on me, the fast-paced, almost overbearing chanting really helps drive battles forward.

Unfortunately there are some performance issues that Atlus should look to iron out with future updates. Atlus targets 60 frames per second (fps) here, but it can chug as low as 30fps in busier city areas and when traveling between zones. It does hold up better in battles and in dungeons, but overall performance is currently a blemish on an otherwise pristine package.

Accessibility

Metaphor: ReFantazio has no dedicated accessibility features, though it does have a robust difficulty selection for those who want to tailor their experience. Players can also choose to enable a network function that shows how others spend their in-game days, offering a handy bit of guidance in case you’re torn between multiple choices.

Should I play Metaphor: ReFantazio? Play it if...

You want a truly unique dark fantasy RPG
By combining the best bits of its other series and marrying those with a firmly gripping narrative, Atlus has crafted a truly unique turn-based RPG that’s also among the best stories it has ever told.

You love highly customizable parties
Metaphor’s Archetypes mean that no two quests or dungeons are going to feel the same, and you’ll be constantly encouraged to switch up your composition, skills, and abilities for the best chance at success. 

Don't play it if...

You prefer modern settings
The grim fantasy setting of Metaphor: ReFantazio may not be to your liking if you’re more at home with Persona’s comfier modern-day adventures. 

You don’t like turn-based combat
If you prefer action RPGs or faster-paced battle systems, you might not get on with the relatively slower turn-based affair here - even if the UI and animations are perfectly snappy and responsive.

How I reviewed Metaphor: ReFantazio

My full playthrough from start to credits for Metaphor: ReFantazio lasted around 85 hours on the Normal difficulty setting. During this time, I was able to max out all Follower ranks, unlock most Archetypes and complete most side quests in addition to completing the main story.

Being a fan of the RPG genre and having played almost all major Atlus releases since the PS2’s Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne, I’ve been able to experience the developer’s growth of its turn-based battle systems and storytelling over the years. With Metaphor: ReFantazio, I found a relatively much more mature story and arguably its most refined battle system to date.

I played through the game on PS5 on an LG CX OLED TV, using a DualSense Edge controller, occasionally playing with a JBL Quantum 910P gaming headset which really helped the game’s soundtrack to pop.

First reviewed October 2024.

JBL Tour Pro 3: Two-minute review

Sometimes, we can become victims of our own success. Are the new JBL Tour Pro 3 some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds I've ever tested? They're emphatically the most feature-packed I've ever used, bar none, and that is wholly commendable. A quick scroll through the on-screen menu options is testament to that. These flagship earbuds do so much; to your music, to the voice of anyone you talk to during calls, to the ambient sounds around you, to your in-game experience, to broadcast audio to your friends – I could go on (I will go on, don't worry).

So why do you sense a 'but' coming? Well, since the arrival of the January 2023-issue JBL Tour Pro 2 upon which this third-gen flagship set are built, JBL has offered much of its once-flagship tech to the cheaper Live 3 earbuds (which come in three flavors: 'toothbrush-head' Beam, 'open-ear-ish' Flex and 'no-tail' Buds propositions) including that super-impressive smart case. Which is good, right?

Yes, except it means that justifying the price hike from $199.95 / £179.99 for the excellent JBL Live Beam 3 up to $299.99 / £279.99 for the Tour Pro 3 isn't easy. And making a case for buying the flagship set only becomes harder when you discover that the more budget set is now available for a bit less; a quick UK scan proved you can buy the Live Beam 3 for £149.99 – and I'd suggest that they're amazing value for that money.

(Image credit: Future)

So what are the upgrades here? Let's not mess around, I'll tell you right now: you now get two color choices – black and a new 'latte' caramel-type finish – and the screen is 30% larger than the older Tour. Also the case a little smaller than that of the Tour Pro 2, but it's still bigger than the Live Beam 3.

The headline-grabber is that this case is now a transmitter (see the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 or LG Tone Free T90S for similar) meaning that with the included 3.5mm-to-USB-C cable, you can hook up to the in-flight movie system in your airplane seat (say) and broadcast the audio to your buds – but like B&W's option, it'll do it in high-quality audio, this time using LE Audio and the LC3 codec.

The JBL Tour Pro 3's case is also one of the first registered Auracast source devices in portable audio, which means anyone in the vicinity with Auracast-enabled headphones (there aren't too many about right now, but they're coming) could also join to hear the sound being transmitted, and you can add a password if you don't want random listeners hooking up to your broadcast.

JBL's Spatial Audio 360 is onboard too, which now includes head-tracked, device-agnostic immersive audio helped by an updated algorithm; L/R balance optimization; 12 EQ bands to tailor things sonically and JBL's new Personi-Fi 3.0 update. Personi-Fi helps to personalize the sound to your liking, creating a sound profile based on your hearing by giving you an otoacoustic test of sorts (more on this later).

Under the driver housing there's now a hybrid 10.2mm cellulose dynamic driver coupled with a 5.1mm x 2.8mm balanced armature setup, which splits the audio signal so different frequencies go to their optimized drivers. Codec support is also better: in addition to SBC and AAC, hi-res LDAC joins the party when listening wirelessly – great news for Sony Xperia or other Android phone owners.

JBL also claims its new AI algorithm means the company's True Adaptive Noise Cancellation 2.0 with 'smart calibration' is actually able to tackle what it calls 'incident noises' – think unusual, one-off sounds rather than constant jet engine cabin noise.

If that sounds like a lot for it to offer over the Live Beam 3, it is and it isn't. The difference in screen size is negligible to the eye and for me the case is a touch on the bulky side to be truly pocketable. It'll come down to whether you want that head-tracked spatial audio (which is very good indeed), the transmitter in the case, and/or an Auracast source device. If you're not worried about those last two perks, I cannot build a compelling case for paying the significant price hike over the Live Beam 3.

Add to this the fact that for me, the Tour Pro 3 earbuds themselves are on the large side (despite the addition of foam tips as well as silicone, I struggled to get them to stay put in my ears) plus the fact that, like the cheaper set, you still need to make a compromise in terms of on-ear control options and you'll see why I can't give them the full five stars – or the 4.5-star verdict their cheaper siblings get – despite the plethora of perks.

JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Price & release date

• Unveiled on August 21, 2024
• Priced $299.95 / £279.99 / (approx.) AU$545

OK, so the JBL Tour Pro 3 are not cheap. What to say about the asking price? Well, the aforementioned flagship Bowers & Wilkins earbuds (which coincidentally launched on the same day and also offer a case transmission feature – but no spatial audio processing) are even more expensive, at $399 / £349 / AU$699.

Elsewhere, Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds also come in at $299 / £299 / AU$449; Technics' excellent EAH-AZ80 are $299 / £259 / AU$499 as well, and the Final ZE8000 MK2 are $399 / £289 (around AU$609), where available.

It's worth noting that the older Tour Pro 2 launched in January 2023 at MSRPs of $249.95 / £220 / AU$350, so there's been a $50 / £50 price hike this time around. Given the upgraded specs listed, you could say that the new asking fee doesn't seem unreasonable. On the other hand, I really think the small matter of the splendid $199.95 / £179.99 / AU$249 JBL Live Beam 3 remains a thorn in this Pro set's side…

(Image credit: Future) JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Specs JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Features

• Excellent spatial audio with head-tracking
• Case retransmission feature adds value
• Noise cancellation is good rather than excellent

Before I launch headfirst into what the Tour Pro 3 do incredibly well, if you want Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or AirPods Pro 2 levels of active noise cancellation, you don't quite get it from JBL Tour Pro 3. When I deploy ANC (and here you can select from a seven-step slider or pick 'Adaptive ANC' to have JBL's algorithm sort it) I do feel the noise floor drop, but that cocooned, bubble-of-silence feeling is never quite achieved.

This may be in part to the fit and seal I was personally able to get – despite the in-app 'Check my best fit' test telling me I'd got it just fine and toggling 'Auto compensation' on, in the ANC customization tab (which promises to check wearing and ear canal status to adjust ANC in real time) the Tour Pro 3 never felt incredibly secure in my ears, and this does contribute to sound leakage and passive isolation.

However fervent the claims JBL makes about its souped-up True Adaptive Noise Cancellation 2.0 with 'smart calibration' (the company says it does a good job of nixing 'incident noises' as well as regular low-level constants), I never quite feel it. Don't get me wrong: there is a marked difference to the level of extraneous noise that seeps in, but it isn't wholly cancelled, and the Tour Pro 3 never perform as well as the options listed above in this area.

Quite a deep-set design for stemmed earbuds. (Image credit: Future)

Now, the really very good bits: spatial audio. Oh, it's good. When I cue up Rod Stewart's Handbags & Gladrags, the drums sit over on my right as flutes join in, somewhere behind my brainstem. Honestly, as I deploy head-tracking and turn my head slowly away from my phone, I notice when Stewart belts a little too close into the mic, or a key is miss-played in a chord – or that there's actually a conversation barely audible, during the last chorus. You don't get this head-tracked spatial audio support with the cheaper Live Beam 3. Is it worth the $100 / £100 price hike? If they only fit a little better for me, probably… but I'm getting ahead of myself (the sound and design sections come later).

Now the screen: it's just as snappy as the one you'll find on the JBL Live Beam 3 and although marginally bigger, it doesn't do an awful lot more. Functional screens (ear tip sound settings; toggling between Bluetooth and transmitter mode; options within spatial sound) are here, but the chief benefit here is still the lock-screen wallpaper.

Elsewhere, JBL really has thrown everything and the kitchen sink at these earbuds. Top of the pile is Personi-Fi 3.0, but here again I find myself backtracking to the Live Beam 3 and trying to justify whether they're worth a price hike. I absolutely loved Personi-Fi 2.0, in the Live Beam 3, and I'm not 100% sure how this has been upgraded – because I once again took the test (which involves listening to various tones and lifting your finger from a button when you can no longer hear them) to create a test report and your own personal augmented profile, and once again I got the self-same result. I still love the effect of it in the Tour Pro 3, but I can get it for cheaper in the Live Beam 3…

Call-handling is again very good, thanks (again) to the numerous options you have available to enhance the experience, including Sound Level Optimiser, which balances the volume of the voice on the other end of the line; Sound Setting, to increase the bass or treble of the voice at the other end of the phone, or keep things "natural"; Voice Setting, aka same thing but for your own dulcet tones in the call; VoiceAware, which is a slider to control how much of your own voice you'd like to hear during calls; and Private Call Mode, which actually lets you remove one bud and use it as a mic – ie. to talk a little quieter and keep the conversation on the down-low. Again, it's all very good, but you can get it in the Live Beam 3 too, for less.

You get the same six EQ presets as the Live Beam 3 too, or the ability to create your own, plus Adaptive EQ for automatic adjustments in real-time with the option of toggling on "Low Volume EQ" to boost highs and lows if listening at low volumes, plus "Leakage Compensation", to help the sonics if the tips you've fitted don't offer a perfect seal.

And of course, here you also get a transmitter mode. Do you take a lot of flights? You'll love it and so will the person sitting next to you, who won't entangle themselves in any headphone cables when trying to politely nip past you and your tray table. Also, the Tour Pro 3's case is an Auracast source device, if you've got friends with (new, Bluetooth 5.2 and later) earbuds that can join the party. Will I personally use these features often? No. But they are extra perks in a set of earbuds that already offered myriad features.

The JBL Tour Pro 3 offer an admirable battery life of up to 44 hours in total – 11 hours from the buds plus three more full charges with ANC off. If you're always using ANC, it's eight hours plus three more full charges with ANC on, for a 32-hour total. During my testing I got just over eight hours and 20 minutes from them on a single charge with ANC deployed, which is very impressive. And that claim of an additional three hours of listening with a quick 10-minute speed charge? Yup, all good – and very useful.

• Features score: 5/5

Personi-Fi 3.0 is just as good as 2.0…  (Image credit: JBL) JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Sound quality

• Admirable separation and detail in head-tracked audio
• A zealous mix; brims with energy
• Plays nice and loud at 50% volume

I knocked the JBL Tour Pro 2's sound quality and the good news is, it's a different story with the Tour Pro 3. Your codec support here includes LDAC if you own an Android device to deploy it, which won't do much for your lowly Spotify streams but will help you get the best from Tidal Max tracks, Apple Music playlists or Qobuz albums.

The rumble at the outset of Grian Chatten's The Score is deftly handled and gives way to the detailed and textured Spanish guitar. The album continues to Last Time Every Time Forever and something I haven't felt since testing the Bose QuietComfort Ultra happens: I forget I'm wearing earbuds for a second because the head-tracked spatial audio sounds so convincingly like it's coming from below my chin. Sadly, this only lasts until I turn my head sharply (as that dislodges the right earpiece) but you can't knock the talent of the driver array here.

Switching to Free Fallin' by Tom Petty, jangly guitars, a resolute easy drum and Petty's vocal are present with ample room to shine, in a cohesive mix that never sees one instrument or musical passage vying for enough space to be impactful. When backing vocals come in to echo the words "Ventura Boulevard", there's a level of detail to the dynamics to the mix similar to the kind you get with the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8.

Also, the Tour Pro 3 play nice and loud, even at 50% volume, which means those battery claims are bang on. (Often find yourself whacking the volume up to get robust audio from your earbuds? Impacts the stamina doesn't it? Not a problem here.)

In direct comparison, the zealous and energetic presentation of the Tour Pro 3 may have one very small shortfall, and it's to do with the timing. It's not a cluttered or disorganised performance by any means, you understand, but I tap my feet more readily during what I call the 'marching band' section of this track (where Phil Jones switches up the time signature on his drums) when listening to the Bowers & Wilkins earbuds.

Again, it's only a very minor issue and only notable in direct comparison, but the JBL earbuds lose out just fractionally for regimented accuracy across the frequencies here – as if the two drivers under the hood haven't quite married up perfectly. It's a difficult concept to explain without going overboard, so know that it isn't a big issue at all. If pushed to expand on it, it's as if the B&W product keeps a wholly tight grip on every musical strand, constantly, and the JBL earbuds just very occasionally loosen one, through the treble.

• Sound quality score: 4.5/5

It's a small detail, but this rubberised section so useful (Image credit: Future) JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Design

• Driver housings feel a little thick
• On-ear functions still require a compromise
• Not-so pocketable case

One thing I really like about the JBL Tour Pro 3 is the rubberized section on the back of the case that offers traction when placed on most surfaces. If, like me, you tend to gesture a lot when you talk (or love a good dance al desko) often swiping your earbuds case to the floor with a flourish, this won't happen here.

The JBL Tour Pro 3's case opens like a satchel (think AirPods) rather than a suitcase (think JBL Live Beam 3) and while it feels well-made, the case is a little too bulky to slip into my pocket anonymously. Also, there isn't a lanyard hole here, as there is with the Live Beam 3, which was a fun way to showcase your lock-screen wallpaper.

My issue with the JBL Tour Pro 3's design and where they lose marks in this section is the size of the driver housings. Now, I know I've said before that actually, deeper 'concha-fit' designs – see the Technics EAH-AZ80 – often look a little big and end up feeling anything but. Sadly, that's not the case with the Tour Pro 3. Despite supplying foam tips as well as silicone, the addition of a stem and a deeper housing makes for a poor fit, for me. I still struggle to keep them in my ears.

Now, fit is obviously subjective, but I know (after compiling a list of the best earbuds for smaller ears) I'm not alone in finding certain options easier to accommodate in my bijou ears than others. This set of earbuds will not be making an appearance in the above buying guide.

The Tour Pro 3 (right) is a deeper design and doesn't feel as ergonomic or secure as the Live Beam 3 (left). (Image credit: Future)

I do have one more minor negative though, and it's the self-same minor issue I encountered with the JBL Live Beam 3. Basically, you need to ditch a set of functions again. To explain, you can customize what tapping each bud controls, but the sums don't work. Your command options are Playback Control, Ambient Sound Control, and Volume Control – ie. three-fold. But humans typically have only two ears and thus only two earbuds to give jobs to, so one useful thing is left out of the mix.

It could be worse; earbuds that don't offer a way to tweak the volume of music without having to dig out my phone (or ask Siri) annoy me most, but while the JBL Tour Pro do offer volume control, assigning that to my left earbud and Playback Control to my right means foregoing on-ear ANC > Ambient aware > Off tweaks. The touchscreen gives you another way to quickly access the ANC, Ambient or TalkThru modes besides my phone, it's true, but at this level I think it's not unreasonable to expect a comprehensive set of on-ear controls that covers the lot simultaneously – because other options, such as the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, do.

• Design score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future) JBL Tour Pro 3 review: Value

• The most fully-featured earbuds around
• …but sadly, the JBL Live Beam 3 exist
• Can't offer the full suite of on-ear controls at once

As I've tried at length to explain in this review, the JBL Tour Pro 3 are a very interesting proposition and to justify their price hike over JBL's talented Live Beam 3, you do get head-tracked spatial audio, Auracast broadcasting, a slightly bigger screen, a case retransmission feature for in-flight entertainment systems, plus additional foam eartips and processing that claims to compensate for the tips you've chosen.

On paper and in the flesh, they're stuffed to the gills with features. The problem is the existence of the excellent, cheaper, also screen-enhanced earbuds the company released in January 2024, instantly making those once-flagship perks afforded by a smart screen available for much less.

Are the extras listed above enough to represent great value? I think for most people, no. Yes, the Denon PerL Pro-esque Person-Fi hearing tests are excellent, but for me, they're no different to those you'll get within the much cheaper JBL Live Beam 3. Both are very good indeed, and one can be had for significantly less money (aka, better value). And the thing is, the cheaper set fit my ears much better than the flagship Tour Pro 3's bulkier driver-housing…

• Value score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the JBL Tour Pro 3? Buy them if...

You prioritize natural head-tracked spatial audio
These earbuds don't care which streaming service you're listening to, simply toggle it on and hear the sound open out all around you – and fix itself as you turn your head to each sonic article.

You like to wear your heart on your sleeve
This is the biggest smart screen JBL's ever put on a case, so you'll get a few millimeters more of lock-screen wallpaper.

You have an Android phone
Your Sony Xperia phone (and other Androids) will let you have at LDAC quality streaming using the JBL Tour Pro 3

Don't buy them if...

You have smaller ears
The buds are on the large side, and they feel it.

…and smaller pockets
I mean physically: the case is pretty big. Then again, they're not exactly wallet-friendly either, so deep pockets are metaphorically preferable here too… 

You want the best ANC on the market
Here, AirPods Pro 2, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra or even the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 will serve you better.

JBL Tour Pro 3: Also consider

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8
I think these are the best-sounding buds you can get, with superior noise cancellation than the JBL as well, and they also have the audio transmission features. But they're very pricey, and there's no spatial audio, so take a read of my full Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 to see if they're right for you.

JBL Live Beam 3
I've already talked a lot about these, but the pitch is simple: most of the best features of the Tour Pro 3, for a much lower price. Definitely take a read of my JBL Live Beam 3 review to see if they're right for you.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Want device-agnostic, head-tracked spatial audio as well as some of the best ANC in the business? It's here in the September 2023-issue earbuds from Bose. It's rare that we get to call Bose the cheaper option, and they aren't here – but they're only slightly more expensive than JBL's flagship offering. You'll have to forego multi-point connectivity, wireless charging support, and a modicum of detail sonically speaking, but maybe noise-nixing takes priority for you, and that's ok. You can read more in-depth in our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review.

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
The ANC is very good indeed here, too – as is the sound quality. And to top it all off, you get the option of Matt Berry on voice prompts (his "Waiting to pair!" is sublime). You don't get a case with a screen on it, mind – and the fit is good rather than exceptional, but the M100's still a viable cheaper rival, depending on your priorities. Our Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review will help you sort through the details.

How I tested the JBL Tour Pro 3

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for three weeks; listened against the competition
• Used at work and home
• Listened to Tidal Masters, Apple Music Lossless tracks and Spotify

The JBL Tour Pro 3 became my musical companions for nearly four weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period, as per our guidelines on how we test wireless earbuds.

I wore them to work on weekdays (running to the station; on the London Underground; at the office), and during a weekend on Weymouth sea-front – the best way to test blustery wind interference from mics during calls I've ever found.

To better test the comfort and security of the Tour Pro 3, I even wore them during a cycle along the promenade, and while they did ping out onto the street, they seem virtually uncrushable (since I believe another bicycle may have gone over it).

To check the audio quality across the frequencies, I listened to TR's playlist (spanning everything from acoustic mixes to electronica) on Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal, but I also tested using podcasts and albums on Spotify, plus YouTube tutorials (mostly about how to duck-dive while surfing because I still can't do it, in case you wondered) on my MacBook Pro. I compared them directly against the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, AirPods Pro 2 and JBL Live Beam 3.

I’ve been testing audio products well for over five years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in a previous life, sound quality, fit and user experience always take priority for me – but having heard how effective ANC can be when done well, I have grown to love immersing myself in a cocoon of silence also.

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

• First reviewed: October 2024

Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN) review

The Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN) is a premium charging station that can get a swathe of exhausted devices fighting fit in no time.

This station has six charging ports: four of which are USB-C; with the other two being USB-A. It’s worth noting that power output is, unsurprisingly, asymmetrical here. The four USB-C ports each have a maximum power output of 100W, meaning you could use two of these at full capacity simultaneously. The two USB-A ports, meanwhile, only have a maximum power output of 22.5W each, though it’s totally normal for these to be weaker than their more modern, Type-C sibling.

A total power output of 200W is available here, which isn’t bad at all. In fact, I tried charging six devices at once and found the station coped perfectly well with each. While doing this, my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 was able to get up to 100% from 0% in approximately one hour and 30 minutes – the expected timeframe.

But even if this station offers the exact speeds you’d want from one of the best Android phone chargers or best iPhone chargers, some may be hung up on one factor – the price. And sure, I’m not going to act like spending $84.99 / £79.99 / AU$149.95 on a charger isn’t a significant investment. However, if we’re talking pure value, this is actually a very fair asking price. A lot of similar competitors will set you back significantly more. For instance, the UGreen Nexode 200W GaN Desktop Charger 6-Ports has a list price of $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$190).

It’s not only good value, though. This charging station is very much a high quality product – something you’d expect from Anker’s Prime range. The striped, textured silver outer casing looks and feels premium and the inclusion of a detachable power cord is also very welcome. On a more practical level, this station is well designed too. Safety is at the core here – there’s temperature control, current regulation and even high-voltage protection.

And now you might be wondering, reader, what’s the catch? Well, in truth there isn’t really much for me to criticize whatsoever. However, some may prefer to have some sort of display in order to track power output and you get no such thing from this station. For example, the Anker Prime Charger 6-Port Desktop Charging Station 250W has a built-in screen, allowing you to view real-time data on output, switch between power modes and more (I’ll follow-up on this in the ‘Also Consider’ section). The 250W variant also has companion app compatibility, but that's missing too.

Given the price of the Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN), though, I think the omission of a display is well worth it. And that’s the real draw here – you’re getting a no nonsense, speedy, high-quality charging station at a price that’s very reasonable. As a result, I’d totally recommend it to anyone looking to take their charging game to the next level.

(Image credit: Future) Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN) review: Price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN)? Buy it if…

You want lots of charging ports at a sensible price
This charging station isn’t exactly cheap, but value-wise it’s fantastic. You get six speedy charging ports as well as strong build quality and design. A lot of similar chargers cost far more – for instance, the UGreen Nexode 200W GaN Desktop Charger 6-Ports is $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$190).

You need high wattage charging capabilities
Each individual USB-C charging port here has a peak power output of 100W. That’s amazing if you have more power-hungry devices or a modern handset with top charging speeds (like the OnePlus 10 Pro, for instance). And with a total maximum power output of 200W, you’ll likely have more than enough to go around six devices, if necessary.

Don't buy it if…

You only need to charge one or two devices simultaneously
If you only really need to charge your phone and say a tablet, I don’t think it’s worth shelling out all this money on a charging station. There are lots of excellent single and dual-port chargers out there that can do the job for closer to the $25 / £20 mark, so weigh up whether six ports is excessive for you or not before pulling the trigger on a purchase.

You’re looking for customizability
Unfortunately, there’s no display or companion app available here. That really limits what you can do with this charging station, which is very much a ‘what you see is what you get’ offering from Anker. See the ‘Also Consider’ section for a suitable alternative if customizability matters a lot to you.

Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 ports, GaN): Also consider

Anker Prime Charger 6-Port Desktop Charging Station 250W
At its core, the Anker Prime Charger 6-Port Desktop Charging Station 250W pretty much does everything the 200W variant does, but with a ton of tasty additional features. The key difference is that this station has a screen, which enables you to activate port prioritization, switch between charging modes, view real-time charging data, or even mess around with secret features. Of course, you get 250W – a significant step up in power output – but maybe the best addition is companion app compatibility, which lets you control the charging station remotely over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The kicker? This thing is pretty expensive, with a list price of $169.99 / £169.99 (about AU$250). Are the extras worth around $100 / £100 more? That’s up to you... Read our full Anker Prime Charger 6-Port Desktop Charging Station 250W review. View Deal

Anker 323 Charger (33W) review

The Anker 323 Charger (33W) is a compact and competent wall charger that can get two devices back to full battery fitness simultaneously.

Unlike some of Anker’s similar chargers, this one has two different port types: one for USB-C; another for USB-A. That gives you some versatility, especially if, like me, you don’t have all too many USB-C to USB-C cables around the house, but plenty USB-A to USB-C ones. That’s also pretty neat given the plug only comes in at $18.79 / £15.99 / AU$49.99 – which is decent value.

Charging two devices works well, too. I tried juicing up my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 via the USB-C port alongside a DualSense Wireless Controller in the USB-A one and was satisfied with the result. My phone went from 0% to 100% in the expected timeframe (around one hour and 30 minutes) even with the USB-A port in use.

The main issue this charger may pose for you is that it’s not the most powerful. The USB-C port has a maximum power output of 20W – that’s pretty good, but it may not be enough to get super-fast charging on some of the best Samsung phones, for instance. Also, the USB-A port can only offer 12W of power, which isn’t all too strong – especially compared to some of the best Android phone chargers and best iPhone chargers. It’s common for type A ports to be weaker, sure, but 12W will likely feel quite underwhelming if you want to charge your phone in a pinch.

So, it may not be the most powerful, but how does the Anker 323 Charger (33W) fare design-wise? Well, it’s a mixed bag. Firstly, I don’t think this is the most attractive plug on the market. It follows a formula that a few of Anker’s chargers use in housing the charging element in a cube-like block and almost shoehorning the adapter and prongs on the end. As I mentioned in my Anker PowerPort III (20W) review, this isn’t my favorite look.

However, in terms of practicality, the design here is strong. Prongs are foldable, which is great if you want to take this thing for an in-pocket walk. Generally, it’s quite a small plug too making it a nice choice if you’re working with a tight space. On top of that, it uses Anker’s ActiveShield safety standard for preventing overheating.

Overall, then, this may not be the most powerful or pretty plug, but it gets a lot right in terms of practicality, versatility and value. So, if you need a combination of USB-A and USB-C but don’t have the cash to splash on, say, the Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger (3 Ports), this is an option worth considering.

(Image credit: Future) Anker 323 Charger (33W) review: Price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Anker 323 Charger (33W)? Buy it if…

You still want to use your USB-A to USB-C/Lightning cable
A lot of handsets in the last few years have come with USB-A to USB-C charging cables, for instance. If you still want to use yours rather than shelling out for another USB-C to USB-C alternative, this is a good option.

You want to charge multiple devices at once
This wall charger is solid value-wise, particularly given that you get two charging ports. The versatility of having both USB-A and USB-C options is pleasing too, but be warned: the USB-A port has a pretty weak maximum power output of 12W.

Don't buy it if…

You want to charge at top speeds
For anyone looking for peak-charging speeds for a new handset, this charger likely won’t cut it. The USB-C port here is the faster of the two, but only has a maximum output of 20W. Phones such as the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max can charge closer to 30W, so if you want to get juiced up in a flash, look elsewhere.

You want one of the best-looking plugs
This isn’t the most chic wall charger on the market, in my view. The cube-like design, paired with latched-on prongs looks a little unusual compared to a neat cube, like the Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger (30W), for instance. The 323 Charger (33W) only comes in Black or White too, so if you want a touch of flair design-wise, you’ll likely be unimpressed.

Anker 323 Charger (33W): Also consider

UGreen USB-C 40W
This is another dual-port charger, but it offers a touch more power at a still-solid price-point. OK, both ports are USB-C, so the higher maximum wattage is perhaps unsurprising, but nonetheless, if you’re hoping to revive multiple devices a little faster, this will be better for you. It also has a neater design in my opinion, with a more fluid look than the Anker alternative. You still get foldable prongs and a small build here, so you don’t have to sacrifice on practicality. Read our full UGreen USB-C 40W review. View Deal

KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8: two-minute review

The KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8 is a truly premium bean-to-cup espresso machine, which automates the entire coffee-making process, but also gives you a surprising amount of control over your drinks. Each of the many drink types can be customized with your preferred strength, body, temperature, and volume - preferences that you can then save to your personal profile so everyone in the household can have their coffee exactly the way they like it.

The KF8 comes with very few instructions, but once you power it on, you’ll realize that’s because it doesn’t need them. You will be guided through every step of preparing the FK8, loading beans, filling the tank, and brewing your coffee with clear instructions and illustrations on the bright, responsive 5in touchscreen.

Interestingly, the KF8 takes both whole coffee beans and grounds (so you can opt for ready-ground decaf in the evening, for example), but it’s worth noting that you can only add one scoop of ground coffee at a time. This is primarily a bean-to-cup machine, with an alternative only for occasional use.

The KitchenAid KF8 has a dedicated mode for steaming plant milk, unlike most other bean-to-cup machines I've tested, which are optimized only for dairy (Image credit: Future)

Coffee is consistently well extracted, with creamy golden crema, and the machine is much less noisy than you might expect while brewing - a fact that has earned it the Quiet Mark seal of approval. During my testing, most of the coffee-making process was no louder than the background murmur you might expect in a library.

The automatic milk frother works well too, and offers options for both dairy and plant-based milk. Surprisingly, almond milk foamed even better than dairy during my tests. Most bean-to-cup coffee makers only have one setting that’s optimized for dairy, so this was a pleasant surprise.

It’s certainly expensive (see below for details) but if you enjoy really good coffee and don’t want the hassle of preparing it yourself, it doesn’t get much easier than this.

KitchenAid KF8: price and availability

Bean-to-cup coffee machines are always pricey due to their complexity, and the KF8 is one no exception. It has a list price of $1,999.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,599, and is available direct from KitchenAid worldwide, or from third-party retailers like Currys in the UK and Williams Sonoma in the US.

It’s roughly the same price as our current top-rated bean-to-cup coffee maker, the Breville Oracle Touch (known as the Sage Oracle Touch in the UK), which is also operated via a generously sized touchscreen, but is semi- rather than fully-automatic.

It’s a big investment, but the extra features like advanced customization of your drinks, the ability to use both beans and grounds, the option to purge all coffee from the system when you want to try something new, and the sheer ease of use help justify that price tag.

• Value score: 4/5

KitchenAid KF8: specs KitchenAid KF8: design

The KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8 is an attractive, modern-looking coffee maker, finished in brushed metal and black (shown here), white, green, or stainless steel to match your other appliances. It’s one of the taller and longer coffee machines I’ve tested, measuring 10.2 x 14.3 x 15.2in / 260 x 363 x 385mm (W x H x D), but its narrow front means it doesn’t actually take up too much space on the kitchen counter.

This is a premium machine, and it shows in touches like the accessible design of the water tank, which has an ergonomic carry handle that makes it easy to lift out, and is supplied with a screw-in water filter. The KF8 also comes with a water hardness testing strip so you can configure it accordingly, and KitchenAid recommends filling it with fresh (not distilled) water every day for the best results.

The large water tank is easy to remove thanks to its ergonomically designed handle, and comes with a screw-in filter (Image credit: Future)

Opening the largest door on the top of the machine reveals the bean hopper, plus a chute for inserting ground coffee (ideal if someone in your home prefers robusta to arabica, or you want to switch to decaf in the evening). There is also a button inside that allows you to remove the hopper for cleaning.

You’ll be offered the choice of using the hopper or the chute when you start up the machine, though it’s worth bearing in mind that you can only insert a single scoop of grounds at a time. There’s a measuring scoop supplied to make this easy, but this is primarily a bean-to-cup machine. If you want to use ready-ground espresso regularly, you could save some cash by opting for a semi-automatic coffee maker instead.

The machine’s dispenser moves smoothly up and down to accommodate different sized cups, and I was particularly impressed with the design of the milk system. Most fully automatic coffee makers use milk from a tube dangling in an open-topped container. The KF8’s milk container is covered at all times, which seems more hygienic, and is less likely to spill. It tucks neatly to the side without spoiling the coffee maker’s clean lines.

Load beans into the hopper, and ground coffee into the chute (at the top right) (Image credit: Future)

All drink choices are made using the bright 5in touchscreen, which is the biggest I’ve seen on any coffee maker I’ve tested to date, and feels pleasantly responsive in use.

A service door on the right-hand side of the machine allows you to access the brew unit for cleaning. The machine is supplied with two cleaning tablets, and more can be bought from Kitchenaid. To clean it, first rinse the brew unit with cold water and dry it as directed, then insert the cleaning tablet, place a large cup underneath the dispenser, and let the machine handle the rest. The process takes a long time, but you won’t need to repeat it regularly. It’s also possible to purge all coffee beans and grounds from the machine (ideal for when you want to use a different type of bean), and even evaporate everything from the water system after emptying the tank, which are both unusual but useful features.

The large, bright touchscreen makes it easy to fine-tune your perfect coffee (Image credit: Future)

On the subject of cleaning, when you first use your KF8, it’s worth knowing that the machine is tested with real coffee at Kitchenaid’s factory. It’s thoroughly cleaned before being shipped out (there were no traces of coffee in my review unit) but if you do happen to spot a stray grain or two, that’s why.

• Design score: 5/5

KitchenAid KF8: performance

When I first unpacked the KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8, I was surprised how few instructions were provided. The manual looked chunky, but the section for each language was surprisingly brief for such a feature-packed device. Upon powering it up, however, the reason soon became clear - the KF8 guides you through every step of setup, brewing coffee, and cleaning via clear instructions on its large touchscreen display.

There’s almost no need to refer to the paper manual at all. Each instruction is presented in plain language, with images where necessary. It really couldn’t be easier to use.

The milk dispenser is easy to attach, and unlike most fully automatic espresso machines, the KF8 keeps the container covered at all times. (Image credit: Future)

The power button is on the right-hand side of the machine, so make sure you don’t position it right against a wall. Once you’ve pressed it, the KF8 will guide you through the process of installing the water filter and filling the tank. You’ll then be prompted to put a container under the dispenser to rinse it through - a standard coffee mug is the perfect size. When that’s done, load up beans (and grounds if you like) and you’ll receive the exciting message that “you are ready to start your coffee experience”.

There are 15 different drink options to choose from, most of which are customizable:

• Cappuccino
• Espresso
• Caffe Latte
• Espresso Lungo
• Macchiato
• Latte macchiato
• Americano
• Flat white
• Coffee
• Ristretto
• Cortado
• Frothed milk
• Warmed milk
• Hot water
• Green tea

If you choose a coffee drink, you’ll be offered the chance to select body, volume, and strength. The machine will then brew and dispense your drink. Once it’s done, you’re given the option to save any adjustments to your favorites for easy access next time. Members of your household can make their own named profiles for their custom drinks, which is a nice feature.

Each member of your household can have their own profile for their custom drinks (Image credit: Future)

The ability to adjust the volume of each drink is welcome too, letting you use non-standard cups with ease. Some other bean-to-cup coffee makers require you to set the size of your cups through an awkward manual process, which isn’t easy to change again later.

I also appreciated the option to choose whether milk or coffee is dispensed first for lattes and cappuccinos. Bean-to-cup machines usually pour your espresso shot through the milk, which is the opposite way you’d do it yourself, and leaves a brown spot in the foam.

I tested the KF8 with fresh beans from my local coffee shop Mokoko, and the machine reliably produced lovely espresso with a thick, golden crema. It was definitely some of the best tasting coffee I’ve tried from a bean-to-cup machine.

Espresso was consistently well extracted, with rich, golden crema (Image credit: Future)

You can also choose between dairy and plant milk settings - most bean-to-cup machines (like the Smeg BCC13 I tested recently) are optimized for dairy, so this is a welcome addition. There are no options for different plant milks, but during my tests I got the best results with almond milk rather than oat or soy. In fact, almond milk produced even silkier foam than dairy, which was surprising - normally I find almond milk foam stiff. Whichiver milk I used, it was always heated to just the right temperature - pleasantly sweet but never scorched.

I got the best results with lattes and cappuccinos when I increased the volume of the drink, adding more milk. The default setting is quite short and didn’t produce enough foam for my liking, so it’s definitely worth taking some time to create a preset that works for you.

You can tailor your drinks to suit your preferences, including volume dispensed (Image credit: Future)

One of the key selling points of the KF8 and its smaller siblings is their Quiet Mark certification, and the KF8 is definitely quieter than most. While making a latte it very briefly reached 66dB while grinding the beans, but the average volume was just 44dB. That’s about the same noise level you might expect in a library. I was particularly surprised how quietly the KF8 was able to foam and steam milk, which is normally one of the noisiest parts of the coffee-making process.

Used coffee pucks are dispensed into an easily removable bin that you can access by gently lifting and pulling out the drip tray. The tray has a spout at the back that makes it very easy to empty and rinse. After that, you’ll be prompted to connect the milk hose to the drip tray so it can be rinsed through with hot water. It’s a neater solution than that of many fully automatic coffee machines, which require you to use a separate container of water for the same purpose. The dispenser itself will also be rinsed, so place a mug underneath when prompted to catch the used water. The whole process is fast and simple.

Used coffee pucks drop into an easy to clean container that you can pull out with the drip tray (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the KitchenAid KF8? Buy it if

You aren't confident using a manual machine

The KitchenAid KF8 produces excellent results consistently, and is an excellent choice if you're passionate about coffee but don't feel happy pulling shots and foaming milk manually - or not everyone in you household is savvy with grinding, pulling and steaming.

You live with other coffee lovers

The ability to save your personalized drinks under your own profile is a real boon, and includes factors like body, strength, temperature, and volume (so you can tailor your coffee to your favorite cup).

You enjoy plant milk

Unlike most fully automatic coffee makers, the KF8 has modes for both dairy and non-dairy milk, and the non-dairy option works surprisingly well - particularly if you choose almond.

Don't buy it if

You prefer to use pre-ground coffee

The KF8 has a chute that allows you to load in ready ground coffee that you can use to brew a drink rather than fresh beans, but you can only add one scoop at a time, and this is definitely a bean-to-cup machine first and foremost. If you like to use pre-ground coffee, a coffee machine without a grinder is a more logical choice.

You want the barista experience

The KF8 handles all the work of dosing beans, choosing the right grind size, and pulling a shot of espresso for you. If you want the option of doing some of that yourself, look for a semi-automatic machine instead (our roundup of the best espresso machines) has some good options.

KitchenAid KF8: also consider

Not completely sold on the KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8? Here are a couple of alternatives to consider.

Breville Oracle Touch

If you want more of the barista experience but would prefer some guidance, this premium semi-automatic coffee machine (known as the Sage Oracle Touch in the UK) will help you master the techniques needed to pull a perfect shot of espresso - provided your wallet can take the hit.

Read our full Breville Oracle Touch review

Ninja Luxe Café

Can't choose between drip coffee and espresso? The Ninja Luxe Café can prepare both, and is very reasonably priced for a bean-to-cup machine, costing around a quarter the KitchenAid KF8's asking price.

Read our full Ninja Luxe Café review

How I tested the KitchenAid KF8

I tested the KitchenAid Fully Automatic Expresso Machine KF8 over the course of several days, making each type of drink available through the menu, making customizations, and saving them to a personal profile for re-use later.

I used freshly roasted beans from a local coffee company in the KF8's hopper, plus pre-ground espresso in the chute. I tested the milk system using full-fat dairy milk, barista oat milk, soya milk, and almond milk - all fresh and cold from the fridge.

I refilled the water tank before each use, and ran the full battery of cleaning programs at the end of testing, including cleaning the milk system, purging coffee beans, cleaning the brew unit, and evaporating remaining water.

Find out more about how we test.

Anker Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1, Dual Display, 160W) review

The Anker Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1, Dual Display, 160W) is a highly integrated dock that provides a neat, more efficient way to manage all your devices.

First of all, this is much more than just a charger. This station includes two HDMI ports, enabling dual 4K displays, but that’s not all. There are multiple USB-C and USB-A ports that enable quick data transfer. Two of the USB-C ports support 10Gbps data transfer, although it’s worth noting that only one USB-A port can match this, with the other three restricted to 480Mbps. On top of this, you get a 3.5mm audio, ethernet, and upstream port – the latter can be used to connect the station to your laptop or PC.

This is a pretty comprehensive set of options – with the only obvious exception being an SD or MicroSD card reader. This is a pretty minor issue though, especially given you can buy an external reader to insert into one of the USB-C ports.

One of the highlights here is the trio of dedicated charging ports – ideal for juicing up all sorts of devices, including some of the best power banks or the best phones. Two of these are USB-C and have a maximum power output of 100W each, with an additional USB-A port offering a maximum output of 12W. When I tried plugging in my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, fast charging activated, enabling the device to go from 0% to 100% in under 1 hour and 30 minutes – the expected timeframe. By pressing the button on top of the station you can switch between an overview of output across all ports, or just view data concerning one port.

How does this 14-in-1 station fare design-wise, though? Well, I was a fan of its slim, tower-like look and textured metal outer-casing. However, there are some minor disappointments: the screen is quite small and has fewer built-in options than Anker’s 6-Port Desktop Charging Station and the power cable is attached, meaning it’s not perfectly compact when packing into a bag. The front of the station is made from plastic and admittedly looks a little cheap, but it’s not particularly grating to the eye. The configuration of the ports does make the design very practical though and I found my desk was neater with the station in use, a key benefit of the product.

Finally, it’s worth acknowledging that this station – although by no means inexpensive at $249.99 / £199.99 (about AU$360) – is pretty good value. Competitors like UGreen’s 13-in-1 Docking Station or Lenovo’s ThinkPad Thunderbolt 4 Workstation Dock are considerably more expensive. Overall, this is a competent, well-equipped, practical dock that will meet the needs of most professionals seeking out a more efficient and tidy way to manage their devices.

(Image credit: Future) Anker Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1, Dual Display, 160W) review: Price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Anker Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1, Dual Display, 160W)? Buy it if…

You need a highly integrated dock
Anker’s 14-in-1 docking station is much more than just a desktop charger. Of course, you do get both USB-A and USB-C ports dedicated to charging, but there are a ton of options to take advantage of. You can get 4K, 60Hz displays thanks to two HDMI ports, transfer data quickly with 10Gbps USB-C ports and much more.

You want to charge lots of devices at once
If you have laptops, phones, tablets or other devices you’d like to charge simultaneously, this dock is a very decent option for you. It has two USB-C ports with maximum power output potential of 100W as well as a 12W USB-A port. The data transfer ports also charge your devices while in use, though they won’t get to work as quickly as the 100W USB-C ones.

Don't buy it if…

You only care about charging
If your only aim is to charge lots of devices at once, this is the wrong product for you. Sure, you can charge lots of devices simultaneously, but Anker has a couple of 6-in-1 charging stations that are better-suited to this task.

You’re on a budget
This 14-in-1 dock won’t exactly come cheap, carrying a list price of $249.99 / £199.99. And again, if you’re only really interested in charging, there are plenty of other cheaper solutions available. With that said, a lot of similar products, such as UGreen’s 13-in-1 docking station, are even more expensive than this – so you’re still getting decent value here.

Anker Prime Charging Docking Station (14-in-1, Dual Display, 160W): Also consider

UGREEN Revodok Max 313 4K@60Hz 13-IN-1 Docking Station
If you want a super-practical, well-rounded dock this is another great option. UGreen’s 13-in-1 dock has multiple charging ports, triple 4K@60Hz displays, but crucially, supports 40Gbps data transfer thanks to a Thunderbolt 4 port. The only issue is that this alternative is considerably more expensive, with a list price of $349.99 / £349.99 (about AU$510).View Deal

Ultimate Ears Miniroll: Two-minute review

Parties in 2024 are about to get a bit bassier with the new Ultimate Ears Miniroll, a small-form Bluetooth speaker that wants to find its way onto our list of the best party speaker by virtue of the fact that it’s much smaller than all of its rivals.

A revival of the UE Roll from 2015 and UE Roll 2 from a year later, this is now Ultimate Ear’s smallest speaker by a country mile (and also a good few inches). It sits alongside the sonically superior, but much less totable, Wonderboom 4, as well as UE’s more pricy alternatives. Yes, that’s right, it’s not just small but it’s affordable too.

You only have to pay $79 / £69 / AU$99 for the UE Miniroll so it undercuts most of the competition, although a few other major audio brands also have lightweight party speakers like this for roughly the same (or less).

‘Miniroll’ is a funny name – the new UE speaker is bigger than the Roll and Roll 2, and probably doesn’t have any link to the sponge treat manufactured by former chocolate company (and now faux-chocolate company) Cadbury’s.

(Image credit: Future)

But while Cadbury’s has sadly gone downhill in the eyes of many, Ultimate Ears has only improved on the formula of its older speakers. The sound offers loads of bass, marking a notable improvement in audio capabilities over the previous two Rolls. The use of a USB-C port and a longer battery life also make this a more tempting option for people who may consider buying older tech.

Some of the best features of the Roll are here too. I found the carry strap incredibly handy, as I could attach the Miniroll to bags, pieces of furniture or even body parts (well, my wrist) to make it easy to carry around. 

The speaker isn’t perfect though, as there’s no smartphone app to bring extra features or offer customization. There’s no equalizer either, something many rival party speakers offer, which will likely put off people who’d find the bass just a little 'too much'. I also wished there was a way to skip or rewind songs, as many other speakers offer, to stop me having to use my phone for these tasks.

Some may also find the max volume a little too low for ‘parties’, especially since bass doesn’t carry as well as treble, though I guess ‘intimate social gathering speaker’ doesn’t have the same ring as ‘party speaker’. I can see this being a great pick for hikers or picnickers who want some tunes, or group runners who blast music to get everyone through that pre-breakfast 5k, rather than for traditional house parties or gatherings.

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Released in September 2024
• Costs $79 / £69 / AU$99

The Ultimate Ears Miniroll was unveiled and released in mid-September 2024, ready for an outdoor party speaker to be almost obsolete in the wintery northern hemisphere.

The price of the Ultimate Ears Miniroll is $79 / £69 / AU$99, so it’s the cheapest wireless speaker currently offered by UE, and is one of the more affordable options on the market. It also undercuts the two UE Roll models which went for $99 / £99 / AU$149.  The Wonderboom is the closest sibling in price at $99 / £89 / AU$149.

In fact, if you’re looking for a party speaker as compact as the Miniroll, the market’s not burgeoning with good-quality options. Your best alternative is the even cheaper (but not quite as chic, and a little older now) Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 (now available for $59 / £59 or around AU$85) followed by the JBL Clip 5, which sells for $79 / £59 / AU$89, so both are actually a bit cheaper in most regions.

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Specs Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Can link up to other Minirolls
• No equalizer or app
• 12 hour battery life

The Ultimate Ears Miniroll struggles most in the features department because… well, there barely are any.

Unlike with some other UE speakers, the Miniroll doesn’t have a smartphone app, so it doesn’t let you utilize features of some of its rivals. There’s no equaliser, for example, or even different EQ presets for you to toggle between. You can’t change audio codec, fiddle with Bluetooth options or use a ‘find my speaker’ function.

There’s no outdoor mode either, which in other UE devices (it's the 'tree button' on the underside of the Wonderboom 4) strips bass in favor of treble to make the speaker easier to hear over distance. Of all the missing features this is the one I would have liked to see most – as with any bassy speaker, quality (and audibility) quickly drops off if you walk away from the Miniroll.

(Image credit: Future)

One thing you can do is connect the Miniroll to its siblings, in order to sync up multiple speakers. However unlike many other UE devices (but like the Wonderboom), you can only pair it to others of its make – ie, other Minirolls. So while your Boom, Megaboom, Everboom, Epicboom and Hyperbooms might all be having their own little party, the Minirolls will have to form their own shindig. According to UE the Miniroll can pair to an unlimited number of other Minirolls though, as long as your budget is equally infinite.

The battery life stretches to 12 hours on a single charge, which is longer than most parties I get invited to. Its a lasting power which positions the Miniroll as a handy device for people going on hikes or camping, as does its design.

Charging is done via USB-C, with a little port just above the strap.

• Features score: 3/5

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Small compact body
• Incredibly handy carry strap
• IP67 protected, survives up to 1.2m drop

The key selling point of the Ultimate Ears Miniroll is its design – it’s mini and feels lovely in your hand. A little pebble of a gadget, it weighs only slightly more than a smartphone at 279g, and measures 122 x 105 x 48 mm so it’s incredibly slender.

If you don’t trust measurements, trust me: it’s really easy to carry around whether it’s in the hand, strapped to a bag, inside said bag, or even slipped into a pocket (yes, it fits in my pockets, although that really muffles the audio).

Strapping it to a bag comes thanks to a rubbery strap, which is locked to the Miniroll at one end and is hooked and removable at the other. This gives you lots of versatility in how you attach the Miniroll to things, especially with a gap in the strap letting you hang it from objects. This was my preferred way of using the speaker, hanging it from doorknobs or cupboards – the multitude of ways to position the speaker is great for positioning it in rooms or attaching it to various rucksacks. Ultimate Ear's promotional material even shows someone attaching it to a dog.

Image 1 of 3

I could hang the Miniroll in my living room... (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

...or in my kitchen... (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

...or on my wine rack. (Image credit: Future)

One annoying element of the design comes into play here though, in combination with the speaker’s heavy bass (more on that later). Sometimes when on certain objects, the natural vibrations from the bass would cause the speaker to wobble, and it fell off boxes I put it on several times. Likewise when I hung it up, it’d sometimes shudder from the bass and start to sway – I can’t put it on my bedroom door because the bass makes it repeatedly knock into the wood panel. It’s an odd situation and I had to always think about where I placed the Miniroll.

On the top of the Miniroll are a volume up and volume down button, which should surprise no-one given that the buttons are a giant + and -. The edge of the speaker has the power button as well as the play/pause one, which can also be held to enable pairing with other Minirolls (more on that later). There’s no button to skip or restart tracks so you’ll have to rely on your phone for that.

If you’re worried about damage, the speaker is IP67 rated – that means it’s totally protected from dust particles and can be immersed in water for a depth of a meter for up to half an hour. It’s drop-proof but only up to 1.2 meters, which is something else to bear in mind when placing the speaker – my rucksack is higher than that off the floor and so are most of the tables I’d put it on.

As you can see from the pictures, I tested the pink Miniroll – Calming Pink, as UE calls it – and there’s also black (Gentle Black), blue (Majestic Blue) and white (Revive Gray).

• Design score: 4/5

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• (No need to) turn up the bass
• Volume not suitable for large parties
• Lack of equalizer limits appeal

I’ve referred to the Ultimate Ears Miniroll as a ‘party speaker’, but I should qualify that ‘party’ part of the phrase – this isn’t for big gatherings in Beverly Hills mansions or beach parties with hundreds of people. Think ‘D&D party’ size – this isn’t the loudest speaker in the world and it will best suit medium- to small-sized groups.

In my (very studious) tests, the Miniroll sounded decent at up to 5 meters distance, but when I got to 10m it was hard to hear parts of the song (partly from the volume, but partly from other sounds being more prominent). I found the Miniroll great for playing music in my bedroom, but unlike some other speakers I’ve tested, its sound didn’t carry through my entire (two-person) flat. If you’re going on a trip with this attached to your bag, you’d better keep your friends close if they want to hear music.

The UE Miniroll isn’t so quiet that it’s going to disappoint you, but you need to temper your expectations in keeping with its size – UE does have bigger speakers if you want to entertain a large number of listeners.

In terms of the audio itself, the Miniroll is a bassy little creature, and I was pretty surprised by just how much bass the thing eked out. I’ve already written about how it literally vibrates from what it’s putting out!

The bass is admittedly a little muddy, and the sheer nature of physics means it doesn’t carry that far (thanks, physics), but bass-heads near to the speaker will really pick up what it’s putting down.

As with any bass-heavy speaker, treble and mids suffer the consequences of this heavy lean, and both lack an extra ounce of detail – they also distort a little at higher volumes. However, balanced treble and audiophile-quality mids aren’t something it'd be truly fair to demand from party speakers at this price. It’s certainly not necessary for the Macarena.

• Sound quality: 3.5/5

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Form factor makes it appealing for portable music
• Some users might prefer other speakers

The Ultimate Ears Miniroll fits its niche really well: it’s cheaper and more portable than many other Bluetooth speakers, with a decent battery life, sufficient protection from life’s bumps and a really handy strap. With that in mind it’s hard to argue that the Miniroll isn’t good value – it’s much better for a certain type of user than other options in the market.

However, if you’re just looking for an affordable Bluetooth speaker for your house or garden, you can find options with better audio and a couple of extra features for a similar price. They just lose portability as a trade-off.

• Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Ultimate Ears Miniroll? Buy it if… Don’t buy it if… Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Also consider How I tested the Ultimate Ears Miniroll

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for two weeks
• Tested at home and on some trips

I tested the Ultimate Ears Miniroll for over two weeks, during which time I used it alongside my Android smartphone.

Most of the testing was done at home but I also took it on a few day trips and picnics to see how well it works outdoors. Mostly I used the speaker for music streaming but I also tested it with spoken word podcasts a little bit as well.

I've been reviewing audio products at TechRadar for 5 years, including other Ultimate Ears products.

• First reviewed in October 2024

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo: two-minute review

The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine with Cold Brew is available to buy in the US, UK, and Australia. They have slightly different product names in each territory: in the US, the model code is EC9255M, and it’s called La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine with Cold Brew. In the UK and Australia, the model code is EC9255.M, and the full product name is La Specialista Arte Evo Compact Manual Bean to Cup coffee machine with Cold Brew in the UK, and La Specialista Arte Evo Cold Brew in Australia.

Specialista Arte Evo is listed at $699.95 / £549.99 / AU$699 on the official De'Longhi website. You can also purchase it from third-party retailers, including Amazon in the US and the UK, which offer discounts on occasion.

For a quality manual bean-to-cup coffee machine with cold brew capabilities, this is pretty good value, and the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo should be considered alongside one of the best espresso machines.

A compact example of a manual bean-to-cup espresso machine, the Arte Evo has dimensions of 11.2 x 14.4 x 15.9 inches / 285 x 365 x 400mm, and is a pretty weighty 21.5 lbs / 9.3 kg. I did feel that it had the potential to move around despite this, so I always tended to have a steadying hand on the machine whenever I pushed the portafilter and tamper guide in to receive the ground coffee.

(Image credit: Future)

There is a helpful small storage compartment in the top of the machine, to the right of the hopper. The My Latte Art steam arm sits on the right of the coffee-making area and can be rotated out, so I could easily get the included metal milk jug under. Located on the back of the machine, the generous 56 fl oz / 1.7L water tank was easy to remove and replace.

One thing I missed with the Arte Evo, is that it doesn’t have changeable hoppers, so it can prove tricky if you like to switch between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. I can’t really complain about this considering the price though, as it’s mainly the more premium coffee machines that have this ability.

There are three temperature settings to choose from on this manual espresso machine, so it can be adjusted to suit whichever beverage is being made, and eight different bean-grinding settings to achieve the right intensity, and I found this useful for perfecting different coffee options.

(Image credit: Future)

The Arte Evo comes with two single-walled coffee filters in a single and double dose. The filters were unusually difficult to get out of the portafilter once pushed in. I had to use a taper-ended butter knife to remove the filter each time, so this isn’t the end of the world, but care will need to be taken when attempting to remove them.

The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo was delightfully straightforward to use. The setup process was quick and simple, and thanks to the helpful tips in the quick guide it was easy to determine the perfect grind coarseness, dosage, and techniques to create tasty cups of coffee.

I’m a huge fan of this coffee machine, and I’d recommend it as the best in this price bracket, but if you think you might want some different features or you prefer a different aesthetic, you could always take a look at our selection of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines to see if anything catches your eye.

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: price and availability

• List price: $699 / £549 / AU$699
• Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The list price for the Specialista Arte Evo is $699.95 / £549.99 / AU$699 on the official De'Longhi website. It’s available from other third-party retailers too, including Amazon in the US and the UK, where the price is occasionally discounted.

This is pretty good value for a quality manual bean-to-cup coffee machine with cold brew capabilities, and while it may not have as many grind settings or auto-tamping as the reigning champion of our selection of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines, the Sage Barista Express Impress, this compact De'Longhi espresso machine offers cold brew and is a whole lot cheaper.

• Value score: 5/5

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: specs De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: design and features

• Quick and easy setup
• Dishwasher safe accessories
• Smaller-than-average footprint for manual bean-to-cup machines

The De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo is fairly compact as far as manual bean-to-cup espresso makers go, with dimensions of 11.2 x 14.4 x 15.9 inches / 285 x 365 x 400mm. It’s understandably a bit weighty at 21.5 lbs / 9.3 kg, but this is fine as it’s a product that’s not intended to be moved around. One thing I will say, though, is that it didn’t feel quite heavy enough for me to push the portafilter and tamper guide in to receive the ground coffee without a hand on the machine to hold it in place.

One small niggle is that there isn’t the option to have changeable hoppers, which can prove to be a pain if you’ve left the beans in for too long, or if you like to switch between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, for example. It’s only really more premium coffee machines that offer this, so I can’t complain much considering the price of the Arte Evo. If you only use the amount of beans needed to avoid leaving them sitting for too long, or only use one kind of bean, you shouldn’t have any problems.

(Image credit: Future)

To the right of the hopper, there is a small storage compartment that could fit the filter baskets and small cleaning utensils. At first, I believed that the UK model didn’t come with a tamping mat, as it is not obviously listed on the De'Longhi UK website, but it turned out to be hidden underneath the base fitment in the accessories box. I found it really helpful when tamping my coffee, with a circular indentation for the tamper to sit in, and a shaped area for the portafilter. This also fit the tamper slot after it was removed before attaching the portafilter to the machine, so it was easy to keep things neat and tidy through each stage.

The Arte Evo also comes with a small cup support, to give those mini espresso glasses a little boost. The removable water tank is easy to remove and replace. It has a 56 fl oz / 1.7 capacity, which is plenty for a few cups of java, while also remaining light enough to be maneuvered easily.

(Image credit: Future)

The layout of the grinder, extractor, and My Latte Art steam arm is fairly standard, but the steam arm is in close proximity to where the extraction area and small cup support sit in a bid to save some space. The steam arm rotates outwards, so I could easily get the included metal milk jug under.

Inside the removable drip tray sits a red plastic water level indicator that rises through the cup grille as the tray fills up so it can be emptied before it gets too full. Speaking of the drip tray, it’s really easy to remove for emptying and cleaning. It breaks down into three parts: the cup grille, the cup grille support, and the drip tray itself.

There are three drink presets to choose from, Espresso, Americano (Long Black in the UK and Australia), and Cold Brew. The My Latte Art steam arm was easy to maneuver and I was able to use it to create smooth microfoam, as well as using it to heat and add body to the milk when mocha and cappuccino making.

(Image credit: Future)

The Arte Evo has three temperature settings to choose from, so it can be adjusted to deliver the best results for whatever you’re making. It also has eight different bean-grinding settings to achieve the ideal intensity. I mostly used level five for americanos and espresso shots (which I of course used to make my beloved mochas), but I found that level six worked best for cold brews.

The My Latte Art steam arm was easy to maneuver, and thanks to the tips in the quick guide I easily created a smooth microfoam. I also used the steam arm to heat and add body to the milk for mocha making, which I did a lot of in my time with it, as it quickly became my favorite way to make coffee each day.

• Design score: 4.5/5

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: performance

• Simple to use
• Hassle-free
• Great results

Straight out of the box, the setup and coffee-making process was straightforward. The De'Longhi Quick Guide manual was easy to follow and made setting up this espresso machine a breeze. Plus, for those who are new to a manual bean-to-cup coffee machine, or you’re a visual learner, De'Longhi also has a useful how-to YouTube channel where you can see videos of their coffee machine setup processes.

After washing and drying the accessories and water tank, I put the drip tray back in place and filled the water tank before rinsing the included SoftBalls sachet under running water and dropping it into the tank. Each SoftBalls sachet lasts for three months and is designed to prevent limescale formation without affecting the quality of the coffee. After plugging the machine in and turning it on, I placed a glass bowl under the water spout before pressing okay to initiate a short rinse cycle. I then popped a filter basket into the portafilter before locking it into place, then hit okay again so that it rinsed through.

Some things to note here are that it’s tricky to get the filter baskets out of the portafilter: I had to use a taper-ended butter knife to prise them out, and in addition, it took a fair bit of elbow grease to get the portafilter to lock into place. Perhaps those stronger than me won’t have as much of an issue, but I found myself having to put my other hand on the machine to brace myself when inserting or removing the portafilter. The final part to be flushed through was the steam arm, which was just a case of placing it into the bowl and pushing the steam button on the machine.

(Image credit: Future)

Once the machine was all set, I experimented with the grind and dose levels until I was happy with the result. This De'Longhi machine comes with a really helpful dosing and tamping guide that simply screws onto the top of the portafilter, so it’s easy to give it a few taps to help the coffee grounds settle before pushing them down with the satisfyingly weighted tamper.

The quick start guide had a helpful little Infusion Temperature Profiles box out, explaining that different beans and roasting colors require specific temperatures, informing me that Robusta coffee beans prefer a lower temperature, and Arabica beans like a higher temperature. As I was using Arabica beans, I used the maximum temperature option (level three) and selected my drink using the right-hand dial, which for my first attempt was an espresso.

(Image credit: Future)

Following the instructions and tips helped me to make a pretty perfect espresso shot in a few minutes. There wasn’t quite as much crema as I’d anticipated, but other than that it was great. When trying out the steam wand on some semi-skimmed milk, I once again found the quick start guide super helpful with its additional barista tips, recommending that fresh cold milk is used and that the metal milk jug is cold. The visuals provided a little guidance, explaining where the nozzle should be placed to get the milk to froth, and these pointers helped me make some lovely foam for a cappuccino on my first attempt.

The Thermoblock heating system and active temperature control feature seemingly worked well during the brewing process, as the extracted coffee tasted spot-on every time. All three presets delivered satisfying and great-tasting results. I used the Espresso preset most frequently, combining it with steamed milk and hot chocolate powder, as I am quite partial to a mocha.

(Image credit: Future)

I’ll admit that cold brew coffee isn’t really my thing, so I roped in my very helpful editor to do a taste test for me. I ground a single dose of espresso, which the Arte Evo mixes with 3.7 fl oz /110ml of water; alternatively, I could have ground a double dose, which would then have been used to create a 6 fl oz / 180ml sized drink. In his opinion, the coffee tasted nice, wasn't overly bitter as you'd expect from a cold brew, but it was a little too diluted for his taste.

De'Longhi recommends a grind coarseness of between four and six for cold brew. Originally I aimed for the middle with level five, so I increased the coarseness to level six following the feedback from our team's resident cold brew fanatic. He confirmed that this tweak to the settings did indeed make it stronger and, although not perfect, it was more to his tastes.

Cleaning the machine was fairly straightforward. The drip tray and grill can be removed easily and are dishwasher safe. For thorough cleaning, it’s recommended to run a mixture of white vinegar and water through the water spout, portafilter, and steam arm.

• Performance score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo? Buy it if

You want to be your own barista
As the Specialista Arte Evo is easy to operate, and the quick start manual offers so many helpful tips, you’ll be brewing up all kinds of beverages for your family and friends in no time.

You don’t want to dedicate too much space
No manual bean-to-cup machine can be truly compact due to the nature of the espresso-making process. But De'Longhi has been mindful of how valuable countertop space is in our kitchens, which is reflected in the smaller-than-average footprint of this machine.

You want fancy coffee at home
With the La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine, you’ll have the freedom to make your own espresso, cappuccinos, lattes, mochas, cold brews, and more, right from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Don't buy it if

You don’t want to have to clean up after every cup
Whether you have your coffee black or white, there’s extra maintenance to consider when it comes to a manual bean-to-cup machine. The extracted ground coffee will need to be knocked out of the filter and rinsed, and any milk will need to be wiped off the steam arm straight away to stop it from solidifying (which it likes to do very quickly).

You want your coffee quick
The process of making a coffee with the Arte Evo isn’t particularly long when compared to similar machines, but compared to a standard instant coffee, it naturally takes longer due to the extra steps involved. It’s certainly worth the effort, though!

You don’t want to get into tweaking settings
Due to the different settings available, including dose adjustment, grinding levels, and water temperature, it may take time to perfect the settings to get the right brew for you.View Deal

De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo review: also consider

Ninja Luxe Café
For those who want to take some of the guesswork out of their budding barista journey, the Ninja Luxe Café is a great beginner machine thanks to its grind coarseness guidance, weight-based dosage system, and automatic milk frother. It also has a slightly larger water tank, a removable hopper, and a digital display. Our reviewer was mightily impressed when they tested it out, awarding it four and a half stars. Check out the full review of the Ninja Luxe Café for further details.

De'Longhi Dinamica Plus
Undoubtedly more expensive, but the perfect alternative if you don’t want to take a hands-on approach to coffee making. It’s packed full of features, including a removable ergonomic thermal milk carafe that can be kept in the fridge to keep the milk fresh and cold. Interestingly, this machine is compatible with the De'Longhi link app, allowing you to perform some of its functions remotely. This too was awarded four and a half stars, with little in the way of negatives. Read the full De'Longhi Dinamica Plus review here.

How I tested the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo

• I tested the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo over a few weeks
• I repeatedly made espresso and frothed milk four days a week
• I tested its variety of settings and features

I used the De'Longhi La Specialista Arte Evo Espresso Machine roughly three times a day, four days a week for several weeks, for the most part making mochas, cappuccinos, lattes, long blacks, and the odd cup of tea.

I evaluated how easy it was to put together, and how easy the setup process was. I made use of all of the features, paying close attention to the process, testing how easy the machine was to use, and the quality of the drinks produced. I tested all of the different coffee types available, and used all of the included accessories to see how they performed.

Finally, I investigated how easy it was to remove the washable parts of the machine and see how easy they were to clean.

Read more about how we test.

First reviewed August 2024

Fujifilm's new X-M5 is a dinky and stylish beginner mirrorless camera with a focus on video, delivering sharp 6K video recording in color-rich 10-bit. It also features 4K up to 60fps for cinematic half-speed effects, plus open gate video recording, which means the camera can take information from the full height and width of the 3:2 sensor, rather than being restricted to 16:9 or wider.

Open gate 6K video allows for a new 9:16 vertical video mode without you having to rotate the camera 90 degrees, with the new social media-focused mode cropping the central vertical portion of the frame at 1080p resolution, complete with handy preset recording times of 15, 30 or 60 seconds.

The X-M5 is also equipped with an improved wind filter and three internal directional mics, whereby you can employ any of those mics individually or together based on your video needs, with options for surround, front or back priority, or front and back priority. Alternatively, you can use an external mic for even better audio, connecting via the 3.5mm jack and securing it into the X-M5's hotshoe.

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

There are some well-considered design touches: the mic port has been positioned on the rear above where the screen sits, while the other ports are on the right-hand side of the camera rather than the left, which means they don't interfere with the flip-out touchscreen. As on the X-T50, you also get a film simulation dial for quickly switching between Fujifilm's legendary color profiles.

Price-wise, and indeed for a large part features-wise, the X-M5 matches and therefore sits alongside the photography-focused X-T30 II, and below the X-S20, as an excellent-value starter mirrorless camera for those who shoot more videos than photos. Yet with its tiny form-factor – this is the smallest X-series camera in 2024's lineup – the X-M5 is also a decent walkaround camera, say for street photography.

Given its low price, naturally there are compromises. The X-M5 does not feature in-body image stabilization, which you get in the pricier X-S20, and which is supremely helpful for smoothing out handheld videos.

That flip-out touchscreen is a lower 1.04m-dot resolution compared to those on other Fujifilm cameras, like the 1.84m-dot one on the X-S20, plus there's no viewfinder as on the X-T30 II, and so the X-M5 might not prove to be the easiest camera to use in bright light. Design-wise, the X-S20 is a better option for enthusiasts – it offers the best of the X-M5 and X-T30 II in one camera, and it has much better battery life plus image stabilization, although it costs a fair bit more.

In the few hours I had with the dinky X-M5 ahead of its launch I found that it's a highly capable little camera that's not for everyone, but for those starting out making videos it could be one of the most powerful tools available for the money.

Fujifilm X-M5: price and release date

• X-M5 body only: $799 / £799 / AU$1,449
• X-M5 with 15-45mm lens: $899 / £899 / AU$1,649
• On sale November 14

You'll be able to pick up the X-M5 with the 15-45mm kit lens for $899 / £899 / AU$1,649 when it goes on sale on November 14. If you don't need the lens, the X-M5 can be picked up body-only for a little less, at $799 / £799 / AU$1,449.

That price point matches the X-T30 II exactly, making the feature-rich X-M5 one of the cheapest mirrorless cameras available in 2024.

Fujifilm X-M5 specs Fujifilm X-M5: design and handling

• Tiny and lightweight
• No viewfinder
• Film simulation dial

Tipping the scales at just 12.52oz / 355g, the X-M5 is one of the lightest mirrorless cameras around, and it's properly dinky too. I actually found it a little too small at times, regularly knocking controls, unintentionally taking pictures and so on, but I can certainly see the appeal of its tiny proportions, especially as an everyday walkaround camera.

I was testing the X-M5 with the 15-45mm lens, which is available as a kit with the camera, and is a decent pairing physically. With the camera's modest-sized handgrip and such a tiny body, Fujifilm's larger lenses will feel like a bit of mismatch, and the sweet spot will be smaller zoom and prime lenses – I'd especially like to try the X-M5 with the XF 27mm f/2.8 pancake lens.

Image 1 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

The Fujifilm X-M5 is sporting the classic Fujifilm retro look with faux-leather finish, plus a top plate (available in black or silver – I had the all-black version) with shooting mode and Film Simulation dials. Like the X-T50, the most popular film simulations are present, plus three customizable slots for your other favorites. The dial cannot be changed to control something else.

The flip-out screen is unimpeded, unlike on so many other cameras. That's because Fujifilm has positioned the ports on the opposite, right-hand side of the camera. There's also a new position for the mic input, just above where the screen rests. It's a logical placement near the hotshoe, which is where you can secure an external mic, meaning your cable doesn't need to get in the way of camera controls or the screen either.

Image 1 of 6

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 6

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 6

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 6

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 6

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 6 of 6

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

That 3-inch touchscreen is the lowest-spec screen in Fujifilm's range of cameras, with just a 1.04m-dot resolution compared to the 1.62m-dot and 1.84m-dot screens of the X-T30 II and X-S20 respectively. Still, you get a revised user interface with handy short cuts to shooting modes such as the new vertical video mode.

The X-M5 is powered by Fujifilm's NP-W126S battery, which is the same battery as found in the X-T30 II and other models like the X-T50 and X100VI. Here you get a 440-shot battery life, which is an improvement on some other models, thanks in part to Fujiflm's latest X-Processor 5 engine, although battery life is reduced to more like 330 shots if you're not in Eco mode.

The key difference between the X-M5 and Fujifilm's other entry-level camera, the X-T30 II, is that the latter has a viewfinder, which can be very helpful for composing photos in bright light. I only used the X-M5 in cloudy weather, but I suspect that in bright light it could be a challenge to view the flip-out screen clearly.

Fujifilm X-M5: features and performance

• 60-minute video record time
• Three internal directional mics
• Less effective digital image stabilization only
• 8fps / 30fps for up to 173 JPEGs

The X-M5 packs a lot of power for such a small camera, but there are also compromises. For example, it can shoot up to 8fps continuous burst sequences (using the mechanical shutter) or 30fps (with the electronic shutter), but the X-S20 is able to squeeze out more frames.

Both cameras use the same processor, so I can only assume that the limited performance of the X-M5 – a still respectable 173 JPEGs or 25 raws in continuous high mode – is due to the fact that it records onto UHS-I SD memory cards, while the X-S20 is compatible with the faster UHS-II SD-type memory card. The X-M5 is no slouch by any means, but it's a shame that it isn't compatible with the latest SD cards.

Offloading those files onto a smartphone should be a breeze. You don't even need to mess around with unreliable Bluetooth connections and slow transfer speeds – the X-M5 offers high-speed file transfer to a smartphone via USB connection, with Fujifilm's XApp. There's also frame.io camera to cloud storage and sharing available for subscribers.

Fujifilm has equipped the X-M5 with its best autofocus system with its latest subject-detection algorithms, including animal eye AF and touch tracking autofocus for video. In fact, it's better than higher-end Fujifilm cameras right now, although some of those cameras, like the X-H2S, will be improved with this latest algorithm via a firmware update.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

For me, a major downside to the X-M5 is that it lacks in-body image stabilization. To be clear, I wouldn't expect such a feature in a beginner camera given that you won't find it at this price point anywhere else. It just feels like a video-focused camera can really benefit from it, and if I was getting serious about video I'd turn my attention to the X-S20 instead.

The X-M5 utilizes digital image stabilization (DIS) instead, should you need it, and you will for handheld videos. The X-S20 also features DIS, which incurs a 1.1x crop of the image area; however, that crop is much more severe in the X-M5 – at least 1.32x and up to 1.44x depending on the video modes and frame rates.

If you want steady video, say for handheld vlogs, your frame will be cropped. That means you need a seriously wide-angle lens to fit yourself in the shot, otherwise vlogging won't really be possible with DIS employed. Alternatively, you can buy a gimbal to stabilize footage and keep DIS switched off. However, adding a gimbal pushes the price up, perhaps to the point where you might as well have bought the X-S20.

Audio recording quality is impressive. The X-M5 features three directional mics (there are two on the X-S20 and X-T30 II) that can be isolated or used together – so for example you can have the mics picking up just your voice vlogging, or audio from in front of and behind the camera for the camera-person and subject conversing, or complete surround sound that captures the ambient sound too.

Fujifilm says the X-M5 has an improved wind filter – though I can't vouch for how this has been improved from my limited testing – plus 'steady state' noise reduction. There's a mic input too, should you need even better audio recording.

Fujifilm X-M5: image and video quality

• 26MP stills and 6K/30p video
• 10-bit color depth and wide range of bitrates for various qualities / file sizes
• New vertical video mode for social media

I only had my hands on a pre-production version of the X-M5, just for a few hours, and so it's not possible for me to comment with authority on image quality. The raw photo files weren't even readable by any photo editor at the time of testing, as is the case with most cameras ahead of their announcement.

However, I have tested the Fujifilm X-S20, which shares the exact same 26MP X-trans CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor 5 engine, plus the same 6K video resolution and frame rates, meaning that I already have a good idea of what to expect from the X-M5 – superb-quality photos and videos.

There are two key differences between the X-S20 and X-M5. The X-S20 features in-body image stabilization for smoother handheld video clips, plus a higher maximum 360Mbps bitrate to the X-M5's 200Mbps, meaning its best-quality video is less compressed. The X-S20 also imposes just a 1.1x crop when using its digital image stabilizer, while the X-M5's crop is more severe at 1.32x and higher.

Image 1 of 8

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 8

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 8

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 8

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 8

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 6 of 8

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 7 of 8

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 8 of 8

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

The lack of in-body image stabilization will probably have the most noteworthy adverse impact on video quality, especially for those who shoot handheld vlogs. Digital image stabilization, which works with the lens' optical stabilization, is far less effective, and using it incurs that severe 1.32x crop, so you'll need to use a particularly wide lens with the camera for vlogging, or splash out on a gimbal. We'll share more reflections about video quality without IBIS in our in-depth review.

Fujifilm has introduced additional 8Mbps and 25Mbps low bitrates for those who want to work with super-small video files sizes and don't mind the additional compression that affects outright quality. These low bitrates are not proxies recorded alongside higher bitrate videos – you choose the bitrate you want and that's that. Low bitrates are handy if you need to work fast on location, and don't have the time or capacity to work with large file sizes. If your videos are only going to be viewed on phones, these low bitrates are an acceptable option.

Otherwise, there's not a lot to choose between the two cameras, which reflects well on the X-M5 because it's so much cheaper, at just 56% the cost of the X-S20. The X-S20 has loads more going for it regarding its build and handling, but the X-M5 offers excellent bang for buck in terms of video quality.

How I tested the Fujifilm X-M5

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

• Just a few hours
• Not a final firmware version
• A photo and video walk around central London

Following an in-depth briefing with Fujifilm, I spent a couple of hours using a pre-production version of the of the X-M5 around central London during the day, mainly taking street photos and short-form 9:16 videos using the new video mode.

As I was using a pre-production model I'm not able to comment on image quality, nor the outright performance of the camera; rather, this first-look review constitutes my first impressions, and a general feel for the handling of the camera. TechRadar's full review will be published soon.

First reviewed October 2024

When you need to convert between video file formats, you require software that is fast, efficient, accurate and robust. And there are plenty of options out there, such as XMedia Recode.

We’ve tested the best free video converters, but how does XMedia Recode in the field? We took the software for a test run to find out.

XMedia Recode: Pricing & plans

• You can’t argue with free, so we won’t. Instead, we’ll lament the fact this software is Windows only

Good news, especially if you’re on a tight budget: XMedia Recode is free. You won’t be charged to use it, nor will you be charged on a regular basis to rent it. It’s free to download, and free to use.

The bad news is that it’s Windows only, preventing conversion possibilities for those who prefer a different type of operating system (if you’re looking for similar software that’s more multi-platform-friendly, take a look at Handbrake).

You can download XMedia Recode by clicking here.

• Score: 4.5/5

XMedia Recode: How it works

XMedia Recode can convert to so many video formats (Image credit: XMedia )

• XMedia Recode is essentially a one-trick pony: it’s designed to convert video files to other formats. This may sound quite limiting, but there are so many formats out there, it’s great that some software has been created to tackle this task

XMedia Recode supports hardware acceleration using various Nvidia and AMD cards, and is capable of handling a myriad of different file formats, including unprotected DVDs and Blu-rays. It can take chapter markers directly from a DVD or Blu-ray, or allows you to import chapter files, just like it can import subtitle tracks. You’re able to edit the ID3 tag as well as adding album covers, and to finish off, it’s designed for batch processing.

That’s quite an arsenal, so let’s head over to the XMedia Recode page to download the latest version. Make sure you ignore the overwhelming number of ads on the page that entice you to download whatever it is they’re selling - those are not what you’re looking for. Instead, mouse over the ‘Download’ menu at the top of the page, to choose the version that best suits your PC.

• Score: 4.5/5

XMedia Recode: Interface

You can choose a file stored on your computer, or an unprotected DVD or Blu-ray disc (Image credit: XMedia )

• This is definitely XMedia Recode’s weakest point: the interface is sparse, not immediately clear, and doesn’t have the aesthetic you'd expect from modern apps. Still, it does what it does well, so is it really that important that it’s not much to look at?

If you get something that’s open source or free, chances are the interface won’t be high on the list of priorities, and the best thing we could say about XMedia Recode is that it’s functional but not that much to look at.

You’ll find a handful of icons at the top of the software’s window designed to initiate the most common functions, such as opening a disk, a converted disk now available as a file on your hard drive) or any other kind of compatible video files. You can also add what you want to the batch processor, start the encoding process, check for updates and access the community for help, among others.

Beneath that would be a menu giving you access to various parameters, broken down by specific categories, such as format, video, audio, filters, tags, and so on.

Everything is very utilitarian. It does the job, but even finding your way around at first can be a tad tricky. For instance there is no ‘Start’ button. It didn’t take long to realise we needed to add our file to the queue and then click on the Encode button to get the process started, which tells us this software is designed more for those who wish to convert many files in one go, than those more casual users who just need the odd one done now and then. Still, once you know the intricacies of the software and understand how it likes to do things, it becomes a simple matter to use it to its full potential.

• Score: 3.5/5

XMedia Recode: Tools

You can customize all available parameters and save them as unique settings (Image credit: XMedia )

• The number of parameters you can change is impressive, letting you customize settings without having to learn the intricacies of file format management and customization

XMedia Recode’s main purpose is to convert video files between formats, and it certainly does not disappoint. The list of available formats that you can access via the ‘Format’ drop down menu, located in the ‘Format’ tab, is impressively long. There are dozens there which are bound to meet your requirements. Heck, there were some on that list we hadn’t even heard of, and others we hadn’t seen in a very long time.

In order to check the process we tried it on some footage taken from an old camcorder, as well as a personal DVD (XMedia Recode cannot read protected discs, which are the overwhelming majority of commercial media, so you’ll either have to find a way to strip those discs of their protection, or just restrict your conversion process to discs you burnt yourself). XMedia Recode will happily read off of a disc or of the relevant folder, saved to a hard drive. Either way, the process is the same, if a little tricky to get started (we’re back to issues with the overly spartan and utilitarian interface).

The ability to add subtitles and chapter markers is most useful (or rip them if they are already present in the video file you’re converting), but we’re not too sure about the usefulness of being able to apply filters to the output. Still, it’s there if you want it, although we suspect not many will.

Once you get used to working with XMedia Recode you’ll find you can whizz through the formatting process. We found the results, even using the default settings, to be fast, and of great quality. In addition, a huge advantage is the ability to save custom settings, enabling you to set the exact format, bit rate, size, frame rate, etc. for each and every file you put it through. To quote a scruffy looking nerf herder we know, “she may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts”.

• Score: 4/5

Should I buy?

We found the encoding to be fast and extremely accurate (Image credit: XMedia )

Buy it if...

You want a program that's free, fast, and can convert to and from loads of formats.

Don't buy it if...

You need a modern, intuitively designed interface to navigate your preferred software.

We tested the best photo editing PCs and the best laptops for photo editing and these are the machines we recommend.

Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger (3 Ports) review

The Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger (3 Ports) is a premium multi-port charger that will get your devices juiced up in no time. With three ports – two of which are USB-C and one is USB-A – it’s the ideal solution if you’re someone that needs to charge multiple devices simultaneously.

Let's say you’re out and about and need to charge your phone, laptop, and wireless earbuds. This charger would easily get your devices back to full charge quickly, thanks to a maximum total power output of 100W. That’s definitely going to be more than enough power for the vast majority of people. It’s worth noting, though, that individually, the single USB-A port only has a maximum output of 22.5W, compared to the 100W of the USB-C ports – so bear that in mind when charging more power-hungry devices.

Thanks to its high power output, you’ll be able to fast charge devices, or even super-fast charge them, if they’re compatible with this. For instance, my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, which is capable of super-fast charging, went from 0% to 100% in less than one hour and 30 minutes – even with two PS5 controllers charging alongside it. That’s the sort of speeds you'd expect from the best Android phone chargers or best iPhone chargers.

Given how much power this charger offers, it’s decently compact. Don’t get me wrong, it's not super tiny and lightweight, but compared to competitors that offer around 100W of power, this is nicely sized. The charger has foldable prongs too, which is ideal if you want to carry it in your pocket.

Overall, this is a well-designed plug. It has a sleek, silver exterior that is decently nice to look at, although there are no other color options available. It's well designed on a technical level too, with Anker’s ActiveShield 2.0 safety tech able to monitor temperature and adjust power output, creating a more secure charging experience.

Let’s tackle the elephant in the room though, which is price. This charger is $84.99 / £79.99 (about AU$120) – that’s by no means inexpensive. Not only that, but there are a decent amount of similar products out there at a considerably lower price. For instance, the UGreen Nexode Pro 100W 3-Port GaN Fast Charger is only $64.98 / £59.99 – more on this later. Overall though, the Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger (3 Ports) is still a great multi-port charger and is certain to offer excellent performance and practicality, even when you’re on-the-go.

(Image credit: Future) Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger (3 Ports) review: Price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger (3 Ports)? Buy it if…

You need to charge multiple devices simultaneously
This charger has three ports and offers a maximum power output of 100W. That’s going to be more than enough to get devices such as smartphones, wireless earbuds or headphones and a tablet juiced up quickly, all at once.

You’re in the market for something more premium
You get plenty of capacity here, but that’s not all. This is a well-built, sleek, compact charger with higher build quality than most cheap alternatives. This does mean, of course, you have to pay a fairly steep price.

Don't buy it if…

You only need a phone charger
If you’re only really going to charge your phone or can stomach the concept of juicing up one device at a time, this isn’t the best choice for you. That’s because there are so many great single-port options on the market. For instance, the Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger (30W) is a fantastic, stylish single-port charger that will only cost a fraction of this plug’s price.

You’re looking for a cheap option
If you’re in the market for a cheap multi-port charger, this isn’t it. This plug is part of Anker’s Prime range and there are plenty of cheaper high-wattage, multi-port alternatives available on Amazon (and beyond).

Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger (3 Ports) review: Also consider

UGreen Nexode Pro 100W 3-Port GaN Fast Charger
Ok, so you want a decently powerful multi-port charger, but this option from Anker is just a bit out of your budget. Enter the UGreen Nexode Pro 100W 3-Port GaN Fast Charger. This isn’t quite as compact as Anker’s alternative and only one of the USB-C ports can get up to 100W maximum output, but these are going to be minor issues for the majority of people. At $64.98 / £59.99 (about AU$90), you’re getting a good quality plug for substantially less.View Deal

Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch: two-minute review

To call the Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch a food processor would be doing quite an injustice to. Yes, it is a food processor, but unlike most of its peers, it comes with a full size blender attachment, as well as personal blender cup and a citrus press. This multi-functional kitchen gadget can even replace your digital weighing scale.

It’s ideal for anyone moving into their first home and looking to set up their kitchen, since it offers so many small appliances in one package. And since Kenwood is a long established kitchen appliance brand, you can rest assured it knows what it’s doing.

The OneTouch sits within Kenwood’s MultiPro range of food processors, and is one of the most multi-functional in the range. Yet it’s still pretty affordable given all that it is capable of. Its biggest competitor in terms of functionality is probably the Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto-IQ, but the Kenwood can do more.

On test, I tried all the accessories and it performed well across the board. There were a couple of little design quirks that I noticed along the way, but no major deal-breaker level flaws. You can read my detailed performance review below to see how it compares with the best food processors and best blenders on the market.

Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch: price and availability

• List price: £199.99 / AU$349 (about $260)
• Availability: UK / Australia

The Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch Pood Procesor and Blender FDM73.850SS in the format tested here is only available in the UK. However, in Australia the Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch Food Processor and Blender FDM73.480SS is virtually the same product. The difference is that it doesn’t come with the whisk, citrus press, personal blender, or the 2mm slicing and shredding disc.

In both countries it’s available directly from Kenwood, as well as via Amazon (though at the time of writing it's out of stock at Amazon in both countries). It can also be found at select kitchen appliance retailers, such as Lakeland in the UK.

At the time of writing in the UK the Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch was discounted by both Kenwood and Lakeland, so it is worth hunting around for discounts or checking the price during the big seasonal sales like Black Friday.

Thanks to all the various functions and accessories, this multi-purpose food processor can replace several appliances, and from that perspective it offers very good value for money.

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

The Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch comes with a huge array of accessories and attachments, making it much more than just a food processor (Image credit: Helen McCue) Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch: design

• Control panel has a cluttered appearance
• Design is better suited to right handed users
• Express serve lid is a useful addition

The Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch isn’t a standout appliance for stunning good looks; it’s built more for practicality and function. For example, I'm not a fan of the color images on the control panel that represent the preset modes. They give the appliance a cluttered, busy appearance even when switched off.

Despite my thoughts on the aesthetic, the controls are very simple to get to grips with. There are just three speeds to choose from and a pulse button. The six preset functions are divided into dough, puree, and mix for the food processor and ice crush, blend, and clean for the blender.

The color icons on the control panel give the appliance a busy look, even when it's switched off (Image credit: Helen McCue)

There’s no start/stop button - instead you start it by selecting a preset or speed. When you need to stop it, you then have to press the same button again, which doesn’t always come naturally. I got used to it, but it’s a bit of a quirk that took a few goes to get my head around.

Cleverly, the base of the food processor doubles as a digital weighing scale. There’s a button to switch between lb and kg as well as a zero button. Weight is displayed on a small screen, which doubles as the timer when it’s in use as a food processor.

A plastic plate attachment sits on the base to allow you to use it as a scale independent of the food processor accessories. Or, you can weigh directly into the food processor bowl or blender jug.

The base of the Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch serves as a digital scale. You can weigh ingredients on a plastic plate, or directly into the food processor bowl or blender jug (Image credit: Helen McCue)

The machine comes with the main basic food processor attachments that I’d expect, including the knife blade, dough tool, whisk, a 4mm slicing and shredding disc as well as a 2mm slicing and shredding disc.

One stand-out addition is the express serve lid attachment, which is used in conjunction with the slicing and grating discs. It works as a chute to propel the sliced and grated food into a container of your choosing, which means you’re not limited by the size of the main food processor bowl. It’s a great innovation, especially for those who want to slice or grate in bulk.

The Serve Lid attachment propels grated or chopped food into a container of your choice (Image credit: Helen McCue)

What makes this food processor truly multi-functional is that it also comes with a full size blender attachment and a personal blender attachment. There’s even a citrus press accessory that attaches to the food processor bowl..

Every large attachment has to be twisted into position on the base. For the food processor bowl and the blender, the lid also has to be twisted and locked in place otherwise they won’t work. This is a necessary safety feature.

Before adding the food processor bowl a long spindle attachment called the drive shaft, has to be placed on the base first. However, the drive shaft doesn’t click or lock in place, in fact, it feels quite loose, so it’s easy to think something is missing when you first assemble it. What’s more, I found that every time I removed the food processor bowl, I knocked the drive shaft and sent it clattering across the counter, which gets a bit annoying.

Another downside is that the main food processor bowl and the blender jug have to be configured on the base with the handle sitting to the right. So they’re not well placed for left-handed users.

The footprint of the base is 22.2 x 27.7cm / 8.7 x 10.9 inches (w x d) and the height depends on the accessory added. The tallest is when the blender jug is attached, which makes it 42.9cm / 16.9 inches high

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch: performance

• Very fast grating and slicing
• Uncomplicated to use
• Built in scales save time and mess

Food processor

The Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch's lid was incredibly tough to remove for the first few uses but loosened and became far easier the more I used it.

The first thing I did was to use the pulse button to chop an onion. I peeled and quartered the onion, then put it in with the main blade attached, and it took just five pulses to finely chop the onion. To make sure nothing was missed, I removed the lid before the final pulse and scraped off any chunks that were stuck to the side of the bowl. That did the trick to ensure the pieces were all evenly sized.

Image 1 of 2

It took just five pulses to finely chop a quartered onion (Image credit: Helen McCue)Image 2 of 2

It took just five pulses to finely chop a quartered onion (Image credit: Helen McCue)

To make up a cake batter I used the main blade again in conjunction with the ‘mix’ preset which successfully combined all of the ingredients into a smooth cake batter in just 45 seconds. The best part was that prior to mixing I was able to weigh the ingredients directly into the food processor, which reduced the number of dishes to clean up.

Chopping nuts was next on the agenda. I threw in a handful of mixed nuts and pulsed it to avoid over-chopping them. It took 18 pulses, so I think it would have been quicker to just put it on the high speed setting. The nuts were chopped nevertheless.

There was a mixture of ground powdery nuts and some chunky pieces, so it didn’t chop them to a consistent texture. However, some of the other Kenwood MultiPro food processors come with a milling attachment. If you frequently chop hard foods like nuts, then it might be worth looking at those other models.

Image 1 of 2

The texture of chopped nuts was somewhat inconsistent, with some fine powder and some chunks (Image credit: Helen McCue)Image 2 of 2

The texture of chopped nuts was somewhat inconsistent, with some fine powder and some chunks (Image credit: Helen McCue)

The last test I did with the main chopping blade was to chop diced beef chunks into a ground beef texture. This task was a breeze for the food processor and the job was done in just 20 seconds on the high speed setting.

It took just five seconds to grate two carrots using the large disc. There were a couple of chunks left un-grated, and having weighed the carrot before grating as well as the chunks that didn’t get shredded, I worked out that the waste was around 8% (and I don’t really consider it waste since I was still able to use these chunks in another recipe).

Image 1 of 2

It took just five seconds to grate two carrots using the large disc (Image credit: Helen McCue)Image 2 of 2

It took just five seconds to grate two carrots using the large disc (Image credit: Helen McCue)

When grating cheese, I used the large grate disc again, and also the express serve attachment. I wanted to see if any cheese would get lodged or clumped in the express serve mechanism.

A 300g/ 10oz block of cheddar took under 15 seconds to grate and none of it got stuck in the express serve attachment. There were a few chunks of cheese that remained un-grated, amounting to about 8% of the total. But given how fast it is, I’m happy to save those chunks in the fridge for something else.

Grating cheese left a few un-grated pieces, but I was happy to keep these in the fridge for another recipe (Image credit: Helen McCue)

Grating chocolate can be a messy business and I’m happy to let a machine take care of the job. I used the small disc to grate a 180g / 6oz bar of dark chocolate. It took 40 seconds to push all the chocolate through and I had to press really firmly on the chocolate with the pusher.

Some chocolate did melt to the disc in the process and the chunks that didn’t get grated amounted to 19%, which is quite a lot. However, it’s much faster and easier than doing it by hand and I won’t let those ungrated chunks go to waste.

Image 1 of 2

The Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch sliced six carrots in 10 seconds (Image credit: Helen McCue)Image 2 of 2

The Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch sliced six carrots in 10 seconds (Image credit: Helen McCue)

Next up was slicing, and it sliced six carrots in an impressive 10 seconds on the highest speed. There wasn’t any waste, though some did end up going through at a bit of an angle, so the slices were somewhat elongated. Overall though, it was a great result.

To slice half a cucumber I set it up with the disc that creates thin slices. It took about eight seconds on the high speed setting to slice the cucumber. The slices were perfectly even and there was no waste.

To test the dough tool, I added the ingredients for a bread dough and selected the ‘dough’ preset. It’s only a 30 second preset but it mixed the ingredients and combined them into a dough within the time.

Image 1 of 3

The dough preset only takes 30 seconds, but produces a well combined result (Image credit: Helen McCue)Image 2 of 3

The dough preset only takes 30 seconds, but produces a well combined result (Image credit: Helen McCue)Image 3 of 3

The dough preset only takes 30 seconds, but produces a well combined result (Image credit: Helen McCue)

I was impressed that the suction cups on the base kept the food processor firmly rooted to the counter, even after the ingredients had turned into a big ball of dough that would have some other food processors walking across the counter.

I used the whisk attachment to whip 300ml / 0.6 pints of cream. To avoid over whipping the cream, I selected the medium speed setting. It took two and a half minutes and while the cream was beautifully thick and light, I’d probably try out the high speed setting next time as it took a little longer than I expected.

Whipping cream on the medium setting took two and a half minutes - I might use the high speed setting next time (Image credit: Helen McCue) Personal blender

I made a smoothie consisting of frozen mixed berries, milk, protein powder, half a banana, and a tablespoon of mixed seeds. The Instructions say not to use more than 60g frozen ingredients, so I made use of the integrated scales to weigh my berries before adding to the cup.

To blitz up the smoothie, I selected the ‘blend’ preset, which took 57 seconds. The finished smoothie was a little gritty thanks to the seeds that I had added as well as the seeds in the berries. However, there were no whole seeds and it had a pleasant, slightly aerated texture that was otherwise smooth and well mixed.

After blending, the blade attachment came off the cup in two sections, which wasn’t what I was expecting, but it didn’t actually matter. It made it easier to rinse clean under the tap.

Image 1 of 3

A smoothie made using the personal blender attachment was a little gritty due to the seeds I added, but well mixed and lightly aerated (Image credit: Helen McCue)Image 2 of 3

A smoothie made using the personal blender attachment was a little gritty due to the seeds I added, but well mixed and lightly aerated (Image credit: Helen McCue)Image 3 of 3

A smoothie made using the personal blender attachment was a little gritty due to the seeds I added, but well mixed and lightly aerated (Image credit: Helen McCue) Blender

To crush ice, I added eight ice cubes and selected the ‘ice crush’ preset. It blended the ice for 28 seconds. At the end of the program, the ice was evenly crushed to a snowy consistency.

I cooked up the chopped onion, grated and sliced carrot from the above tests, into a tasty soup. Then once it had cooled I added it to the blender to blitz into a smooth soup.

I blended the soup on the ‘blend’ setting which takes 57 seconds. This was enough to completely liquidize everything into a perfectly smooth and creamy soup.

Image 1 of 2

It was easy to blend ingredients into a smooth soup, though a small hole in the lid of the blender means liquid can spit out (Image credit: Helen McCue)Image 2 of 2

It was easy to blend ingredients into a smooth soup, though a small hole in the lid of the blender means liquid can spit out (Image credit: Helen McCue)

The one issue I had with the blender was that there’s a small hole in the lid. And at the start of blending the soup, liquid was spitting out of the hole. In the end I held a paper towel over it and the spitting stopped after the first 10-15 seconds when the soup began to thicken.

Next I half filled it with water and added some dishwashing liquid, then used the 33 second ‘clean’ preset to remove most of the soup residues. It worked a treat and I just had to rinse it and give it a quick wipe to get it fully cleaned.

Citrus press

The citrus press attachment slots on top of the main food processor bowl, in place of the lid. I switched it on to the low speed setting to make orange juice. Even on the low speed setting it felt fast and certainly made short work of the oranges. Four oranges (eight halves) took me around 90 seconds to juice.

The top section catches all the seeds and some of the pulp, leaving the rest of the juice to make its way into the bowl below. It’s a fast and effective attachment for people who want to juice citrus fruits, though the juice is pretty pulpy so if you want it super smooth, you’ll have to pour it through a sieve before drinking.

In general I didn’t find the food processor to be too loud, which is probably in part to do with how fast it processed everything. The blender and personal blender were pretty loud though and both hit a high of 105dB on my noise meter. This noise level is equivalent to outdoor power tools like a chainsaw or leaf blower. Though thankfully it was for less than a minute, so much more bearable.

Image 1 of 2

It took about 90 seconds to juice four oranges with the Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch's citrus juicer (Image credit: Helen McCue)Image 2 of 2

The juice contains quite a lot of pulp, so you'll need to strain it if you like a smoother texture (Image credit: Helen McCue) Should you buy the Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch? Buy it if

You want to grate and slice in bulk

With the express serve attachment, you can slice or grate directly into your own bowl(s), meaning there really is no limit to the amount you can get done without stopping.

You want a multi-tasking all-rounder

At this point it goes without saying that this appliance can take the place of several other appliances. It's the perfect all-rounder to buy if you’re just setting up home and don’t yet own any appliances.

You want digital scales built in

Not only is it a game changer being able to weigh ingredients directly into the food processor bowl or the blender jug, but having the option to use it as a digital scale in its own right is an excellent add-on.

Don't buy it if

You already own a blender or personal blender

If you already own some of the appliances that are included in this bundle, then it simply doesn’t make sense to double up. You’d be better off looking for a model with fewer accessories.

You’re short on storage space

While the number of accessories is what makes this a great value multi-tasking kitchen machine, don’t overlook the fact that there’s a lot to store. If you have a compact kitchen, it’s worth considering whether you have sufficient storage space.

How I tested the Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch

I had the Kenwood MultiPro OneTouch set up on my kitchen counter for a week while I did my best to try out every accessory and attachment at least once. In doing so, I also made use of the integrated weighing scales and tried most of the preset programmes on the control panel.

Further to testing its ability to deal with chopping, slicing, grating, whisking and blending, I was also noting how easy it was to use. This included how easily all the parts slot together as well as whether it’s tricky to clean.

I noted down any annoying features that I encountered and paid attention to whether it struggled or wobbled during use. I used a noise meter to establish how loud it is in use as well as taking into consideration the sheer volume of stuff there is to store. Learn more about how we test.

First reviewed October 2024

Geekcom GT1 Mega: 30-second review Specs

CPU: Intel Core 14th Gen Ultra 9-185H
Graphics: Intel Arc Graphics
RAM: 32GB DDR5, up to 64GB
Storage: 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
Rear Ports: 2 x USB 4.0, 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x RJ45 LAN (2.5G), 1 x DC in,
Front Ports: 4 x USB 3.2 Gen2, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x 3.5mm stereo jack, 1
Side Ports: SD Card 4.0, 1 x Kensington Lock
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Audio: HDA CODEC
Camera: N/A
Size: 135mm x 132mm x 46.9mm
OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro
Accessories: VESA Mount, free USB-C hub

The Geekom GT1 Mega instantly sets the tone with the high-quality metal exterior, with its row of USB Type-A ports across the front and a host of connection options across the rear, highlighting that this is something a little different. Inside is the latest 14th Gen Intel Ultra processor, which provides impressive performance in such a compact machine.

The new processor, which in our review sample is the U9-185H option, with the U7-155H also available, enables close integration with AI-enabled features. These work with the Intel NPU, which has the effect of significantly accelerating tasks like AI computation and video rendering, which in real-world terms is an invisible feature that you only witness through the speed of the processing.

There are other hints of this small machine’s power beyond editing 4K footage in DaVinci Resolve, which it handles as if it's a machine many times its own size, and the smooth running of high-impact games. Connecting up two 4K displays is well within its abilities, with an option to support up to four 4K monitors or one 8K through the two HDMI ports and USB4.

Sure enough, for video editing and 3D work, the Geekom ploughs through the processing without issue, and checking all Microsoft Office apps just doesn’t pose any type of stress on the system. While all this power and speed are impressive at such a small size, it is worth noting that the fans will kick in early—there’s a lot of cooling to be done—so if you like silence, while not loud, that fan whirr is apparent.

Then there are the options to upgrade, which, being a mini PC, are limited: a slight boost to the internal RAM and SSD but little else. However, the USB4 ports afford plenty of other expansion options with external SSDs and eGPUs.

As a true mini PC, the GT1 Mega will fit any workspace without issue, and the small VESA mount ensures that it’s easy to fit and mount as needed. That, coupled with the 65W power consumption, means that it can easily be transported and powered in the field with a power station such as the Bluetti AC70.

But is it the best mini PC we've tested? Well, while this is a great compact solution, it comes with a high price tag, especially considering the limited upgrade options. So, if you’re looking to spend this amount, it might be better to look at a larger desktop solution. However, considering the design and advanced technology, on its own or partnered with other devices to expand its function, it’s impressive and an ideal solution for any professional—creative or otherwise—who requires some serious processing power.

Geekom GT1 Mega: Price & availability

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Geekom GT1 Mega is priced at $1,099 and is available directly from Geekom with a 3-year warranty.

• Score: 4/5

Geekom GT1 Mega: Design & build

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The GT1 Mega is housed in a compact form factor (135mm x 132mm x 46.9mm) that is common for mini PCs, which instantly makes it an ideal choice for anyone with limited workspace or requiring a machine that is easily portable between places of work. The exterior of the machine is of an extremely high quality, with the all-metal finish instantly giving the impression of quality and style. The simple monocoque design of the casing, with the line of four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, 3.5mm audio, and power button, are all neatly laid out, highlighting accessibility.

That look helps to define this system as a core unit that can adapt to what you need it to do. For creatives, accessories such as the Logitech MX Creative Console, keyboard, and mouse can all be plugged in easily without searching around the back. Then on the side, alongside plenty of venting, which alongside the IceBlast 2.0 cooling system helps to keep on top of the heat from the fast processor, is an SD 4.0 card slot—a feature that will appeal to photographers and videographers, although a CFExpress Type-B slot would be great to see. On the other side, for security, there's a Kensington port.

Flipping over to the back, and again there’s a host of connections, including two USB 4.0 and dual 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports, two HDMI 2.0, a USB Type-A 3.2, and one USB 2.0 port.

The overall build is of a high quality, and flipping the machine onto its back, there are four small rubber feet and the hole for the VESA mount. Unscrewing the base gives you access to the inside, where there’s the option to upgrade the RAM from the 32GB to 64GB and swap the PCIe SSD NVMe Gen 4, although our review sample was already fitted with the 2TB version, which is the maximum.

• Design: 4.5/5

Geekom GT1 Mega: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Geekom GT1 Mega features Intel's 14th Gen Ultra U9-185H processor with 16 cores and 22 threads. It also features an AI-accelerated NPU, which is capable of delivering processing up to 8 times faster than the previous generation and enables you to access the latest machine learning tasks and compatibility with AI-enabled applications that can make full use of the new technology.

Visuals are supplied through Intel Arc graphics, which support both high-resolution video and gameplay, as well as the ability to run multiple displays from the system. This includes up to four 4K monitors or one 8K.

Inside, the machine features 32GB of Dual-channel DDR5-5600 SODIMM, which can be upgraded to 64GB. This is matched with 2TB of M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 x 4 SSD, which is the maximum that the machine can take.

Connections are a key feature of this small machine, and when it comes to networking, alongside the dual RJ45 2.5Gbps ports, there's also Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, further enhancing connection options.

Alongside the latest Intel processing, the big point of interest here is the expansion options. While those are limited internally, the ability to utilise the two USB4 ports along with the USB 3.2 Gen ports gives you plenty of options. Although the internal graphics are good, if you need the boost of a dedicated external graphics card, then an eGPU can easily be fitted. Likewise, ultra-fast external SSDs, NAS, and mass storage devices are all easily compatible.

The USB4 ports offer plenty of flexibility, with the ability to connect data devices, monitors, graphics, and even deliver up to 15W of PD power to quickly charge devices such as phones, tablets, and camera gear.

When it comes to portability, the small form factor and solid metal build make it nice and robust, but if you're working in the field, then the fact that it only draws 65W of power means that it will sit alongside a portable computing suite that can be used in the field without too much of an issue and powered by a portable power station. However, it does utilise a 19V DC input rather than the more universal USB Type-C, so the external power adapter is required.

• Features: 4.5/5

Geekom GT1 Mega: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings) Benchmarks

Crystal Disk Read: 5049.75MB/s
Crystal Disk Write: 4399.79MB/s
GeekBench CPU Single: 2498
GeekBench CPU Multi: 13916
GeekBench Compute: 39696
PC Mark: 6992
CineBench CPU Multi: 15911
CineBench CPU Single: 1888
Fire Strike Overall: 8133
Fire Strike Graphics: 8886
Fire Strike Physics: 29083
Fire Strike Combined: 2995
Time Spy Overall: 4072
Time Spy Graphics: 3642
Time Spy CPU: 12306
Wild Life: 20948
Windows Experience: 8.3

Getting started with the GT1 Mega is fast, with the usual run-through of options for Windows 11 Pro. Once installed, the WiFi connection to install updates and applications is fast, and there’s little slowdown as you switch from browsing to applications and general use of the machine. Starting with the range of Microsoft Office apps, the machine is simply fast and responsive, with the apps loading quickly. Navigating large Word documents, presentations, and long spreadsheets is handled with no issues or slowdowns. Essentially, the machine just makes short work of this level of applications.

Likewise, two of the best photo editors, Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, caused no issues, with the batch RAW processing of files from the Canon EOS R5C handled without a hitch. We also tested the machine with some of the best video editing software. RAW files along with 4K video Log3 footage from the Sony A7 IV were edited within Adobe Premiere Pro with the same ease. The only issue with video editing was the volume of internal storage; however, switching to using an external 8TB Samsung T5 Evo quickly resolved this, enabling impressive ease of editing for a 15-minute video.

Finally, looking at gaming performance, three games were tested: *Tekken 8*, *Cyberpunk 2077*, and *Hogwarts Legacy*. In all cases, the machine was able to handle most of the graphic processing, though with some minor lag in *Hogwarts Legacy*. However, a Razer Core X eGPU with ASUS GeForce 3060 Ti gave a boost to the graphics performance.

Once the external SSD and eGPU were added to the mix, the power of this small machine matched desktop PCs without issue, offering an incredibly small and effective solution for creative professionals looking for a compact and portable machine that can be used in the field.

Finally, with the performance tested, we checked out how the machine coped with our benchmarking tests. Here, the real-world tests were reflected, with the Geekom GT1 Mega excelling across the board. The Intel Ultra U9-185H processor offered strong multi-core performance, scoring 15,911 in Cinebench CPU multi-core tests, highlighting what we had witnessed during video editing. Storage speeds using the internal SSD are fast, with CrystalDisk scores of 5049.75MB/s for read and 4399.79MB/s for write, ensuring quick boot times and rapid data transfers. Although the 2TB storage will be ample for most users, creatives should look at an external storage solution such as the Samsung T5 Evo or OWC Envoy as an option.

If you do need to access the internal workings of the machine for an upgrade, the process is a little more involved than most. First, the four rubber feet need to be removed, then the four screws taken out, and the base prised off. Then there's the backing plate, which is again held by four screws; this needs to be carefully lifted away as there are two wires connected to the WiFi card. With the base plate propped up, you can access the M.2 Key-M slot for PCIe x4 Gen 4 NVMe SSD, 2280, and dual RAM slots, along with the M.2 Key-M slot PCIe x4 or SATA, 2242. It's also worth noting that the M.2 Key-E slot for CNVi/PCIe WiFi, 2230, can be upgraded, giving some future-proofing. Another interesting feature is the 16-pin FPC SATA connector to connect an FFC SATA cable to a 7mm 2.5" SATA, which opens up further options.

While overall the performance is excellent, the graphics performance is just above average, with the Intel Arc handling most tasks. However, the Fire Strike and Time Spy results show that when pushed, an eGPU should be considered, as we found with Hogwarts Legacy.

Overall, when it comes to performance, the core machine punches well above its size, but what really appeals is the fact that, with applications that support AI, this machine can see a real boost in performance. And if you need more storage for video or graphics for gaming, then an external drive or eGPU can be quickly fitted. The Geekom GT1 is one of the most impressive mini PCs available, with solid build and performance that will suit most creative and high-demand users.

• Performance: 4/5

Should you buy the Geekom GT1 Mega?

The Geekom GT1 Mega is a great option for professionals or creatives who need robust computing power in a compact form. Its AI processing and excellent multitasking capabilities make it a great mini PC, though its high price and limited internal, might be an issue for some.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings) Buy it if...

You need AI-accelerated processing

If your work involves AI tasks, machine learning, or real-time data analysis, the GT1 Mega’s NPU will greatly enhance productivity.

You require multiple high-res displays

The ability to support four 4K monitors or one 8K display makes this mini PC perfect for video editing or digital content creation.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget

At nearly £1,000/$1,000, the GT1 Mega's cost is a barrier for casual users or those who don’t need cutting-edge performance.

You want extensive gaming capabilities

While capable, its Intel Arc graphics won't compete with a dedicated gaming PC for high-end gaming performance

For more professional machines, we reviewed the best business computers and best business laptops.

Anker MagGo Wireless Charger Pad review

The Anker MagGo Wireless Charger Pad is reasonably priced at $24.99 / £24.99 / AU$49.95, so it's roughly the same price as a similar charging pad from ESR. Although I can't speak for its charging speeds, the ESR caught my eye as it has a reinforced cable base, and braided nylon around the wire, potentially giving it more longevity than the Anker equivalent, but I'll touch more on this later.

Equipped with Wireless PowerIQ, Anker's signature wireless fast charging, the speed at which the MagGo Wireless Charger Pad juiced up an iPhone 13 Pro was satisfying. It took just two hours and ten minutes to charge it fully, and it charged both AirPods Pro 2, and Motorola Moto Buds+ cases happily.

The magnetic attachment is satisfyingly strong. I was able to shake the phone about vigorously multiple times without the pad shifting more than a tiny amount from side to side. I also tested the magnet's strength by hanging the pad, with the phone attached, by its cable, and the phone stayed put – which is great, even for one of the best iPhone chargers. When it doesn't stay put, on the other hand, is when it's placed on a flat, smooth surface. As the concept behind this particular charger's design appears to be for it to be easy to hold, I can forgive Anker for this.

Due to its slim depth and curved base, it was pleasantly easy to continue to use my phone as it charged. I have rather small hands, and I didn't feel like it was particularly disrupting the way I'd usually hold my phone, which made a welcome change from the power banks I often use for this purpose.

One small negative I have to raise is that the integrated power cable was a little annoying. Because it's not removable, it makes it a little more tricky when you're trying to pack it up when heading out. I've not had it long enough to observe this, but my concern is that the first section of flexible cable that comes out of the pad could become worn over time –though this is only my speculation. My rationale is that if Mous managed to fit a USB-C port in the slimmest part of their low-cost MagSafe Compatible 3-In-1 Portable Charger, then I'd have thought that it'd be plausible for Anker to have done this too.

Overall though, this is a simple but satisfying MagSafe charger. I found it minimally disruptive and nice to hold as I continued to use my phone while replenishing its life force, and when left to charge my phone without me using it, the charging time was good for the price. If you're looking for something cheap but practical because your phone rarely leaves your hand, I'd recommend taking a look at the Anker MagGo Wireless Charger Pad. However, if you're in the market for something a little different, we have a variety of other chargers to check out in our pick of the best wireless chargers.

(Image credit: Future) Anker MagGo Wireless Charger Pad review: Price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Anker MagGo Wireless Charger Pad? Buy it if…

You want a comfortable solution
Due to its small and curved design, it's satisfyingly easy to hold as you continue to use your phone. I have small hands, and I found it a convenient alternative to larger options, like wireless power banks.

You want something small and light
Despite my niggles with the cable, the charger is light and compact, so you won't need to awkwardly cart about a charging stand.

Don't buy it if…

You want to take it out with you regularly
As the cable is fixed into the charging pad, it isn't the best choice if you regularly want to pack it away. You might be more organized than me, and be happy to fold up the cable each time and neatly secure it, but if you want to just chuck it in your bag, it's not as convenient to pull it back out as it would be if you could pack the pad and cable separately.

You want a secure desktop charger
This charger is perfect for hand-held use, but it isn't the best choice for desktop charging. With no anti-slip elements, and a smooth and slightly curved base, there's no chance of it staying put if the phone gets knocked or the cable gets pulled.

Anker MagGo Wireless Charger Pad review: Also consider

Apple MagSafe Charger
If you're a die-hard Apple consumer, then you'll be happy to know that there's an official Apple charging pad available to purchase at Amazon. Providing up to 15W of power, it's compatible with the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 Pro. It currently features as the best Apple MagSafe charger in our selection of the best wireless chargers. View Deal

Wondershare’s UniConverter is a bit of a misnomer. Yes of course, you can convert video formats into others, but UniConverter can do a lot more than that. Here, you can download videos, compress files, edit projects, record your screen, and more. Is it a jack-of-all-trades, or a master of none? Let’s find out.

Wondershare UniConverter: Pricing & plans

• With subscription plans, a perpetual licence, and a free trial - Wondershare offers you many choices to try out their wares and buy them as you prefer

As you might expect in today’s market, you’ll find subscription options, with a one-year plan for $50, and a two-year plan for $70.

But those of us who prefer to own what we work with haven’t been forgotten for once, and a perpetual licence is also available for $80. On top of that, if you’d rather try before you buy, Wondershare lets you download a free version, which you’ll be able to explore for 7 days. For more like that, we’ve also reviewed the best free video converters.

Not all features are unlocked for free, though. The most glaring restriction is the fact that UniConverter limits your conversion to a third of the original video’s length; for instance, you can only record up to a minute of video, and you’ll have no GPU acceleration. On the plus side, you’re offered 50 AI credits to explore UniConverter’s more advanced features.

As you’d expect, all those limitations are removed when you start paying. The subscription model offers you 600 AI credits, and the perpetual licence comes with 1,000.

So if you’re curious about UniConverter, you can get it for Windows and Mac by clicking here.

• Pricing & plans: 4.5/5

Wondershare UniConverter: Interface

The Homepage gives you access to popular tools on the right, while your files and all available tools are on the left (Image credit: Wondershare)

• A simple, well-designed interface, giving you various options to navigate through all available tools, and select the one you’re interested in

The interface is well managed, with a small sidebar on the left giving you access to any files you’ve worked on or imported, and all available tools. However, the Home menu is by far the best place to start. From there, you’ll see tools divided into categories such as ‘Converter’, ‘Downloader’, and ‘Compressor’.

Beneath these, are a series of commonly used tools: Video Editor, Screen Recorder, DVD Burner, Player and Image Converter. Clicking on ‘More Tools’ is the same as clicking on ‘Tools’ in the sidebar.

And finally there’s the ‘AI Lab’, highlighting 12 popular ones split into three menus: Hot, Video and Image. Clicking on any one of the non-AI options changes the sidebar to showcase the same tools displayed in ‘Home’, only this time, as a list. It’s all very straightforward and well managed, making it pretty much impossible to get lost, and very easy to get back to the Home page should you do.

• Score: 4.5/5

Wondershare UniConverter: Tools

Convert any video file to a wealth of different format (Image credit: Wondershare)

• A good list of tools that are easy to use, and allow you to perform many different actions that go far beyond simply converting file formats - so long as you don’t expect too much from the ‘Video Editing’ side

Most tools offer a similar looking interface: any file you might wish to ‘Convert’, ’Compress’, ‘Burn’ or ‘Merge’ for instance, can simply be dragged onto the window from your computer’s file system.

‘Downloader’ obviously needs the URL of the file you wish to download. You can even add multiple URLs in one go (as long as you’ve paid Wondershare), and UniConverter will get on with the job, once you’ve set some simple resolution parameters.

Use the software to record your screen (and webcam and microphone at the same time too) (Image credit: Wondershare)

Some tools have to be different, like ’Screen Recorder’. As with any of the best screen recorders, you’ll have to grant UniConverter permission to access your webcam, microphone, and the right to record your screen, but the necessarily tedious process, is very easy to get through, with the software automatically opening the right settings on your machine to grant the right permissions. It’s then a simple matter of choosing which part of the screen to record, whether to activate your webcam or not, which mic to turn on, and you’re set.

Technically speaking, the recording was flawless, however, everything is burned into the video. You can’t for instance edit the recording to remove the webcam footage, or make it fade in or out as needed. It’s where you put it when you were recording and that’s it. Great if you’re a one-shot wonder, and don’t expect too much.

It’s very generous to call this small assortment of tools a ‘video editor' (Image credit: Wondershare)

Speaking of editing, there are video editing capabilities… but calling it a ‘video editor’ is a bit of a stretch, especially if you’re an experienced editor yourself. The best video editing software, this is not. Selecting ‘Video Editor’ brings up seven tools, to crop, trim, add a watermark, effects, subtitles, work on the audio or alter the speed… and that’s it.

Trim and Crop are self-explanatory, the Effects are pretty basic and are essentially just some basic colour correction tools along with a range of simple Instagram-like filters. But we did appreciate the ability to work with most tools at once, as once you’ve opened a clip, they’re available through a menu at the top of the window (aside from Trim). It definitely won’t blow the competition out of the water, but if you’re looking to make some simple changes to a recording, you can do it all without leaving UniConverter.

• Score: 4/5

Wondershare UniConverter: AI tools

The AI tools are most intriguing, were not for the fact they run on AI Credits which cannot be replenished (Image credit: Wondershare)

• A great assortment of tools designed to improve your videos. But there’s one glaring flaw: you have to spend AI Credits to use them, yet there’s no way to buy more when you run out

We’ve tested quite a few of the best AI tools, and here, we were pleased to see the AI selection surprisingly broad. You’ll have many that can be seen to fit within the workflow of the previously explored tools, such as enhancing video, auto-generating subtitles, stabilize footage, etc. Those actually comprise the bulk of what’s available. But you also get AI options that go beyond what’s expected, such as using ChatGPT 4.0 to generate a script for you.

We tried a few tools, such as the Auto Subtitle, and were very impressed by the results. Even a recording that wasn’t designed to be shared, so we didn’t pay particular attention to diction, was flawlessly subtitled. But even if there were mistakes, you can edit the results, both the text and the timecode. Finally, you have the ability to save the file as a new video, extract the subtitle as an SRT file to use elsewhere (such as YouTube for instance), save it as a work in progress, or all three in one go.

The only drawback to these intriguing tools is your allowance. Subscribing or getting a perpetual licence isn’t enough: you’re given an allotment of credits to use on those AI tools, and once they’re gone, they’re gone! As of this writing, not only do your credits not renew when you renew your subscription, but you can’t even purchase additional ones. Wondershare tell us they’re planning on “launching an AI Credits Plan soon”, but as of right now, be sure to use them sparingly, no matter how cool they might work.

• Score: 2.5/5

Should I buy?

Use UniConverter to download videos stored on the web (Image credit: Wondershare)

Buy it if...

You want to perform a lot of changes and improvements to your video files, and are looking to do it all in one place.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t like the idea of software that can do so many different things, and you’re not a fan of AI tools, especially those based on credits that you can’t replenish.

We tested the best photo editing PCs and the best laptops for photo editing and these are the machines we recommend.

Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI: two-minute review

Samsung has come out swinging with its Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI robot vacuum and mop. It comes packed with cutting-edge, onboard intelligence tech for navigation, obstacle detection and identification, as well as some upgraded hardware and a self-cleaning base station.

I've been eagerly awaiting the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI ever since it was first announced, hoping its highly commended on-board intelligence might provide a serious challenge to the likes of iRobot.

Having tested the robot vacuum for three weeks on a variety of floor types and against a litany of obstacles and messes, I, unfortunately, don't think it's quite the best robot vacuum on the market – though I do think it has the potential to shake things up.

I actually had to call in a second unit for review, as the issues I had with the original unit I tested (randomly dropping and abandoning its mop pads, not being able to detect them in the cleaning station, navigation issues and refusing to let me access the live monitoring, being among the most problematic). Largely, I couldn't replicate these issues in my replacement model, so definitely do reach out to Samsung if you spot any major problems after purchasing. My review below reflects my experience with the second, replacement model.

The Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI's greatest enemy is its own software, with some in-app faults and missing features that lead to a frustrating user experience and unfinished cleans (although, in fairness, throughout my testing, many of these bugs seemed to resolve themselves). My overall impression was that of a fairly accomplished, albeit occasionally buggy, robot vacuum that can deliver a competent clean despite slightly lower-than-average suction power for its price point. That's not to say it's lacking in power, mind you – it's still very much capable, and performed fairly well in both its vacuuming and mopping tests.

What you're really paying for is Samsung's on-board intelligence and native compatibility with the wider SmartThings ecosystem, which is a real boon if you own some of Samsung's large appliances and other home products. This sucker's smarts are pretty impressive, especially when it comes to object avoidance, mapping and value-adding features like pet and home monitoring – though unfortunately, my second review unit still wouldn't let me use this feature in iOS.

It's hard to settle on a score for the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI. If I was to judge on raw potential, assuming every software feature was behaving properly, I'd say it was a brilliant robot vacuum, with its only real weaknesses being its suction power and edge cleaning. However, the difficulties I've had with software have been a little off-putting. Still, it's worth highlighting that throughout my testing many of these bugs have been fixed, and I imagine the remaining issues will continue to be ironed out. Read on for my full Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI review.

Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI review: price & availability

• List price: $1,699.99 / £1,299
• Launched: July 2024

Samsung's Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI robot vacuum sells for $1,699.99 / £1,299, and is available directly from Samsung as well as third-party retailers like Amazon. Even though that's very much in the premium price bracket, it's actually more affordable than I'd expect – in the UK at least – for a combination robot vacuum and mop with so many next-generation features. Compare this price to, for example, the Roomba Combo 10 Max, which launched in August 2024 at a list price of $1,399 / £1,499.

It's unfortunately quite pricey in the US right now, but it does offer some attractive features above and beyond much of its competition, such as mop pad steam sterilization, stain detection, pet care and a roller brush featuring Samsung's patented Hair Grinder technology. It also offers great specs, as well as easy integration into SmartThings ecosystems – and even onboard Bixby functionality.

Samsung often runs some pretty appealing deals, and especially during major sales events. However, I wouldn't put money on this particular robovac featuring in the 2024 winter sales, given how close its release date is to the start of the Black Friday sales.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI specs Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI review: design

• Modern, minimalist and sophisticated design
• Rather a large dock with water tanks and dust bin
• Camera isn't recessed, risking damage

Clad in all-greige, the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI and its self-emptying, self-cleaning base make for a modern and slick-looking package that keeps things simple with its design.

On top of the vacuum is the dToF (direct time of flight) LiDAR scanner, a raised ovoid that increases the height of the robovac by 0.6 inches / 15mm, as well as two touch controls. The first commands the vacuum to return to its base, and the other begins or pauses its cleaning cycle. These are only really necessary in an emergency where you don't have your phone or a smart home controller handy. You can lift the rear half of the robot vacuum to reveal the onboard dust bin, reset button and the QR code you'll use for setup. It's unlikely you'll need to remove the dust bin unless there's something stuck, given the clean station automatically empties dirt when the robovac docks.

(Image credit: Future)

The front of the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI houses its two 3D depth cameras and its main camera, as well as the built-in microphone for controlling Bixby and detecting sounds around the home. It's worth highlighting these are all active by default, and the vacuum won't work without the cameras, so for those privacy-conscious users, you'll need to manually switch off the microphone. There's also a status light indicator on the top of the robovac's face, as well as another smaller light strip below the camera to help the robot illuminate dark spaces.

(Image credit: Future)

On the rear of the vacuum you'll find the chutes for emptying the water and dust bins, and on its underside are the roller brush, side brush, two circular mop pads and its wheels. The roller brush is secured with an easily removable casing and is made of plastic with coiling rubber wings and soft brushes. The mop pads are fabric and attach magnetically to the robot vacuum. However, unfortunately after just a few uses, the right rondel magnet on my first review unit jammed, abandoning a mop pad mid-clean. Thankfully, simply replacing the mop pad in the cleaning station and commanding the robot vacuum to clean its pads seemed to fix the issue.

(Image credit: Future)

When in use, the mop pads can rotate at 170rpm. Overall, I prefer this rotating mop solution over the static mop pad strips found in many Roomba and Roborock devices – the latter can't polish out tough stains as well as rotating rondels can.

To avoid cross-contamination and stinky carpet, the robot vacuum will intelligently lift them when transitioning from hard floors to carpets, or, if you're not mopping at all, the vacuum will discard its mop pads into the base. The latter is a pretty rare feature, but a welcome one, if you want to remove all danger of damp carpets.

(Image credit: Future)

The Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI's side brush is made from individual bristles rather than the rubber material found in many robot vacuums. Personally, I prefer this, finding bristles far less prone to flicking debris. However, they are far more easily damaged and tangled with hair, especially on wet floors after the vacuum has made its mopping rounds. The side brush does not extend to reach tougher spots, but the vacuum is, broadly speaking, intelligent enough to hunt down any wayward messes.

This robovac is also equipped with cliff sensors, surface detectors, stain detectors, and dirt detectors, which it uses to intelligently navigate and thoroughly clean your home without damaging any surfaces.

(Image credit: Future)

The dock is a bit of a behemoth at 17.5 x 21.5 x 20.1" / 44.4 x 54.7 x 51 cm, but given that it's basically the robot vacuum equivalent of a car wash, I can understand why. It houses three containers; an 88oz / 2.5L dust bin, a 106oz / 3L water tank and a 127oz / 3.6L dirty water tank in the main body of the base, from which the robot vacuum is emptied and refilled when docked. These are easily removed: simply grip the lid, pull them out, and unclip the tank's lid to empty or refill the water tanks, or remove the lid and slide out the full dust bag.

The vacuum itself ascends a small ramp into a neat little alcove in the dock, at the base of which are the washing plates. After a mopping session, the base station will steam clean the mop pads with high-pressure steam, before drying them with hot air. On the rear of the base you'll find the port for the power supply, which is 59 inches / 1.5m long. You'll need to clear as much space as possible to the sides of the machine to ensure the robovac's navigation is unhindered.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI review: performance

• Let down by app software
• Decent suction, excellent mopping
• Obstacle detection and onboard intelligence are great

Samsung's Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI positions itself as a high-spec, high-performance automated home cleaner, but does it fit the bill? Well, kind of – with some software updates, it certainly would, but at the moment it's slightly impeded by its beautiful-looking but semi-functional in-app experience and dodgy mop pad connectors.

Once paired, I was very impressed by the app's design and wide array of features, which I'll talk a little more about later in the review, but I was less pleased with the default settings. For some reason, the robot vacuum by default is set to continually clean until it runs out of battery, which led to an admittedly hilarious but confusing first clean for me. I always run my standardized pickup tests in the smallest room in my home, and asked the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI to just clean that 6.5 x 6.5-foot / 2x2m space. Two hours of solid cleaning later, I realized something was up.

For the avoidance of hilarity/frustration, I'd definitely recommend poring through Samsung's extensive list of settings and options before your first clean. Otherwise, the robovac's first pass around my home to map the layout was broadly a success, with the app creating a fairly accurate floor plan.

(Image credit: Future)

Onto vacuuming performance. The Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI isn't the most powerful sucker on the market, offering 6,000Pa of suction. Today's most powerful models can achieve almost double that (for example, the Deebot T30S Combo has 11,000Pa on max mode, $1,199.99 or about £950 / AU$1,800). In contrast, Samsung's robot vacuum sits in the comfortable mid-range overall, and while its pricing doesn't necessarily reflect that, its onboard intelligence carries the brunt of the value.

Despite this lower suction, it delivers a great clean. A litany of onboard sensors help the vacuum not only to identify different floor types and obstacles but also spot dirtier areas – whether that's due to stains and spillages or dust and debris – and adjust its cleaning accordingly. The Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI will also lift and lower its mop pads based on the surface area it's cleaning, which I found worked perfectly throughout my testing.

I sprinkled cornflour on my hard floors and low-pile carpet to see how well the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI could pick up fine debris, treading in some of it to create more real-world scenarios. On hard flooring, the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI performed well, collecting a majority of the fine powder. On carpet, however, with its first pass, Samsung's newest robovac didn't really impress me, leaving about 80% of the cornflour on the carpet, even when the machine amped up its suction to tackle the issue.

However, it's a stubborn bot with solid dirt detection technology, and throughout the rest of its clean returned to the fine powder to have another go. After about three attempts during one cleaning job, it did manage to clean up a vast majority of the powder, leaving roughly 20% behind.

On the other hand, the oats I sprinkled to test larger debris pickup on hard flooring were almost entirely suctioned by the robot vacuum in its first pass, including some of the grains closer to the obstacles I had set up for the vacuum to avoid. Thicker-pile carpets present more of a challenge; my rug was left with a fair amount of large and fine debris still in situ.

(Image credit: Future)

Its bristled side brushes are far superior to the more commonly utilized rubber side brush arms, at least in my opinion, and proved very efficient at sweeping lighter debris straight into the mouth of the robot vacuum. However, they don't offer a great edge clean. It would have been good to see Samsung incorporate an extending side arm to help in this area – a feature offered by a few rival models in this premium price bracket.

As for the hair-grinding technology, I was fairly impressed, but not quite awestruck by the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI. Samsung promises an 880% improvement compared to “a brush without a hair grinder” based on its internal testing, but it's worth highlighting we don't know enough about the brush it was compared to validate that claim, and it really is quite the claim.

That being said, I was very pleased with how few of my long hairs tangled around the roller's brushes. They did, however, wrap around the midsection of the roller (which is usually covered by its casing and therefore wouldn't impact the cleaning), and my hair also made a right mess of the side brush, leaving some of the brush strands permanently bent out of place. For pet owners, however, I imagine the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI could just be one of the best robot vacuums for pet hair, as shorter hair is far less likely to tangle up either brush.

The onboard dust bin is a little small, so expect your vacuum to regularly empty itself at the base if you're cleaning larger spaces or dealing with higher levels of dirt and debris – thankfully, the battery life is above average for its price, so that will save some time from the cleaning cycle.

(Image credit: Future)

On the other hand, the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI's mopping performance is most impressive, with its rotating rondels making quick work of wet spills (coffee), dry spills (also coffee) and sticky spills (dried fruit juice). Plus, thanks to the bot's stain detection, there was scarcely a mark left on my floors after it made its rounds – although the dried-on and sticky spills did take a few laps. Once the robovac has completed its cleaning mission, it returns to the base to have its mop pads steamed, removed, and dried in a two hour-long cycle that leaves them good as new.

I was very impressed with the Samsung Jet Bot AI Combo's navigation system, which deftly avoided all obstacles while still making its way into and around some tight spots to give the most thorough clean it could muster. That includes the fake dog poop I placed on the floor; pet owners will be pleased to learn that this robovac never so much as nudged it. When you first map your home, however, it's important to have floors as clear as possible, as the bot will assume even the smallest obstacle is, in fact, a wall.

Its onboard intelligence can identify a variety of household objects (though Samsung doesn't seem to list these anywhere), both in terms of obstacles and furnishings, which proved to be impressively accurate when I checked in the app.

Object avoidance is a real highlight for the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI. As well as identifying the obstacle, it's pretty clever when it comes to cleaning around it, managing to poke itself in and around non-hazardous obstacles like the cable and sock I left on my multicolored carpet. Broadly speaking, it was capable of recognizing each specific obstacle, though it did repeatedly identify a non-existent plate on my floor. I guess the local ghosts are having a tea party without me…

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI review: app

• Managed through the very well-designed Samsung SmartThings app
• Lots of customization options, but a few too many bugs at time of writing
• Samsung Bixby voice assistant built in, but no list of supported commands

This presents a good opportunity to pivot to discussing the app, which is a bit of a beautiful mess. I've tested a fair few robot vacuums, but Samsung's SmartThings app is by far the best designed and offers plenty of easy ways to set up your robovac and customize it just to your liking. That is, of course, provided the in-app features are working, and as of writing this review, many of them aren't.

Let's start with the positives. You can also take more control of your cleaning by adjusting the in-app settings, manually selecting the suction power, cleaning type, driving mode, and water level to ensure your floors are sparkling by the time the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI is done. For instance, you might prefer that your robovac cleans the main part of the room then the edges (or the 'walls' as they're referred to in the Samsung app), or vice versa, or instead focus on quick cleaning in a zig-zag fashion. You can also opt for vacuuming and mopping to occur simultaneously, or instead ask the bot to vacuum first, then come back to mop the room.

Using the map function, you can also set specific settings for different rooms, identify key pieces of furniture and adjust how the vacuum approaches these, highlight areas where the vacuum may need to breach a raised surface and set up no-go zones. When I first began my testing, sometimes editing the map at all would cause it to crash, but thankfully as of writing, it seems to have been fixed. It will, however, room-shame you if you have a smaller area you want to zone – such is the case with my kitchen, which the app won't recognize as a room.

(Image credit: Samsung)

You can also download extension packages to the app to allow pet monitoring and more advanced smart home features. The pet monitoring in particular is pretty useful, allowing you to hunt down your furry friends remotely, instruct the bot to listen out for barks and even play calming music to assuage rowdy pups. I tried this using recordings of dogs barking, which worked well, but when I forgot to switch off the pet detection mode, it continued to alert me that my 'dog' was barking for hours every night.

Similarly, you can program the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI to monitor your home or family when you're away. There's an area in-app where you can also manually control your robot vacuum and view a live stream, too, but in my experience, this works very sporadically at least on iOS, and rarely when you're dialing in on a different Wi-Fi network or using mobile data.

Samsung's Bixby voice assistant is also built into the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI, meaning you can command your robovac with relative ease. There's no list of commands provided, so it's a little hit or miss whether it will understand your instructions. I found being very direct and simple with my wording helped massively, though I'd probably sooner use the app than my voice.

• App score: 3.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI? Buy it if...

You run a SmartThings smart home
If you're a Samsung home appliance fan, the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI is a no-brainer. It integrates effortlessly, and paired with Samsung's wider array of devices offers some excellent added value features.

You're home is a little messy
If there are lots of obstacles around your home, the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI offers fantastic detection and identification, meaning you won't have to worry so much about tidying up before a cleaning cycle.

You want a more hygienic mop
With its self-cleaning station, the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI can steam and dry its own mop pads, meaning less bacteria will be left to fester when your vacuum is out of use.

Don't buy it if...

You want something truly hands-off
At least as of writing, I can't in good conscience call the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI truly hands-free. By all accounts, it should be, but the software just isn't up to scratch right now.

You want powerful suction
With only 6,000 Pa bolstering the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI, it's just not quite powerful enough for deeper cleans without running several cycles.View Deal

You want to make the most of every intelligent feature
Until Samsung fixes the litany of bugs plaguing the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI, I wouldn't view many of its intelligent selling points as a given.

How I tested the Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI

• I used this as my main vacuum for 3 weeks
• I tested all the different modes and features
• I ran specific cleaning tests using different types of spillages

For my Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI review, I used the device as my main vacuum cleaner for three weeks in order to assess how it lives up to its specs and marketing, including its suction power, mopping capability and onboard intelligence.

I tested various substances and stains (cornflour, oats, dried-on and wet messes) as well as obstacles (socks, bags, wires) to see how well its AI features detect and treat different obstacles, and also used the app to try its various intelligent features like home and pet monitoring.

For comparison, I used my experience testing robot vacuums like the iRobot Roomba Combo J7+ and other TechRadar reviews to judge how well it lives up to its price tag and Samsung's own claims about its performance.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2024

Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger (30W) review

The Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger (30W) is an elegant, compact charging plug, ideal for getting your devices back to 100% in a pinch.

Something that makes the charger stand out is its neat design. It has striped, textured edges as well as a glossy top, making it easy on the eye. Not only that, but there are three color options, including Shell White, Black Stone and Ice Lake Blue – much more interesting than the plain white or black options I’ve become accustomed to, even when reviewing some of the best Android phone chargers and best iPhone chargers.

This charger isn’t just a looker though; it’s super-practical. It's very compact, making it ideal for slipping into a small bag or pocket. And if you do carry this charger in your pocket, you can live without the worry of it stabbing into your leg, thanks to its foldable prongs.

But what matters more than anything is charging speeds. So, how does the Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger fare? As you’d expect, very well. I started charging my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 when it was at 0% and managed to get back to 100% in just 80 minutes. This charger’s total output power of 30W means it’s powerful enough to activate super-fast charging on phones that support this – including the Z Flip 4.

As is the case with most of these charging plugs, there’s no cable included here. As this plug has a USB-C port only, you’ll need a USB-C to USB-C/Lightning (or appropriate alternative) in your possession. That’s worth bearing in mind if you only have USB-A to USB-C / Lightning cables and you’re looking for an ultra-cheap charging solution.

With that said, this is still a well-priced charger, coming in at $18.99 / £19.99 (about AU$30). There are a few cheaper alternatives out there from the likes of IKEA, but build-quality-wise, these won’t compare.

So, if you’re on the lookout for a small, stylish, speedy charger, the Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger is a truly great option that’s well worth purchasing.

(Image credit: Future) Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger (30W) review: Price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger (30W)? Buy it if…

You need to juice up your device quickly
Need super-fast charging? You’re in luck, because the Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger is sure to get you back to 100% battery in no time. For example, when charging my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, I was able to fully recharge the device in 80 minutes, which is exactly what I’d expect with super-fast charging active.

You want a charger with a bit more personality
Sure, this charger isn’t gonna blow your mind with a groundbreaking design, but even the fact it comes in multiple colors sets it apart slightly. That’s right, you can get it in Shell White, Black Stone or Ice Lake Blue, with all colorways featuring quality, textured outer casing. That’s a touch more exciting than a plain ‘ol chunky white charger, don’t you think?

Don't buy it if…

You want the cheapest option available
In truth, there are some less pricey chargers out there than this that still offer enough power for fast- or super-fast charging. Don’t get me wrong, though: this is by no means a super-expensive product, and its build quality helps to justify the additional cost.

You’d like to charge multiple devices at once
The Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger is limited to one USB-C charging port only, so you might want to try an alternative for charging multiple devices at once. For instance, the UGreen USB-C 40W charger has two ports – ideal for getting some extra hours out of two devices when you’re on the go.

Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger (30W): Also consider

UGreen Nexode Mini 30W
The UGreen Nexode Mini 30W is pretty similar to this Anker plug. Of course, it has the same maximum power output, but it can also be purchased in multiple colorways and has a super-compact, foldable design. It's not quite as elegant, in my view, but it does have a slightly lower list price, making it a worthy single-port charger competitor.View Deal