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Much of the attention on the world's plunging birth rate is on east Asian countries like Japan and South Korea. But Latin American countries, like Chile, are also seeing a decline in fertility. We go to Chile’s capital to understand the personal decisions behind the countries plummeting birth rate trend.

(Image credit: Tamara Merino for NPR)

LTX Studio is an online generative AI service that aims to provide many tool filmmakers needs from storyboarding, and even extending its scope to full-blown video creation. It’s a bold ambition, but does it cut it when it comes to production? I tested it out to see what's on offer.

LTX Studio: Pricing & plans

• The free tier’s limitations really make it a trial service, but the paid levels aren’t that expensive when compared to other online services

You’d think such an ambitious goal would demand eye-watering prices, but LTX Studio’s subscription costs are surprisingly reasonable compared to other services.

For one thing, there’s a free tier, which is always welcome, although it does come with restrictions, the worst one being only granting you 800 Computing Seconds (CS). Not each month, or even each year, but for ever. So it’s best to think of this tier as a means to test the service, and put it through its paces.

The other tiers start at $15 a month, and go up to $125, with each offering more tools and options, including an increasing number of CS each month, from 8,640 (2.4 hours) for the cheapest to 90,000 (25 hours) for the top of the line (you can’t as of yet purchase additional ones should you run out in any given month). Paying yearly grants you a 20% discount (i.e., to the equivalent of between $12 to $100 per month).

‘Lite’ comes with a personal licence, while ‘Standard’ and ‘Pro’ have a commercial one. The latter two also include the ability to create ‘Trained Actors’ (digital facsimiles), have access to accelerated rendering, as well as the ability to collaborate with others on a single project.

You can check out LTX Studio by clicking here.

• Score: 4/5

LTX Studio: Computing Seconds

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

• Referring to Computing Seconds (CS) as an allotment of resources can make sense, but is currently quite opaque as we can’t know off hand how much time an action will take. LTX Studio is working on making this a more transparent transaction

It might be best to pause for a second and understand what Computing Seconds (CS) are: any requests you make, be it to generate an image, rendering videos, changing a character’s appearance, etc, costs computing time, and that comes out of your allotment.

As I was informed, if someone opened a free account, and “used all their tokens generating videos with LTXV, they'd be able to generate around 12-16 videos.” This should be enough to give you an good idea of what the service will offer you, but it is still somewhat opaque, as obviously the more complex the request, the more CS it will need to consume to deliver, and each amendment will cost you additional CS.

As an illustration, in my own exploration of the service, I ended up using around 8,000 CS, asking for a handful of images, videos, and storyboards. LTX Studio is aware of this and are currently working on a way to make it clear how many seconds you’ll be using up for each kind of request.

• Score: 3/5

LTX Studio: Getting started

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

• Login in without a password may sound like fun, but it gets tedious after a while if you’re always accessing the service from one computer. Aside from that, the home page is easy to understand and use

You have the option of login in via your Google account or your email address. There’s no password for either, although each and every time you log in with your email (or every day if you work in LTX a lot), you’ll be asked for type in a special login code which is sent to you on request.

OK, fine, there’s no need to remember yet another password, but considering our computers store our passwords for us these days, it can get frustrating.

There is an upside of course: it makes it super easy to log in from any computer, not just yours - as long as you’ve got access to your email on the go (most do, I know, but some don’t).

Once you’re in the interface proper, you’re offered various choices, depending on your subscription level. Creating AI characters, for instance, is not available for the Lite tier. In addition to those artificial actors, you can create images and videos, generate a storyboard using AI, or manually create one instead. All this is offered to you either in the form of giant thumbnails, or through a menu sidebar to the left, which includes your recent projects.

I’ve been told this will all change soon, and the interface will intuitively morph into the right tool, based on what you need to do. Another feature that’s coming soon.

• Score: 3/5

LTX Studio: Generative AI

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

• This genAI service acts and feels like any other, with the one major distinction being the in-house algorithm’s speed, which is most impressive

Whether you opt to ‘Generate Images’ or ‘Generate Motion’, you’re taken to the exact same ‘Gen Space’, a section of the service which remembers all the prompts you’ve given it, which you can scroll through at any time. It’s also possible to create multiple sessions so as not to clog your ‘Gen Space’ with too much media.

The concept works like any other generative AI tool you might’ve used in the past: there’s a prompt field where you type in what you’re after, hit ‘Return’, and you’re offered multiple results.

You can’t create a video without a still image to base the motion from. This is achieved either by uploading an image, or by selecting a generated one from your ‘Gen Space’ After that, the process is the same… aside from the choice of algorithm.

By default, you’re offered ‘LTX Turbo’, an extremely fast in-house algorithm. Google’s Veo 2 and 3 are also available, and so is ‘LTX’, a higher quality version of the default choice. Veo takes a lot longer to produce results and hence will cost you more CS. Also, the longest videos you can produce with Veo are 8 seconds, while LTX can make them up to 30 seconds (although 15 and up are still in beta - 9 seconds is the non-beta maximum).

The standard resolution for videos is 1080p, and I’ve been told they’re working on getting it up to 4K.

As is often the case with genAI, it’s not a magic bullet. It doesn’t always work as expected, so you can end up spending a lot of CS to get everything exactly right.

• Score: 4/5

LTX Studio: Storyboarding

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

• You have the option of manually imputing each shot you’re after, or let LTX’s AI do it all for you. Place your artificial actors in the scenes, and there’s even a rudimentary video editor to finish your project with (or export the generated shots to a proper video editing tool)

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of LTX Studio is its Storyboarding feature. You can create all the shots you need for the scenes you’re planning on shooting through their ‘Blank Storyboard’ tool. You get to choose the type of shot, its angle, type in a description, and LTX will generate an image for you based on that information.

Remember the digital actors you’re able to create? Well, this is where you can add them to your project. It’s also possible to change the style of your project, from cinematic, to grunge, film noir, anime, and a host of others.

I’m somewhat concerned about how easy it is to create an actor using the likeness of a celebrity or someone you know, but truth be told, that’s the case for pretty much every other genAI service.

Once you’ve built your storyboard, there’s also a Timeline where each shot will be displayed in sequence. You’re free to move them around, or even delete shots (this will be reflected in your storyboard), but it’s also possible to export each shot you’ve created in LTX, and use dedicated video editing software to fine tune your edit.

Story-boarders could use this service to speed up their creation process, no doubt. But it’s also very possible for anyone who knows about shots, angles, etc, to do away with a story-boarder altogether with this service, and even more so with the ‘Generate Storyboard’ tool. With that one, all you need to do is feed it your scene’s script, and AI will create shot after shot for you automatically.

It’s not hard to imagine, with a lot of CS, you could conceivably create an entire video project, from concept to final output, without ever leaving the comfort of your chair, scout for locations, cast actors, hire a crew… It’s certainly the most impressive… But is it a good thing? For the industry, for the professionals? For the individuals?

• Score: 4/5

LTX Studio: Environmental concerns

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

• Like any AI data centre, LTX Studio uses a lot of power, and a lot of water. The Google centre they’re hosted by, claim to “care deeply” about reaching net zero by 2030, and that it replenishes around two thirds of the water it uses

On top of that, there’s the growing concern of such data centre’s impact on the environment. LTX Studio is currently hosted in Council Buff, Iowa, and I’ve been told they “deeply care” about reaching net zero by 2030. I was also informed that LTX is the most energy efficient AI model out there (I guess having a really fast generative engine must help in that regard).

Freshwater usage is also known to be a massive problem, what with the huge number of processors these centres need to cool - Google’s Data Centres claim to replenish around 64% of the water they use. Despite that, they still use a heck of a lot of freshwater, mind. But then again, all massive AI centres have the same problem

Should I buy LTX Studio?

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

Buy it if...

You’re looking for a fast generative AI service that can help you build a project from scratch, creating actors, adding them to your storyboard, even turning images into short video clips, and edit it all in the included (yet rudimentary) video editing section.

Don't buy it if...

You’re not a fan of AI, don’t like the weird images and videos it generally produces, and prefer to deal with human beings to produce projects, and works of art.

For more creative tools, we've tested and reviewed the best video editing software and the best video editing apps for pro-grade results.

Erin Patterson was convicted last month of killing her estranged husband's relatives with a meal laced with toxic mushrooms. Newly unsealed evidence alleges she previously poisoned his meals too.

(Image credit: Marta Pascual Juanola)

• President Trump has demanded Intel CEO resigns
• But Lip-Bu Tan is not bowing down to Trump demands
• Intel has reduced its US factory workforce

President Trump has not been afraid of leveraging his influence to try and pressure organisations into policy or personnel changes, with his most recent vendetta is against Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan.

Tan is accused by Trump of being ‘highly conflicted’, and the sitting President calls for his immediate resignation, claiming there is ‘no other solution to this problem’.

Trump’s call comes after Republican Senator Tom Cotton wrote to Intel’s board of directors asking about Tan’s "concerning" alleged ties to Chinese firms.

Policy pressure

The conflict Trump and Cotton are referring to is Tan’s alleged control over multiple Chinese companies, some with reported ties to the Chinese military, as well as investments into Chinese tech companies, and an extended stint as CEO of tech firm Cadance Design Systems.

Ostensibly, the ties to Cadence Design Systems seem to be the sticking point for Trump, as the company plead guilty to unlawfully exporting chip design tools to restricted Chinese military organizations, and paid over $140 million in penalties - although Tan was not personally indicted.

“There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about my past roles at Walden International and Cadence Design Systems,” Tan said in a statement to Intel staff.

“I want to be absolutely clear: Over 40+ years in the industry, I’ve built relationships around the world and across our diverse ecosystem – and I have always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards," he noted.

"My reputation has been built on trust – on doing what I say I’ll do, and doing it the right way. This is the same way I am leading Intel.”

Intel has been under fire recently, having reduced its headcount in a series of layoffs which have affected over 20,000 workers, or 20% of its workforce.

A huge company policy shift has seen factory job cuts in the US, a move which contradicts President Trump’s goal to expand manufacturing on home soil, which may explain his hostility.

Although it may not feel out of place in the current administration, under any other context the head of state demanding a prominent business leader resign would be extraordinary, and an example of the type of government overreach that libertarian-leaning Republicans especially would likely deem an Orwellian attack on the free-market.

You might also like

• Take a look at our picks for the best AI tools around
• Check out our choice for best antivirus software
• China has spent billions of dollars building far too many data centers for AI and compute

LG B5 OLED TV review: Two minute review

The LG B5 is LG’s entry-level OLED TV for 2025. It doesn’t change a great deal from its predecessor, the LG B4, one of the best TVs of 2024, but still delivers the great performance and stacked feature set that you’d expect from an LG OLED TV. At $1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995 the main competition for the 55-inch model I reviewed is mid-to-premium price mini-LED TVs.

LG B5’s new features are primarily the AI ones associated with webOS 25, such as AI Search, AI Concierge and the improved AI Chatbot. Elsewhere, the B5 carries a lot of the same features as last year’s LG B4, although that is a well-stocked list.

The B5 delivers very good picture quality. Its main strength lies in its detailed textures and punchy, dynamic colors. Its rich contrast and deep black levels are what you’d expect from the best OLED TVs. Where the B5 falls short is brightness, as there has been no upgrade over the B4 in that respect. During testing, I also found its screen to be quite reflective, but its picture quality is still great overall.

With a two-channel, 20W speaker system, the B5’s built-in sound can only go so far. Using the AI Sound Pro preset results in clear sound for such a basic speaker array. Unfortunately, the bass is lacking, and its sound never really escapes beyond the screen. The B5 needs to be paired with one of the best soundbars to get a good cinematic experience.

Gaming is one area where the B5 shines. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports, which support 4K 120Hz, VRR (AMD FreeSync Premium, Nvidia G-Sync and HGiG), ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming. It also has a measured 9.1ms input lag time, which is up there with the best gaming TVs. There is an odd quirk you may need to navigate if you’re an Xbox Series X user, which you can check in the Gaming section of this review. But other than this, the B5 is a fantastic option for gaming.

LG’s webOS 25 is one of the best iterations of its smart TV platform to date, and although it carries over a lot of what made webOS 24 great, such as Quick Menu, Quick Cards, it adds in new AI features that many should find useful. This is one of the best smart interfaces you’ll find on a TV.

Value is a difficult proposition for the B5. While the B4 is available, it’s easily the better option as the B5 doesn’t provide any major upgrades. Still, for the money, the B5 delivers a very good package with responsive gaming performance, a full suite of features and strong picture quality.

LG B5 OLED TV review: Prices & release date

The LG B5 demonstrates strong contrast and refined detail (Image credit: Future)

• Release date: July/August 2025 (UK/US)
• 48-inch: $899.99 / £1,299
• 55-inch: $1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995
• 65-inch: $1,999.99 / £2,499 / AU$2,695
• 77-inch: $2,999.99 / £3,499
• 83-inch: $4,499.99 / £4,499

The LG B5 is the entry-level model in LG’s 2025 OLED TV lineup, sitting below the mid-range LG C5 and the flagship LG G5 and LG M5 OLED models. The 55-inch model I tested launched at $1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995 compared to the LG C5’s 55-inch launch price of $1,999.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$3,295.

Since its release, prices for the LG B5 have fallen across the lineup in different regions. The 55-inch model is now priced at $1,499.99 / £1,399 / AU$1,995 and the 65-inch model is priced at $1,599.99 / £2,099 / AU$2,695.

LG B5 OLED TV review: Specs

Screen type:

OLED

Refresh rate:

120Hz

HDR support:

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Audio support:

Dolby Atmos

Smart TV:

webOS 25

HDMI ports:

4x HDMI 2.1

Built-in tuner:

ATSC 1.0 (US)

LG B5 OLED TV review: Benchmark results LG B5 OLED TV review: Features

The LG B5's connections include four HDMI 2.1 ports (Image credit: Future)

• Alpha 8 AI Processor Gen 2 and W-OLED panel
• 4K 120Hz, VRR, ALLM and four HDMI 2.1 ports
• AI picture and sound tools

The LG B5 serves as the entry-level model in LG’s 2025 OLED TV lineup. It uses a standard W-OLED panel, and for that reason, it doesn’t offer the same brightness as the LG C5, which has an OLED Evo panel, or the LG G5, which has a new Primary Tandem RGB OLED panel.

The B5 comes equipped with LG’s Alpha 8 AI Processor Gen 2, which features 4K Super Upscaling and AI Picture Pro. It also has AI Sound Pro, which features 9.1.2 surround sound upscaling. The B5 supports Dolby Vision for both movies and gaming, but there is no HDR10+ support.

A built-in two-channel speaker system totaling 20W of power is provided on the B5. Alongside common sound preset modes such as Standard, Cinema, and Sports, there is an AI Sound Pro preset that analyzes the content onscreen and adjusts the sound accordingly. There is Dolby Atmos support, but unfortunately, no DTS support, which is the case for all 2025 LG TVs.

The B5 is well-equipped for gaming. It carries four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 120Hz, VRR (including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Nvidia G-sync and HGiG), ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming. It also has a Game Optimizer mode where settings can be changed to improve picture and gaming performance, including an input delay boost.

The B5 uses LG’s webOS 25 as its smart TV platform. This supports all major streaming apps such as Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime Video, as well as UK-based streaming apps including BBC iPlayer and ITVX. The major new additions to webOS 25 include a number of AI-based tools such as AI Search, AI Concierge, which recommends content based on keyword searches you have used, and AI Voice ID, which recognises users and activates their saved profile with a customized home screen and content.

• Features score: 5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Picture quality

The LG B5's superb color is one of its highlights (Image credit: Future)

• Detailed, contrast-rich picture
• Accurate colors and textures
• Middling brightness levels

Starting with some brightness measurements, the LG B5 clocked in at 668 nits in Cinema mode and 637 nits in Standard mode for HDR peak brightness measured on a 10% white window. Those numbers are almost identical to its predecessor, the LG B4. Such brightness figures are to be expected from a TV with a W-OLED display panel, but they are a significant step down from the mid-range LG C5, which hit 1,180 nits and 1,198 nits on the same tests in Filmmaker and Standard modes, respectively.

For fullscreen HDR brightness, the B5 hit 131 nits in Cinema mode and 172 nits in Standard mode, measured on a 100% white pattern. Again, these are low numbers, but typical ones for a TV with a W-OLED panel.

Throughout my viewing, I found myself switching between Cinema and Filmmaker Mode, as the former was better for brighter scenes, and the latter was more accurate for darker scenes.

Starting with some upscaling tests, the B5 did a good job of upscaling textures on an HD stream of Fight Club via Disney Plus, giving pictures a sharper look while also improving contrast. With a DVD of The Amazing Spider-Man, there was some visible upscaling in action, but it didn’t quite take the picture to 4K-like detail levels.

The B5 delivers accurate and rich colors. Watching Elemental on Disney Plus with Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode active, a scene where Ember makes a glass vase produced shimmering oranges and purples with plenty of vivid punch. In Wicked, during the Wizard & I scene, the pink flowers were vibrant, and Elphaba’s green skin and the blue details on the walls looked true-to-life with plenty of depth.

When I measured the B5’s HDR color gamut coverage, it hit 99.5% for UHDA-P3 and 74.85% for BT.2020. These are excellent results and explain why the B5’s colors appear both accurate and vibrant.

The LG B5 delivers deep black levels as you'd expect from an OLED, but its reflective screen means darker scenes are best viewed in dim lighting conditions (Image credit: Future)

The B5’s black levels are as inky and rich as you could hope for from an OLED TV. In the opening crime scene investigation and subway fight in The Batman, the dark areas on screen looked deep and the shadow detail was superb. I did find there were minor instances of black crush in some particularly dark scenes in Filmmaker Mode, but dark scenes overall looked very good.

Contrast was also very good, with an even balance between light and dark tones. In both The Batman and Nosferatu, scenes with deep black backgrounds punctuated by bright light from torches or lamps had powerful depth. The B5’s average brightness meant the range between dark and light tones wasn’t as wide as you’d find on more premium OLEDs, but it was still impressive. And in black and white scenes from Oppenheimer, the B5 showcased a good range of gray tones between the deep shadows and bright highlights.

One thing that became obvious throughout my testing was how reflective the B5’s screen became in bright lighting conditions. Darker movies, such as The Batman and Nosferatu, were best viewed in dimmed or pitch black conditions, as they were difficult to watch with the overhead lights in our testing labs turned on.

Throughout testing, the B5 delivered realistic textures with a 3D-like level of crispness. Skin tones looked accurate, and the B5’s fine detail brought out features such as facial hair and pores.

The B5’s motion handling was accurate and smooth. In a scene from No Time To Die where James Bond walks across a hillside, the B5 handled the slow-panning camera shot with only minimal judder when Cinematic Movement was turned on in the Clarity settings. For sports, I chose Standard Mode with Natural motion turned on, as this produced the smoothest action when watching a soccer game on Prime Video while avoiding motion artefacts such as ghosting of the ball.

• Picture quality score: 4.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Sound quality

The LG B5's sound is average, and although AI Sound Pro mode does a good job, movies such as Wicked (pictured) deserve better (Image credit: Universal Pictures / Future)

• Two-channel speaker system
• Clear, accurate sound
• Limited bass and soundstage

The LG B5 has a two-channel, 20W speaker system, and while it supports Dolby Atmos, it lacks the DTS support found on 2024 LG OLED TVs. A useful AI Sound Pro mode upmixes audio to a 9.1.2-channel configuration that adds a more immersive layer to the B5’s sound.

Another new feature for webOS 25 is AI Sound Wizard, a tool that lets you listen to pre-recorded audio clips to determine a sound profile you like, similar to the AI Picture Wizard. Although I didn’t use this tool for my testing, it may be useful for some.

While I usually choose a Cinema/Movie sound preset for my testing, I found myself using LG’s AI Sound Pro preset most often. It added width and depth to the soundstage and produced a more accurate sound and greater volume levels compared to the Cinema preset.

Watching the Batmobile chase scene from The Batman with AI Sound Pro activated, swerving cars, screeching tyres and spraying bullets were all accurately mapped, with the sounds closely connected to the action on the screen. Sadly, the rumble of the Batmobile's engine was absent as AI Sound Pro sacrifices bass, creating a more thinned-out sound. Even so, when watching Wicked, AI Sound Pro did a good job of creating a wider soundstage for the score while also delivering clear vocals.

One tough thing to ignore is that the B5’s sound doesn’t match up to its picture. I’d recommend adding a soundbar, and thanks to the B5’s WOW Orchestra feature, compatible LG soundbars can work in tandem with the B5’s speakers to create a punchier, more impactful sound.

• Sound quality score: 3.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Design

The LG B5 uses two metal feet instead of a central pedestal stand. (Image credit: Future)

• Sturdy, lightweight design
• Solid, metal feet
• New AI smart remote

Even though it’s the entry-level OLED TV in LG’s lineup, the B5 has a premium design. It comes with two metal feet that feel reassuringly weighty, and when attached, the B5 is sturdy despite its light weight. It has a marble-effect on the rear panel that again gives it a premium feel.

The B5 is similar in depth to the LG C5, and although it doesn’t have the metal frame of the LG G5, it does have a visually appealing trim profile around most of the frame.

If you’re in the US, you’ll be getting a new streamlined, AI version of LG’s Magic Remote, which gets rid of some buttons in favor of a smaller, sleeker design. If you’re in the UK, the Magic Remote has a near-identical design to previous versions, but some buttons, such as source select, have been omitted in favor of the new AI button.

• Design score: 4/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Smart TV & menus

webOS 25 is easily one of the best iterations of LG's smart TV platform to date (Image credit: Future)

• LG webOS 25 interface
• AI-based tools for content recommendation
• Quick Cards and Quick Menu for easy navigation

The B5 uses LG’s webOS smart TV platform. This year’s iteration, webOS 25, adds several AI-centric features including AI Search, a tool that can be used to find specific content; AI Concierge, which uses keywords based on watch and search history to make content recommendations; and an improved version of AI Chatbot, an AI assistant that can help with any TV troubleshooting or queries.

The webOS 25 layout follows the same successful formula from webOS 24. It has Quick Cards on the home screen to house specific apps based on category, such as Game and Sports, and Quick Menu, a useful tool for making settings adjustments without having to move away from the content on screen. Navigation of menus and apps was smooth and responsive on the B5 throughout my testing.

Multiple viewers can create profiles that will have personalized layouts and even tailored comment recommendations. The new AI Voice ID feature can recognize a specific viewer, and the TV will automatically switch to the associated profile.

The B5 doesn’t have as many picture and sound settings as you’d find on some other smart TV platforms, but it now has AI Picture Wizard and AI Sound Wizards serving as useful tools to create your own personal picture and sound profiles.

• Smart TV & menus score: 4.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Gaming

The LG B5 is a brilliant TV for gaming with responsive performance and handling with games such as Battlefield V (pictured) (Image credit: Future)

• 4K 120Hz, FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync
• 9.1ms input lag time
• Four HDMI 2.1 ports

The B5 is an excellent TV for gaming and has a wide array of gaming features. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports that all support 4K 120Hz, FreeSync Premium, Nvidia G-Sync, HGiG, Dolby Vision gaming and ALLM. It also features a Game Optimizer mode where settings such as black level and input lag can be easily adjusted.

Gaming performance on the B5 is snappy and ultra-responsive. Playing Battlefield V on Xbox Series X, chaotic shootouts and battles with quick targeting were handled with ease, with the B5 delivering a judder-free experience throughout. With Boost mode activated in the Game Optimizer, I measured a low 9.1ms input lag time. With Dolby Vision picture activated, Battlefield V’s picture looked detailed with strong contrast and bold colors during a mission in an autumnal forest.

One quirk I did find during my testing was that with Dolby Vision picture, a feature that’s only relevant for certain Xbox Series X games, activated, I could not change the Input Delay in Game Optimizer. To get around this, I turned off Dolby Vision in the Xbox Series X settings, changed the Input Lag setting to Boost and then reactivated Dolby Vision. Not a dealbreaker, but something to note.

• Gaming score: 5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Value Image 1 of 2

The latest LG AI Magic Remote has a design change from previous generations. But it's only available in certain regions including the US. (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

UK users will have to settle for the original Magic Remote with a new AI button instead. (Image credit: Future)

• Great features and performance for the price
• Almost identical to its predecessor
• Better value in the UK and Australia than in the US

The LG B5 is an odd TV to judge in terms of value. The 55-inch model I tested is available for $1,499.99 / £1,399 / AU$1,695, whereas the step-up 55-inch LG C5 is available for $1,399 / £1,599 / AU$3,295. This means if you’re in the US, it’s actually cheaper to buy the C5, though the reason the B5 is more expensive is that it was only recently released in the US and hasn’t yet seen discounts.

There is a significant price gap between the two in the UK and Australia, and while you may not get the C5’s brightness with the B5, you are getting a similar feature set.

The real elephant in the room is that the B5 is nearly identical to its B4 predecessor, with similar picture quality, including brightness levels, and similar features. While the B4 remains available, it is your best option as it’s now selling at a significantly reduced price. Once the B4 stock runs out, the B5 will be the cheapest 2025 OLED TV.

Still, the B5 carries a near-full suite of features and delivers great picture quality and gaming performance, for a competitive price. Once the B5 gets discounts, it will be a steal.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the LG C5 OLED TV?

(Image credit: Future)LG B5 OLED

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

A fantastic list of features for smart TV and gaming

5/5

Picture quality

Great picture quality with rich contrast and colors, but just average brightness

4.5/5

Sound quality

Direct, engaging sound with AI Sound Pro but feels too narrow and bass is underwhelming

3.5/5

Design

Solid build quality with somewhat premium feel for an entry-level OLED

4/5

Smart TV and menus

webOS 25 is packed with new AI features while carrying over everything that made webOS 24 great

4.5/5

Gaming

Full suite of gaming features including 4K 120Hz support and four HDMI 2.1 ports

5/5

Value

Nearly identical to its predecessor, the B4, but still a great overall package

4/5

Buy it if...

You want brilliant picture quality
The B5 has a contrast-rich picture that delivers vibrant colors and realistic textures. It looks more premium than its entry-level status would suggest.

You want a great TV for gaming
Stocked with a near-full suite of gaming features and delivering responsive performance and great picture quality, the B5 is a top-tier gaming TV.

You want the best smart TV platform
webOS 25 is easy to navigate, user-friendly, packed with convenient features and introduces AI tools that can make your life much easier.

Don't buy it if...

You own the LG B4
The B5 is a great TV, but it carries almost no upgrades over last year's B4 other than webOS 25. If you own the B4 or can get a good deal on it, there's no point in upgrading.

You want to watch in a bright room
Due to the LG B5's middling brightness and reflective screen, it can be quite difficult to watch in a bright room, especially with darker scenes. It's best viewed in dim conditions.

You want brilliant built-in sound
The B5 does an admirable job and has a useful AI Sound Pro mode, but there's no denying that the sound doesn't match the picture. A soundbar would make a good addition.

Also Consider

LG B5

LG B4

LG C5

Samsung QN80F

Price (55-inch)

$1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995

$1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199

$1,999.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$3,299

$1,299.99 / £1,399 (roughly AU$1,991)

Screen type

OLED

OLED

OLED

Mini-LED

Refresh rate

120Hz

120Hz

144Hz

144Hz

HDR support

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

HDR10+, HDR10, HLG

Smart TV

webOS 25

webOS 24

webOS 25

Tizen

HDMI ports

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

LG B4
The LG B4 is the LG B5's predecessor and the two models are near-identical, with the main difference being the AI-based tools the B5 has received as part of webOS 25. While the B4 is still in stock, it's easily the better deal of the two. Read our full LG B4 review.

LG C5
The LG C5 is the mid-range OLED in LG's 2025 TV lineup. The main upgrades it has over the B5 include much higher peak brightness levels and an improved processor, as well as 4K 144Hz support for gaming. The C5 is arguably the best value OLED in LG's lineup and it's not much pricier than the B5. If you can't stretch your budget, the B5 is still a solid option. Read our full LG C5 review.

Samsung QN80F
The mid-range model in Samsung's 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, the Samsung QN80F is similarly priced to the B5. It carries a similar suite of features and delivers higher brightness, but its overall picture quality can't quite compete with the B5, as the latter offers richer contrast and more accurate colors. The QN80F may be a better option for bright rooms, however. Read our full Samsung QN80F review.

How I tested the LG B5 OLED TV

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested over a couple of weeks
• Tested using SDR and HDR sources
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

I first began testing the LG B5 with some casual viewing to determine the best picture modes, eventually settling on both Cinema and Filmmaker Mode (depending on the content).

After this, I began my subjective testing, using both Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) sources such as DVD and broadcast TV and HD streaming, and High Dynamic Range (HDR) sources such as 4K Blu-ray and 4K streaming.

With these sources, I used reference scenes to test the B5's picture for color, contrast, textures, motion and upscaling. I also used reference scenes to test the B5's sound quality.

For 4K Blu-rays and other discs, I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player. I also used an Xbox Series X to test the B5's gaming features and performance.

(Image credit: Future)

For objective testing of the B5, I used a colorimeter, test pattern generator and Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to record measurements.

Brightness measurements were taken using both HDR and SDR white window patterns ranging in size from 1-100%, with a focus on 10% and 100% windows, for peak and fullscreen brightness, respectively. I also tested the B5's grayscale and color accuracy, taking an average of the Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what's shown on screen), looking for a result below 3.

I also tested the B5's coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color spaces. Finally, I used a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input lag Tester to test the B5's input lag in milliseconds.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar at that link.

• First reviewed: August, 2025
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

• ExpressVPN has finally implemented support for the WireGuard VPN protocol
• Resistance to WireGuard by ExpressVPN resulted in the development of its Lightway protocol
• Post-quantum WireGuard has been added to Windows, iOS, and Android ExpressVPN apps, with macOS to follow

After over five years of refusing to adopt the protocol, going so far as to develop its own alternative, ExpressVPN has finally embraced WireGuard – and it made it quantum-secure.

In a move that will impact the entire VPN industry, what TechRadar’s reviewers rated as one of the best VPN providers on the market right now has conceived a future-proofed implementation of the protocol, combining WireGuard with the next-generation encryption algorithm ML-KEM.

That said, ExpressVPN intends to retain its proprietary protocol Lightway – which already integrates ML-KEM – as its default protocol. But in terms of the post-quantum future of online privacy, its adoption of WireGuard is hugely significant.

What is the WireGuard protocol?

(Image credit: WireGuard)

Several different protocols – configurations of rules that manage a VPN connection – are currently in use. Many providers rely on WireGuard, alongside older solutions like IKEv2/Ipsec, OpenVPN (which is regularly revised), and proprietary solutions like NordVPN’s NordWhisper and Lightway.

All current protocols have various strengths and weaknesses, as well as potential vulnerabilities that have not yet been uncovered. WireGuard, which ExpressVPN initially evaluated and rejected in 2019, is used by many virtual private network (VPN) services, and has been touted as a potential solution for Internet of Things and smart home device encryption.

ML-KEM, meanwhile, is a quantum-resistant encryption standard issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in late 2024, and widely welcomed by the cryptography community as the superior response to post-quantum encryption (PQE) needs.

By finally including WireGuard in its VPN client software, and integrating ML-KEM, ExpressVPN has offered a solution to the entire VPN industry. It means that any VPN provider, big or small, providing it runs its own servers, can introduce PQE protections.

As ExpressVPN has observed in a blog post: “Post-quantum protections are practically non-existent in production deployments… We’ve solved those gaps and published the results. Now it’s on the rest of the industry to catch up.”

Starting from August 6, 2025, Post-quantum WireGuard is available on ExpressVPN’s iOS, Android, and Windows apps. Support for macOS will also follow soon.

Is quantum computing really a risk to VPNs?

Quantum computers have long been recognized as posing a significant risk to the most stringent current encryption standards. The underlying math of encryption algorithms that might take millennia to be solved by today’s machines can be broken relatively quickly by quantum computers.

This clearly poses a risk to all forms of current encryption, not least VPNs. In creating an encrypted route through the internet via a VPN server using a VPN app, users expect their data to remain private, and safe from observation by ISPs, governments, and bad actors.

Quantum computing disrupts this entirely.

As far back as 2020, in its development of Lightway, ExpressVPN recognized the risks posed by quantum computing, despite its arrival being a decade away. Understanding the maxim of cybercriminals who “harvest now, decrypt later,” they took steps to ensure that Lightway offered PQE security to users. So, any data secured with PQE should be protected from decryption by quantum computers.

The white paper, “Post-Quantum WireGuard: A Practical Implementation Guide” by ExpressVPN engineers, Peter Membrey and Timo Beyel, states that while their development of Lightway solved post-quantum protection, they were “concerned that WireGuard deployments weren’t getting simple solutions well-suited to VPN providers.”

ExpressVPN hasn’t stopped at showing the rest of the VPN industry what to do next, either, introducing HTTPS proxy support as an added privacy option. This is thanks to a new “strategic partnership” with Bitripple which integrates LT3 acceleration into Lightway, providing improved data transmission for slower internet connections.

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• Thunderbolts* might drop on Disney+ in late August
• A leaked advert has indicated it'll be with us before the end of the month
• It was the final Marvel Phase 5 movie to land in theaters

Thunderbolts* is reportedly set to make its bow on Disney+ in late August.

The Marvel movie, which underperformed at the box office following its global theatrical release in early May, is seemingly coming to the streaming service on Wednesday, August 27.

A leak that's like a bolt out of the blue (Image credit: Reddit)

As I outlined in my Thunderbolts* on Disney+ piece, Marvel's parent company hasn't officially confirmed when the Marvel Phase 5 film will join the movie ranks of its primary streaming platform. However, a TV spot caught by an eagle-eyed fan in Greece, which they subsequently uploaded a screenshot of to the Marvel Studios sub-Reddit today (August 8), the Florence Pugh-fronted superhero film apparently revealed it'll land on that date.

I've reached out to Disney for an official comment on the leak and I'll update this article if I receive a response.

Thunderbolts* didn't perform as well as many expected at the global box office (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Thunderbolts* was the second of three Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films that was released this year. However, despite being met with critical acclaim – read my Thunderbolts* review to see what I thought of it and where I subsequently ranked it in my best Marvel movies guide – the ensemble flick struggled to translate positive word of mouth into substantial ticket sales.

Indeed, it ended its run at the worldwide box office with an underwhelming $382.4 million haul. That's enough to make it the 10th highest-grossing film of 2025 so far (at the time of publication, anyway). Nevertheless, it's a far cry from the financial windfalls of Marvel films of yesteryear, including 2019's Avengers: Endgame ($2.8 billion), 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.92 billion), and even last year's Deadpool and Wolverine ($1.3 billion).

In spite of its box office underperformance, Thunderbolts* is an integral part of the Marvel Multiverse Saga that'll be wrapped up with the next Avengers films – Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars – that are due out in December 2026 and December 2027 respectively.

For more details on how it helps to set up events to come in those Marvel Phase 6 movies, read my Thunderbolts* ending explained piece. Once you're done reading that article, check out more Marvel coverage from yours truly below.

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James prosecuted the president and his companies, winning millions in fines linked to fraud allegations. Her attorney called the probe a "desperate example of the president's campaign of retribution."

(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago)

• US law enforcement claims BlackSuit is completely dismantled
• The agencies seized servers, domains and digital assets
• Since 2022, the group hit 450 companies and stole millions of dollars

BlackSuit, a ransomware group and a successor to the Royal gang, managed to compromise 450 organizations in the United States and steal $370 million in ransom payments, before being dismantled by US law enforcement agents, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said.

A press release published on the US Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) website, said ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (its main investigative arm), in coordination with both US and international law enforcement agents, “successfully dismantled critical infrastructure used by BlackSuit ransomware”.

“The operation resulted in the seizures of servers, domains and digital assets used to deploy ransomware, extort victims, and launder proceeds,” it was said.

No arrests

The announcement said that since 2022, Royal and BlackSuit ransomware groups have compromised more than 450 known victims in the United States, including healthcare, education, public safety, energy, and government sector organizations.

These attacks brought them more than $370 in cryptocurrency, based on today’s prices.

Unfortunately, no one was arrested, and if history taught us anything - these threat actors will be back sooner rather than later.

While disrupting the infrastructure is a commendable move and will certainly make things difficult for the threat actors in the short-term, they will have no issues reestablishing the hardware, especially with $370 million in their pocket.

Previously, the FBI, US Homeland Security, the US Department of Justice (DoJ), and other partners, defaced BlackSuit’s main website, as well as extortion and data leak sites, in a sting called “Operation Checkmate”.

A US Department of Health and Human Services report published in late November 2023 said BlackSuit was first spotted in May that year, showing “striking parallels with Royal, the direct successor of the former notorious Russian-linked Conti operation”.

“This operation strikes a critical blow to BlackSuit’s infrastructure and operations,” said US Secret Service Criminal Investigative Division Special Agent in Charge William Mancino.

“The US Secret Service is committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle criminal enterprises and prevent the deployment of malicious ransomware that victimizes businesses and organizations.”

Via BleepingComputer

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The 2025-26 season kicks off with the newly promoted Blues hosting the recently relegated Tractor Boys.

• A French Court has issued new orders against five popular VPN services to block more pirated sites illegally broadcasting live sports events
• Streaming giants Canal+ and beIN raised the requests on July 18, 2025, against NordVPN, Proton VPN, CyberGhost, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN
• A landmark ruling in May ordered the same VPNs to block access to over 200 pirate domains

France has continued to tighten its grip on online piracy this summer with another round of court orders for some household names in VPN.

Five of the best VPN providers on the market right now have, yet again, found themselves under the spotlight of the Paris Judicial Court with demands to block sites providing illegal sports live streams.

As reported by TorrentFreak, global sports broadcaster beIN Sports France raised a successful request for NordVPN, Proton VPN, and CyberGhost to block seven domains hosting WTA tennis streams.

While NordVPN, Proton VPN, CyberGhost, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN now have to close access to their customers to five web domains showing Formula One after complaints from the country's broadcast rights holder Canal+.

These orders follow a landmark ruling in May, which forced the same VPN companies to block access to over 200 pirate domains. An action that, according to the VPN industry, set "a dangerous precedent."

New French VPN blocking orders

(Image credit: Future + Photo by MAGALI COHEN/Hans Lucas/AFP; Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Court decisions issued on July 18, 2025, enforces the blocking of those sites until the end of their 2025 season. For F1, that's set for December 7, 2025. For the WTA tennis, the judge ruled until November 10, 2025.

Canal+ first shared plans to target VPN usage in an escalation of anti-piracy tactics back in February. This came after the streaming giant carried a successful legal action against DNS services in 2024.

Fast-forward to May 2025, and with two rounds of illegal streaming blocks already under its belt, it seems likely that the official French streamers are not done yet.

With BeIn Sports now following suit, and getting its way in court, we will surely see more paid services jumping on board to protect their investments in the rights to broadcast live sports events.

Are VPNs striking back?

Talking to TechRadar back in May, the VPN industry raised many concerns about France's blocking orders, including a potential technical difficulty in fulfilling such requests.

All the targeted services, in fact, are known to operate under strict no-log VPN policies. This means that they don't log any activities or other data linked to the users.

A NordVPN spokesperson told TechRadar at the time that the team was still evaluating how to identify customers in French territories while preserving the services' privacy obligations.

Those complaints have been given short shrift by the Paris Judicial Court, though, which rejected "the grounds of inadmissibility" raised by all the VPN providers, on July 18.

The Court even dismissed the opportunity for referral to the EU Court issued by ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, leaving the VPN companies seeming with no escape route.

We have approached the VPN providers for more clarification on the matter, but we are still waiting for a response at the time of writing.

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• A leaker has shared a list of rumored specs and prices for upcoming Samsung Galaxy tablets
• Deallabs writer bill-bil kun shared rumored information about the Galaxy Tab S11, Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, and Galaxy Tab S10 Lite
• The report, while comprehensive, is light on named sources

Specs and details for the next Samsung Galaxy tablets have been revealed in what could be one of the biggest tablet leaks we’ve ever seen.

As Notebookcheck reports, a well-known France-based leaker has shared purported details of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, and Galaxy Tab S10 Lite.

If these rumors are anything to go by, Samsung could be planning a big shakeup for its tablet line when it comes time to replace the current-gen Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra.

The last time Samsung released an 11-inch tablet with flagship-grade hardware was the Galaxy Tab S9 in 2023 – there was no ‘standard’ Galaxy Tab S10 to speak of.

The information comes courtesy of a Deallabs report authored by contributor and noted game leaker bill-bil kun, and includes pricing and technical specs for each of the three new models.

While the report doesn't name many of its sources, the information given matches what we'd expect to see from a single-generation upgrade.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra blurred the line between tablet and laptop (Image credit: Blue Pixl Media)

According to these new rumored specs, the Galaxy Tab S11 will sport an 11-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600, the same size and resolution as the Galaxy Tab S9's screen.

The Galaxy S11 Ultra is tipped to get a larger 14.6-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2960 x 1848, which is the same size and resolution as the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra’s.

As for internals, Deallabs reports that both the Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra will have the MediaTek MT6691 chipset – this is a code name for the Dimensity 9400 chipset, a powerful flagship-grade mobile chipset. Last year’s Galaxy Tab S10 models used the Dimensity 9300+ chipset, so this seems like a logical upgrade.

They also claim the Galaxy Tab S11 will come with 12GB of RAM and an 8400mAh battery, while the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra will have either 12GB or 16GB of RAM, depending on storage configuration, as well as a larger 11,600mAh battery. Both tablets are said to support 45W charging.

Deallabs says the Galaxy Tab S11 will be available with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage, and the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage (the latter of which models, they claim, comes with 16GB of RAM).

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 could bring back the standard-sized flagship format last seen with the Galaxy Tab S9 (pictured) (Image credit: Future)

As for other hardware, both tablets are said to feature a 13MP main camera and 12MP selfie camera, four speakers, WiFi 6E (WiFi 7 on the Ultra) and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity with optional 5G, and an included S Pen.

Moving on to the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite Deallabs' report lists it as having a 10.9-inch display with a resolution of 2112 x 1320. They say this tablet will get the Exynos 1380 chipset (the same found in the Galaxy Tab S10 FE), an 8000mAh battery with 25W wired charging, an 8MP main camera and 5MP selfie camera, two speakers, and support for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.

They add that the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite will come in two configurations – a model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and a model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra rumored pricing

The report also gives rumored pricing for each model in euros, which we can convert to other currencies for a rough estimate.

The Galaxy Tab S11 is said to start at at €899, which is about $1,050 / £800 / AU$1,600), the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra at €1,339 (about $1,600 / £1,150 / AU$2,400), and the Galaxy Tab S10 Lite at €459 (about $540 / £400 / AU$800).

It's worth highlighting again that all of the above is rumor for now, but if these specs are the real deal we could be looking at some serious new contenders for the title of best tablet on the market. Be sure to let us know what you want to see from Samsung's next tablets in the comments below.

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Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro: Two-minute review

If the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is too much of an investment for you, there are cheaper ways to get your mobile gaming kicks. The Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro offers a comparable gaming experience for literally half the price.

As the first phone to run on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version chipset, paired with a bolstered cooling system, the Red Magic 10S Pro can technically outperform any other phone on the market, even if that fact doesn’t particularly manifest itself in general use.

The phone also features a fine 6.85-inch 144Hz AMOLED display offering a blissfully unimpeded view of the action – though you’ll pay for that with terrible selfie pictures.

Indeed, Nubia’s phone continues to be suboptimal for those who don’t prioritize gaming above all else. Its camera system is fine, but not competitive with the best midrange smartphones. Meanwhile, its design, while nice and flat, is big and heavy, with a gamer aesthetic that remains an acquired taste.

(Image credit: Future)

In a similar vein, Nubia’s UI remains a little on the clumsy side, with ugly icons and too much bloatware. With that said, its gamer-focused features are as potent as ever, and the company’s software update promise has taken a big step forward – especially in the EU.

The phone’s level of stamina is truly outstanding, thanks to the inclusion of a huge 7,050mAh battery. This thing could conceivably get you through two days or even more, at least when you’re not indulging in those epic gaming sessions. You’ll be able to get up to speed nice and quickly, too, with an 80W charger included in the box, though you’ll have to make do without wireless charging.

The Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro remains a very specific tool for a very specific job. As impressive a value proposition as it is, we wouldn’t dream of recommending it to anyone who isn’t intent on doing a serious amount of gaming on the go. Most flagship or even midrange phones will probably be a better pick for most people on balance.

For that narrow slice of mobile gamers, however, Nubia’s top gaming phone offers the best bang-to-buck ratio out there.

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: price and availability

• Released on June 17
• Priced from $699 / £579 / AU$649

The Red Magic 10S Pro hit shelves on June 18, 2025, with prices starting at $699 / £579 / AU$649 for the matte black Nightfall model, which comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The model tested here is the midrange option with 16GB/512GB, which will set you back $849 / £709 / AU$799

The range-topping 24GB/1TB model costs $999 / £879 / AU$999.

As always with Nubia’s gaming phone range, this represents excellent value for the level of raw performance you’re getting here. Our pick for the best gaming phone on the market, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, costs $1,199 / £1,099.99 / AU$1,999.

• Value score: 5 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: specsNubia Red Magic 10S Pro specs

Dimensions:

163 x 76 x 9mm

Weight:

229g

Display:

6.85-inch Full HD+ (1216 x 2688) up to 144Hz BOE AMOLED

Chipset:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version

RAM:

12GB / 16GB / 24GB (LPDDR5X)

Storage:

256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.1)

OS:

Android 15

Primary camera:

50MP Samsung OV50E 1/1.55-inch sensor w/ OIS

Ultra-wide camera:

50MP Samsung OV50D 1/2.88-inch sensor

Macro camera

2MP

Front Camera:

16MP under-display

Battery:

7,050mAh

Charging:

80W wired

Colors:

Nightfall, Dusk, Moonlight

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: design

(Image credit: Future)

• Toughened glass and aviation aluminum middle frame
• Completely flat with no camera bump
• 520Hz capacitive shoulder trigger buttons
• Dedicated gaming mode switch

Suggesting that the Red Magic 10S Pro sports a similar design to the Red Magic 10 Pro is underselling things somewhat.

They’re identical to look at and hold, barring a couple of very minor cosmetic touches: a subtle chevron finish rather than a dappled one; a Red Magic logo switching to a different side; a new ‘Leading Version’ decal reflecting the new chip type, and so on.

This is another large, flat, straight-sided phone measuring 163 x 76 x 9mm and weighing 229g. Once again, it features an “aviation aluminum” frame with toughened glass to the front and back. And, once again, perhaps the most pleasing element of this is the total lack of a sticky-outy camera module.

The aesthetic is the same, too, with a slightly cheap-looking semi-transparent effect that shows you elements of the phone’s internal workings – or at least, elements that broadly represent the internal components.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

Nubia still hasn’t managed to bolster the water and dust resistance rating beyond IP54, likely thanks to the continued presence of whopping great vents on either side of the phone. These facilitate the phone’s physical cooling fan, which kicks in during gaming and charging, and which is highlighted by several RGB lighting elements.

The right edge of the Red Magic 10S Pro is particularly busy. Besides the aforementioned cooling vent, it also houses a volume rocker, a circular power button, and three extra gaming-oriented controls.

There’s a pair of capacitive 520Hz buttons that can be mapped to game controls – particularly handy in competitive shooters like Call of Duty: Mobile and Delta Force. You also get a physical Gamespace switch here, which instantly brings up Nubia’s gaming UI.

Another gaming-oriented inclusion is a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top edge. This negates the issue of audio lag, which even high-end wireless headphones will struggle with, to varying degrees.

The Red Magic 10S Pro, like its predecessors, sports a striking all-screen design with extremely small display bezels and an under-display selfie camera, producing a high 95.3% screen-to-body ratio. This doesn’t leave room for dual front-firing speakers, which means you can cover the speaker on the bottom edge with your hand.

In terms of sound output, you’re looking at speakers that get plenty loud and offer decent stereo separation, but which are somewhat piercing and lacking in low-end depth – certainly compared to many flagship phones.

• Design score: 3.5 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: display

(Image credit: Future)

• 6.85-inch OLED
• 1216 x 2688 ‘1.5K’ resolution
• 144Hz refresh rate
• 2000 nits peak brightness

After changing things up with the Red Magic 10 Pro, Nubia has gone with the exact same display for the 10S Pro. This is a large 6.85-inch OLED with a nicely balanced ‘1.5K’ resolution, which works out to 2,688 x 1,216.

This also produces a 144Hz maximum refresh rate. The list of games that can actually support such fluidity is pretty slender, but it’s one of the few use case scenarios for such a spec. The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro has it beat at 185Hz, but then, you’re paying double the money for such diminishing returns.

In peak HDR scenarios, this display is capable of hitting 2,000 nits, though in general use, you won’t get anywhere near that mark. It’s bright enough for clear outdoor usage, however.

As we’ve already discussed, the Red Magic 10S Pro Display is notable for being completely unhindered by a selfie notch. Experiencing video and gaming content in such an unobstructed way feels good, and you might question why more phones don’t take such an approach.

The answer to that question is very simple indeed, but we’ll leave off answering it until the camera section.

• Display score: 4 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: cameras

(Image credit: Future)

• 50MP main with OIS
• 50MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro
• 16MP in-display selfie camera still terrible
• Up to 8K/30fps video

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that the camera system here is identical to that of the Red Magic 10 Pro.

There’s the same 50MP 1/1.55" OmniVision OV50E main sensor with OIS and a 7P lens. This is accompanied by a 50MP 1/2.88" OV50D ultra-wide, and an all-but-pointless 2MP macro sensor. There is no dedicated telephoto camera.

You also get the same 16MP in-display front camera.

There’s an unspoken deal you strike with every gaming phone manufacturer: they will give you an extremely fast phone with a level of sustained performance and stamina well in excess of your average flagship phone. In return, you will give up any expectations of taking really good photographs.

That holds as true with the Red Magic 10S Pro as it did with its predecessors (for the record, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro takes decent shots, though it’s well short of the very best camera phones). This is a competent mid-range performer, though you could spend about £100 less on the Google Pixel 9a and have a much better time if photography is your priority.

With that main sensor, shots look sharp and contrasty in good lighting, if a little over-processed and unnaturally vibrant. Night shots look nice and clear, though again, there’s a slightly false note to the level of brightness.

Ultra-wide shots take a notable hit to quality, with a drabber, flatter look compared to the main sensor. This can occasionally work in its favor, producing more natural-looking shots, but in general, the disparity is just distracting.

Zoomed shots all crop in on that main sensor, but they’re not worth using beyond 2x. Even at 4x, the drop-off in detail is stark.

It’s a familiar story by now, but the decision to go with an in-display front camera results in flat-out terrible selfies, lacking in detail and contrast. Nubia claims that the AI algorithm has been upgraded here, and I suppose if I were being charitable, I’d concede that the selfies I took were the best I’ve seen from a Red Magic phone.

But you have to understand that this is a very low bar indeed, and almost any affordable phone released in 2025 should be able to top it in the selfie stakes.

Nubia is one of those manufacturers that implements a couple of annoying settings straight out of the box. One is an inexplicable watermark (as you can see in some of my sample images), while another is an obnoxious beautifying mode for selfies. You can turn both off easily enough, but it should really be this way out of the box.

Video recording is very solid here, with Nubia putting that flagship chip to good use in supporting 8K recording at 30fps or – more practically – 4K at 60fps. Footage shot using the latter configuration was nice and smooth, courtesy of that OIS.

• Camera score: 3 / 5

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(Image credit: Future)Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Souped-up Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version
• 12GB, 16GB, or 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM
• 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage
• Sustained performance takes a step back, though average performance is still better

The one component that explains and even justifies the Red Magic 10S Pro’s existence is the move to a new chip. Kind of.

In fact, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version found here is merely an overclocked version of the chip from the Red Magic 10 Pro – and most other 2025 flagship phones, for that matter.

Nubia claims that it supplies a 30% power boost, with the CPU clock speeds moving up from 4.32GHz to 4.47GHz and the GPU from 1,100MHz to 1,200MHz. The NPU, meanwhile, provides an AI performance boost of 40%.

This is supported by a bolstered Liquid Metal 2.0 cooling system, which rejigs things for a 5°C reduction in temperature compared to the 10 Pro.

None of this is noticeable in day-to-day performance, nor even when gaming. There’s a very simple reason for that: the Snapdragon 8 Elite was already more than enough to handle the very best games that the Google Play Store has to offer.

(Image credit: Future)

Graphically advanced games such as GRID Legends already run fabulously on the Red Magic 10 Pro, while you can blast opponents on Call of Duty: Mobile at high frame rates and graphical settings.

Indeed, even using our usual suite of benchmark tests, the Red Magic 10S Pro performed no better than its predecessor. That still positions it as one of the fastest phones on the market, of course, but know that the main advantage to buying this phone is performance headroom.

Sustained performance was unimpeachable on the Red Magic 10 Pro, and it seems Nubia hasn’t quite managed to maintain such a high level here. A score of 84.8% in 3D Mark's Solar Bay Stress Test falls 15% short of its predecessor, suggesting that it can’t quite maintain peak performance across an intensive 20-minute workout.

However, it’s worth digging deeper into the figures here. A peak loop score of 12568 is quite a bit higher than the Red Magic 10 Pro’s 10032. Indeed, the 10S Pro could beat that with its lowest loop score of 10654. In other words, the Red Magic 10S Pro can’t stay at its maximum level as long as the 10 Pro, but its output is still better at any given moment.

Needless to say, general navigation and day-to-day use don’t pose a problem for the Red Magic 10S Pro. Especially not with the 16 GB of RAM that my test model comes bundled with.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: software

(Image credit: Future)

• Red Magic OS 10.5 on Android 15
• UI is ugly but solid enough
• Dedicated Game Space gaming UI
• Up to 5 years of OS and security updates

In keeping with the Red Magic 10S Pro’s half-step nature, it ships with Red Magic OS 10.5. It’s much the same as Red Magic OS 10 in the previous model, sitting atop the same Android 15 operating system.

That’s not necessarily a positive, as Nubia’s UI still needs a lot of work. It’s a fairly clunky experience, with ugly icons and wallpapers, and an unnecessarily huge fan widget. Nubia’s Google Feed replacement to the left of the Home Screen continues to be a tacky collection of random news stories and apps.

While it’s a lot less buggy and janky than it used to be, there are still some rough edges. On my test model, that manifested itself most obviously with a pair of app icons on the second Home Screen mysteriously labelled ‘Unknown’.

I’m not sure why, but I was required to dive into Gmail’s Settings just to make this default email app sync up.

Bloatware is still an issue, too. Even deselecting all the terrible games at the set-up phase doesn’t clean things up completely. Rather hilariously, there are two dedicated folders filled with download prompts for said unwanted apps.

TikTok, Facebook, MoboReader, MoboReals, WPS Office, and Booking.com are all there at set-up, whether you like it or not.

With all that said, Red Magic OS 10.5 runs snappily, and Nubia's Game Space game management UI remains a comprehensive way to organize and manage your gaming. Flip that switch, and you’ll enter a landscape interface that lets you tweak performance, screen sensitivity, screen ratios, and individual game plug-ins that verge on the cheat-y.

Google Gemini is pre-installed, alongside some now fairly standard AI tools for photo search, image editing, real-time translation, and the like. Circle to Search is also here.

Ongoing support continues to fall behind the best, but is now much improved over the Red Magic 10 Pro. There are now three years of OS and security updates in the global and US models, and five years in the UK and EU models.

• Software score: 3.5 / 5

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: battery life

(Image credit: Future)

• 7,050mAh battery
• Multi-day usage
• 80W wired charging

Nubia really stepped things up with the Red Magic 10 Pro, squeezing in a huge 7,050mAh battery. The 10S Pro has the same, and it remains one of the biggest cells on the market.

With this battery on board, I was able to blast through two days of moderate usage, and even well into a third before I felt compelled to plug it in.

When the phone finally did run out of juice entirely, the bundled 80W charger got me back up to 72% in just 30 minutes. A full charge took me 45 minutes, which isn’t too shabby at all given the battery’s capacity.

There’s no wireless charging here, which we’ve come to expect from Nubia’s gaming sub-brand. That’s not to say it should be let off the hook entirely – the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro includes a wireless charging provision – but it’s an understandable omission in the name of prioritizing gaming-friendly features on a strict budget.

Indeed, it’s probably a more apt criticism to note that there’s no secondary USB-C port on the long edge, which makes charging while gaming so much more viable in the ROG.

• Battery score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro?Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

It’s big and unwieldy, and the gamer aesthetic grows a little tiresome, but it’s also nice and flat.

3.5 / 5

Display

This screen is big, sharp, fluid, and it gets reasonably bright. It’s also unobstructed by a bothersome notch.

4 / 5

Performance

As the first phone to feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version, this is one of the very fastest phones around.

4.5 / 5

Camera

It’ll take solid pictures in good lighting, but you don’t buy a gaming phone if you’re seriously interested in great photos.

3 / 5

Battery

This phone has one of the largest batteries around, and it’s good for multi-day use.

5 / 5

Software

Nubia's custom UI is reasonably fast and fluid these days, but it’s still ugly and cluttered.

3 / 5

Value

You simply won’t find this level of performance at this price anywhere else on the market.

5 / 5

Buy it if...

You're a gamer who doesn’t have cash to burn
The Red Magic 10S Pro offers top-level gaming performance, but it costs about half the price of our favorite gaming phone, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro.

You’re anti-notch
Sick of display notches spoiling the view? The Red Magic 10S Pro doesn’t have one.

You want the biggest battery possible
At 7,050mAh, the Red Magic 10S Pro's battery is the biggest on the market.

Don't buy it if...

You like selfies
That in-display front camera might look cool, but it takes truly terrible selfies.

Subtlety and style matter to you
Nubia’s design language is big, brash, and slightly tacky.

You prefer a clean UI
Red Magic OS is ugly, cluttered, and a little glitchy.

Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro review: also consider

The Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro is a great-value gaming phone, but there are some excellent alternatives if you want to spend more or less.

Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro
The previous model should be available at a lower price right now, despite being only six months older and broadly as capable.

Read our full Nubia Red Magic 10 Pro review

Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro
This step-up option gives you similar gaming performance, but a lot of quality-of-life features on top – albeit at a much higher price.

Read our full Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro review

How I tested the Nubia Red Magic 10S Pro

• Review test period = 1 week
• Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, music playback
• Tools used = Geekbench 6, GFXBench, 3DMark, native Android stats, bundled Nubia 80W power adapter

First reviewed: June 2025

• Experts flag 150 Firefox add-ons which served as infostealers and keyloggers
• Add-ons added to the store are benign, but when they gain a reputation, they are transformed into malware
• The crooks steal crypto and track their victims' IP addresses

Cryptocurrency users running the Firefox browser should be careful - a major campaign has been detected aiming to steal their tokens right out of their wallets.

Recently, security researchers from Koi Security identified 150 add-ons in the Mozilla store which served as infostealers and keyloggers.

These add-ons started as benign tools, impersonating popular crypto wallets such as MetaMask, TronLink, or Rabby, but after accumulating enough downloads and positive reviews, the attackers replace them with new names and logos and inject malicious code that steals user wallet credentials and IP addresses.

GreedyBear

"The weaponized extensions captures wallet credentials directly from user input fields within the extension’s own popup interface, and exfiltrate them to a remote server controlled by the group," Koi Security said in its writeup.

"During initialization, they also transmit the victim’s external IP address, likely for tracking or targeting purposes."

The malicious code was partially generated with the help of AI, the experts said, dubbing the campaign “GreedyBear”, and claiming it raked in more than a million dollars already.

The “bear” in the name could be a reference to Russia, since the operation is apparently complemented by dozens of pirated software websites distributing 500 malware variants, as well as fake Trezor, Jupiter Wallet, and other crypto websites. All of them are written in Russian.

The malware distributed through the website is generic, the researchers added, with LummaStealer standing out as a more notable name.

All of the sites are linked to the same IP address, which means that a single entity is running the entire operation.

Koi Security reported its findings to Mozilla, which swiftly removed all malicious add-ons from its repository. However, users who downloaded them in the meantime will remain at risk until they delete the add-ons from their browsers and refresh all login credentials.

Via BleepingComputer

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• A prominent leaker just spilled the beans on Google’s Pixel Watch 4
• The upcoming smartwatch is set to launch on August 20
• The leak includes a host of upgrades and new features

Google is set to launch the Pixel Watch 4 on August 20, but that hasn’t stopped various leaks emerging in the meantime. And now, we’ve just received another substantial rumor cache surrounding the device, revealing many of the new features we could see in a few weeks’ time.

The revelations come from prolific leaker Evan Blass, who recently posted them on X. There, Blass revealed a wide range of specs and features that could make it into Google’s smartwatch, as well as some official-looking slides that might be used on the device’s launch date.

Among the specs are measurements, display details, battery life, and more. Blass claims that the Pixel Watch 4 will come with 41mm and 45mm sizes, an always-on Actua 360 display with up to 3,000 nits of brightness, 30 hours of battery life in the 41mm model and 40 hours in the 45mm size, plus 25% faster charging when you use a Quick Charge Dock versus the regular rate.

As for sensors, Blass’s posts suggest that the Pixel Watch 4 will get dual-frequency GPS, an electrocardiogram (ECG), blood oxygen monitoring, plus the ability to sense heart-rate variability. There will also be safety features, including detection of hard falls and loss of pulse.

A significant upgrade

(Image credit: Evan Blass)

According to Blass’s images, you’ll get “40+ exercise modes and real-time stats” with the Pixel Watch 4, plus custom run plans and real-time guidance. It will also advise you if you’re ready for a tough workout or need a rest.

And the updates aren’t limited to health and fitness features. For instance, if you buy an LTE model, you’ll get two years of Google Fi Wireless data included for free (although this does not include calling).

The Google Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot is built into the watch, and it looks like it’ll be on hand to help in a variety of ways. That includes the creation of “a playlist for a 10-minute-mile run,” in one of the examples given.

The slides also suggest you’ll be able to “Raise your wrist for quick AI assistant responses and personalized help” and “Keep the conversation going with AI text suggestions that sound like you.” Google seems to be promising Gemini integration with third-party wearable apps, too.

Overall, this looks like a significant upgrade over the Google Pixel Watch 3 – as long as the leak proves to be accurate, of course. But with the August 20 launch date fast approaching, we won’t have long to wait before we find out.

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The Trump administration plans to end a $7 billion Biden-era program that helps low-income households get solar power.

(Image credit: Mario Tama)

• The ROG Xbox Ally is reportedly set to launch on October 16, two months after its Gamescom presence
• This leak comes shortly after a previous report that suggested a pre-order date of August 20
• Hollow Knight: Silksong could now launch on October 16

Gamescom 2025 is right around the corner and is set to showcase a wide range of highly-anticipated games and hardware, including the new ROG Xbox Ally from Microsoft and Asus. Now a new leak has given us further insight into the latter's launch date, which is a little further away than previously anticipated.

According to Bilbil-Kun via Dealabs, the ROG Xbox Ally is set to launch on October 16, after hands-on previews at Gamescom in August. This leak follows a previous report that suggested pre-orders would open on August 20, essentially hinting that units would be ready to send to consumers from that date. However, that doesn't appear to be the case.

While the new report insists that the August 20 date is accurate for pre-orders, the purported October 16 launch date means the new handheld will be a little late to the party among new releases. The MSI Claw A8, another handheld using AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme, is already available in some regions in Europe, with the Lenovo Legion Go 2 expected to launch soon since its prototype is already available in China.

If this leak is legitimate, it means fans will be waiting over a month to finally acquire the devices, one of which is purported to be overly expensive. There will apparently be two models; the ROG Xbox Ally X (rumored to have an $899 price tag) with the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, while the ROG Xbox Ally will use a weaker processor, the Ryzen Z2A.

As for the long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong, this new leak should mean that it will launch on October 16, as Xbox President Sarah Bond confirmed that the title would launch alongside the ROG Xbox Ally.

Analysis: A two-month wait makes this launch a little less exciting

(Image credit: Microsoft / Asus)

While a two-month wait isn't exactly the worst thing here, it's sapped a little of the excitement I have for the new devices. I'm already not pleased with the recent price tags for handhelds like the MSI Claw A8, MSI Claw 8 AI+, and the ROG Xbox Ally X's rumored $899 tag, so the additional wait isn't exactly great news for consumers.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not planning on buying the ROG Xbox Ally X, but I plan on analyzing any potential performance differences between its Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor and the standard Ryzen Z2 Extreme (including the performance of the Ryzen Z2A) via real-world benchmarks, and it's not exactly clear if the hands-on previews and presentation from Xbox at Gamescom will give us that.

The wait also adds to the frustration of the lack of availability in the market, since it's increasingly difficult to find stock of the likes of the Lenovo Legion Go Z1 Extreme. The latter is a device I'm particularly interested in thanks to its 8-inch display, but it's nowhere to be found in the UK – and there's no guarantee that the same stock woes won't happen to the ROG Xbox Ally.

From what we've already seen from the Ryzen Z2 Extreme, it seems like the price jump from a Z1 Extreme-powered handheld is excessive. At this point, all I want is a handheld equivalent to the Asus ROG Ally's power, with an 8-inch screen, but that either comes with a hefty price tag or a lack of availability.

The ROG Xbox Ally is a 7-inch device that, unfortunately, could tick both of those 'expensive price tag' and 'low stock' boxes, and that doesn't leave me enthusiastic about its launch.

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Germany will stop exporting military equipment to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip, in a swift response to Israel's decision to expand its operations in the Palestinian enclave's main city.

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The second Trump administration has removed more climate and environmental data from websites in the first 100 days than the first administration, according to a new report

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Dell 14 Premium: One-minute review

The Dell 14 Premium is finally here, and it is definitely worth the wait.

The 14 Premium is the latest Dell laptop to launch as part of its rebranding, replacing the fan-favorite Dell XPS lineup of laptops, which ranked among the best laptops year after year for as long as I've been reviewing laptops for TechRadar.

Like the Dell 16 Premium, the Dell 14 Premium essentially carries on the XPS formula with little changed beyond the branding, but that's not a bad thing at all. The Dell XPS 14 (2024) was one of the best Dell laptops I've ever reviewed, and the 14 Premium is even better still.

Starting at $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,798.40, the 14 Premium matches the starting price of the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) that it is competing with, though the 14 Premium does max out a bit cheaper than the MacBook Pro 14.

Obviously, you won't get the same kind of performance from the base-spec 14 Premium as you do if you go the discrete graphics, non-OLED route, which starts at $1,999.99 / £1,999 / AU$$3,297.8. Content creators, or those who want one of the best displays you're going to find on a laptop right now, will want to check out the RTX 4050/OLED configurations, which start at $2,199.99 / £2,199 / AU$3,598.10.

The Dell 14 Premium is on sale right now, with configurations starting as low as $1,499.99 in the US, with higher-tier configurations marked down more than $250 at Dell's website.View Deal

If performance is what you're after, the Dell 14 Premium beats out the MacBook Pro 14-inch, overall, in my testing, but it's not a total knockout. Given the performance I've seen from the MacBook Pro 14-inch base-spec, the 14 Premium really can't keep up on the low-end, and those looking to keep things within a tighter budget will likely be better off with a MacBook Pro (as much as it pains me to say it as a diehard Windows user).

If you're looking for high-end performance, however, the MacBook Pro 14-inch's M4 just can't keep up with the 14 Premium's RTX 4050 discrete graphics. It makes a huge difference in some workloads, like 3D modeling, and especially when it comes to gaming.

One other thing the 14 Premium has over the MacBook Pro 14-inch is the option for an OLED display, which looks gorgeous. The rest of the laptop is solid and has a much more premium feel to it than the 14 Plus, but there are some design quirks that keep it from truly laying out its competition on the mat.

While the discrete graphics and OLED upgrades do push the price considerably higher, there's no question that the upgrade is worth it, especially the upgrade to the RTX 4050 GPU, which unlocks a lot of power necessary for high-end applications.

This, of course, considerably impacts the device's battery life, dragging it down below nine hours in my testing. But for a laptop this compact with a high-end display and discrete graphics, it's definitely a worthwhile compromise.

So, bottom line: does the Dell 14 Premium defeat the current MacBook Pro 14-inch with M4? Yes, but it's down to the judges rather than a KO, and so your mileage may vary depending on your needs and budget. If you're going with high-end specs, the Dell 14 Premium is probably the best Windows laptop going right now, but if you're not going to go with the RTX 4050 GPU, the MacBook Pro 14-inch is probably the better bet for those looking to stay on budget.

Dell 14 Premium: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• How much does it cost? Starts at $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,798.40
• When is it available? It's available now
• Where can you get it? You can buy it in the US, UK, and Australia through Dell’s website and other retailers.

The Dell 14 Premium is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,798.40, respectively.

This puts it in line with the starting price of the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4), and is roughly in line with where the XPS 14 (2024) launched last year, though the 14 Premium is cheaper to start in the UK and Australia than its predecessor.

Given its premium status, this isn't really that bad a price for a laptop like this, and its high-end configurations are cheaper than a comparable MacBook Pro 14-inch, which definitely can't be overlooked. Still, it's expensive, especially in an era where everyone is a bit less free with their spending than they were even a year ago.

• Value: 4 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Specs

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• Up to RTX 4050 GPU
• Wi-Fi 7
• Only Thunderbolt 4

The specs for the Dell 14 Premium are pretty much identical to the Dell XPS 14 that preceded it, with some important differences.

This is not an Intel Lunar Lake laptop; it's an Arrow Lake H laptop, so while the processor model numbers might look very similar, they are two different architectures.

This allows the Intel Core Ultra 255H chip to be paired with an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, something last year's model wasn't capable of due to the limitations of the Lunar Lake chip design.

The 14 Premium is also configured with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, though it only has Thunderbolt 4 ports rather than the newer Thunderbolt 5 that the top-spec Dell 16 Premium has.

Dell 14 Premium Base Specs

US

UK

Australia

Price

$1,499.99 at Dell.com

£1,499 at Dell.com

AU$2,798.40 at Dell.com

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

GPU

Integrated Intel Arc 140T

Integrated Intel Arc 140T

Integrated Intel Arc 140T

Memory

16GB LPDDR5x - 7467MT/s

16GB LPDDR5x - 7467MT/s

16GB LPDDR5x - 7467MT/s

Storage

512GB PCIe NVMe

512GB PCIe NVMe

512GB PCIe NVMe

Display

14.5-inch non-touch 2K IPS 120Hz

14.5-inch non-touch 2K IPS 120Hz

14.5-inch non-touch 2K IPS 120Hz

Ports

1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1

1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1

1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1

Battery

69.5WHr

69.5WHr

69.5WHr

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Camera

1080p IR camera

1080p IR camera

1080p IR camera

Weight

3.66 lbs | 1.66kg

3.66 lbs | 1.66kg

3.66 lbs | 1.66kg

Dimensions

12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm

12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm

12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm

The base specs are fairly modest, though you do start out with at least 16GB LPDDR5x RAM and a 512GB SSD, which is necessary if you're planning on using Windows 11's Copilot+ AI features. There's also no difference in starting configuration between the US, UK, and Australia.

Dell 14 Premium Top Specs

US

UK

Australia

Price

$2,399.99 at Dell.com

£2,364.59 at Dell.com

AU$4,207.50 at Dell.com

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

Intel Core Ultra 7 265H

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

GPU

Nvidia RTX 4050

Nvidia RTX 4050

Nvidia RTX 4050

Memory

32GB LPDDR5x - 8400MT/s

32GB LPDDR5x - 8400MT/s

32GB LPDDR5x - 8400MT/s

Storage

2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe

2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe

2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe

Display

14.5-inch Touch 3.2K OLED, 400 nit, 120Hz

14.5-inch Touch 3.2K OLED, 400 nit, 120Hz

14.5-inch Touch 3.2K OLED, 400 nit, 120Hz

Ports

1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 5, 1 x microSDXC 7.1

1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1

1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1

Battery

69.5WHr

69.5WHr

69.5WHr

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4

Camera

1080p IR camera

1080p IR camera

1080p IR camera

Weight

3.79 lbs | 1.72kg

3.79 lbs | 1.72kg

3.79 lbs | 1.72kg

Dimensions

12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm

12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm

12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm

On the top-end, the Dell 14 Premium configurations are nearly identical, save that in the UK, you can opt for a slightly more powerful Core Ultra 7 265H chip rather than the Core Ultra 7 255H in every other configuration.

For this review, I tested out the top US configuration listed above.

• Specs: 4.5 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Design

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• Gorgeous OLED display
• Excellent port selection
• Trackpad and function key row still controversial

From the outside, the Dell 14 Premium is identical to last year's XPS 14 (save for the new logo on the lid), and that's not a bad thing. The 14 Premium's construction and minimalist aesthetic definitely make it look like it's all business, something you'd expect from a company like Dell, renowned as it is for its business and enterprise market dominance.

That doesn't make it ugly, though. It's a good-looking laptop, somewhat undercut by its two colorways, Graphite and Platinum, which are honestly rather boring at this point.

With the new Surface Laptop 7 coming in a gorgeous Sapphire colorway and even Apple adding a Sky Blue option for this year's MacBook Air models (not to mention my beloved Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch having a Violet option), laptops are starting to finally have more personality than the design deadend that Apple pushed us all into with its MacBook Silver and Space Gray colorways in the 2010s.

In this regard, I hope Dell catches up next year, but one thing at a time, I guess. Dropping the XPS branding and introducing a splash of color in one release might have pushed some Dell fans over the edge, so steady as she goes, design-wise.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

I've spilled enough ink over the past couple of years about my mixed feelings when it comes to the borderless trackpad (and loss of the delightful carbon-fibery palm rests), so I'll let that critique go. Finally.

I've yet to fully embrace the solid strip beneath the keyboard, as it does take some getting used to for finding out exactly how to right click on something, but it's easy enough to pick up and soon becomes second nature. It's still an accessibility nightmare, as is the lack of physical function keys along the top of the keydeck. On the plus side, there are top-firing speakers, which isn't always a sure thing on a 14-inch laptop.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The keyboard itself is decent enough, though these aren't my favorite keys to type on. I'm very used to mechanical keyboards, so the travel and tactile responsiveness of the 14 Premium's take getting used to, and I'm not sure I ever will. If this is going to be your only or even just your primary laptop, however, you'll get used to it just fine.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Some are going to complain about the lack of USB Type-A ports on the 14 Premium, but frankly, it's 2025. At some point, older, slower interfaces will be retired, and it's time, honestly. There are plenty of adapters out there to convert USB-A to USB-C, and you can even add the option for a mini-hub dongle with USB-A and HDMI ports that can plug into one of the three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the device. All three provide power delivery and DisplayPort out, with up to 4 monitors supported overall.

You also get a microSD slot, which is great for creative pros who work with SD cards alot, and a dedicated 3.5mm combo jack. All in all, a solid port selection for a device this small.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

One other knock I have to give the 14 Premium though is its webcam. The 1080p IR webcam itself is perfectly good, and gets up to 30 FPS 1080p video, which is great for video calls and meetings. My problem, though, is the lack of a privacy shutter. It's 2025, and this should be the default on a 'premium' laptop.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The overall aesthetics of the 14 Premium are as good as its XPS pedigree, but it could use some freshening up in the next couple of years, in my opinion. It's built solid and won't be embarrassing to whip out in the office in five year's time, but we are kind of coming up against this design's shelf life, and I hope we see something new next year.

• Design: 4 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Performance

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• Powerful creative chops
• Decent 1080p gaming
• Falls a good bit behind Apple's MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) on some benchmarks

So, when it comes down to it, performance really is the most important factor in a laptop like the Dell 14 Premium. It's competing against one of the best MacBooks ever made in the recent MacBook Pro 14-inch, and given its pricing, the 14 Premium has to deliver on something other than cost.

It's a bit of a mixed bag, ultimately. The CPU performance for the M4 chip outperforms the Intel Core Ultra 255H in all tests but Geekbench 6.4 multicore performance, where they are very close, with the Dell 14 Premium in the lead.

That said, the Intel Core Ultra 255H is mostly competitive with the M4 in CPU computing tasks, and the difference is such that you'd be very hard-pressed to notice the M4's faster performance in actual use. The 14 Premium falls behind quite a bit on single-core performance, which is important for running some high-impact creative apps like Adobe Photoshop or Pro Tools, but that's only part of the story.

The very strong single-core performance for the MacBook Pro 14-inch is offset quite a bit by the relatively slow SSD performance I saw in my Blackmagic Disk Speed Test benchmark. The Dell 14 Premium clocked in with an impressive 4,235 MB/s read speed to the MacBook Pro 14-inch's 2,900 MB/s. That's a nearly 50% faster read speed for the 14 Premium, and that translates directly into faster load times for programs and opening files.

The MacBook Pro 14-inch might beat the 14 Premium in single-core performance, but when it comes to system and app startup, downloads, and other file operations, that extra sluggishness on Apple's part will noticeably cut into its advantage here. That doesn't mean the 14 Premium will somehow eek out a win when it comes to video encoding or processing photos in Photoshop. What it does do, however, is help keep the 14 Premium in the hunt when its Intel chip is being outclassed by the M4's processing power (ironically, last year's Dell XPS 14 scored the highest in my storage benchmark tests).

Swing things around to GPU performance, though, and things fall apart for Apple pretty quick. There just isn't a way for an integrated GPU to compete with even a budget discrete Nvidia GPU like the RTX 4050.

There are only a few cross-platform GPU tests that I can use for both the Dell 14 Premium and the MacBook Pro 14-inch, but in all cases, the RTX 4050 just outclasses the M4 10-core GPU, especially in ray-tracing workloads like Solar Bay

Meanwhile, in areas like video and photo editing, the MacBook Pro 14-inch might have an advantage over the 14 Premium, but it's not earth-shattering.

The 14 Premium encoded a 4K video into 1080p about 22% slower than the MacBook Pro 14-inch, which is definitely something for video editors to consider (who are we kidding, we know y'all are just going to buy a MacBook Pro. Your entire industry is built around macOS). In my PugetBench for Creators-Adobe Photoshop tests, the Dell 14 Premium came in about 29% slower. For video and photography pros, this will absolutely be a dealbreaker and push you firmly back into the Apple camp, and that's understandable if that's what you're looking to use your next laptop for.

However, compare those results to the MacBook Pro 14-inch's Blender Benchmark 4.3.0 performance, which is about 60% slower, overall, than the 14 Premium's.

When it comes to machine learning workloads, the situation will be similar, since Pytorch, the software framework that drives pretty much all AI development right now, is deeply tied to Nvidia's tensor core hardware. We don't have any good cross-platform AI benchmarks right now to give quantitative numbers, so giving a percentage of which laptop is better isn't really possible yet (I'm working on it, I promise).

That said, I've spent the better part of a decade studying computer science to earn my Master's degree in the field, and I can tell you that not a single person I know uses anything other than Nvidia hardware for this kind of work, and the Dell 14 Premium will be able to run AI inference and GAN workloads far better than the MacBook Pro 14-inch.

Finally, when it comes to gaming, none of these laptops are making it onto our best gaming laptop list, but the RTX 4050 GPU in the 14 Premium I tested made it much easier to play modern AAA PC games, with reasonable adjustments made to settings.

At 1080p on the highest settings in those games where I can compare results across devices, the Dell 14 Premium averaged about 75% faster FPS on average overall compared to the MacBook Pro 14-inch.

Of course, there's also the issue with whether or not the game you want can run on a Mac, which isn't a guarantee, while Windows is the default for all PC games on major platforms like Steam or GOG. I wouldn't go out of your way to buy the 14 Premium to play games on, but it's nice to know that you can effectively game if you're on the road for work and you're tired of writing up reports or designing work presentations in your hotel room.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Dell 14 Premium: Battery Life

• How long does it last on a single charge? 8 hours, 16 minutes
• How long does it take to charge from empty to full? It takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes to charge to full with a 100W AC adapter

For battery life, the Dell 14 Premium doesn't have spectacular longevity, especially compared to something like the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch, which run about 55% longer than the 14 Premium, but there are costs involved in using discrete graphics and more power hungry OLED displays.

Overall, I think the tradeoff is worth it, but if batter life is a major concern for you, sticking with an LCD display and integrated graphics are the way to go here, and should get you a good bit more juice on a single charge.

• Battery Life: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Dell 14 Premium?

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Dell 14 Premium Scorecard

Category

Notes

Rating

Value

The 14 Premium is not totally out of line price-wise for its market. This is still a premium device, so budget-conscious buyers might be better off looking elsewhere. That said, for the level of performance and portability, it will likely offer a better value than a similarly specced MacBook Pro 14-inch.

4 / 5

Specs

There aren't a whole lot of configuration options available, you do get three Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and options for an RTX 4050 GPU and a gorgeous OLED display.

4.5 / 5

Design

The 14 Premium is a good looking device that is well-made and portable. Its 'virtual' function keys, borderless trackpad, and lack of webcam privacy shutter knocks some points off though.

4 / 5

Performance

While it doesn't dethrone the MacBook Pro 14-inch as the go-to device for creative pros, it more than holds its own against Apple's popular laptop and even outperforms it in key areas.

4.5 / 5

Battery Life

At just over 8 hours of battery life on a charge, this isn't the longest-lasting laptop going. If batter life is a concern, skip the RTX 4050 GPU and OLED display to reduce strain on the 69.5WHr battery.

3.5 / 5

Final Score

The Dell 14 Premium outperforms the MacBook Pro 14-inch when every score is averaged, but there's enough nuance here that it's not a laptop I can unconditionally recommend to everybody. Most people? Yes; but creatives will still want to look at the MacBook Pro 14-inch.

4.10 / 5

Buy the Dell 14 Premium if...

You want a high-performance 14-inch ultrabook
The highly portable form factor belies some seriously powerful hardware inside.

You need an Nvidia GPU for on-the-go work
There are some tasks that simply require an Nvidia GPU, and this is one of the most portable laptops you'll find that offers one.

You want to do some moderate PC gaming
The RTX 4050 GPU in the 14 Premium has 1080p gaming chops, just keep your graphics settings reasonable.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a tight budget
As the name suggests, the 14 Premium doesn't come cheap. You might be better off with the Dell 14 Plus if money's tight.

You plan on doing heavy-duty video editing
While the 14 Premium can handle serious video editing tasks, the MacBook Pro 14-inch is simply better suited for that workload.

You need all-day battery life
The battery life on the 14 Premium isn't terrible, but you will need to bring a charger with you in you plan on working on it all day.

Also consider

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4)
The Dell 14 Premium is directly competing with the MacBook Pro 14-inch, and both are pretty evenly matched in the end.

Read our full Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) review

Dell 14 Plus
If you're looking for a cheap Windows 11 laptop, the Dell 14 Premium is fairly pricey, so check out the 14 Plus if you're on a budget.

Read our full Dell 14 Plus review

How I tested the Dell 14 Premium

• I spent about two weeks with the Dell 14 Premium
• I used it for everyday work and creative tasks
• I ran it through our standard battery of benchmark tests

I spent about two weeks working with the Dell 14 Premium, putting it through my typical battery of benchmark tests, and using it for everyday productivity and creative work.

I used standard benchmarking tools like 3DMark, Geekbench, PugetBench for Creators, and in-game benchmarks for PC gaming performance analysis.

I also used the laptop as my everyday device, including some light gaming in addition to working with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

I've been reviewing laptops for Techradar for more than five years, and I've tested more than a hundred laptops in that time, both for reviews and for investigative testing to support special computing features and content in that time, so I know better than most when a laptop is hitting the mark and when and where it misses.

• First reviewed August 2025