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• Google expands Gemini AI access to students under 18, but with safeguards
• Includes AI literacy tools, fact-checking, and stricter content moderation
• It nevertheless raises new questions about AI's long-term role in global education systems

When calculators first entered classrooms, many worried they would weaken students’ math skills. The arrival of the internet and smartphones, brought similar fears about plagiarism and distraction - and now, AI tools are taking their turn in the spotlight.

With the rollout of Google’s Gemini app to all Google Workspace for Education users, including students under 18, those old concerns are resurfacing in a new form.

Gemini promises to assist with everything from lesson planning to real-time feedback, but its expansion also raises tough questions about AI’s long-term role in education and how it may reshape learning itself.

Stricter content policies

Google says the goal is to support creativity, learning, and responsible AI use, as Gemini includes LearnLM, a family of AI models tuned for education and developed with input from teaching experts.

These models are built to handle tasks like helping students brainstorm ideas, check their understanding, or generate practice materials.

For students under 18, Gemini has stricter content policies and AI literacy tools endorsed by groups like ConnectSafely and the Family Online Safety Institute.

First-time users are guided through onboarding content that explains how to use AI responsibly.

To reduce the risk of misinformation, Gemini includes a fact-checking feature. When a student asks a fact-based question, the tool runs a double-check response using Google Search.

This happens automatically the first time and can be triggered later by the student if needed.

Privacy and security have been stressed by Google in the rollout, saying Gemini for Education follows the same data protection terms as the rest of Workspace for Education.

In a nutshell, that means student data is not used to train AI models or reviewed by humans.

The app is also aligned with education and privacy regulations like FERPA, COPPA, HIPAA, and FedRAMP.

That said, some educators and parents remain unsure how AI will affect student engagement and thinking, and is something we’ve covered a lot previously.

Google Gemini may save time and boost productivity, but big questions remain about whether students could come to rely on it too heavily or whether it might shift how learning is assessed.

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Sony Bravia 8 II: Two-minute review

The Sony Bravia 8 II is the company’s flagship OLED TV for 2025. Whereas its Sony Bravia 8 predecessor used a mid-range W-OLED display panel, the Bravia 8 II uses a QD-OLED panel, the same type found in the Samsung S95F.

Adding QD-OLED to the Sony Bravia 8 II mix has resulted in a TV with a notably brighter picture than the Bravia 8. It also improved color gamut coverage, with colors looking consistently rich, yet accurate on the Bravia 8 II. The TV’s effective anti-reflective screen lets it carry over those picture quality benefits for bright-room viewing, though the Bravia 8 II’s detailed, refined picture is best appreciated when you dim the lights.

On most of the best TVs, the Bravia 8 II’s slim design might indicate potentially anemic audio –you need to put decent-sized speakers somewhere to get good sound, and slim TV frames don't accommodate that. But Sony provides an ingenious workaround with its Acoustic Surface Audio+ feature, which positions actuators behind the TV’s QD-OLED panel that turn the entire screen into a speaker. As a result, the Bravia 8 II provides relatively full and robust sound for a TV, and its Acoustic Center Sync feature also lets you use it as a dedicated center channel with a compatible Sony soundbar or speaker system.

Google TV is used as the Bravia 8 II’s smart TV platform, and it's an easy-to-navigate system. A built-in mic lets you control the TV using Google Voice Command, and you can also control it using a mic button on the remote or with Alexa speakers if you’re part of the Alexa ecosystem.

PlayStation 5 users unsurprisingly enjoy gaming benefits on the Bravia 8 II, which automatically switches to a preset Game mode and engages auto HDR tone mapping when a connected PS5 console is turned on. The TV also supports 4K 120Hz input, but with only two HDMI 2.1 ports, gamers looking to also connect both an Xbox Series X console plus one of the best soundbars will be disappointed.

The Bravia 8 II is undoubtedly one of the best OLED TVs to be released in 2025, but it has stiff competition from flagship OLEDs such as the Samsung S95F and LG G5, both of which are brighter and more feature-packed. All three sets are currently priced around the same, making the Bravia 8 II a bit of a tough value call, but its charms are many, and its great overall picture and sound quality let it effectively compete with other flagship TVs.

Sony Bravia 8 II review: Price and release date

Google TV's screensaver mode lets you choose images and artworks to display when the TV is in standby mode (Image credit: Future)

• Release date: April 2025
• 55-inch: $2,999 / £2,499 / AU$3,999
• 65-inch: $3,499 / £2,999 / AU$4,999
  

Unlike its Bravia 8 OLED TV predecessor, which was available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch screen sizes, the Bravia 8 II is limited to 55- and 65-inch models (though the older Sony A95L TV is being kept around in a 77-inch model only, in case you want a larger option).

Since its April unveiling, prices for both sizes have dropped in the US and Australia, with the 55-inch now priced at $3,299 / AU$2,999 and the 65-inch at $2,999 / AU$3,999.

The Bravia 8 II’s reduced price more closely aligns it with other flagship OLED TVs such as the Samsung S95F ($3,399 / £3,399 / AU$5,295 at launch) and LG G5 ($3,399 / £3,299 / AU$5,299 at launch). Both those models have also seen early discounts in the US, with the S95F dropping as low as $3,099 and the G5 to $3,199.

Sony Bravia 8 II review: Specs

Screen type:

QD-OLED

Refresh rate:

120Hz

HDR support:

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Audio support:

Dolby Atmos, DTS:X

Smart TV:

Google TV

HDMI ports:

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

Built-in tuner:

ATSC 3.0 (US)

Sony Bravia 8 II review: Benchmark resultsSony Bravia 8 II review: Features

The Bravia 8 II has four HDMI 2.1 ports, including two inputs with 4K 120Hz support (Image credit: Future)

• QD-OLED display panel with strong anti-reflection layer
• Acoustic Surface Audio+ sound
• Perfect for PlayStation 5 gaming tech, but limited other features

The Sony Bravia 8 II features a QD-OLED display panel – an upgrade over the standard W-OLED panel used by its Bravia 8 predecessor. It also uses Sony’s XR Processor, which provides AI-based scene recognition to enhance pictures, along with a bunch of picture processing features that come under the XR umbrella, such as Contrast Booster, Clear Image, and OLED Motion. The Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG high dynamic range formats are supported, but not HDR10+.

A glossy screen with an anti-reflective coating helps to reduce screen glare from indoor light sources on the Bravia 8 II. There’s no Filmmaker Mode, but a range of custom presets, including IMAX Enhanced, Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Mode, and Prime Video Calibrated Mode, are available to optimize pictures for movies, TV shows, and sports.

Sony TVs regularly rank among the best TVs for sound, and the Bravia 8 II provides a range of features that help distinguish it from other TVs when it comes to audio performance. The main one is Acoustic Surface Audio+, which positions actuators behind the TV that turn the entire screen area into a speaker.

There’s also Acoustic Center Sync, a feature that accepts an audio input from a compatible Sony soundbar or speakers so the TV's built-in audio system can be used as a center-channel speaker.

Sony’s 3D Surround Upscaling does exactly what its name implies by boosting two-channel and 5.1-channel soundtracks to an immersive audio presentation, while Voice Zoom 3 uses AI to recognize voices in soundtracks and give them an extra volume boost. Both the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive audio formats are supported by the Bravia 8 II.

Sony TVs use the Google TV smart TV platform, and the Bravia 8 II has a built-in mic that lets you use Google Assistant for voice commands. A mic button on the TV’s remote control can also be used for voice commands, which has the benefit of not having to leave the TV’s microphone perpetually on (there’s a mic on-off switch on the TV’s input panel).

You can wirelessly stream content to the Bravia 8 II using Google Cast and AirPlay. And if you’re part of the Alexa universe, with Alexa speakers in your home, you can also control the TV using Alexa voice commands.

The Bravia 8 II’s gaming features include support for 4K at 120Hz, variable refresh rate, auto low-latency mode, and Dolby Vision gaming. It also has a new Gaming Menu 2 for making gaming-related adjustments, and is “Perfect for PlayStation 5,” with an auto HDR tone mapping and auto genre mode features kicking in when a PS5 console is connected.

Unlike the best gaming TVs, which typically provide four HDMI 2.1 inputs, the Bravia 8 II’s HDMI 2.1 input count is limited to two ports out of its four HDMI ports in total.

• Features Score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 II review: Picture quality

The Bravia 8 II has above-average brightness for an OLED TV. Its picture holds up well in brighter room lighting conditions, but looks best with lights dimmed (Image credit: Future)

• Good brightness for an OLED TV
• Inky, detailed shadows and black tones
• Rich, yet natural color

When we tested the Sony Bravia 8 in 2024, it yielded only average HDR brightness levels, topping out at 817 nits peak and 182 nits fullscreen brightness in the Standard picture mode.

The new model’s QD-OLED panel pushes peak HDR brightness levels substantially higher, with the Bravia 8 II measuring 1,439 and 1,067 nits in Cinema and Standard modes, respectively. Fullscreen brightness, on the other hand, is only slightly higher, with the Bravia 8 II measuring 183 nits in Cinema mode and 250 nits in Standard mode.

The Bravia 8 II’s brightness results, while an impressive leap over last year’s model, still fall short compared to other 2025 flagship OLED TVs we’ve tested, such as the LG G5 and Samsung S95F, both of which reach well into the 2,000 nits of peak brightness range, and over 350 nits of fullscreen brightness.

That’s not to say that the Bravia 8 II isn’t sufficiently bright; its picture just doesn’t stand up equally well in bright room lighting conditions as those two TVs.

I measured the Bravia 8 II’s coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces in Cinema mode at 99.9% and 87.5%, respectively. Those are both excellent results and are similar to what we measured on the Samsung S95F.

Color point accuracy in the same mode averaged a 2.6 Delta-E value (which is the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen, with a result lower than 3.0 being undetectable by the human eye). In contrast, Cinema mode grayscale accuracy was 5.4 – a less impressive result.

(Image credit: Future)

Viewed in dimmed lighting conditions, a 4K Dolby Vision stream of the movie Civil War looked impressively punchy, with the bright highlights from spotlights and bonfires in a nighttime encampment scene contrasting well with the black night sky. Shadow detail was also strong, and the multiple adjustments in the TV’s picture Brightness submenu could be used to fine-tune black levels to bring out even more detail.

I had the same impression when I watched another movie, Alien: Romulus, in 4K Dolby Vision. Blacks in the ship’s shadowy chambers looked inky and deep, and the colored lights of the control panels popped with a high level of brightness.

These and other reference movies I watched with my room's overhead lights turned on lost some of their contrast punch, but black levels remained mostly consistent. The TV’s anti-reflection screen also did a good job of eliminating glare, though lamps positioned across from the TV were reflected in a mirror-like manner.

The Bravia 8 II does an excellent job upscaling older movies and TV shows. Streaming an episode of the detective show Columbo from the 1980s, the picture looked impressively solid and clean, and I could even make out textures in the mullet haircuts of guests in a wedding scene.

Colors in both older and more recent movies looked consistently natural, and the Sony was able to show accurate skin tones while also vividly rendering brightly colored objects, such as a magenta flower bush and a yellow children’s toy, in a scene from Civil War.

Motion handling is very good on the Bravia 8 II. Watching a reference scene from the film No Time to Die, where James Bond walks across a hillside cemetery, there was only a slight degree of judder and blur visible, and it could be easily lessened by setting the TV’s Motionflow Smoothness settings to Film (2) and Camera (2).

• Picture quality score: 5 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 II review: Sound quality

Actuators positioned behind the Bravia 8 II's OLED display panel effectively turn the TV's screen into a speaker (Image credit: Future)

• Acoustic Surface Audio+ turns the screen into a speaker
• Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support
• Acoustic Center Sync lets you connect TV with external speakers
  

Acoustic Surface Audio+ on the Bravia 8 II uses actuators positioned behind the TV’s screen that transform the entire screen into a speaker. This design provides a sense of dialogue emanating directly from the characters on-screen, and it also lets sound effects track accurately with the action.

Both the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound formats are supported by the Bravia 8 II, along with IMAX Enhanced. The latter means you can stream the library of movies with DTS:X soundtracks contained in both the Sony Pictures Core and Disney+ apps, and experience them with IMAX Enhanced post-processing, which is intended to deliver the same extended dynamic range you hear in IMAX cinemas.

Dialogue in movies like Civil War sounded clear and well-defined on the Bravia 8 II, and the Voice Zoom 3 feature helped to elevate voices in battle scenes with lots of background noise. The TV’s Acoustic Center Sync feature, meanwhile, let me use it as a center channel speaker by connecting a cable from the TV to Sony’s Bravia Theater Quad wireless speakers, while the Bravia Connect app made it easy to calibrate the center channel level for a smooth blend with the rest of the system.

Once I had that set up, the TV worked very effectively as a center channel speaker, with voices sounding natural and full-bodied. Listened to on its own without the Bravia Theater Quad setup, the TV’s built-in speakers delivered reasonably full sound with movies, with a good sense of ambience, but bass was limited – something to be expected from a TV with such a slim profile.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 II review: Design

The Bravia 8 II's two-way support feet can either be set flush or at a 3-inch height level (as shown) to clear space for a soundbar (Image credit: Future)

• Slim One Slate design
• Two-way aluminum support feet
• Full-sized, backlit remote control
  

Sony’s Slim One Slate design for the Bravia 8 II gives the TV a bezel-free 'all-picture' look, and its textured back panel makes things look good even from the back and sides. Sturdy aluminum support feet at the TV’s outer edges can be set for either a flush installation with the screen positioned directly on a stand or an elevated one, with three inches of space cleared for a soundbar.

Connections are located in a side-mounted panel and include four HDMI ports with two HDMI 2.1 inputs providing 4K 120Hz support, a mini-jack speaker input for the Acoustic Center Sync feature, USB-A and Ethernet ports, and an antenna input for the TV’s ATSC 3.0 broadcast tuner (US-only). Sony gives you detachable panels to conceal the input and power cord sections post-installation, which will reduce cable clutter and maintain the TV’s 360-degree good looks.

Sony’s medium-sized remote control sits comfortably in the hand and includes a full enough array of control buttons that you won’t have to visit the TV’s onscreen menus to do something as simple as switch inputs. Direct access buttons are provided for key apps like Netflix and Prime Video, and also for more obscure ones such as the Crunchyroll Anime service.

Oddly, the Bravia 8 II’s remote isn’t the same Eco Remote version provided with last year’s Bravia 8 and Sony Bravia 9 TVs, one that uses a USB-C port for charging. It is made from 79.7% recycled plastic, however.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 II review: Smart TV and menusImage 1 of 3

The Bravia 8 II's main For You homescreen (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

The Live TV tab presents a grid guide with live Google Freeplay and broadcast TV channels (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

A broadcast TV-specific grid guide presents both ATSC 3.0 and ATSC 1.0 TV channels (Image credit: Future)

• Google TV
• Live program grid integrates FAST and broadcast channels
• Quick Settings menu provides easy access to adjustments

Sony TVs use the Google TV smart TV platform, one with a homescreen dominated by a big rotating banner up top with ads for shows. Some of those ads, along with the row of ‘Top picks for you’ content suggestions directly below, are based on your viewing and web browsing activity, which is something you give Google access to when you sign in with a Google account.

Google TV offers a complete array of streaming apps, and these are arrayed in a row at the bottom of the homescreen in an order that can be customized. Tabs at the top of the homescreen let you access Live TV and Sony screens, among other options, with the Sony screen providing access to Sony Pictures Core movie streaming selections as well as instructional videos on how to operate the TV.

The Live TV screen is worth commenting upon because it nicely integrates Google Freeplay free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels with broadcast TV ones pulled in by the TV’s ATSC 3.0 tuner. Both FAST and broadcast channels can be browsed in a time-based program grid, with program information provided for each channel.

As with other Google TVs, accessing picture, sound, and system settings on the Bravia 8 II involves pressing the gear icon on the remote, or the same thing on the top right corner of the Google TV homescreen. Sony provides an extensive range of adjustments for dialing in the Bravia 8 II’s picture, although getting to these involves wading deep through menus.

An easier option for making adjustments is to press the wrench icon button on the remote, which calls up the TV’s Quick Settings menu at the bottom of the screen. From here you can scroll through options like picture settings, picture modes, brightness, and various audio adjustments, and you can also edit the menu to add or remove options.

• Smart TV & menus score: 4 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 II review: Gaming

The Bravia 8 II's Game Bar 3 menu overlay (Image credit: Future)

• Two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz support
• Perfect for PlayStation 5 features
• Comparatively high 16.3ms input lag

The Bravia 8 II offers a fair number of gaming features, the most notable being 'Perfect for PlayStation 5' features, which include an Auto HDR Tone Mapping mode when input from a PS5 gaming console is detected to match the dynamic range of the generated images to exactly what the screen is capable of showing.

An Auto Genre Picture Mode feature will also automatically turn on the TV’s Game picture mode for the PS5, and Sony’s Game Menu 2 lets you make onscreen gaming-related picture and other adjustments.

Other gaming features supported by the Bravia 8 II include Dolby Vision gaming, variable refresh rate, and auto low-latency mode. Two of the TV’s four HDMI 2.1 inputs support 4K 120 Hz input for gaming consoles, though nowadays it's becoming more common to see three or more HDMI 2.1 inputs on TVs.

Using a Leo Bodnar 4K meter, I measured input lag in Game Mode on the Bravia 8 II at 16.3ms, a notably higher level than on other TVs we’ve recently tested, some of which measure below 10ms on the same test.

• Gaming score: 4 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 II review: Value

The Bravia 8 II's medium-sized remote control lacks the USB-C charging capability of the Sony Eco Remote provided with 2024 Sony TVs (Image credit: Future)

• Priced roughly the same as top OLED competition
• Lower overall brightness than top OLED competition
• Less extensive gaming features than competition
  

At its $2.999 reduced price in the US, the Bravia 8 II currently costs less than the 2025 flagship OLED TVs from LG and Samsung. But does that make it a great OLED TV value?

The Bravia 8 II has fantastic overall picture quality, with high brightness for an OLED TV. Its picture lacks the mini-LED-rivalling brightness levels of the Samsung S95F and LG G5, however, and it looks best in dimmed lighting conditions, where the TV’s exceptional contrast, rich color, and fine detail can be fully appreciated.

Sony’s top OLED also has impressive sound quality for such a slim and stylish TV, and it provides several features that let it easily integrate with compatible Sony soundbars and wireless speakers for even better sound performance.

The Bravia 8 II’s Gaming features, while good, aren’t as extensive as what you’ll find on top TVs from Samsung and LG, though there are particular benefits for PlayStation 5 console owners.

Looked at in terms of value, the Bravia 8 II is specifically a best bet for movie fans who don’t mind dimming the lights a bit, though its picture is also bright enough to hold up in well-lit rooms. It doesn’t exactly beat this year’s flagship OLED TV competition, but with price reductions having already kicked in, at least it's competitively priced.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Sony Bravia 8 II?

The Bravia 8 II's built-in audio system can be set up to serve as a center channel speaker when paired with Sony's Bravia Theater Quad wireless speakers (shown) or soundbars (Image credit: Future)Sony Bravia 8 II

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Innovative Sony-centric audio features and special capabilities for PS5 owners make this an appealing TV for Sony fans

4.5 / 5

Picture quality

Impressive brightness, color and contrast plus a detailed, accurate picture make this set especially easy on the eyes

5 / 5

Sound quality

Sony's Acoustic Surface Audio+ feature delivers relatively full, spacious sound from a slim TV

4.5 / 5

Design

A slim, elegant design with cable management and two-way adjustable feet that can clear space for a soundbar

4.5 / 5

Smart TV and menus

Google TV is a solid smart TV system and Sony's Quick Settings menu provides easy access to picture and sound adjustments

4 / 5

Gaming

Good features for PS5 owners, but only two HDMI 2.1 ports and comparatively high input lag in Game mode

4 / 5

Value

Pricey, but its impressive picture and sound quality help it to stand up to the premium OLED competition

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a great TV for movies
The Bravia 8 II has great overall picture quality, and its picture processing makes everything, even old TV shows and YouTube videos look good, but it really shines with 4K movies on streaming and Blu-ray disc.

You want to use it with a Sony soundbar or wireless speakers
The Bravia 8 II has audio features that let it be used as a center speaker in a Sony surround sound system with compatible Sony soundbars and wireless speakers.

You mainly watch in bright rooms
While the Bravia 8 II has high brightness for an OLED TV, it doesn’t hit the same mini-LED brightness levels as its flagship competition, a quality that makes those TVs a good option for bright room viewing.

Don't buy it if…

You want the best TV for gaming
The Bravia 8 II has a solid set of gaming features, but there are only two HDMI 2.1 ports, and it lacks the same cloud-based gaming options found on LG and Samsung TVs.

You mainly watch in a bright room
While the Bravia 8 II has high brightness for an OLED TV, it doesn’t hit the same mini-LED brightness levels as its flagship competition that makes them a good option for bright room viewing.View Deal

You want to save money
The Bravia 8 II is a premium OLED TV that sells for a premium price. Cheaper mini-LED TV options are widely available that offer very good picture quality at a much lower price.

Sony Bravia 8 II: Also consider...

Sony Bravia 8 II

LG G5

Samsung S95F

Sony Bravia 8

List price (65-inch)

$3,399 / £3,399 / AU$5,295

$3,399 / £3,299 / AU$5,299

$2,699 / £2,699 / AU$4,299

$2,799 / £2,699 / AU$4,495

Screen type

QD-OLED

OLED

QD-OLED

OLED

Refresh rate

120Hz

165Hz

165Hz

120Hz

HDR support

Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG

Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG

HDR10+/HDR10/HLG

DolbyVision/HDR10/HLG

Smart TV

Google TV

webOS

Tizen

Google TV

HDMI ports

4 (2 x HDMI 2.1)

4x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

LG G5
The LG G5’s innovative ‘four-stack’ OLED panel delivers exceptional brightness levels for an OLED TV. It also has a superior set of gaming features compared to the Bravia 8 II, along with a more advanced smart TV platform.

Here’s our LG G5 review

Samsung S95F
Samsung’s flagship OLED TV is another OLED that delivers mini-LED-rivalling brightness levels, and its Glare Free 2.0 screen effectively eliminates reflections when viewing in bright rooms. Like the LG G5, it also has a superior set of gaming features and a more advanced smart TV platform.

Here’s our Samsung S95F review

Sony Bravia 8
The Bravia 8 is still available, and it provides many of the same audio and gaming features as the Bravia 8 II. Its picture has notably lower peak brightness than the Bravia 8 II, but if you’re okay with dimming the lights, you’ll get a great OLED picture at a much reduced price.

Here’s our Sony Bravia 8 review

How I tested the Sony Bravia 8 II

Measuring a 10% HDR white window pattern during testing (Image credit: Future)

• I spent about 15 viewing hours in total, measuring and evaluating
• Measurements were made using Calman color calibration software
• A full calibration was made before proceeding with subjective tests

When I test TVs, I first spend a few days or even weeks using them for casual viewing to assess the out-of-box picture presets and get familiar with the smart TV menu and picture adjustments.

I next select the most accurate preset (usually Filmmaker Mode, Movie or Cinema) and measure grayscale and color accuracy using Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software. The resulting measurements provide Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen) for each category, and allow for an assessment of the TV’s overall accuracy.

Along with those tests, I make measurements of peak light output (recorded in nits) for both standard high-definition and 4K high dynamic range using 10% and 100% white window patterns. Coverage of DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color space is also measured, with the results providing a sense of how faithfully the TV can render the extended color range in ultra high-definition sources – you can read more about this process in our guide to how we test TVs at TechRadar.

For the Sony Bravia 8 II, I used the Calman ISF workflow, along with the TV’s advanced picture menu settings, to calibrate the image for best accuracy. I also watched a range of reference scenes on 4K Blu-ray discs to assess the TV’s performance, along with 4K HDR shows streamed from Max, Netflix, and other services.

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

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• Get free Google AI Pro tools with select Acer Chromebook Plus models
• AI, storage, and video creation tools are completely free for one full year
• Offer includes 2TB storage and premium Gemini model access

If you're considering buying a new Chromebook, Acer has just come up with a compelling reason to look at its Plus range.

For a limited time (between now and February 1, 2026), select Acer Chromebook Plus models come bundled with $240 worth of Google AI services.

The eligible models are the Acer Chromebook Plus 514, 516, and Spin 714. The Google AI Pro plan unlocks access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, 2TB of cloud storage, and AI features inside Gmail, Docs, and other Google services.

Making AI tools more accessible

While you get a full free year of the Google AI Pro plan, it's worth mentioning that a $19.99 monthly subscription kicks in after the promotional period, so you’ll need to remember to cancel it if you don’t want to face ongoing charges.

Users also get NotebookLM, which helps with organizing and synthesizing research, and Flow, a video tool built to help with cinematic story creation. Flow is powered by Google’s Veo 3 Fast model, included as part of the same plan.

NotebookLM allows more depth in user sessions, offering five times the number of notebooks, queries, and source references compared to its free version. It’s aimed at making research and writing more manageable for students, professionals, or content creators.

The Chromebook Plus Spin 714 sports Intel Core Ultra processors and up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It includes a convertible form factor and stylus support.

The 514 (CB514-5H) offers up to an Intel Core 7 chip, paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X memory and 512GB of storage. The 514 (CB514-6H) runs on an Intel Core 3 N-series processor and also supports up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD.

For those who need more screen space and power, the Chromebook Plus 516 includes up to an Intel Core 7 processor, 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, and 512GB of internal storage. All models support either Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 and come equipped with high-resolution QHD displays.

All of the Chromebook Plus devices also come with Google’s built-in AI tools, like Magic Eraser and AI-enhanced video calls.

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A new Trump presidency and the Ukraine war have pushed Germany to change its constitution to spend more on its military. "Building up our military is our top priority," said Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

(Image credit: Paulius Peleckis)

Microsoft's multiplatform game service offers hundreds of games for everyone -- even if you don't have an Xbox -- for a monthly fee.

Both Microsoft and Sony have confirmed they’re working on next-generation games consoles, with 2027 even tipped to be the potential launch date for a potential PlayStation 6 or new Xbox. But I’m here to squash that hype.

While 2027 makes sense for the usual new console cycle, which tends to be around every seven years - the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X (and S) both launched in November 2020, so that amount of time will have elapsed come 2027 - I think it’s way too early to start thinking about next-gen consoles (unless you’re looking at snagging a Nintendo Switch 2 restock).

I was lucky enough to put both current-gen PlayStation and Xbox flagship consoles through their paces when they launched. And both are excellent bits of hardware; the Series X is the ultimate expression of Xbox, while the PS5 offered a neat suite of innovations and the immersion-heightening DualSense controller.

But the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic not only made it hard to get either of the consoles close to launch, but also saw huge delays to games. This had the knock-on effect of more games being cross-generation than I’d have usually expected.

While that’s no bad thing, especially as I rather enjoyed playing games like God of War and The Last of Us Part 2 at 60 frames per second (fps), I felt it didn’t really give the proper next-generation console vibe I’d hoped for.

And now, five years into the generation and Microsoft has already started talking about next-generation hardware, with Xbox president Sarah Bond announcing the gaming division has formed a partnership with AMD for future hardware. And Sony confirmed it’s working on new next-generation PlayStation hardware, but stopped short of calling it the PS6.

Too soon?

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Hopix Art)

None of this is surprising, as of course there’ll be a new console generation; that’s unless Microsoft really does eschew hardware and go fully into Xbox Cloud Gaming, but that’s another topic of discussion. However, I think it's way too early for even the most hardcore of gamers to be thinking too much about what’s next for Xbox and PlayStation hardware.

The crux of this is, I reckon, we only really started to get proper ‘next-gen’ games in 2022, perhaps even 2023 - when the term ‘next-gen’ started to feel irrelevant. Perhaps ‘current-gen’ was more appropriate by then.

Now I get that even on the PS5 Pro, players may still need to make some form of choice between the fastest frame rates or the crispest graphics, rather than just having 4K 60 fps (I should add that the PS5 Pro does offer some excellent middle-ground options like a 40 fps high quality graphics mode in Horizon Forbidden West, and PSSR offer some smart upsampling for games).

So there’s potentially an argument for new hardware to finally deliver the ultra-high-definition and fast frame rate combo that has always felt like an undelivered promise.

A powerful PC like this Starforge System is arguably a step towards next-gen gaming right now. (Image credit: Starforge Systems)

Of course, PC gamers with deep pockets can already get this with a high-end machine, or are making the most out of Nvidia’s DLSS tech to get fast frame rates at cleverly up-mixed resolutions.

As someone with a very powerful gaming PC, I do love the ease of being able to boot up basically any game, crank everything up, and enjoy fast frame rates on a monitor with a high refresh rate. But that’s a bit of a niche proposition, and I don’t think it’s yet a catalyst for new console hardware.

My overarching feeling is that the current Xbox and PlayStation generation is only really three-ish years old in a gaming sense. I'd like to see more pumped out of the current hardware before diving headfirst into the next, as I reckon developers have more to extract from these machines.

I’ve partially made this argument before in regards to the PS5 Pro, which I think is great but perhaps a tad underwhelming. What I find more impressive is seeing consoles work to deliver impressive performance or visuals as developers really learn to optimize for their silicon innards.

Take The Last of Us on the PS3 - that was a seriously impressive-looking game that got so much out of very mature hardware. I’d say the same was true of Halo 4 on the Xbox 360.

While those consoles had different chip architecture to their predecessors, I think that the technical know-how of getting the most out of aging hardware may have had a positive knock-on effect on developing games for the PS4 and Xbox One.

Given that last-generation and this generation’s consoles run on AMD chip architecture, and that’s sure to continue with the next-generation, I think learning to push current hardware as hard as possible will have a positive knock on effect for the next-gen consoles in terms of extracting more performance from the offset, but also potentially opening up new gaming experiences with an understanding of what can be done with extra performance headroom.

Beyond frame rates

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation)

While we’ve had some very graphically impressive games, like Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo 7 on PS5, and Forza Horizon 5 on Xbox Series X, I don’t feel they were enormously different from their predecessors. So I’m still waiting on a game to truly wow me - Fable 4 and GTA 6 have both caught my eye, but they’re delayed until next year.

Going by the recent Witcher 4 tech demo, which looked amazing yet was running at 60 fps on PS5 hardware, there’s seemingly a lot of untapped promise in the current console hardware, especially with what Unreal Engine 5 has to offer.

Equally, I still think The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt looks fantastic, especially after its upgraded release on the current-gen consoles. And while I love fast frame rate gaming with all the bells and whistles on my PC, I do wonder if we’ve sort of hit 'peak graphics’. Sure, things can get crisper, sharper, and smoother, but will we ever see the big generational leap like I used to see in the early 2000s? Probably not.

So I worry that with a new console generation now arguably on the horizon, we’ll see even the best games consoles go the way of smartphones and become almost incremental generation-to-generation. I do not want that.

Rather, I want new consoles to offer proper step changes in gaming. Where once graphical fidelity represented that, how about seeing something new?

The world and its technological dog are harping on about AI, so how about we see games consoles that can truly support advanced character AI that offer unique player experiences with each new playthrough, or expand the scope of games.

(Image credit: Stock-Asso / Shutterstock)

Or perhaps we see new control schemes that really make gaming accessible to all; as much as the Nintendo Switch 2 might be a cool piece of hardware, my colleague Rob Dwiar can’t use it, and that seems rather limiting in the year 2025.

As games have evolved, they open up more interesting experiences and interactions - if we break away from the established molds of Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, and so on - and I feel hardware could and perhaps should follow suit.

So it’s my hope that we don’t let hype push a new console generation too soon, and instead, current hardware is pushed to the max while smarter people than me come up with new tech that takes gaming to a new level.

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• AI use is exploding, but most European companies are still operating without clear rules or policies
• Organizations celebrate productivity gains while ignoring rising security threats from deepfakes and AI misuse
• Employees use generative AI daily, but few know when, where, or how they should

As generative AI gains traction across Europe’s workplaces, many organizations are embracing its capabilities without establishing formal policies to guide its use.

According to ISACA, 83% of IT and business professionals believe AI is already being used by staff within their organizations, but only 31% report the presence of a comprehensive internal AI policy.

The use of AI in the workplace comes with some benefits. Fifty-six percent of respondents say AI has already improved productivity, 71% cite efficiency gains and time savings, while 62% are optimistic that AI will further enhance their organizations over the next year.

Productivity gains without structure is a ticking bomb

However, AI applications are not universally positive, and whatever perceived gains they bring come with caveats.

“The UK Government has made it clear through its AI Opportunities Action Plan that responsible AI adoption is a national priority,” says Chris Dimitriadis, ISACA’s Chief Global Strategy Officer.

“AI threats are evolving fast, from deepfakes to phishing, and without adequate training, investment and internal policy, businesses will struggle to keep up. Bridging this risk-action gap is essential if the UK is to lead with innovation and digital trust.”

This dissonance between enthusiasm and regulation poses notable challenges.

Concerns about AI misuse are high, and 64% of respondents are extremely or very concerned about generative AI being turned against them.

However, only 18% of organizations are investing in tools to detect deepfakes, despite 71% anticipating their proliferation in the near future.

These figures reflect a clear risk-action gap, where awareness of threats is not translating into meaningful protective measures.

The situation is further complicated by a lack of role-specific guidance. Without it, employees are left to determine when and how to use AI, which increases the risk of unsafe or inappropriate applications.

“Without guidance, rules or training in place on the extent to which AI can be used at work, employees might continue to use it in the wrong context or in an unsafe way. Equally, they might not be able to spot misinformation or deepfakes as easily as they might if they were equipped with the right knowledge and tools.”

This absence of structure is not only a security risk but also a missed opportunity for proper professional development.

Nearly half of the respondents, 42%, believe they need to improve their AI knowledge within six months to remain competitive in their roles.

This marks an 8% increase from the previous year and reflects a growing realization that skills development is critical.

Within two years, 89% expect to need upskilling in AI, underscoring the urgency of formal training.

That said, companies that want the best AI tools, including the best LLM for coding and the best AI writers, must also account for the responsibilities that come with them.

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JLab Epic Open Sport: Two minute review

The hottest earbuds craze of 2025 is open earbuds. These are usually hook-like headphones (no headband or neckband) that don't invade your ear canals and as such, let in surrounding sound so you can be safe and aware outdoors.

That said, not all makers have figured out to solve the fit and sound quality problems that come with the design territory. Key player JLab isn’t going to be left out of the tournament, but its most premium offering – the Epic Open Sport and the subject of this review – in the space doesn’t do enough to compete with what I've seen in the first half of the year.

The JLab Epic Open Sport were released over six months after JLab’s last offering in the area, the JBuds Open Sport, and our list of the best open earbuds has been changing near-constantly during that time. Back when those older buds were released, I hadn’t tested any that I thought provided decent sound quality, and was constantly facing buds which fit poorly and without a tip to anchor the buds in the ear.

That’s no longer the case though and while the Epic Open Sport match some of their top contemporaries in terms of price, the buds lack refinement in a few key areas and they simply don’t have that one unique selling point or draw that’ll cause you to consider them over their rivals.

When I say ‘lack of refinement’, I’m primarily looking at design. The case is bulky and cheap-feeling, with a poking-out-logo that catches dust. The grooves for the buds within said case don’t hold them very well. The buds too are bigger than many rivals (although I never had any comfort problems when wearing them).

The earbuds don’t have too many features either, beyond the relative must-haves in 2025 (an equalizer; the ability to customize what touch controls do) with a battery life that’s decidedly average too. And in terms of sound, the JLabs are nothing to write home about, although the sound profile does feel custom-picked to appeal to sports users so I’ll give kudos for that.

You can probably guess, given that my main issue with the JLab Epic Open Sport is that I don’t think they offer value for money or a competitive hook in a crowded marked, that there’s not anything particularly wrong with them either. They work well and rarely in my testing did I find something to grumble about. Purchase them and you won't be disappointed – you just won't be wowed either.

But if you’re on the market for open-ear buds, you’ve got plenty of superior options to consider for the money (more on those later), so it’s hard to make a case for the JLabs over those, in this busy market.

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Specifications

Component

Value

Water resistant

IP55

Battery life

7 hours (earbuds), 30 hours (total)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

16.8g / Charging case: 49.9g

Driver

14mm

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Released in April 2025
• Cost $114.99 / £99.99 / AU$199.99
• JLab's priciest sports or open-ear buds

The JLab Epic Open Sport were announced in April 2025 and put on sale near the end of that month.

The buds cost $114.99 / £99.99 / AU$199.99, which makes them JLab’s priciest open-ears, $55 / £40 / AU$50 more than last year’s JBuds Open Sport. It also makes them JLab’s most premium sports-hook earbuds too.

In the open-ear market, you can also find the likes of the excellent Huawei FreeArc, Honor Earbuds Open and (less fantastic, but still) Acefast Acefit Pro for roughly the same asking fee – it’s a really competitive price area.

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Case has a few minor issues...
• ... but supports wireless charging
• Buds feel bulky, but fit well

Both the case and the buds for the JLab Epic Open Sport feel a little on the big side – in the former case at least it’s far from the chunkiest I’ve seen though.

Let’s start with that case. It weighs 49.6g (discounting, I presume, the buds themselves), measures 26 x 76 x 67mm and comes adorned with a large and slighty-jutting-out JLab logo (you can actually push it in a tiny bit if you want, which seems like an unintentional design decision). It opens in a clamshell style and there’s a USB-C charging port at the back.

The case’s plastic material feels a little cheap in the hand, and the looks of the thing make it seem unrefined. The buds also don’t sit in the case properly if you lightly drop them in, and I had to push down on them to make sure they were charging properly. However, points awarded for one premium feature: the case supports wireless charging.

Onto the buds themselves, these weigh 16.8g each so are some of the heavier open-ear buds I’ve tested, but it’s a negligible difference of a few grams. They consist of a bulky bud, a sport loop and a counterweight, all of which you can see in the images.

If you look, you can see that the loop isn't quite sitting in the groove, and I'd have to push it down myself to close the case. (Image credit: Future)

What you may not see is all the touch controls: the button atop the bud is obvious but you can also tap the JLab logo for a different function. I found the latter pretty unreliable in picking up my touch but the use of a physical button for the former made these buds much easier to use than some touch capacitive solutions I've tested.

Despite being a little heavier than the norm, I found the JLabs comfortable to wear. I could use them for long periods of time without feeling them weigh me down or rub my ears, and they stayed in place solidly without moving around too much above my ear.

There’s only one color option: black, for both the buds and case – so if you want snazzier colors you're out of luck here. The buds do have an IP55 rating which offers limited protection against dust ingress and also protection from low-pressure water jets (including rain), but they can't be immersed in water – so no swimming, OK?

• Design score: 3.5/5

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• 7-hour battery life (30 for case)
• Useful 10-band EQ
• Small ambient sounds library within the app

JLab has put the Epic Open Sport battery life at 7 hours, a figure I’d roughly back from my testing time, with the charging case bumping that up to 30 hours.

Those figures are both basically standard for earbuds, although some open-ears beat that figure by a considerable margin. Like most (though not all) same-form rivals, there’s no noise cancellation at play here – you may laugh, but the aforementioned Honor Earbuds Open do have ANC, and very good it is too.

To get the most of your Epic Open Sports, you can download the smartphone app, simply called ‘JLab’.

(Image credit: Future)

This lets you adjust both the touch and button controls of the buds, set a volume limit and toggle between Music Mode and Movie Mode (nowhere on JLab’s site or app can I find information on what this does but, judging by rival devices’ equivalents, the latter likely reduces latency at the expense of detailed audio quality). The app also has a limited library of ambient sounds you can listen to, which is a fairly unusual – though hardly unheard-of – inclusion.

Its equalizer is perhaps the main reason you’d download the JLab app. There are two presets, simply called EQ1 and EQ2, but a 10-band custom mode lets audiophiles design their bespoke mix.

All things considered, that’s a pretty light feature set, with no unique selling point or range of extras to win over buyers. At least the Bluetooth connection was reliable, not dropping at all during testing, and pairing was quick and easy.

• Features score: 3.5/5

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Sound performance

(Image credit: Future)

• 14mm driver
• V-shaped audio profile helps sports users
• Max volume could be higher

The JLab Epic Open Sport aren’t going to top my list of the best-sounding open ear buds I’ve ever tested, but they’re definitely nearer the top of the list than the bottom.

JLab has given the buds 14mm drivers and they connect via Bluetooth 5.4. They support the SBC, AAC, MPEC-2 and LDAC codecs which could appease some audiophiles but, as you can tell from the name, these are mainly for sports users.

The buds have a V-shaped sound, emphasising bass and treble and leaving mids by the wayside. As someone who likes balanced sound, initial impressions weren’t in the JLab’s favor, but when I started using them for sports (specifically, for Epic Open Sport, the only type I know), it all fell into place.

This kind of profile benefits exercisers: heavy scooping bass to keep the rhythm, piercing treble to cut through the noise at the gym. A little bit of peaking, some tinny sibilance, a limited sound stage can be overlooked. It’s not for audiophiles, but I think people who want tunes as they work out or run will appreciate how these sound more than some better-sounding rivals.

What isn’t as handy is the max volume, which isn’t quite as high as I would’ve liked. When I was running past busy intersections my tunes would fight against the sound of traffic — and lose, lots of the time.

• Sound performance score: 3.5/5

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

The JLab Epic Open Sport aren’t cheap, and their price roughly matches some competitive rivals (read more in the next section of this review).

However the specs don’t quite match up — the JLabs are good, but you can get greatness for the same price and in light of these competitors, it’s hard to view the Epic Open Sport as offering that good value for money.

If you find these things reduced below the $100 / £100 / AU$200 mark, that’ll definitely change. But for now, their lack of refinement or a unique selling point makes them hard to recommend from a value perspective.

• Value score: 3/5

JLab Epic Open Sport review: scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

At recommended retail price, the Epic Open Sport don't offer much to draw your attention away from other options that cost the same.

3/5

Design

The earbuds fit well and sit on the ear reliably, with a useful button for controls. But they're a bit big and the case isn't one of the better ones I've seen.

3.5/5

Features

The feature set is quite limited, although what the JLab does have works well.

3.5/5

Sound

Sports users will enjoy the V-shaped sound which offers ample bass and treble, though audiophiles will find the sound lacking.

3.5/5

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Should you buy them?Buy them if...

You're buying sound for sports
The sound profile of the buds will appeal most to people who need thumping bass and clear treble as they run or work out.

You rely on an equalizer
An equalizer is no sure thing when you buy headphones, but the JLabs' 10-band one gives you customization over your sound.

You want an option with wireless charging
Wireless charging isn't a common feature in earbuds, let alone open-ear ones, so if you really want such a product, the JLab might be one to consider.

Don't buy them if...

You like a lightweight case
Sure, open earbuds cases tend to be pretty big, but you can find smaller and better-designed ones on other buds.

You want a full suite of features
If you look elsewhere on the open-ear market you can find noise cancellation, listening tests, 'find-my-bud' features and a lot more.

You want a budget option
JLab sells lots of cheap earbuds, including sports and open-ear options, but the Epic Open Sport aren't them. These are more premium offerings.View Deal

Also consider

Component

JLab Epic Open Sport

Huawei FreeArc

Honor Earbuds Open

AceFast AceFit Pro

Water resistant

IP55

IP57

IP54

IP54

Battery life

7 hours (earbuds) 30 hours (total)

7 hours (earbuds), 28 hours (total)

6 hours (earbuds), 40 hours (total)

6 hours (earbuds) 25 hours (total)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.2

Bluetooth 5.2

Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

16.8g / Charging case: 49.6g

8.9g / Charging case: 67g

7.9g / Charging case: 52.5g

7.8g / Charging case: 80g

Driver

14mm

17x12mm

16mm

20x8mm

Huawei FreeArc

The best-sounding open earbuds on the market right now come from Huawei, which match the JLab in price (though aren't available everywhere). They're also much lighter than the Epic Sport.

Read our full Huawei FreeArc review

Honor Earbuds Open

If it's the feature set you care about, then the same-price Honor Earbuds Open are worth considering. These offer noise cancellation, the ability to hunt down missing earbuds and even a translator. The case is also lovely and small.

Read our full Honor Earbuds Open review

How I tested

I used the JLab Epic Open Sport for over three weeks before I started writing this review, and I continued to test them during the writing process.

I wore them to the gym and on runs, but also in non-sports situations like walking to the shops or working at home. They were paired the whole time with my Android smartphone.

I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar for over six years and that's included plenty of open-ear buds, especially through the first half of 2025.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: June 2025

Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni: two-minute review

I've reviewed a lot of products during my time as a tech journalist, from tiny smart rings right the way through to electric cars, but I can honestly say that the Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni is one of the most impressive devices I've ever used.

It does exactly what it promises, getting even filthy windows spotlessly clean, and it's so easy to use that you barely need to glance at the instruction manual. In the words of the late Steve Jobs, it just works.

TechRadar Smart Home Week

This article is part of TechRadar's Smart Home Week 2025. From lighting and switches to robot vacuums and smart thermostats, we're here to help you pick the right devices to make your life easier, and get the most out of them.

It's more expensive than some of its rivals (such as the Hobot S7 Pro, which we tested recently), but the Winbot W2 Pro Omni offers a lot to justify its price tag. Its portable power station is particularly useful, allowing you to use the bot even when you can't access a power outlet.

The station holds enough charge for about 100 minutes of cleaning, and doubles as storage for the bot and its accessories, so you can clean the outside of your home without having to feed power cables through windows or rely on extension leads.

Bumpers on each of the Winbot's edges let it know when it's reached a window frame and needs to change direction, but it also has a small spherical sensor on each corner that allow it to detect the edges of frameless glass panels. This means you can use it on glass balcony walls, as well as shower doors and even mirrors.

You can use the bot straight out of the box – just fill its reservoir with cleaning solution, dampen its cleaning cloth and you're ready to start – but connecting it to your phone via the Ecovacs app unlocks its full set of cleaning modes, including light cleaning for interior surfaces that need a quick spruce-up, spot cleaning for troublesome grime like bird poop, and edge cleaning. There's even a manual mode, so you can drive the bot around your window yourself.

Most importantly, the Winbot will get glass really, really clean. I tested it on some embarrassingly filthy windows that hadn't seen soap in over a year, and despite only using a spritz of cleaner and a damp cloth, the bot got them spotless with just one cleaning cycle.

The bot never lost suction either, though the power station should be weighty enough to anchor it in the unlikely event that it does drop. There's even a tether so that you can secure the power station to something solid for even more peace of mind.

I only encountered two minor issues during my time with the Winbot. First, the fact that it has a round sensor in each corner means the microfiber cloth can't get right into the corners of your windows where dirt sometimes accumulates. It's not a huge problem, though, and you can give them a quick wipe after removing the cloth from the robot post-cleaning.

Second, the noise of the Winbot's fan sometimes drowns out the spoken instructions emitted through a speaker on the power station. A volume control would be a worthwhile addition, even if it's only accessible through the app.

In all other ways, the Winbot excels, and I'd happily give it a place in my own home; I don't think my windows have ever been so clean, and it took virtually no effort.

Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni: price and availability

• Costs $699.99 / AU$999, but sometimes on offer
• Not currently sold in the UK
• More affordable Winbot devices are also available

The Winbot W2 Pro Omni is Ecovacs’ top-end window-cleaning robot, and costs $699.99 / AU$999. It’s sometimes available for a discount, and if you have any of the company’s other products (such as a robot vacuum), you can save a little more cash by signing up for the membership program within the Ecovacs app and completing tasks like connecting your robot via Bluetooth for the first time.

It’s certainly a premium price tag, but if your budget won’t stretch that far, there are other options. For example, the regular Winbot W2 Omni, has all the same features as the Pro, except for the ability to charge its battery and clean simultaneously. This is the only version of the bot available in the UK, where it costs £519.99.

If your windows are all within reaching distance of a power outlet, you might prefer to opt for the Winbot W1 Pro, which costs $399.99 / AU$799. It’s currently sold out in the UK, but has similar specs to the £329 Hobot S7 Pro, which we tested recently.

There’s also the smaller Winbot Mini, which is $239.99 / £299 and can clean windows less than 25cm wide. The Winbot Mini isn’t available in Australia.

• Value score: 4/5

Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni: design

• Portable power pack for cleaning away from an electrical outlet
• The Winbot itself is lightweight and ergonomically designed
• Strong cable to prevent the bot dropping if it loses suction
• Power pack can also be tethered for peace of mind

The Winbot W2 Pro Omni is unusual for a robot window cleaner in that it’s connected to an external battery pack, so you can use it without a permanent connection to a power socket. This makes it easy to move around the inside and outside of your house, and helps you get the job done faster.

The standard Winbot W2 Omni also has a power pack, but as mentioned above, the Pro version can clean while it charges. This means you can juice it up while cleaning your interior windows, then take it outside fully charged for the exterior work.

(Image credit: Future)

The power pack has a robust, comfortable handle with a rubberized grip, and a soft base that protects and grips onto hard floors. It doubles as a storage case for the Winbot and its accessories. These include a bottle of cleaning solution, two cleaning cloths, and a charging cable.

The power station weighs 11.5lbs / 5.2kg, which will probably be enough to anchor the bot in the unlikely event that it drops off the window, but there’s also a strong tether with a carabiner clip so you can secure the station to something solid for extra peace of mind.

The power station alone should be heavy enough to anchor the Winbot in the unlikely event that it falls, but you can also secure it using a tether for extra peace of mind (Image credit: Future)

The Winbot itself is very light in the hand, with a soft, leather-like handle and a power button that’s easily operated with your thumb. Blue lights on the top and underside of the bot show when the power is on.

On the top you’ll find a small reservoir for cleaning fluid, which holds about 60ml. That might not sound like much, but the bot is very frugal with it. When the bot is working, the fluid sprays out of nozzles on the top and bottom depending on its direction of travel, and is mopped up with the cloth.

The Winbot has a reservoir for cleaning solution, and will alert you when it's starting to run low (Image credit: Future)

Turn it over and you’ll see two tracks that allow the bot to move across your window, an inlet for the suction that holds it firmly against the glass, and a textured surface that holds a microfiber cloth in place.

Bumpers on each edge tell the bot when it’s met a window frame, and spherical sensors in each corner detect the edges of surfaces without a frame. You’ll be prompted to clean these regularly, which only takes a quick wipe.

The bot comes with two microfiber cleaning cloths, so you can wash one while using the other (Image credit: Future)

The Winbot is connected to the power pack by a robust cable, which according to Ecovacs has a tensile strength of up to 100kg. The cable has a smooth braided nylon exterior, which lets it move smoothly without snagging if you need to run it through an open window.

Before using the Winbot, you check the reservoir has enough cleaner, then dampen the cloth and place it on the bottom of the machine. Unlike the Hobot S7 Pro, it uses one cloth at a time, so you don’t have to worry about lining up separate pieces. When it’s dirty, either turn it over and continue cleaning, or toss it in the wash and use the spare one provided.

• Design score: 5/5

Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni: performance

• Exceptional cleaning, even on very dirty windows
• Can also be used on frameless glass surfaces
• Never lost suction during testing
• Fan sometimes drowns out spoken instructions

The Winbot W2 Pro Omni exceeded all my expectations, and made light work of some frankly filthy windows, despite only using a spritz of cleaner and a damp cloth. The before and after image below shows just how much grime its ‘thorough’ cleaning program can remove with a single pass on each side of the glass, and I think it speaks for itself.

Window before using the Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni, and after (Image credit: Future)

The Winbot is also extremely easy to use, and the battery pack even comes pre-charged so you can start cleaning straight away. To begin, just fill the reservoir with cleaning solution (the bottle has a fine nozzle that prevents accidental spillage), put the damp cloth in place, hold the button on the power pack for two seconds until you hear a chime, then hold the Winbot against your window and hold its button for another two seconds.

The suction will begin and the bot will swivel a little to make sure it’s established a good seal against the glass. A speaker in the power pack will announce when the bot is firmly attached to the window and it’s safe to let go.

Press the power button for two seconds and the Winbot will attach itself securely to your window (and wiggle a little) (Image credit: Future)

Once you’ve released it, the bot will roll across your window, gently nudging your frame or detecting the edge of the glass, and changing direction accordingly. Its wide-angle nozzles will spray a little cleaner every few seconds, while the cloth works to lift dirt. The Winbot will ‘remember’ the dimensions of your window, helping ensure it gets right to the edges on subsequent passes.

Once it’s finished cleaning, the bot will always return to where it started, making it ideal for cleaning tricky windows where you can’t reach the whole pane.

Because the robot only uses a light spray of cleaner and a damp cloth, there’s no need to worry about runs and drips. However, I’d still recommend working from top to bottom in case the spray hits your bottom windows as the bot is moving.

The bot has a spherical sensor at each corner, which detect if it's reached the edge of a pane of glass (Image credit: Future)

Although it’s not mandatory, the Ecovacs mobile app gives you access to a lot more cleaning modes, including edge cleaning, light cleaning for indoor surfaces, and manual control so you can drive the bot around the window yourself and tackle stubborn marks.

Setup is straightforward - just install the app and create an account, allow it to connect to the bot via Bluetooth, and give the bot a name to unlock its full collection of cleaning modes:

• Fast cleaning
• Spot cleaning
• Deep cleaning
• Thorough cleaning
• Edge cleaning
• Zone cleaning
• Heavy-dury cleaning

Using the Ecovacs app will unlock the Winbot's full set of cleaning modes (Image credit: Future)

The last mode is particularly useful, allowing you to change the cloth partway through cleaning a pane, then resume in the same place.

I particularly appreciated the Winbot’s ability to clean frameless glass. This would be very handy if you have frameless glass panels around the edge of a balcony, but it also means you can use it to clean mirrors or even shower doors. Unlike the Hobot S7 Pro, the Winbot W2 Pro Omni copes well with surfaces that are too small for it to make a complete turn.

Sensitive bumpers on the bot's edges let it know when it's reached the window frame (Image credit: Future)

The bot never ran into trouble during my testing, but if it does somehow lose suction, the speaker on the power pack will issue a loud warning chime and the light on the Winbot will turn red to indicate a problem.

In fact, I only experienced two small issues during my time testing the bot. First, although the Winbot W2 Pro Omni is relatively quiet (Ecovacs cites a range of 76dB to 63dB, and during my tests it averaged around the lower end of this scale), sometimes the noise of its fans made it hard to hear the spoken instructions from the speaker in the power pack. I would have appreciated a volume control to make the announcements a bit louder.

Secondly, the spherical sensors on the underside of the bot mean the cloth can’t reach right into the very corners of your window. I can’t really see a way to avoid this, and you can easily give the corners of the glass a quick wipe with the microfiber cloth after you’ve removed it.

Overall though, I was extremely impressed by the Winbot W2 Pro Omni. I had modest expectations after hearing about my colleague Ruth’s experiences with her first window-cleaning robot, but the Winbot blew me away. If you’ve been wondering whether to pick one up, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

• Performance score: 5/5

Should you buy the Winbot W2 Pro Omni?Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Ultra score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

A premium robot window cleaner with a price tag to match. Slightly lower-spec versions are available if your budget won't stretch this far.

4/5

Design

The portable battery pack is a great addition that lets you use the bot virtually anywhere, and anti-drop systems give peace of mind. Bot itself is light and comfortable to hold, and easy to use.

5/5

Performance

Exceptional cleaning performance with or without the app, even on frankly filthy windows, with easy clean-up afterwards.

5/5

Buy it if

You struggle to clean windows manually
Cleaning windows is labor-intensive, but with the Winbot W2 Pro Omni, there's no scrubbing, carrying water, or worrying about ladders.

Your home has a lot of glass
The Winbot W2 Pro Omni can handle glass with or without a frame, making it great for a lot more than just windows.

Don't buy it if

You can't reach your windows at all
Even if you can't touch the entire window, you need to be able to reach far enough to place the Winbot on the glass and take it off again.

You have particularly small windows
The Winbot W2 Pro Omni doesn't need much space to work, but bear in mind that it measures 10.7 inches / 27cm square, so it won't physically fit on very small panes of glass.

Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni: also consider

Ecovacs Winbot W2 Omni

This robot window cleaner has everything the Pro version does, except for the ability to charge while it's cleaning. If you can't quite justify the price of the top-end model, it's one to consider.

Hobot S7 Pro

The Hobot S7 Pro is a more affordable window-cleaning robot, though during our testing it didn't clean as well as the Winbot. If your windows aren't too dirty then it may be worth investigating.

Read our full Hobot S7 Pro review

How I tested the Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni

I used the Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni to clean windows of various sizes, including floor-to-ceiling panes, on the inside and out using the cleaning solution provided. Many of the windows were very dirty on the outside and presented a tough challenge. I used the robot in its default mode (thorough cleaning), and tested its various different presets.

I also tested the Winbot on frameless glass panels, including a shower door and mirrors of various sizes to see whether its sensors would successfully detect the edges, and how well it would cope with surfaces not much larger than the bot itself.

I assessed how easy the Winbot was to use, and checked for any design features that might prove problematic over time. I also checked the volume of its fan in operation using a decibel meter.

First tested June 2025