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It’s Batman Day and as both a Batman and 4K Blu-ray fan, I had to celebrate the occasion. The caped crusader first debuted in May 1939 (a whopping 87 years ago!) and, ever since, has become one of the most iconic figures of page and screen.

While many remember the classic 1966 Batman series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, the character’s first appearance on-screen was in 1943, in a 15-part serial also titled Batman. Since then, we’ve seen numerous animated shows and big-budget movies starring DC’s comic book hero.

I thought I’d pick out some of my favorite 4K Blu-rays (and even some standard Blu-rays) of the caped crusader to help you celebrate the day, including one disc I regularly use as a benchmark for testing the best TVs and best soundbars.

The Batman (2022)Warner Bros. / Future Future / Warner Bros. Discovery

One of the latest big-screen adaptations, The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson in the title role, follows Bruce Wayne’s early years as the Dark Knight, as he deals with a serial killer named The Riddler (Paul Dano), while also navigating corruption in Gotham and a deepening mystery involving Bruce’s own family.

Anyone who reads my work on TechRadar will know that this is one of my go-to discs for AV testing. Its low brightness and numerous high-contrast scenes make it an excellent test for any display, while the superb shadow detail and crisp textures provide plenty to scrutinise. The interesting camera work also gives the film a murky, gloomy look that perfectly captures the seedy underbelly of Gotham.

If you have a Dolby Vision-capable TV, you’ll be rewarded with some truly breathtaking images that really show off what your screen can do. The best OLED TVs are particularly impressive with this disc, making it a no-brainer for my TV testing.

The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is immersive and packed with detail. My reference scene is the Batmobile/Penguin chase sequence, which shows off just about every element of a home theater surround sound system or soundbar. From the roaring bass of the Batmobile’s engine to the precisely mapped sound of swerving traffic and hail of bullets, The Batman is essential for anyone looking to hear their sound system shine.

Batman Forever (1995)Warner Bros / Future Warner Bros / Future

Directed by Joel Schumacher, Batman Forever took a more colorful approach than Tim Burton’s previous movies, Batman (1989) and Batman Returns. Starring Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne/Batman, he must deal with the joint threat of Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and The Riddler (Jim Carrey).

This is the first Batman movie I remember watching growing up. While the film itself remains divisive among Batman fans, that shouldn’t detract from what is a fantastic 4K Blu-ray release. Its bold, neon colors really pop on-screen, especially in Dolby Vision, with the Riddler's vibrant greens, the neon light tubes used throughout Gotham and the movie's vivid reds all bursting with colour.

There’s excellent use of shadow here, too, with the often melodramatic shots of characters standing forlornly over lamps creating a dynamic image. On an OLED, such as the LG G6 I used for testing, blacks are rich and inky throughout, while the 4K upscale delivers crisp textures, particularly with skin tones.

Batman Forever's Dolby Atmos soundtrack is just as impressive. The sound of the batarang cutting through the air is precisely mapped to rear channels, creating a wonderfully immersive effect on a surround-sound system. Explosions have plenty of heft, bullets pack a satisfying punch, and Two-Face’s helicopter at the start of the movie is a great showcase for Atmos.

The Dark Knight (2008)Warner Bros / Future Warner Bros / Future

The second entry in Christoper Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, The Dark Knight, sees Batman (Christian Bale) go head-to-head with the Joker (played brilliantly by the late Heath Ledger), a criminal mastermind who seeks to plunge Gothan into chaos and push Batman to his very limits.

The 4K Blu-ray of The Dark Knight looks fantastic throughout, but it’s the IMAX scenes where it shines. The opening bank robbery is packed with intricate detail, from the Joker’s creased suit, the robbers' mask, to the densely packed streets of Gotham city. Later, as Batman stands amid smouldering wreckage in another IMAX-shot sequence, the rich black levels and superb shadow detail look sublime on OLED.

There are some seriously impressive high-contrast scenes, too. During the prison escort, as cars move into the tunnels, the contrast between the dark surroundings and the trucks and overhead lights create a fantastic picture.

The DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack is phenomenal. In the opening scene, the score is perfectly balanced, with the scratching strings mapped to the left rear and the ticking clock mapped to the right, all while the front channels handle the main action. Subwoofers will get a nice workout, thanks to the monstrous explosions, thumping bullets, and punchy Tumbler engine. There’s some excellent detail, too, when Batman rides his bike for instance. As the camera’s perspective changes, the trajectory of the sound is mapped to the correct channel with real precision.

The Lego Batman Movie (2017) Warner Bros / FutureWarner Bros / Future

The Lego Batman Movie follows Batman (Will Arnett), Robin (Michael Cera) and Batgirl (Rosario Dawson) as they try to foil the Joker’s (Zach Galifianakis) plans to take over Gotham city. This was a spin-off of the highly successful The Lego Movie, where Arnett’s Batman was first introduced.

Again, this movie looks superb in 4K. Color reproduction is fantastic, with bright, bold and lively colors throughout. The greens of the Joker’s hair and Riddler’s costume really pop, as do all the other colors, too. On the LG G6, reds were rich and deep, bringing excellent texture to images. Speaking of textures, the crisp animation looks slick, with the 4K detail really capturing the Lego look.

There are plenty of high-contrast scenes here, too, with bold HDR highlights standing out against deep shadows — such as the contrast between Batman’s eyes and his cowl. Shadow detail is excellent, retaining plenty of texture and defintion in even the darkest areas.

The disc includes both Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtracks. Atmos delivers weighty but controlled bass, with the Batwing’s engines and the impact of explosions providing plenty of low-end punch. Directionality is excellent, too, especially during scenes with a lot of movement. The sound follows movement precisely, and it’s all mapped around the surround sound. The DTS-HD 5.1 track isn’t quite as powerful, but it has a pleasing warmth and plenty of detail.

Bonus: Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)Warner Bros / FutureWarner Bros / Future

Debuting in 1992, Batman: The Animated Series is arguably one of the most famous adaptations of Batman’s adventures on-screen, with an all-star cast including Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker.

This is a rare Blu-ray recommendation from me, but for Batman Day, it would be impossible to leave the series out. Textures have been upscaled nicely and the beautiful animation and art style really benefits from the HD makeover. Colors are bright, vibrant and accurate across every episode, while the lack of HDR is hardly a drawback given how good the series looks.

Audio comes courtesy of a DTS-HD MA 2.0 mix, so while it won't put your surround-sound system through its paces, it's crips and clear, with clean dialogue, punchy effects and surprisingly good directionality. The iconic score is beautifully rendered — which, if you’re like me, will scratch that nostalgia itch nicely.

Three reporters were blocked from the White House grounds Saturday morning, a day after President Trump said CNN, Politico, and MS NOW would be banned for reporting "FICTION and LIES."

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Reacher season 5: key information

- Season 5 renewed before season 4 even aired
- Will be based on Lee Child's 2015 novel Make Me
- Alan Ritchson will likely be joined by new cast members
- No production schedule or release date has been confirmed

Reacher season 4 has only just ended, and I'm already thinking about what could be to come in Reacher season 5.

That's partially because I wasn't completely taken with the season 4 storyline. My favorite Reacher seasons are where we see him drifting through small US towns that we've never heard of, punching a load of people as penance for their crimes, and then leaving.

But season 4 moved us towards a big city political espionage narrative — a move that clearly divided viewers, not just me. But with season 5 already renewed by Amazon, the first plot details reveal that we're heading away from the city once again.

But what has Prime Video actually told us about what to expect from Reacher season 5? We're breaking down everything from release date speculation to potential cast below.

Reacher season 5 release window predictions

(Image credit: Prime Video)

With no production schedule currently public, it's going to be a little while before Reacher season 5 hits our screens.

Based on season 4's filming calendar, which ran from June-November 2025, we can guess that the very earliest we'd see season 5 episodes is late 2027.

While season 4 aired from August 2026, seasons 1-3 dropped anywhere from December to February, which again, could influence when we might see season 5.

Renewal news came in May 2026, with Peter Friedlander, Head of Global Television, Amazon MGM Studios, explaining in a statement: “The series’ ability to combine high-octane action with compelling character storytelling continues to resonate with tens of millions of viewers around the world.

"We’re excited to move forward with a fifth season ahead of Season 4's debut and to build on this incredible momentum.”

Reacher season 5 trailer: is there one?

Don't be silly. It took us until the end of July 2026 to get one for season 4, so expect the first full trailer to arrive around two weeks before the fifth season does.

Reacher season 5 cast

Michelle Pfeiffer leads our new cast. (Image credit: Prime Video)

As Reacher's supporting cast tends to change on a season-to-season basis, the only person we can guarantee will return for season 5 is Reacher himself: Alan Ritchson.

However, past cast members such as Neagley (Maria Sten) appeared in multiple seasons of the show, so there's currently nothing stopping the below season 4 cast from returning:

• Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher
• Sydelle Noel as Tamara Green
• Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette as Jacob Merrick
• Kevin Corrigan as Detective Shaun Docherty
• Kevin Weisman as Russell Plum

The above hugely depends on how closely show creators will follow the original novel's source material. We can quite easily rule out Neagley's return now that she has her own spinoff.

New faces will likely be announced as filming kicks off, so watch this space.

Reacher season 5 plot predictions

(Image credit: Prime Video)

We know that Reacher season 5 will adapt Child's novel Make Me, which is the 20th installment in his Jack Reacher series.

In short, Reacher arrives at a remote, quiet prairie stop named Mother's Rest. There he meets Michelle Chang, a former FBI agent turned private investigator who is searching for her missing partner, Keever. Together, they trace clues across Chicago, Los Angeles, and the Deep Web, uncovering a horrific online operation.

With the local townspeople hostile and incredibly cryptic, it feels as though the season's tone will be more similar to seasons 1 and 3. However, the ties to bigger cities — particularly Chicago — provides a potential gateway for old characters to return.

At this stage, we're running before we can walk. I'm just glad that once again, the small town feeling wins out.

Black Panther 3: key information

- Officially announced in July 2026
- One of three movies that's part of Marvel Phase 7
- Set to debut in December 2028
- Filming yet to begin, so no trailer/footage to pore over
- First cast members confirmed
- No story details have been unveiled
- Unclear on how it'll impact the MCU

Black Panther 3 is already primed to round out Marvel's 2028 line-up on the big screen. Indeed, with its launch set for December 2028, we know it'll be one of three movies the comic book giant will release in just over two years' time.

What do we know so far about our next trip to Wakanda? Below, I've rounded up all the latest information on the forthcoming Marvel film, including its official release date, confirmed cast, and more. Let's dive in, then — altogether now: Yibambe!

Black Panther 3 release date

Just announced in Hall H: Ryan Coogler returns to Marvel Studios to direct Black Panther 3, only in theaters December 15, 2028. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/j8XZoLd4s2July 26, 2026

Black Panther 3 is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters worldwide on December 15, 2028. That launch date was revealed during Marvel's Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026 in late July.

There's no word on when filming might begin or how much of the script has been written. However, it's highly unlikely the cameras will start rolling until principal photography has wrapped on Avengers: Secret Wars, aka the final film of the Marvel Multiverse Saga.

The reason? Some of Black Panther 3's confirmed cast (more on them shortly) will appear in the sixth Avengers movie, so it won't enter full production until they're available to shoot it.

Black Panther 3 trailer: is there one?

We won't see a trailer starring Shuri (pictured) or any other Wakandan for a good while yet (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

No — and it's going to be a long time before a teaser for the next Black Panther movie is publicly released.

If I had to guess, I expect its first trailer will be unveiled at SDCC 2028. That's a good 18 months away, so don't expect me to update this article section for some time.

Black Panther 3 confirmed cast

David Jonsson is your new Black Panther. Black Panther 3, directed by Ryan Coogler, arrives in theaters December 15, 2028. pic.twitter.com/JILHDOelQEJuly 26, 2026

Per Marvel.com, here's the confirmed cast so far:

• David Jonsson as T'Challa II
• Letitia Wright as Shuri
• Winston Duke as M'Baku

Jonsson (Alien: Romulus, The Long Walk) was officially announced as T'Challa II — FYI, his legal name is Toussaint — at SDCC 2026.

We first met T'Challa's son in the final scene of 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but it was unclear if he'd ever succeed his father and become the technologically advanced African nation's new protector-in-chief.

Indeed, speaking exclusively to TechRadar back in February 2025, Black Panther producer Nate Moore suggested that the eponymous hero wouldn't be played by a third actor. The first two being, of course, the late Chadwick Boseman, who played T'Challa before his passing in August 2021, and Letitia Wright, whose Marvel character Shuri assumed the mantle in Wakanda Forever.

Now, though, we know that Jonsson will play the grown-up version of T'Challa II. Chatting to Empire magazine, Marvel President Kevin Feige revealed Jonsson was cast after a secret meeting in February 2026, so Moore wasn't pulling the wool over our eyes 12 months earlier.

Shuri is the most recent Marvel character to assume the role of Black Panther (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Meanwhile, Wright told Entertainment Weekly that she's happy for Jonsson to take ownership of the role, although there's no word on whether Shuri will have passed the torch by the start of this movie, or whether it'll happen as part of its plot.

Jonsson won't be the only Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debutant in Black Panther 3.

Speaking on The Today Show in late 2025, multi-award-winning actor Denzel Washington dropped the bombshell that he'll appear in the threequel. Per Variety, Washington personally called director Ryan Coogler to apologize for jumping the gun on that announcement, but everything's been smoothed over now. Indeed, Coogler doubled down on Washington's casting during a chat with people.com, though he declined to reveal the identity of the A-lister's character.

As for other stars who might feature, it's possible Danai Gurira might return as Okoye, the former head of Wakanda's Dora Milaje. Lupita Nyong'o could be back as Nakia, aka T'Challa II's mom, too. Until Marvel announces their returns, I'll keep them off the confirmed cast list.

Black Panther 3 plot rumors

David Jonsson is your new Black Panther. Black Panther 3, directed by Ryan Coogler, arrives in theaters December 15, 2028. pic.twitter.com/39FVl9fwbzJuly 26, 2026

Predictably, there are no story details for Black Panther 3. Marvel is fully focused on Avengers: Doomsday, which arrives in cinemas this December, and its Secret Wars sequel, which comes out in December 2027. With the MCU's future being dictated by what happens in these films, we won't have any concrete information about Black Panther 3's plot until the Multiverse Saga has drawn to a close.

That said, there are a couple of things we can speculate on.

For starters, if T'Challa II adopts the Black Panther mantle and also plans on ruling Wakanda, M'Baku — the leader of the Jabari Tribe and the African nation's current monarch — would need to step aside. Will he do so willingly, or will T'Challa II have to fight him in ritual combat for that honor?

Chadwick Boseman left some big shoes to fill for the next incumbent of Wakanda's superhero-in-chief (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Then, as I mentioned earlier, it'll be interesting to see if T'Challa II is already the new Black Panther by the time this Marvel Phase 7 movie starts. The alternative is that he'll replace Shuri at some point during its runtime. This might be a better way of introducing T'Challa II to audiences and giving him a traditional hero's journey to embark on before he becomes the Black Panther's latest custodian.

On top of all that, we'll eventually learn if Washington's character is an ally or enemy of Wakanda's aristocracy, and what role the fictional kingdom will play in version 2.0 of the MCU (I'll circle back to this in a moment). Furthermore, we should find out whether Boseman's legacy as T'Challa, and his untimely death, will loom as large over proceedings as it did in Wakanda Forever. Once more has been discussed by those involved in the movie's production, I'll update this section.

How will Black Panther 3 impact the MCU?

M'Baku will make his next MCU appearance in the third Black Panther movie (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

In short: nobody knows. As I said earlier, we've got to get through Doomsday and Secret Wars before we know what version 2.0 of the MCU will look like. Once we do, we'll have a better understanding of how Black Panther and Wakanda fit into Marvel's streamlined cinematic universe.

While we wait, find out everything we know so far about Avengers: Doomsday and then get the full lowdown on Avengers: Secret Wars.

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A smart lock upgrade offers excellent utility and control without sacrificing privacy.

Now that MobLand season 2 has started streaming on Paramount+, I'm glad we've got more insanely epic television to watch. Nonetheless, in recent times, we've been preoccupied with the unverified Tom Hardy rumors that dogged this season's filming schedule.

In late May, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) claimed that, if MobLand season 3 was to be renewed — which it has been — shooting would begin later this year. However, gossip about Hardy's behavior on set was not only said to have "spooked producers", but even led to the star's firing from the hit crime drama.

THR's source said: "He refused to come out of his trailer for hours at a time. He kept the cast waiting, [which is] a power play. Keeping Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, and others waiting is career suicide, I would wager.”

However, speaking to Variety a separate source refuted those accusations, adding: "Tom was not fired, the door is not closed for season 3, and things are being worked through creatively."

We now know that Hardy is confirmed to return for MobLand season 3, and the cast has moved quickly to shoot down any supposed tension on set. Indeed, Anson Boone (Eddie Harrigan), Mandeep Dhillion (Seraphina Harrigan), and Teddie Allen (Gina Da Souza) all confirmed to TechRadar that the cast is "all family."

'It feels like family'

"Just fun, isn't it? Because we all know each other so well," Dhillon replied when I ask what the on-set vibes were like for season 2. "More playful. It's nice coming back for a season 2, because everyone's just so comfortable."

Boone added: "In season 1, we were all getting to know each other. To then come back for season 2, you have that added level of comfort. We're all pals now."

Honestly, it's easy to see how this is the case. When rumors initially surfaced, it was Helen Mirren who posted a message of support for Hardy on Instagram, with the post reading: "love you now and always, Helen."

"It feels like family," Boone continued, as Dhillon and Allen nodded in agreement. "It's so satisfying when we get to do big group scenes together. When you start season 2, everyone is banished to the four corners of the kingdom.

"No one's talking to anyone. We're a little team [pointing to him and Allen], Seraphina is a little team on her own, also, then you have Kevin (Paddy Considine) and Bella (Lara Pulvey), Maeve (Mirren) Conrad (Brosnan), and Harry (Hardy) all trying to piece it together.

"Obviously, in reality, that means that we're all filming scenes separately. Keep tuning in season 2 and you'll see when people do come together. It's so much fun to film. It's the best days knowing that everyone's in."

Even for a potential PR line, this doesn't feel like the energy of actors who genuinely have had a bad time at work. Perhaps we can finally draw a line under the so-called MobLand scandal and focus on what's really important: the show itself.

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(Image credit: MaryCait Dolan)

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen): Two-minute review

Bose often seems to pay more attention to its Ultra-suffix devices, which absolutely make up some of the best noise-cancelling headphones we've tested. And that is perhaps why the second-generation Bose QuietComfort Headphones — that is to say, those launched in the post-QC 35 II era — took three years to come to market, following the launch of the older QC Headphones in 2023.

These are basically the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 for people who don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for their sound, and given how I only ever see the non-Ultra cans when I’m out and about in the UK (a fact my editor also confirms), I’d wager that this new release is the model people have been waiting for.

Meet the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), so named because they’re quiet, thanks to Bose’s sought-after Active Noise Cancellation, and comfortable (thanks to the use of soft protein leather for pads and bands).

Having used them for several weeks, I can say that the latter is definitely true: these are incredibly easy to use for hours on end, without your ears aching or the top of your head feeling sore. You can basically use them until the battery runs down, although that’s partly because the 24-hour battery life is rather poor in 2026.

I’m not convinced on the ANC sell though. Bose has a reputation for industry-leading noise cancellation, and the Headphones Gen 2 are supposed to match the Ultra Headphones Gen 2 in this department. However, after testing the cans on multiple flights, train rides and around several cities, I’m not fully sold on the claim. They’re great at removing background sound, but not flawless; other brands have caught up, and those similarly-priced competitors surpass them in a few ways.

That’s not to say ANC is an actual problem with the QC Headphones Gen 2, but there are several departments which will raise eyebrows. The cans feel quite cheap, rattling in the hand and offering some odd gaps in the body which shouldn’t be there. They’re also quite light in the feature department, more so than you’d expect for the price.

So why have I given the Bose a four-star review? Well, despite a seemingly-unchanged driver set-up from the older models, and an EQ which barely offers you any control over your music, these cans sound fantastic. They offer detailed and precise treble and energetic and punchy bass. Because of this, listening to tune after tune on them never gets old. The spatial audio is great too, adding an immersive slant to the already-great sound.

Despite quirks, I really enjoyed using the Bose QuietComfort Headphones Gen 2; you will too if you can find them for a price that makes sense. I’m not sure they justify the premium price tag right now, but if you find them discounted, they’re a must-buy.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Launched in August 2026
• Sells for $359 / £299 / AU$549.99
• Comes with carry case and two cables

The Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) were announced on August 6, 2026. That’s three years after the first-gen model came out, and a year after the Ultra Gen 2.

Despite not being the ‘Ultra’ member of the family, the ‘standard’ QuietComforts aren’t cheap. You can pick up the cans for $359 / £299 / AU$549.99, which is cheaper in the UK but more expensive in the US than the last-gen models (and the same cost in Australia). It is, of course, cheaper than the Ultra Gen 2 model, which launched for $449 / £449 / AU$699 and haven’t seen a massive price cut since.

So they’re premium headphones, if not ultra-premium ones. They undercut the likes of the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 and Sony WH-1000XM6 (though the newer WH-1000XM4C are cheaper in most regions).

You can pick the cans up in five color options: black, white, mauve, mint and green you see depicted. In the box you get a protective carry case, USB-C to USB-C wire and a USB-C to 3.5mm cable.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Specs

Drivers

Not specified

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

24

Weight

241g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C

Frequency response

Not specified

Waterproofing

None

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• ANC great, but not best
• Poor 24h battery life
• App doesn't offer that much

At 24 hours, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) don’t have a very long battery life. I’ve tested other options this year which last for literally 100 extra hours; don’t buy these if you need something for a long-haul flight. That listening time is with ANC turned on; you’ll get a few hours more if you turn it off, but less if you use some of the other listening features.

You charge the cans via their USB-C port, which takes 3 hours according to Bose. A new feature for the Gen 2 model is that you can also enjoy wired audio from this port, which is a real get for people who like high-quality audio. It almost makes up for the lack of a 3.5mm jack!

I suppose we should discuss that ANC. As mentioned in the introduction, it was good but not great, and certainly not the best I’ve ever used in over-ear headphones. The difference was small but noticeable: on a flight, I could hear the hum of the engines more than in some other cans I’ve tested, and surrounding sounds would creep into my music more often than I’d like.

They’re not bad by any means, and they’re still some of the better ANC headphones I’ve tested. But they’re not the best, and that’s a surprise given the name and the price point.

The headphones offer a range of listening modes beyond ‘standard’ ANC (which it calls Quiet mode), but I was surprised by how much most of these also affected audio quality. I’d recommend only sticking to Quiet or Aware, which lets in some surrounding sound.

(Image credit: Future)

You can toggle between these modes in Bose’s app, which has a few other tools. You can set up multi-point connection, change what that shortcut button does, check the battery life, set up immersive audio and play with the equalizer.

If your ears perked up at the mention of EQ, don’t get too excited. The custom mode only offers 3-band control, and there are four presets which change these three bands for bass or treble reduction or boost. It’s a surprisingly lightweight amount of customization for premium headphones, and people who like to tweak their audio sound will be greatly disappointed.

To be honest, that’s my general takeaway from the Bose app: it offers only a fraction of the tools, features and customization that you’d get from cans costing a third of the price.

One stand-out is Immersive Audio though. In the past, I've found similar offerings from rival brands a tad gimmicky, but Bose’s works very well. You can choose between Still or Motion (depending if you’re still or in motion), and it’ll deliver an encompassing sound that spreads the sound of your music or movie around you. It’s not so overt as to be distracting, and makes music a little more immersive — though I much preferred Still mode, which had a more audible spread which changed as I moved my head.

• Features score: 3/5

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Comfortable to wear for long periods
• Smartly-placed and designed buttons
• A few cheap-feeling elements

The second-gen Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) look pretty similar to the original pair, but with some refinements in the looks department. Hinges and the retractable arm are better hidden, and the headband’s padding looks better integrated. The cans make the older model look like a prototype.

Oddly, though, the headphones feel pretty cheap. The cups rattle, there’s a noticeable seam between the headband and pad, and parts of the headphones flop around unsupported when you hold the gadget by its headband. There are a few other similar traits which make the buds feel loose, most noticeably that there’s a worrying amount of flex in the band. After several weeks of testing, I’ve yet to have these traits manifest in any actual problem, but I’m constantly surprised by how the build quality flags behind half-priced rivals.

I do appreciate that they're based on a design many users have loved, for many years — and this is likely the key reason they've largely been kept as-is (or was). But still, in the intervening years competing design teams have worked hard on other, newer headphones, and the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) feel a little flimsy and clunky in direct comparison today.

At least the QuietComfort are supremely comfortable to wear. The padding which rests across the top of your head, and the soft cups, both go a long way in ensuring you can listen for long periods of time without getting any aches or strains. It gives the impression of them being light, even though at 241g, they weigh about the same as many other pairs.

(Image credit: Future)

When you’re wearing the cans, the right cup has the volume and pause/play buttons; their prominence is different so you can easily tell what button your finger is on. The right edge has the shortcut button, and power slider; I love this latter, as it’s easy to flick to instantly turn the cans on, without needing to press and hold like you do on most rivals. Bose has really nailed the buttons here, which I admit is a small detail, but that is where the devil is according to the idiom.

There’s a decent amount of malleability here: you can rotate the cups a fair way left and right, and the band is quite extendable (though it’s fairly stiff, so you’ll have to give it a hearty tug). The cups don’t move much up and down, but they still fit my head well.

You can fold down the QCs to make them more portable, or put them in the travel case. My aforementioned issues with the ‘loose’ feel of the cans returns here; you can’t stack them on a flat surface without them falling over.

• Design score: 4/5

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• V-shaped audio with energetic bass, treble
• Spatial audio sounds great
• Unspecified drivers inside

If you’ve read the design and features sections of this review, you’ll know I’ve had compliments and criticisms in each department. Not so for audio quality.

Bose hasn’t detailed the driver in the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), but the previous-gen model had a 40mm unit, and the brand hasn’t boasted any audio improvements beyond generations. It doesn’t need to; the previous models sounded fantastic and the new ones do too.

Out of the box, you’re getting V-shaped sound from the QuietComfort Headphones. Treble is crisp, sharp and detailed, letting you hear tremolo and tones that many other cans miss. Bass is hefty and punchy, but with a precision and control which avoids lower frequencies drowning out the rest of your song.

(Image credit: Future)

As is generally the case with headphones offering V-profile audio, the mids lack just a little bit. I’d often notice guitars playing harmonies, piano accompaniments or high alto/low tenor backing vocals that’d be missing the ‘oomph’ I’d like them to have. But you’re not buying the Bose for a neutral sound: this is for fun and energetic music.

The sound set-up of the QuietComforts is best shown in songs like Fitz and the Tantrum’s Man on the Moon, which has hard-hitting vocals and bass but loses its rhythm guitar and strings a little, or The Hoosiers' Automatic Glow, which sees its harmonic synth line dropped to the back of the mix, in favor of the energetic sung word, and rising hook.

To return to the Bose app, you can use the EQ to try and add some emphasis on mids, but I found this only a limited solution which didn’t have much of an effect on the music.

• Sound quality: 5/5

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Should be top-value earbuds
• Unfortunately, longevity isn't guaranteed

If your headphone equation is simply “I’ll spend more money for better audio”, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones Gen 2 will be a good option. They sound great and they’re comfortable, so you can enjoy music for a long time (at a fairly high cost).

But to me, a few aspects of these headphones make the premium price seem a little too high. The loose-feeling build quality, lack of app features and poor battery life all point to the cost being higher than it should be. If you see the Bose discounted by about $100 / £100 / AU$200, then these will be good-value cans. Alternatively, the previous-gen models should be enjoying a decent price cut due to being a bit older.

As it stands, the Gen 2 are still good buys, but I’d personally save money and buy cheaper headphones. Which in particular? Well, thankfully there's a competition section below…

• Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)?Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The noise cancellation is great, but the lack of other tools and poor battery life let the Bose down.

3/5

Design

The QuietComfort is certainly comfortable, with some smart elements but a cheap-feeling design.

4/5

Sound quality

Most people will find these perfect for music.

5/5

Value

They're great, but you'd be right to expect a little more for the price.

3.5/5

Buy them if…

You find other headphones uncomfortable
Many people struggle with headphones because they don't want their head in a musical vice. Try the QCs, they're your best bet.

You want great noise cancellation
It may not be the best in the biz, but it's still very good: if you need solid ANC, you won't be disappointed.

You love immersive audio features
Always listen to your music with spatial enabled? You'll really like how Bose handles the function.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You need something long-lasting
Many people will find the 24-hour battery life insufficient. Luckily, it's one of the shortest figures I've seen on earbuds; you can do better.

You like tweaking your audio profile
The QC Headphones' equalizer doesn't offer you much control over your music, nor any kind of listening test.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Also consider

Looking for alternative over-ears? Here are a few we've tested and would recommend.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

Soundcore Space 2

Sony WH-1000XM6

Drivers

Not specified

40mm

30mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life (ANC on)

24 hours

50 hours

30 hours

Weight

241g

264g

254g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C

Unspecified Bluetooth, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm

Waterproofing

Not specified

Not specified

IPX4

Soundcore Space 2
This affordable pair of cans costs half the amount of the QC Headphones, and its comfort and ANC match Bose. The audio quality isn't quite on par, however, and nor is the spatial audio.
Read our full Soundcore Space 2 review

Sony WH-1000XM6
Bose's closest rival is from Sony; this set costs a little more and also offers fantastic noise cancellation, an incredible sound and useful button controls.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM6 review

How I tested the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

• Tested for roughly four weeks
• Paired with Android phone for Bluetooth, Android tablet for audio
• Used on walks around neighborhood, at work, on flights and on trains

To write this full review, I used the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) for just over four weeks, which gave me time to fully put them through their paces.

For the majority of the testing time, the buds were paired with my Fairphone 6 Plus smartphone, though I plugged them into a Xiaomi tablet using the cable for some wired audio. Over the course of the review I tested them on multiple flights, countless train and bus journeys, while working at home and on various walks around my city.

I listened on Spotify, to my own digital library, for movies on Now TV and videos on YouTube, and various games.

I've been testing gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019, and in that time have used countless pairs of over-ears.

• First reviewed in September 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen): Two-minute review

Bose often seems to pay more attention to its Ultra-suffix devices, which absolutely make up some of the best noise-cancelling headphones we've tested. And that is perhaps why the second-generation Bose QuietComfort Headphones — that is to say, those launched in the post-QC 35 II era — took three years to come to market, following the launch of the older QC Headphones in 2023.

These are basically the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 for people who don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for their sound, and given how I only ever see the non-Ultra cans when I’m out and about in the UK (a fact my editor also confirms), I’d wager that this new release is the model people have been waiting for.

Meet the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), so named because they’re quiet, thanks to Bose’s sought-after Active Noise Cancellation, and comfortable (thanks to the use of soft protein leather for pads and bands).

Having used them for several weeks, I can say that the latter is definitely true: these are incredibly easy to use for hours on end, without your ears aching or the top of your head feeling sore. You can basically use them until the battery runs down, although that’s partly because the 24-hour battery life is rather poor in 2026.

I’m not convinced on the ANC sell though. Bose has a reputation for industry-leading noise cancellation, and the Headphones Gen 2 are supposed to match the Ultra Headphones Gen 2 in this department. However, after testing the cans on multiple flights, train rides and around several cities, I’m not fully sold on the claim. They’re great at removing background sound, but not flawless; other brands have caught up, and those similarly-priced competitors surpass them in a few ways.

That’s not to say ANC is an actual problem with the QC Headphones Gen 2, but there are several departments which will raise eyebrows. The cans feel quite cheap, rattling in the hand and offering some odd gaps in the body which shouldn’t be there. They’re also quite light in the feature department, more so than you’d expect for the price.

So why have I given the Bose a four-star review? Well, despite a seemingly-unchanged driver set-up from the older models, and an EQ which barely offers you any control over your music, these cans sound fantastic. They offer detailed and precise treble and energetic and punchy bass. Because of this, listening to tune after tune on them never gets old. The spatial audio is great too, adding an immersive slant to the already-great sound.

Despite quirks, I really enjoyed using the Bose QuietComfort Headphones Gen 2; you will too if you can find them for a price that makes sense. I’m not sure they justify the premium price tag right now, but if you find them discounted, they’re a must-buy.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Launched in August 2026
• Sells for $359 / £299 / AU$549.99
• Comes with carry case and two cables

The Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) were announced on August 6, 2026. That’s three years after the first-gen model came out, and a year after the Ultra Gen 2.

Despite not being the ‘Ultra’ member of the family, the ‘standard’ QuietComforts aren’t cheap. You can pick up the cans for $359 / £299 / AU$549.99, which is cheaper in the UK but more expensive in the US than the last-gen models (and the same cost in Australia). It is, of course, cheaper than the Ultra Gen 2 model, which launched for $449 / £449 / AU$699 and haven’t seen a massive price cut since.

So they’re premium headphones, if not ultra-premium ones. They undercut the likes of the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 and Sony WH-1000XM6 (though the newer WH-1000XM4C are cheaper in most regions).

You can pick the cans up in five color options: black, white, mauve, mint and green you see depicted. In the box you get a protective carry case, USB-C to USB-C wire and a USB-C to 3.5mm cable.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Specs

Drivers

Not specified

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

24

Weight

241g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C

Frequency response

Not specified

Waterproofing

None

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• ANC great, but not best
• Poor 24h battery life
• App doesn't offer that much

At 24 hours, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) don’t have a very long battery life. I’ve tested other options this year which last for literally 100 extra hours; don’t buy these if you need something for a long-haul flight. That listening time is with ANC turned on; you’ll get a few hours more if you turn it off, but less if you use some of the other listening features.

You charge the cans via their USB-C port, which takes 3 hours according to Bose. A new feature for the Gen 2 model is that you can also enjoy wired audio from this port, which is a real get for people who like high-quality audio. It almost makes up for the lack of a 3.5mm jack!

I suppose we should discuss that ANC. As mentioned in the introduction, it was good but not great, and certainly not the best I’ve ever used in over-ear headphones. The difference was small but noticeable: on a flight, I could hear the hum of the engines more than in some other cans I’ve tested, and surrounding sounds would creep into my music more often than I’d like.

They’re not bad by any means, and they’re still some of the better ANC headphones I’ve tested. But they’re not the best, and that’s a surprise given the name and the price point.

The headphones offer a range of listening modes beyond ‘standard’ ANC (which it calls Quiet mode), but I was surprised by how much most of these also affected audio quality. I’d recommend only sticking to Quiet or Aware, which lets in some surrounding sound.

(Image credit: Future)

You can toggle between these modes in Bose’s app, which has a few other tools. You can set up multi-point connection, change what that shortcut button does, check the battery life, set up immersive audio and play with the equalizer.

If your ears perked up at the mention of EQ, don’t get too excited. The custom mode only offers 3-band control, and there are four presets which change these three bands for bass or treble reduction or boost. It’s a surprisingly lightweight amount of customization for premium headphones, and people who like to tweak their audio sound will be greatly disappointed.

To be honest, that’s my general takeaway from the Bose app: it offers only a fraction of the tools, features and customization that you’d get from cans costing a third of the price.

One stand-out is Immersive Audio though. In the past, I've found similar offerings from rival brands a tad gimmicky, but Bose’s works very well. You can choose between Still or Motion (depending if you’re still or in motion), and it’ll deliver an encompassing sound that spreads the sound of your music or movie around you. It’s not so overt as to be distracting, and makes music a little more immersive — though I much preferred Still mode, which had a more audible spread which changed as I moved my head.

• Features score: 3/5

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Comfortable to wear for long periods
• Smartly-placed and designed buttons
• A few cheap-feeling elements

The second-gen Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) look pretty similar to the original pair, but with some refinements in the looks department. Hinges and the retractable arm are better hidden, and the headband’s padding looks better integrated. The cans make the older model look like a prototype.

Oddly, though, the headphones feel pretty cheap. The cups rattle, there’s a noticeable seam between the headband and pad, and parts of the headphones flop around unsupported when you hold the gadget by its headband. There are a few other similar traits which make the buds feel loose, most noticeably that there’s a worrying amount of flex in the band. After several weeks of testing, I’ve yet to have these traits manifest in any actual problem, but I’m constantly surprised by how the build quality flags behind half-priced rivals.

I do appreciate that they're based on a design many users have loved, for many years — and this is likely the key reason they've largely been kept as-is (or was). But still, in the intervening years competing design teams have worked hard on other, newer headphones, and the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) feel a little flimsy and clunky in direct comparison today.

At least the QuietComfort are supremely comfortable to wear. The padding which rests across the top of your head, and the soft cups, both go a long way in ensuring you can listen for long periods of time without getting any aches or strains. It gives the impression of them being light, even though at 241g, they weigh about the same as many other pairs.

(Image credit: Future)

When you’re wearing the cans, the right cup has the volume and pause/play buttons; their prominence is different so you can easily tell what button your finger is on. The right edge has the shortcut button, and power slider; I love this latter, as it’s easy to flick to instantly turn the cans on, without needing to press and hold like you do on most rivals. Bose has really nailed the buttons here, which I admit is a small detail, but that is where the devil is according to the idiom.

There’s a decent amount of malleability here: you can rotate the cups a fair way left and right, and the band is quite extendable (though it’s fairly stiff, so you’ll have to give it a hearty tug). The cups don’t move much up and down, but they still fit my head well.

You can fold down the QCs to make them more portable, or put them in the travel case. My aforementioned issues with the ‘loose’ feel of the cans returns here; you can’t stack them on a flat surface without them falling over.

• Design score: 4/5

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• V-shaped audio with energetic bass, treble
• Spatial audio sounds great
• Unspecified drivers inside

If you’ve read the design and features sections of this review, you’ll know I’ve had compliments and criticisms in each department. Not so for audio quality.

Bose hasn’t detailed the driver in the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), but the previous-gen model had a 40mm unit, and the brand hasn’t boasted any audio improvements beyond generations. It doesn’t need to; the previous models sounded fantastic and the new ones do too.

Out of the box, you’re getting V-shaped sound from the QuietComfort Headphones. Treble is crisp, sharp and detailed, letting you hear tremolo and tones that many other cans miss. Bass is hefty and punchy, but with a precision and control which avoids lower frequencies drowning out the rest of your song.

(Image credit: Future)

As is generally the case with headphones offering V-profile audio, the mids lack just a little bit. I’d often notice guitars playing harmonies, piano accompaniments or high alto/low tenor backing vocals that’d be missing the ‘oomph’ I’d like them to have. But you’re not buying the Bose for a neutral sound: this is for fun and energetic music.

The sound set-up of the QuietComforts is best shown in songs like Fitz and the Tantrum’s Man on the Moon, which has hard-hitting vocals and bass but loses its rhythm guitar and strings a little, or The Hoosiers' Automatic Glow, which sees its harmonic synth line dropped to the back of the mix, in favor of the energetic sung word, and rising hook.

To return to the Bose app, you can use the EQ to try and add some emphasis on mids, but I found this only a limited solution which didn’t have much of an effect on the music.

• Sound quality: 5/5

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Should be top-value earbuds
• Unfortunately, longevity isn't guaranteed

If your headphone equation is simply “I’ll spend more money for better audio”, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones Gen 2 will be a good option. They sound great and they’re comfortable, so you can enjoy music for a long time (at a fairly high cost).

But to me, a few aspects of these headphones make the premium price seem a little too high. The loose-feeling build quality, lack of app features and poor battery life all point to the cost being higher than it should be. If you see the Bose discounted by about $100 / £100 / AU$200, then these will be good-value cans. Alternatively, the previous-gen models should be enjoying a decent price cut due to being a bit older.

As it stands, the Gen 2 are still good buys, but I’d personally save money and buy cheaper headphones. Which in particular? Well, thankfully there's a competition section below…

• Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)?Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The noise cancellation is great, but the lack of other tools and poor battery life let the Bose down.

3/5

Design

The QuietComfort is certainly comfortable, with some smart elements but a cheap-feeling design.

4/5

Sound quality

Most people will find these perfect for music.

5/5

Value

They're great, but you'd be right to expect a little more for the price.

3.5/5

Buy them if…

You find other headphones uncomfortable
Many people struggle with headphones because they don't want their head in a musical vice. Try the QCs, they're your best bet.

You want great noise cancellation
It may not be the best in the biz, but it's still very good: if you need solid ANC, you won't be disappointed.

You love immersive audio features
Always listen to your music with spatial enabled? You'll really like how Bose handles the function.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You need something long-lasting
Many people will find the 24-hour battery life insufficient. Luckily, it's one of the shortest figures I've seen on earbuds; you can do better.

You like tweaking your audio profile
The QC Headphones' equalizer doesn't offer you much control over your music, nor any kind of listening test.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review: Also consider

Looking for alternative over-ears? Here are a few we've tested and would recommend.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

Soundcore Space 2

Sony WH-1000XM6

Drivers

Not specified

40mm

30mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life (ANC on)

24 hours

50 hours

30 hours

Weight

241g

264g

254g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C

Unspecified Bluetooth, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm

Waterproofing

Not specified

Not specified

IPX4

Soundcore Space 2
This affordable pair of cans costs half the amount of the QC Headphones, and its comfort and ANC match Bose. The audio quality isn't quite on par, however, and nor is the spatial audio.
Read our full Soundcore Space 2 review

Sony WH-1000XM6
Bose's closest rival is from Sony; this set costs a little more and also offers fantastic noise cancellation, an incredible sound and useful button controls.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM6 review

How I tested the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

• Tested for roughly four weeks
• Paired with Android phone for Bluetooth, Android tablet for audio
• Used on walks around neighborhood, at work, on flights and on trains

To write this full review, I used the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) for just over four weeks, which gave me time to fully put them through their paces.

For the majority of the testing time, the buds were paired with my Fairphone 6 Plus smartphone, though I plugged them into a Xiaomi tablet using the cable for some wired audio. Over the course of the review I tested them on multiple flights, countless train and bus journeys, while working at home and on various walks around my city.

I listened on Spotify, to my own digital library, for movies on Now TV and videos on YouTube, and various games.

I've been testing gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019, and in that time have used countless pairs of over-ears.

• First reviewed in September 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

The Federal Reserve just raised interest rates this week for the first time this year. So how does it actually work? And what does it mean for the economy — and the rest of us? Here are some answers.

(Image credit: LM Otero)

IKEA is really making a name for itself in smart home tech. Its mobile app is clear and easy to navigate, its selection of smart switches (which my colleague Ruth Hamilton called "the understated hit of IKEA's new gadget range") are versatile and cheap, and its stylish smart lamps made a real splash at this year's CES technology show.

But what if you don't want to be limited to IKEA's own app? What if you like IKEA's lights, but already have a Philips Hue setup, or want to incorporate lights and devices from other brands as well?

Thankfully, there are lots of options to explore, from simple software solutions to crafty hardware hacks. Here are four ways to get all your smart lights to play along nicely.

1. Use the Matter standard

Last week, IKEA launched a new driver for its integrated lights (including the type of strips and spots you would install in cupboards and cabinets) that not only lets you control them remotely via the IKEA Home app, but is also compatible with the Matter smart home standard. That means you can combine these integrated lights into a larger smart home setup.

You can then control them using a Matter-compatible smart speaker, set a schedule, dim them, and much more. You aren't limited to IKEA's integrated lights, either. The brand also offers other Matter-compatible lights, including the color-shifting, donut-shaped Varmblixt, and Kajplats bulbs — and you can throw in lights from other brands like Nanoleaf, Govee, and (of course) Philips Hue, too.

But what if you don't want to use the Matter standard? What if you already have a Philips Hue setup and want to continue using the Hue app to control all your lights?

2. Connect everything to your Hue Bridge

IKEA smart lights (such as the Varmblixt and Kajplats) support Zigbee Light Link, which is the same wireless protocol used by Philips Hue bulbs. You can therefore connect your IKEA lights directly to a Philips Hue Bridge by following these instructions:

1. Ensure your IKEA smart light has software version 1.2.x or later
2. Keep the IKEA smart light close to the Philips Hue Bridge
3. Search for new devices in the Philips Hue app
4. Do a factory reset of the smart light by toggling the main switch six times

Connecting your IKEA smart lights this way will let you control their basic functions through the Hue app, set schedules, add them to groups, and trigger them with Hue sensors and switches.

However, you won't get the same degree of control you would through a native Hue smart light. You won't be able to dim your IKEA lights using a Hue Tap Dial switch, for example, or incorporate them into a Philips Hue Play entertainment setup. For that, you'll need to get more creative.

3. Try a hardware hack

If you like the look of an IKEA smart light, but want the full functionality of Philips Hue and are feeling brave, you could try a crafty hardware hack.

The Varmblixt lamp is a particularly popular choice for smart lighting DIYers, who have discovered that its frosted glass case is ideal for concealing a Philips Hue light strip. Reddit user K1uppy described the process of opening the IKEA lamp, removing its innards, and replacing them with a coiled Hue strip.

IKEA VARMBLIXT + Repurposed Hue Lightstrip from r/Hue

It's an interesting idea, and another Redditor's experiment with a non-Hue LED strip demonstrates how dramatic the effect could be with a gradient.

Donut Lamp with WLed from r/WLED

However, you should remember that a coiled light strip could overheat, damaging the LEDs.

4. Pick the right lamps

A safer (though less imaginative) alternative is to use Hue bulbs with IKEA lamps designed for standard light bulbs. Look out for ones that will diffuse light, such as the Fado table lamp, the ruffled Vindkast, or the striking multi-bulb Simrishamn. You can use the Philips Hue app to create a 'group' of these three bulbs, and control them together or apply a scene so they co-ordinate for an interesting effect.

There are Philips Hue bulbs for virtually all light fixtures, so you will be able to find one that fits your chosen IKEA lamp. Reddit users have suggested dialing down the brightness of your Hue bulbs to around 50% to create soft ambient lighting. You'll find a collection of suitable IKEA pendant, table, and floor lamps below.

IKEA Fado

IKEA Vindkast Table Lamp

IKEA Vindkast floor lamp

IKEA Simrishamn Floor Lamp

IKEA Simrishamn Pendant Lamp

IKEA Varmblixt Smart Lamp

Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: One minute review

Smart scales measure weight, body fat, muscle mass, and a whole host of other metrics through a collection of electrodes at the soles of your feet. The best smart scales are perfect for fitness enthusiasts, family health monitoring, and those who want to track changes to their body over time, but Withings wants to push the boundaries of what is possible in the smart scale category. Not satisfied with simple measurements like the ones listed above, Withings has launched the BodyScan 2, and it represents a significant step in innovation.

According to Withings, the BodyScan 2 is “the world's first longevity station. It is the only consumer device that transforms your daily weigh-in into a complete cardiometabolic assessment, revealing whether your lifestyle is adding or taking years off your healthy life.” This scale is all about trends over time and those who care about optimizing their health now, for the reward of future gains.

Building on the original BodyScan scale, version two introduces a number of new features and design changes. The display has been moved from the base to the handlebar, offering a more pleasing user experience. New features include SpO2 measurements, hypertension screening, heart and ‘vascular age’ estimations, and reporting on the risk of unstable glycaemia.

All of these improvements make the scale $200 / £100 more expensive than the original. That’s a significant increase given that even the most premium offerings from most other brands cost less than half the price, but I suppose electronics in all categories have been getting more expensive this year with the components crisis. And if you want access to the complete set of features, then you’ll have to part ways with $9.95 / £8.95 per month for a Withings+ subscription, making this a premium-only, money-no-object smart scale option.

That said, the BodyScan 2 offers the very best in features and build quality. The scale is able to track over 40 biomarkers and, through very clever processing, can report heart findings that no other scale is capable of. It also boasts a robust and premium build with the chassis being made from reinforced aluminum.

Withings has taken some of the most innovative hardware found in the best smartwatches and best smart rings and combined it with traditional smart scale technology. The result is one of the most advanced smart scales on the consumer market.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Specifications

Component

Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale

Price

$599.95 USD / £449.95 GBP / $895 AUS

Metrics

40+ Biomarkers with 6-zone body composition analysis, Metabolic Assessment, Cardiovascular Insights, and a Calories Tracker

Dimensions

12.8 x 14.1 x 0.7 in / 325 x 357 x 18.5 mm

Weight

11.9 lbs / 5.4 kg

Material

Glass and reinforced aluminum

Display

LCD

Battery

Rechargeable Li-ion battery, USB Type-C

Connection

WiFi

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Price and availability

• $599.95 USD / £449.95 GBP / $895 AUS
• The specs justify the high cost
• More affordable alternatives exist

The BodyScan 2 is one of the most expensive scales on the market, period. At $599.95 / £449.95 / $$895 AUS, the scale is marketed at only the most serious of users who have the disposable income to match their health goals.

Unfortunately, the costs don’t end there. If you’d like to unlock the premium in-app experience, Withings+, then you’ll have to part with a further $9.95 / £8.95 per month. The membership provides clinical experts at your disposal, an AI health assistant to convert your history into future progress, and a long-term assessment of your aging.

The spec of the BodyScan 2 sets it apart from the rest of the competition. If you turn to the likes of RunStar, then you’ll find their most premium smart scale, the 8E Ultra, costing less than half the price of the BodyScan 2. This shows that unless you need features to measure and estimate heart age, vascular age, and risk of unstable glycaemia and hypertension, then you’ll be able to save a lot of money by going for one of the other options on our best smart scales list.

• Value score 4.5/5

Future / Paul HattonFuture / Paul HattonFuture / Paul HattonFuture / Paul HattonFuture / Paul HattonWithings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Design

• High-resolution LCD screen
• ITO Glass Platform
• Robust and durable

The BodyScan 2 exudes the premium build quality that you’d expect given its eye-watering price tag. The aesthetic is smart, professional, and well thought through. With a reinforced aluminum chassis, you also won’t have many concerns should it be dropped on a hard tiled floor or knocked against a sink pedestal.

At the heart of the experience is a 640 x 172px color LCD screen, which is bright, vibrant, and clear. With it, users can quickly and easily track their progress without even needing to launch the Withings app. This is neatly located in the retractable handle, if you choose to use it, so your data will be closer to your eye and more easily read.

The base is covered with a large-format glass platform that contains eight integrated Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) electrodes for high-precision accuracy and support for all foot sizes and up to 200 kg / 440 lb maximum capacity. The base features a black and blue hued striped pattern, which elevates the smart scale beyond looking like a glass slab.

Extruding out of the base is the smart retractable handle with an automatic locking mechanism. It works smoothly and reliably locks into position, and its length means it’ll cater to even the tallest of users. Withings has also integrated two buttons into the handle to allow for easy operation of the unit.

As well as housing the color screen, the handle comprises four stainless steel electrodes to take the total number across the scale up to 12. Through these sensors, the BodyScan 2 is capable of performing cardiometabolic assessments and a whole-body analysis.

• Design Score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Features

• Hypertension notifications
• Blood oxygen level measurements
• Heart age predictions

The BodyScan 2 represents a significant advancement in body tracking for the consumer market. It does, of course, continue to carry out the basics admirably, but beyond that, the scale introduces new measurements and features that have never been seen before in a home device. These features include hypertension, heart age, and blood oxygen level, with glucose resilience tracking coming soon.

First up, hypertension notifications. By analyzing patterns in the data collected by the BodyScan 2, Withings is able to detect signs associated with hypertension. The presence of these patterns is not a medical assessment that hypertension is present but rather the reporting of it as a heightened possibility, just like the best Apple Watches. If it detects a pattern, you’ll receive a notification through the Withings app.

Then there’s the heart and vascular age predictors, which are unlocked with a Withings+ membership. According to Withings, this is an indicator of the “heart's mechanical efficiency, based on how quickly your heart reacts to each beat and how effectively it pumps blood.”

The final new feature to mention is blood oxygen tracking, which is achieved through a multi-wave PPG sensor built into the handle. Through this infrared technology, the smart scale measures SpO2 in the same way as the best smartwatches. These three features provide a complete cardiometabolic assessment, which sets the BodyScan 2 apart from the competition.

• Features Score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Performance

• Solid accuracy for basic metrics
• Variable vascular age results
• Cluttered Withings app experience

To provide a comparison set of measurements, I compared the BodyScan 2 with the RunStar 8E Pro. Both brands claim over 98.5% DEXA validation and deliver a similar set of metrics, although the BodyScan 2 offers the most.

Let’s start with the basics. The BodyScan 2 recorded my weight at 61.23kg and BMI at 18.2 compared to 61.4 and 19 on the RunStar. Comparative measurements continued across muscle rate, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, base metabolism, and a number of other fat and mass metrics.

All readings are quickly available on the Withings app, which allows for deeper interrogation and tracking over time. Body composition data is displayed on a 3D graphic, which is engaging. I did, however, find it difficult to navigate around the Withings app with the sheer amount of data and features causing the interface to feel cluttered.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

As accurate as the BodyScan 2 is for basic measurements, it is not these metrics that would cause someone to purchase a BodyScan 2. I was much more interested in the new features, including blood oxygen level measurements and heart age predictions. To test SpO2 readings, I compared it to my Garmin Tactix 8 and found that its readings were similar and consistent.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

Vascular age reporting was less reliable. The first time I measured it, the app told me that my vascular age was four years older than my actual age. As you can imagine, that was a little bit of a shock. I measured it a week later, at a similar time of the day, and Withings reported only a one-year difference from my actual age. That’s a significant difference in a short space of time, which makes it difficult to entirely rely upon the findings and decide whether health changes are required.

Offering cardiometabolic measurements and estimations via a smart scale puts the BodyScan 2 at the forefront of the industry. They have introduced tech that has never before been seen in a smart scale, and the level of innovation is truly impressive. That said, I think we’re a few iterations off, seeing a smart scale delivering the necessary accuracy to make their estimations accurate enough to be relied upon to be highly accurate within some newer metrics, only a general trend indication.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

The BodyScan 2 is extremely expensive, but for the money you get excellent build quality and a wide range of advanced features.

4.5/5

Design

A professional, modern-looking smart scale with a built-in LCD display. The retractable handle is well engineered and designed to endure years of use.

5/5

Features

This smart scale offers an array of advanced features, designed to provide a full cardiometabolic report.

5/5

Performance

Solid accuracy across standard metrics, although vascular age reporting was variable. The app is also a little cluttered.

4.5/5

RunStar 4E Body Scale: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You want full cardiometabolic tracking from the comfort of your own home

The BodyScan 2 offers some of the most extensive body and heart tracking seen in any home device.

You’re taking GLP-1s and want to maintain body mass

The BodyScan 2 tracks lean mass across the whole body so you can see exactly where you’re losing mass and respond accordingly.

Don't buy it if...

You’ll only be casually measuring your weight and a few other metrics

With full-body scanning capabilities and innovative heart tracking, the BodyScan 2 is only for the most serious of users.

You’re looking for a budget-friendly scale

At $599.95 USD / £449.95 GBP / $895 AUS, the BodyScan 2 is extremely expensive. Significantly more affordable alternatives exist.

Also consider

RunStar 8E Pro Body Scale

A similarly DEXA-verified smart scale that’s significantly more affordable, although it tracks fewer metrics.View Deal

Vitafit Smart Bathroom Scale

A similarly priced smart scale with a comparable set of features. Boasts a slightly larger display and a more comprehensive app experience.

Vitafit Smart Bathroom ScaleView Deal

How I tested

My family (two adults and children) used the BodyScan 2 scale for several weeks. Having several family members made it possible to try out the multi-profile functionality, but most of the time I spent testing the scale using myself as a subject. I focused in on some of the new features that set the BodyScan 2 apart, such as vascular age and SpO2. Having the scale located in a busy family bathroom enabled me to determine the robustness and durability of the device.

First reviewed: September 2026

This week was a little quieter than last in the tech news space — if you ignore the hullabaloo caused by various AI companies that their models might one day kill us all if regulation doesn’t arrive.

A bit heavier than an Apple iPhone event, but important nonetheless.

To catch up on that and this week’s lighter (but still essential and biggest) tech news stories, scroll down for our ICYMI recaps and links to the full articles. But before you read about the news, you might want to try your hand at our quiz to see how much you remember of last week's ICYMI roundup.

7. We interviewed John Ternus

You've just been named CEO of one of the world’s most important tech companies; what runs through your mind? I asked John Ternus that question to his face, and his answer was perfect. It was all part of a wide-ranging interview we conducted with our friends over at Tom’s Guide. Lots of good bits about what innovation means at Apple and why the Cupertino giant is finally making a foldable.

• Read the full story: 'I don't think we ever lost innovation': New Apple CEO John Ternus defends Apple's track record

6. Google Live Translate went offline

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Arguably the best Google Translate tool is its Live feature — which lets you converse with someone in your respective native tongue, and each sees a real-time translation of what the other has said.

It can break down the language barrier, if you have an internet connection, that is, though that is changing.

Google has started rolling out an offline mode for Live Translate. There are some limitations — it only supports translation from English to French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Russian, and Swedish — and it’s only coming to the Google Pixel 11 series, Pixel 10 line, and Pixel 9 series.

• Read the full story: Google's new offline Live Translate tool looks like my new vacation essential

5. Canon launched the EOS R8 Mark II

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Canon has debuted the EOS R8 Mark II, with a design that supposedly takes its cues from decades-old analog SLR cameras — there's a slight resemblance, but we'd argue that Canon's design department could have been given a bit more latitude.

Nonetheless, the second-generation model introduces useful upgrades over the original EOS R8, for a price that could tempt Canon enthusiasts who want powerful features but who don't need the tough build quality, high-spec displays, or long-lasting battery life of the EOS R6 series.

• Read the full hands-on review: I tried Canon's new-look EOS R8 Mark II

4. We tried the Snap Specs

(Image credit: Cesar Cadenas)

A decade on from Snap’s first Spectacles launch (back when it was still Snapchat), we’ve tried the next evolution in its wearable tech: full-on AR glasses, and they’re incredible.

They’re still quite chunky, and the demo wasn’t without its quirks, but they were fun to use and comfortable to wear.

You can currently pre-order the Snap Specs for an eye-watering $2,195 (around £1,640 / AU$3,090) with a $200 deposit.

• Read the full story: I tried out Snap Specs, the social platform's chunky AR smart glasses

3. We reviewed Apple's tech

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

We reviewed all of Apple’s new tech, and yet again we were impressed.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max take last year’s Pro reinvention and refine it in all the right places — but the cameras are where Apple has made the biggest leap, with a variable aperture and finally useful Pro controls.

Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 might look and be priced similarly to what came before, but the big difference is the battery — with a promised up to 50 hours in normal use, up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode, and up to 45 hours in Max Extended Workout Mode.

The Apple Watch 12 feels fresh with a new health-sensing system, a new SoC under the hood to power some new features, and a good bit of AI on top of what we knew was coming with watchOS 27.

• Read our iPhone 18 Pro review
• Read our Apple Watch 12 review
• Read our Apple Watch Ultra 4 review

2. iOS 27 gave our iPhones a huge upgrade

(Image credit: Apple)

This week Apple gave millions of iPhones their biggest software upgrade this year. iOS 27 rolled out (if you haven’t got it yet, check General > Software Update), and it includes Siri AI — a new version of the voice assistant that is, finally, good.

Like all major iOS updates, there are lots of smaller quality-of-life upgrades that we’re enjoying too. These include the ability to make Shortcuts with natural language, a neat ‘Reframe’ feature for Photos, and the long-awaited option to set alarm volumes separately from your main ringtone. We’d highly recommend downloading iOS 27 now if you haven’t already.

• Read the full story: I've been using iOS 27 for 3 months already — these are the 5 best features arriving on your iPhone today

1. We debated AI slowdown

(Image credit: C-Span)

In a move that’s managed to draw in commentary from Donald Trump, JD Vance, and pretty much every major news organization on the planet, some of the biggest names in AI — including Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Elon Musk — are calling for the development of frontier models to slow down while stronger safeguards are introduced.

They argue that increasingly capable, autonomous AI could escape human control, attack critical infrastructure or help bad actors create catastrophic weapons. Proposed protections include independent evaluators inside AI companies, international safety standards, government oversight, “kill switches” and restrictions on releasing especially powerful models.

Donald Trump rejects these concerns as a “hoax”, arguing that slowing development would damage the US economy and hand China an advantage in the global AI race. That means global consensus on how AI regulation should work is unlikely to arrive anytime soon. Until then, we better hope our new AI overlords are as bad at reaching a global consensus as us.

• Read the full story: 5 things you need to know about Trump's AI regulation battle

Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: One minute review

Smart scales measure weight, body fat, muscle mass, and a whole host of other metrics through a collection of electrodes at the soles of your feet. The best smart scales are perfect for fitness enthusiasts, family health monitoring, and those who want to track changes to their body over time, but Withings wants to push the boundaries of what is possible in the smart scale category. Not satisfied with simple measurements like the ones listed above, Withings has launched the BodyScan 2, and it represents a significant step in innovation.

According to Withings, the BodyScan 2 is “the world's first longevity station. It is the only consumer device that transforms your daily weigh-in into a complete cardiometabolic assessment, revealing whether your lifestyle is adding or taking years off your healthy life.” This scale is all about trends over time and those who care about optimizing their health now, for the reward of future gains.

Building on the original BodyScan scale, version two introduces a number of new features and design changes. The display has been moved from the base to the handlebar, offering a more pleasing user experience. New features include SpO2 measurements, hypertension screening, heart and ‘vascular age’ estimations, and reporting on the risk of unstable glycaemia.

All of these improvements make the scale $200 / £100 more expensive than the original. That’s a significant increase given that even the most premium offerings from most other brands cost less than half the price, but I suppose electronics in all categories have been getting more expensive this year with the components crisis. And if you want access to the complete set of features, then you’ll have to part ways with $9.95 / £8.95 per month for a Withings+ subscription, making this a premium-only, money-no-object smart scale option.

That said, the BodyScan 2 offers the very best in features and build quality. The scale is able to track over 40 biomarkers and, through very clever processing, can report heart findings that no other scale is capable of. It also boasts a robust and premium build with the chassis being made from reinforced aluminum.

Withings has taken some of the most innovative hardware found in the best smartwatches and best smart rings and combined it with traditional smart scale technology. The result is one of the most advanced smart scales on the consumer market.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Specifications

Component

Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale

Price

$599.95 USD / £449.95 GBP / $895 AUS

Metrics

40+ Biomarkers with 6-zone body composition analysis, Metabolic Assessment, Cardiovascular Insights, and a Calories Tracker

Dimensions

12.8 x 14.1 x 0.7 in / 325 x 357 x 18.5 mm

Weight

11.9 lbs / 5.4 kg

Material

Glass and reinforced aluminum

Display

LCD

Battery

Rechargeable Li-ion battery, USB Type-C

Connection

WiFi

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Price and availability

• $599.95 USD / £449.95 GBP / $895 AUS
• The specs justify the high cost
• More affordable alternatives exist

The BodyScan 2 is one of the most expensive scales on the market, period. At $599.95 / £449.95 / $$895 AUS, the scale is marketed at only the most serious of users who have the disposable income to match their health goals.

Unfortunately, the costs don’t end there. If you’d like to unlock the premium in-app experience, Withings+, then you’ll have to part with a further $9.95 / £8.95 per month. The membership provides clinical experts at your disposal, an AI health assistant to convert your history into future progress, and a long-term assessment of your aging.

The spec of the BodyScan 2 sets it apart from the rest of the competition. If you turn to the likes of RunStar, then you’ll find their most premium smart scale, the 8E Ultra, costing less than half the price of the BodyScan 2. This shows that unless you need features to measure and estimate heart age, vascular age, and risk of unstable glycaemia and hypertension, then you’ll be able to save a lot of money by going for one of the other options on our best smart scales list.

• Value score 4.5/5

Future / Paul HattonFuture / Paul HattonFuture / Paul HattonFuture / Paul HattonFuture / Paul HattonWithings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Design

• High-resolution LCD screen
• ITO Glass Platform
• Robust and durable

The BodyScan 2 exudes the premium build quality that you’d expect given its eye-watering price tag. The aesthetic is smart, professional, and well thought through. With a reinforced aluminum chassis, you also won’t have many concerns should it be dropped on a hard tiled floor or knocked against a sink pedestal.

At the heart of the experience is a 640 x 172px color LCD screen, which is bright, vibrant, and clear. With it, users can quickly and easily track their progress without even needing to launch the Withings app. This is neatly located in the retractable handle, if you choose to use it, so your data will be closer to your eye and more easily read.

The base is covered with a large-format glass platform that contains eight integrated Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) electrodes for high-precision accuracy and support for all foot sizes and up to 200 kg / 440 lb maximum capacity. The base features a black and blue hued striped pattern, which elevates the smart scale beyond looking like a glass slab.

Extruding out of the base is the smart retractable handle with an automatic locking mechanism. It works smoothly and reliably locks into position, and its length means it’ll cater to even the tallest of users. Withings has also integrated two buttons into the handle to allow for easy operation of the unit.

As well as housing the color screen, the handle comprises four stainless steel electrodes to take the total number across the scale up to 12. Through these sensors, the BodyScan 2 is capable of performing cardiometabolic assessments and a whole-body analysis.

• Design Score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Features

• Hypertension notifications
• Blood oxygen level measurements
• Heart age predictions

The BodyScan 2 represents a significant advancement in body tracking for the consumer market. It does, of course, continue to carry out the basics admirably, but beyond that, the scale introduces new measurements and features that have never been seen before in a home device. These features include hypertension, heart age, and blood oxygen level, with glucose resilience tracking coming soon.

First up, hypertension notifications. By analyzing patterns in the data collected by the BodyScan 2, Withings is able to detect signs associated with hypertension. The presence of these patterns is not a medical assessment that hypertension is present but rather the reporting of it as a heightened possibility, just like the best Apple Watches. If it detects a pattern, you’ll receive a notification through the Withings app.

Then there’s the heart and vascular age predictors, which are unlocked with a Withings+ membership. According to Withings, this is an indicator of the “heart's mechanical efficiency, based on how quickly your heart reacts to each beat and how effectively it pumps blood.”

The final new feature to mention is blood oxygen tracking, which is achieved through a multi-wave PPG sensor built into the handle. Through this infrared technology, the smart scale measures SpO2 in the same way as the best smartwatches. These three features provide a complete cardiometabolic assessment, which sets the BodyScan 2 apart from the competition.

• Features Score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Performance

• Solid accuracy for basic metrics
• Variable vascular age results
• Cluttered Withings app experience

To provide a comparison set of measurements, I compared the BodyScan 2 with the RunStar 8E Pro. Both brands claim over 98.5% DEXA validation and deliver a similar set of metrics, although the BodyScan 2 offers the most.

Let’s start with the basics. The BodyScan 2 recorded my weight at 61.23kg and BMI at 18.2 compared to 61.4 and 19 on the RunStar. Comparative measurements continued across muscle rate, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, base metabolism, and a number of other fat and mass metrics.

All readings are quickly available on the Withings app, which allows for deeper interrogation and tracking over time. Body composition data is displayed on a 3D graphic, which is engaging. I did, however, find it difficult to navigate around the Withings app with the sheer amount of data and features causing the interface to feel cluttered.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

As accurate as the BodyScan 2 is for basic measurements, it is not these metrics that would cause someone to purchase a BodyScan 2. I was much more interested in the new features, including blood oxygen level measurements and heart age predictions. To test SpO2 readings, I compared it to my Garmin Tactix 8 and found that its readings were similar and consistent.

(Image credit: Future / Paul Hatton)

Vascular age reporting was less reliable. The first time I measured it, the app told me that my vascular age was four years older than my actual age. As you can imagine, that was a little bit of a shock. I measured it a week later, at a similar time of the day, and Withings reported only a one-year difference from my actual age. That’s a significant difference in a short space of time, which makes it difficult to entirely rely upon the findings and decide whether health changes are required.

Offering cardiometabolic measurements and estimations via a smart scale puts the BodyScan 2 at the forefront of the industry. They have introduced tech that has never before been seen in a smart scale, and the level of innovation is truly impressive. That said, I think we’re a few iterations off, seeing a smart scale delivering the necessary accuracy to make their estimations accurate enough to be relied upon to be highly accurate within some newer metrics, only a general trend indication.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Withings BodyScan 2 Body Scale: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

The BodyScan 2 is extremely expensive, but for the money you get excellent build quality and a wide range of advanced features.

4.5/5

Design

A professional, modern-looking smart scale with a built-in LCD display. The retractable handle is well engineered and designed to endure years of use.

5/5

Features

This smart scale offers an array of advanced features, designed to provide a full cardiometabolic report.

5/5

Performance

Solid accuracy across standard metrics, although vascular age reporting was variable. The app is also a little cluttered.

4.5/5

RunStar 4E Body Scale: Should I buy?Buy it if...

You want full cardiometabolic tracking from the comfort of your own home

The BodyScan 2 offers some of the most extensive body and heart tracking seen in any home device.

You’re taking GLP-1s and want to maintain body mass

The BodyScan 2 tracks lean mass across the whole body so you can see exactly where you’re losing mass and respond accordingly.

Don't buy it if...

You’ll only be casually measuring your weight and a few other metrics

With full-body scanning capabilities and innovative heart tracking, the BodyScan 2 is only for the most serious of users.

You’re looking for a budget-friendly scale

At $599.95 USD / £449.95 GBP / $895 AUS, the BodyScan 2 is extremely expensive. Significantly more affordable alternatives exist.

Also consider

RunStar 8E Pro Body Scale

A similarly DEXA-verified smart scale that’s significantly more affordable, although it tracks fewer metrics.View Deal

Vitafit Smart Bathroom Scale

A similarly priced smart scale with a comparable set of features. Boasts a slightly larger display and a more comprehensive app experience.

Vitafit Smart Bathroom ScaleView Deal

How I tested

My family (two adults and children) used the BodyScan 2 scale for several weeks. Having several family members made it possible to try out the multi-profile functionality, but most of the time I spent testing the scale using myself as a subject. I focused in on some of the new features that set the BodyScan 2 apart, such as vascular age and SpO2. Having the scale located in a busy family bathroom enabled me to determine the robustness and durability of the device.

First reviewed: September 2026

Russia's parliamentary election for the first time is being held in Ukraine's regions that Moscow illegally annexed after the start of its full-scale invasion more than 4 1/2 years ago.

(Image credit: AP Photo)

Geekom A5 2027 Edition: 30-second review

Often, reviewing computer equipment has an odd, unexpected cyclical nature. Because many companies can’t be bothered with new nomenclature and launch new products with old names.

This is at least the third version of the Geekom A5 I’ve seen, and thankfully Geekom have decided to call this the 2027 Edition to segment it slightly from prior options.

Where the original Geekom A5 went after desktop-class performance on a budget, the 2027 Edition changes tack. Geekom has kept the same compact metal chassis, the same generous port selection and the same easy access to internals, but it has fitted a very different processor under the hood.

Out goes the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, a 45-watt mobile chip that pushed hard for performance. In comes the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, a 15-watt part that shares the same Cezanne silicon and Zen 3 cores but is tuned for efficiency rather than speed.

The result, on paper at least, is a machine that runs cooler and quieter, backed by a new IceBlast 3.0 cooling system that Geekom claims cuts noise to as low as 28dB at idle. Geekom is now pitching the A5 2027 Edition for 24/7 office and commercial use, rather than as a budget performance desktop.

The available SKUs offer two CPU options: a cheaper AMD Ryzen 5 7430U and a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 7730U. All machines come with 16GB of DDR4 memory, but storage can be 256GB, 512GB or 1TB.

Memory is expandable to 64GB, and storage has actually grown more flexible, with room for two NVMe SSDs and a 2.5-inch SATA drive, but the second M.2 slot is the smaller 2242 variety.

What the A5 2027 Edition offers is a relatively affordable platform for general office use, but it lacks the expansion possibilities that the best mini PCs provide with technology like OCuLink, USB4 and Thunderbolt.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Geekom A5 2027 Edition: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $465/£446/€479
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Currently, this machine can be obtained directly from Geekom or via online retailers

The A5 2027 Edition is sold in several bundles, and the number of SKUs varies by region. Most come with 16GB of RAM, but with different processors and storage.

The variations are complicated, so I’ve created a small table showing the options and prices for the US, UK and EU. Each region also has a discount code that improves prices by 10% in the US, 5% in the UK, and €50 off in the EU.

Global pricing for Geekom A5 2027 Edition

CPU

RAM/SSD

USA price

UK price

EU price

Ryzen 5 7430U

16GB+1TB

$465

£449

€479

Ryzen 7 5825U

16GB+512GB

$499

N/A

N/A

Ryzen 7 7730U

16GB+256

$499

£399

€479

Ryzen 7 7730U

16GB+512GB

$549

£469

€549

Ryzen 7 5800H

32GB+512GB

N/A

N/A

€549

As you can see in the table, only three SKUs are available in all locations, and some 5800 series options are unique to the US and parts of the EU.

What needs to be acknowledged is that the prices of RAM and storage have skyrocketed in the past year, and given those increases, the price of this A5 doesn’t seem excessive. Though, considering that the memory and storage on these machines are replaceable, it seems odd that Geekom didn’t offer a barebones SKU.

It should be noted that the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H model was on the German and Spanish Geekom sites, but not on their French or Italian. Canada has the same SKUs as the USA, and Japan has the same, but with the Ryzen 5 7430U model removed. The older A5 had the 5800H, so these machines may not be the 2027 Edition, but older stock.

Curiously, via Amazon you can buy the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U 16GB+512GB for the same price as Geekom offers it (before the discount code), $549 or £469, but it comes in Rose Gold, not silver.

The two obvious competitor machines that use the same platform are the GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra and BOSGAME P4 Ultra.

The GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra can be found on Amazon for $599.99 or £609.96, but it comes with 32GB+1TB and the 7730U processor. A better value option is the BOSGAME P4 Ultra, which you can get on Amazon.co.uk with a voucher for £385, and it comes with 16GB+1TB and a Ryzen 7 CPU. The same machine is $519 on Amazon.com.

Therefore, if you want this platform cheaper, then BOSGAME is probably the right choice, but the GMKtec machines look better made, and the P4 Ultra can come with a single memory module, undermining its performance significantly.

• Value: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Geekom A5 2027 Edition: SpecsGeekom A5 2027 Edition Specifications

CPU:

AMD Ryzen 7 7730U (8 cores, 16 threads, 16MB cache, 2.0GHz to 4.5GHz)

GPU:

AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics (integrated)

RAM:

16GB DDR4 SODIMM (dual-channel 2x8GB, expandable to 64GB)

Storage:

512GB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD, plus free 2.5" SATA bay and M.2 2242 SATA slot

Ports:

3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x 3.5mm audio jack, SD card reader

Networking:

2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2

OS:

Windows 11 Pro (pre-installed)

Base Power:

15W (TDP)

PSU:

19V 3.42A, 65W

Weight:

652g

Dimensions:

117mm x 112mm x 49.2mm

Geekom A5 2027 Edition: Design

• Same enclosure again
• Easy access retained
• No USB4

Visually, the A5 2027 Edition is business as usual for Geekom. It reuses the same silver metal-and-plastic chassis as the original A5 and the Mini IT13 before it, with two USB ports and the audio jack on the front, the SD card reader on the left, and the rest of the I/O around the back.

One aspect of this design I especially liked is that all the ports are labelled correctly, revealing the USB specification and whether the port is designed for charging. Some makers just completely ignore these details, leaving ports alongside others with a completely different specification looking identical.

Internal access follows the same familiar pattern too. Four retained screws release the base, which stays tethered by a ribbon cable feeding the free 2.5-inch SATA bay underneath. The DDR4 SODIMM slots and the primary M.2 2280 NVMe slot sit inside, alongside a second, smaller M.2 2242 slot for a SATA SSD.

I wish the second slot was 2280-sized, but evidently there was insufficient space for it.

That gives the A5 2027 Edition a genuinely unusual triple-storage layout for a machine this size, and Geekom quotes a combined ceiling of around 7TB across all three. Not sure how that works, because the 2280 slot could take 4TB, I’ve seen 2TB on 2246, but SATA HDDs can be at least 5TB and SSDs to at least 4TB. Therefore, you could put more than 7TB in one of these machines.

What’s good about this system is that the internal access doesn’t require removing adhesive-attached feet, and the memory is socketed, allowing for easy upgrades.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The only caveat with the memory, other than the lower bandwidth of DDR4 compared to DDR5, is that to get the best performance, the memory upgrades need to be in pairs.

So if you want more memory, sticking one 16GB stick alongside an existing 8GB module isn’t ideal. It might work, but it will reduce the memory mode to single-channel. Therefore, if you want more RAM, two 16GB or 32GB SODIMMs are the path to follow, leaving you two 8GB modules to re-home.

There are 48GB DDR4 modules available, but the maximum RAM on this platform is 64GB. At the time of writing, a 32GB DDR4 SODIMM is typically around $250, making that upgrade about the same cost as the system. But should the AI bubble burst (or rather, when), then that might be a more realistic proposition.

My disappointment is that there is no USB faster than USB 3.2 Gen 2, even though the platform has plenty of unused PCIe lanes. There are at least five USB ports with this specification plus a single USB 2.0, but not a single USB4 or USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port. I understand the resistance to putting USB4 controllers on older platform technology, but the market has outgrown USB 3.2 already.

Overall, as I’ve come to expect from Geekom, this is a well-made mini-PC which delivers a decent user experience for those who aren’t excessively ambitious from a performance perspective. It isn’t a massive evolution from earlier, but it seems decent value for money in these difficult times.

• Design: 4 / 5

Geekom A5 2027 Edition: Features

• AMD Ryzen 7 7730U
• New Barcelo-R silicon with a lower power ceiling
• IceBlast 3.0 cooling

The headline change in the A5 2027 Edition is its processor. The AMD Ryzen 7 7730U carries a similar die and Zen 3 cores as the 5800H in the original A5, with the same 8 cores, 16 threads and 16MB of L3 cache. Where the 5800H was a Cezanne design, the 7730U is one of four Barcelo-R chips that AMD made before moving on to the Rembrandt-R architecture.

The biggest change between these chips is the power envelope, cut from 45 watts to 15 watts.

That is a significant reduction, and it shows up directly in sustained clock speed. Our CPU-Z capture shows the new chip running at 3470.7MHz under its default profile, down from the 4364.5MHz we saw on the outgoing 5800H with the same tool.

The smaller 65W power brick that ships with the 2027 Edition, down from the original's 120W unit, reflects how much less power headroom this design now needs. Geekom backs the lower TDP with its IceBlast 3.0 cooling system, said to improve cooling efficiency by around 42 per cent over the previous generation and to keep core temperatures under 72 degrees Celsius after an hour of sustained heavy load in a 30-degree room.

Geekom quotes noise levels as low as 28dB at idle and around 32dB under heavy load, figures that make the A5 2027 Edition a genuinely quiet machine for a desk or reception area.

The trade made here is performance for silence, which, depending on the working environment, could be the right or wrong choice.

Storage and memory remain DDR4 rather than the faster DDR5 found in newer Ryzen designs, and the M.2 slot is still limited to PCIe 3.0, so NVMe throughput is capped in the same way it was on the original A5. Port-wise, the story is also unchanged: still no USB4 or Thunderbolt, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A and Type-C as the fastest connections on offer.

That this system comes with dual HDMI 2.0 outputs and an easily accessible SD card slot on the side offers genuine potential for marketing displays, especially considering how cool it all runs.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

What needs to be said is that this isn’t especially new technology. The processor was first launched in Q1 of 2023, which will shortly make it four years old. Fabricated on the older TSMC 7nm FinFET technology, it can’t hope to offer the same levels of efficiency as the latest Ryzen parts, which use TSMC N4P FinFET.

To be clear, there is little wrong with the older chips, and AMD evidently still holds a significant stock of them, but better, more efficient technology is available for those willing to invest in it.

These devices offer significant performance increases in CPU-, GPU-, and NPU-related tasks, have better technologies (USB4, etc.) and larger caches.

But they don’t have upgradable memory, as they use LPDDR5X-8533 surface-mounted memory, or similar, and their default power consumption is greater, leading to fan noise.

The computing platform in the A5 2027 Edition might not be full of youthful enthusiasm, but it's more than adequate for many office tasks.

• Features: 3.5 / 5

Geekom A5 2027 Edition: Performance

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Mini PC

Geekom A5 2027 Edition

Geekom A5

CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 7730U

AMD Ryzen 5 7430U

Cores/Threads

8C 16T

6C 12T

RAM

16GB DDR4 (2x8GB)

16GB DDR4 (2x8GB)

SSD

512GB SSD

512GB SSD

Graphics

Radeon Vega 8

Radeon Vega 7

3DMark

WildLife

7346

6796

FireStrike

3504

3259

TimeSpy

1390

1288

S.Nomad

1111

1086

Cine24

Single

86

71

Multi

479

421

Ratio

5.58

5.96

GeekBench 6

Single

1993

1910

Multi

7712

6503

OpenCL

16050

14325

Vulkan

14539

13895

CrystalDisk

Read MB/s

3736

3208

Write MB/s

3186

2290

PCMark 10

Office

6709

5296

WEI

Score

8.1

8.1

It was originally my intention to compare this A5 with the 5800U-powered one, but when I looked at the data, that prior model came during a transition where I was switching from Cinebench 23 to GeekBench 5. And I no longer have that hardware to retest.

What I can say is that in the data I do have that maps between the two, the 5800U was more powerful, but it used more power and fan noise was audible.

What I did find in my data pile was an older A5 that used the AMD Ryzen 5 7430U CPU, and those benchmarks mapped to what I used on the A5 2027 Edition and provided some interesting context between the two.

It’s not exactly a revelation that a CPU with more cores and a better GPU is going to run faster, but that’s the narrative running through these results. But it also hints in the Windows Experience Index that for a person running Office applications on these systems, the difference might not be significant, or even noticeable.

In this respect, the A5 2027 Edition is a punchier option, but it's hardly leaving the older A5 with the Ryzen 5 platform in the dust. For those wanting to minimise the cost of these systems, there might be something useful to take from these results for them.

As an aside, I recently reviewed the BOSGAME P4 Ultra, which uses the same CPU as the A5 2027 Edition but performs worse than the old A5 with the Ryzen 5 CPU. How is that possible? It is when you deliver the 16GB of RAM in a single module, reducing the bandwidth of the system by 50%. As an example of the impact of doing this, the WildLife score on the P4 Ultra is only 4961.

The lesson from these scores is never run one of these systems in single-channel mode, unless you like your computers to run slowly for no good reason.

• Performance: 3.5 / 5

Geekom A5 2027 Edition: Final verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

I would consider the Geekom A5 2027 Edition as a refresh rather than a generational leap. Geekom has kept everything that made the original A5 easy to recommend: the compact metal chassis, the simple internal access and the strong port selection, and layered on a genuinely useful third SATA storage option.

What it has not done is make the machine dramatically faster. The move from a 45-watt to a 15-watt processor trades outright performance for lower noise, lower heat and, Geekom claims, lower running costs over years of continuous use.

For buyers who want a quiet, always-on machine for general office work, that trade could be exactly right. For anyone chasing the best possible performance per pound, the original A5, while now harder to find new, made a stronger case.

Should you buy a Geekom A5 2027 Edition?

Value

Pricier than the original A5 at launch, but that's to be expected.

4 / 5

Design

An effective design that doesn't need to change

4 / 5

Features

Four-year old tech, but still useful

3.5 / 5

Performance

Slower than the 5800U A5s, but not terrible

3.5 / 5

Overall

A quieter, cooler machine aimed at 24/7 office duty rather than raw speed.

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a quiet, always-on office machine
With its 15-watt chip and IceBlast 3.0 cooling, the A5 2027 Edition is aimed squarely at desks, reception areas and back offices where a quiet machine matters more than outright speed.

You need some local storage flexibility
With three storage slots that include an NVMe drive, a 2.5-inch SATA bay and a second M.2 SATA slot, this machine gives you more expansion room than most mini PCs at this price.

Don't buy it if...

You want the fastest machine for the money
The lower 15-watt power limit means the 2027 Edition is likely to trail the outgoing A5 and rival machines that still use 45-watt silicon, once benchmark figures are confirmed.

You need Thunderbolt or USB4
As with the original A5, the fastest connection on offer is USB 3.2 Gen 2. Anyone relying on Thunderbolt peripherals or displays will need to look elsewhere.

Also Consider

GMKtec NucBox K16
Another AMD NUC built around the Zen 3+ Ryzen 7 7735HS, offering a genuine generational step up in performance over either A5 model, in a similarly compact and upgrade-friendly case. It costs more, but comes with 32GB of RAM and 512GB or 1TB of storage.

Check out our GMKtec NucBox K16 review

Geekom A5 2025 Edition

Geekom's prior model uses the AMD Ryzen 5 7430U and is cheaper than the newest model, while being a similar low-power and low-noise offering. Power consumption is even lower due to the lower clock speeds, but it uses the same chassis and has the same storage options.

Check out my Geekom A5 2025 Edition review

For more professional hardware, we've reviewed the best business computers.

Geekom A5 2027 Edition: 30-second review

Often, reviewing computer equipment has an odd, unexpected cyclical nature. Because many companies can’t be bothered with new nomenclature and launch new products with old names.

This is at least the third version of the Geekom A5 I’ve seen, and thankfully Geekom have decided to call this the 2027 Edition to segment it slightly from prior options.

Where the original Geekom A5 went after desktop-class performance on a budget, the 2027 Edition changes tack. Geekom has kept the same compact metal chassis, the same generous port selection and the same easy access to internals, but it has fitted a very different processor under the hood.

Out goes the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, a 45-watt mobile chip that pushed hard for performance. In comes the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, a 15-watt part that shares the same Cezanne silicon and Zen 3 cores but is tuned for efficiency rather than speed.

The result, on paper at least, is a machine that runs cooler and quieter, backed by a new IceBlast 3.0 cooling system that Geekom claims cuts noise to as low as 28dB at idle. Geekom is now pitching the A5 2027 Edition for 24/7 office and commercial use, rather than as a budget performance desktop.

The available SKUs offer two CPU options: a cheaper AMD Ryzen 5 7430U and a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 7730U. All machines come with 16GB of DDR4 memory, but storage can be 256GB, 512GB or 1TB.

Memory is expandable to 64GB, and storage has actually grown more flexible, with room for two NVMe SSDs and a 2.5-inch SATA drive, but the second M.2 slot is the smaller 2242 variety.

What the A5 2027 Edition offers is a relatively affordable platform for general office use, but it lacks the expansion possibilities that the best mini PCs provide with technology like OCuLink, USB4 and Thunderbolt.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Geekom A5 2027 Edition: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $465/£446/€479
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Currently, this machine can be obtained directly from Geekom or via online retailers

The A5 2027 Edition is sold in several bundles, and the number of SKUs varies by region. Most come with 16GB of RAM, but with different processors and storage.

The variations are complicated, so I’ve created a small table showing the options and prices for the US, UK and EU. Each region also has a discount code that improves prices by 10% in the US, 5% in the UK, and €50 off in the EU.

Global pricing for Geekom A5 2027 Edition

CPU

RAM/SSD

USA price

UK price

EU price

Ryzen 5 7430U

16GB+1TB

$465

£449

€479

Ryzen 7 5825U

16GB+512GB

$499

N/A

N/A

Ryzen 7 7730U

16GB+256

$499

£399

€479

Ryzen 7 7730U

16GB+512GB

$549

£469

€549

Ryzen 7 5800H

32GB+512GB

N/A

N/A

€549

As you can see in the table, only three SKUs are available in all locations, and some 5800 series options are unique to the US and parts of the EU.

What needs to be acknowledged is that the prices of RAM and storage have skyrocketed in the past year, and given those increases, the price of this A5 doesn’t seem excessive. Though, considering that the memory and storage on these machines are replaceable, it seems odd that Geekom didn’t offer a barebones SKU.

It should be noted that the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H model was on the German and Spanish Geekom sites, but not on their French or Italian. Canada has the same SKUs as the USA, and Japan has the same, but with the Ryzen 5 7430U model removed. The older A5 had the 5800H, so these machines may not be the 2027 Edition, but older stock.

Curiously, via Amazon you can buy the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U 16GB+512GB for the same price as Geekom offers it (before the discount code), $549 or £469, but it comes in Rose Gold, not silver.

The two obvious competitor machines that use the same platform are the GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra and BOSGAME P4 Ultra.

The GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra can be found on Amazon for $599.99 or £609.96, but it comes with 32GB+1TB and the 7730U processor. A better value option is the BOSGAME P4 Ultra, which you can get on Amazon.co.uk with a voucher for £385, and it comes with 16GB+1TB and a Ryzen 7 CPU. The same machine is $519 on Amazon.com.

Therefore, if you want this platform cheaper, then BOSGAME is probably the right choice, but the GMKtec machines look better made, and the P4 Ultra can come with a single memory module, undermining its performance significantly.

• Value: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Geekom A5 2027 Edition: SpecsGeekom A5 2027 Edition Specifications

CPU:

AMD Ryzen 7 7730U (8 cores, 16 threads, 16MB cache, 2.0GHz to 4.5GHz)

GPU:

AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics (integrated)

RAM:

16GB DDR4 SODIMM (dual-channel 2x8GB, expandable to 64GB)

Storage:

512GB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD, plus free 2.5" SATA bay and M.2 2242 SATA slot

Ports:

3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x 3.5mm audio jack, SD card reader

Networking:

2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2

OS:

Windows 11 Pro (pre-installed)

Base Power:

15W (TDP)

PSU:

19V 3.42A, 65W

Weight:

652g

Dimensions:

117mm x 112mm x 49.2mm

Geekom A5 2027 Edition: Design

• Same enclosure again
• Easy access retained
• No USB4

Visually, the A5 2027 Edition is business as usual for Geekom. It reuses the same silver metal-and-plastic chassis as the original A5 and the Mini IT13 before it, with two USB ports and the audio jack on the front, the SD card reader on the left, and the rest of the I/O around the back.

One aspect of this design I especially liked is that all the ports are labelled correctly, revealing the USB specification and whether the port is designed for charging. Some makers just completely ignore these details, leaving ports alongside others with a completely different specification looking identical.

Internal access follows the same familiar pattern too. Four retained screws release the base, which stays tethered by a ribbon cable feeding the free 2.5-inch SATA bay underneath. The DDR4 SODIMM slots and the primary M.2 2280 NVMe slot sit inside, alongside a second, smaller M.2 2242 slot for a SATA SSD.

I wish the second slot was 2280-sized, but evidently there was insufficient space for it.

That gives the A5 2027 Edition a genuinely unusual triple-storage layout for a machine this size, and Geekom quotes a combined ceiling of around 7TB across all three. Not sure how that works, because the 2280 slot could take 4TB, I’ve seen 2TB on 2246, but SATA HDDs can be at least 5TB and SSDs to at least 4TB. Therefore, you could put more than 7TB in one of these machines.

What’s good about this system is that the internal access doesn’t require removing adhesive-attached feet, and the memory is socketed, allowing for easy upgrades.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The only caveat with the memory, other than the lower bandwidth of DDR4 compared to DDR5, is that to get the best performance, the memory upgrades need to be in pairs.

So if you want more memory, sticking one 16GB stick alongside an existing 8GB module isn’t ideal. It might work, but it will reduce the memory mode to single-channel. Therefore, if you want more RAM, two 16GB or 32GB SODIMMs are the path to follow, leaving you two 8GB modules to re-home.

There are 48GB DDR4 modules available, but the maximum RAM on this platform is 64GB. At the time of writing, a 32GB DDR4 SODIMM is typically around $250, making that upgrade about the same cost as the system. But should the AI bubble burst (or rather, when), then that might be a more realistic proposition.

My disappointment is that there is no USB faster than USB 3.2 Gen 2, even though the platform has plenty of unused PCIe lanes. There are at least five USB ports with this specification plus a single USB 2.0, but not a single USB4 or USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port. I understand the resistance to putting USB4 controllers on older platform technology, but the market has outgrown USB 3.2 already.

Overall, as I’ve come to expect from Geekom, this is a well-made mini-PC which delivers a decent user experience for those who aren’t excessively ambitious from a performance perspective. It isn’t a massive evolution from earlier, but it seems decent value for money in these difficult times.

• Design: 4 / 5

Geekom A5 2027 Edition: Features

• AMD Ryzen 7 7730U
• New Barcelo-R silicon with a lower power ceiling
• IceBlast 3.0 cooling

The headline change in the A5 2027 Edition is its processor. The AMD Ryzen 7 7730U carries a similar die and Zen 3 cores as the 5800H in the original A5, with the same 8 cores, 16 threads and 16MB of L3 cache. Where the 5800H was a Cezanne design, the 7730U is one of four Barcelo-R chips that AMD made before moving on to the Rembrandt-R architecture.

The biggest change between these chips is the power envelope, cut from 45 watts to 15 watts.

That is a significant reduction, and it shows up directly in sustained clock speed. Our CPU-Z capture shows the new chip running at 3470.7MHz under its default profile, down from the 4364.5MHz we saw on the outgoing 5800H with the same tool.

The smaller 65W power brick that ships with the 2027 Edition, down from the original's 120W unit, reflects how much less power headroom this design now needs. Geekom backs the lower TDP with its IceBlast 3.0 cooling system, said to improve cooling efficiency by around 42 per cent over the previous generation and to keep core temperatures under 72 degrees Celsius after an hour of sustained heavy load in a 30-degree room.

Geekom quotes noise levels as low as 28dB at idle and around 32dB under heavy load, figures that make the A5 2027 Edition a genuinely quiet machine for a desk or reception area.

The trade made here is performance for silence, which, depending on the working environment, could be the right or wrong choice.

Storage and memory remain DDR4 rather than the faster DDR5 found in newer Ryzen designs, and the M.2 slot is still limited to PCIe 3.0, so NVMe throughput is capped in the same way it was on the original A5. Port-wise, the story is also unchanged: still no USB4 or Thunderbolt, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A and Type-C as the fastest connections on offer.

That this system comes with dual HDMI 2.0 outputs and an easily accessible SD card slot on the side offers genuine potential for marketing displays, especially considering how cool it all runs.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

What needs to be said is that this isn’t especially new technology. The processor was first launched in Q1 of 2023, which will shortly make it four years old. Fabricated on the older TSMC 7nm FinFET technology, it can’t hope to offer the same levels of efficiency as the latest Ryzen parts, which use TSMC N4P FinFET.

To be clear, there is little wrong with the older chips, and AMD evidently still holds a significant stock of them, but better, more efficient technology is available for those willing to invest in it.

These devices offer significant performance increases in CPU-, GPU-, and NPU-related tasks, have better technologies (USB4, etc.) and larger caches.

But they don’t have upgradable memory, as they use LPDDR5X-8533 surface-mounted memory, or similar, and their default power consumption is greater, leading to fan noise.

The computing platform in the A5 2027 Edition might not be full of youthful enthusiasm, but it's more than adequate for many office tasks.

• Features: 3.5 / 5

Geekom A5 2027 Edition: Performance

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Mini PC

Geekom A5 2027 Edition

Geekom A5

CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 7730U

AMD Ryzen 5 7430U

Cores/Threads

8C 16T

6C 12T

RAM

16GB DDR4 (2x8GB)

16GB DDR4 (2x8GB)

SSD

512GB SSD

512GB SSD

Graphics

Radeon Vega 8

Radeon Vega 7

3DMark

WildLife

7346

6796

FireStrike

3504

3259

TimeSpy

1390

1288

S.Nomad

1111

1086

Cine24

Single

86

71

Multi

479

421

Ratio

5.58

5.96

GeekBench 6

Single

1993

1910

Multi

7712

6503

OpenCL

16050

14325

Vulkan

14539

13895

CrystalDisk

Read MB/s

3736

3208

Write MB/s

3186

2290

PCMark 10

Office

6709

5296

WEI

Score

8.1

8.1

It was originally my intention to compare this A5 with the 5800U-powered one, but when I looked at the data, that prior model came during a transition where I was switching from Cinebench 23 to GeekBench 5. And I no longer have that hardware to retest.

What I can say is that in the data I do have that maps between the two, the 5800U was more powerful, but it used more power and fan noise was audible.

What I did find in my data pile was an older A5 that used the AMD Ryzen 5 7430U CPU, and those benchmarks mapped to what I used on the A5 2027 Edition and provided some interesting context between the two.

It’s not exactly a revelation that a CPU with more cores and a better GPU is going to run faster, but that’s the narrative running through these results. But it also hints in the Windows Experience Index that for a person running Office applications on these systems, the difference might not be significant, or even noticeable.

In this respect, the A5 2027 Edition is a punchier option, but it's hardly leaving the older A5 with the Ryzen 5 platform in the dust. For those wanting to minimise the cost of these systems, there might be something useful to take from these results for them.

As an aside, I recently reviewed the BOSGAME P4 Ultra, which uses the same CPU as the A5 2027 Edition but performs worse than the old A5 with the Ryzen 5 CPU. How is that possible? It is when you deliver the 16GB of RAM in a single module, reducing the bandwidth of the system by 50%. As an example of the impact of doing this, the WildLife score on the P4 Ultra is only 4961.

The lesson from these scores is never run one of these systems in single-channel mode, unless you like your computers to run slowly for no good reason.

• Performance: 3.5 / 5

Geekom A5 2027 Edition: Final verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

I would consider the Geekom A5 2027 Edition as a refresh rather than a generational leap. Geekom has kept everything that made the original A5 easy to recommend: the compact metal chassis, the simple internal access and the strong port selection, and layered on a genuinely useful third SATA storage option.

What it has not done is make the machine dramatically faster. The move from a 45-watt to a 15-watt processor trades outright performance for lower noise, lower heat and, Geekom claims, lower running costs over years of continuous use.

For buyers who want a quiet, always-on machine for general office work, that trade could be exactly right. For anyone chasing the best possible performance per pound, the original A5, while now harder to find new, made a stronger case.

Should you buy a Geekom A5 2027 Edition?

Value

Pricier than the original A5 at launch, but that's to be expected.

4 / 5

Design

An effective design that doesn't need to change

4 / 5

Features

Four-year old tech, but still useful

3.5 / 5

Performance

Slower than the 5800U A5s, but not terrible

3.5 / 5

Overall

A quieter, cooler machine aimed at 24/7 office duty rather than raw speed.

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a quiet, always-on office machine
With its 15-watt chip and IceBlast 3.0 cooling, the A5 2027 Edition is aimed squarely at desks, reception areas and back offices where a quiet machine matters more than outright speed.

You need some local storage flexibility
With three storage slots that include an NVMe drive, a 2.5-inch SATA bay and a second M.2 SATA slot, this machine gives you more expansion room than most mini PCs at this price.

Don't buy it if...

You want the fastest machine for the money
The lower 15-watt power limit means the 2027 Edition is likely to trail the outgoing A5 and rival machines that still use 45-watt silicon, once benchmark figures are confirmed.

You need Thunderbolt or USB4
As with the original A5, the fastest connection on offer is USB 3.2 Gen 2. Anyone relying on Thunderbolt peripherals or displays will need to look elsewhere.

Also Consider

GMKtec NucBox K16
Another AMD NUC built around the Zen 3+ Ryzen 7 7735HS, offering a genuine generational step up in performance over either A5 model, in a similarly compact and upgrade-friendly case. It costs more, but comes with 32GB of RAM and 512GB or 1TB of storage.

Check out our GMKtec NucBox K16 review

Geekom A5 2025 Edition

Geekom's prior model uses the AMD Ryzen 5 7430U and is cheaper than the newest model, while being a similar low-power and low-noise offering. Power consumption is even lower due to the lower clock speeds, but it uses the same chassis and has the same storage options.

Check out my Geekom A5 2025 Edition review

For more professional hardware, we've reviewed the best business computers.