Reviews

XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2: one-minute review

The XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 is the second incarnation of this 19-inch, 4K drawing tablet that offers 16K pressure levels, assignable shortcuts and 1.07 billion colors. Retailing for $899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.99, it hardly occupies the budget end of the market. But once you factor in that this package includes absolutely everything you need, including two styluses, a stylus case, all cabling, and a wireless shortcut remote, the price looks like seriously good value.

The XPPen’s 19-inch 4K display is a stunner. While its pixel density is a relatively modest 239ppi, it’s capable of an average brightness of 250 nits and 1.07 billion colors, thanks to its 99.8% sRGB, 96% AdobeRGB, 98% Display P3 color gamut. One-inch bezels deliver a decent amount of space to rest your wrists, while its built-in feet hold it up at a 19-degree angle, making it well-suited to working on a desk. Sadly, though, its bulk and cable setup mean you’re unlikely to want to sketch away with it on your lap for long periods.

Whether you’re sketching or retouching photos, the Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 offers performance that can compete with some of the best drawing tablets. Once it’s properly calibrated, there’s no hint of parallax or jitter, and its customizable 16K pressure curves make it easy to adapt strokes to your personal preference. You can also customize the shortcuts available on its styluses and wireless remote, although I did experience a rare bug here that prevented some of these working and that took a while to resolve.

The styluses provided are well designed and comfortable to use over long drawing sessions. In particular, the X3 Pro Roller Stylus is beautifully balanced, with a center of gravity that sits perfectly in the middle of your grip. It’s easy to accidentally knock both styluses' shortcut buttons on occasion, but the X3 Pro Slim Stylus comes with a swappable faceplate, allowing you to remove the buttons if you’d rather go without. My only real criticism of the styluses is that I wish they had eraser buttons on their tips – I find such a setup far more intuitive to use and it would free up one of the buttons for a different shortcut.

Everything considered, the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 offers a great all-round package. The display doesn’t quite have the pixel density of the 275ppi Xencelabs Pen Display 16, or the gargantuan 24-inch screen of its sibling, the XPPen Artist Pro 24 Gen 2. Nevertheless, it offers gorgeous color reproduction, accurate performance and, most importantly for some users, significant value compared to some rivals. If you want a great balance between screen size, performance and price, the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 is well worth checking out.

(Image credit: Future)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: price & availability

• Launched August 27, 2024
• Retails for $899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.99

Launched on August 27, 2024, the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 has a list price of $899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.99. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t pick it up for less; at the time of writing, XPPen was offering a reduced price of $719.99 / £854 / AU$1,199.99 in a short-term flash sale. It’s worth keeping your eyes peeled in case you can make a saving here.

As prices go, even its MSRP is pretty reasonable for what you’re getting. The closest Wacom product by size, the Wacom Cintiq Pro 17, goes for a whopping $2,499.95 / £2,349.98 / AU$3,999 – although it's stunningly bright and comes Pantone Validated. The smaller Xencelabs Pen Display 16 costs $999 / £969 (around AU$1597), but also comes with fewer accessories as standard, meaning you’ll have to stretch to the $1,299 / £1,199 (around AU$2,080) bundle if you want its USB hub, additional cabling, and the customizable Quick Keys accessory. Viewed through that lens, the Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 is a good price for an all-in-one package.

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: specs

Dimensions

18.1 x 12.1 x 0.8 inches (460 x 306.6 x 21.5mm)

Active drawing area

16.1 x 9.1 inches (409 x 230mm)

Weight

4.91lbs (2.23kg)

Display resolution

3840 x 2160 pixels

Pressure levels

16,384

Compatibility

Windows 7 or later; macOS 10.13 or later (latest update); Android (USB3.1 DP1.2); Chrome OS 88 (or later); Linux

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: design

• Vibrant yet accurate 18.4-inch display
• Great range of included accessories
• Not as portable as some rivals

Despite its "19" moniker, the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 actually measures only 18.4 inches across; but this is still a massive amount of screen estate. However, it's worth noting that it offers the same 3840 x 2160 area as any 4K 16:9 drawing tablet, which means you’re getting a lower pixel density than some smaller tablets. It offers a more modest 239ppi compared to the 16-inch Xencelabs Pen Display 16’s near-print-quality 275ppi.

Thanks to its 1.07 billion colors and the 99.8% sRGB, 96% AdobeRGB, 98% Display P3 coverage of its color gamut, any artwork I opened on-screen looked lush and vibrant without appearing unrealistic – it’s definitely superior to the poorly calibrated screen of my 2017 MacBook Pro. Brightness averages out at 250cd/㎡, which is very decent, although that’s still a little duller than the 300cd/㎡ the larger XPPen Artist Pro 24 Gen 2 can hit.

However, vision isn’t the only sense that matters when it comes to a drawing tablet’s screen: how it feels in use is almost as important. The Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 fares pretty well on this front. It doesn’t have the super-realistic texture of an e-paper display, for example, even when using one of the felt nibs for its pens. Nevertheless, this means your stylus is unlikely to catch on the screen while you sketch and doesn’t slip either, so there’s still a good balance here.

In use, the design of XPPen’s drawing tablet is ergonomic – up to a point. Its one-inch bezels are about the perfect size to give you somewhere to rest your arms, while the built-in wrist-rest helps prevent ache building up during long drawing sessions. The inclusion of an integrated stand is a nice touch, although it offers only a single angle, 19 degrees, which felt a little steep for me. At 2.23kg, the whole device is pretty unwieldy – I’m not sure you’ll be using it on your lap all that often.

Another reason you're likely better off using it on a desk is cabling. Don’t get me wrong: the Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 doesn’t come with the 15-wire highway intersection that some tablets do. But it also has a substantial power draw – while I could run it directly from my MacBook Pro, this only worked while my laptop had a decent amount of charge left; otherwise, it would disable USB-C power output. Realistically, then, for most of the time you’ll be using at least two cables – one USB-C data cable and one mains power – which makes it a little messier to use while kicking back in an armchair.

XPPen has been pretty generous with accessories here. In addition to the aforementioned stand, this package includes a wireless shortcut remote and a stylus case – which includes the X3 Pro Roller Stylus, the X3 Pro Slim Stylus, eight nibs, a USB dongle for the shortcut remote, a nib-changing tool, and a button cap for the slim stylus. It also provides full cabling, including two USB-C to USB-C cables, a USB-C to USB-A cable, a 3-in-1 USB and HDMI cable, and a power cable. On the downside, there’s neither a carry case for the tablet nor any tablet-mounted rests for the styluses, both of which would have been welcome additions.

• Design score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: performance

• No parallax or jitter
• Easily customizable using drivers
• Experienced some issues getting shortcuts to work

To test the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2’s mettle, I carried out a range of line tests as well as working on some of my own sketches. Generally speaking, it’s impressively accurate. While there was a bit of parallax throwing things off at first, once I’d calibrated it, this totally vanished. There’s also no noticeable jitter, although there's a little lag when you’re moving fast – this wasn’t sufficient to cause any inaccuracies, however.

Subjectively speaking, when I was initially sketching on the XPPen it didn’t feel quite as expressive and responsive as a drawing tablet such as the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 – the barbs of the magpie feather I was drawing felt ever so slightly less nuanced and refined. However, once I dug around in XPPen’s driver settings, it was easy to tailor things to my liking; you can either pick one of seven pressure-curve presets or shape your own, and once I’d done this, strokes felt much more realistic and pencil-like.

The driver app allows you to customize far more than this, though. You can adapt the device’s working area to specific screens, all of your screens or a subsection of one of them, and you can also assign shortcuts to the buttons on its styluses and wireless shortcut remote. Buttons are assignable to any keyboard shortcut, mouse shortcut, or a range of other functions such as opening apps, switching to the driver software, or shifting monitor focus. Alternatively, the roller on the remote or the X3 Pro Roller Stylus can be assigned to Zoom, Scroll, Brush size or any function that can be increased or decreased by two keys.

While this should be very handy, in practice I did run into some problems. While both the remote and stylus responded to my programmed keyboard shortcuts – for example, flashing up the label "CMD + Z" when I hit the undo button – this didn’t activate the relevant menu shortcut. After quite a lot of back and forth with XPPen’s support team, I did manage to resolve the issue: it seems that having a wired keyboard plugged into my USB dock at the same time as the wireless shortcut remote’s dongle prevented it from accessing the menus. It’s unlikely you’ll encounter similar problems; It's an odd quirk, one that I haven't experienced with other drawing tablets.

• Performance score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: stylus

• Attractive ergonomic shape and balance
• Responsive pressure curves
• No eraser tips

On the whole, XPPen’s styluses are excellent. Naturally, the slighter X3 Pro Slim Stylus is the best option for nimble scribbling. But even the chunkier X3 Pro Roller Stylus felt comfortable for long scribbling sessions – despite spending hours drawing a magpie feather, there was never any hint of aching or strain from the sustained grip. The Roller stylus is nicely weighted, too, with its center of mass sitting right on the fulcrum of your fingers, making it easy to spin and pivot as you sketch.

Both styluses respond pretty fluidly to pressure as well. On paper, the 16K pressure levels sound amazing; in practice, though, you’re unlikely to notice much difference from an 8K device. Certainly, I couldn’t really tell the difference in terms of the smoothness of the pressure gradients of the lines I was drawing. In fact, when using the XPPen driver’s pressure gauge, I found it pretty much impossible to reduce the pressure to below 2,000 and to keep the stylus nib consistently on the screen. As such, I’d say the sensitivity here is far higher than you’re ever realistically going to use.

As with styluses from other brands, I did find I’d occasionally knock the shortcut keys by accident. I’m not sure you can hold this against XPPen, though: part of the price of having convenient shortcuts right where your fingers can find them is that sometimes your fingers do find them. And on the Slim stylus, it’s possible to hot-swap out the shortcut buttons for a plastic cap, meaning you can easily avoid this if you find yourself nudging them too often.

My only real criticism of the styluses is the lack of erasers on their far ends. I get that some people would probably rather switch tools to the eraser with a shortcut, to save removing the nib from the screen. But I make mistakes all the time and I find it psychologically much easier to fall back on the muscle memory of the analog pencil eraser than I do shifting between shortcuts. You might find this bothers you less, but I do wish XPPen’s styluses gave me that option.

• Stylus score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Should you buy the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Bright, vibrant display and a decent array of accessories; but it’s chunky enough that you'll probably only want to use it at a desk.

4 / 5

Performance

There’s zero parallax or jitter, and it offers a great range of customizable shortcuts – even if I had some difficulties getting them to work.

4 / 5

Stylus

Excellent pressure sensitivity, good customizability, great ergonomic balance; but eraser tips would have been a nice option.

4.5 / 5

Value

With its bright display, responsive performance, 16K pressure levels and comprehensive accessories, you get a lot for the price.

4.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You want a huge, color-accurate display
The XPPen’s 19-inch screen not only gives you an enormous amount of sketching space – it can reproduce 1.07 billion colors with its 99.8% sRGB, 96% AdobeRGB, 98% Display P3 gamut.

You want a great-value drawing tablet
At $899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.99, the XPPen isn't cheap, but factor in its 16K pressure levels, large display and myriad accessories, and you’re getting a lot for your cash.

Don’t buy it if…

You want a portable drawing tablet
Given its not inconsiderable bulk and its power consumption needs, you’ll likely want to use the tablet on a desktop with a bunch of wires hooked up to it. If you want something you can whip out on the couch or in a co-working space, you might find other options more versatile.

You prefer an eraser
Sure, you can remove your old scribblings using a button shortcut. But if, like me, you prefer a dedicated eraser for eliminating your mistakes, the XPPen’s styluses might not suit your needs.

(Image credit: Future)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: also consider

XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2

Xencelabs Pen Display 16

Xencelabs Pen Display 24

Dimensions

18.1 x 12.1 x 0.8 inches (460 x 306.6 x 21.5mm)

16.1 x 10.2 x 0.47 inches (410 x 259.4 x 12mm)

24.4 x 15.3 x 1.4 inches (619.8 x 388.6 x 35.6mm)

Active drawing area

16.1 x 9.1 inches (409 x 230mm)

13.55 x 7.6 inches (344.2 x 193.6mm)

20.75 x 11.7 inches (52.71 x 29.72cm)

Weight

4.91 lbs (2.23kg)

2.67 lbs (1.21kg)

13.3 lbs (6kg)

Display resolution

3840 x 2160 pixels

3840 x 2160 pixels

3840 x 2160 pixels

Pressure levels

16,384

8,192

8,192

Compatibility

Windows 7 or later; macOS 10.13 or later (latest update); Android (USB3.1 DP1.2); Chrome OS 88 (or later); Linux

PC: Windows 7 or later (latest service pack/build); macOS 10.13 or later (latest update); Linux - Ubuntu 14.04 or above, Debian 9.5, CentOS 7.0 or above, RedHat 7.0 or above

PC: Windows 7 or later (latest service pack/build); Mac OS X 10.13 or later (latest update); Linux - Ubuntu 14.04 or above, Debian 9.5, CentOS 7.0 or above, RedHat 7.0 or above

Xencelabs Pen Display 16
The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is bright and vibrant, offers gorgeous color reproduction and staggering detail on its crisp 275ppi 4K display. Even though its 8K pressure levels are lower than the 16K offered by the Artist Pro 19 Gen 2, it’s still beautifully fluid and responsive, while its shortcuts are customizable and easy to use. It does cost a fair bit more at $999 / £969 (around AU$1597), but it’s still a good price for what you’re getting – and the $1,299 / £1,199 (around AU$2,080) bundle provides everything you could need, from a remote with OLED shortcut keys and a handy desk stand. Read our full Xencelabs Pen Display 16 review.

XPPen Artist Pro 24 Gen 2
Describing the XPPen Artist Pro 24 Gen 2 as the "big brother" of the Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 is a bit of an understatement – this tablet is freaking huge. Its 24-inch 4K display offers up an enormous amount of screen estate on which to sketch out your artworks, and its color gamut can display 16.7 million colors. Its natural and precise drawing, programmable shortcuts and remote, plus sturdy stand are simply the cherry on top. Read our full XPPen Artist Pro 24 Gen 2 review.

How I tested the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2

• Tested the drawing tablet over three weeks
• Conducted multiple line tests
• Worked on various sketches and retouched some photos

I tested the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 over a period of multiple weeks. First, I carried out a range of line tests to test its accuracy when it came to parallax and jitter, as well as evaluating its responsiveness to pressure. I also played around with its driver settings, tweaking its properties to see how it affected the drawing experience, and experimented with the various shortcuts you can assign to its remote.

I then worked on a range of artworks in both Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to get a sense of how the drawing tablet performed in use. As well as creating a line drawing of a magpie feather and adding watercolor hues as an overlay, I retouched multiple photographs to see how well it could handle airbrushing work.

Having spent nearly two decades creating digital artwork, I have a lot of experience in working with digital sketching and photo retouching tools. In addition, through my time working in print publishing, I’ve spent many years assessing proofs for color accuracy and detail, and so have a keen eye for how artwork should look at its best.

• First reviewed: May 2025
• Read more about how we test

Activo Volcano review

Astell & Kern’s lifestyle-focused sub-brand is back with a new offering, the Activo Volcano. These wired in-ear headphones aim to bring audiophile-quality sound to all, combining supposedly “vibrant, immersive sound” at an easy-to-swallow price.

Specifically, the Activo Volcano IEMs will set you back $80 / £99 (about AU$120), which is considerably – and I mean considerably – cheaper than most of the brand’s oeuvre to date. As well as carrying a modest price tag, the Activo Volcano come with a 3.5mm, 4.4mm, and a USB-C connector, meaning they’re available to a broad audience, across a broad range of devices. But is Activo’s budget offering a hit?

Well, to some degree, I’d answer that with a resounding yes. That ability to cycle through various connectivity options is something many of the best wired earbuds skip out on and to be clear, the Activo Volcano execute this fantastically well. Simply unscrew whichever connector is in use and swivel the desired alternative on – that’s all there is to it.

There’s a handy carry case included too, so you can store the out-of-use adapters when you’re on the go. On top of that, you get a nice selection of both foam and rubber eartips in a range of sizes. After you’ve found the right fit, you should get a tight seal, ensuring you hear their various drivers at their best and with commendable passive noise isolation. Activo’s decision to pack all of this in at such an uncharacteristically low price-point is certainly something to be applauded.

Where I become – let’s say, a little more picky – is in the audio department. Yes, this is a product from the Astell & Kern ecosystem, but if you’re expecting truly premium high-grade sound, you’re going to have to look elsewhere. Do the Activo Volcano sound poor, then? Absolutely not. But if you want the most intricately detailed sound around, you will need to spend more.

So, let’s really zoom in on how the Activo Volcano sound. Each earpiece boasts a triple driver design: a main 8mm unit partnered with two 6mm drivers. This configuration, says Activo, is intended to enhance the richness of lower-midrange and bass. And perhaps as the name suggests, you can hear rumbling bass erupt from the get-go.

Yep, you’re gonna sense a significant emphasis on low-end output with these in-ears – something that perhaps a lot of IEMs hesitate to go too hard on. When tuning into Breather by Chris Stussy & S. A. M., I was struck by palpable low-end output, with the Volcano easily able to replicate the track’s pounding drum machine.

Activo compares these IEM’s low frequency output to the “eruption of magma” from a Volcano. And although you’re not going to get that ultra-immersive, almost tangible boom that some of the best over-ear headphones can deliver, say, I’d argue there’s enough depth here for fans of bass-heavy bangers to sink their teeth into.

I’ll admit, I certainly do enjoy a slight emphasis towards bass registers, especially given that I predominantly listen to a mixture of funk, dance, and jazz fusion. But many looking for a flashy new pair of IEMs – whether musicians, audiophiles, or just casual listeners – may be hoping for a more neutral sound signature. And that is something you’re not going to get out of the gate here.

When listening to Flying Beagle by Himiko Kikuchi, I felt the low-end could sound a little overstated, not giving quite enough room for the flowing piano to sit forward and work its magic, while letting light percussion roll through the backdrop. And when listening to Splash Mountain by Yung Gravy, an already bassy track, I felt that both the low-end and treble were a touch aggressive, meaning vocals in the mid-range were left behind. That’s not to say that the Volcano are regularly harsh-sounding or typically deliver muddy audio, but just know that there are more well-rounded options out there.

For instance, I switched over to my Sennheiser IE 200, which are among my very favorite IEMs, and cost a very similar amount to the Volcano. As soon as I did this, I could tell a big difference in quality across all genres. The IE 200, put simply, plate up better balance and instrument separation, meaning you get a more nuanced, revealing listen.

Even still, the Volcano aren’t going to smack you with distorted or tinny sound. Generally, I found tracks were clear and there were noticeable details, such as light electronica in Black Eye by Allie X, that didn’t go amiss. And if you customize EQ in your source device or streaming app’s settings, you’ll be able to get a more neutral sound – or not – depending on what you’re into. But, all in all, I’d be lying if I said these blew me away, sonically speaking.

(Image credit: Future)

Unfortunately, I’m not done with my criticism of these IEMs just yet, though. If I’m honest, there’s not a ton that I love about their design. First of all, I want to talk about looks. Now, Activo says that the Volcano have a “crater-inspired” design that symbolizes the “immense power and energy” of their triple drivers.

But really, I’m getting moon crater, rather than volcanic crater from these – especially given the white and silver finish that’s been selected here. I also moaned at Tribit earlier this year after the Tribit Stormbox Lava speaker totally failed at playing to its open-goal volcanic theme. Any audio manufacturers out there fancy making a more fun volcano-inspired product? I’ll be keeping an eye out.

On top of that, I just found the Volcano earpieces a bit too bulky in my ear. Each bud felt substantially heftier than my IE 200 and I found it challenging to keep these on for much more than an hour or so before fatigue kicked in. The cable is pretty chunky too and is without playback options or a mic – something you’d get from a rival like the Shure Aonic 3.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. I have to say, the build of the Activo Volcano appears more luxurious than perhaps its price suggests. The cable, while large, looks and feels high in quality. It’s also detachable if you want to swap in an after-market alternative. For reference, though, the included wire is made up of seven-strand silver-plated copper and five-strand oxygen-free copper cables. The PC material used for the buds themselves also feels smooth and not overly plasticky, oozing a sense of durability and reliability.

So, let’s return to the all-important question. Are the Activo Volcano a hit? Well, perhaps not quite. There’s plenty to like here for sure, whether that be weighty bass output, high build quality or various connectivity options. But equally, there are a few areas that left me a touch disappointed. I personally found that the model is overly large, with a design that while secure and easy to fit, isn’t particularly comfortable or on-theme. And the audio – though still good for the price – could be more revealing and balanced.

Should you buy the Activo Volcano? Well, if you don’t need fantastic evenness across the frequencies and don’t mind it’s slightly larger feel, then perhaps. But for a similar price, I’d say you’ll be better off with the Sennheiser IE 200 – did I mention I like those?

(Image credit: Future)Activo Volcano review: Price and release date

• $80 / £99 (about AU$120)
• Launched in March 2025

The Activo Volcano IEMs came to market in March 2025. Activo is still fairly fresh and was created by parent Astell & Kern as a lifestyle brand. And the Volcano are its cheapest offering to date, with a list price of $80 / £99 (about AU$120). That’s a massive chunk less than Activo’s previous effort, the Activo Q1 IEMs, which we rated four-and-a-half stars, lauding their excellent clarity and superb separation.

Activo Volcano review: Specs

Drivers

1x 8mm, 2x 6mm dynamic triple-driver

Weight

5g (per bud)

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

Waterproof rating

Not stated

Connectivity

3.5mm; 4.4mm; USB-C

(Image credit: Future)Should you buy the Activo Volcano?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Detachable cable, interchangeable connectors, no controller.

4/5

Sound quality

Good audio for the price, big bass, but rivals offer more balance and detail.

4/5

Design

Unremarkable looks, bulky, not massively comfortable, but premium feel.

2.5/5

Value

Cheap given overall quality, but similar-priced competitors are stronger.

4/5

Buy them if...

You're on a tight budget
The Volcano stray from much of their parent’s audio tech in that they're very much an affordable model. For $80 / £99, you're getting a solid set of IEMs, ideal for those that value the details, yet don’t want to spend an arm and a leg.

You want multiple connectivity options
A lot of IEMs use a 3.5mm connector and don’t leave space for anything else. That can be pretty limiting if you want to use them with a modern smartphone, say, that's ditched the good ol' headphone port. So, in come the Activo Volcano with not only a 3.5mm option, but also a USB-C and 4.4mm option. Simply screw on whatever connector you want and you're good to go, no matter what device you're using.

Don't buy them if...

If you’re an audiophile seeking top-tier sound quality
The Activo Volcano never had to wow me with absolutely top of the range audio, given their price tag. And I want to echo that here – you’re not going to get the ultimate mixture of effortlessly balanced and stunningly separated audio from the Activo Volcano. Yes, they’re more than up to the task of dishing out an enjoyable listen that leans into warm bass tones, but if you want the most analytical IEMs on the market, it’s worth looking elsewhere.

You're looking for a lightweight option
What's likely to be the most divisive aspect of the Activo Volcano is their chunky build. Both the IEMs themselves and the braided cable are pretty weighty, meaning they're not the most discreet looking or feeling. So, if you want a featherweight, understated way to listen to your tunes, it may be best to avoid these in-ears.

Activo Volcano review: Also consider

Activo Volcano

Sennheiser IE 200

Master & Dynamic ME05

Price

$80 / £99 (about AU$120)

$149.95 / £129.99 / AU$239.95

$199 / £169 (about AU$320)

Drivers

1x 8mm, 2x 6mm dynamic triple-driver

7mm dynamic

8mm high-excursion

Weight

5g (per bud)

4g (per bud)

23g

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

6Hz-20kHz

20Hz-20kHz

Waterproof rating

Not stated

Not stated

Not stated

Connectivity

3.5mm; 4.4mm; USB-C

3.5mm

3.5mm; USB-C

Sennheiser IE 200
If I’m ever asked to recommend some IEMs, I almost always find myself suggesting the Sennheiser IE 200. Why? Because in this price range, they’re simply the best sounding IEMs that I’ve heard so far. You get open, articulate audio with sublime instrument separation, a straight up sexy design and dual-tuneable sound. There’s no USB-C adapter and you’ll have to buy a cable with playback controls separately, but if you’re all about sound, these are an amazing pair of in-ears. They’re also regularly on sale for a solid amount less than their list price. Read our full Sennheiser IE 200 review.

Master & Dynamic ME05
If you’re in the market for great-sounding wired in-ears, but don’t need IEMs specifically, the Master & Dynamic ME05 are a fantastic choice. These remastered classics supply balanced, detailed audio, a premium build, and dual 3.5mm/USB-C connectivity. Pretty neat. Oh, and you’ll get a mic and playback controller too. Read our full Master & Dynamic ME05 review.

How I tested the Activo Volcano

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for multiple weeks
• Used in the office and while on a flight
• Predominantly tested using Tidal

I used the Activo Volcano over the course of multiple weeks. I predominantly tested them while working at home, but also used them at the office and while on a flight. When listening to tunes, I mainly turned to Tidal, but I also spent some time blasting songs on Spotify.

When testing, I ran through the entirety of the TechRadar testing playlist, which contains tracks from a variety of genres. I also compared the Volcano against the Sennheiser IE 200 and re-released version of the Master & Dynamic ME05.

• First reviewed: June 2025
• Read more about how we test

The Bluetti AC240P is a hefty power station, to say the least. However, when I knew I would be able to get my hands on it, my mind immediately went to "How could I put this to the best use?" I saw the solar panels, I saw the IP65 rating, and I saw my growing collection of tech, and I thought that I could surely find a way to power my outside electronics, right? Yes and no, but let me explain.

The Bluetti AC240P is a powerful portable power station, no pun intended. It's rugged, hefty, and has an excellent output for its size. It also boasts a very impressive IP65 rating. For anyone who is outside and needs one of the best portable power stations for outdoor activities and adventures, this is a great solution; just don't get it soaked. That's the one caveat, as this power station is not waterproof but water-resistant with that IP65 rating. That's also why this power station is nearly the perfect solution for my backyard dilemma.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Bluetti AC240P: Pricing & Availability

The base price of the AC240P is $1,999.00 - but at the time of review, it's discounted to $1799 on the official Bluetti website by clicking here. In the UK, it's currently retailing for £1899 from Bluetti.

I have seen it for less than that from some other retailers, so be sure to do a quick search before purchasing.

Bluetti packages this power station in several different ways; it can come with a 200W solar panel or a 350W solar panel setup. Additionally, if desired, you can expand your capacity with several expansion batteries.

Bluetti AC240P: Unboxing & first impressions

I was shocked when I first went to pick up this box from my front porch. The box was absurdly heavy, and until I had the carrying handles built into the Bluetti AC240P, it was challenging to manage when moving around. Once I got the handles, though, all was fine.

In the box, you will find the AC240P unit, an AC charging cable (which is not IEC-compliant, like most power stations), a DC (car) charging cable, and a user manual. Since I got a solar package (350W), I also got some solar wires and then the solar panel and accessories in a separate box.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

The handles make this beast manageable to move around, and though the power outlets and ports are all sealed to help with the IP rating, they are easy to open and work with. The ports are easily accessible on the front, the charging ports are located on the sides, and the screen in front is straightforward to navigate. If you prefer, there is also a great companion app that makes it easy to adjust settings.

Bluetti AC240P: Design & build qualitySpecs

Battery Capacity: 1,843Wh
AC Output: 2,400W (3,600W Power Lifting Mode)
Solar Input: 1,200W max
Charging Time: 0–80% in 45 minutes via AC
Weight: Approximately 72 lbs
Dimensions: 16.5 x 11.6 x 16.1 inches

The Bluetti AC240P has one of the more rugged and outdoor feels I have seen in a power station. This one is designed for spending time outside, as opposed to some of the others I have, which are primarily intended for interior use. The rugged coating, blaze orange accents, and port covers give it away. Besides that, the design is compact and easy to navigate.

The IP65 rating is ideal for most people, making this a versatile solution suitable for use on a boat, in a truck, in a camper, on a work site, on a job site, in a barn, or even in a backyard.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Bluetti AC240P: In use

The original dream was to have this power station as a permanent fixture in my backyard, with a solar panel running to the roof of the playset. This way, I could run my Eufy E18 robot mower completely off the power station without needing to charge it from the house at all. In the fall, I could run my leaf mulcher off of this and power some lights and the kids' playhouse.

That was the dream. Then I realized that this couldn't be a permanent fixture because I live in Illinois, and it rains one second, then it's snowing the next, and then it's sunny and blazing hot the next. So I'd need at least some rain coverage, and then I also realized that the playset I built is not tight enough in the roof, meaning that water could and would get through during a rain.

To ensure safety, I took the power station to my garage. I started dreaming of an eventual shed I could throw this power station in and run my whole shed off of this, charging my tools, EGO Trimmer, my kids ride on Jeep and more off of the unit, and then also running mulchers, leaf blowers, and all my other electric yard tools off of it as well.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

In my testing, this power station charged my Eufy E18 mower without even flinching in effort. It was also able to charge my larger EGO Mower, with a 48V battery, as well as my electric trimmer's and leaf blower's batteries, and even my kid's ride-on Jeep. While it was sunny, the solar panels would recharge the unit, but there was never a time when it struggled to power all of those things.

While I don't own an RV or a Yacht, if you are part of the crew that does, this power station features a NEMA TT-30A port and an RV port, making it easy to use with either of those larger vehicles. And, if you do take it out on the water, the IP65 rating will help make sure that it keeps working even with a few splashes of water; don't go swimming with it (for many reasons).

If you choose to use this power station inside of an RV, camper, Van, or home, you won't be blasted with any fans or loud noises, which is a nice plus as well. Additionally, if you are slightly tech-savvy or prefer using apps, the Bluetti companion app allows you to adjust nearly every setting on the Bluetti AC240P.

Bluetti AC240P: Final verdict

All in all, the Bluetti AC340P is a robust, easy-to-use, and durable power station designed for outdoor use, and it's powerful enough to keep your devices charged. If you're in the market for a rugged power station that you won't have to worry about "if" this power station can keep up with your needs, check out the AC240P.

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Simple and easy to carry

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Easy for all to use

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Practical for most mid to small size needs

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

Slightly high price

⭐⭐⭐⭐

After two long years of waiting, Lies of P: Overture has finally arrived.

Review information

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: June 6, 2025

A full-sized expansion to the 2023 base game (a title that was my game of the year for 2023), Overture is a masterful example of taking an already complete-feeling game and showing that its best content was actually yet to come. Indeed, if Lies of P wasn’t already one of the best soulslike games out there, it certainly is now.

Overture is a prequel set some years before the events of Lies of P. The protagonist and his companion Gemini somehow find themselves transported back in time, right on the cusp of the Puppet Frenzy outbreak and the spread of the Petrification Disease. You’ll visit locations that have since been burned to the ground or decommissioned, and meet a handful of characters whose fates are only discussed in passing in the base game.

If you’re a lore head, then you’ll be pretty pleased with Overture, as it fills in the gaps left by plenty of unanswered questions - and sheds even further light on the twisted experiments and excursions of the villainous Alchemist faction.

You can also expect to visit plenty of gorgeous locations, including the opening level of Krat Zoo and its massive greenhouse and carnival. There are a handful of underground interiors that can start to feel a little samey, and there are some instances of very questionable enemy placement (those guys dual-wielding massive shields can absolutely do one) but the good news is that level design is as strong here as it is in the main campaign.

Naturally, Overture also sets the stage for plenty of new boss fights, and these are by far the best and most challenging encounters the whole game has to offer. Paired with the brand new Battle Memories mode - which lets you replay all bosses across five difficulty levels - and there’s plenty to keep fans busy here for months if not years to come.

At around 20-25 hours, I estimate Overture to be roughly half as long as the base game on a first playthrough on the Legendary Stalker difficulty (that’s the game’s standard difficulty option, joined by two easier modes in the accompanying free update). Though it is possible you may run the clock a bit longer than that if you’re stuck on some of these boss fights or going through the new lore with a fine-toothed comb.

Overall, though, if you liked Lies of P, you’ll adore the Overture expansion. Developer Round8 Studio seems to have already perfected its approach to the soulslike formula, and I’m beyond excited to see what the team has in store for the future.

Pasts unwritten

(Image credit: Neowiz)

Firstly, I’d just like to note how simple it is to unlock and play the Overture DLC. So long as you’ve beaten Chapter 9 of the main story, you’ll get an item and a prompt telling you exactly where to go to begin the expansion. There’s no FromSoftware-esque obscurity here; just head to said location and you’re underway in seconds, which is very welcome.

If you’re curious about how the Overture journey begins, you can read my preview where I talk about Krat Zoo at length. Otherwise, I won’t get into a talk about the expansion’s individual levels for the sake of avoiding spoilers. But in general, you can expect the same compact, expertly crafted level design for the most part. Overture still follows the fairly linear level structure of the main game, but there are plenty of avenues of exploration and instances of revisiting earlier levels during side quests.

You’ll absolutely want to be exploring these locations top to bottom, too. Overture has no shortage of new weapons, costumes, consumables, scraps of lore, sidequests, and even a couple of new Legion Arms (your trusty left arm-mounted utility) for you to discover.

Best bit

(Image credit: Neowiz)

I won’t go into spoilers here, but the closing hour of Overture is its crowning achievement. Mixing climactic combat, deeply emotional moments, and a showstopping final boss fight, this whirlwind expansion definitely ends with a bang.

The new weapons are pretty excellent across the board, and you can expect armaments obtained from each boss, as well as ones you’ll find tucked away in treasure chests that let you swap blade and hilt, just like in the base game. Better yet, these are compatible with the base game’s weapons, opening up even more opportunities for customization.

I went into Overture with a Technique (dexterity) build, so I quickly warmed to the new Death’s Talons weapon. These Wolverine-like claws slash foes quickly, and its unique Fable Art (special moves you can perform by filling the accompanying gauge) attack can perform a devastating multi-stage combo which quickly builds an enemy’s Stagger bar, allowing you to go in for a massive critical hit.

Pale Knight is another big winner; essentially a Squall Leonhart-esque gunblade with explosive rounds, it packs a serious punch for Motivity (strength) builds, and it’s one I can see becoming a favorite among the playerbase if only for its coolness factor.

Those two new Legion Arms are also a vast improvement over many of the main game’s roster. In Lies of P, most Legion Arms had very situational usages, making it tough to commit to a single one. Overture’s are far more practical, one producing a devastating shotgun blast, with the other firing out spinning discs that stay in place, damaging enemies over a short period of time.

Both are vastly more useful, and I find myself sticking with the latter in particular for my current New Game Plus run.

Writ in blood

(Image credit: Neowiz)

It wouldn’t be a soulslike experience without a few bosses for you to bash your head against for hours on end, and Lies of P: Overture certainly doesn’t disappoint in this department. While there aren’t too many new boss encounters, the ones that are here are absolutely a quality over quantity affair.

I’ve already spoken at length about three of them in my previous boss impressions piece - and I certainly won’t be spoiling the remainder here - but you can rest assured that if you’re seeking a challenge, Overture’s bosses are indisputably the hardest fights in the entire game.

Hard, but certainly not unfair. And if you’re tired of those Elden Ring-style bosses that have seemingly endless combo strings, there’s actually very little of that here. Like the main game, it’s all about pattern recognition and how effectively you can Perfect Guard the attacks you’re confident about, and dodging through the ones you’re not. Most of the bosses are a good deal speedier, too, so picking the right moments to strike is more crucial than ever here.

Should I play Lies of P: Overture?

(Image credit: Neowiz)Play it if...

You want more of 2023’s best soulslike
Simple. If you loved Lies of P, you’ll adore what Round8 Studio has brought to the table with its Overture DLC.

You’re pining for new weapons and builds
Overture’s lineup of new weapons, amulet accessories, and Legion Arms add even more variety to Lies of P’s build scope. Want to deal more damage after a perfect dodge? Or decimate a group of foes with a powerful shotgun blast? You can expect all this and more.

You’re looking for a new challenge
Between the new bosses and the excellent Battle Memories boss rematch mode, Lies of P: Overture will test your soulslike skills to their limits.

Don't buy it if...

You haven’t played Lies of P yet
This one’s a bit obvious, sure, but Overture requires that you own the base game first. Be sure to get a playthrough of that under your belt before deciding whether or not the DLC is right for you.

You’re easily frustrated by soulslikes
Even on its new easier difficulty options, Lies of P: Overture can provide a staunch challenge. If you’re not a fan of grinding boss attempts for potentially hours, this might be one to miss.

Accessibility

Lies of P: Overture has launched alongside a new free update for the game. This adds two easier difficulty options, perfect for players less versed in the soulslike experience. There are also new colorblind mode options (protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia), as well as a colorblind mode intensity slider.

How I reviewed Lies of P: Overture

My playthrough of Lies of P: Overture took me around 20-25 hours to complete on the default Legendary Stalker difficulty. That time was spent combing through most of each level’s optional secrets and side quests, as well as a good deal of time up against the incredibly tough new boss encounters. While I’m not sure I achieved a 100% complete run, I am confident that I got to experience the vast majority of what Overture has to offer.

I played the expansion on PC (via Steam) with my controller of choice being the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. I also made use of my RIG 900 Max HS gaming headset to experience the game’s immaculate soundtrack and impressive audio design.

First reviewed June 2025

Brother is the last major inkjet maker to cave in and join the refillable revolution, so I’m keen to see how its first supertank printers stack up against the best ink tank printers. Of the two new models, the Brother DCP-T780DW is the more expensive, aimed at the home office or SMB (small to medium-sized business). It’s a well-equipped all-in-one able to duplex print on any kind of paper up to A4 or legal via either of its two input trays, or copy using its flatbed scanner and ADF (automatic document feed).

To keep the price competitive, there’s no touchscreen interface, Bluetooth or USB Host port. These are all features you’d expect on a cartridge printer at this price, but the big attraction here is the remarkably low TCO (total cost of ownership) which includes the five bottles of ink Brother is putting in the box. That’s enough for around 15,000 black and white pages or 5,000 color.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Design and build

(Image credit: Brother // Future)Specs

Type: color tank inkjet printer

Functions: Print, copy, scan, ADF

Connectivity: Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi

Data storage slots: none

Max print speed: 16ipm (mono)

Max paper size: A4/legal

Print quality: 1,200 x 6,000 dpi

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: 5 bottles (15,000 black, 5,000 color pages)

Dimensions/Weight: 320 x 390 x 245 mm (WxDxH)/71.4lb/32.4kg

The Brother DCP-T580DW looks and feels like a compact and well designed all-in-one, and quite unlike the awkward Brother DCP-T525W. That older Amazon-exclusive model had its ink tanks bulging out at the side like an afterthought, whereas the new printers have their reservoirs seamlessly integrated in a way that doesn’t increase the footprint.

You access them through a front flap, so there’s no need to open up the whole machine to top up. The flap has clear windows so you can see the level of the liquid easily. Brother’s designers have cheated a bit, by using tanks with a smaller volume than its rivals, but the 48.8ml limit still beats any inkjet cartridge for capacity.

In other respects it’s a familiar form factor, with a slightly protruding front paper tray able to hold 150 sheets of paper up to A4, letter or legal in size. There’s a flatbed scanner on top and the 4.5cm color display is mounted on a tilting control panel surrounded by the usual array of buttons.

The two ports for connecting power and USB cables are at the side, rather than the rear, which could be more convenient, or less, depending on your setup. The Brother DCP-T780DW differs from Brother’s other tank printers by including a 20-sheet ADF, which adds only 3.4cm to its height.

Ink tank printers are the most sustainable way to print as they generate less ink and plastic waste, while all inkjets use less energy than lasers, so I’m glad to see Brother’s packaging is also more sustainable. Instead of polystyrene in the cardboard carton, there’s just more cardboard.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Features & specifications

(Image credit: Brother // Future)

As the premium printer, in Brother’s first ink tank range, the DCP-T780DW can do more than merely duplex print and simplex scan. It also has an ADF for copying a stack of up to twenty pages automatically and two paper inputs.

The main tray can hold a useful 150 pages, while a multi-purpose tray at the rear offers an easy way to print one-off jobs such as addressing an envelope. The rear tray, with its flatter paper path, is able to print on heavier paper than the main tray, including card up to 300gsm.

There’s 5GHz Wi-Fi with AirPrint compatibility for wireless connectivity, plus Ethernet and USB ports available. The top speed for black and white printing is quite fast for an inkjet at 16ipm, while color pages emerge almost as quickly at 15ipm. The maximum print resolution is 1,200 x 600dpi, delivered by 840 nozzles.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Setup and operation

(Image credit: Brother // Future)

Setting up the Brother DCP-T780DW should be a simple process, especially if you download the free Brother Connect app. Just load some paper and turn on to receive prompts on the printer’s display and your smartphone. Filling the tanks with ink is a quick and clean process. Like Epson, HP and Canon, Brother has made it possible to fill the four ink tanks without spilling a drop.

Like the other systems, the lips of the bottles are keyed, so you can’t pour in the wrong ink. Be sure to pour in the whole 48.8ml bottle though. I made the mistake of half filling the tanks and putting half full bottles back in the box. Once their seals are broken, the bottles leak, even when you think you’ve screwed the lids back on tight. I made a very colorful mess, but to be fair to Brother, it was a case of user error.

Unlike the HP Smart Tank 7001, there’s no inbuilt Bluetooth to make an immediate connection with your smartphone, so the setup procedure takes a little longer. I also found Brother’s ink bottles a little more fiddly to pour than Epson and Canon’s foolproof supertank systems. In short, Brother’s system works just fine.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Performance

(Image credit: Brother // Future)

The Brother DCP-T780DW worked well right out of the box. The setup procedure involved running out two test sheets to check ink delivery and nozzle alignment, and both were spot on. All my test pages appeared promptly and with no cases of creased paper, smudges or jams and the results varied from okay to great.

Black text on plain white paper looked crisp and legible down to point size two. However, Brother’s dye-based black appears somewhat grey compared to the pigment black that other brands use. It might not look as glossy or bold, but it is consistent and the ink doesn’t smear when you run a finger over the page as it emerges.

(Image credit: Brother // Future)

Color pages are more impressive thanks to Brother’s bright C/M/Y inks and there’s a great level of detail resolution. Brother launched two tank printers in this series and this higher-specified multifunction model gives significantly sharper prints. That can only be because these print heads are equipped with 840 nozzles, while the cheaper T580 has only 420 nozzles. So while their quoted maximum print resolutions are exactly the same, having double the number of nozzles applying the ink droplets is evidently an advantage.

Scanning single pages on the platen and copying multipage documents with the ADF went without a hitch during my tests and the duplicate pages looked faithful to the originals. There’s no single pass two-side scanning, but nonetheless, it all worked fairly quickly, so I’d recommend this printer for light photocopying duties.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Consumables Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Brother // Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Brother // Future)

Brother is bundling two bottles of black ink plus the three colors in the box, so those five bottles could print up to 5,000 color pages, or 15,000 in black and white. That’s great, but it’s less than HP, Epson, or Canon are offering with their equivalently priced tank printers. Brother’s slightly smaller ink bottles and tanks are the reason for this, but I think the difference is small enough not to be a deal-breaker.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Maintenance

(Image credit: Brother // Future)

Like all inkjet printers, the Brother DCP-T780DW is likely to dry out and print badly or not at all if left unused for a length of time. The problem is ink clogging the nozzles and the solution is flushing them through with more ink. In a cartridge printer, you’d begrudge that wasted ink, but at least tank printers use affordable ink. This printer has quite versatile maintenance options with a choice of three flushing cycles of varying strength depending how clogged your nozzles are.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Final verdictImage 1 of 4

(Image credit: Brother // Future)Image 2 of 4

(Image credit: Brother // Future)Image 3 of 4

(Image credit: Brother // Future)Image 4 of 4

(Image credit: Brother // Future)

The Brother DCP-T780DW is a reasonably well equipped and well made home office all-in-one, with decent all-round print quality to boot. Brother makes lots of cartridge printers like this, but this tank printer runs on cheap bottled ink and that makes it a much better investment.

The design is compact with the four ink reservoirs neatly integrated, while the 20-sheet ADF on top adds surprisingly little height. Having two paper inputs is another advantage, especially as the multipurpose tray at the rear is able to handle more substantial 300gsm card stock.

I found it easy to use, despite the lack of a touchscreen, while the print quality with both documents and photos is above average. And with enough ink included in the price for 20,000 pages, this looks like a fair price. Now that Brother has proved it can make tank printers that work, let’s hope the rest of its inkjet line-up eventually goes refillable so we can consign cartridges to history.

For more options, I've tested and reviewed the best home printers you can get right now.

• ^ Back to top

Tern Setups is one of the first portable monitors that got me interested in working with multiple displays and not just using my iPad as a secondary display when I was using my MacBook.

I've tested out plenty of the best portable monitors, although, not all of them boast the higher screen specs you'll find with this model. So, I was keen to see how the Tern Setups 16-in 4K OLED portable display measured up - and how it lives up to its eye-catching promise.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Tern Setups 16-inch 4K OLED portable monitor: Unboxing & first impressions

When I got my package from Tern, I opened it up to find the 16-inch monitor, a sleek magnetic stand, USB-C to USB-C Cables, an HDMI cable, a 30W Brick, and a sleek sleeve to carry the display in so it won't get scratched up when not in use. The packaging is super clean and minimal, fitting the entire brand for Tern beautifully.

The panel is super thin, thinner in person than I expected. There is a slightly thicker part at the bottom back of the display, but that's understandable and still would be considered thin in my book. The bezel is tiny, and the ports are easy to access, regardless of whether you are using the stand or using the monitor without the stand. I followed basic guidelines to set the panel to match my MacBook colors perfectly, giving me rich blacks, bright colors, and gorgeous contrast.

Tern Setups 16-inch 4K OLED portable monitor: Design & Build QualitySpecs

Model: 16" Portable Monitor + Stand
Panel Type: 4K OLED (3840 x 2400)
Aspect Ratio: 16:10
Brightness: 400 nits
Color Range: 100% DCI-P3
Color Depth: True 10-bit
Refresh Rate: 60Hz (2.5K model offers 144Hz!)
Response Time: 1ms
Connectivity: 2x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x USB-A
Passthrough Power: 40W
Weight: 1.15kg (2.54 lbs)
Max Stand Height: 25cm (9.8in)

I'm in a phase of life where I am adding MagSafe to everything; I have a BenQ Laptop Light bar I can mount with Magsafe that I keep adding to places. I love mounting my iPhone to different things with MagSafe, and I'll even mount SSDs (Samsung T7s and such) via MagSafe to the back of laptops to give an easy, on-the-go solution to add storage to notebooks. So, when I saw Tern use a magnet to hold a monitor up, I thought it was genius in every way. The stand feels clever and fun, all while being super easy to use.

Another thing that I was thrilled to see is that the Tern monitor has some key ports built-in that make it super practical. They have USB-A, USB-C, and a full-size HDMI, something I have yet to see on a portable monitor. This means that even if I'm not using a laptop but want to display content, I can use a standard, easy-to-find HDMI cable to connect to most devices that output video these days.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Tern Setups 16-inch 4K OLED portable monitor: In use

I've used this monitor just about everywhere. I've had it in my possession for 139 days as of right now, and in that time, I have taken it on a few trips and many coffee shop runs. However, this has been the perfect "around the studio/house" monitor for my specific workflow. Rather than carrying around a bigger monitor, working without a second monitor, or unpacking my portable monitor in my backpack, I jump to this gorgeous monitor.

It's been the perfect companion for everything from late-night writing sessions (lit up by that BenQ Laptop light bar) to evening light gaming on my iPad or my Nintendo Switch; it's been a fantastic display to help me set up a server Mac Mini that I have and needed to work on, it was a great companion for setting up some Desktop PCs I was testing and more. It has been a portable workhorse that I have been able to rely on for just about everything. This display has become so indispensable that I leave it right where I keep my bag in my studio or other workspaces, ready to break out at any moment.

It's excellent in vertical and horizontal use cases, especially when I use the magnetic stand to raise the display off the desk or table. It's got a super convenient USB-C and USB-A port. However, I would not transfer large files or charge large devices through this, but having quick access for quick file transfer is excellent.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

Now, a few notes that make this a spectacular monitor, but with a little bit of room to grow. First, since the cables hang off the base of one side, this panel needs to be perfectly centered with the magnet, or it can tug one way or another, especially if at full height and with a heavier cable.

Secondly, It's a bummer that the passthrough power caps at 40W, but for most people, that won't be a huge downfall, just for those heavy power users. Thirdly, the Magnetic stand is nifty and super cool, but this may get in the way depending on your bag setup. In some of my backpacks, this fit beautifully without any issues.

In others, the way my bag was orientated, there was no good area to put this stand. So, if you are picking one of these up, ensure you have a place in your bag to safely and securely put the stand, and then you'll have no issues.

All in all, this is the most beautiful portable panel that I have tried. It's gorgeous, and since Tern has a handful of different resolutions and feature options, anyone can find what they need regarding portable displays with Tern.

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Beautiful, professional design

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Easy to utilize

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Practical for most all

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

High price, high quality

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Tern Setups 16-inch 4K OLED portable monitor: Final verdict

The Tern Setups 16-inch 4K OLED portable monitor is the best spec-for-spec, color-accurate portable monitor I have tested. It's beautifully built, high-featured, and tuned for creative and business workflows. Whether you need an easy-to-use display around your house, office, or workspace, or a display you can take on the go in a bag traversing the world, the Tern Setups 4K OLED Portable Monitor is a fantastic option.

OnePlus Pad 3: one-minute review

As someone who has sworn by iPads and iPadOS for over a decade now, consider me pleasantly surprised to discover just how much fun it is to use the OnePlus Pad 3. For my particular use case, as someone who likes to use tablet computers for a mix of productivity during the day and catching up on YouTube and Netflix in my spare time, the Pad 3 provided me with quality of life features I didn’t even know I needed.

Smart suggestions from Open Canvas that let you split-screen apps in seconds, not to mention having up to three apps open at once with extra capacity for apps sitting in a floating window, all add up to a great experience that’s further emboldened by a bright screen and fantastic battery life.

When you factor in the additional cost of accessories, the complete OnePlus Pad 3 package can set you back a fair bit, and I still think that the entry-level iPad 10.9 is the best value option for more people where tablets are concerned. It’s also a shame that a lack of Android optimisation gets in the way of the grand ambitions of OxygenOS. If something can be done to make key Android apps function more appropriately in tablet form, then the OnePlus Pad 3 could make a fine case for arguably being the best Android tablet out there.

OnePlus Pad 3 review: price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Starts at $699 / £529 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage
• A 16GB RAM/512GB storage model is available in the UK, but not the US

You’d be justified for thinking that, with all the upgrades included and the current state of the world economy, that the OnePlus Pad 3 would bring about a hefty price increase over the OnePlus Pad 2, but thankfully that’s not the case.

The OnePlus Pad 3 boasts an entry level price of $699 / £529 for the 12GB RAM/256GB storage model, but that can leap up to £599 for the more robust 16GB RAM/512GB storage option.

Given that the OnePlus Pad 2 had a launch price of $549 / £499 at the checkout, seeing just a £30 uptick this time around (in the UK at least) isn’t too shabby, and I think it’s reasonable request when compared against the larger screen, faster processor, increased storage and improved speakers that you get with this newer model. Sorry, US users, but you know what you did.

What you do need to bear in mind however is that the OnePlus Pad 3 does not come bundled with any of its key accessories. In the US you get the 80W SuperVOOC charger, but in the UK you’ll only find OnePlus’ signature red USB-C cable included. This is where the cost can soar.

The OnePlus Pad 3 Stylo 2 will set you back $99 / £99, so you'll have to factor that in for digital drawing or note-taking, while the OnePlus Pad 3 Smart Keyboard and Folio Case cost $199 / £169 and $49 / £59 respectively. Of course, you can always opt for cheaper alternatives to help mitigate that cost, such as eschewing the Smart Keyboard in favor of one of the best wireless keyboards, but for the most seamless experience where everything complements one another in design language, it can add up.

• Value score: 4 / 5

OnePlus Pad review: specs

Starting price

£529

Operating system

OxygenOS 15

Chipset

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite

Memory (RAM)

12GB/16GB

Storage

256GB/512GB

Display

13.2-inch 3.4k LCD, 144Hz

Weight

675g

Battery

12,140mAh

Charging

80W SUPERVOOC

Cameras

13MP main, 8MP front

Pretty much all of the key areas have seen an upgrade over the OnePlus Pad 2. There’s now the much faster Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset under the hood which OnePlus claims to provide a 45% and 40% boost in CPU and GPU performance respectively.

Helping to power that chipset is an increase in the default amount of RAM, with the entry-level option now boasting 12GB instead of 8GB, and that’s also paired with a higher starting storage of 256GB as opposed to 128GB. In the UK there is an upgrade option with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, but that model isn't being sold in the US.

What’s sure to turn heads for those who use their tablets as all-day devices is the leap to a massive 12,140mAh battery which absolutely towers above the 9,510mAh cell found within the OnePlus Pad 2. There’s even an increase in charging speeds, now up to 80W, to help you fill up that larger battery even faster. In the US that faster charger comes in the box, but UK users will need to splurge on the faster plug.

OnePlus Pad 3 review: display

(Image credit: Future)

• Gorgeous 13.2-inch 3.2K LCD panel
• 7:5 ratio is helpful for multitasking
• Great depiction of colour

Because I’d become so used to using the much smaller iPad 10.9, which has been my go-to tablet for everything over the last few years, I was somewhat gobsmacked by the display that the OnePlus Pad 3 brings to the table. Sure, it’s not quite the 14.6-inch beast that you’ll find on the far pricier Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, but the Pad 3’s 13.2-inch 3.2K LCD display is an eye-catcher for a handful of reasons.

At the surface level, it just looks great. Whether you’re simply admiring the collection of landscape photography that OnePlus offers up for potential wallpapers, or streaming one of the best Disney Plus shows, it all leaps out of the screen with a level of vibrancy that really makes the OnePlus Pad 3 a joy to use. Whenever I had to go back to using my Windows laptop, I always found myself irritated at the immediate downgrade in screen quality.

When I was diving into a bit of Call of Duty Mobile to test out the performance of the device, I ended up playing for quite a bit longer than I usually do just because of how great the game looks on the OnePlus Pad 3. Particle effects really pop thanks to the larger than average sizing, and your eyes are drawn to character models which are given their due thanks to the detailed 3.2K resolution.

The high density of pixels also means that fans of animation will love using this thing for entertainment. Diving into Disney Pixar’s Elemental, the opening scenes in Element City are an absolute feast for the eyes, with your attention drawn equally to what’s happening in the foreground and all the smaller moments of background action.

Because of the unique 7:5 aspect ratio, the OnePlus Pad 3 has just the right amount of height in its display to have multiple windows open at one time, all without any of them feeling too cramped to the point where you’re forced to zoom in. In the time that I’ve been using the tablet, I’ve probably come to value this feature the most as it means I can really maximise its capabilities as a productivity device. I never like to bring a laptop with me on holiday, but for something like this that works so well for both watching content and responding to emails, the OnePlus Pad 3 is exactly the type of device I’d pack in my suitcase.

• Display score: 5 / 5

OnePlus Pad 3 review: designImage 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

• Barely thicker than the USB-C port at the bottom
• Fairly mundane colour options

When you lay your hands on the OnePlus Pad 3, you’ll no doubt notice, before anything else, just how slim this thing is. As soon as I took it out of the box, I became far more cautious in my handling of the Pad 3 until I was able to encase it in the Smart Keyboard accessory that OnePlus sent along with it.

The OnePlus Pad 3 is just 5.97mm thick, which isn’t too far off the 5.1mm thickness of the iPad Pro 2024. Despite its larger than average display, the Pad 3 doesn’t weigh all that much in the hand either, coming in at only 675g. Thankfully, all of this means that, even with the Smart Keyboard in tow, the OnePlus Pad 3 feels wonderfully lightweight in your bag, and it’s very easy to carry around one-handed.

Unfortunately, there isn’t really anything here in the way of visual flare to elevate the OnePlus 3 from competing tablets. There are two colors available in the UK, Storm Blue (the same as the review unit) and Frosted Silver. The silver model won't be sold in the US.

While I can’t speak for the latter, the Storm Blue looks anything but blue to my eyes, striking more as a darker grey. I know that this isn’t uncommon with tablets around this price range, but I would love to see more vibrant options like what you’ll find with the entry-level iPad 10.9.

(Image credit: Future)

It also doesn’t help that the ‘all metal unibody’ of the tablet loves to pick up the occasional smudge, which is never a good look. I also think that the design of the Smart Keyboard accessory could use a bit of an overhaul.

The keyboard itself is fine once you get used to it, but it would be nice if the keys were less mushy and a bit more clicky, similar to what you’ll find on Apple’s Magic Keyboard. The material underneath the keyboard also doesn’t have much grip to it either, and when working at a standard office desk, I found it would slip and slide all over the place with just a slight nudge, which forced me to be a bit more considerate in my typing. This wasn’t the case everywhere that I took the Pad 3, but it’s something that I would like to see fixed in a successor.

• Design score: 4/5

OnePlus Pad 3 review: softwareImage 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

• Open Canvas is now better than ever
• Android still needs better optimisation on tablets

Software has long been the Achilles heel for almost all Android tablets when weighed up against the seamlessness of Apple’s iPadOS, but to give OnePlus its due, the company has done its best to close the gap with OxygenOS 15.

Compared to some of the more cumbersome Android interface options out there, OxygenOS is clean in its aesthetic and easy to understand in its UI so that, even if you’re someone who’s knee-deep in Apple’s ecosystem and considering picking up an Android tablet for the first time, you’ll get on just fine here.

OnePlus made the excellent decision last year to bring the impressive Open Canvas software (originally found on the OnePlus Open) over to the OnePlus Pad 2. This ingenious bit of tech means that you can easily have up to three apps open at the same time, which has been incredibly helpful whilst writing this review as it means I’ve been able to cross reference my own notes with OnePlus’ official press release without having to constantly minimize and reopen windows.

Open Canvas was already great, but it’s just been given a handy upgrade that now makes launching it even easier than before. If the Pad 3 notices that you’ve quickly jumped from one app to another, it will ask if you want to split-screen these apps so that they sit side by side. The moment you tap this notification, both apps appear instantly – it’s that simple.

(Image credit: Future)

It’s such a small addition to the software but one that ended up saving me a decent chunk of time, and anything that helps to keep your flowstate going when you're in the middle of a tough deadline is fine by me. Apple should take note and bring this to iPadOS in the future.

As great as Open Canvas is, the OnePlus Pad 3 doesn’t completely avoid the optimization problems that plague Android on tablets. Regardless of which device I’m using, I frequently rely on Google Docs and Notion, both of which had issues when trying to run on the Pad 3.

Initially, Notion wouldn’t let me type anything until I was forced to delete the app and then reinstall it, while Google Docs would just flat out refuse to recognize the scrolling gesture on the Smart Keyboard trackpad, so I’ve been forced to use the touchscreen whenever I’ve needed to move through a document.

What I will say is that for a lot of these web-based apps, they do work rather well when you run them in the Chrome browser, similar to how you would with one of the best Chromebooks, but it’s hardly ideal given that it’s never an issue I’ve had to deal with when using iPadOS.

(Image credit: Future)

Unlike a lot of companies right now, OnePlus hasn’t gone so far into AI that it’s taken up the bulk of the upgrades, but there are some helpful AI features now baked into the ‘AI toolkit’ which appears when you’re browsing the web. This allows you to quickly summarise an article if you’re in a rush, or have an AI voice read out its contents for you, even as you dive into other apps. It’s unobtrusive yet well executed, so well done to OnePlus on this front.

• Software score: 4 / 5

OnePlus Pad 3 review: performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Flagship performance thanks to the latest Snapdragon chip
• This is a tablet designed for multitasking

If you’ve already read the specs for the OnePlus Pad 3 then you may have raised an eye-brow at the inclusion of the super-powered Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset under the hood. Not only is this the same processor you’ll find in the best smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Honor Magic 7 Pro, but it also represents a major leap in speed from what we've seen before.

As previously mentioned, the claim is that the 8 Elite can provide a 45% boost in performance to the CPU, and 40% for the GPU. That all sounds great on paper, but what difference does it make to the day to day experience? Plenty, as it turns out.

Just for context, this entire review has been written with the OnePlus Pad 3, and I’ve had Google Docs open alongside a PDF press release, and a Chrome window with several tabs. Occasionally I’ve had a WhatsApp overlay in the corner to quickly respond to messages, and at one point I had Disney Plus playing Avengers: Endgame on top of all these apps, and it didn’t break a sweat. Sure, it did look like some kind of pop-up-filled nightmare, but I was impressed to see no signs of slowdown. Simply put, if you're after a productivity tablet that you can really push to the limits, you’ll get on well here.

The same can be said for gaming. Taking a quick break to enjoy a few rounds of Call of Duty Mobile with an Xbox controller connected via Bluetooth, the OnePlus Pad 3 kept up with every fast-paced moment and all the chaos that a typical match brings with it.

As a final point, I want to draw particular attention to the improved speakers on the OnePlus Pad 3. There are now eight speakers instead of four, and they collectively offer up the best sound I’ve ever come across on a tablet. Layers feel separated so that they each have noticeable depth, and vocals are elevated to make watching shows and films a really enjoyable experience.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

OnePlus Pad 3 review: battery

(Image credit: Future)

• Charging speeds and battery capacity have been upgraded
• No charging brick included

While there have been plenty of upgrades elsewhere, OnePlus has still made sure not to forget about the battery and charging experience. The headline upgrade here is the change to a much larger 12,140mAh battery which OnePlus claims can play triple-A games for six hours, or endure video playback for more than 17-hours. That’s definitely impressive, but I think that the proof is in how it can handle a bit of everything over the course of a day.

Beginning my test at 9:30am, I used the OnePlus Pad 3 as my main work device for typing documents and responding to emails, but over the course of six hours of screen-on time, downloading apps, watching 30-mins of Disney Plus and similarly playing games for 30-minutes, I was able to make it to 5:30pm with about 35% battery left in the tank. Of course, the average work day (for myself at least) doesn't tend to have quite so much time set aside for entertainment, but to still have 35% remaining leaves me with plenty of confidence for the days when I want to hunker down with work.

Charging is a bit of a different story. The OnePlus Pad 3 now support fast charging up to 80W, up from 67W on the OnePlus Pad 2, but you’ll need to buy a compatible charger separately in order to hit those speeds.

For my charging test, I had a 65W charger to hand (which is still faster than most), and managed to get the Pad 3 from 5% battery to 100% in 121 minutes. It took about an hour to reach 56% so if you are strapped for time, that should give you enough power to get through a day with the power saver mode switched on.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the OnePlus Pad 3?OnePlus Pad 3 report card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

For all the upgrades the OnePlus Pad 3 packs, its small price increase is easily justified.

4 / 5

Display

The increased size and unique aspect ratio make the display ideal for work and entertainment

5 / 5

Design

The Pad 3 is incredibly thin and light to the touch, but its overall design isn't too inspiring

4 / 5

Software

OxygenOS is brilliantly intuitive, but Android still needs some work for tablets

4 / 5

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset makes short work of multitasking and gaming

5 / 5

Battery

Plenty of longevity but charging can be slow if you don’t buy an appropriate fast charger

4 / 5

Buy it if…

You need a multitasking tablet for work

If you’re constantly juggling emails, documents and notes then the OnePlus Pad is perfect for jumping between them quickly.

You want one of the best Android tablets out there

Between OxygenOS and the improved battery life, the Pad 3 will leave you wanting for very little within the Android space.

You’re tempted to make the jump from iPad

As a long-time iPad user, I can safely say that I’ll be using the Pad 3 predominantly as my main productivity tablet going forward.

Don’t buy it if…

You aren’t prepared to pay for the accessories

The OnePlus Pad 3 is a great tablet, but it’s made infinitely better by buying at least one of its available accessories which should be factored into the overall cost.

You want the best value tablet

Compared to the iPad Air 2024, the Pad 3 is a bargain, but it’s still more expensive than great value offerings like the Galaxy Tab S10 FE which bundles in the S Pen for free.

You’re knee deep in the Apple ecosystem

Because of the seamless communication between Apple devices, those toting an iPhone or Apple Watch will still find a better overall experience with one of the best iPads.

Also consider

Not convinced by all the OnePlus Pad 3 has to offer? Here are some alternatives worth checking out:

OnePlus Pad 3

Apple iPad 10.9 (2022)

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

Price

£529

$349 / £329

$1,199.99 / £1,199 (now regularly discounted)

Base storage

256GB

64GB

256GB

Screen size

13.2-inch 3.4k LCD, 144Hz

10.9-inch LCD, 60Hz

14.6-inch AMOLED, 120Hz

Chipset

Snapdragon 8 Elite

Apple A14 Bionic

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Battery

12,140mAh

7,606mAh

11,200mAh

Charging

80W

28.6W

45W

Cameras

13MP main, 8MP front

12MP main, 12MP front

13MP main, 8MP ultra wide, plus 12MP wide and 12MP ultra wide front sensors

OS

OxygenOS w/ Android 15

iPadOS 18

One UI with Android 15

Apple iPad 10.9 (2022)

Apple’s entry-level iPad still manages to defy expectations by offering plenty in the way of productivity and entertainment prowess, and since its successor hit the scene, it can now be found cheaper than ever.

Read our full Apple iPad 10.9 (2022) review

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

If you know where to look, Samsung’s ultra-premium tablet of yesteryear can be picked up for a significantly reduced price, and it comes with the S Pen stylus included.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review

How I tested the OnePlus Pad 3

I used the OnePlus Pad 3 over a nine-day testing period, using it in my home office, connected to my home Wi-Fi, and also at a local cafe whilst using my OnePlus Open as a hotspot.

Testing the full speed of its 80W fast charging wasn’t possible due to only having a 65W adapter available over the course of this review, which should be taken into consideration when analysing the battery results.

When testing out the gaming performance of the OnePlus Pad 3, I played Call of Duty Mobile, GTA: San Andreas The Definitive Edition, and Dead Cells: Netflix Edition, all with a wirelessly connected Xbox controller.

First reviewed June 2025

VTech KidiZoom Duo FX: Two-minute review

I assigned my five-year-old daughter chief reviewing duties for the VTech KidiZoom Duo FX, a popular cheap compact camera for younger kids that can be picked up for as little as $45 / £40 at leading retailers like Amazon.

After she'd used if for a few months it was time to hear her thoughts. "What do you like most about the camera?" I ask. I can predict the one-word answer before it has left her lips: "Games!"

To be fair, the KidiZoom Duo has had more use than a number of other toys, gadgets and cameras for kids in our house, but I picked one up for her in the hope that she might be inspired to become the next Vivian Maier, not zone out playing the basic games on board.

She might well develop a creative eye over time and start taking fantastic photos, but it won't be the KidiZoom Duo that sends her on that path.

It's just the right fit for small hands, and it'll survive plenty of drops onto hard surfaces too. (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

That said, when I did direct her focus to the KidiZoom Duo's camera, she found it incredibly easy to use. There's a generous grip for both hands that was perfectly sized for her little hands, and it's come away from multiple mishaps and drops onto hard surfaces unscathed.

She can apply various animated filters to the photos, which has brought many smiles over the months, even if the basic photo quality hardly inspires – not that I'd expect anything better from such a low-cost camera.

Practically speaking, the use of four regular AA batteries is a pain. The first batch were flat after less than two days of use (you guessed it – from mainly playing games). I invested in rechargeable batteries, which in the long run has been more cost-effective.

Better battery life topped the list of my daughter's responses to the question "What could make this camera better?", along with more color options for the finish. And from my perspective, better-quality photos might inspire her to use the camera itself more.

Would I recommend the feature-packed VTech KidiZoom Duo FX as a first camera? Absolutely. No other camera comes close at this super-low price. Will it inspire your young ones to take up photography? Probably not.

VTech KidiZoom Duo FX: Price and availability

• List price of $55 / £65 / AU$110, but can be found for less
• It's available in blue and pink versions, plus there's a pricier Duo 5.0

The best-selling VTech KidiZoom Duo FX has been available for some years now, and its price has settled at around $45 / £40 / AU$100 at leading retailers. It's recommended for children aged thee to nine years, and features and design-wise you'll be hard pressed to find a better alternative.

The FX version of the Duo is available in blue and pink versions. There's also a newer and pricier Duo 5.0 version that we've yet to test.

VTech KidiZoom Duo FX: specsQuick Specs

Recommended age:

3-9 years

Photos:

Dual cameras; 8MP front, 2MP selfie

Video:

640p

Lens:

4x digital zoom

Memory:

256MB internal, expandable with micro SD

LCD:

2.4-inch, non touch

Connectivity

Micro USB for image transfer, headphone jack

Power:

4x AA-size alkaline batteries (LR6)

VTech KidiZoom Duo FX: design

• Tough plastic body in bright pink or blue
• 2.4-inch LCD and look-through viewfinders
• Basic flash

The KidiZoom Duo is a pretty easy camera to control. It features large buttons for key functions, including a joystick to navigate menus and a control wheel for the 4x digital zoom.

The twin viewfinders are simple windows, nothing fancy, spaced so the user can look through both, binoculars-style. My daughter barely used the viewfinders, however, instead focusing her attention on the basic fixed 2.4-inch LCD, which can be pretty hard to see in bright light.

Image 1 of 2

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

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

I was thankful for the headphone jack on the camera's underside, which meant I could ask my daughter to use headphones rather than having to listen to the music of the on-board games coming out of the KidiZoom Duo's built-in speaker.

Photo and video files are tiny, but the camera's internal 256MB memory still fills up soon enough, so a cheap microSD card is a must-buy. You won't need to go big – even a 32GB one will easily store years' worth of images.

Images can be transferred to a computer by a now-dated micro USB port – the cable is supplied with the camera.

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

To keep costs down, the KidiZoom Duo is powered by AA batteries. You'll need four in all, with two slotting into the left grip and two into the right. You'll need a mini screwdriver to unscrew the internal door that helps secure the batteries in place.

A built-in lith-ion battery would be preferable, making recharges much simpler and quicker. However, if you've got a set of rechargeable AAs, then it's not too much bother to go through the process.

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)VTech KidiZoom Duo FX: Performance

• Dual cameras; 8MP front, 2MP selfie
• Flash with 1-3m range
• 4x digital zoom

Image quality is, as you'd expect from such a cheap camera, basic. Photos in JPEG format from the main front camera top out at 8MP, while the selfie camera is just 2MP.

Photo resolution is further reduced when using any one of a number of built-in animated templates and filters, while video quality is even more basic at just 640p.

A soft lens and a tiny image sensor compound matters; the KidiZoom struggles to hold detail in high-contrast sunny scenes, and low-light images are super noisy. Detail is soft, and the 4x digital zoom only further reduces image quality.

You get the picture, but to be fair I wouldn't expect any better for the money. Also, thankfully, there's a built-in flash, which can give a little fill light to your subjects, with a range up to 3m. This flash is super helpful in dim conditions, especially indoors.

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

It's best to put aside any expectations for photo quality, and focus more on the creative tools on offer, which are more likely to engage young creatives.

For example, there's panorama, wacky slideshow, animation maker, photo editor and voice recorder options, all of which add a little extra to the creative arsenal where the camera alone comes up short.

And what kid doesn't enjoy composing themselves or a family member into animated templates, of which the KidiZoom Duo has in spades?

Yes, any of today's smartphones will take better pictures and probably offer more creative control. But for a device that you can safely leave your child alone with, the cheap KidiZoom Duo fits the bill. It's excellent value too.

VTech KidiZoom Duo FX sample imagesImage 1 of 9

The selfie camera takes 1600 x 1200 pixel images and focuses closer than the front camera (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 9

You know it – rocking one of the many animated filters on offer. (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 9

I took this selfie with the main front camera, which has higher resolution pictures than the selfie camera, however its minimum focus distance is beyond me so detail is soft (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 9

Don't expect photos packed with detail (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 9

Here the sky is really washed out (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 6 of 9

You can't really take closeup photos of little details because of the limited minimum focus. The flowers are soft here. (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 7 of 9

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 8 of 9

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Image 9 of 9

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)Should I buy the VTech KidiZoom Duo FX?Buy it if...

You want a kid's camera that's rugged and easy to handle
The VTech KidiZoom Duo FX big, bold, easily held, and can withstand knocks and drops.

You want a feature-packed toy
The KidiZoom Duo FX is more than a camera, it's a handheld gaming device, voice recorder, audio player and more.

Don't buy it if...

You hope to encourage photography skills
The KidiZoom offers an element of creative development thanks to its filters and various tools, but the camera itself is very basic.

You'd like decent-quality photos
Photo and video quality is poor, even if the built-in flash somewhat improves the picture.

VTech KidiZoom Duo FX: Also consider Camp Snap camera

The Camp Snap camera is essentially a digital version of the single-use film camera. With no screen and singular purpose, it's the ideal antidote to the KidiZoom Duo's multi-function, games-distracting features.

Read our in-depth Camp Snap camera review

myFirst Camera 50

The pricier myFirst Camera 50 has elements of the KidiZoom Duo, but is more likely to draw attention to the creative aspects, plus the camera and its photos are slightly better quality.

Read our in-depth myFirst Camera 50 review

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)How I tested the VTech KidiZoom Duo FX

• It's been with our family for the best part of a year
• My daughters, both within the recommended user age, have used it extensively
• We've taken plenty of photos and videos (and played the games!)

This is a long-term review of an older camera that all of my family has contributed to.

We've exhausted the KidiZoom Duo's creative tools, including both cameras for photo and video, its various shooting modes, animated templates and audio recording.

And yes, we got pretty good at the basic selection of games.

• First reviewed June 2025

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: One-minute review

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is the latest hybrid laptop from the venerable Windows laptop maker, marking its first 2-in-1 since the company's major rebranding earlier this year, which replaced the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 2-in-1.

Fortunately, as with the clamshell Dell 14 Plus, Dell's latest 2-in-1 offers very solid performance at a fantastic price. But given that this is a 2-in-1, typically a form factor where the display takes center stage, the dim, lackluster panel makes this a less attractive option as a 2-in-1 than its clamshell sibling.

Starting at $649.99 / £849 / AU$1,498.20, the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 does earn its place among the best 2-in-1 laptops this year thanks to its affordable starting price, especially in the US and Australia where the AMD Ryzen AI 300 configurations are available. When these configurations make it to the UK, the prices there ought to be much cheaper to start as well.

Performance-wise, the 14 Plus 2-in-1 isn't much different than the standard 14 Plus, so what you're really looking for here is the versatility that comes with a 2-in-1.

Unfortunately, this versatility is undermined by the display quality, which is much more important on a 2-in-1. So while I found the rather dim FHD+ display on the 14 Plus to be an acceptable compromise to keep the price down, it's a much bigger negative on the 14 Plus 2-in-1.

That's not to say the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is necessarily bad, or even that its display is an absolute dealbreaker. Given its price and level of performance, the display doesn't keep it from being one of the best student laptops on the market right now, and it also remains one of the best Dell laptops on offer currently. Just be prepared to look past a couple of flaws if you decide to pick one up.

Dell 14 Plus: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• How much does it cost? Starts at $649.99 / £849 / AU$1,498.20
• When is it available? It's available now
• Where can you get it? You can buy it in the US, UK, and Australia through Dell’s website and other retailers.

Easily the best feature of the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is its excellent pricing. Starting at $649.99 / £849 / AU$1,498.20, there aren't going to be many Windows laptops with solid entry-level specs at this price point. For those who are more price-sensitive (such as students, general users, and enterprise fleet managers), the 14 Plus 2-in-1 really should be at the top of your list if you're in the market for a 2-in-1.

Even better, of course, is that Dell regularly runs sales on its products, so it should be fairly easy to find this laptop for even cheaper (especially around holidays or other major sales events like Amazon Prime Day).

• Value: 5 / 5

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Specs

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• Configurations vary considerably between the US, UK, and Australia
• Options for both Intel Core Ultra 200V and AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors
• No discrete graphics options

The starting specs for the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 feature 16GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD storage, and a 16:10 FHD+ (1200p) IPS touchscreen display with 300-nit max brightness. The only difference between the US, UK, and Australia is that the US and Aussies start off with an AMD Ryzen 5 AI 340 processor with Radeon 840M graphics, and the UK starting configuration comes with an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V chip.

This also means that while the US and Australian starting configuration only has two USB-C Gen 3.2 ports, the UK swaps one of these out for a full Thunderbolt 4 port.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 Base Specs

Region

US

UK

Australia

Price:

$649.99 at Dell.com

£849 at Dell.com

AU$1,498.20 at Dell.com

CPU:

AMD Ryzen AI 5 340

Intel Core Ultra 5 226V

AMD Ryzen AI 5 340

GPU:

AMD Radeon 840M Graphics

Intel Arc Xe2 (140V)

AMD Radeon 840M Graphics

Memory:

16GB LPDDR5X-7500

16GB LPDDR5X-8533

16GB LPDDR5X-7500

Storage:

512GB SSD

512GB SSD

512GB SSD

Screen:

14-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1200p), 300-nit, touch IPS

14-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1200p), 300-nit, touch IPS

14-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1200p), 300-nit, touch IPS

Ports:

2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 w/ DP and Power Delivery, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x combo jack

1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C w/ DP 1.4 and Power Delivery, 1 x Thunderbolt 4 w/ DP 2.1 and Power Delivery, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x combo jack

2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 w/ DP and Power Delivery, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x combo jack

Battery (WHr):

64 WHr

64 WHr

64 WHr

Wireless:

WiFi 7, BT 5.4

WiFi 7, BT 5.4

WiFi 7, BT 5.4

Camera:

1080p@30fps

1080p@30fps

1080p@30fps

Weight:

3.35 lb (1.52 kg)

3.42 lbs (1.55kg)

3.35 lbs (1.52kg)

Dimensions:

12.36 x 8.9 x 0.65 ins | (314 x 226.15 x 16.39mm)

12.36 x 8.9 x 0.65 ins | (314 x 226.15 x 16.39mm)

12.36 x 8.9 x 0.65 ins | (314 x 226.15 x 16.39mm)

For the max spec, the US and UK can configure the 14 Plus 2-in-1 with an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V processor with Intel Arc Xe2 (140V) graphics, while Australia tops out at an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor with Radeon 840M graphics. The US config also maxes out at 32GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB storage, while the UK and Australia max out at 16GB DDR5 RAM, and 512GB and 1TB storage, respectively.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 Top Specs

Region

US

UK

Australia

Price:

$1,499.99 at Dell.com

£1,299 at Dell.com

AU$1,498.20 at Dell.com

CPU:

Intel Core Ultra 9 288V

Intel Core Ultra 9 288V

AMD Ryzen AI 7 350

GPU:

Intel Arc Xe2 (140V) Graphics

Intel Arc Xe2 (140V) Graphics

AMD Radeon 840M Graphics

Memory:

32GB LPDDR5X-8533

16GB LPDDR5X-7500

16GB LPDDR5X-7500

Storage:

1TB NVMe SSD

512GB NVMe SSD

1TB NVMe SSD

Screen:

14-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1200p), 300-nit, touch IPS

14-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1200p), 300-nit, touch IPS

14-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1200p), 300-nit, touch IPS

Ports:

1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C w/ DP 1.4 and Power Delivery, 1 x Thunderbolt 4 w/ DP 2.1 and Power Delivery, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x combo jack

1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C w/ DP 1.4 and Power Delivery, 1 x Thunderbolt 4 w/ DP 2.1 and Power Delivery, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x combo jack

2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 w/ DP and Power Delivery, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x combo jack

Battery (WHr):

64 WHr

64 WHr

64 WHr

Wireless:

WiFi 7, BT 5.4

WiFi 7, BT 5.4

WiFi 7, BT 5.4

Camera:

1080p@30fps

1080p@30fps

1080p@30fps

Weight:

3.42 lbs (1.55kg)

3.42 lbs (1.55kg)

3.35 lb (1.52 kg)

Dimensions:

12.36 x 8.9 x 0.65 ins | (314 x 226.15 x 16.39mm)

12.36 x 8.9 x 0.65 ins | (314 x 226.15 x 16.39mm)

12.36 x 8.9 x 0.65 ins | (314 x 226.15 x 16.39mm)

The configuration I reviewed is much more in the middle of the pack, featuring an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V chip, 16GB LPDDR5x RAM, and a 1TB SSD. This specific configuration isn't available in the UK and Australia, but the UK can get close enough (though with half the storage capacity).

Dell 14 Plus Review Unit Specs

Price:

$1,099.99 / £999 / (about AU$1,650, but Intel systems not yet available in Australia)

CPU:

Intel Core Ultra 7 256V

GPU:

Intel Arc Xe2 (140V) Graphics

Memory:

16GB LPDDR5X-8533

Storage:

1TB NVMe SSD (512GB in the UK)

Screen:

14-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1200p), 300 nit, touch IPS

Ports:

1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C w/ DP 1.4 and Power Delivery, 1 x Thunderbolt 4 w/ DP 2.1 and Power Delivery, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x combo jack

Battery (WHr):

64 WHr

Wireless:

WiFi 7, BT 5.4

Camera:

1080p@30fps

Weight:

3.42 lbs (1.55kg)

Dimensions:

12.36 x 8.9 x 0.67 ins | (314 x 226.15 x 16.95mm)

• Specs: 4 / 5

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Design

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• Thin and light
• Trackpad can feel 'sticky'
• Display isn't great for a 2-in-1

The design of the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is nearly identical to the standard 14 Plus, with the major difference being its 360-degree hinge. Otherwise, it sports a functional design language that, while not premium, doesn't necessarily look or feel cheap either.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The keyboard on the 14 Plus 2-in-1 is functional, if not incredible, but for most people it'll do the job just fine. The trackpad occassionally felt somewhat 'sticky' to me, however, and it's something that kind of gives away the laptop's price point, if I'm being honest. I've felt similar trackpads on much cheaper Chromebooks in the past.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The webcam is a solid 1080p at 30 frames per second, which is pretty much standard nowadays. It does feature a physical privacy shutter though, which is excellent.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

For ports, you have a good mix, especially for a laptop this thin, and if you're using an Intel-based configuration, you get a Thunderbolt 4 port, which is very handy. Regardless of the processor brand, though, with USB-C Gen 3.2 ports available, you can display out using DisplayPort 1.4, and all USB-C ports support power delivery.

Where this laptop was more of a letdown than its clamshell cousin is the display. At 300 nits peak brightness and just 67.5% of the sRGB color gamut and only 47.8% DCI-P3 (according to my testing), the color quality and brightness on the display just isn't very good.

It's one thing when the display on a cheap clamshell isn't great, but if you plan on taking notes or maybe even do some sketch work on your 2-in-1, this display is not going to give you the best experience. If you plan on using this laptop for school, try to avoid using it outside on a sunny day, or else you're really going to struggle to see things clearly.

• Design: 3 / 5

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Performance

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• Solid performance
• Can do some modest gaming
• Not the best for creative work

Here's how the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Geekbench 6.4 (Single): 2,673; (Multi): 10,880
Crossmark (Overall): 1,708; (Productivity): 1,655; (Creativity): 1,934; (Responsiveness): 1,293
3DMark (Night Raid): 31,074; (Fire Strike): 8,462; (Time Spy): 3,896; (Steel Nomad): 601
Civilization VI Gathering Storm (1080p, Max Graphics, Avg): 53 fps
Civilization VII (1080p, Medium, Avg): 59 fps; (High): 34 fps
Web Surfing Battery Test: 15 hours, 14 minutes

The performance of the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is going to vary quite a bit depending on your configuration, but like the clamshell 14 Plus, the 14 Plus 2-in-1 is a very solid performer when it comes to everyday computing and general productivity tasks that are typical of laptops at this price point.

To be clear, this isn't a professional mobile workstation like the MacBook Pro 14, and definitely isn't one of the best gaming laptops, but if what you're looking for is a laptop that does its job, does it reasonably well, and doesn't try to do too much beyond the everyday, then the 14 Plus 2-in-1 is a very solid pick (especially if you're on a budget).

Thanks to the integrated Intel Arc Xe2 or Radeon 840M graphics (depending on your configuration), you'll also be able to get some casual to moderate gaming out of this laptop, though you'll definitely want to keep things at or below 1080p and reasonable graphics settings.

In my testing, Civilization VII (one of the more graphically demanding sim games out there) managed to get close to 60 FPS on average on medium settings, which is more than enough for a thin and light laptop like this.

This is a 2-in-1, though, and the focus really is on note-taking, drawing, and the like, and for that the responsiveness of the display was good enough for the price, though nothing spectacular.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1: Battery Life

• How long does it last on a single charge? 15 hours and 14 minutes
• How long to fully charge it to 100%? 2 hours and 36 minutes

I haven't tested one of the AMD Ryzen AI 300 models of this laptop, but the Intel Core Ultra 256V in my review unit is a very energy-efficient chip, so this laptop's battery life is good enough to rival many of the best laptops of the past few years, though it's not in the top five or anything like that.

It ran for just over 15 hours in my battery test, which involves using a script and custom server to simulate typical web browsing behavior. This is more than enough for a typical work or school day, and with the included 65W charger, it took about two and a half hours to recharge the 64WHr battery to full from empty (though higher wattage chargers will likely get you there faster).

• Battery Life: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1?

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 Scorecard

Category

Notes

Rating

Value

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 offers great value for its price.

5 / 5

Specs

Available configurations are generally very good.

4 / 5

Design

The 14 Plus 2-in-1 looks good on the outside, but its display really brings its design down.

3 / 5

Performance

Everyday computing and productivity performance are solid, but it can't hold up to intense workloads like gaming at high settings.

4 / 5

Battery Life

Solid battery life capable of many hours of use on one charge.

4 / 5

Buy the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 if...

You want solid productivity and general computing performance
The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 offers solid performance for most users, especially for the price.

You want a laptop that doesn’t look too cheap
While it isn't going to win any major design awards, it's still a pretty good-looking laptop for its price.

Don't buy it if...

You need a high-performance laptop
While its general performance is very good, you're not going to be able to push it much further than general use and casual PC gaming.

You need a quality display
While the clamshell 14 Plus might have been able to skate by with this display, it's not really good enough for a 2-in-1.

• First reviewed June 2025

Yo-Yo’s Wellness 2+ smart desk presents a unique offering; the ability to control and track your standing desk activity using its companion app, helping you understand and visualize the benefits of using a standing desk.

With its robust build quality, great array of features and customizability option, it’s a contender for our ranking of the best standing desks.

Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Price & availability

You can find the Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk from online retailers and from the official Yo-yo website. The retail price is currently £732 for the frame only, putting it firmly into premium standing desk territory.

Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Specs

The control panel is very easy to use (Image credit: Yo-Yo )

With fairly premium build quality and materials, the desk can support up to 100kg (including the tabletop, which is a lightweight veneered surface). It’s wonderfully robust; unlike some more affordable models I’ve used there’s little-to-no wobbling or juddering.

The Wellness 2+ ranges in price, starting at £732 for the frame only (if you want to reuse an existing desktop). There are six sizes ranging from extra small (100 x 60cm) for £804 up to £900 for the extra-large (180 x 80cm) tabletop model.

My version came with a free Yo-yo mat and there's free installation, and you can also add Yo-Yo’s Ongo Stool with a £100 discount, to boot. Models with portholes (all sizes barring small and extra small) include plastic grommets, and all models come with a basic up/down switch.

The legs have dual motors and a 3-stage design with a minimum height of 617mm and a maximum height of 1267mm, moving at a rate of 32 mm/sec.

Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Shipping and unboxing

All Yo-Yo desks come with free installation, which takes 7 - 12 days (check out Yo-Yo’s Zone Map for further insight) or you can expedite the process by installing yourself, meaning you’ll get the desk in just 1-2 days.

It arrives in two boxes, one for the legs and one for the surface and attachments, but the legs come pre-assembled and ready to attach to the tabletop; you’ll want a helping hand to carry the boxes if you’re not particularly strong and opt for the self-installation. Everything came securely packaged, and the team even took the boxes with them when they left.

Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Assembly

Loaded up with devices (Image credit: Yo-Yo )

I opted for the free installation as I’m not the strongest office worker in the world; however, I was in the room to observe the process, which was completed by a single builder. It’s definitely a two-person job when it comes to actually upturning the desk if, like me, you’re not built for heavy lifting, but the rest is very easily done following Yo-Yo’s quick and easy instructions. You’ll need your own electric and manual screwdriver, tape measure and spirit level, but the desk does come with an Allen key.

From start to finish, building the Wellness 2+ took around 40 minutes, including some light chatter along the way - a wonderfully quick process expedited significantly by the pre-built legs which you simply unbox, unfold, and attach to the table with the provided brackets. Then, add the feet and any accessories, affix the manual height controls and all that’s left to do is plug it in, flip the table and get it in situ.

Once upright, you can use a spirit level to determine the straightness of the surface, then use the feet to tweak it to perfection; a satisfying process I almost wanted to interrupt and do myself.

The hardest part is making sure the wires aren’t dangling around, if that’s something that will bother you, and I wish there was a bracket over the desk leg motor control power supply as I’ve seen in other models. While the wire that connects to your laptop for app controls does magnetically attach two the metal beam across the middle of the desk’s underside, it’s still prone to sliding off, so I’d recommend investing in some under-desk wire clips if you’re a cable control freak like me.

Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: First impressions

All set up and ready to go (Image credit: Yo-Yo )

My immediate thought when I first saw the this smart desk set up in my home office was that, while it’s simple and professional, it’s a wonderfully blank canvas to work from. Personally, I’m not a fan of lighter surfaces on desks, as they’re prone to showing wear and tear far quicker, but fresh out of the box it does look lovely.

Getting myself set up with the app was simple and speedy, though I did have the added benefit of Yo-Yo’s founder Gavin Bradley attending my installation himself and talking me through the process. Still, I could have very easily done it myself.

To connect the desk to the app, you’ll need to plug in the included USB-A cable to your laptop, which requires some thoughtful wiring and desk organisation. You can download the app directly from Yo-Yo’s website, after which you set your desired standing and sitting default heights to be saved in the app.

Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Design

(Image credit: Yo-Yo )

Simple in looks, the Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk I tested came with silver motorized legs and a light grey surface; not light enough to be marred by grubby fingers, but enough to maintain a neutral aesthetic.

The surface is also available in a white colorway for free, or you can opt for a timber, beech, oak, maple, Nebraska oak or walnut veneer finish for an added £25. While its lightweight nature might cause concern for the longevity of the surface, the reality is you need to keep things as slight as possible to allow for more heavy items on top of the desk. The legs also come in white or black, featuring dual motors and a 3-stage design.

I opted to place a cable management shelf at the rear of the desk, which doesn’t come included in the basic price but is a real boon given there are a few extra wires with this desk to accommodate the necessary USB-A connection with the companion app, and no included bracket to affix over the leg motor connector.

As highlighted in the specs section, this desk comes with the Yo-Yo Mat medium, which is designed to encourage small amounts of motion and also provide some cushioning on harder floors. Clad in black lining and measuring at 77 x 50 x 2cm, it’s a fantastic addition that made a world of difference for me.

The basic controls that come included with the Wellness 2+ are fine, allowing you to move the desk up and down, but you can’t see your selected height nor can you set or toggle defaults. That can be a little frustrating if, for whatever reason, you don’t have a device paired with the desk handy - which did happen to me a few times.

Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Performance and app

Here's the Yo-Yo mat sitting neatly under the desk (Image credit: Yo-Yo )

Even as a standalone desk and without considering the app and included mat, the Wellness 2+ is accomplished. It’s responsive, fairly quiet and fast, graduating smoothly through its different height settings to reach your desired setting. While it is, as I say, fairly quiet at a maximum volume of 50dB (which is louder than the advertised 45dB), I have certainly used quieter desks.

It also feels very robust; on my desk, I had a large monitor, laptop stand and several peripherals, all of which felt well-secured thanks to the legs’ smooth transition. Its anti-collision smarts work well too, which genuinely came in very handy when I accidentally switched modes and forgot I’d stashed some boxes under my desk.

I’ve always wanted to try using a standing desk, but my biggest, perennial issue with anything wellness and fitness-related is my rather low commitment to the cause. So, when I was offered the opportunity to review the Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ desk with its companion app and extensive user education, I leaped at the opportunity.

Once you’re set up, you can choose from within the app which setting and height you want to use, as well as what ratio of sitting to standing you’d prefer to target yourself on. Bradley says the optimum setting is 45/45 minutes, which I tried for the first few times I used the desk.

After you’ve finished one session, the app notifies you that it’s time to change position, and with the click of a button, it will rise or descend to the appropriate measure. It’s incredibly satisfying, even after a few weeks, and broadly speaking this did help me build some good standing habits. However, there were a few times I couldn’t exactly transition between positions, such as during an interview or while in the thick of some spreadsheets, but in such situations you can simply snooze the notification.

I loved being able to not only track my time spent standing and sitting, but also the estimated calories burned and how many times I switched throughout the day, which served as really positive reinforcement for my habit-building.

Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Accessories

The desk's cable storage in action (Image credit: Yo-Yo )

I kept my desk fairly light and simple when it came to accessories outside of the aforementioned cable tray, which, as I say, is a must-have in my opinion. This comes at an added cost of £45, but there’s also a smaller version for £36, should you want to keep things simple.

There’s also a selection of add-ons such as metal grommets, a digital display with smart settings, various other cable management accessories, power accessories, monitor arms and more advanced standing mats. You can find more of those in our round-up of the best standing desk mats.

Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk: Final verdict

Ready for work (Image credit: Yo-Yo )

Overall, I have to say I’ve mostly been splitting hairs when critiquing the Yo-Yo Wellness 2+ smart desk. It’s impressively well-built, performs very well, and its smart features offer a unique benefit that could really help someone trying to habit-build or track their usage. It’s only flaw is being very basic in terms of what’s included, given its price.

I really put the Wellness 2+ through its paces, stacking it high with a full array of weighty peripherals, and it stayed resolute through it all, still moving with the smoothness and responsiveness I’d expect.

I can absolutely see myself using this desk for a long time in my home office, though in retrospect I’d have probably opted for a different surface colorway to make it feel a little less corporate. Still, it’s a brilliant desk that has had a genuine positive impact on my working habits and well-being, and for that alone it’s a real win.

Attributes

Notes

Rating

​​Design

While it’s no show-stopper, the desk is certainly well-built. I’d have liked to see more in-built features at this price that aren’t costly add-ons, however.

⭐⭐⭐

Material quality

The veneered tabletop is no solid wood slate, but it keeps the weight (and cost) low. Otherwise, everything is of excellent build quality.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Assembly

I’d estimate a self-install would take 45 minutes to an hour, but with the included free installation completed by a professional it can take as little as 30 minutes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Both the build-in manual controls and app are wonderfully easy. The instructions are clear and easy to follow.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

There’s no storage, and all of the power and cable management options are add-ons, which can rack up the cost.

⭐⭐⭐

Price

It’s by no means overpriced as a basic desk, but it’s not cheap. Plus, the Wellness 2+ could become a big investment if you throw in accessories, some of which feel like must-haves.

⭐⭐⭐

For more workspace accessories and office furniture, we reviewed the best office chairs.

Avid Ingenium Plug&Play: two-minute review

The Avid Ingenium Plug&Play is a belt-driven unsuspended turntable and it’s the very smallest and simplest turntable that the company makes. This might sound surprising for a turntable with a price tag of £1,500 (about $2,500 / AU$2,500, where available) but it is a reflection of quite how far up the Avid range goes.

If you want to purchase the brand's flagship Acutus Reference Mono turntable, Nexus V2 arm and Ruby cartridge, you will need a not inconsequential £48,950 (or around $66,250 / AU$102,260, give or take) to do it. Judged by this metric, then, those aforementioned prices are indeed fairly entry level.

Most importantly, the Avid Ingenium Plug&Play is built around the same principles as the top-tier Acutus. Everything that Avid does is developed from the top down. The company begins by making the best example of something that they know how to make. When they want to make a more affordable version, they change the absolute minimum number of parts and design elements. Then, when a more affordable version still is required, this second level becomes the point from which development begins. By this process, the Acutus has become the Ingenium.

This process also means that the Ingenium is designed with different priorities to some of the best turntables at the price and it looks and feels different as well. Is the result exactly what you need in a turntable or do other approaches work better?

(Image credit: Future / Ed Selley)Avid Ingenium Plug&Play review: Price & release date

The original Ingenium has been around for over a decade but it has changed a little in that time. Originally, it could be ordered with different cutouts from the factory that allowed you to choose different arms. You could also have one that had a longer chassis that allowed it to work with 12 inch arms. Not only that, if you were feeling really keen, you could order one where the chassis extended in both directions and could mount two arms at once. As someone who is the very definition of keen when it comes to turntables, I have owned a twin-armed Ingenium for many years as it is a fantastic piece of test equipment.

The Plug & Play was released in 2018 and quickly became the sole version of the Ingenium. By simplifying the versions, Avid could keep the price down and ensure that installing one is as simple as possible. Though there is only one version for sale, the company makes a series of upgrades that can be added at a later date, which we will cover as well.

As of May 2025, an Ingenium Plug & Play is £1,500 in the UK. In the US, the current liveliness around imports makes the price a little volatile but it appears to be around $2,500. In Australia, it is yours for AU$2,500.

This price is inclusive of everything you need to get up and running out of the box, with the exception of a phono stage. Avid does make these if you need and, as the Ingenium Plug & Play is fitted with a moving magnet cartridge, many owners will have a phono stage built into their existing electronics that will allow them to connect directly.

(Image credit: Future / Ed Selley)Avid Ingenium Plug&Play review: Features

• Metal chassis built around a custom bearing
• Motor acts on subplatter with MDF or optional metal platter
• Upgradable power supply
• Arm and cartridge fitted

Every Avid turntable from the Acutus down is designed around the same principle. It is intended to dissipate energy away from the playing surface via the bearing. The chassis of the Ingenium Plug&Play takes the form of a two-piece cruciform with the longer section housing the bearing and tonearm mount, and the shorter crossbeam adding stability. The motor is not attached to the chassis; instead it sits in free space behind the main chassis member. The feet are pliant rubber and add some useful isolation from the outside world.

The bearing is hugely important to how the Ingenium works and considerable attention has, rightly, been lavished on it. It is set forward from the center of the chassis which means that you can see the entire assembly from the front. The bearing comprises a shaft, with the actual bearing itself sat at the top. A subplatter sits on top of this and this is what the belt acts on. On top of this, the platter is then fitted.

This platter is cork topped and used on other Avid turntables. As standard, it is made of MDF and feels pretty substantial but you can also order the Plug&Play with a metal platter. This looks very similar to the standard one but is much heavier and more inert. The upgraded platter comes with bolts that screw into the underside. These drop into holes in the subplatter to tighten up the relationship between the two. Order the metal platter at the same time as the Ingenium and it will cost you £350 ($475, AU$730 where sold) or you can order it later on for £450 ($610 / AU$940, where sold).

(Image credit: Future / Ed Selley)

The Ingenium makes use of another Avid design feature in the form of a clamp. This screws down via a threaded spindle to physically press the record against that energy-dissipating bearing. This is another feature present on all Avid turntables and is absolutely integral to how they work.

As supplied, the Ingenium's motor plugs directly into the wall and simply has an on/off switch most of the way up the wire. Depending on how you place the Avid, this can make it hard to reach and it means that changing between 33 and 45 RPM is a matter of lifting the platter off and moving the belt from one motor pulley to another.

Both of these can be corrected by upgrading to the Electronic PSU. This allows for electronic speed control via a motor with a different pulley that allows two belts to be run at the same time. This is not a cheap upgrade – at £1,500 ($1,355 / AU$2,085 approx.) it’s the same price as the turntable itself and there is no saving to be had ordering it at the same time.

The arm that comes pre-fitted is something Avid calls the TA1. It is designed with a view to working with the supplied cartridge but will accept others that are content working with its fixed anti-skate system. It outputs via a captive lead and Avid has ensured that the VTA is correct out of the box. This arm is not expensive; it appears with the same cartridge on a turntable that costs £330 ($445 / AU$690, where sold) but it reflects Avid’s design priorities. Their argument is that, unless the turntable itself is correctly engineered, nothing else will be right. For some people, this price balance will seem somewhat lopsided but is a ratio that Avid employs on many of their turntables.

Should you wish to change it in future, any arm using the same mount and geometry should fit but this does not include either of the arms that Avid makes. Something that can also be done, though, is to change the stylus on the cartridge. By origin, this is an Audio Technica design called the AT-91 and it has sold in huge quantities. Roll your sleeves up and get online and you’ll find a variety of upgraded stylus options for it that simply slide on in place of the existing one and can offer substantially better performance.

• Features score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Ed Selley)Avid Ingenium Plug&Play review: sound quality

• Exceptionally cohesive and controlled performance
• Excellent bass; made even better with the upgrades
• Some limitations to fine detail
• Can be very good fun

Turntables are fascinating and slightly maddening things. They perform one job that has very few variables – at the most basic level, support a record and rotate it at 33 or 45 RPM, and yet, the performance they offer varies hugely. Put simply, every single design and engineering decision makes a difference to how the turntable performs. Done well, this manifests itself in how the information on the record is presented. The more capable the turntable, the better it avoids information on the record becoming congested and confused.

It doesn’t take very long listening to the Ingenium Plug&Play to realize that, at its fundamental core, it is incredibly capable. I’ve been using The Cinematic Orchestra’s Man with a Movie Camera as a piece of test material for years. The version of Burn Out used here is bigger and has a larger overall sense of scale than the original and, as the track builds, it can start to sound a little muddled. On the Avid, this simply doesn’t occur; it has the bandwidth and ability to keep everything sounding as it should. The Ingenium hangs together, even when a number of similarly priced rivals are beginning to struggle.

It also possesses extremely good bass and when I say, ‘good bass’ I mean more than straightforward low-end thudding. From the moment that lower midrange starts to become bass, there is a heft to it that is perfectly judged – weighty without tipping over into being dominating or overblown. It does rather justify Avid’s belief in the turntable itself as the final decider of the quality of playback. I have never heard anything else using a remotely similar arm and cartridge achieve the same level of sheer low-end tone and texture as what the Ingenium extracts from it.

There is more to be had from it. Avid supplied an example of the upgrade platter with my review sample and fitting this improves the bass response even further. Not only does the absolute extension improve but the texture and control to low notes improves even further. Rogues Gospel by Duke Garwood is an exceptionally natural recording, underpinned by surprisingly deep bass notes. With the metal platter present, the percussion is better defined against the mix and it starts and stops with greater precision.

(Image credit: Future / Ed Selley)

Adding the external power supply (I also used the motor from my own Ingenium for this as it has the correct pulley and connecting cable) yields more performance. It might sound odd that changing the power feed for the motor has any effect on the performance but it’s important to remember that this is the only part of the turntable where electrical power is added – everything else is entirely passive. The power supply allows me to more easily listen to a 45RPM version of Peter Gabriel’s eponymous third album. The already orderly and spacious presentation takes a further step forward. Without losing the building urgency of Family Snapshot, the Avid is astonishingly capable.

There are some limits, though, that would need attention before spending £1,500 (approx. $1,355 / AU$2,085) on the power supply. The Avid extracts more from its cost-effective arm than you would ever credit but it will show its limitations. Compared with the arm and cartridge combination used regularly on my resident Ingenium (which I am compelled to admit costs more than the Plug&Play and the optional power supply combined), there is a loss of fine detail and tonal realism that is the absolute limiting factor to the Avid’s performance. As noted, changing the stylus would be a cost-effective means of starting to correct this, and there is a decent choice of arms that will bolt straight on that I would probably look at ahead of the power supply.

Crucially, though, you won’t need to rush to do this. In the time the Avid has been in situ, it’s been sharing a rack with more expensive, and notionally more capable, decks but I’ve never rushed to switch over from listening to it. What it does so effectively is balance attributes I have long associated with Avid turntables – a confidence and realism that is unaffected by the scale and complexity of the material being played, with the ability to be plain and simple good fun when you want it to be.

Playing the belated vinyl release of Superabundance by the Young Knives on the Ingenium is a neat demonstration of this. Even after a remaster, it’s not a great recording but the Plug&Play takes in its stride and will have you yelling along to the utterly nonsensical chorus of Terra Firma in fine style.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Ed Selley)Avid Ingenium Plug&Play review: Design

• Simple, but attractive with it
• Superbly made
• Easy to set up
• No dust protection or cover of any kind

Avid is first and foremost an engineering company. They don’t really go in for ‘styling’ as it might be defined in the usual sense. There is absolutely nothing on the Ingenium Plug&Play that doesn’t need to be there for it to work. Despite this (or, partly because of it), I love it. The Avid doesn’t set out to be pretty but thanks to the absolute lack of frippery and adornment, it looks fantastic. You don’t need to know anything about vinyl to know it’s a very special thing.

It is also superbly made. Extracting the Avid from its box allows you to get a handle of the sheer heft of the metalwork and the precision involved in the construction. I won’t insult your intelligence by calling it cheap but I don’t know of many turntables at the price that feel anything like as substantial. It very effectively gives a little taste of just how incredibly well assembled the company’s more premium offerings are.

It also delivers on the name as well. It can be momentarily intimidating to see all the parts sat in the box when you open it but, thanks to a genuinely good set of instructions, the Avid is a pleasure to put together and should not be beyond even a complete novice. The quality and care of the execution is evident from the moment you start slotting the parts together and the whole process inspires confidence in what you're doing. Pay attention, avoid distractions and you should be spinning a record within 10 to 15 minutes of opening the box.

Something to remember when choosing an Ingenium Plug&Play is that as a 'skeleton' deck, the Avid has no dust or child protection as standard. This means that it is rather more vulnerable than some rivals to the outside world. Avid offers some covers, and other options are available, but this of course will come at an extra cost. I have generally kept an old record on my Ingenium's platter to help keep dust off the playing surface.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Ed Selley)Avid Ingenium Plug&Play review: Value

There are two levels to judging the Plug&Play. Judged on what you get in the box for £1,500 (about $2,500 / AU$2,500, where available), it’s good but there are other turntables that can keep it honest, ones which also offer lids, electronic speed control and other niceties. The Ingenium is competitive and can hold its own but it doesn’t deliver a knockout blow.

The thing to consider, though, is that the Ingenium can be taken to places that almost nothing else for the price can. My twin-armed one has the upgrade platter and the power supply and uses arms that cost more than the Plug&Play does on its own. It’s still mechanically the same basic turntable as the review unit but it can deliver a level of performance far beyond what the basic unit is capable of.

If you know you are committing to vinyl for decades to come, this is a turntable that will grow with you. Viewed in this way, the Ingenium represents rather more impressive value.

• Value score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Ed Selley)Should I buy the Avid Ingenium Plug&Play?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Metal chassis, with possible upgrades available

4 / 5

Sound quality

Cohesive and controlled with excellent bass; some limitations to fine detail

4.5 / 5

Design

Simple and attractive; superbly made; easy to set up

4.5 / 5

Value

A little pricey, but good-quality equipment means it grows with you

4 / 5

Buy it if…

Accuracy matters
The Avid is a capable and revealing source that is able to handle complex material in a way that even similarly priced designs can struggle with. It’s effortlessly capable.

You want simplicity
Everything you need turns up in the box and putting the Ingenium together is straightforward and logical. This is a top-tier vinyl experience but it’s not an intimidating one.

You’re in this for the long haul
The upgrades available from Avid and the basic adaptability of the turntable itself means this is something you can spend your money on, enjoy it as it is and then begin to upgrade it at a later date.

Don't buy it if…

You need electronic speed control
Adding this feature to the Avid will set you back some cash and, while it will boost performance, it's an extra expense when some rivals have it included.

You need a lid
Got cats or a low flying toddler? The Ingenium probably isn’t the turntable for you. It’s more vulnerable than models with a cover.

You live for tiny details
Out of the box, the supplied cartridge on the Plug&Play is good but not the last work in detail retrieval. At the very least, it will need a stylus change to start to rival what some more sophisticated pickups can do.

(Image credit: Future / Ed Selley)Avid Ingenium Plug&Play review: Also consider

Rega Planar PL1
The snap and timing of the Rega make it a real contender. Everything is in the box, too.
Read more on the Rega Planar PL1

Technics SL-1500C
If you like the power of a direct drive, then the Technics is the one for you. It's got a sturdy build to it, too.
Read our Technics SL-1500C review here

Pro-ject Debut Carbon Evo
When it comes to effortless flow, the Pro-ject is peerless, and is a wildly detailed listen.
Read our full Pro-ject Debut Carbon Evo review here

(Image credit: Future / Ed Selley)How I tested the Avid Ingenium Plug&Play

The Avid was parked on a Quadraspire rack and run both in out-of-the-box and upgraded forms, connected to a Cyrus Classic Phono phono stage, which outputted to a Cambridge Audio Edge A integrated amplifier and Kudos Titan 505 speakers. As the Cyrus has four inputs, it meant other turntables that live here all the time could be run alongside and everything played through my standard reference system.

All listening took place in a 3.5m x 4m lounge that I use as a listening space. As well as the listed recordings, I used a huge selection of records, ranging from very audiophile indeed to Boss Drum by The Shamen which, with the best will in the world, is not.

• First reviewed: June 2025
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum: two-minute reviewProduct info

This model has slightly different names and product codes in different territories:

US: Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum with TruePet Upgrade AZ407UPG1

Shark POWERDETECT Upright Bagless Vacuum With Ultimate Cleaning Tools AZ407KT1

UK: Shark PowerDetect Powered Lift-Away Upright Pet Vacuum Cleaner AZ3900UKT

AU: Shark PowerDetect Corded Upright AZ3900

For this review, I tested the AZ407UPG1 version. There may be minor differences between different countries' models.

The Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum is one of the most versatile upright vacuums on the market. Like other Shark vacuums, it's outfitted with a Detect mode that adjusts the suction based on the floor type and how clean it is. You don't have to worry about unseen dirt because the vacuum can sense debris, dust, and dirt, and increases the suction as required to clean it up.

While you could use the three manual modes (hard floor, carpet/low pile, and thick carpet/area rug), with the Detect mode, the vacuum informs you when the floor is clean with lights on the vacuum head that turn from purple (i.e. dirty) to white (i.e. clean).

During testing, the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum performed wonderfully on various floor types, especially when it came to picking up fine materials like tea and hair. Though it missed a couple of large oat clusters on a single pass, it's still a top-tier vacuum, with suction capability that's well above average. It's one of the very best upright vacuums I've tested, as well as one of the best vacuums for carpet.

Sure, the vacuum head is a bit bulky, and the cord may get in the way, but Shark made this upright vacuum as versatile as possible. You can remove the pod (which holds the dust bin) from the wand, allowing you to use it as a stick vacuum to reach under couches and beds or in conjunction with one of the three accessories to clean tight spaces. If you need something less bulky, there's a stick vac in the same range – read about it in my Shark PowerDetect Cordless review, or head to TechRadar's best Shark vacuums guide to see other options, some of which have similar features.

All in all, the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum is a great choice for those who have homes with carpet and/or lots of rugs as it does a stand-up job with deep cleaning.

Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum review: price & availability

• List price: from $549.99 / £399.99 / $699.99
• Launched: Announced September 2024
• Available: Worldwide, including US, UK and Australia

In the US, there are a couple of different PowerDetect Upright options – the one I reviewed is the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum with TruePet Upgrade, and it's priced at $549.99. There's also the Shark PowerDetect Upright Bagless Vacuum With Ultimate Cleaning Tools, which costs $449.99. The base model is the same, but the different bundles come with different cleaning tools. In the UK and Australia, there's just one Shark PowerDetect Upright, with a list price of £399.99 / AU$699.99.

At full price, that puts this vacuum in the upper-mid or premium price bracket. However, at time of writing, there are significant discounts available in all territories, taking this vacuum down more firmly into the mid-range market.

I think it's good value for what you're getting here. There are cheaper upright vacuums on the market, but this one has a flexible design and several advanced features that help set it apart from the competition. As you might have gathered from the above, this brand isn't averse to a discount either, and I expect more price drops to appear as time goes on.

• Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum specs

Weight:

17.6 lbs / 8 kg

Bin size:

2 qts / 1.3 L

Cord length:

30 ft / 9 m

Cleaning path:

12 in / 30.5 cm

Flexible hose length:

1.9 ft / 0.6 m

Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum review: design

• Corded vacuum with LED lights and a 12in cleaning path
• Detachable dust cup lets you use the wand with the three specialty tools
• Four cleaning modes including an automatic mode

The Shark PowerDetect Upright is a corded upright vacuum that can be used in various configurations for different cleaning tasks.

Although typically I prefer the freedom of a cordless stick vacuum, I do understand the appeal of a corded upright – in a battle of upright vs cordless vacuums, the former tends to last longer, will never run out of juice, and almost always deliver more powerful suction too.

(Image credit: Future)

The cable here is fairly generous at 30 feet / 9m long – that's not the longest on the market, but it should still enable you to clean a decent-sized space before having to unplug and replug.

Similarly, at 17.6 lbs / 8kg, it's not the lightest vacuum but it's not overly heavy either. The vacuum head is a bit bulky, but comes with useful design features like a self-cleaning brushroll which means the vacuum can pick up pet and human hair easily without it tangling on the brush, and LED headlights to make it easier to see in dark corners. In fact, you'll notice a lot more lights and indicators on this vacuum than most, plus an odor neutralizer capsule designed to prevent bad smells and keep your floors smelling fresh.

(Image credit: Future)

The handle has five buttons: a power button and four cleaning mode buttons (Detect mode, Hard floor, Carpet/Low pile, and Thick Carpet/Area rug. When using the Detect mode, this upright vacuum senses the floor type and adjusts the speed of the brushroll and the suction power to clean. Upon sensing dirt, the LED indicator light on the vacuum head turns purple. When the light is white, users know that section of the floor is free of dust and dirt.

(Image credit: Future)

The vacuum is outfitted with two other Detect modes. With Edge Detect, arrows on the top sides of the vacuum light up when the vacuum moves close to an edge of a room, and the suction increases on the relevant side of the floorhead to clear any dust that might have gathered there. There's also Direction detect, which is designed so that the vacuum cleans just as well on the reverse stroke as it does when it's pushed forwards.

The dust cup on this PowerDetect vac has a capacity of 2 quarts / 1.3L, which is on the smaller side for an upright vacuum, but is still far bigger than the bin you'd find on a cordless stick vacuum.

For greater flexibility, this dustbin section can also be removed and held in the hand. A flexible hose connects the wand to the dustbin, and from there you can reattach the motorized vacuum head to the wand, to allow you to reach under furniture without the dustbin getting in the way.

(Image credit: Future)

You can also attach one of the detail tools, to tackle awkward or hard-to reach areas. Exactly what tools are included depends on which bundle you opt for. The review model I tested here came with a Duster crevice tool, Pet multi-tool, and HairPro Self-cleaning pet power brush.

As far as sound goes, the vacuum has a dB rating between 77-83, which is dependent on the mode being used or the increase in suction by the vacuum when it senses dirty floors.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum review: performance

• Excellent edge and reverse cleaning
• Accessories make it easy to clean furniture, ceiling, and tight spaces
• Great at detecting dirt and adjusting suction on various floor types

The Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum took only a couple of minutes to assemble. When I first tried to use it, the machine wouldn't turn on despite pressing the power button and having it properly plugged in. Eventually, I realized I didn't have the hose connected all the way. I love that the vacuum 'protects' the user from accidentally turning the vacuum on and sending dust and debris they've just vacuumed back into the room.

On test, the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum did not disappoint. I have historic hardwood floors, laminate floors, and low pile rugs in my house. On my first go, I cleaned my entire house with the vacuum, jumping between the Detect mode and manual surface modes (hard floor, carpet/low pile, and thick carpet/area rug) to get a feel on how each one worked.

(Image credit: Future)

I've tested a number of Shark vacuums, and I'm a huge fan of the Detect mode, which detects unseen dirt on the ground. I love when the lights turn from purple to white, indicating the surface is dust-free. So many vacuums lack this feature and it's truly a shame, because it's difficult otherwise to know if my floors are actually clean.

No matter the mode, I felt like the vacuum picked up dirt, dust, and debris on all my different floor types wonderfully. The only drawback I observed was that the vacuum head wasn't able to fit into tight spaces. Not to mention, I was unable to reach under my couch or bed because the dustbin got in the way. (There is a workaround this; keep reading.)

(Image credit: Future)

During my testing period, I had the opportunity to take the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum to my parents' home and test it on the carpet in their bedrooms. I was stunned by how much dust and dirt it picked up from the carpet. When using the Detect mode on their carpets, I found myself vacuuming over one strip of floor about six times before the light turned from purple to white indicating it was clean. (According to my dad, they hadn't deep cleaned their carpets in a while…) Anyone who has carpet in their home would do well to have this vacuum on hand.

(Image credit: Future)

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this upright vacuum is the ability to break it down and use the detail tools provided. The main pod (which holds the dust bin) can be removed from the wand, and the wand can be removed from the vacuum head. This allowed me to attach the duster crevice tool to the end of the wand and clean the corners or my ceiling.

Granted, I had to hold the pod in one hand and the wand in the other, but there aren't too many upright vacuums that offer this feature, and it's very useful. I was also able to use the wand and the vacuum head to clean under my couch and bed without the pod getting in the way.

The only drawback to breaking down the vacuum is that it's not easy to move the unit around the house in that mode. I'd have to pick up the pod in one hand and hold the wand in the other and walk to a new spot. Sometimes, I'd have to go back and grab accessories or the vacuum head or make sure not to get the hose tangled in the cord.

(Image credit: Future)

I don't have pets so I used the Pet Multi Tool and HairPro Self-Cleaning Pet Power Brush to remove my own hair from my couch. Compared to other vacuums that offer similar accessories, I thought they performed slightly better – although that might be more to do with the fact that the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum has a more powerful suction. Nevertheless, it's worth putting this model in the mix if you're looking for the best vacuum for pet hair.

Maintenance isn't too much of a hassle. When I was done cleaning, I removed the dust bin and placed it over a trash can before opening the latch, allowing the dust and debris to fall in. Because the dust cup is much larger than you'd find on most cordless vacuums, you shouldn't have to do this too regularly. The only other required maintenance is cleaning the pre-motor filters every month, the HEPA filter every year, and hand washing the soft roller as needed. Sensors must also be occasionally cleaned, and blockages must be checked for in the hose, wand, and nozzle. The squeegee bristle strip has to be cleaned or replaced occasionally too.

Suction tests

I went on to run a few standardized tests so I can get an even better look into the suction power of the vacuum and how it compares to other models. To do that, I placed loose leaf tea and oats on one of my rugs and on the laminate floor in my kitchen. From there, I used both the Detect mode and the manual modes of Hard Floor and Thick Carpet/Area Rug to see how well the vacuum sucked up the debris.

One update on this Shark range is 'Direction direction' tech, where the vacuum is designed to vacuum just as well when pushed forwards as when it's pulled backwards (some previous Shark vacuums tend to pool debris behind the floorhead when reversing). I also kept an eye on this aspect in my tests.

(Image credit: Future)

When it came to the loose-leaf tea, the vacuum performed perfectly on my laminate floor and area rug. No matter if I vacuumed forward or in reverse, or what mode I used, it sucked up every single piece of the fine material in a single pass.

(Image credit: Future)

Now for the oats test… When it came to vacuuming oats on my laminate floor, the vacuum did a pretty good job. It looked like the vacuum had picked up all the oats in a single pass. However, I later found that the vacuum missed five clusters. Compared to other models I've tested, this is still impressive. Most vacuums push the oats forward or I find that the oats get trapped behind the wheels. The Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum didn't do that. Sure, it missed a couple of oats, but they were quite large clusters and only needed one more pass to remove them from my floors.

(Image credit: Future)

For the carpet/rug test, the results were slightly different. No matter the mode, the vacuum suctioned oats perfectly when vacuuming in reverse. Oddly, it missed a few of the larger clusters of oats when vacuuming forward. It took me two to three swipes of the vacuum to remove all the oats from the rug. Again, this is not as big of a drawback as it seems. Most vacuums struggle with picking up x-large clusters of oats, no matter the floor type.

(Image credit: Future)

With its Edge detect feature, the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum senses when it's near the edge of a room, where dust can collect, and boosts suction on the relevant side of the floorhead to clear it. To test this feature, I sprinkled loose leaf tea along a wall. The vacuum head picked up every bit of the fine material in a single pass. I give the edge cleaning a perfect rating.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Sits in the upper-mid / premium price bracket, and while it's not the cheapest upright option, the flexibility and features justify the cost.

4.5 / 5

Design

An upright corded vacuum with four cleaning modes and sensors that detect edges, vacuuming direction, surfaces, and dirt. Versatile design that can be broken down into different configurations.

4.5 / 5

Performance

In addition to superb edge and reverse cleaning, it excels in cleaning all floor types, especially carpet. It may miss extra-large debris on a single pass but still outperforms most battery-powered vacuums.

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You have carpet or lots of rugs

Carpet and rugs hide a lot of dust and debris, but this exceptionally powerful upright vacuum can grab even the finest materials like tea.

You're a pet owner

The suction on this vacuum is excellent, and that combined with useful detail tools and a large dust cup make it well suited to those who need something that can cope with lots of pet hair.

You want more assurance that your floors are clean

The vacuum is outfitted with a Detect mode, which informs you when your floors are clean or dirty with lighting cues.

Don't buy it if...

You don't like to be limited by cords

While corded vacuums are not limited by battery life, they do limit how far you can go from an outlet. Not to mention, a cord can get in your way or get tangled.View Deal

You don't want to mess around with different configurations

The bulky vacuum head doesn't fit in tight spaces and the dust bin can prevent you from reaching under furniture. Although you can break down the vacuum to clean hard-to-reach areas, it will take you some time to do so and can be a bit of a hassle to move everything from one spot to the next. For ultimate freedom, try one of the best cordless vacuums instead.

You only have hard floors
Those with hard floors don't really need the power of an upright vacuum. Something lighter like the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum will perform just as well.

How I tested the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum

I tested the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum with TruePet Upgrade over the course of two weeks. Not only did I use the numerous cleaning modes on my hard floors and low pile carpets, but I also took the vacuum to my parents' house and tested the vacuum on the high pile carpets in their bedrooms. As part of my review, I ran two vacuum tests with fine and thick materials on two different floor types to see how well the vacuum picked up the items on the lowest suction setting.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

• First reviewed May 2025

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Two-minute review

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung understood the assignment with the Galaxy S25 Edge, but it didn’t strive for extra credit. The goal was to make a Galaxy S25 Plus that’s easier to hold, but Samsung did not set out to make the thinnest phone possible – in fact the Galaxy S25 Edge isn’t even the thinnest phone Samsung makes today. Instead, it did what Samsung does best: it gave us a little more inside a little less.

The Galaxy S25 Edge is a very good phone, and it feels like something unique compared to every other phone I’ve reviewed. The difference is noticeable; it’s much slimmer and lighter than almost everything else, even when wearing a case. Still, the S25 Edge isn’t a revolutionary new design, and I can’t help but anticipate the competition it’s going to face from Apple in the shape of the rumored iPhone 17 Air.

This is the thinnest Galaxy S device Samsung has ever crafted. It’s 1.5mm thinner than the Galaxy S25 Plus, and almost 2.5mm thinner than the Galaxy S25 UItra.

Could I feel that millimeter in my hand? I’m not sure, but between the thinness and the weight reduction – it’s almost a full ounce lighter than the Plus and two ounces lighter than the Ultra – the Galaxy S25 Edge is undoubtedly a standout.

Front to back: Galaxy S25 Edge, Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, Galaxy S25 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Galaxy S25 Edge isn’t the phone for you if you want the thinnest phone possible. It’s the phone for you if you want a Galaxy S25 Plus, but wish it were easier to hold. It’s the Galaxy S25 Ultra, minus the extra bits that you wouldn’t use, like the S Pen stylus. It’s not something totally new, but it’s a better option for the right buyer.

But why didn’t Samsung go for broke? Why not make the Edge the absolute thinnest smartphone ever? The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is 5.6mm thin when it’s unfolded. Had it shaved another 0.3mm off the Edge, Samsung could have at least said that this is the thinnest Samsung phone you can buy.

The answer, of course, is battery life. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is super thin, but the battery is split between the two halves. Each half of the Z Fold 6 packs only about 2,200mAh of battery life (for 4,400mAh total), which is a lot less than the 3,800mAh the Galaxy S25 Edge offers.

A thinner Galaxy S25 Edge would have meant a smaller battery, and based on my testing, the S25 Edge is using the smallest battery it can get away with.

The Edge had trouble lasting past dinner time in my testing period. If Samsung had made the Edge the thinnest phone ever!, it probably wouldn’t last through my lunch break. I have no doubt Samsung could build such a phone, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

That makes the S25 Edge a pleasantly thin phone that is simply not very special. There are no special features that set it apart from the rest of the Galaxy S25 family. There’s nothing new here. It’s a well-crafted device that delivers exactly what I expected; no more and no less. That’s not a bad thing! It’s just… predictable.

Front to back: Galaxy S25 Edge, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Galaxy S25 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The big problem is that Samsung is competing against a specter. The iPhone 17 Air could arrive later this year, and it’s hard not to see the Galaxy S25 Edge as a preemptive attack by Samsung on Apple’s next design concept. Because make no mistake, Apple is going to make a big deal out of going thin.

Apple is going to pretend it invented the millimeter. If and when Apple launches an iPhone Air in September, it will act like thinness is the biggest design innovation since the capacitive touchscreen. All other specs be damned! And I think Apple will be willing to shrink the battery and cut back on cameras even more severely than Samsung.

If that happens, the iPhone 17 Air will probably be less capable than the Galaxy S25 Edge in many ways, but it will give Apple the all-important bragging rights. Apple could use the dual-OLED display found on the iPad Pro, and recent rumors suggest the rumored phone will be around 5.5mm, making it thinner than any phone Samsung currently sells.

In a way, this takes the pressure off Samsung. The Galaxy S25 Edge is a very nice phone, and it fits neatly into Samsung’s price ladder as a little nicer than the Galaxy S25 Plus, but not as feature-packed as the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It doesn’t need to prove anything – the Galaxy S25 Edge does fine with less, without trying to be the most.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Price and availability

• Starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849 for 256GB/12GB configuration
• That’s $100 / £100 / AU$500 more than S25 Plus, $200 / £150 less than the Ultra

Left to right: Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25 Edge, Galaxy S25 Plus, Galaxy S25 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Galaxy S25 Edge slots in neatly between the Galaxy S25 Plus and S25 Ultra in Samsung’s lineup. It’s closer to the Plus, which makes sense because it lacks more of the Ultra features than it possesses – there’s no S Pen, no telescopic zoom lens, and no big battery inside, for instance, although it is, like the S25 Ultra, built from titanium.

Otherwise, you get most of what you’d expect from the Galaxy S25 Plus, minus the zoom camera. It packs a sensor with a lot of megapixels, and that sensor is actually larger than the main sensor on the Galaxy S25 Plus. Both cameras use sensors that are smaller than the main 200MP sensor on the mighty Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Now I need a moment with my Australian friends, because something very odd is happening down under. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has come down in price by AU$400 since launch, which means it costs less than the Galaxy S25 Edge by AU$100. Also, the S25 Edge seems priced a bit high in Australia compared to the rest of the world – it’s AU$500 more than the Galaxy S25 Plus?! That seems like a mistake, but it’s the real price for now, so I would wait until Samsung offers a discount to buy the Edge.

Storage

US price

UK price

AU price

256GB

$1,099

£1,099

AU$1,849

512GB

$1,219

£1,199

AU$2,049

• Value score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Specs

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (left) and Galaxy S25 Plus (right) are very similar inside (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Like the rest of the Galaxy S25 family, the S25 Edge gets 12GB of RAM to support the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset inside. This platform has proven powerful and very efficient in my reviews of the best Android phones this year.

The 6.7-inch display on the S25 Edge seems to be identical to that on the S25 Plus. The main camera uses a new 200MP sensor that we haven’t seen before, which is a bit smaller than the 200MP sensor on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but larger than the 50MP sensor on the Galaxy S25 Plus. There’s no telephoto lens, but the Edge seems to use the same 12MP ultrawide camera as the S25 Plus.

The Galaxy S25 Edge comes with a 3,900mAh battery under its display, which is even smaller than the 4,000mAh battery beneath the Galaxy S25’s 6.2-inch screen. That’s what you sacrifice when you make a phone thin.

Samsung Galaxy S25

Dimensions

158.2 x 75.6 x 5.8mm

Weight

163g

OS

OneUI 7, Android 15. 7 major Android upgrades promised.

Display

6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz

Chipset

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy

RAM

12GB

Storage

256GB / 512GB

Battery

3,900mAh

Rear cameras

200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide

Front camera

12MP

Charging

25W wired, 15W wireless

Colors

Titanium Silver, Titanium Icyblue, Titanium Jetblack

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Design

• Feels exceptionally light when you hold it
• Even with a case, it’s a very thin phone

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The real selling point for the Galaxy S25 Edge isn’t the thinness, it’s the lightness. You have to hold this phone to appreciate it; you can’t just look at the S25 Edge if you want to experience how thin and light it is. Photos don’t do justice to the remarkably light weight, and that’s a big part of the experience.

If you get pinky-finger fatigue from balancing your phone, the S25 Edge might be the phone that will save your favorite digit. Even though it has a huge 6.7-inch display, the Galaxy S25 Edge is lighter than the iPhone 16 (6.1-inch screen, 170g), or the Pixel 9 (6.3-inch screen, 198g). It’s only one gram heavier than the 6.2-inch Galaxy S25, but it feels lighter since it’s less dense.

I almost always use a case with my phone, and since Samsung did not have cases ready for my review period, I asked my friends at Casetify to send over their thinnest cases for the Galaxy S25 Edge. Even with a case on the phone, it still feels remarkably thin and light, especially considering that huge screen size. My S25 Edge in a protective Casetify shell is still lighter than my Galaxy S25 Ultra with no case.

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The Galaxy S25 Ultra is almost as thick as the Galaxy S25 Edge in a case, including the camera bump (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Image 2 of 3

The MagSafe magnets make this Casetify case worth buying (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Image 3 of 3

Still thin, even in a case (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The design overall looks nearly identical to that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but on very close inspection things are less impressive. Frankly, the build quality of the Galaxy S25 Edge seems messy compared to the Ultra or to any Apple iPhone.

There are gaps between the frame and the back glass. The SIM card tray doesn’t line up perfectly. There’s a gap between the camera bump and the back of the phone that I worried would pick up dirt – and by the end of my review period, that was the dingiest part of the phone.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

This phone could have been special. Samsung could have tried something new, like capacitive buttons on the side – a trick that rumors say Apple is considering. It could have had super-fast charging to go with that slim battery. It could have had unique colors or a unique finish.

Instead, it’s just a slimmer version of a phone we got six months ago, and it’s not even a really nice version at that.

• Design score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Display

• More Galaxy S25 Plus than Ultra, but that’s pretty great
• Fingerprint scanner was totally unreliable

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Galaxy S25 Edge, like the Galaxy S25 Plus, is sort of a hidden gem in Samsung’s lineup when it comes to display quality. While the S25 Ultra has a slightly-larger 6.9-inch screen, all three phones all have the same resolution. When you pack the same pixels into a smaller display, you get a screen that’s technically sharper, in terms of pixel density.

Which is to say the Galaxy S25 Edge has a fantastic screen, one of the best you can find on any phone. It is plenty bright, even in bright sunlight, though the Ultra does beat the Edge thanks to the addition of the remarkable coating that Samsung has been using for a couple of years to eliminate glare on its flagship flat phone.

The display can refresh at up to 120Hz – take that iPhone 16 Plus – and thanks to LTPO tech you can even get a full-color always-on display that refreshes as slowly as 1Hz to save power.

I’ve never had great luck with Samsung’s fingerprint scanners, and the S25 Edge didn’t recognize me any faster than other Galaxy phones, and unlocking failed more often than not. I know I have fingerprints because my OnePlus 13 sees them with 99% accuracy, so I assume this is a Samsung problem, not a me problem.

• Display score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Software

• OneUI 7 is well built, but doesn’t add much to the Edge experience
• AI features can be useful, but many feel like even more bloat

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

For better and for worse, the Galaxy S25 Edge uses the same One UI 7 interface as the rest of the Galaxy S25 family, with Android 15 serving as the engine. Samsung and Google seem to be locked in a perpetual struggle to control Samsung’s phones, so you’ll get two web browsers, two photo gallery apps, even two wallets and two different password managers.

It’s getting to be a bit much. I’m the first to insist that Samsung’s software – like its Internet web browser – performs better than Google’s alternative. But nobody wants two of everything; you don’t get an extra steering wheel when you buy a car. It’s time for Samsung to end the duplicate-apps project.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

There are plenty of Galaxy AI features on the phone, and it comes with Google Gemini preloaded and ready to take over the power button at your beck and call.

I think we may have already hit the wall with AI features. Samsung has been touting its Now Brief widget and app since the Galaxy S25 launched, and it’s a completely useless piece of software. It’s supposed to learn things about me and then offer information tailored to my needs, but nothing like that happens.

I’ve been wearing a Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro while using the S25 Edge for weeks. The Now Brief offers no more than today’s weather, a missive that feels creepy coming from an AI (‘Wishing you well’?!), and the first few events on my work calendar, which are usually the first three people who took the day off and logged it properly.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

At worst, Now Brief offers me partisan political news. I filter out most politics from my social feeds, and I don’t talk about politics in my text messages, so I’m not sure why Now Brief thinks politics are what interests me. It’s inescapable.

Thankfully, Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S25 Edge will get seven years of major Android and security updates, so it should last through Android 22, just like the rest of the Galaxy S25 family.

• Software score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Cameras

• Exactly what I expected based on the specs
• Samsung’s processing can be fun, or inconsistent

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

When I heard that the Galaxy S25 Edge would use fewer cameras than its S25 stablemates, with one big 200MP main sensor and a supporting ultra-wide, I was excited at the prospect. After all, one of Leica’s most popular cameras, the Leica Q3, uses a single large sensor and a wide lens, and fakes all of the zoom with digital cropping. If anybody can pull off the same trick on a camera phone, it’s Samsung.

Nope. I’m disappointed to say the cameras are fine, but not groundbreaking. I was hoping the Edge would be a trendsetter. Instead, it runs down the middle of the road without faltering. It does a great job at the things Samsung camera phones do well, but it can’t handle the all-in-one duties of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

There are no surprises with the Galaxy S25 Edge cameras. The main camera uses a 200MP sensor with a wide lens, and that sensor is a bit smaller than the 200MP sensor on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. No surprise then that the Ultra is still the best Samsung camera phone, in more ways than one.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The main camera produces images that are a bit fuzzier than what I got from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and I was surprised to find the colors dialed back a bit as well. The Edge’s cameras don’t seem to be tuned to pop colors as much as the Ultra cameras do. It still managed to take excellent food photos and warm portraits, like I expect from Samsung.

Image 1 of 2

Taken with Galaxy S25 Edge (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Galaxy S25 Edge 100% cropImage 2 of 2

Taken with Galaxy S25 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Galaxy S25 Ultra 100% crop

If you need a zoom lens, the S25 Edge isn’t going to satisfy you. The digital zoom doesn’t come close to providing the detail and quality I get with optical zoom on the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max. A heron across the river looked like a white, featherless blob when I snapped a pic with the Edge. The iPhone and Galaxy Ultra images revealed a beak and some plumage.

Image 1 of 2

Taken with the Galaxy S25 Edge (Image credit: Philip BerneFuture)Galaxy S25 Edge 10X digital zoomImage 2 of 2

Taken with the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)iPhone 16 Pro Max 5X optical zoom, enhanced to 10X

If you take a lot of photos outdoors, the S25 Ultra has a coating on the display to reduce glare, and it makes a big difference even compared to the S25 Edge, which has a nearly-identical display otherwise. The Edge can get bright, but it’s much easier to see the Ultra’s screen if the sun is shining directly on you.

• Camera score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Camera samplesImage 1 of 7

(Image credit: Philip BerneFuture)Image 2 of 7

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(Image credit: Philip BerneFuture)Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Performance

• Excellent performance from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
• The Edge stayed very cool under conditions that break other phones

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

I was expecting excellent performance from the Galaxy S25 Edge, and this phone delivered beyond my expectations. It was plenty fast, with that overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset providing a bit more boost than you’ll get on a non-Samsung Snapdragon phone. Samsung has also done a remarkable job of keeping the phone cool, even when you push the performance to the limit.

I perform a stress test where I run multiple mapping apps on a phone, and play music over Bluetooth, then sit the phone above my car dashboard in the sunshine. Most phones take less than an hour of this punishment before they shut down due to overheating.

The S25 Edge never quit, managing to stay cool enough to function for as long as I needed. That’s incredible – every iPhone, Pixel phone, and Galaxy phone I’ve tested has failed this endurance test. The Edge really lives up to Samsung’s claims of much better cooling – that 10% larger vapor chamber clearly makes a real difference.

This makes the Galaxy S25 Edge an easy contender for a best gaming phone ranking. It offers great performance and superior cooling – everything a gaming phone needs.

I also had fun playing games with the Galaxy S25 Edge clipped onto my Xbox wireless controller using a cheap third-party attachment from Amazon. The phone is so lightweight that gaming for long periods was a breeze – it’s a nice way to kill time while I wait for my Switch 2 to arrive.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Battery

• Good battery for the thin size, but not great
• Couldn’t last a full day if I used it aggressively

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

As I said above, Samsung could have made a thinner Galaxy S25 Edge, but the battery life would be terrible – as it is, during my review period the S25 Edge often needed a recharge while I was eating dinner, especially if I played games, took a lot of photos, or otherwise taxed the phone heavily.

If I scrolled my social feeds and listened to music on the train into work, I would be concerned about whether the battery would last until the train ride home.

It’s too bad Samsung didn’t use the latest silicon carbon battery technology found in the OnePlus 13, which might have helped it to pack in more power. I also wish this phone charged faster than other Galaxy S25 models, not slower – if it had 80W charging like the latest OnePlus phones I wouldn’t be worried about having to top up throughout the day, because that top-up would take less than 15 minutes.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

As it stands, 15 minutes of charging got me just past 25%, and a full charge took about an hour. That’s pretty slow by today’s standards, especially considering that this battery is smaller than any other inside a Galaxy S25 phone.

Samsung might also be exaggerating its battery claims. It told us to expect the Edge to offer longevity somewhere between the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S25, but in our lab benchmark tests the S25 Edge lasted for less than 13 hours of constant use where the Galaxy S24 lasted more than 13 hours, and the Galaxy S25 topped 15 hours.

If you really need good battery life the Galaxy S25 Plus is the Samsung champ, delivering almost 19 hours of screen time in our rundown test. But it’s not the Edge’s lack of battery life as such that bugs me; it’s how long it takes to top the phone up.

• Battery score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge score card

Value

Not a bad price for the svelte design and pocketability. You know what you’re getting, there are no surprises, so it seems like a fair upgrade from the Galaxy S25 Plus (or is it a downgrade from the Ultra?)

4/5

Design

A bit thinner and much lighter than any other flat phone you’ve tried. You can’t tell by looking; you have to pick it up to feel the difference. The finish is a bit shoddy, but the design might still satisfy buyers with a sore pinky.

3/5

Display

The same great display I saw on the Galaxy S25 Plus (with the same lousy fingerprint scanner). It’s super sharp and very bright, though if you’ll often be in bright sunshine the Ultra has a better anti-glare coating that makes it worth a look.

5/5

Software

Samsung’s One UI looks as good as ever, though the AI features are starting to wane in terms of their usefulness. Thankfully, this phone gets seven years of updates, so it will have no problem running your favorite apps and hopefully improving in the years to come.

3/5

Cameras

You get fewer cameras on a thinner phone, but the main camera still takes fantastic shots, albeit ones that are a bit subdued by normal Samsung standards. They don’t pack the same detail as the Ultra, but food photos and portraits are especially gorgeous.

3/5

Performance

Fantastic performance from the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is paired with some of the most impressive cooling I’ve experienced on a smartphone. I couldn’t get the Edge to fry itself, no matter how much I pushed past its performance limits.

5/5

Battery

Battery life isn’t terrible considering the weight reduction, but I wish the smaller battery came with faster charging to make me forget how long I need to wait. I had to charge the phone most nights after dinner, unless I was careful.

3/5

Buy it if...

The Galaxy S25 Plus would be perfect if it were easier to hold
The Galaxy S25 Edge is the Galaxy S25 Plus minus millimeters and ounces, so it’s easier to grab and easier to hold for longer.

You want the second-thinnest Samsung phone
The Galaxy S25 Edge is the thinnest Galaxy S phone, and if you don’t like foldable phones it’s the thinnest Samsung phone you care about.

Don't buy it if...

You thought it would be the thinnest
The Galaxy S25 Edge isn’t really the thinnest anything, but it is very light, and that might be more important when you’re holding it for a long time.

You’re taking photos in bright sunlight… from far away
The Galaxy S25 Ultra remains the Samsung camera champ, with its anti-glare screen coating that helps in bright light plus its real optical zoom lenses… plural.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
The Galaxy S25 Plus isn’t as thin as the Galaxy S25 Edge, but it has the same specs with much, much longer battery life. It even gives you a real zoom camera.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
If you don’t need an S Pen, or anti-glare, or two zoom lenses, or incredible battery life and faster charging, or up to 1TB of storage, you don’t need the Ultra, but you want it.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus

Galaxy S25 Ultra

Price:

$1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849

$999 / £999 / AU$1,699

$1,299 / £1,249 / AU$2,149

Display:

6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED

6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED

6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED

Cameras:

200MP main, 12MP ultra-wide

50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3x telephoto

200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3x telephoto, 50MP 5x telephoto

Battery Life HH:MM (Future Labs test):

12:45

18:46

18:35

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

• I tested the phone for two weeks
• I took dozens of photos
• I played games and watched movies
• I checked email and worked in Slack
• I used AI features extensively
• Benchmark testing is for comparison, not scoring purposes

I tested the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge for more than two weeks before posting this review. I received the Edge before I traveled to Google I/O, and I took the phone along as my primary work device and for entertainment on flights.

When I got back from Google I/O I had Covid, so the Galaxy S25 Edge was my primary couch companion, and my source of entertainment and contact with the world. I used it to play games, watch movies, and listen to audiobooks.

When I’d recovered, I took the S25 Edge car shopping and connected it to a number of different cars to test. I used the phone to take photos, research cars, and more. I even asked for help from Google Gemini and Samsung’s Galaxy AI to do research, answer calls, and respond to solicitors.

I connected the Galaxy S25 Edge to a Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and an Xbox Wireless controller, among numerous other devices.

Future Labs tests phones using a mix of third-party benchmark software and proprietary, real-world tests. We use Geekbench, CrossMark, JetStream, WebXPRT and Mobile XPRT, and 3DMark for performance testing. We test a phone's performance on video tasks using Adobe Premiere Rush. We also measure display color output and brightness.

For battery testing we perform proprietary tests that are the same for every phone, which enable us to determine how long it takes for the battery to run down.

Read more about how we test

Why you can trust TechRadar

☑️ 100s of gaming laptops reviewed
☑️ 15 years of product testing
☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total
☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech

Shokz OpenFit 2: Two-minute review

At their core, the Shokz OpenFit 2 are a great pair of open earbuds that provide a crucial mix of traffic awareness and solid sound quality that runners of all skill levels are sure to appreciate. I know they’ll be my go-to for running – for quite some time. Surely, that makes them some of the best open earbuds around, right?

Sort of, but that's not the whole story. Yes, there are some notable improvements here over the original Shokz OpenFit earbuds, including a massive leap in the available battery life, a more robust soundscape and, my personal favourite upgrade, the addition of physical buttons which just makes controlling playback on the go so much easier.

It’s a great package overall, but there’s a big asterisk over how much money you have to spend. Now at the increased price of $179.95 / £169 (which is around AU$350, give or take), the OpenFit 2 aren’t quite as affordable as their predecessor, so they're oddly less viable as a sports-specific second buy alongside a traditional pair of in-ear buds like the AirPods Pro 2 or the Sony WH-1000XM5.

Lastly, there's the existence of the also-just-launched Shokz OpenFit 2 Plus (or OpenFit 2+), which throws quite the spanner in the works. Despite only being £10 more expensive than the OpenFit 2, the 2+ come with wireless charging and Dolby Atmos compatibility, two features which are easily worth such a nominal uptick at the checkout.

If you can get the OpenFit 2 at a discount then none of this will be an issue, but at full price it’s a tricky one to recommend to the masses.

(Image credit: Future)Shokz OpenFit 2: Specifications

Water resistance

IP55

Active noise cancellation

No

Battery life

11 hours, 48 in total

Weight

9.4g ± 0.2g per earbud

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3

Earbud type

Open-ear

Compatible profiles

A2DP, AVRCP, HFP

Shokz OpenFit 2: Price and availability

• Priced $179.95 / £169.00 (around AU$350, where sold)
• Available from June 5th 2025 (announced January 2025)
• Available in the US and UK, at the time of writing

The Shokz OpenFit 2 are priced at £169 / $179.95, hitting store shelves on June 5th 2025 in the UK, despite having been available since January in the US. The earbuds are also launching at the same time as the more premium Shokz OpenFit 2 Plus which are just slightly more expensive at £179, with US pricing unannounced at the time of writing.

This is a notable price increase, particularly in the UK, against the $159.95 / £129 of the previous Shokz OpenFit, and it’s also worth bearing in mind that the entry-level Shokz OpenFit Air, priced at $119.95 / £94, are still readily available via the company's website. This does make the OpenFit 2 a tricky sell to budget-conscious buyers, but I do think that when you factor in the amount of upgrades that have been crammed into the OpenFit’s successor, there’s a lot for the avid runner in your life to appreciate.

(Image credit: Future)Shokz OpenFit 2: Features

• Maintain traffic awareness while listening to music
• Vastly improved battery life
• Multi-point pairing

The main allure with the OpenFit 2 remains very much the same from every other product within Shokz’s wares. It is spatial (read also: environmental, traffic, general hubbub of life happening all around you) awareness. As any runner can attest, the last thing you want is to be caught off guard by a passing car or cyclist – if you don't have your wits about you then you can end up doing harm to yourself and others. However, going for a run without your favourite playlists is like going on a flight and staring at the tray table in front of you for the duration. Thankfully, Shokz’s open-ear format helps to bring together the best of both worlds.

Because the Shokz OpenFit 2 don’t block your ear canals in order to deliver sound, you can still hear everything that goes on around you, all while enjoying your go-to running tracks. It sounds simple enough, but it’s not easy to pipe good quality audio to ears when the product's drivers aren't covering them. It is a great feature to have in practice, and it's precisely why I’ve been using Shokz headphones and earbuds exclusively for the last several years when going for a run. For that reason alone, the Shokz OpenFit 2 will now supplant my existing Shokz headphones.

As you've no doubt guessed, the caveat to all of this is that Shokz’s products aren't great if you're trying to block out the world and focus. Simply put, with no noise cancellation to speak of, the OpenFit 2 are a terrible option to have for the commute or when working at a nearby cafe. It's not all negative however – I do find that the OpenFit 2, and earbuds of their ilk, are quite handy in an office environment as you can enjoy listening to a podcast as you work, but your colleagues won't have to flail their arms just to get your attention (unless it's a really good podcast).

Still, if you do want to use the OpenFit 2 in noisier environments, you can help to mitigate things by diving into the accompanying Shokz app and toggling the ‘Vocal’ setting to elevate voices and lead singers. There are other equaliser modes including ‘Bass Boost' and ‘Treble Boost’, but these are best enjoyed in quieter surroundings (Bass Boost is almost inaudible outdoors without cranking up the volume). Multi-point pairing has also found its way to the OpenFit 2 after being noticeably absent on the original OpenFit, so you can jump between devices without issue.

According to Shokz, the OpenFit 2 have the same four built-in noise cancelling mics as the OpenFit, but this time there’s some AI optimisation going on under the hood to improve the quality even further. While I will say that the actual quality of voice recordings with the microphones is fairly standard (legible but nothing to write home about), I was very impressed to see just how much heavy lifting the noise cancelling could do. Even with loud music blaring on my Sonos Ray nearby, I could still take down voice notes and listen to them without any hint of external sound getting in the way. For taking a quick call mid-run, the OpenFit 2 are more than up to the task.

Arguably the biggest shake-up on paper is the massive leap forward in battery life offered by the OpenFit 2, now boasting up to 11-hours of listening time on a single charge, and a total of 48-hours when the charging case is factored in. Given that the total use time capped out at 28-hours on the OpenFit, that’s a big improvement and it means you'll be able to get in more runs without needing to worry about giving the Shokz OpenFit 2 a top up.

Putting those claims to the test, I was able to drain about 10% from both earbuds after 30-minutes of playback at 50% volume. At that rate, it would have taken roughly five hours for the batteries to drop to 0%, but it's far more likely that you'll get closer to that 11-hour claim at a reasonable volume.

(Image credit: Shokz)

• Features score: 4 / 5

Shokz OpenFit 2: Sound quality

• New dual driver system
• Rich bass and vocals
• Easliy some of the best sounding open-ear earbuds I've tried

One of the upgrades that Shokz has been keen to point out is the inclusion of a dual driver system in each earbud for the OpenFit 2, which is designed to deliver enhanced clarity for both the bass and the vocals of any given track.

Coming in from my usual trusty pair of Shokz OpenRun Pro (which are a few years old now), the difference was immediate and tangible. Shokz was spot on in highlighting bass and vocals in particular as they both have a richer quality to them on the OpenFit 2. I knew this from the moment I kicked off a run with a tried and true classic, Linkin Park and Jay-Z’s Points of Authority / 99 Problems / One Step Closer mash-up – the opening guitar riff is as crisp and cutting as expected, but it’s when the backing vocals kick in that you can really hear the depth. And that’s only elevated once the bass drops (no small feat for earbuds of this type) to bring the whole song into view.

Further on in the playlist, the Black Eyed Peas’ Boom Boom Pow came up and I was impressed to see just how bouncy and impactful the percussion sounded throughout the song. Again, this is a pair of earbuds that attempting to convey sound without obstructing your ear canal, but as any fans of in-ear headphones can attest, that tends to be the way to get the most fulfilling sound quality, so the fact that the OpenFit 2 can still do justice to a song like this is quite something.

I did notice that at certain frequencies, the bass was unable to fully come to the surface and replicate what I'd expect from 'regular' buds. Megan Thee Stallion’s Opposite Day, a song that I rely on for weightlifting because of the thumping bass right from the start, just didn’t sound quite as powerful as it usually does with the OpenFit 2, but I will say that moments like this were certainly the exception to the norm.

If you prefer to listen to podcasts while you run, you won’t have any problems here as vocals come across as clearly as intended, although if you are in a busy area then you can always toggle the aforementioned Vocal equaliser to give it a bit of a boost.

At this money, the Shokz OpenFit 2 aren’t that far off some of the best earbuds you can buy, and I’ve lost track of the amount of times that the epic AirPods Pro 2 have dropped to around the same price during sales events. Even though I would sooner bring a pair of Shokz headphones or earbuds with me on a run ahead of anything else, I still use my AirPods the rest of the time, and if you’re tied to a strict budget then this might be something you have to weigh up at the checkout.

What is also odd is that for an extra £10, you can get the Shokz OpenFit 2 Plus, which add Dolby Atmos support for a more cinematic soundscape if you’re streaming video content. When you also throw the addition of wireless charging into the mix, I don’t know why you wouldn’t just go for the OpenFit 2 Plus, unless you’re desperate to hold on to a tenner.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Shokz OpenFit 2 (left) placed next to the OpenFit Air (right) (Image credit: Future)Shokz OpenFit 2: Design

• New silicone finish is very comfortable over long periods
• The earbuds stay firmly in place when running
• Physical inputs now sit alongside touch controls

If sound quality is the one area where the Shokz OpenFit 2 struggle to truly kick away from the competition, this is thankfully not the case where the design is concerned. These are a comfortable pair of open-fit earbuds that have been constructed with all-day wear in mind, a feat that’s largely achievable thanks to the new material used for the chassis.

The OpenFit 2 are largely encased in a soft silicone finish, which feels so comfortable against the ear that after a while, you start to forget they're there.

The hooks also remain sturdy and at no point during my runs with the Shokz OpenFit 2 was I ever concerned that the earbuds might become dislodged and lost, which is far more than I can say for most in-ear headphones which do not provide the same peace of mind.

One of the more welcome additions is a revamp of the control scheme on the OpenFit 2, finally bringing physical buttons into the mix. Both the OpenFit and the OpenFit Air relied entirely on touch controls which, I can tell you, was certainly a mixed bag from my experience with the latter. I could never quite wrap my head around the input system which is why, after a while, I ended up ditching them in favour of an older pair of Shokz headphones with physical controls.

This time around, there’s a push button sat on top of both earbuds and they can be customised (not independently) to recognise different actions. For example, I set the buttons to tweak the volume after a long press, and move either backwards or forwards through a playlist with a double click. There are still touch controls available, but they can only be assigned to wake your preferred digital assistant.

There are two colorways available, black and beige, and while they’re not quite as eye-catching as some of the more vibrant colours that Shokz has offered in the past, there is a refined quality about them that makes the earbuds feel stylish in their own way.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Shokz OpenFit 2: Value

• Cheaper options are available within this market
• The more feature-packed Shokz OpenFit 2+ aren't much pricier

It’s a shame – I do genuinely appreciate what Shokz has achieved with the OpenFit 2, what with a more comfortable design, improved sound quality and the inclusion of physical buttons (finally), but the one thing that holds it all back is the product’s pricing, which has left me scratching my head for two reasons.

First off, as I’ve mentioned a few times, $179.95 / £169 just feels far too expensive for a pair of open-ear headphones. Even though I still think that open-ear is the way to go if you’re an avid runner, or hoping to get into running, they’re just not great options for any other setting. This hasn’t been too much of an issue in the past thanks to cheaper pricing, but with this increase the Shokz OpenFit 2 are encroaching on the space typically held by more premium earbuds.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the more premium version of these earbuds, the Shokz OpenFit 2 Plus, are only £10 more expensive but for that minimal amount you get wireless charging and Dolby Atmos compatibility which begs the question – why on earth would you opt for the regular OpenFit 2 when the OpenFit 2 Plus are almost the same price? I don’t know if this is an intentional tactic from Shokz to get people to upgrade to the pricier pick, but the result is that it undermines the OpenFit 2’s position on the market.

• Value score: 3 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Shokz OpenFit 2: Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Battery life is fantastic and there are tons of EQ options to play with.

4 / 5

Sound quality

Great within its category but it’ll never outdo in-ear headphones.

4 / 5

Design

Comfortable to wear and easier to use thanks to physical controls.

5 / 5

Value

A price increase and a similarly priced upgrade hurt these earbuds.

3 / 5

Should I buy the Shokz OpenFit 2?Buy them if...

You’re an avid runner
These are still some of the best earbuds you can buy for running, so if you regularly hit the track then you’ll love the spatial awareness and sound quality these provide.

You need all-day earbuds for the office
With outstanding battery life, the OpenFit 2 are handy for the office as it means colleagues can still get your attention while you listen to music.

Don't buy them if...

You’re tied to a strict budget
If you can’t afford both a pair of open-ear headphones and standard in-ear headphones, then the latter can provide better value overall.

You want wireless charging
Given that wireless charging is available for just £10 more on the OpenFit 2 Plus, I don’t know why you wouldn’t make the upgrade for more versatile charging.

Also consider

Shokz OpenFit
While the sound quality isn’t up to the same standard, these predecessors are still much cheaper and crucially provide the spatial awareness that runners are after. Read our full Shokz OpenFit review

Shokz OpenRun

These open-ear headphones are a much cheaper alternative from the same company, plus they’re incredibly quick to charge between runs. Read our full Shokz OpenRun review

(Image credit: Future)How I tested

• Tested for two weeks
• Used in indoor and outdoor scenarios
• Connected to both iPhone and Android handsets

For testing, I wore the Shokz OpenFit 2 over the course of two weeks. I began my initial tests by taking the earbuds with me for a run at a local park with slight elevation, to get an idea of how well they could stay in place.

I also took the earbuds with me on a trip to Central London, listening to music and podcasts against the backdrop of a commuter train, passing cars and conversations, as well as the occasional spot of roadworks.

• First reviewed June 2025

Shokz OpenFit 2+: One minute review

After just 24 hours with the Shokz OpenFit 2+ I can already tell they’re great headphones that are worthy of inclusion in our best open-ear headphones buying guide, and perhaps our best running headphones guide as well.

They're comfortable to wear, even for glasses wearers like myself, with Shokz’ flexible nickel-titanium alloy ear hooks looping over your ears and weighted down by a bulbous end, while the driver sits snugly against your temples.

The silicon covering, which Shokz labels its “ultra soft silicone 2.0” is comfortable to wear in sweaty conditions. The whole earbud weighs 9.4g, making it light, but a gram heavier than the original OpenFit.

The drivers aren’t bone-conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 or Shokz Openswim Pro. Instead, they’re more like traditional drivers or speakers, directing sound towards your ears without covering the lughole entirely.

The sound is really very good, perhaps even coming close to the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (our gold standard in open-ear sound) in terms of quality. The addition of Dolby is noticeable from the moment you flip the setting on in the Shokz app: everything becomes richer and more pronounced.

(Image credit: Future)

Likewise, I had fun tinkering with the EQ settings in the app, switching from Vocal mode to listen to my podcast during the first part of the run, and Bass Boost once I got up the giant hill I'd foolishly decided to tackle. I needed something heavier to get myself through the second part of my run, and Bass Boost paired nicely with the pounding roars of Linken Park’s new Heavy is the Crown.

While the sound is comparable to the Bose Ultra Open, the OpenFit 2+ are certainly more reassuring to wear during strenuous exercise. I was continually worried that the Ultra Open would fall off my ears during jogs due to their pendulous wobbly clip design, and I personally know one person who had this happen during a marathon – a disaster, as the earbuds are very expensive.

Taking the Shokz OpenFit 2+ on a run, I felt very secure even during a trail that demanded a little lateral agility to navigate: I felt them shift slightly a few times, but never feared they would drop off.

I probably wouldn’t, however, wear them during circuit training with explosive movements like burpees, as I’d feel they might leave my ears during dynamic jumps. That’s something to test and report back on in my full review.

Shokz OpenFit 2+: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• $179.95 / £169
• $100 / £100 cheaper than Bose Ultra Open Earbuds at launch
• Only $20 / £10 more expensive than regular OpenFit 2

The Shokz OpenFit 2 cost $179.95 / £169 (about AU$350), while the Shokz OpenFit 2+ cost $199.95 / £179 (about AU$370). Official pricing for other regions is TBC. The Shokz are available to order now.

For the extra few dollars and pounds, you get the Dolby audio setting and wireless charging on the hard plastic case, whereas the OpenFit 2 need to be charged via USB, and they're still much cheaper than the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds were at launch.

It’s such a nice convenience, and Dolby makes a big difference for such a small price increase, that my initial thoughts are that the standard OpenFit 2 will rapidly become obsolete; I can’t imagine a situation in which I’d recommend them over the 2+.

Shokz OpenFit 2+: Early Verdict

The Shokz OpenFit 2+: are great open-ear headphones for both workouts and general listening, with Dolby Audio as the flagship sound-enhancing feature – and the OpenFit 2 now seem a bit redundant as the two models are so similar in price. You’ll be able to check back soon for our definitive verdict in our full Shokz OpenFit 2+ review,.

First reviewed: June 2025

Ballerina is a real litmus-test moment for the John Wick universe.

The Continental, the franchise's first TV project, was a risky prequel series that lacked Keanu Reeves' star power and, by proxy, indicated that Lionsgate's billion dollar-spinning enterprise couldn't flourish without Reeves' iconic hitman being front and center in its various productions.

Ballerina appears to suggest otherwise. The fifth film in the series – and the first that doesn't feature Reeves as its lead – is a typically thrilling franchise entry that shows 'The World of Wick' could have a bright future without Reeves at the helm. Well, that is as long as future Wick-Verse movies and shows don't fall into the same hackneyed traps that Ballerina occasionally does.

When you think of me, you should think of fire

Ana de Armas stars as Eve Macarro, a Ruska Roma assassin who goes rogue to avenge her father's death (Image credit: Lionsgate)

Set between John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum and John Wick Chapter 4 (learn more about the franchise's timeline in my guide on how to watch the John Wick movies in order), Ballerina stars Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro.

The child of an assassin who was gunned down for apparently betraying the criminal organization he was a member of, the orphaned Eve is taken in by the Ruska Roma, the crime syndicate that also raised and trained Wick.

It's easy to draw comparisons between Ballerina and the first John Wick movie

Years later, the now-adult Eve carries out covert missions for the Ruska Roma. However, when she realizes her latest target has ties to the enigmatic gang that murdered her father, Eve ignores the orders of her surrogate family's matriarch in The Director (Angelica Huston) to let things lie. Cue Eve going rogue as she embarks on a one-woman quest to track down her father's killers and seek vengeance.

Eve enlists the help of The Continental New York's manager Winston (Ian McShane) to find her father's killers (Image credit: Lionsgate)

With its classic tale-of-revenge format, it's easy to draw comparisons between Ballerina – or, to type out its full title, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina – and the first John Wick movie.

Sure, there are subtle differences between their plots. 2014's John Wick sees Reeves' retired hitman punish those who stole his beloved Mustang and killed the puppy that his deceased wife posthumously gifted Wick to help him through the process of grieving her loss.

Here, Eve seeks retribution for her dad's murder, and in the process she unearths some big secrets about her past that, as plot twists go, are so derivative I spotted them from the get-go. Those narrative distinctions aside, though, the basic plot structure and themes explored in both films are the same, which is why parallels will inevitably be drawn between them.

Watching Eve's competency in the field improve... makes for pleasant viewing

That said, the narrative disparity between this duo is felt most keenly in how Ballerina sets up its tale. Act one is an origin story in all but name, with the film's first 45 minutes establishing Eve's backstory and events that led to her joining the Ruska Roma before transitioning to the modern day. In that sense, Ballerina's opening act isn't unlike that of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, whose five-act plot plays out in a similar manner.

Interesting as it to witness Eve's transition from traumatized child to skilled assassin, Ballerina's first act feels drawn out. For a movie that clocks in at two hours, the fact that it takes 45 minutes to get to the meat of the story is a disproportionate amount of time to spend on narrative set-up. Sure, it's fun to see Eve's competency in the field improve – she makes plenty of mistakes along the way, mind you – as the first act progresses, but Ballerina could've reached its critical storytelling juncture far earlier than it does.

Enemy of my enemy

Daniel, a mysterious individual played by Norman Reedus, is tracked down by Eve (Image credit: Lionsgate)

Once its actual story gets going, Ballerina becomes an exercise in hasty plot exposition and world-building, and typically breathless and violent action.

Ballerina further embellishes the seedy nature of this fictional world

Where the former is concerned, Ballerina's intriguing expansion of the John Wick universe further proves that it's not just a world where assassin guilds are commonplace.

Previous Wick-Verse films have tentatively spotlighted other criminal gangs that inhabit this franchise. However, Ballerina, which shouldn't be called a John Wick spin-off, according to director Len Wiseman, confidently embellishes the seedy, complicated nature of this fictional world by revealing that the High Table isn't the sole establishment that governs the criminal underworld's various factions. Spoilers notwithstanding, I'm eager to see how future films and TV shows will expand on the splinter organizations introduced in this movie and establish others with their own mythos.

Ballerina's action sequences are as fantastical, violent, and over the top as you'd expect (Image credit: Lionsgate)

As for its physically demanding set-pieces, Ballerina's will draw "oohs" and the odd expletive-laden comment from audiences. Like John Wick, Eve is a quick-thinker who uses everyday items to gain the upper hand in combat and take out the foes she faces in her big-screen debut. The flamethrower-centric action sequence, which featured heavily in Ballerina's official trailer, is likely to be many viewers' most-loved set-piece in this film, but separate fights involving a stack of plates and a pair of ice skates were my particular favorites.

Entertained as I was by Ballerina's action, some moments felt a little amateurish. Indeed, there are a couple of set-pieces in act two where there's a notable delay between actors – or their stunt doubles – taking hits and reacting to said body blows, which temporarily pulled me out of the moment. They're not the worst situations I've seen in an action thriller flick, but they reduce the believability of the duels on show.

Rules and consequences

Yeah, we're thinking he's back (Image credit: Lionsgate)

Those occasional moments may be missteps, but the manner in which Ballerina handles Wick's small but significant appearance isn't.

Fans have known that Reeves' legendary gun-for-hire would turn up since Ballerina's first trailer was released last September. Thankfully, his role in proceedings – I didn't time it, but I'd say Reeves' screentime is around 10 minutes – is not only a natural fit for the story Ballerina tells, but also ensures Reeves doesn't upstage de Armas in her own movie.

Don't worry, though, Wick fans, he gets his own incredibly satisfying action sequence – one that takes place after the suspense-filled confrontation he has with Eve –that'll satiate your desire to see him take names and kick ass.

Angelica Huston's The Director gets a semblance of character development in Ballerina (Image credit: Lionsgate)

The supplemental appearance from Reeves' beloved hitman aside, if I had to be hyper-critical of Ballerina, it doesn't do much with the rest of its starry ensemble.

Norman Reedus' Daniel... is criminally underused

Yes, Huston's The Director earns more screentime here than she has in prior John Wick films. Ian McShane's Winston and the late Lance Reddick's Charon earn their stripes in their respective minor and cameo roles, too. Given Ballerina's sharper focus on the Ruska Roma, plus Winston's active role in shaping Eve's life, though, I expected them to feature more than they did.

The same goes for Norman Reedus' Daniel, a mysterious individual with ties to those who killed Eve's father who, aside from inadvertently complicating Eve's quest for revenge, is criminally underused. Considering Ballerina's release was delayed so additional photography could take place to include scenes that were initially removed from the script, I'm baffled over the lack of airtime afforded to Reedus and some of his contemporaries.

My verdict

Ballerina is an entertaining, largely self-contained story whose typically high-octane nature will appease John Wick devotees and offers a soft narrative reset that makes it accessible to franchise newcomers. With de Armas' likable badass at the helm, it's an entry that could spawn its own film series within the wider John Wick universe, and it's one I certainly think is worth exploring.

That said, Lionsgate and Wick's chief creative team can't rely on the shock value of its violence, nor copy and paste its revenge tale formula into stories starring other characters, forever. Whether it's the very-early-in-development John Wick Chapter 5, the forthcoming flick starring Donnie Yen's Cain, or the franchise's anime-style TV show, fans will demand something far more creative or fresh in the future.

If Ballerina is popular and financially successful to warrant a sequel, and if said follow-up cracks the originality code, we could look back on this de Armas-fronted film as the one that proved the Wick-Verse is in safe hands without Reeves steering the ship. Fail to do so and, to paraphrase Marvel anti-hero Wade Wilson from Deadpool and Wolverine: "Lionsgate will make Reeves do this until he's 90!".

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina opens in theaters worldwide on Friday, June 6.

Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (2025): Two-minute review

The new Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (2025) comes at an interesting time for the Surface family of devices. Once upon a time, Surface products were pitched as flagship devices that were showcases for the latest and greatest Windows features, while also allowing Microsoft to directly compete with its arch nemesis Apple and its MacBook and iPad devices.

Surface devices were also often quite innovative, with unusual form factors that would again be used to showcase various Windows features, and they were championed by Panos Paney, an enthusiastic spokesperson for Surface devices. This meant that despite Surface devices never gaining the kind of mainstream success that Apple’s devices enjoyed, it was always interesting to see what new products the Surface team were working on.

But times change. Panay left for Amazon, and a lot of the enthusiasm and excitement about Surface devices seemed to leave Microsoft with him. The company simplified the Surface lineup, dropping some of the more experimental models, and focused more on commercial customers. The Surface Pro 12 (2025) is seemingly out to prove that Microsoft hasn’t abandoned its consumers, nor has it forgotten about its Surface lineup – I just worry if it’s a case of too little, too late.

(Image credit: Future)

The trimming down of the Surface product line means there’s going to be no more Surface Go devices (I asked Microsoft about this directly), which were affordable versions of the usual premium Surface devices. While I appreciated the aim of Surface Go devices – it’s always nice to see a company make more affordable versions of its expensive devices – they never quite hit the mark in my view, with a few too many compromises being made to lower the price at the expense of performance.

Thankfully, that doesn’t mean that people on a budget won’t be able to afford a Surface device, as the base model of the new Surface Pro 12-inch (2025) is now considered the entry level model. Starting at $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,499, it is now the cheapest Surface Pro model, and is a fair bit less expensive than last year’s Surface Pro 11, which started at $999.99 /£1,049.99 / AU$1,899.99.

It’s also a lot less expensive than its biggest competitor, the iPad Pro 13-inch (2024), which launched at a rather staggering $1,299 / £1,299 / $2,199.

While at first glance this seems like a great deal – a newer model for a lot less than the previous model – there are a number of differences between the Surface Pro 12 and Surface Pro 11 that show that Microsoft has still made certain sacrifices to lower the price of the new model. I certainly wouldn’t think of it as an upgrade, rather a more affordable alternative to last year’s model. That’s not a bad thing, of course, but it’s worth pointing out so you know what you’re getting if you buy the new Surface Pro 12 (2025).

Let’s start with the screen: rather confusingly, the number in the Surface Pro 11’s name refers to the fact that it is the 11th edition of the Surface Pro.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 12 is named after its screen-size. So, the Surface Pro 11 actually has a larger screen – and a higher resolution as well.

The Surface Pro 12 comes with a 12-inch screen with a 2196 x 1464 resolution and refresh rate of up to 90Hz. The Surface Pro 11, meanwhile, comes with a 13-inch screen with a 2880 x 1920 resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. It can also be configured to come with an OLED panel.

Other changes are that the Surface Pro 12 comes with just one memory configuration: 16GB, whereas last year’s model can be configured up to 32GB. The Surface Pro 12 comes with a single processor choice – the Arm-based, eight-core Snapdragon X Plus, a more affordable, yet less powerful, version of the 10-core X Plus that comes in the Surface Pro 11. That model can also be configured with the even more powerful 12-core Snapdragon X Elite chip.

The Surface Pro 12 also drops support for 5G data connections (though it still features cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 technology), and the two USB-C ports in this model are USB 3.2, rather than the faster USB4 connections in last year's model.

These are quite substantial differences, and while some people might consider them a downgrade compared to the Surface Pro 11, it’s important to note that Microsoft continues to sell that model alongside the Surface Pro 12, so if you’re looking for a flagship experience, you’ll want the (slightly) older model. This could, of course, confuse people who assume the latest model is also the most powerful, or that the only difference between them are the screen sizes. But, you know: Microsoft and confusing product names – name a more iconic duo.

As with previous Surface Pro devices, the Surface Pro 12 is a Windows 11 tablet, and Microsoft is one of the few companies continuing to release them. The dominance of iPads running iPadOS and Android tablets has seemingly turned off many manufacturers from making Windows tablets.

In a way that’s a shame, as while Windows 11 isn’t an operating system primarily designed for touchscreen devices, unlike iPadOS or Android, the touchscreen experience has come a long way, and you can comfortably find your way around Windows 11 and run most tasks and actions via the touchscreen thanks to large, easy-to-hit, icons and buttons. However, there are still times when Windows 11’s origins as an operating system designed for desktop PCs are apparent, such as when a menu or dialogue box appears that feels clumsy when prodded by a finger and requires a mouse and keyboard for the best experience.

(Image credit: Future)

On the other hand, by running Windows 11, you can install full desktop versions of applications, such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop, rather than the more limited tablet apps. This is the one area I feel Microsoft has the advantage over Apple’s iPad Pro, which, despite featuring the powerful M4 chip found in the best MacBooks and Macs, still uses iPadOS, which means it’s limited to the same basic apps that the iPad mini and iPad Air can run. This makes it feel like a lot of that power is wasted, and it’s something that the Surface Pro 12 avoids by being able to run almost any full desktop program. Plus, the Surface Pro 12 (2025) is nowhere near as powerful, or as expensive, as the iPad Pro, meaning you won’t be quite as concerned about paying for performance you’re not using.

I say ‘almost’ every Windows 11 app because it’s important to note that the Surface Pro 12 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip, which is based on Arm architecture. Without getting too caught up in the weeds of tech mumbo-jumbo, in the past most consumer laptops and PCs used x86-based chips, primarily from Intel and AMD, and that meant that the majority of Windows applications were coded for x86 hardware, so Windows devices using Arm hardware couldn’t run them – instead you had to hope that the app makers would take the time to make an Arm-compatible version, and because sales of Windows on Arm hardware was so small compared to x86, very few developers thought it was worth doing.

Thankfully that’s changed a lot, mainly because the recent generation of Windows 11 laptops using Arm hardware (specifically the Snapdragon X), pushed by Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC branding, have been very popular (and deservedly so, just check out our Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review and Dell XPS 13 (2024) review for two recent examples of why Snapdragon X laptops are so good).

Microsoft has also released its Prism tool, which is essentially an emulator that allows x86 apps to run on Arm hardware with minimal impact to performance. This, combined with a growing library of native Arm apps for Windows 11 means that most of your favorite apps will run on the Surface Pro 12 – though there might still be cases where an app you often use can’t run.

The Surface Pro 12 (2025) can also be fitted with the Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard, which offers a tactile, comfortable-to-use, full-size keyboard and trackpad, while also doubling as a protective cover for the screen. This turns the Surface Pro 12 into a 2-in-1 device that can be used as both a tablet and a keyboard, and for pretty much any task where you need to write reams of text, it’s an essential add-on.

Sadly, you have to buy it separately, which adds a further $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$274.95 – a not insubstantial extra expense that I feel most people will need to pay for to get the most out of the Surface Pro 12.

The Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard snaps on easily thanks to a proprietary magnetic connection, but because of the new screen size, it means you can’t use keyboards from older Surface devices. You can, at least, use a standard Bluetooth or wired keyboard, but that means you miss out on the portability.

Surface Pro 12 (2025): Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• How much does it cost? Starts at of $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,499
• When is it available? On sale now
• Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia

With the affordable Surface Go lineup seemingly chucked in the trash, the Surface Pro 12 (2025) is now the most affordable way to get a new Surface Pro, with a starting price of $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,499, which is a fair bit cheaper than 2024’s Surface Pro 11 which starts at $999.99 /£1,049.99 / AU$1,899.99. Microsoft is continuing to sell the Surface Pro 11 alongside the Surface Pro 12, pitching the older model as the premium, flagship device, while the Surface Pro 12 takes the place of the Surface Go as the entry-level.

For that starting price, you get a Snapdragon X Plus 8-core CPU, 16GB RAM, and 256GB of storage. You can also configure it to come with 512GB of SSD storage for an extra $100 / £100 / AU$200. Apart from that, you’re unable to configure any other aspect of the hardware, though you can choose different colors (more of that in a moment).

The starting price is certainly competitive, especially considering the iPad Pro 13-inch starts at $1,299 / £1,299 / $2,199. Meanwhile, the latest iPad Air 13-inch starts at a similar $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 price, but comes with less storage and memory, and lacks Wi-Fi 7 support.

As a reasonably powerful tablet, then, the price is very good, though there are budget Android tablets out there for a lot less.

What’s not included in the price is a wall charger. The Surface Pro 12 no longer uses the proprietary Surface Connect port to charge – instead, any USB-C charger will work, so the lack of an included charger probably won’t be a huge deal for a lot of people, and at least helps keep the price down and reduce waste. If you need a charger, then you can buy an official one for $69.99 / £49.99 / AU$89.95, but because any USB-C power supply above 27W will work, there are plenty of cheaper options.

However, to get the most out of the Surface Pro 12 (and Windows 11, the operating system it runs), you’ll need the Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard, which turns it into a 2-in-1 device that can be used as either a tablet or a laptop.

The Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard is sold separately and will set you back $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$274.95, so unless you just want to use the Surface Pro 12 as a tablet, you should factor that into the price.

You can also get the 12-inch Keyboard with the Slim Pen stylus in a bundle for $249.99 / £249.99 / $454.95.

In the US and Australia, you can also buy the Surface Slim Pen on its own for $129.99 / AU$229.5. While the stylus is less essential to the overall experience, this does show that from the reasonable starting price, the Surface Pro 12 can quickly jump in cost when you start configuring it.

• Value: 4 / 5

Microsoft Surface Pro 12: Specs

Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (base model)

Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (highest specs)

Microsoft Surface Pro 11

Price

$799.99 / £799 / AU$1,499

$899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,699

Starting at $999.99 /£1,049.99 / AU$1,899.99

CPU

8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus

8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus

10-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus

GPU

Qualcomm Adreno

Qualcomm Adreno

Qualcomm Adreno

NPU

Qualcomm Hexagon (45 TOPS)

Qualcomm Hexagon (45 TOPS)

Qualcomm Hexagon (45 TOPS)

RAM

16GB

16GB

16GB

Storage

256GB

512GB

256GB, 512GB

Display

12 inches LCD (2196 x 1464)

12 inches LCD (2196 x 1464)

13 inches LCD (2880 x 1920)

Ports

2x USB-C (3.2)

2x USB-C (3.2)

2x Thunderbolt 4

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Size

10.8 x 7.47 x 0.30 ins | 274 x 190 x 7.8mm

10.8 x 7.47 x 0.30 ins | 274 x 190 x 7.8mm

11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 ins | 287 x 209 x 9.3mm

Weight

1.5 lbs | 686g

1.5 lbs | 686g

1.97 lbs | 895g

Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (2025): Design

(Image credit: Future)

• New screen size
• Thinnest Copilot+ PC
• New color options

If you’ve ever seen a Surface Pro device in the wild, then you’ll pretty much know what to expect with the Surface Pro 12 (2025). On its own it looks like a pretty standard tablet, though I have to say that the thick bezels around the screen does make it feel a little outdated compared to some of its rivals (and even the older Surface Pro 11 has thinner bezels on two of the sides of the screen).

As with previous models, the back has an embossed Windows logo, and the bottom half can be pulled out to make a kick stand, a nice feature that the likes of the iPad don’t have. In the center of the bottom side, there’s also a magnetic port that you use to affix the Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard to – though if you have an existing Surface Keyboard or Type Cover it won’t work due to the new size.

There are some subtle – and mostly welcome – changes introduced to the design of the Surface Pro 12, however. The proprietary Surface Connect port has been ditched – thankfully – and instead you charge the Surface Pro 12 (2025) via one of the two USB-C ports. While this change has been mainly introduced to comply with a European Union (EU) directive that states that all new electronic devices sold in the EU must support USB-C charging, it’s a positive one for consumers I feel, and does mean that for many of us that already have plenty of USB-C chargers we’re not getting yet another charger that will just be wasted.

(Image credit: Future)

Because of the new, smaller, screen, the Surface Pro 12 feels more comfortable to hold in the hand than the larger 13-inch Surface Pro from 2024 (I have both). The Surface Pro 12’s dimensions of 10.8 x 7.47 x 0.30 inches (274mm x 190mm x 7.8mm) are noticeably more compact than the Surface Pro 11’s dimensions of 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches (287mm x 208.6mm x 9.3mm), and the weight difference (1.5 pounds (686g) for the Surface Pro 12 vs 1.97 pounds (0.89kg) for the Pro 11) means if portability is a priority for you (and if you’re planning on using it as a tablet, then it should be), the Surface Pro 12 could, on paper, be the device to get.

However, it’s not just the screensize that’s different, and you should be aware of some of the changes Microsoft has made to keep the price of the Surface Pro 12 down.

For a start, there’s no OLED model, and the refresh rate is capped at 90Hz (rather than 120Hz of the Surface Pro 11).

The Surface Pro 12 also has a lower resolution of 2196 x 1464 vs 2880 x 1920 of the Pro 11, and that also means a lower pixel density of 220 PPI (pixels per inch) compared to the 267 PPI of the Pro 11. This means the image quality isn’t as sharp on the Pro 12.

The Surface Pro 12 also lacks the easily accessed NVMe port of the Surface Pro 11, which was located on the older model behind the kickstand, and was a nice addition that allowed you to quickly upgrade the storage space of the Pro 11.

(Image credit: Future)

On the back of the Surface Pro 12 is a new indent which is where you magnetically attach the Slim Pen stylus (sold separately). Microsoft sent me one to review along with the Surface Pro 12, and I was impressed with how secure the Slim Pen felt when it was magnetically attached – I certainly didn’t worry that the stylus would drop off the tablet.

The Slim Pen also wirelessly charges when attached, which is a nice touch. Despite the indent, however, having the Slim Pen attached does mean that the Surface Pro 12 doesn’t sit flush when placed back-down on a table or desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Connecting the Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard (also sold separately, and supplied by Microsoft for this review) is also quick and easy thanks to a magnetic connection. It adds a bit more weight and bulk, but when closed will protect the screen. It also allows you to use the Surface Pro 12 as a laptop-like device, and I think it’s worth getting. You’ll need to use the kickstand to support the Surface Pro 12 when it’s used as a screen, which isn’t the most comfortable if you’re using it on your lap, but it does work. However, you can’t really adjust the angle of the screen, unlike Apple’s Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro.

The Surface Pro 12’s USB-C ports are also limited to USB 3.2, rather than USB4, which is supported by the Surface Pro 11. You’ll still be able to plug in the same peripherals, but data transfer will be slower.

(Image credit: Future)

A more positive design tweak are the two new color schemes, Violet and Ocean, along with the same Platinum color that previous Surface Pros came in. I’ve seen the new Surface Laptop in Violet, and it looks lovely. However, the base model of the new Surface Pro, which I have, only comes in Platinum – you’ll need to pay extra for more storage if you want the Surface Pro 12 in either Violet or Ocean.

Overall, the design of the Surface Pro 12 is solid, though not that excited, especially if you get it in Platinum. Compared to the iPad Air (2025), which has a weight of 460g and dimensions of 247.6mm x 178.5mm x 6.1mm for the 11-inch model, it feels chunkier and cheaper than Apple’s tablet. If you’re used to iPad tablets, you will likely much prefer Appe’s design. The compromises to screen quality and USB speeds with the Surface Pro 12 are also a shame.

• Design: 3.5 / 5

Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (2025): Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Good for general use
• 16GB RAM helps with multitasking
• AI features remain pointless

Benchmarks

These are the results of our benchmarking tests for the Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (2025):

3DMark Solar Bay: 5,921
3DMark Wildlife Extreme: 3,179
Geekbench 6.4 Single-core: 2,263
Geekbench 6.4 Multi-core: 9,913
Crossmark Overall: 1,103
Crossmark Responsiveness: 1,003
PugetBench Photoshop: 4,043
Battery (TechRadar test): 17 hours, 49 minutes

Microsoft might argue that the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip within the Surface Pro 12 is the most exciting component, and I’d agree, but likely not for the same reason.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus is an Arm-based chip (similar to the M4 chip in the MacBook), with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) of 45 Trillion Operations per Second (TOPS) – an essential specification for it to be called a ‘Copilot+ PC’, which is Microsoft’s catch-all term for Windows 11 laptops that come with NPUs that can handle on-device AI tasks.

You might have noticed that a lot of companies are shoving AI into their products, and Microsoft is arguably one of the most ambitious. Like it or not, AI tools are now tightly integrated into Windows 11, and there’s no sign of that slowing down, with Microsoft’s Copilot AI tool becoming a fundamental part of the operating system, even getting its own dedicated key on the keyboard.

Of course, if you don’t have a Copilot+ PC you can still use Copilot – the key difference is that thanks to the NPU, you can use Copilot and other AI tools locally on the Surface Pro 12 itself, rather than relying on an internet connection and cloud-based AI tools.

The benefits are that you can work offline with these tools, and as all the data you provide the AI with is stored locally, there should be no danger of your data being shared with third parties or used to train AI models. This is good if you’re using AI tools with personal and private information, but less so if you’re just messing around with turning scribbles into AI-generated images in Paint.

Speaking of which, doing that is OK on the Surface Pro 12. Asking Paint to generate an image based on a photo I loaded took about 20 seconds, and the results were… well, what you’d expect from AI-generated art these days. Fine, and initially impressive, but not much more than a brief diversion, as the ‘art’ it produces comes with familiar tell-tale signs that it’s been made by AI. It’s likely a tool you’ll try once and then forget about it.

(Image credit: Future)

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus’ NPU also gives you access to some exclusive Windows 11 features, namely Click To Do. This feature, which is still in ‘preview’, so not the finished article, is pitched by Microsoft as a way to do things more quickly and easily in Windows 11 with the help of AI.

By holding down the Windows key on the keyboard, you’ll see the mouse cursor turn into a white dot. Clicking on something (or tapping using the Surface Pro 12 screen) will give the screen a blue tint to show that Click To Do is enabled. If you only have the Surface Pro 12 and no keyboard, you can also bring this up quickly by swiping from the right-hand side of the screen.

Click To Do should then intelligently offer up some quick actions supposedly based on what it sees on your screen, such as opening an image in the Photos app and removing the background.

In theory, this could save some time, though to be honest, right-clicking a document and choosing what app to open it in covers a lot of that, is much faster, and doesn’t require a Copilot+ PC.

In practice, however, the feature seems pretty useless. I used Click To Do with my Pictures folder open, then clicked on a photo, then selected Remove background with Paint, thinking that this would open the photo in Paint and remove the background. Instead, it opened the thumbnail preview of the image (which is tiny and pixellated) and removed the background.

Thinking maybe it was Paint’s fault, I did it again, but this time selected Blur background with Photos. This opened up the Photos app, but again, it was just the thumbnail; it didn’t actually open the file.

So what Click To Do is really doing is taking a screenshot of whatever is open, and all you can really do is interact with the screenshot, not the actual files. Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick, but it felt like Click To Do was promising something quite complex, but in reality, it was just basic and of no use.

I tried it with a web browser open and some Bing (of course) search results. Click To Do offered to copy text to Notepad. A bit pointless, but I gave it a go, and it pasted a single line of unintelligible nonsense. Sure, Click To Do is supposedly still in ‘preview’, but it’s in no fit state at the moment, and as a key selling point of Copilot+ PCs like the Surface Pro 12, it’s embarrassing.

(Image credit: Future)

Recall, another feature touted as a key selling point for Copilot+ PCs, is in a similar preview state. I’ve gone over the controversies of this plenty of times before but the general thrust of this feature is that it runs in the background and takes constant screenshots that you can then scroll back through and search for things.

Recall was supposed to launch with the initial wave of Copilot+ PCs, but a big backlash amidst privacy and security concerns kept Microsoft from rolling it out. Now it’s here (albeit in preview form), and most of my privacy concerns have been alleviated. First, unusually for Microsoft, you have to turn on this feature yourself; it’s not turned on by default (as it was initially). All the images and data are stored locally, and thanks to the NPU, all AI tasks are done on the Surface Pro 12 itself.

Recall, and the data it collects, can also only be accessed by the user when logged in, and needs to have advanced Windows Hello biometric security enabled.

While the security aspect seems improved, if not completely perfect, my other big concern about just how useful Recall will prove to be remains. On the Surface Pro 12, it can feel a bit sluggish, and it even crashed once, and the results were mixed. It did find screenshots containing search results I’d asked for reasonably well, but once it brings up the screenshots, you’re a bit limited to what you can do – a lot like Click To Do, you can’t click on a file or folder to open it up, though to be fair it does allow you to open the folder location in Windows Explorer.

But it just doesn’t seem that useful, and because you now have to turn it on yourself, and considering the performance and storage impact Recall has when taking all these screenshots, Microsoft needs to really make Recall worth using – and so far it hasn’t.

(Image credit: Future)

On a (much) more positive note, the general performance of the Surface Pro 12 (2025) is good. Even demanding apps like Photoshop installed and launched without issue, and because you’re able to run Windows 11 applications, it makes the Surface Pro 12 (2025) a much better tool, in my mind, than the iPad Pro, which despite all its power is limited to iPadOS apps, which are more basic.

Having multiple desktop apps open at once and switching between them was fine, though if you are going to be mainly using standard Windows 11 apps, you’ll need to invest in the Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard, frankly, as these apps can be fiddly if you’re just using the touchscreen to control them. I did notice, however, that trying to perform too many tasks at once can make the performance of the Surface Pro 12-inch lag, with the occasional app crash. Nothing too out of the ordinary if you’re used to Windows 11, but it means there’s not the slick experience you might expect from an iPad.

Logging into the Surface Pro 12 is handled by the Windows Hello biometric tool, which uses the built-in webcams of the tablet to recognise your face. I found it worked reliably in a range of different lighting conditions, and meant logging in was both quick and secure. If Windows Hello can’t detect you, you can use a PIN or password to log in.

The front-facing webcam does a decent job, though at 1080p, it’s not as sharp or detailed as the 1440p webcam on last year’s model. As the Surface Pro 12 is a Copilot+ PC, you can use the Windows Studio effects tool to tweak the webcam’s footage live. Using AI and the NPU of the Snapdragon chip, you can blur the background, or add creative filters that make you look like a cell-shaded animation, watercolor painting, and automatically center yourself in frame.

(Image credit: Future)

These work fine, but they are nothing we haven’t seen before, and the background blur feature seemed less effective as other background blurring features I’ve tried, such as when using Google Meet, with noticeable gaps in the blur where the clear background could be seen.

One feature I did like was Eye Contact, which uses AI to make it seem like you’re looking directly at the screen. As with a lot of devices, the webcam of the Surface Pro 12 is either at the top, bottom or side of the screen, depending on the orientation, and this can result in video calls where it appears like you’re looking away (as you’re usually focusing on the screen). With this feature, it does a good job of adjusting your eyes so they are looking directly at the person you’re talking to.

It sounds a bit creepy, but it does make video calls (or just taking selfies) feel more natural, and the feature does a good job of matching your eye color. When I first tried this feature a while ago, it felt fake, with a definite element of ‘uncanny valley’ where you can tell something isn’t quite right, but it seems the feature has been improved a lot.

The rear camera is Ultra HD, though the photos I took with it weren’t particularly impressive, with quite a bit of noticeable noise in darker conditions. While taking photos, the Camera app became unresponsive, which means I could not adjust the focus; instead, I had to wait a few seconds. This also means that some photos I thought I had taken hadn’t actually been saved, so I wouldn’t recommend depending on the Surface Pro 12 to take once-in-a-lifetime photos – you’d be much safer sticking to your smartphone.

Throughout my time with the Surface Pro 12, I appreciated how silent it was. Like Apple’s M-series chips in modern MacBook Air laptops, the Snapdragon X Plus is efficient enough that the Surface Pro 12 it powers doesn’t need internal fans to keep it cool, so you don’t get any distracting and annoying fan noise when the tablet is working hard. However, with the occasional hangs that I experienced using Windows 11 on the Surface Pro 12, trading silence for a more reliable experience (as cooling the components could improve performance) might have been one compromise I’d have liked.

• Performance: 3 / 5

Microsoft Surface Pro 12: Battery life

• Microsoft promises 16 hours of local video playback
• Lower refresh rate of screen helps give battery life a boost
• Almost 18 hours in our battery tests

A common frustration I have with Copilot+ PC devices running on Arm hardware is that the marketing material often focuses solely on AI features and capabilities, but they are the least interesting thing about products like the Surface Pro 12.

Thanks to the power efficiency of the latest Snapdragon X chips, battery lives of these Copilot+ PC devices are impressively long, and considering that battery life is one of the most important considerations people have when buying a new laptop (it is for me, anyway), it's a shame that this aspect is often glossed over.

The Surface Pro 12 continues this theme, with a battery that lasted an excellent 17 hours and 49 minutes in my battery life benchmark test, which involved playing a looped HD video until the battery died.

While this isn't the longest battery life I've seen with a Copilot+ PC, it's great that we seem to be in an era where battery lives for Windows 11 devices that are near 20 hours are increasingly common (though even the best gaming laptops won't get anywhere near that). You'll certainly be able to bring it on long international flights to work and watch films on, and have plenty of battery left.

Most importantly, it means you can go several work days on a single charge in most cases, since you likely won't be using it for 18 hours straight, making it a great choice for people looking for a thin and light device to work on.

(Image credit: Future)

• Battery Life: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (2025)?Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (2025) report card

Remarks

Score

Value

The starting price of the Surface Pro 12 is excellent, though you'll need to pay extra for the keyboard cover.

4 / 5

Design

A slick, if uninspiring, design that's thin and light. Shame about the thick bezels around the screen, though.

3.5 / 5

Performance

Windows 11 runs well for most tasks, and Arm support is improving. It does struggle with intensive use, however.

3 / 5

Battery Life

Almost 18 hours of battery on a single charge is excellent, and testament to the efficiency of the Arm chip powering this tablet.

5 / 5

Buy the Microsoft Surface Pro 12 if...

You want an easily portable Windows 11 device
This 2-in-1 can seriously challenge the iPad Pro's claim to the title of best tablet computer.

You’re after a 2-in-1 device
The Surface Pro 12 works well as a tablet, and with the addition of the Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard (sold separately), it becomes a decent laptop-like device for more complex tasks.

You hate fan noise
It’s a rare joy to use a Windows 11 device and not have the fans kicking in when you’re being too ambitious with your multitasking, but the Surface Pro 12’s fanless design shows it can be done.

Don't buy it if...

You feel like you’re missing out on AI features
Given the hype, it’s understandable if you already have a Windows 11 laptop, but want a Copilot+ PC like the Surface Pro 12 for the extra AI features – but trust me, they aren’t worth upgrading for… yet.

You want a slick experience
While running the full Windows 11 operating system is a big plus for productivity, it does mean the user experience, especially when the Surface Pro 12 is used exclusively as a tablet, is lacking.

You want the very best Surface Pro
The Surface Pro 12 (2025) is the latest Surface Pro, but it’s not the most powerful one – that’ll be last year’s Surface Pro 11. Microsoft has made a lot of compromises to get the price of the new Surface Pro down, which is commendable, but it does limit the device’s potential.

Also consider

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025)
The latest iPad Air impressed us with its M3-powered performance and overall slickness, and it's priced around the same as the Surface Pro 12 (2025). You're limited to mobile apps with the iPad Air, unlike the Surface Pro 12, but this does mean that the overall experience of using the iPad Air as a tablet is much smoother, thanks to the iPadOS operating system that's been built from the ground-up to support touchscreen controls.

Read our full Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025) review

Microsoft Surface Pro 11
The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is slightly older than the Surface Pro 12, but comes with a larger, and nicer screen, faster USB ports and better webcam - though it does cost more. However, you should find it on sale more often, which could make it better value.

Read the full Microsoft Surface Pro 11 review

How I tested the Microsoft Surface Pro 12

• I spent about a week with the Surface Pro 12
• I used it for everyday productivity
• I ran our standard suite of Windows laptop benchmarks

I've been using the Surface Pro 11 daily to write articles (including some of this review), browse the web and make video calls. I switched between using it in tablet mode, and with the Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard attached, turning it into a laptop-like device.

As well as using it for real-world tasks, I also ran TechRadar's standard suite of benchmark results. I've reviewed numerous iterations of Surface Pro devices, as well as competing tablets like the iPad Pro and some of the best laptops money can buy.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed June 2025

Motorola Edge 60 Pro two-minute review

When Motorola first started releasing its line of more affordable 'premium' Edge smartphones in 2020, it never could have expected that it'd be the last mobile brand to make truly eye-catching flagship phones.

That's not quite true, of course, but with expensive phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25, iPhone 16, and Xiaomi 15 all offering relatively boring designs that defy their hefty price tags, Moto is one of the few flagbearers whose top-end phones actually feel... well, top-end in 2025.

Moto has released a new generation of Edge phones each year since the debut of the Motorola Edge in 2020, and the Edge 60 Pro is the most advanced model of the current crop (at least until the next Ultra-branded model arrives). And thankfully, almost all of the previous models' selling points remain valid on the Edge 60 Pro.

Glancing at the phone's specs list, you might think it’s not an upgraded Edge 50 Pro, but rather a different ‘take' on it. And to a certain extent, that's true. The Edge 60 Pro and Edge 50 Pro are very similar phones, with the former bringing as many upgrades as downgrades. The newer model, for instance, has a bigger battery, a higher-res ultra-wide camera, and upgraded speakers, but those positives are counterbalanced by a lower screen refresh rate and slower charging (both wired and wireless).

Some users, then, might consider the Edge 60 Pro to be worse than, or equal to, its predecessor, but the proof is in the pudding, not on the specs sheet.

With the Edge 60 Pro, Motorola has rounded down some unnecessarily high features and balanced those perceived downgrades with upgrades that really matter. I don’t imagine many people need a 144Hz refresh display over 120Hz, for instance, or truly require the extra few minutes that 125W charging saves you over 90W.

The inclusion of Dolby Atmos speakers, meanwhile, tangibly improves the experience of watching movies and TV shows on the Edge 60 Pro, while the jump to another chipset provider results in a useful jump in power. The addition of reverse wired charging, too, is really useful if you're reliant on other gadgets.

These small-but-important improvements result in a phone that's strong in all areas, though not the best in any of them, and for the 99% of people who don't actually need the literal top specs available to them, that's okay.

The only exception comes in the camera department, which is still a weak point of the Edge series. A few annoying issues abound, but the real problem is that photos taken on the Edge 60 Pro are too devoid of color. They look lifeless and dull, as though the AI scene optimization shrugged and said, "I can't be bothered". The phone's camera performance doesn't compare to that of any top-end rivals.

That would be a bigger problem if the Edge 60 Pro were hampered by an extreme price tag, but it isn't. It undercuts pretty much all of the best Android phones by a decent margin, making it a borderline budget alternative that arguably feels fancier.

As sanded-down premium phones, Moto's Edge devices appeal to those who want to feel like they own a powerful phone but won't ever put that power to the test. Sure, the Edge 60 Pro won't win any benchmark battles, but in a year's time, when even the ultra-pricey Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has been transformed into an ugly box, Motorola's latest flagship will at least look the part. It's one of the best Motorola phones you can buy today.

Motorola Edge 60 Pro review: price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Released in April 2025
• Phone sells for £599 (roughly $800, AU$1,250)
• Price matches predecessor

The Motorola Edge 60 Pro was announced alongside a non-Pro version in April 2025, roughly a year on from the release of the previous series, albeit with a different selection of sibling suffixes.

You can pick up the phone for £599 (roughly $800, AU$1,250). Due to precedent, we don’t expect that Moto will release the Edge 60 Pro in the US, but an Australian announcement seems likely later this year, especially with the Edge 60 Fusion already selling in the country.

That price makes the Edge 60 Pro the most expensive non-folding smartphone sold by Motorola, but in the wider smartphone world, it’s on the border of mid-range and premium – which means it undercuts a lot of big-name flagship rivals. The Google Pixel 9, Samsung Galaxy S25, and iPhone 16 all cost more, while the supposedly budget-friendly iPhone 16e retails for the same price.

Motorola Edge 60 Pro review: specsMotorola Edge 60 Pro specs

Dimensions:

160.69 x 73.06 x 8.24mm

Weight:

186g

Screen:

6.7-inch FHD (1220 x 2712) 120Hz AMOLED

Chipset:

Mediatek Dimensity 8350

RAM:

12GB

Storage:

512GB

OS:

Android 15

Primary camera:

50MP, f/1.8

Ultra-wide camera:

50MP f/2.0 120-degree

Telephoto camera:

10MP, f/2.0 2x optical

Front camera:

50MP, f/2.0

Audio:

Dolby Atmos stereo speakers

Battery:

6,000mAh

Charging:

90W wired, 15W wireless

Colors:

Dazzling Blue, Sparkling Grape, Shadow

Motorola Edge 60 Pro review: design

(Image credit: Future)

• Premium curved-edge design
• Thin and lightweight
• Pantone-designed blue, khaki or purple

With companies like Samsung having seemingly jettisoned ‘attractive design’ from the list of important smartphone traits this year, I was worried that Motorola might abandon the Edge’s roots and follow suit. Fear not: the Motorola Edge 60 Pro is just as appealing as past entries (largely because it’s a dead ringer for past models).

To discuss the eye-catching part, we’ll have to start at the back: Moto typically offers these mobiles in a range of Pantone-designed hues, and it’s no different this time around. The model you see in the review images is Dazzling Blue, and there’s a greenish-khaki Shadow option too, but the real eye-catcher is Sparkling Grape, a vibrant and commanding purple. Unlike in some previous generations, Moto hasn’t included a literal color swatch on the back of the Edge 60 Pro, so you don’t feel like you’re texting on a walking paint advertisement.

Instead, the back features a slightly raised camera bump that’s incorporated well into the overall design; it's reminiscent of Oppo Find X phones before they became overdesigned. It doesn’t stick that far from the phone’s body, so you can put the handset flat on a surface without undue wobbling. The phone’s rear is also textured – slightly differently depending on the color option you pick – making it feel more premium than your average Android.

Moving to the sides reveals the Edge 60 Pro’s other premium feature: a curved-edge display (admittedly, the name does give it away). This means that the phone’s screen curves slightly at the edges to become incorporated seamlessly into the sides of the phone without ending at an abrupt angle. While curved edges are divisive, and admittedly are slightly frail and prone to accidental touches, they’re still considered a trait of premium mobiles. As a result, the Edge 60 Pro is much more comfortable to hold in the hand than your average flagship, and it just feels more advanced.

The edges of the phone also feature all the mandatory buttons, plus one extra one. The right edge has a power button – just about within thumb’s reach on my hand – and above it a volume rocker, which I had to stretch to use. But on the left side, high enough up that I couldn’t really reach it, is a new addition: the AI Key.

Pressing and holding this button brings up Motorola’s AI assistant, while double-pressing it either opens a note-taking function or quickly summarizes your notifications – all of these require a separate Motorola account. If you’ve no interest in AI features like this, you can turn them off in the settings menu.

Let’s briefly continue our tour around the Edge 60 Pro: the bottom edge has its USB-C charging port and the SIM card slot. There’s no 3.5mm jack for wired audio, like in past generations. And that's that in terms of design – except for the display, which we have a whole section about.

The total dimensions of the phone are 160.69 x 73.06 x 8.24mm, and it weighs 186g, so it’s on the lighter side of things.

Moto is also making a song and dance about the Edge 60 Pro’s protections. It has IP69 certification, indicating that it’s safe from dust ingress and high-pressure beams of water, plus the military MIL-STD-810H accreditation, which means it’s safe from shocks, high and low temperatures, high altitudes, and strong vibrations. We usually only see this kind of certification in rugged phones, but a growing number of consumer ones have them too – and it’s nice to know that your handset is protected from the unexpected.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Motorola Edge 60 Pro review: display

(Image credit: Future)

• 6.7 inches, 2712 x 1220 resolution
• 120Hz refresh rate and 4500-nit max brightness
• Various filters and modes to tweak

The Motorola Edge 60 Pro’s screen is 6.7-inches diagonally, a size Edge fans will be used to, and that’s not the only spec that the 60 Pro has in common with its predecessors: the resolution is once again 2712 x 1220, or FHD+, and the 20:9 aspect ratio makes the screen feel long and thin.

We can’t knock Motorola for a lack of design upgrades year-on-year, but some tech fans might be upset that the refresh rate has seen a downgrade from the Edge 50 Pro: it’s now 120Hz. But that’s matched by a massive brightness increase, of over double, to a new high of 4500 nits: suffice to say this is a phone that’s easy to use when you’re outdoors in the sun.

The screen is broken up by a pretty minimal punch-hole cut-out for the front-facing camera at the top. It has an embedded fingerprint scanner which… worked when it wanted to, let’s put it that way.

Motorola has stuffed quite a few design features into the Edge 60 Pro's display, including support for HDR10+ and DCI-P3 color space. There are also filters to reduce the amount of blue light coming from the display, which may placate people who use blue light filters to help them sleep (despite the scientific evidence that your phone’s blue light doesn’t affect sleep).

Pantone also shows its face for some display tweakery, with Moto’s listing for the Edge 60 Pro also mentioning “Pantone Validated Colour” and “Pantone Skintone Validated”, which suggests the color company had a hand in optimizing the screen.

Good job, too, because the Edge 60 Pro is pleasant to look at while watching movies and playing games, with nice contrast and vibrant colors.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Motorola Edge 60 Pro review: software

(Image credit: Future)

• Android 15 with four years of updates
• Customization options galore
• Moto AI useful for small tasks, not big ones

The Motorola Edge 60 Pro comes with Android 15 as its default software. This is stock Android, ostensibly how Google designed it, but with every new generation, Moto adds more and more tweaks that make it feel distinct from Pixel or Nokia phones.

I’ve already discussed arguably the biggest software change – the AI key and Moto AI in general, which the brand seems to be presenting as something you’ll opt to use over Google Assistant for various tasks and needs.

Moto AI is at its best when you’re using it for little tasks around your phone: you can ask it to take notes, set an update reminder, or create a new background for your device. But like other AI chatbots like ChatGPT, if you start to ask it questions, it provides you with the usual factually inaccurate (and oftentimes totally irrelevant) gibberish that you love to mock.

Some of the features that Moto is touting most simply don’t make sense – unless you’ve received an absolute deluge of messages since you last checked your phone, it takes longer to use Moto AI’s notification summary tool than simply to check your messages. There’s also a function that creates a bespoke playlist based on your mood, but it only supports Amazon Music, so if you use Spotify or Tidal, you’re out of luck.

What's more, every time I used the AI Key, the pop-up appeared with my last search or command, which I’d need to backspace from before starting my new task. I found it pretty frustrating.

Beyond its AI, the Edge 60 Pro retains Moto’s suite of personalization features, from the big things like background, font, and color scheme to the shape of icons and the animation that appears when you use the fingerprint unlock.

You can now also generate wallpapers based on your own prompt or a photo from your gallery. I sent this feature a photo of a cat, and it returned some patterned decals that looked like a marbled chocolate cake. Thanks, but I think I’ll just use the photo of the cat as my background. The point being: some of the AI's creations were very tangential from the original photo, but I appreciate that none of them resembled the phony tripe you usually get from AI image generators, which is definitely a plus.

Motorola has committed four years of software updates to the Edge 60 Pro. It’s a perfectly acceptable amount of time that’ll future-proof your phone, though it falls just shy of being an industry-leading figure.

• Software score: 3.5 / 5

Motorola Edge 60 Pro review: cameras

(Image credit: Future)

• 50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide and 10MP telephoto cameras
• 50MP front-facing
• Pictures look dull and colorless
• Offers the standard range of camera modes

There are three cameras on the back of the Moto Edge 60 Pro: a 50MP f/1.8 main snapper, a 50MP f/2.0 ultra-wide one with a 120-degree lens, and a 10MP f/2.0 telephoto camera which supports 3x optical zoom.

On paper, that seems like a solid range of snappers, giving you a range of ways to take pictures, whether you want to zoom in from a distance or get yourself nice and close (the ultra-wide snapper also supports a macro mode). But Moto has yet to put out a killer camera phone, and the Edge 60 Pro doesn’t change that streak.

The main issue, which certainly isn’t new for Moto phones, is that pictures are just a little more dull and desaturated than they’d be on any other phone. While many brands pride themselves on the vibrancy of snaps you can take with their phone cameras, the pictures I took on the Edge simply weren’t social media-worthy due to how lifeless they look.

It’s a shame, because technically, the photos taken aren't terrible – I was really fond of using the telephoto lens, for instance, as its depth of field was exquisite, and thanks to the high-res snappers, photos have lots of detail. But while some photos could be saved by dropping them into Photoshop, this shouldn’t be a necessary step for smartphone photographs to look worthy.

(Image credit: Future)

That’s not my only issue with the Edge 60 Pro's cameras, though it’s the only one that can’t be deactivated. Firstly, the background bokeh blur on Portrait shots is intense – you can change this, but I only noticed after taking a few shots, so make sure to tweak it yourself. But the other biggie is macro mode, which by default turns on when you put the phone near a close-up subject.

When this mode turns on, it jumps over to the ultra-wide lens, which is lower positionally than the other two (when you’re holding the phone horizontally to take a shot). This often meant that the subject was in a different spot of the frame, or not in frame, causing the camera to decide that I was no longer trying to take a macro snap, and jump back to the main camera, whereupon it’d see the subject again. Rinse and repeat, you can see how this goes.

The camera app features most of the photography and video modes that you’re used to seeing on an Android phone, like slow-mo video, night vision shots, and tilt-shift photography. Video recording goes up to 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps.

The selfie camera is a 50MP f/2.0 snapper, and it uses an ultra-wide lens so that you can take wider group shots if you need, though it defaults to the one-person view. These pictures suffer from the aforementioned issues, specifically Portrait absolutely obliterating the background, and the color tuning being lackluster – in the examples below, there's an odd green hue to several of the images.

• Camera score: 3 / 5

Motorola Edge 60 Pro camera samplesImage 1 of 8

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(Image credit: Future)Motorola Edge 60 Pro review: performance and audio

(Image credit: Future)

• Uses the Dimensity 8350 chipset
• 12GB RAM and 512GB Storage
• Dolby Atmos-tuned stereo speakers

The Motorola Edge 60 Pro marks a shift for Moto in that it's moved from the dominant chipset maker Qualcomm to its underdog rival Mediatek.

The phone uses the Mediatek Dimensity 8350 chipset, a fairly powerful mid-range Android chip that we also saw in the Oppo Reno 13 Pro. Like in that contemporary handset, it provides good amounts of power, enough that most users won’t notice a difference between it and true top-end ones for most ordinary tasks.

A Geekbench 5 benchmark test on the Edge 60 Pro returned a multi-core score of 4,504, which is a solid upgrade on the roughly 3,000 score we saw on the Edge 50 Pro, and even better than the Reno 13’s 4,042.

The sole configuration on sale offers 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, which is generous: it means you’ve got loads of space to store years of photos and countless apps, and the RAM ensures the handset feels fast to use. There’s also RAM boost, which lets you sacrifice some storage space for a speed increase; a feature that has niche appeal but will be useful to certain users.

Audio-wise, Moto has long since binned off the 3.55mm jack in its Edge phones. However, you’re getting Dolby Atmos-tuned stereo speakers instead, which isn’t quite as good as wired headphones, but it’ll do.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Motorola Edge 60 Pro review: battery life

(Image credit: Future)

• Boosted 6,000mAh battery
• 90W wired charging, 15W wireless
• Reverse wired charging is new

Motorola has packed the Edge 60 Pro with a massive 6,000mAh battery, which is markedly bigger than the cell in its predecessor, though that upgrade is counterbalanced – on paper, at least – by a decrease in charging speed.

A big power pack like this ensures that the Edge 60 Pro can breeze through a day of use without running out of power, which isn’t a guarantee with big-screen phones these days. I also found that the Edge 60 Pro could withstand lengthy gaming sessions without draining too much power.

However, the amount of battery drain ensured that this isn't a two-day phone; it'll need daily recharges.

The charging speed sits at 90W, which, while technically a downgrade from the 125W powering on the Edge 50 Pro, is still an impressive figure. The difference between the two can be measured in mere minutes of charging speed, and I think most people won’t even notice the downgrade.

Motorola estimates that the charging time for the Edge 60 Pro is 40 minutes; however, to get this speed, it recommends that you use a sold-separately charger, which I couldn’t actually find on its website (in the box, you get a USB-C to USB-C cable but no mains plug). Mind you, even when using a third-party fast charger, my charging times weren’t that much longer.

Like any good premium phone, the Edge 60 Pro also offers wireless charging, although it too has seen a speed downgrade versus the last-gen model. It can support wireless charging at 15W and, while there’s no longer support for reverse wireless charging, the Edge 60 Pro does offer reverse wired charging, which lets you use it as a little power bank to charge other gadgets.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Motorola Edge 60 Pro review: value

(Image credit: Future)

Throughout this review, I've been mentally referring to the Motorola Edge 60 Pro as a premium phone, which is both correct and wrong.

It's a correct designation in that the specs are all there, but wrong in that the phone doesn't actually cost quite as much as a Galaxy, iPhone, or Pixel.

The bottom line: the Edge 60 Pro is a great-value phone if you want a top-end mobile, because you're paying a bit less for mostly-similar specs. Sure, its cameras will leave you wanting, but in almost every other department, the Edge 60 Pro is a winner.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Motorola Edge 60 Pro?Motorola Edge 60 Pro score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

You're basically getting a premium smartphone for a lower price, which sounds good to me!

4 / 5

Design

The phone feels and looks premium, and it's well-protected with military-grade accreditation.

4 / 5

Display

The Edge 60 Pro has a high-res screen with a top max brightness and useful extra features.

4 / 5

Software

It's a clean software with customization options and a long shelf life, even if Moto is relying too much on AI as a big new feature.

3.5 / 5

Camera

Photos look dull and there are one or two other issues with the cameras that lose it points.

3 / 5

Performance

The chipset suits most tasks and there's lots of storage and RAM to go around.

4 / 5

Battery

It's fast to charge and has a decently-sized battery, though there are some downgrades here.

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a premium phone (without the price tag)
The Moto Edge 60 Pro is more or less a premium smartphone; however, it's cheaper than Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi rivals.

Looks are important
Some people swaddle their smartphone in a case, but if you prefer to let people see the mobile you're rocking, this svelte and colorful Moto is what you'll want them to see.

You want a smart AI assistant
If you're overly reliant on ChatGPT to make your shopping lists or plan your holidays, maybe Moto AI will be a good addition to your smartphone.

Don't buy it if...

You upload loads of pics to social media
Photos taken on the Edge 60 Pro will take some work in an editing app to make them social media-worthy; not great if you want to upload them quickly and without fuss.

You don't like curved-edge displays
Phones with curved-edge displays can be divisive and in the case of the Moto, the feature is so important that it's literally in the name.

Motorola Edge 60 Pro review: Also consider

Still not sold on the Motorola Edge 60 Pro? Here are some other comparable smartphones you should consider looking at instead:

iPhone 16e
For the same price as the Moto, you can pick up Apple's newest budget phone. It's an option for people who would rather an Apple over an Android, though you'll lose out on myriad flagship specs.

Read our full iPhone 16e review

Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra
This burly Android phone costs a little more than the Moto, but not much. It has more processing power, a higher-res display, and faster charging, but it suffers from a cluttered operating system,a smaller battery, and fewer cameras. It's pretty colorfu,l though!

Read our full Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra review

Motorola Edge 50 Pro
The previous-gen Moto was going to be an obvious comparison, but it's doubly true given that many of its specs actually trump the 60 Pro on paper. Plus, it's enjoyed a year's worth of price cuts.

Read our full Motorola Edge 50 Pro review

Motorola Edge 60 Pro

iPhone 16e

Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra

Motorola Edge 50 Pro

Starting price (at launch):

£599 (roughly $800, AU$1,250)

$599 / £599 / AU$999

£649 (roughly $900, AU$1,400)

£599.99 / AU$999 (roughly $800)

Dimensions:

160.69 x 73.06 x 8.24mm

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm

160.3 x 75 x 8.4mm

161.2 x 72.4 x 8.2mm

Weight:

186g

167g

212g

186g

OS (at launch):

Android 15

iOS 18

Android 15, HyperOS 2

Android 14

Screen Size:

6.7-inch

6.1-inch

6.67-inch

6.7-inch

Resolution:

2712 x 1220

2532 x 1170

1440 x 3200

1220 x 2712

CPU:

Mediatek Dimensity 8350

Apple A18

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3

RAM:

12GB

8GB

12GB / 16GB

up to 12GB

Storage (from):

512GB

128GB / 256GB / 512GB

256GB / 512GB

256GB / 512GB

Battery:

6,000mAh

4,005mAh

5,300mAh

4,500mAh

Rear Cameras:

50MP main, 10MP telephoto. 50MP ultra-wide

48MP main

50MP main, 32MP ultra-wide

50MP main, 10MP telephoto, 13MP ultra-wide

Front camera:

50MP

12MP

32MP

50MP

How I tested the Motorola Edge 60 Pro

• Review test period = 2 weeks
• Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
• Tools used = Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

I tested the Motorola Edge 60 Pro for two weeks in order to write this review.

In that time, I used it as my normal phone, which involved socializing, listening to music, taking pictures, and playing games, as well as lots of other normal tasks.

I also did some 'lab' tests with the phone, as you'll have read about in the performance section of this review, in order to get a more objective understanding of its power.

I've been reviewing smartphones for TechRadar for over six years now, and even reviewed the original Moto Edge models. So, I'm well-versed in the brand and its various handsets.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2025

Planning everyday activities can be hectic, both in corporate and personal settings. Juggling different duties becomes more difficult without proper scheduling and delegation. The best task management apps fulfill this need by providing platforms that make it easy to schedule and stay reminded about tasks.

Superlist is one of the most creative task management apps. It’s a versatile tool designed for both to-do lists, collaboration, and real-time communication. I thoroughly tested this tool to evaluate its features, user-friendliness, customer support, and other vital criteria. Read on to learn what Superlist offers as a task management solution.

Superlist: Plans and pricing

Superlist is a freemium task management app, i.e., it has both free and paid plans. The free plan is more permissive than most freemium task management apps I’ve reviewed. It allows you to add unlimited tasks and notes, and share lists with up to five people. You also have 500 MB of file storage under this plan.

The Pro plan costs $10 per month, unlocking access to more sophisticated features. It includes unlimited private lists, sublists within your existing lists, artificial intelligence (AI) features, third-party integrations, and 25 GB of file storage. The free plan is great, but the Pro plan unlocks access to many more features that I liked.

Superlist also offers a Pro plan for teams, costing $12 per member per month. It provides all features of the Pro plan and unlimited shared lists for a team.

I consider Superlist’s pricing fair, given the features it provides. It costs more than many task management apps I’ve tested, but it provides more advanced features.

Superlist: Features

Superlist is one of the most versatile task management tools I’ve tested. It features an interactive, user-friendly interface that distinguishes it from most of its rivals. Signing up was a seamless process, and I quickly moved to test its features.

I like that new users get on-screen tips to guide them through the interface. The “+ Create New” button is prominently featured at the bottom, and clicking it allows you to create a task.

You can place a task under a new list or a previously created one. Each task will have a unique title and notes to provide context. For example, you can add images to your task notes. Similarly, you can add videos, bullet points, and paragraphs to the notes.

(Image credit: Superlist)

I appreciate that Superlist allows users to add tasks via voice commands, although this feature is only available to Pro subscribers.

You can send a voice note dictating a task and its deadline, and Superlist will automatically add it to your dashboard. It occasionally provided incorrect details during my test, which was expected for an AI-based system still in its early stages of development. Yet, it’s an impressive feature that I enjoyed using.

I also liked the creative feature of turning emails into tasks. This feature works with Gmail, so you’ll need to first connect your Gmail account. Then, you'll mark emails with the "Superlist" label.

Superlist will convert emails with this label into tasks; the email subject line will serve as the task title, and the email body will appear in the task's details. You can also set Superlist to provide an AI-assisted summary of the emails it converts to tasks.

Task management apps always include reminders, and Superlist is no exception. You can set due dates and get reminders. Superlist will send push notifications to your desktop or smartphone or send alerts to your email address.

(Image credit: Superlist)

I’ve discussed the personal features so let’s now focus on the collaborative features. Superlist supports real-time collaboration with an intuitive interface that makes the process seamless and efficient. It features a chat tool that enables colleagues to communicate quickly with one another.

The chat tool felt like using Slack, a popular business communication app, although it lacks some of its features. You can send voice notes to colleagues or create chat groups to pass on relevant information.

As an administrator, you can invite team members to your lists, and they will be able to view their assigned tasks. You’ll control who can create or edit new tasks. If a permitted team member creates a task, everyone will get notified and receive a reminder on the specified date.

Although its collaborative features are designed for corporate teams, Superlist can also be used by friends or families seeking a shared task management app.

Superlist: Interface and in-use

Superlist has a unique interface among its rivals. Yes, it’s user-friendly, but that’s not all. It feels way smoother to navigate than most task management apps I’ve tested. It has a responsive interface with seamless continuity.

You can access Superlist from your web interface. Alternatively, you can download the app on your desktop (for macOS and Windows) or smartphone (for iOS and Android). This widespread compatibility is a main benefit of choosing Superlist.

Superlist: Customer support

Superlist provides detailed user guides in its Help Center. You can check the Help Center to troubleshoot issues you encounter while using the app.

If you need further help, you can contact Superlist’s support team via email. There is no live chat or telephone support, which I didn’t like, especially considering the tool costs $10 per month for individuals and more for teams.

Superlist: The competition

Any.do is the closest Superlist competitor I’d like to highlight. It boasts one of the most responsive interfaces, matching Superlist’s, and offers a wide range of features for both personal and collaborative task management.

Any.do supports voice commands, although indirectly via integration with Apple Siri. It allows you to convert emails directly into tasks, just like Superlist. Yet, it offers broader third-party integrations than Superlist, making it ideal for corporate use.

I prefer Superlist for individual use and Any.do for corporate use, but they can still work interchangeably.

Superlist: Final verdict

Superlist ranks as one of the best task management apps I’ve tested. It’s a relatively young platform, founded in 2020, so it isn’t as popular as many established rivals. However, it’s a hidden gem that I enjoyed using. It has some drawbacks, such as limited customer support, but the pros outweigh the cons.

We've also listed the best todo list apps.

Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe review

The Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe is a weighty charging stand that can wirelessly charge an Apple Watch along with a compatible phone or earbuds case. It has a list price of $119.99 / £109.99 on the Belkin website, and can also be found at Amazon, with occasional offers appearing from both retailers in the form of discounts or purchase incentives.

At that price, it’s clear the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe isn’t a budget option. But that doesn’t stop it offering a sturdy yet space-saving wireless charging solution that’ll happily charge three Apple devices, albeit not at the same time.

(Image credit: Future)

The 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe comes in two colorways: Charcoal or Sand. The charger I’ve tested is the Charcoal model, which is composed of a super-soft-to-the-touch silicone-like outer material, with metallic accents on the charging pad hinge and the Apple Watch charging puck holder that's fixed to the back of the charging stand. It became clear that dust could pose a problem straight out of the box, as the silicone material acted like a dust and lint magnet, so it took a bit of effort to keep it looking its best.

I was pleased to find that a 30W USB-C power supply comes as standard, as one should expect for the price, and the USB-C power cable is braided, giving it a more premium feel. This detail is something I don’t see all that often, even amongst the best wireless chargers, but very much appreciate when it comes along, as I did when I reviewed the ESR Qi2 Mini Wireless Charger, too. This is not simply because it looks good, but because it can often withstand more action than standard flexible plastic coverings that can split over time. The cable isn’t removable, which I’m usually not a fan of, but I’m not fussed in this instance, as this charging dock clearly isn’t designed to be relocated regularly, plus it reduces the chance of someone else in your household pinching the cable to power something else.

(Image credit: Future)

As the 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe had dimensions of 4.1 x 2.8 x 3.1 inches / 105 x 71 x 78 mm, it was nice that I could charge all of my devices without taking up a load of desktop or nightstand space. And I really appreciated the adjustable viewing angles that the charging dock offered, as I could keep the pad flat to charge my earbuds, or angle it up to 70 degrees to watch content on my iPhone, or toggle StandBy Mode. I found the non-slip base, strong MagSafe grip, and 1 lb / 450g weight of the charging dock to be reliable for the entirity of my testing, standing its ground and keeping a firm hold of my phone despite my poking and prodding.

As a brand, Belkin looks to be paying particular attention to the environmental impact of their products, and it was nice to see that the BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe came in plastic-free packaging. Belkin also states this wireless charger includes a minimum of 60% post-consumer recycled materials, too.

(Image credit: Future)

In terms of iPhone charging speeds, this MagSafe charging dock lagged almost 20 minutes behind other 2-in-1 wireless chargers I’ve tested from competitors like Anker and UGreen, taking 142 minutes to recharge our iPhone 13 Pro, which has a battery capacity of 2,600mAh. The Apple Watch charging speed was another story, however, as it took just 58 minutes to fully charge my Apple Watch Series 9, making it one of the fastest Apple Watch chargers I’ve tested to date.

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a reliable multi-device wireless charger to take up residence on your desk or nightstand, then the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe is well worth your consideration. It may not be the fastest iPhone charger out there, but it’s perfect for passive charging while you work or catch some Zs, and the speedy Apple Watch charging speed is definitely a bonus. If you’re still on the fence about which wireless charger format would work best for you, I recommend checking out my selection of the best wireless chargers for some inspiration.

Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe review: Price & specs

Price

$119.99 / £109.99

Model

WIZ020

Max power output

15W

Devices charged

2

Charging tech

MagSafe

Connection

Fixed – USB-C

Weight

1lb / 450g

Dimensions

4.1 x 2.8 x 3.1 inches / 104 x 71 x 78mm

Should I buy the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe?Buy it if…

You want a charger that’ll stand its ground
Despite having a compact footprint, this charger’s weight and low center of gravity mean it won’t be easily knocked down.

You want a convenient nightstand charger
The adjustable viewing angle, combined with how easy it is to rotate an iPhone on the MagSafe charging pad to trigger StandBy Mode, makes this a great charger for the bedside.

Don't buy it if…

You want speedy iPhone charging
While it made quick work of charging my Apple Watch, the iPhone charging speed proved underwhelming.

You want something easy to clean
As delightfully tactile as the silicone outer is, it acts like a dust magnet and has trouble letting go. So if you like to keep your things dust-free, this particular charger may prove a bit of a challenge.

Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe review: Also consider

Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station 3-in-1 Stand
If you want to charge all three of your devices at once and have the space to spare, then this 3-in-1 stand from Anker is a great choice. Not only does its wide base offer plenty of stability, but it also boasts satisfyingly fast iPhone and Apple Watch charging speeds, and it’s cheaper, too! Check out my full review of the Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station 3-in-1 Stand if you’d like to learn more.