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Five people are dead after a cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport, Trump's top envoys go to Ukraine with hopes of restarting peace talks, Germany's far-right party wins landslide victory.

Here are six of the top trends I spotted while roaming the IFA floor.

Video showed thick smoke rising from the plane crash of the Boeing 767 that the Federal Aviation Administration says overran the airport runway in Miami.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

Scuf Valor Wired: two-minute review

The Scuf Valor Wired is a mid-range wired PC and Xbox controller. It’s actually the second controller to bear this moniker, with the previous version equipped with the less-sensitive Hall-effect thumbsticks rather than the TMR ones here. But is a wired controller worth the investment right now, when there are so many cheap wireless alternatives to pick from?

Despite its mid-market price, the Valor Wired feels suitably premium in the hand. Thanks to its lightly textured grips and thumbsticks, I always felt like I had a firm grasp on it, even with sweaty palms during particularly stress-filled FPS tournaments. I also love the silky-smooth plastic of its faceplate, while the Smoke colorway I tested looked gorgeous, with its translucent gray body and orange highlights.

The Valor Wired isn't a poser, though: many of its features equal those of the best Xbox controllers on the market, even if it can’t fully eclipse them.

Rocking the TMR thumbsticks more usually seen in premium pads, the Valor Wired won’t succumb to stick drift and should prove more sensitive than Hall-effect alternatives. Meanwhile, its dual-mode shoulder triggers allow you to switch between full-range analog movement and clicky micro-switches — sadly, they’re not quite as sensitive as the more premium TMR triggers of some pads — and provide discrete vibrations from the grips for more immersive gameplay. Remappable back buttons deliver plenty of options for in-game shortcuts, although I’d rather its face buttons were of the faster micro-switch variety than the more spongy ones here.

Many of these inputs are customizable in Scuf’s flexible and easy-to-use companion app, available for both Windows and Xbox. Whipping up personal profiles for shooting and racing games took barely any time at all — I was able to tweak dead zones and set custom curves based on my needs, as well as remap buttons to suit my requirements. Saving my preferred profiles to one of three slots on the controller was simple, and I could rapidly flip between them in-game with a single press of a button.

But how does all of this translate to performance? Pretty efficiently, it turns out.

Not only do those TMR thumbsticks offer better durability, but they felt sensitive and responsive, delivering great control over the steering wheel in Forza Horizon 6. I’m already fully converted to the benefits of dual-mode triggers, and they’re fantastic here, enabling me to fire off effective parries in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, even if it wasn’t quite as snappy as on my more premium Asus ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless. And the separate rumble function in the triggers is a fun addition, even if I wouldn’t say it's a revolution in immersion.

And those custom profiles I created definitely seemed to have a material impact on my performance. With its dynamic response curves and trimmed dead zones for the triggers, my racing profile felt like it offered more granular control over the gas and brake pedals, enabling me go from seventh in some races to first place. Meanwhile, aggressive trigger curves in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 made squeezing off headshots faster — although not quite as fast as when using the triggers’ micro-switch mode.

All things being equal, the Scuf Valor Wired is a strong PC and Xbox controller. Its TMR thumbsticks, dual-mode triggers, and sheer customizability are impressive. Its lack of wireless connectivity, TMR triggers, and micro-switch buttons stop it from being truly top-tier, though. Having said that, it's the price that makes it truly compelling. Getting so many features in a pad for $89.99 / £69.99 / AU$179.99 is fantastic, even if that means sacrificing the flexibility of wireless connectivity and the most premium features.

(Image credit: Future)Scuf Valor Wired review: price & availability

• Launched on March 31, 2026
• Available from $89.99 / £69.99 / AU$179.99

Released on March 31, 2026, the Scuf Valor Wired is available now. While its list price is $99.99 / £94.99 / AU$179.99, we're already seeing reductions in some markets, seeing it go down to $89.99 / £69.99 in the US and UK.

Rather than a bunch of different versions for different platforms, the one-size-fits-all Scuf Valor Wired is just for Xbox and PC, so if you’re a PlayStation gamer this isn't for you.

On the plus side, it's available in a huge range of colorways — from the ash-colored body and orange detailing of the Light Grey to the red-and-black, dragon-bedecked Prosperity. Plus, removable face plates mean you can purchase multiple colorways to switch things up when you fancy a new look.

Scuf Valor Wired review: specs

Price

$89.99 / £69.99

Compatibility

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

Connection type

Wired (Detachable 10ft / 3.6m braided USB-C to USB-A cable)

Battery life

N/A

Features

Endurance TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) thumbsticks, 4 customizable rear paddles, adjustable instant triggers, onboard audio control system, 3 onboard profile slots, wraparound bumpers, removable faceplate, textured performance grip, 3.5mm headset jack, 1,000Hz polling rate on PC

Software

Scuf Companion App

(Image credit: Future)Scuf Valor Wired review: Design & features

As soon as I got my hands on the Scuf Valor Wired, I was struck by how comfortable it is to hold. It’s pleasingly ergonomic, perfectly tailored to the shape of my palms, and using it feels effortless even over longer gaming sessions. The satin-smooth finish of its faceplate is wonderfully tactile, too, giving a distinctly premium vibe despite its mid-market price.

While I don’t always love coarser textures for controller grips, the hexagonal print on the rubber here meant the Valor Wired had decent traction in my hands. On top of this, the light texturing on its triggers and around its stock thumbsticks prevents either feeling slippery, even during the sweatiest shootouts I encountered while playing FPS games.

But the Valor Wired tickled more of my senses than touch alone. Visually, I’d say it’s a knockout — I legit love the translucent charcoal casing and orange highlights of the Smoke colorway I tested here. If that isn't your cup of tea, there are plenty of alternative options, such as the sakura-bedecked Cherry Blossom or the cyberpunk-coded purple and magenta Respawn. And if you’re perennially indecisive like me, its faceplate is easily removable, meaning you can buy a bunch of options to switch out depending on your mood on a given day.

Let’s talk inputs. Probably the most immediate attention grabber is its thumbsticks. Unlike Scuf’s previous Valor Wired controller, this incarnation comes with TMR sticks, rather than Hall-effect ones. So not only can you breathe easy knowing your controller won’t eventually succumb to the dreaded stick drift, but it should also offer far better sensitivity, more granular tracking, and better centering.

(Image credit: Future)

Like some of the more premium pads on the market, each of the Valor Wired’s triggers has a toggle that allows you to switch between full-range analog movement and micro-switches, giving you more rapid response for games such as shooters. While these aren’t the super-precise TMR triggers you’ll see on controllers such as the ROG Raikiri II, they do have their own discrete rumble function, which at least promises to add to the in-game immersion.

Perhaps a little less premium-feeling are the Valor Wired’s buttons. I’ll admit it took me a while to warm up to snappier micro-switch face buttons on my controllers, but now I find that the spongier buttons featured on this pad feel a bit less precise.

On the plus side, the mappable back buttons trigger with a satisfying click. However, their horizontal arrangement is a little unorthodox, forcing you to hold the pad in a certain way. When I rested just my index fingers on the pad’s triggers, the rest of my digits naturally found their way to these switches — but if you prefer to double up your index and middle fingers on the shoulder buttons and triggers, activating these switches feels more awkward. A vertical alignment would make the pad feel a little more grip-agnostic.

An equally novel — but definitely less controversial — design decision Scuf has made here is to include two distinct volume controls on either side of the 3.5mm headphone jack, one for controlling the volume of your mic and the other for in-game sound.

Admittedly, I don’t play a lot of online games — a skill issue more than a lack-of-friends issue — but I can absolutely still see the appeal here for those who do. Despite the fact that both dials are lightly notched, I’d say they still feel a little loose to offer super-precise control. Fortunately, though, their position at the base of the controller means you’re unlikely to knock them accidentally, so this is unlikely to cause you too much stress during day-to-day use.

(Image credit: Future)

So that’s it as far as hardware goes. But what about software?

Honestly, the Scuf Valor companion app is very strong. Not only is it easy to download and use on both PC and Xbox, but it also delivers a lot of granular control over various settings on the Valor Wired, which you can then save to custom profiles. You can remap all of its inputs, customize trigger and thumbstick curves and dead zones, and tweak the intensity of trigger or grip vibration. Once you’ve saved the resulting profile, you can then save it to one of three slots on the pad as either red, green, or blue.

Switching between these profiles on-the-fly is super easy. Any time I wanted to change to a different profile, I just had to tap the profile button on the back to cycle through them. Reaching this button can sometimes feel like a bit of a stretch — but, being charitable, this might be an intentional move on Scuf's part to reduce the risk of an accidental knock in the midst of a heated gun battle.

All things considered, the Scuf Valor Wired is well-featured and designed for its price. It may not come with cutting-edge tech such as TMR triggers or micro-switch face buttons, and — spoiler alert — it’s not wireless. But in return for sacrificing a few of those premium features, you get a seriously solid spec for a much lower price. So where’s the downside?

(Image credit: Future)Scuf Valor Wired review: performance

Well, a major downside would be that the features the Scuf Valor Wired offers don’t translate to great performance. Fortunately, this isn't the case — while it can’t quite compete with the best Xbox and PC controllers I’ve ever used, it still does a pretty decent job.

First off, let’s start with those TMR thumbsticks. Not only did their action feel nice and smooth, but they rapidly spring back to their dead zone, making gentle steering corrections in Forza Horizon 6 a breeze. And thanks to that superior sensing tech, their responsiveness really wowed me, always feeling smooth and in control.

In addition, the discrete trigger vibration delivered some decent additional feedback for racing titles, offering a bit of haptic response as my tires locked when drifting around corners. I wouldn’t expect too much here, though — we’re not talking about a PlayStation DualSense level of immersive haptic feedback; it’s not going to substantially up the realism.

In my mind, there’s only one game that provides a worthy test of how responsive shoulder triggers can be: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Using the analog triggers, parrying attacks from new enemies could still be punishingly difficult, but after switching them to micro-switch mode, I found the Catapult Sakapatate's cannon attack in the Endless Night Sanctuary much easier to rebuff. That said, during some of the game's more complex combos, I still found myself flailing around like strips of flypaper glued to an electric drill, suggesting these triggers aren’t quite as responsive as some of the TMR options on the market.

But I wasn’t satisfied simply testing the Valor Wired’s stock settings. I wanted to get to the nitty-gritty of how you can really customize the controller to suit your play style. So I whipped up a couple of custom profiles: a Racing profile and my Pew Pew! profile (FPSes, for anyone with an emotional age of more than eight).

(Image credit: Future)

Trying out the pad’s default profile in Forza Horizon 6, I found I was regularly finishing center of the pack. Basically the only way I could keep control of my 2022 Toyota GR86 was to feather the accelerator approaching the bends, then pump the brake trigger to prevent my wheels from locking. But once I’d activated my Racing profile with reduced trigger dead zones and dynamic response curves, it was far easier to reduce the throttle in a controlled way before easing on the brakes for far more controlled drifts. After this, I happily netted several first-place spots on the podium.

By contrast, for my tailor-made profile for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, I remapped the faceplate buttons to the rear paddles and stuck the triggers to an aggressive response curve. While it took some getting used to, the remapped controls made it easy to control the in-game action without ever taking my thumb off the stick. By contrast, the sharper trigger curve made a small difference, but it was switching on the Valor Wired’s micro-switches that really helped me click some heads.

And the nicest part about all of this is how easy it was to tweak these settings on the fly. My chief complaint about my beloved ROG Raikiri II is that I can’t access its Gear Link software on Xbox, meaning I have to fire up my PC whenever I want to tweak a setting. By contrast, updating my settings or swapping out the profile saved to the controller here was easy to do on either platform — I simply had to switch to the app mid-game, edit and save my profiles, and then I could leap back into the action.

Ultimately, the Scuf Valor Wired offers great performance. On many fronts, it comes close to many premium controllers in its performance, feeling highly responsive and customizable. While a physical umbilical cord connecting your pad to your console is a definite compromise, it’s one of the few sacrifices you have to make here to get snappy, pro-feeling performance without having to pay through the nose.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Scuf Valor Wired?Buy it if…

You want impressive performance for a mid-range price
With its more sensitive, drift-free TMR thumbsticks, dual-function micro-switch triggers and mappable rear buttons, the Scuf Valor Wired offers pro-level performance without the premium price tag.

You want good looks and a solid build
Not only does it come in a wide range of styles to suit pretty much every taste, the Valor Wired is beautifully built, whether it’s the textured grips or super-smooth satin-finish faceplate.

Don’t buy it if…

You want the best controller you can get your hands on
The Scuf Valor Wired is a strong controller but that doesn’t mean there aren’t even more powerful pads out there. If you want premium features such as TMR triggers or mechanical buttons, it’s worth spending more.

You want a wireless controller
This one has a wire. But if you want low-latency connectivity, make sure you get one with 2.4GHz connectivity.

Scuf Valor Wired review: also consider

SCUF Valor Wired with TMR

Asus ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless

Thrustmaster eSwap X2

Price

$89.99 / £69.99

$149.99 / £139.99

$169.99 / £149.99

Compatibility

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

Connection type

Wired (detachable 10ft / 3.6m braided USB-C cable)

Tri-mode wireless (2.4GHz RF, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C wired)

Wired (detachable USB-C cable)

Battery life

N/A

Up to 50 hours (2.4GHz wireless with RGB/audio off)

N/A

Features

Endurance TMR thumbsticks, 4 remappable rear paddles, adjustable instant triggers, onboard audio controls, 3 profile slots, wraparound bumpers, removable faceplate

Anti-drift TMR joysticks, dual-mode triggers (TMR/micro-switch), 4 micro-switch rear buttons, micro-switch face buttons/D-pad, 1,000Hz polling rate (PC)

Hot-Swap modular thumbstick/D-pad system, mechanical micro-switch face buttons, 4 remappable rear buttons, physical trigger locks

Software

Scuf Companion App

Armoury Crate / ROG Gear Link

ThrustmapperX software

Asus ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless
There’s a reason the ROG Raikiri II has earned a place in my home setup. With both TMR thumbsticks and TMR dual-mode triggers, not to mention 1K polling and a minimum 3.5ms input latency, it offers blisteringly fast performance. It also offers wired, 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth connectivity, and remappable back buttons. While it’s a touch frustrating that its software doesn’t run on Xbox and there are no saveable profiles on the pad itself, this pad still delivers serious punch.

Read my full Asus ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless review

Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E
At $179.99 / £139.99, the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E might feel decidedly pricey compared to the Scuf Valor Wired. It's wired, too, and also features slightly less fancy Hall-effect thumbsticks to boot. But it does have a pretty major trick up its sleeve: its modular design. You can hot-swap out its modules to replace them, upgrade them, or even switch up their layout, making it a flexible pad that’s in it for the long haul.

Read our full Thrustmaster eSwap X2 H.E review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Scuf Valor Wired

• Tested over four days
• Tried out on a range of platforms and games
• Many years experience writing about gadgets

I tested the Scuf Valor Wired over a long weekend. I tried it out on both my Xbox Series X and my gaming PC, as well as playing a range of games of different genres, including racing games, FPSes, and RPGs. I particularly focused on the sensitivity and responsiveness of the TMR thumbsticks, the triggers, and the buttons to see how they compared to other controllers.

To really test the Valor Wired’s capabilities, I customized its settings in multiple ways. I experimented with different dead zones, utilizing different response curves for its thumbsticks and triggers, saving them to multiple profiles to see how they impacted different styles of game. I also created various custom button mappings to gauge their impact on play.

Alongside working and writing about tech and gadgets for over seven years, I’ve been playing games all my life. I play across multiple platforms, on my desktop PC, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam Deck.

• First reviewed: August 2026
• Read more about how we test

Germany's populist, far-right Alternative for Germany party has declared victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt after more than doubling its share of the vote in the first of several regional elections this fall.

(Image credit: Matthias Schrader)

Exit polls show Germany's AfD taking a commanding lead in a regional election, but it remains unclear whether the far-right party can form the country's first state government since World War II.

(Image credit: Matthias Schrader)

The Alternative for Germany party has a strong lead in a regional election, but it is unclear if it will be able to form Germany's's first far-right state government since WWII, exit polls indicate.

(Image credit: Matthias Schrader)

The Lord Of The Rings: War In The North Legacy Edition (henceforth known as WITN) is a new version of the old action role-playing game (RPG) with a few quality-of-life fixes, tweaks, and improvements.

It ends up being diverting fun and well-priced for what it is, and gamers who loved the original (or perhaps loved games like it, such as Dragon Age: Origins) will enjoy the return to this sort of simple-but-satisfying gameplay loop of hitting orcs, looting gear, and upgrading your characters so they can hit orcs harder, faster, and for longer without falling over.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch
Release date: 11 August (PS5, Xbox, PC), 18 August (Nintendo)

But while much of the game is fine, if not spectacular, it's a shame there are a few technical problems and deeper issues. Swapping between characters on-the-fly is novel, and there has been an effort to incorporate this into all aspects of gameplay. However, hot-swapping is obviously not quite what the original game intended, so there is some awkwardness here, while glitches and bugs sometimes mar the game at key points.

What about second Fellowship?

(Image credit: Aspyr)

If you never played the old version, the basis of the game is this: as the Fellowship of the Ring embarks on their quest for Mount Doom, you play an adjacent, original party consisting of Eradan, a Dunedain ranger with all the skills of Aragorn; Farin, a dwarf warrior from the Lonely Mountain who looks an awful lot like Gimli with the serial numbers filed off; and Andriel, a Loremaster elf from Rivendell who can create magical blasts and forcefields.

Together, the 'other' Fellowship party chats with old friends like Aragorn, Arwen and Gandalf, visits familiar and new locations (book-readers will get a kick out of delving into the Barrow-Downs and fighting the famous Wights), and slices through hordes of orcs led by an evil man called Agandaûr, a fallen Numenorean like the Mouth of Sauron. Agandaûr is one of Sauron's trusted servants, one we've never heard of before or since.

So yes, it's all a bit fan-fictionesque, and it plays a lot like other action RPGs set in fantasy worlds, only this one takes the basic fantasy character set and plops them straight into Middle-Earth rather than a parallel-but-similar setting of elves, dwarves and dragons. It's even funnier when you get hold of special character weapon options, and you're controlling a random dwarf running around with legendary gear like Anduril or Sting. Dedicated Tolkien enthusiasts might find it a bit egregious, but it's all in the name of good fun and enabling the sort of repetitive hack-and-slash gameplay the genre is best at.

If you've played any other Lord Of The Rings games, whether the PlayStation 2's Return of the King or a more recent title like Middle-earth: Shadow of War, you'll be used to LOTR games taking these sorts of creative liberties. As a result, it works for what it is, and even as a die-hard hobbit-enjoyer I had fun scything through the dark lord's evil hordes and meeting characters never adapted like Elladan and Elrohir, Elrond's twin ranger sons.

Old game, new tactics

(Image credit: Aspyr)

If you've played any action RPG, you'll know what to expect: you and your party are taking on wave after wave of mooks, weapons swinging with basic attacks, but you'll also trigger powerful maneuvers and spells that require cooldowns and replenishing a power meter, so tactical implementation of these moves is vital. Playing as Eradan, I would be skirting low on health and could use my disappearing skill, so I could make a break for it unharmed to Andriel's side, who can create a protective healing field. I'd quickly swap to Farin to unleash War Cry to up my party's health and durability.

It's this sort of synergy that creates tactical play beyond mashing light and heavy attacks until you see the 'Finish Him!' yellow triangle that pops up over an enemy's head. The ability to swap characters allows the quick-of-thumb to set up these combos without the use of the AI characters, who are otherwise competent enough to look after themselves and augment the main player. But you do need to be nimble, as the controls to do this are awkward on Switch: even ten hours in, I was accidentally drinking potions when I was trying to swap from elf to dwarf. Co-operative gameplay is available on most platforms (both online, in which you drop into someone else's game, and couch), but not on the original Switch.

There's a surprisingly steep learning curve once you learn the ropes: enemies come from all sides thick and fast, in numerous varieties, forcing you to switch from attack to defence, and then to ranged as explosive enemies approach, and implement your powers carefully.

You level up quickly too, and loot is plentiful, so there are plenty of regular rewards encouraging you to persevere through the samey waves of orcs and goblins, as PCs, enemies and environments begin to blend into various overlapping shades of brown and grey. I began the game thinking carefully about upgrading stats at each level, but after a while, I just pumped Stamina to keep myself alive while concentrating on that character's main attack stat, and that strategy seemed to work just fine too. I'm honestly not sure how much difference these RPG elements made.

Feeling thin, sort of stretched...

(Image credit: Aspyr)

While a simple-but-satisfying gameplay loop, it's still very much of its time, and parts haven't aged well. The target lock-on can get tricky, and you'll occasionally find your character engaged in a long, sluggish animation, swinging their weapon at empty air while you cringe as you watch orcs running at you from behind.

Despite the hot-swapping feature and inclusion of each character's unique secret-finding ability (the dwarf, for example, can detect treasure hidden behind stone walls), the game is clearly still geared for a single-character experience. Ammo drops are still linked to the character you're playing at the time, so you might find you swap to a character without any ranged capacity. You'll also need to visit shops with each character in turn to do a proper gear comparison before buying new equipment, which is tedious.

Your health and power replenish slowly on their own, but once you've cleared an encounter, you're under no pressure to carry on. Occasionally, I found myself putting the controller down unpaused, heading off to make a cup of tea, and returning with my beverage to a rested, unmolested party at full health.

There's no sheathing weapons, so you'll occasionally be wandering around Bree or Rivendell, incongruously with swords drawn ready for action. There's also no jumping, which is fine on its own, but the frustration of encountering a chest-high wall and having to find a set of stairs is a sensation I've almost forgotten about, a relic of level design marred by the technology of the time.

Worst of all are the bugs, Aspyr's revamp of the game delivering fresh technical glitches alongside the improvements. These are quite common complaints on threads about WITN, and my experience was no different: from flashing inventory tiles to small areas of the map that caused my entire screen to flip to solid green. At one stage I was fighting blind, looking at chequered green flashes, while I could still hear Eradan's shouts of 'You face a Dunedan now!'

Others report platform-specific glitches, such as an 0KB save file problem on PlayStation 5.

The North Remembers

I think you already know if you want this game: you're either a Tolkien fiend who likes the idea of exploring and interacting with lesser-known locations and characters in an original story, a fantasy action RPG junkie, or you played the original and remember loving it. At the reduced price it's selling for, it's worth getting if you fit two out of three of the above criteria.

Personally, even though I'm as Tolkien-mad as they come and I've got no shortage of love for the RPG genre, I think The Lord Of The Rings: War In The North Legacy Edition is... fine. Serviceable. Enjoyable at times, but without much to set it apart from all the other games in the space, even back when it was first released, other than its LOTR wrapper and nostalgia goggles.

I liked my experience with the game, but I can't see myself going back to it once done. It's a poor man's bite of lembas compared to the previous generation's excellent Return of the King hack 'em up.

Should you play The Lord Of The Rings: War In The North Legacy Edition?Play it if...

You love The Lord of the Rings
You're a Tolkien fiend who likes the idea of exploring and interacting with lesser-known locations and characters in an original story,

You love action RPGs
You're a fantasy action junkie who loves nothing more than fiddling with different armors in menus.

You played the original
Liked the old experience and jazzed about the concept of autosaves, better framerates and on-the-fly character switching? It's worth the buy.

Don't play it if...

You hate repetitive hack 'n' slash gameplay
However you slice it, War in the North will have you performing the same few attacks against wave after wave of similar enemies.

How I reviewed Lord of the Rings: War In The North Legacy Edition

(Image credit: Aspyr)

I played Lord Of The Rings: War In The North Legacy Edition on my Nintendo Switch (generation 1) for 15 hours, trying each character's various combinations and progressing through the story mode. I used the Switch both in handheld mode and on my LG OLED TV. When I encountered glitches, I examined community pages and threads for similar reports.

First reviewed August 2026

Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i review

The Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i Air Purifier is designed to combat common household problems with a single device. It purifies the air, cools you down when temperatures rise and provides heat when it gets cooler.

One of two models in Blueair’s ComfortPure range, the ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i Air Purifier sits alongside the larger and more powerful T20i, which is designed for bigger spaces. Blueair also has an established reputation when it comes to air purification.

The appeal of the T10i compared to the best air purifiers is obvious. Rather than filling your home with separate appliances for heating, cooling and air purification, Blueair has combined all three into a single unit that’s designed to keep you comfortable throughout the year.

As someone who lives in a relatively small space, struggles with seasonal allergies and generally loves multi-purpose tech, that’s a compelling proposition. The catch is the price. It’s expensive and you’ll need to factor in placement filter costs over time. But if you genuinely see yourself using all three functions throughout the year, it could offer better value than buying separate devices.

To find out whether that’s actually the case, I spent 10 days testing the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i, putting its purification, cooling and heating features through their paces to see whether it earns its place in your home.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

I feel like the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i is already geared towards versatility, simply because it's combining air purification, heating and cooling in a single appliance. That flexibility then continues with a solid range of features and settings that let you tailor the experience to your home and preferences.

Blueair says the T10i can clean a 16m² room in 12.5 minutes, a 39m² room in 30 minutes and a 78m² room in one hour. It also has a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 132 cubic feet per minute (cfm) for pollen, 129cfm for dust and 113cfm for smoke, giving you an idea of how quickly it can circulate clean air around a room.

There are four fan speeds to choose from, alongside dedicated cooling, heating and boosted purification modes. You'll also find a Night mode that reduces noise and dims the display, plus an Auto mode that automatically adjusts performance when pollutants are detected.

According to Blueair, the T10i uses its proprietary HEPASilent filtration technology, which combines mechanical and electrostatic filtration to capture airborne particles like pollen, dust and smoke while keeping noise levels relatively low.

One feature I particularly liked was the way the purifier automatically ramped up when air quality dropped and then settled back down once conditions improved. It meant the unit never felt like it needed to run at full power all the time.

Another highlight is the T10i's 350-degree oscillation. Not only does it provide excellent coverage, but you can customize the oscillation pattern within the app. So if you only want airflow directed towards one side of a room, you can fine-tune that rather than simply choosing between a handful of preset options.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

The app deserves a special mention because it's one of the best companion apps I've used with a home appliance. It looks clean and modern, it's easy to navigate and there are plenty of genuinely useful controls. You can set timers and schedules, monitor filter life, check indoor air quality readings, adjust oscillation settings and even enable location-based automation so the purifier can prepare your home before you arrive.

You can also control the T10i directly from the touchscreen panel on top of the unit, via the included remote control or through Amazon Alexa voice commands. So whatever your preferred way of interacting with smart home devices, there's probably an option here that suits you.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

With its large cylindrical design, the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i immediately feels more substantial than many standalone air purifiers.

That's not necessarily a criticism. In fact, considering you're getting an air purifier, fan and heater in one appliance, I'd actually say it's surprisingly compact. But it's still worth checking the dimensions (19.69 x 10.24 x 10.24 inches / 500 x 260 x 260mm) before buying because it takes up a noticeable amount of floor space and Blueair recommends leaving clearance around the unit for optimal performance.

Looks-wise, I really liked it. The design is sleek, minimal and unobtrusive enough to blend into a wide range of homes. It feels premium without trying too hard and never looked out of place in my small apartment.

There’s a sturdy fabric handle on the back, which makes it much easier to move around than you'd expect from something of this size and weight. Because, at 13.7 lbs / 6.2kg, it’s not exactly heavy but I'd definitely say that handle is still essential. Blueair has also included an anti-tip sensor that automatically switches the unit off if it's knocked over, which is reassuring if you have children or pets at home.

On top of the purifier you'll find a bright, responsive display with clear icons for different modes and settings. I found it easy to read from across the room and simple to navigate without needing to constantly reach for my phone. Thankfully, Night mode also reduces the brightness significantly if you're using it in a bedroom.

Around the back there's a removable panel that provides access to the filter when it eventually needs replacing. It's all very straightforward and feels thoughtfully designed from a day-to-day usability perspective.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

Getting the T10i up and running couldn't have been much simpler. After removing the protective packaging from the filter and reinstalling it, I was ready to go within minutes. Connecting it to the app was equally straightforward and took just a few moments over Wi-Fi.

It's worth noting that the smart features rely on that Wi-Fi connection. During the final few days of testing, I was in the middle of moving house and temporarily without internet access, which made me realize just how much I'd come to rely on the app's controls and customization options.

Performance-wise, I was testing the T10i at the perfect time. Not only was the UK experiencing a heatwave, but I was also packing up my apartment, moving boxes, cleaning rooms and generally creating the sort of dusty, messy environment that puts an air purifier through its paces.

One of the most impressive things about the T10i was how quickly it responded to changes in air quality. While cleaning, packing dusty boxes and using household cleaning products, I could see the air quality readings change almost immediately. Within a relatively short period of time, the readings would settle back down again as the purifier did its job.

I noticed something similar while cooking. The purifier consistently detected changes in air quality and cooking smells before ramping up its performance to deal with them. Watching the readings change in real time gave me confidence that it wasn't simply running on a fixed schedule but was actively responding to what was happening in my home.

Of course, the bigger question is whether I actually noticed a difference. As someone who's particularly sensitive to allergens and airborne irritants, I genuinely did. There's always a risk of placebo effect when you're reviewing an air purifier because cleaner air can be difficult to quantify in everyday life. But over the course of testing my apartment consistently felt fresher and more comfortable, even while I was creating more dust and disruption than usual.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

The cooling performance was also surprisingly good. Now, I'd recently tested the MeacoFan Sefte Pro 10in Air Circulator and you're not getting that same level of airflow here. That's hardly surprising considering cooling isn't the T10i's primary purpose. But during several days of temperatures above 86°F / 30°C, I still found the fan mode genuinely effective and comforting.

Its heating mode delivered a similarly solid performance. The weather cooled dramatically towards the end of testing, so I had an opportunity to try it out properly. It won't replace a full central heating system, but it quickly produced warm air and helped make smaller spaces feel noticeably more comfortable.

Noise levels were also impressive. During my own testing, I measured around 35dB on the lowest cooling setting and roughly 52dB at maximum fan speed and boosted purification mode from one meter away. For context, my hairdryer measures around 78dB and my kettle reaches around 69dB. So while there's certainly some fan noise at higher settings, I found it surprisingly quiet overall.

That said, noise tolerance is subjective. Some people will inevitably find higher fan speeds a little intrusive. Personally, I'm someone who enjoys white noise and often sleeps with fan sounds in the background, so I found the sound profile more soothing than distracting.

Ultimately, the T10i performed exactly as I'd hoped. It noticeably improved air quality in my apartment, provided useful cooling during hot weather, offered effective supplemental heating when temperatures dropped and wrapped everything up in a smart, well-designed package. It's best suited to small and medium-sized spaces rather than large homes, but within those limits it's a genuinely impressive all-rounder.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i review: Price and release date

• Released in Summer 2025
• Priced at $499.99 / £399 (around AU$700)

The Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i Air Purifier launched in Summer 2025 with a retail price of $499.99 / £399 (around AU$700). While it's available right now in the US and UK, it doesn't currently seem to be available in Australia.

If your first reaction to that price is that it sounds expensive, I get it. That's probably because most of us instinctively compare it to the price of a good fan or a good air purifier rather than a device that's attempting to do three jobs at once.

For example, one of my current favorite tabletop air circulators, the MeacoFan Sefte Pro 10in, costs considerably less at £119.99 and delivers more powerful cooling. Likewise, there are excellent standalone air purifiers available for much less money, including Blueair's own Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i at £169 / $169.99. But neither of those products heats, cools and purifies the air from a single appliance.

That's really how the T10i needs to be evaluated. You're not simply buying an air purifier here. You're buying an air purifier, a cooling fan and a space heater rolled into one. Whether that represents good value depends largely on how often you'll use all three functions.

In terms of direct competition, there aren't many devices that combine air purification, heating and cooling in quite the same way. The closest comparison is probably Dyson's Purifier Hot+Cool range, which offers a similar all-in-one approach. Dyson's models tend to have a more futuristic design and some additional features depending on the model, but they're often significantly more expensive than the T10i. For example, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Gen1 HP10 purifying fan is $529.99 / £549.99 / AU$899.

Personally, I can imagine the upfront cost feeling a little steep initially, but it's also the sort of product that will earn its keep throughout the year. Cooling during summer, heating during colder months and air purification all year round is a compelling combination.

Of course, not everyone will need that versatility. If air quality isn't a major concern where you live and you're primarily looking for heating or cooling, there are more cost-effective specialist products available. But if you like the idea of cleaner air alongside temperature control, the value proposition becomes much easier to justify.

Blueair also offers a larger version called the ComfortPure T20i. It costs around £100 / $100 more, but it's designed for significantly larger spaces. Blueair says the T20i can clean spaces up to 156m² in one hour, compared to the 78m² maximum coverage claimed for the T10i. If you live in a larger home or have an open-plan living space, the extra investment could make sense.

One final consideration is filter replacement. Blueair says the filter should last up to a year and the app tracks its condition so you'll know when a replacement is needed. However, you'll also need to factor in the cost of a new filter, which currently costs £49 / $66.99.

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i review: Specs

Speeds

1-4, Auto, Night and Eco

Oscillation

350 degrees

Weight

13.7 lbs / 6.2kg

Dimensions

19.69 x 10.24 x 10.24 inches / 500 x 260 x 260mm

Control

Onboard touch panel, remote control, app, voice

Timer

Yes

Additional modes

Warming, Cooling, Air Purification, Auto, Night and Eco

Should I buy the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Beyond cooling, warming and air purification, the T10i offers plenty of useful extras, include Night mode, Eco mode, adjustable oscillation and a really well-designed companion app. The customization options are solid but never feel complicated.

4.5/5

Performance

Great air purification combined with effective cooling and heating for smaller spaces and apartments. Dedicated heaters and fans might deliver more raw power, but the T10i noticeably improved comfort levels throughout testing.

4.5/5

Design

Larger than rival air purifiers, but the minimal design helps it blend into most rooms. The built-in handle, clear display and handy remote all contribute to a polished user experience.

4/5

Value

The upfront cost is high and ongoing filter replacements add to the overall investment. However, if you’ll regularly use the purification, heating and cooling functions, it offers strong value compared to buying multiple separate devices.

4/5

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)Buy it if...

You want one device for year round comfort
The biggest selling point here is you’re getting air purification, heating and cooling in a single device. If you’d rather have one smart appliance than several, it’s a great choice.

Clean air matters to you
There are stronger fans and heating systems, but combining those functions with air purification is what makes the T10i stand out.

You live in a small or medium-sized space
It’s not a small device, but it fit well in my one bedroom apartment. The T10i works best in smaller spaces where it can effectively manage air quality and comfort levels.

Don't buy it if...

You mainly want cooling power
The cooling fan mode is useful and effective, especially during warm weather. But if your main goal is staying cool this summer then a dedicated fan will deliver more airflow for less money.

You need coverage for a large space
The T10i is designed for small and medium-sized rooms rather than big, open-plan homes or whole house air purification. If you need more coverage, the T20i might be a better fit.

You’re on a tight budget
The upfront cost is high and you’ll also need to factor in replacement filters over time. If cost is your main concern, separate budget-friendly devices might be better value for you.

Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i review: Also consider

MeacoFan Sefte Pro 10in Table Air Circulator
If cooling is your priority, I’d recommend considering this Meaco air circulator instead. It delivers powerful airflow, quiet operation and handy features, like Eco mode and app control. Unlike the Blueair, it won’t purify the air or provide heating, but if your goal is staying comfortable during warm weather, it’s a more focused and cost effective solution. Read our full MeacoFan Sefte Pro 10in Table Air Circulator review.

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i
If you’re only interested in air purification, Blueair’s own 3250i / 411i Max remains one of the best options available. It delivers excellent purification performance in a lightweight, easy-to-use package and costs significantly less than the T10i. You won’t get heating or cooling, but if cleaner air is your sole priority, it’s the better value choice. Read our full Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review.

How I tested the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i Air Purifier

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

• Tested the air purifier for 10 days
• Used all of the settings regularly
• Used it while working, sleeping and relaxing at home

I tested the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T10i Air Purifier for 10 days during a period of warmer weather in the UK when I was also moving house and dealing with some mild allergies. It turned out to be ideal timing, giving me a chance to see how well both the air purification and cooling functions performed in real-world conditions.

I used it most often while working from home at my desk, during the night in my bedroom and throughout the day while cooking, cleaning and relaxing. This gave me plenty of opportunities to switch between the different modes and experiment with various cooling levels, oscillation settings and purification options.

Over the course of testing, I paid close attention to how comfortable it made my home feel, how easy it was to live day-to-day and whether the combination of purification, heating and cooling genuinely offered an advantage over separate devices.

I’ve been testing tech and writing about it for more than 15 years. During that time, I’ve covered everything from health tech and smart home devices to audio tech and wearable gear. Whatever I’m reviewing, my focus is always on whether a product genuinely improves everyday life, rather than delivering an impressive list of features.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: September 2026

• Part of Flock's software interface has been made public
• There are various AI-powered search tools available to police officers
• The system includes warnings about potential mistakes

Flock is battling a growing backlash against its network of license plate readers and cameras — with some 120,000 or so installed across the US — amid questions over how the technology can be misused and the privacy implications for citizens.

Now reporters at Wired have managed to reverse engineer part of the Flock software interface based on the code that's delivered to police officers in a browser, giving the public an unprecedented insight into how this system actually works.

There are search tools for vehicle types, colors, and features for example, and a 'free form' query option that can look for pretty much anything passing through the video frame — although this needs a full video camera, not a license plate reader.

Wired also found an "AI-powered watch list" tool, where part of a city can be marked for continuous surveillance via video camera until a person fitting a specific description is spotted. This could be something as simple as "person wearing scrubs" for example.

'You are responsible'

There are hundreds of thousands of license plate readers across the US (Image credit: Getty Images)

While there are warnings on the Flock software that AI can make mistakes, much as there are at the bottom of Gemini and ChatGPT conversations, there's no real way of spotting inaccurate information or judging how inaccurate it might be.

Officers do have the option rank search results based on how relevant and accurate they are, feedback data which is then used to refine the results page further. Meanwhile, there are blocks on some search terms, including those related to race, ethnicity, and religion.

"You are responsible for your searches and agree not to use the tool in illegal, harmful, or abusive ways," runs the agreement screen that appears before the Flock software is accessed. "All queries and metadata are recorded for security and auditing purposes."

Flock has been responding to concerns over the misuse of its network — by limiting the time data is held on file for, for example. However, it has more to do to convince both state authorities and the public that its systems are only deployed for legitimate uses.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 shortlisted entries were announced last week, and one contender in particular caught the eye — a photo of a swift in flight as an aeroplane looms overhead, shot by 16-year-old photographer Jack Crockford, from the UK.

'Great shot!' chimed a few people in the 500 or so comments on TechRadar's Facebook post, which also received almost 25k reactions. The majority of the comments, however, focused on the camera gear element of the headline (not the photo itself or the age of the photographer), which pinpointed that the photo was captured with a 10-year-old Nikon DSLR.

In case you were wondering, the camera in question is the enthusiast-level Nikon D500 (APS-C), and Crockford paired it with the Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR telephoto zoom lens to get the shot.

Cue the age old photography debate I've read time and again in my 15+ years writing about camera gear — is it the gear, or the photographer, that gets a great photo?

The correct answer, of course, is that there's no simple, single answer — it depends on the context and subject being photographed — and that the end result is the work of both tool and creator. For Crockford, however, gear certainly empowered him to get his WPOTY award contender.

I recently got into bird photography, and had the chance to use Sony's longest lens, the FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS telephoto zoom, which made the task so much simpler. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Sometimes, gear really does matter

I'm all for celebrating the photographer, and rightly so. The craft and dedication (and, sometimes, a dash of fortune) required to create an image that stands out is undeniable, and deserves appreciation.

I see it in myself — I have a better eye for a photo now than I did at the start of my career, and I'm still improving (emphasis on having an eye for it to begin with).

But to those that simply said in the comments section; "it’s not about the camera", or "photography was never about the equipment", and “it’s the singer, not the song", I say you'll need more than luck to get a photo like the image in question — a distant bird in flight.

Skill alone doesn't reach 600mm, a lens does. Nor is your iPhone bagging you that shot. You need telephoto reach, and decent autofocus helps.

Technically speaking, enthusiast-level and pro-level mirrorless cameras are the most advanced cameras today for wildlife photography, thanks to dedicated subject tracking modes (which, in many models, includes bird detection autofocus), and faster-than-ever burst shooting. You are more likely to get a technically sound image with modern camera gear.

Many of the comments defended DSLRs, but the point of the article was never to attack the format, which in the current market has essentially been replaced by mirrorless, but to highlight how popular (and capable) these systems are still.

DSLRs are still seemingly the camera of choice for wildlife photographers — if the shortlisted entries for WPOTY 2026 are anything to go by. I still rock my Nikon D800 which precedes Crockford's camera, and its age doesn't stop if from taking good photos.

You don't need the latest gear to get the (wildlife) shot, but it does help. But for the incredible shortlisted entries in WPOTY 2026, it took skill and gear to get the shot. There is a gear bottom line required to stand a chance.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 winners will be unveiled in October, and you can see the winning images in the flesh when the exhibition begins in October at London's Natural History Museum, UK — you can grab tickets here.

Apple’s rugged smartwatch could get a back-to-back refresh with more processing power and battery, but potentially at a higher price.

Even as anti-Muslim rhetoric rises in Texas, Muslim pitmasters are winning over diners and reshaping one of the state's most iconic culinary traditions.

(Image credit: Fiona André)

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to arrive in Kyiv on Sunday in their first visit to the Ukrainian capital as part of a renewed push for peace in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

(Image credit: Mikhail Metzel)

Solving Procrastination. It's also a hint to one of our quiz questions below.'/>

Learn a few surprising facts about procrastination — and helpful tools to overcome it — with this quiz. It's based on social scientist Itamar Shatz's new book, Solving Procrastination.

We asked readers to share stories about a moment of kindness involving a stranger. Here are some of their heartwarming anecdotes.

Sony Bravia 5: Two-minute review

The Sony Bravia 5 is a mini-LED TV with crisp images, strong contrast and great gaming features. It occupies that level in Sony’s TV range where the brand has historically struggled to maintain its high standards. The Bravia 5, though, bucks this trend in pretty spectacular fashion.

The Sony Bravia 5 retains both mini-LED lighting and local dimming, for starters, as well as an 120Hz panel to keep gamers happy. Sony says the Bravia 5 LCD panels are still made to the brand’s Master Backlight Drive standard too, and they’re equipped with a full up-to-date version of the Google TV smart system.

There are ‘catches’ to this promising specification, of course. In particular, the Bravia 5 won’t benefit from as many dimming zones as the step up Bravia 7, or achieve so much brightness. In reality, though, the 65-inch Bravia 5 (AKA the K65XR55) delivers much less of a step down from Sony’s mid-range models than expected based on past Sony lines. Pictures are vibrant, crisp, full of contrast and just way less compromised than previous generations of the same level of Sony TV would have been.

Add punchy, clean and detailed audio to its surprising picture talents, and the Bravia 5 is the Sony value TV we’ve always wanted.

Sony Bravia 5 review: Price and release date

The LG B6 delivers deep black tones and crisp textures (Image credit: Future)

• Release Date: July 2025
• 55-inch: $1,399.99 / £1,299 / AU$1,999
• 65-inch: $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,299
• 75-inch: $1,999.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,899
• 85-inch: $2,399.99 / £2,299 / AU$3,899
• 98-inch: $4,999.99 / £4,499 (around AU$8,570)

While the Bravia 5 is affordable by Sony TV standards, $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,299 is no longer cheap for a 65-inch TV.

The Bravia 5 retains much more of Sony’s mid-range — and even premium — TV DNA than expected based on similarly positioned models in previous Sony ranges, though. As a result, it has at least the potential to take a clear performance edge over more affordable rivals.

Sony Bravia 5 review: Specs

Screen type

Backlight Master Drive VA mini-LED with local dimming

Sizes available

55, 65, 75, 85 and 98 inches

Refresh rate

120Hz

Resolution

4K

HDR support

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Audio support

40W acoustic multi-audio speaker system featuring dual full-range (bass reflex) speakers and two ‘frame’ tweeters; Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding

Smart TV

Google TV (plus all main UK terrestrial broadcaster catch up apps for UK buyers)

HDMI ports

4 (two full HDMI 2.1)

Sony Bravia 5 review: Benchmark results Sony Bravia 5 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Mini-LED lighting
• Direct lighting with local dimming
• Bravia XR processor

As I’ve hinted more than once already, the Sony Bravia 5 is packing much more feature heat than I would have expected it to, based on Sony TV ranges of the past.

This is particularly true of the screen hardware at the Bravia 5’s heart. Designated one of Sony’s Master Backlight Drive panels, it is illuminated by mini-LEDs driven by a local dimming system that, according to my own counting efforts, operates across an impressive 240 zones. That’s 240 areas of the image that are capable of receiving their own light level, independent of their neighbors, according to the needs of the image.

The Bravia 5’s panel is a VA type, too, which should further enhance contrast (though maybe not viewing angles). Meanwhile, even this far down Sony’s range, the brand's consistently impressive XR processor is still on hand to power all the constituent parts of the TV’s pictures. On top of this, rather than dropping down to 50/60Hz, the panel also maintains a native 120Hz refresh rate.

Meanwhile, its support for high dynamic range images extends to Dolby Vision, as well as the more basic HDR10 and HLG formats. Sony is also unusual in the TV world for automatically applying an HDR upgrade to SDR sources on some of its picture presets. There’s no interest from Sony, though, in the HDR10+ format designed as an open-source alternative to Dolby Vision.

The Bravia 5’s connections keep up with its step-up siblings. So you get four HDMIs (though only two support the TV’s full range of gaming features like VRR and ALLM), USB media playback support, and wireless support that includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, built-in Chromecast, Apple Airplay, and Apple HomeKit.

(Image credit: Future)

Sony’s TV business has long traded on its ‘from camera to TV’ product chain, and the potential for accuracy that this can bring. So as usual the Bravia 5’s Professional Mode setting, at least, will have been tuned alongside one of Sony’s professional mastering monitors, and the set is equipped with a bunch of so-called Calibrated modes designed to replicate as closely as possible the mastering standards of the Prime Video, Netflix and Sony Pictures Core video streaming services.

Buying a Bravia 5 entitles you to 10 free films and 24 months of access to Sony Pictures Core too, by the way, complete with its unique high-bandwidth streaming speeds for enhanced picture quality.

Further ‘third party’ endorsement finds the Bravia 5 earning an IMAX Enhanced badge, indicating that it has been deemed capable of doing justice to the special noise-limiting mastering processes and potential shifting aspect ratios associated with the IMAX Enhanced system. IMAX Enhanced titles are available on Sony Pictures Core and Disney+.

The Bravia 5’s audio setup is pretty potent by mid-range TV standards. It offers two full range Bass Reflex-design drivers and two separated tweeters getting 10W a piece to deliver both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks — the latter even includes the special tweaked version of DTS:X associated with IMAX Enhanced content.

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 5 review: Picture quality

• Impressive brightness and light control
• Bold but also natural colour
• Genuine 4K sharpness and excellent 4K upscaling

The Sony Bravia 5’s image quality instantly changes the fortunes of this level of Sony’s TV range, leaning much more towards the Sony TVs above it than those below.

Particularly great to see is how much contrast the Bravia 5 retains for this level of Sony’s range. Black colors look deep and strikingly consistent, exhibiting minimal issues with backlight blooming around bright objects or general areas of clouding. That's despite the fact the screen is capable of hitting nearly 900 nit brightness peaks on a 10% HDR window and sustaining an OLED-beating 595 nits with a full 100% HDR window.

Combining Sony’s backlight structure and XR Processor, the Bravia 5 can maintain more intensely bright highlights against dark backdrops than you’d expect for its price tag, despite how limited the clouding around such highlights is. This combination of bright stand-out objects and limited clouding is very difficult to achieve with locally dimmed TVs, yet the Bravia 5 makes it look easy.

Dark scenes look stable, too, in the sense that you never feel aware of the sudden brightness jumps or obvious ‘handovers’ between different dimming zones as bright objects move around a dark backdrop.

(Image credit: Future)

Many screens with strong contrast performances are often capable of good color reproduction too — and this trend continues with the Bravia 5. In its Standard preset, it produces strikingly vibrant, rich and bold tones (actually upgraded to HDR if you’re watching an SDR source) that still feel balanced, full of subtlety and nuance, and connected to source tones for the most part. They feel more like amplifications of source content colors rather than aggressive departures from them.

Unfortunately, the Bravia 5 pushes this amplification effect way too far in the Vivid preset, which is best avoided. But the Standard setting is an excellent bright room option, as well as actually being delicate and balanced enough to hold up as a dark room movie night option if your image tastes tend towards the bright and vibrant.

Unlike most other TV brands, Sony doesn't offer a Filmmaker Mode preset for AV fans who favor ‘as the director intended’ viewing. Its Professional Mode, though, does pretty much the same thing, with an emphasis on trying to match the image as closely as possible to Sony’s professional video mastering monitor.

Using Portrait Display’s Calman Ultimate software, G1 signal generator and C6 HDR5000 colorimeter, the accuracy of the Bravia 5 Professional mode was easy enough to demonstate. Errors recorded in both SDR and HDR across the board came in at well under the 3.0 DeltaE 2000 average beyond which errors might become visible to the human eye.

(Image credit: Future)

The Bravia 5’s Professional mode doesn’t just measure well. It also looks subjectively lovely, packed with the subtle texturing, immaculate color balance, and remarkable light control for a lower mid-range LCD TV. The benefits of Sony finally being able to introduce a superior core panel in a TV at the Bravia 5’s level are arguably at their most obvious in the Professional preset, in fact, given that this mode uses relatively few processing tools to help ‘boost’ its appearance.

Inevitably, given it’s far from the most premium TV in Sony’s range, there are a few limitations to the Bravia 5’s picture performance. Dark scenes in the Professional mode look a little grayer than they do in Standard mode, and backlight blooming around bright objects can become more noticeable if you view the TV from an angle. Strangely, certain shades of red can look a bit over-ripe during dark scenes, and some dark shots also take on a slightly green undertone.

Finally, some of Sony’s preset choices don’t actually help the Bravia 5’s pictures at all. Motion processing only really helps 24p movie sources if it’s switched to its True Cinema mode, for instance, with other settings tending to generate unwanted digital side effects or leave the image looking unnaturally smooth. I’d also recommend turning off the noise reduction features, especially with native 4K sources, to ensure the screen’s impressive native sharpness isn’t unnecessarily softened away.

The Bravia 5’s issues are mild enough or easy enough to fix, though, that they don’t stop it from being an all-round excellent picture performer for its money.

• Picture quality score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 5 review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• Impressive clarity and detailing
• Sound doesn’t suffer with distortions
• Bass is a bit lightweight

The Bravia 5’s sound joins its pictures in being impressively expressive and clean, working within the speaker’s limitations rather than pushing things beyond their breaking point as so many integrated TV sound systems are wont to do.

Even the brightest, shrillest treble sounds are produced without sounding thin or brittle, while the mid-range is clean and pretty expansive, able to cope with the ebbs and flows of even quite dense action scenes without sounding forced, muddy or compressed.

It uses its four-speaker system well to create a fairly large soundstage, too — one that’s well populated with accurately placed, crisp but never overstated details.

My only complaint is that the Bravia 5 feels a bit light in the bass department. Dinosaur footprints, rumbling space ships, meaty explosions and the like don’t hit with quite as much heft as I’d like. At the same time, though, not even Hollywood’s most extreme bass moments cause the Bravia 5’s speakers to succumb to distracting crackles or distortions.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Sony Bravia 5 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Multi-point foot attachment
• Recycled plastic remote control
• Minimal frame

The Bravia 5’s design doesn’t feel like much of a step-down at all from Sony’s Bravia 7 series. Its screen frame is extremely narrow, distracting scarcely at all from the pictures within, and it also stays fairly trim around the back for a lower mid-range LCD TV.

Its feet look a little basic when attached to such an elegantly minimalistic screen, perhaps. But Sony has thoughtfully provided the option to attach them either quite close together or out towards the TV’s bottom corners, depending on the width of the furniture you want to stand the TV on.

Build quality is good, too, and despite its relatively affordable position in Sony’s current TV range, it ships with two remote controls. The sleeker, more modern and more feature-rich handset is made largely made from recycled plastic, as part of Sony’s wide-ranging attempts to make the TV production process greener.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Sony Bravia 5 review: Smart TV & menus

LG's webOS 26 is easily one of the best smart TV platforms around (Image credit: Future)

• Google TV smart system
• YouView for full UK app coverage
• Optional Bravia Cam

The Sony Bravia 5 runs the latest Google TV system very well, avoiding the sluggishness the system sometimes causes on less powerful TVs. Google TV carries pretty much all of the most popular and important video streaming services, and Sony has helpfully worked round Google TV’s blind spot when it comes to some of the UK’s most popular terrestrial broadcaster catch up services by adding the YouView app.

Google TV can still feel a little overwhelming in its presentation and doesn’t feel as intelligent as some rival smart systems when it comes to recommending content based on your viewing habits. The smarter of the two remote controls Sony provides, though, makes navigation of the menus feel straightforward. On top of this, you can access a good range of features and issue quite complex search instructions just by talking to the Bravia 5 via the Google Assistant voice recognition system.

You can even add basic gesture control features to the Bravia 5 if you cough up £200 for one of Sony’s Bravia Cam accessories. This add-on camera can also detect your location in the room and adjust the TV’s picture and sound settings accordingly, as well as issuing audio warnings if it detects anyone getting too close to the screen. I’m not personally convinced Bravia CAM does enough to justify its price, but if the features I’ve just described sound good to you, then fill your boots!

• Smart TV & menus score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 5 review: Gaming

(Image credit: Future)

• 4K/120Hz support
• VRR support
• Perfect For PlayStation 5 support

The Sony Bravia 5 is fairly, rather than brilliantly, well specified as a gaming display. For instance, while it does support 4K game feeds at 120Hz refresh rates, it only does so over two of its HDMIs, rather than all four. It also doesn’t stretch the refresh rate support to 144Hz or even 165Hz, like some rival TVs currently do.

Similarly, while the Bravia 5 supports variable refresh rates, that support doesn’t extend to the AMD Freesync or Nvidia G-Sync systems. There is support for auto low latency mode switching, though, so the TV can automatically switch into its fastest responding picture mode when a game source is detected. While in this mode, the Bravia 5 takes just 13.3ms to render 60Hz gaming feeds.

There’s support, too, for Sony’s unique Perfect For PlayStation 5 features, comprising a PS5-specific version of automatic game mode switching, and an excellent system where a connected PS5 is able to tell which Sony TV model it’s attached to, and automatically optimize its HDR output accordingly.

You can also call up a dedicated gaming menu when the Bravia 5 is in Game mode, containing information on the game feed and a few helpful gaming assistants. Finally, the actual gaming experience when using one of the two wide-bandwidth HDMIs is very enjoyable. The TV’s vibrant, exceptionally sharp and contrast-rich pictures provide a perfect fit for today’s usually HDR and 4K graphics, while the rapid response time and VRR support means gaming never feels sluggish or laggy.

• Gaming score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Sony Bravia 5 review: Value

Not so long ago, spending $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,299 to get a 65-inch TV as good and feature rich as the Sony Bravia 5 would have felt like a great deal. Recently, though, TCL in particular has drastically shifted the TV value ‘window’, with its bright, vibrant and gaming-friendly 65-inch C7K currently going for just £779.

The Bravia 5 does offer more precision and balance in its pictures than the TCL C7K, but the price gap is big enough to mean you may feel like holding out for a special offer on Sony’s model, or searching beyond the most popular electronics retailers for a better deal.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Sony Bravia 5?Sony Bravia 5 scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Aside from a few gaming limitations, the Bravia 5 is well featured for its money.

4.5 / 5

Picture quality

Vibrant, bright, sharp and contrast rich pictures reveal the presence of more excellent Sony backlighting and video processing systems.

4.5 / 5

Sound quality

While bass heads might wish for a bit more low frequency impact, the Bravia 5’s sound is clean, punchy, detailed and unusually well staged.

4 / 5

Design

With its choice of foot position, elegantly minimalist frame, slender frame and strong build quality, the Bravia 5 looks premium enough to match its price.

4 / 5

Smart TV and menus

Google TV runs stably and reasonably slickly on the Bravia 5, making it easy to access the huge array of content options it offers. The set up menus are well organised and graphically rich, too.

4.5 / 5

Gaming

Only two HDMIs support the Bravia 5’s full array of gaming features, and those features don’t include absolutely everything some rivals offer. However, the exclusive to Sony TVs Auto HDR ‘Perfect For PlayStation 5’ feature is excellent, and the screen feels responsive and immersive.

4 / 5

Value

While the Bravia 5 is well priced for a Sony TV that performs as well as this one, competition at this price level is brutal these days.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want that Sony picture feel for less
The Bravia 5 holds on to more of the panel and processing prowess of more premium Sony TVs than you'd expect at this price.

You have a PlayStation 5
The Bravia 5’s Perfect For PlayStation 5 features allow a PS5 console to automatically feed it optimized HDR games — a genuinely helpful feature given that HDR gaming is still in something of a ‘wild west’ stage at the moment.

You want to put your TV on a narrow piece of furniture
While the widest foot placement looks more elegant, Sony provides the option to place the Bravia 5’s feet close together as well.

Don't buy it if...

You are on a tight budget
Some rivals, most notably TCL, sell bright, vibrant 65-inch TVs with good gaming features for substantially less than the Bravia 5 costs.

You have more than two premium gaming sources
Only two of the Bravia 5’s HDMI ports support the full range of cutting-edge gaming features that today’s gamers are looking for (4K/120Hz and VRR).

You want a Filmmaker Mode and/or HDR10+ support
If you happen to be a real fan of Filmmaker Mode presets and the HDR10+ rival to Dolby Vision HDR, you should know that the Bravia 5 doesn’t support either of these features.

Sony Bravia 5 review: also consider

Sony Bravia 5

TCL C7K

LG C5

Samsung QN90F

Price (65-inch)

$1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,299

$899.99 / £779 / AU$2,295

$1,399.99 / £1,599 / AU$2,699.99

$1,599.99 / £1,399 / AU$2,899

Screen type

Backlight Master Drive VA mini-LED with local dimming

Mini-LED with local dimming

WRGB OLED

Mini-LED with local dimming

Refresh rate

120Hz 4K

144Hz (up to 288Hz at lower resolution)

144Hz

120Hz (up to 165Hz with Motion Xcelerator technology)

HDR support

HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

HDR10, HDR10+, HLG

Smart TV

Google TV (plus all main UK terrestrial broadcaster catch up apps for UK buyers)

Google TV with YouView

WebOS 25

Tizen OS

HDMI ports

4 (two full HDMI 2.1)

4 (two HDMI 2.1)

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

TCL C7K
With its extreme brightness, surprisingly good backlight control and uncompromising gaming features, the C7K has single-handedly rewritten the TV value rulebook. While Sony’s set delivers a more controlled image, the C7K’s bang for your buck is crazy. And it supports all four key HDR formats too. Read our full TCL C7K review.

LG C5
With LG’s 2026 OLED TV range just arriving, at the time of writing you can buy 2025’s C5 at a knock down price. Every pixel in OLED TVs delivers its own color and light without compromising its neighbors, delivering stunning contrast. The C5 also delivers excellent gaming support, and some of the most accurate pictures around. Read our full LG C5 OLED TV review.

Samsung QN90F
Samsung’s flagship 4K mini-LED TV for 2025 is also still around as we wait for the brand’s 2026 models, and it looks like strong value at its current $1,599.99 / £1,399 / AU$2,899 price. Its impressive pictures are joined by four full HDMI 2.1 ports, and an Object Tracking Sound (OTS) system that does a strikingly good job of placing sound effects in the right place on screen. Read our full Samsung QN90F TV review.

How I tested the Sony Bravia 5

• Tested over three weeks
• Tested with 4K Blu-rays, multiple streaming platforms and resolutions, Freeview HD broadcasts, and HD Blu-rays
• Reviewed in both dark and light dedicated test room conditions, on its feet in both corner and mid wall positions

I tested the Sony Bravia 5 over a three-week period in a variety of room conditions — including using it as a regular living room TV for more than a week.

I checked out streamed content at a variety of resolutions from all of the main video streaming platforms, including Sony’s exclusive Sony Pictures Core high-bandwidth services. I also watched tuner channels and fed it a selection of our regularly used test Blu-rays and 4K Blu-ray discs. Gaming was explored using a PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series X and a gaming PC.

Objective testing was performed using Portrait Displays’ Calman Ultimate analysis software, G1 signal generator, and C6 HDR5000 light meter.

• First reviewed: September 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

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JBL Live Buds 4 review

Ever wondered what life would be like if your earbuds had a touchscreen case? OK, you probably haven’t, but stick with me here. The JBL Live Buds 4 are the new generation of the audio specialist’s in-ears that pair with a smart charging case, enabling you to adjust sound settings, adapt ANC, and more — all without having to download a companion app.

They’re a standout model in a congested market. The Live Buds 4 also sit within JBL's wider Live range, which is itself fairly congested in that it also includes the stemmed JBL Live Beam, plus the open-fit JBL Live Flex. This specific model, though — the Live Buds 4 — comes with a number of claimed upgrades over its predecessor, including enhanced ANC, new “fidelity drivers,” and boosted call quality. But are they worth the money and can they compete with options in our best earbuds roundup? Here’s what I think after three weeks of testing.

We’ve got to start with the smart charging case, which has a revamped UI for a smoother, more complete user experience. The touchscreen is undoubtedly small, but it's highly responsive, and there are clear menus to access EQ tweaking, ANC modes, appearance options, and even tools like a flashlight and timer. I sometimes preferred using the JBL Headphones app for the ease of a larger screen, and the ability to set a custom wallpaper from my photo gallery, but for on-the-go tweaks, the charging case is a neat option — even if it is arguably a little bit gimmicky. But hey, I like a good gimmick now and then.

Beyond what I’ve already mentioned, the case features a lot of fun features, like a smart-talk option, which picks up voices if you want to have a conversation while keeping your buds in. There are also customizable touch controls for the buds themselves (which I found to be reactive and convenient), and settings for how your voice sounds on a call, including a bright, natural, and powerful option.

Speaking of calls, JBL has included 6 mics in these earbuds, as well as its new Perfect Calls 2.0 tech, which makes use of AI to keep your voice clear, even in noisier environments. As I mentioned in my JBL Live Beam 4 review (I know, it's easy to get confused with names), I did find my voice to be relatively clear on calls and when taking a recording, but unfortunately I didn’t get the premium clarity I was expecting. There was some noticeable sibilance in my recording, and I also found that some background noises remained more prominent than anticipated.

I also want to talk about active noise cancellation, which has been improved for the Live 4 series. Overall, ANC is decent, but it’s still not up to the standards offered by buds from Apple and Bose. When out and about or on public transport, I could still make out background chatter, and in the office, typing sounds and doors closing were still audible. Sounds are still dulled effectively, and ANC is by no means bad — but if you’re expecting a curtain of silence when using the Live Buds 4, you may be left wanting more.

(Image credit: Future)

One area that the Buds 4 totally excel in, though, is sound quality. For earbuds in this price-range, the Buds 4 are excellent, dishing out impactful bass, clean mids, and expressive highs, impressive handling of dynamics, and good attention to detail.

When tuning into Labor of Love by Ned Doheny, I was struck by the beautifully textured and weighted acoustic guitars, which were well separated from clear, tonally accurate vocals. Subtle percussive details also came through beautifully, and funky bass sounded impactful without drowning out other sounds across the frequency range. What’s more, by activating the higher-res Bluetooth codec, LDAC, I could make out some more intricacies in the mid-range, with almost life-like guitars taking the listening experience to the next level.

The Live Buds 4 proved to cope brilliantly with any genre, though. With a deeper, more energetic track, such as Don’t Compare Yourself by Kolter, the pumping deep bass hit phenomenally hard, and reached down to tremendous depths for this level. Bassy synths sounded textured and controlled, lively drums sounded articulate and precise, and emotive vocals, while impactful, never overwhelmed the mix.

I have very few complaints about the sound, and it’s super-simple to customize it to your liking with the EQ settings on the charging case or JBL headphones app. But one thing that could’ve been better was the spatial audio setting, which just lacked the clarity and openness of the standard tuning. I’d also argue that the soundstage is relatively broad on the Live Buds 4 anyway, so you should just keep this mode off if you ask me.

(Image credit: Future)

Let’s also talk design, as this is the main area where the Live Buds 4 differentiate themselves from the Beam and Flex. They take up a small, snug in-ear feel, which is ideal for those who prefer earbuds without the stems. I found the buds to be incredibly comfortable, and had no issue keeping them in for multiple hours at a time. They’re also highly secure, never feeling as if they’ll fall out of your ears.

The buds also have a good standard of build, the case has an attractive, textured finish, and the model can be purchased in a wide range of colors. The buds are also IP55-rated, making them splashproof. Some rivals offer superior IP57 protection, but IP55 is enough to keep your buds safe on a rainy day.

One more difference the Buds 4 have, is that they offer the least amount of battery life in the Live 4 lineup, with 8 hours of playtime with the buds when ANC is on, and up to 40 hours with the case. That’s still a good amount of playtime, and competes well with major rivals.

So, are the JBL Live Buds 4 worth their £179.99 / AU$269.95 (about $240) asking price? For me, it’s an emphatic yes. Of course, they’re not the cheapest buds on the market, but they’re also a fair bit cheaper than big-name rivals like the AirPods Pro 3 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2. They also sound fantastic for the money, with the nifty charging case only adding more value. Sure, they could do better in the call quality and ANC department, but ultimately, they still offer decent enough quality in those areas.

(Image credit: Future)JBL Live Buds 4 review: price & release date

• List price of £179.99 / AU$269.95 (about $240)
• Revealed in May 2026

The JBL Live Buds 4 were revealed in May 2026, alongside their siblings, the JBL Live Beam 4 and the JBL Live Flex 4. They released about two years after their predecessor, the JBL Live Buds 3.

They come in at £179.99 / AU$269.95 (about $240), which is the same as their predecessors cost at the point of launch (in the UK). We’re yet to catch wind of a release date and pricing for the US, but we’ll update this review accordingly if and when further details emerge.

These buds are available at a relatively affordable price for the quality on offer, coming in at a lower cost than rivals such as the Apple AirPods Pro 3 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2.

Our top pick for wireless earbuds whatever your budget is the Technics EAH-AZ100, at $299 / £259 (around AU$478). So at quite a bit less than those figures, the JBL Live Buds 4 can be yours for a shade under flagship money — and that's a very good thing in terms of value.

That said, the Huawei Freebuds Pro 5 are our current 'best mid-range' pick in that detailed guide, and those excellent buds retail for the same £179.99 fee as the JBL option. They don't have a smart charging case, but still, food for thought…

JBL Live Buds 4 review: specs

Drivers

10mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

8 hours (buds, with ANC on); 10 hours (buds, with ANC off); 40 hours (with charging case)

Weight

4.8g (per bud)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Frequency range

20Hz-40kHz

Waterproofing

IP55

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the JBL Live Buds 4?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Massive suite of features and neat smart case, but ANC and call quality could be better.

4/5

Sound quality

Detailed, impactful, and rich audio, but spatial sound option in need of improvement.

4.5/5

Design

Small and secure fit, strong standard of build, IP55-rated.

4.5/5

Value

Great price for the sound and feature-rich case.

4.5/5

Buy them if…

You want a more discreet in-ear look and feel
Unlike the stemmed JBL Live Beam 4 and Flex 4, the Buds 4 have a low-key, ultra-compact in-ear look and feel. They’re more akin to models like the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 in terms of build, and if you want compact and comfortable buds then they’re a top option.

You’re digging the smart case
There’s no doubt in my mind that a lot of people buy the Live series of earbuds for one reason, and one reason only: the smart charging case. Can I blame them? No. Is it a bit gimmicky? Sure. But do I like it? Yes, I genuinely do. You get quick access to all of the important features on the smart case, as well as tools like a torch and stopwatch, and it adds a bit of a fun factor to these great-sounding in-ears.

Don’t buy them if…

You want silence-inducing ANC
Although JBL has improved the ANC in its latest batch of Live earbuds, the quality is still a bit middling in my view. You can get much better noise-cancelling from rivals like the AirPods Pro 3.

You’re looking for amazing spatial audio
I didn’t find the spatial audio mode on the Live Buds 4 to be particularly effective, and preferred using them with this setting turned off. My go-to most days, the LG Tone Free T90S, have a great immersive listening mode, and even support Dolby Atmos.

JBL Live Buds 4 review: also consider

JBL Live Buds 4

Apple AirPods Pro 3

Huawei Freebuds Pro 5

Price

£179.99 / AU$269.95 (about $240)

$249 / £219 / AU$429

£179.99 (around $240; AU$270)

Drivers

10mm dynamic

Custom high excursion

11mm dynamic woofer and micro-planar tweeter

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life

8 hours (buds, with ANC on); 10 hours (buds, with ANC off); 40 hours (with charging case)

8 hours (buds, ANC on); 6.5 hours (buds, heart rate sensor on); 24 hours (case)

9 hours buds, 38 hours case

Weight

4.8g (per bud)

5.6g (per bud)

5.5g (per bud)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 6.0

Frequency range

20Hz-40kHz

Not stated

10Hz to 48kHz

Waterproofing

IP55

IP57

IP57 buds, IP54 case

Apple AirPods Pro 3
If you want earbuds that are stylish, sound fantastic, supply stellar ANC and an iPhone will be your source device, look no further than the AirPods Pro 3 — if your budget will stretch to them We loved their comfortable, secure fit, new heart-rate monitor option, hearing health software and impressive waterproof rating, but they are still a little weak in the battery life department. Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 3 review for more.

Huawei Freebuds Pro 5
Five-star svelte earbuds for the same money as the JBL set you came here to read about? Worth a look, surely — they're the model we recommend as the best mid-range buy in our dedicated earbuds buying guide. They might not be available if you happen to reside in the US, however, they're still worth shouting about to anyone else; the drivers are huge, the battery life is exceptional, the IP rating is a step up on most rivals, they're stuffed full of perks and the ANC is, as we said in our review, "excellent".
Read all about them in our Huawei Freebuds Pro 5 review.

How I tested the JBL Live Buds 4

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested over the course of three weeks
• Used in the office, on walks, and on public transport
• Mainly streamed tunes over Tidal, but tapped into Spotify too

I spent three weeks putting the JBL Live Buds 4 through their paces. During this time, I listened to countless hours of music, messed around with everything the smart charging case had to offer, and exhausted their various features.

As always, I made sure to use these buds in a range of environments — including at home or at the office, but also when out on walks near busy roads, and when on public transport like buses and trains. When listening to tunes, I predominantly streamed music over Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, but I also jumped into Spotify now and then. I made sure to soft through the multi-genre TechRadar reference playlist, but also bumped a bunch of tunes from my personal library.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed everything from premium wireless headphones like the Sony 1000X The Collexion to hulking party speakers like the Marshall Bromley 750. Of course, I’ve also tested many pairs of wireless earbuds, so I know exactly what it takes for a model to stand out in a highly competitive market.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: August 2026