Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop: two-minute review
The Tineco Floor One S5 is a cordless vacuum and mop with a floor-standing charging unit. During testing, I found it powerful and effective across all hard floor types including sealed wood in my living area and vinyl kitchen tiles. It can’t, however, be used to refresh area rugs and mats like some designs can.
I was impressed at how efficiently it worked when vacuuming and mopping up dirt and debris and cleaning fresh wet spills in my home. I found it a little harder to mop away older and more stubborn caked-on floor debris, however, but perhaps that’s just my fault for leaving them so long to clean up.
The design has a digital control panel on its front with indicators to help you with the smooth running of the appliance. The device provides voice prompts too, which is useful when you’re in a hurry to navigate the controls.
(Image credit: Future)
I reviewed the Tineco Floor One S5 Extreme and found the design comfortable in hand and the controls useful and comprehensive. While it’s quite heavy, the self-propelling control makes this less of an issue. Overall, I think that if you have young kids who are prone to spilling food under the table, or you simply need to refresh a muddy hallway, this vacuum and mop in one is a handy tool to have on standby. It also works well for a quick fix on dusty floors that look desperately messy when the sun shines through. Read on to discover whether this one ranks with the best vacuum cleaners.
Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop review: price & availability
List price: $499 / £399 GBP
Launch date: April 2022
Availability: US / UK
Based in China, Tineco sells a range of carpet cleaners, wet dry vacuums and smart vacuum cleaners. The Floor One S5 Extreme was added to its floorcare range in 2022 and at the time of writing, you can buy it on Amazon for $499 / £399. While this comes at a premium price, it’s an intuitive design with a powerful and effective brush that I think helps justify the price.
Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5
Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop specs
Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop review: design
800ml water tank is 30% larger than its previous model
Self-propelled design for easy steering
Brush head designed to go right up against skirtings and baseboards
The Tineco Floor One S5 sits on a floor-standing charging dock for convenient grab-and-go cleaning. This makes it ideal for utility rooms or under the stairs where you have a plug socket nearby.
You’ll need some room to store it on display in a living room, however. When sat on its floor-standing charger, the handle is at a slight angle so it’s not completely flush up against the wall, which is something to bear in mind.
Like the Shark HydroVac Cordless Hand Floor Cleaner, the Tineco Floor One S5 is easy on the eye. It has a graphite, white and navy finish with parts that look and feel stylish and premium. While it’s an expensive piece of kit, I can tell that it’s made with durable parts that are built to last. It also has a generous offering in the way of extras in the box. It has two extra brush rolls in the box and a filter that both needs replacing every 6 months, and a handy cleaning tool for giving the device a thorough clean. The kit also comes with its own Tineco branded deodorizing and cleaning solution, and you’ll need to make sure you only use this in the device.
(Image credit: Future)
The Tineco is similar in design and performance to the Shark HydroVac and both are designed to work across dry and wet spills on hard flooring. Both also have self-cleaning features, to help with upkeep and ensure the vacuum remains smelling fresh. While they are both similar in design, the Tineco is much heavier – Shark is 3.95kg, while the Tineco is 7.8kg.
While the Shark has a 500ml water tank, the Tineco has a more generous 800ml design, however, which is 30% larger than its last generation Floor One cleaner. Run times differ too – with the Shark at around 25 minutes and the Tineco offering up to 35 minutes on a full charge. The Tineco also has iLoop Smart Sensor Technology that takes the guesswork out of cleaning by detecting dirt and adjusting the suction accordingly – more on that in the Performance section.
There’s also a Tineco app that you can connect to on your smartphone to monitor usage and access user guides – although this doesn’t enhance the experience with any remote control feature at present. It only supports 2.4G WiFI, and while I have dual broadband, after several failed attempts at connecting to it, I had to give up and admit defeat.
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop review: performance
iLoop Smart Sensor detects debris and adjusts suction power and water
Up to 35 minutes run time on a full charge
Comes with a self-cleaning mode
Setup
I found setup of the Tineco Floor One S5 straightforward as there aren’t too many parts to contend with. It was a matter of slotting the handle into the main brush head and motor and placing it on the floor-standing charging dock. When the device is positioned on the docking station it delivers a voice prompt to let you know that ‘charging has commenced’. It’s then easy to see the battery level rise.
This device is designed to remove dirt, grime, grease and tough stains from most types of hard surfaces and can be used on wet spills too. To give the design a fair trial, I used it across the sealed hard wood flooring in my living and dining area, and on the vinyl floor tiles in my kitchen. I used it a few times to get a good feel of how well it maneuvered when on a general vacuum and mop.
To get it ready for its first clean I made sure it was suitably charged and added a capful of cleaning solution that comes in the box to the water tank. I then topped it up with water to its max line.
I could clearly see how much battery life is left and what percentage the battery life was on, for example. I could also see when the dirty water tank needed changing and when the clean water tank had run out. By switching to the voice prompt button, it then told me when it was time to charge the cleaner or when the water tank needed filling.
Usability and control
I really enjoyed using the Tineco Floor One S5 Extreme smart cordless vacuum cleaner and mop and while it can’t be used on area rugs and carpets, it is great on non-carpeted floor surfaces such as vinyl, tile and sealed wood. To get a good idea of how well it works, I used it to clean up both wet and dry spills. I managed to use it for a full 30 minutes on hard floor before having to put it back on its charger.
It has its own iLoop Smart Sensor that detects the level of debris and adjusts the suction power and water flow accordingly. There’s a ring that runs around the main control until that goes red when it detects dirt and clears to blue when the dirt has been tackled effectively. When needed I could also up the power by pressing the button on the handle to take the vacuum from auto mode to max mode.
The device is quite heavy, but as it’s self-propelled it whizzed around the floor without too much effort on my part. I simply pushed to vacuum and pulled back to mop. It doesn’t leave the floor too wet or sodden either like some mops can, but mops evenly and leaves a mild, pleasant scent of the Tineco deodorizing and cleaning solution behind as the floor dries. While the head is large, it seemed to do a great job at getting close up to skirtings and up against furniture. I really think a crevice tool would enhance the design here, however, and because the handle doesn’t go flat you’re limited when it comes to cleaning under furniture.
(Image credit: Future)
I used it across my kitchen floor to clear up a milky cereal spillage and was amazed at how quickly and effortlessly it tackled the area. There’s also a suction mode I could use to absorb water and not spray solution, which worked well here. I could then switch to auto mode to completely clean the surface.
On dried-on cereal and general food stains under the table that had stuck to the surface, the mop needed a little more help and I found myself ramping up to max mode and going over the area a few times to dislodge and clean effectively. To get a good idea of how well the device can vacuum dirt and debris, I sprinkled oats on the floor to mimic larger debris and also sprinkled crushed biscuit and flour on the floor to mimic finer dust. The vacuum worked a charm on both messes without leaving any residue behind.
Maintenance and noise levels
To keep the device smelling fresh, you’ll need to clean it after every use. There is a self-cleaning mode that helps speed things along and cleans the interior but you will have to take out the dirty water tank to empty and clean the filter too. The brush roll will need to be taken out to dry to avoid it smelling. This can be fiddly – and rather grim if there’s a lot of mess – but a simple wash under warm water straight after use keeps things fresh. I like the fact it has a cleaning brush to help with this as it came in useful.
(Image credit: Future)
In terms of noise levels, the Tineco is quite inoffensive. I used the Decibel Meter App to measure the Tineco at 68.1 decibels while it was in self-cleaning mode, which lasts over a minute. By comparison, the Shark HydroVac goes up to 83.1 decibels while in self-cleaning mode.
Performance score: 4.5 out of 5
Should you buy the Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How I tested the Tineco Floor One S5 vacuum and mop
I’ve been reviewing home appliances for over 20 years so know what makes for an ergonomic and useful design. Unlike a vacuum cleaner, the all-in-one vacuum and mop isn’t a staple in many homes, but I’ve recently noticed an increase in the number of companies promoting these multi-functional devices.
I used the Tineco Floor One S5 in my home over the course of a month to see how well it could handle my flooring. I have sealed hard wooden floors that span the entirety of my living room, dining area and hall and have vinyl tiles in the kitchen, which provided ample floorspace to give the Tineco a fair try.
I recently reviewed the Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner WD210UK, for example, so it was good to be able to compare the Tineco Floor One S5 to that.
The smartphone market in Latin America saw rapid growth in Q1 of 2024, reveals Canalys. According to the latest market analysis, shipments increased by 26% on a yearly basis.
This is the third consecutive quarter that saw a YoY increase after a huge decline in 2022. The region saw 34.9 million units shipped, and Canalys revealed that nine out of the top ten companies saw an increase in sales.
Particularly notable is the strong performance in the low-to-mid-end segments, the analists added. This includes the cheaper Galaxy A series, Xiaomi Redmi devices and Moto G phones.
...
In our detailed Visual Composer review we explore this top website builder tailored specifically for WordPress users. Visual Composer stands out as a versatile and powerful plugin that lets businesses and creative individuals build stunning and highly functional websites without any coding knowledge. As a WordPress plugin, it seamlessly integrates with the platform, offering a simple drag-and-drop interface for building and customizing web pages.
Our expertise in site building and WordPress plugins allows us to provide trustworthy advice on Visual Composer's capabilities and features. With years of experience in evaluating website builders and design tools, our insights aim to guide readers like yourself in making smart decisions about their online presence.
Throughout our review, we explore the features and functionalities of Visual Composer, including its drag-and-drop interface, templates, and integration with WordPress features. We also highlight the benefits of using Visual Composer for businesses of all sizes, especially for small startups. Whether you're a web wizard or a business beginner, our review reveals how Visual Composer can take your site to the next level.
Visual Composer: Features and tools
Visual Composer helps you builder powerful websites on top of the WordPress CMS (Image credit: Visual Composer )
From drag-and-drop functionality to customizable templates, we'll cover everything you need to know to make the most of this powerful WordPress plugin. Let’s start with the editor.
Drag-and-drop editor
The website editor is easy to use with a simple menu. (Image credit: Visual Composer)
Visual Composer proudly touts its drag-and-drop editor as the pinnacle of site creation tools, providing a user-friendly experience for all. With over 500 content elements ready for use, including text, buttons, maps, images, videos, galleries, and grids, crafting visually stunning web pages becomes almost effortless.
We've found that the editor's flexibility makes it easy to organize elements within rows, allowing you to create layouts that look good on any device, whether it's a desktop or a smartphone. The best part is that you don't need to be a coding whiz to make it happen. Thanks to drag-and-drop functionality, designing your dream site is easier than ever.
Simply select the elements you want to include on your website and Visual Composer does the rest for you. (Image credit: Visual Composer)
This site builder also impressed us with its live frontend editor, giving us the power to tweak our site in real-time and see the changes immediately. This eliminated the hassle of constantly switching between editing and preview modes, making the process much smoother. Plus, seeing how our changes would appear to visitors helped us fine-tune our site in any way we wanted.
When it comes to making quick text tweaks and edits, Visual Composer has got you covered with its inline editor. We liked how easy it was to activate the editor - just a simple double-click on any text element and boom, you're ready to make changes right on the page. No more digging through endless menus or settings.
Meanwhile, Visual Composer's Theme Builder, available with premium/paid plans, puts you in the driver's seat of your site's design. With it, you can craft custom layouts for every part of your site, from individual pages to archive displays. Once you activate one of the premium plans, the addon seamlessly integrates into your dashboard menu for easy access. Within the Theme Builder, you can unleash your creativity, designing unique headers, footers, and sidebars. Starting with pre-designed content, you can tweak and polish your layout until it's just right. Plus, you can incorporate various elements to add dynamic flair to your design.
Although simple to use, the website editor offers a great level of flexibility. (Image credit: Visual Composer)
Visual Composer's tree view editor felt a bit like working with the layer panels in design software like Photoshop. This hierarchical view gave us a clear picture of our site's structure, making it super easy to manage elements and layouts. Whether we were tinkering with a simple portfolio or a massive e-commerce site, the tree view editor gave us a bird's-eye perspective that made handling even the most complex projects pretty painless.
All in all, we found Visual Composer to be a trusted ally for crafting WordPress sites. Its robust feature set has streamlined everything, from simple tweaks to complex projects. While newcomers might find the UI overwhelming at first, its intuitive design ensures that users quickly become proficient. Being able to effortlessly create and customize rows, along with simple content editing, has changed how we work.
When exploring Visual Composer's templates, we found tons of options tailored to different sites, available in both the free and paid versions. We enjoyed the convenience of the free version's basic page builder templates, perfect for single posts and pages. However, upgrading to a paid version unlocks a whole world of possibilities, including theme and popup builders, font and role managers, and an extensive library of industry-specific templates.
With a collection of over 200 templates, Visual Composer has something for everyone. While some templates may take a bit longer to load, they’re all customizable so you can make your site uniquely yours.
Another feature we enjoyed was the Global Templates add-on, which allowed us to seamlessly integrate pre-built templates across multiple pages. This saved us countless hours of manual updates, ensuring consistency and coherence across our site. The Visual Composer Hub - a cloud library of elements - served as our gateway to a rock-solid collection of templates, including pages, headers, footers, sidebars, and blocks.
You can boost your customization options with premium features like global templates, template widgets, block templates, site layouts, and export/import functionality. This allows you to create a site that perfectly matches your vision.
Integrations
Seamlessly expand the capabilities of your website with integrations. (Image credit: Visual Composer)
Visual Composer works smoothly with different WordPress plugins and web design tools, allowing you to add smart features and functions to your site easily. Whether you need to manage custom field data with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), optimize your site for search engines with Yoast SEO, or create dynamic content with Toolset, Visual Composer has got you covered.
The plugin also works without problems with popular e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce, making it easy for you to set up and manage online stores directly from your WordPress dashboard. Plus, with support for translation plugins like TranslatePress, you can effortlessly translate your site into multiple languages and reach a worldwide audience.
If you're a developer looking to extend Visual Composer's capabilities even further, the plugin's comprehensive public application programming interface (API) provides you with the tools you need to create custom elements and integrations for your specific requirements. Whether you're building a custom theme or developing bespoke tools for your clients, Visual Composer's API empowers you to take your projects to the next level.
Insights and analytics
Visual Composer Insights acts like having a personal analyzer for your site's content, offering much-needed feedback on SEO, performance, and accessibility. It checks multiple aspects of your content, such as title length, content length, paragraph size, and more, helping you create content that ranks higher, loads faster, and is more accessible to users. With Insights, you can easily spot errors, warnings, and success indicators, ensuring your site meets the highest standards.
On top of this, Visual Composer’s Notification Center provides curated links to useful articles and tutorials, offering helpful resources to upgrade your site-building experience.
When it comes to tracking your site's performance, integrating Google Analytics is a smart move. We've found it invaluable for gaining insights into our site visitors' behavior, tracking their interactions, and identifying the most valuable content. While connecting Google Analytics to WordPress can be challenging - there are two main methods: using a plugin or adding the code manually - it’s worth the effort.
Visual Composer pricing and plans
With plenty of plan options, it is easy to find one that works for you. (Image credit: Visual Composer)
To kick things off, let's begin with a brief look at the pricing structure before we explore the details of each plan.
It’s time to explore what Visual Composer's site builder packages have in store for you.
Free
If you're just starting out or want to explore the platform, you can begin with the forever-free plan. No credit card is required, and you'll have access to essential features like ten templates, 30 content elements, a user-friendly page builder, some customization options, Insights analytics, API access, and an archive page editor for creating custom archive page templates.
Single
For individuals or businesses with one site, the “Single” plan is a superb option. It includes all the features of the free plan, plus over 300 content elements, more than 200 templates, a font manager, theme builder, popup builder, free stock images, and premium customer support.
Plus
If you’re planning to manage multiple sites, the “Plus” plan might be the right fit. Supporting up to five sites, it offers the same features as the “Single” plan but with the convenience of managing multiple sites from one dashboard.
Accelerate
If you need to manage even more sites, consider the “Accelerate” plan. It supports up to 20 sites and includes all the features of the “Plus” plan.
Agency
For agencies or businesses with extensive site management needs, there's the “Agency” plan. With support for up to 1000 sites, it offers the same features as the “Accelerate” plan but at a new, lower price.
Lifetime
If you prefer simplicity and value long-term solutions, the “Lifetime” plan offers a compelling option. Ideal for managing projects without the hassle of recurring subscriptions, this plan provides a single-site license with lifetime updates and two years of support. With a comprehensive suite of features including a drag-and-drop builder, diverse content elements, and premium support, this life-long plan ensures that your site remains up-to-date and fully functional in the long run.
Hosted
On the other hand, if you're seeking a hassle-free solution that takes the complexity out of site hosting and management, the “Hosted” plan might be the perfect fit. It comes with advanced features like high-performance setup, auto-healing technology, free SSL and CDN, and more. With this hosted solution, you can focus on growing your online presence without getting bogged down by technical stuff.
While Visual Composer doesn't offer a trial, they do provide a free version to get started. Plus, there's a 30-day refund policy for premium subscription purchases, so you can try it out risk-free.
Visual Composer: Help and support
Visual Composer is there to help when you need support. (Image credit: Visual Composer)
When it comes to support, Visual Composer has your back with a solid range of options. With paid plans, you receive premium customer support, ensuring prompt assistance whenever you encounter a snag.
Their dedicated help center is like a goldmine of resources, packed with step-by-step guides covering everything from downloading the site builder to mastering templates and pop-ups. Whether you're new or experienced, their expert team is there to tackle any questions or concerns you might have.
They've got options like email support, forums, and ticket systems ready for you to reach out to (unfortunately, no phone support for real-time assistance). Plus, they've loaded up tutorial videos and detailed how-tos to walk you through every nook and cranny of the platform. No matter which package you go for, Visual Composer is all about making sure you're never left hanging when you need a hand.
Visual Composer: What’s not included? What could be better?
As we near the end of this Visual Composer review, it's important to point out areas where the platform may fall short and improvements could be made. While this WordPress site builder boasts an impressive range of features, there are certain tools and functionalities that some users might find lacking.
For instance, despite its user-friendly interface, we've noticed occasional sluggishness in the editor interface, which can impact workflow efficiency. Meanwhile, the absence of a free trial option may put off potential users who prefer to test a platform before committing to a subscription.
If you’re in search of a robust free website builder, Elementor emerges as a compelling alternative to Visual Composer. It offers a comprehensive free version packed with powerful features and flexibility, making it an attractive choice without the need for a premium subscription. Elementor offers a free plan that includes over 40 widgets, more than 30 templates, and essential add-ons like video, text editor, headings, and image boxes. In contrast, Visual Composer's free plan provides only basic features.
On the other hand, Divi presents an attractive alternative for users prioritizing front-end visual editing and seamless design customization. It boasts an intuitive front-end visual editor, allowing users to edit their sites in real-time. Its extensive library of over 800 pre-designed layouts, along with new layouts added weekly, caters to various themes and industries, making it a popular choice among WordPress users.
Another noteworthy competitor is Oxygen, which offers a unique blend of user-friendly features and developer-friendly elements. With a drag-and-drop editor, flexible layouts, and a custom header builder, Oxygen caters to both non-programmers and developers proficient in HTML, CSS, PHP, and JS. Unlike other builders, Oxygen's one-off price starting at $129 includes lifetime support and updates, making it a cost-effective choice for long-term use.
While Visual Composer is one of the best WordPress website builders out there, trying out other options can help you find what works best for you and your online project.
Visual Composer review: Final thoughts
To wrap things up, Visual Composer’s site builder offers a robust toolkit for creating stunning, dynamic, and engaging sites. Throughout our review, we delved into its user-friendly interface, colorful collection of content elements and templates, and powerful customization options. We highlighted its strengths, such as the drag-and-drop editor, theme builder features, and premium customer support. However, we also addressed some potential drawbacks, including occasional interface lag and a slight learning curve for some newcomers.
If you’re intrigued by Visual Composer, we suggest delving into its features and capabilities to see if it meets your needs. Even though it has its flaws, Visual Composer provides a powerful platform for crafting polished sites without any coding know-how. Don’t forget to check out the free version as well - it's a great way to get a feel for what Visual Composer has to offer.
In summary, Visual Composer holds its ground in the world of site builders, striking a superb balance between ease of use, versatility, and features. While it may not be flawless, its wide range of tools and options empowers you to design and personalize your sites to your liking
A few days ago Lava started teasing the Yuva 5G, which will have a 50MP camera. Today the company revealed more about the device, including the launch date – May 30 (that’s Thursday). As the name suggests, the this is a 5G phone and it is targeted at the younger audience as Lava tries to woo Gen Z.
The 5G connectivity is courtesy of the Unisoc T750 chipset, as revealed by today’s tweet (below). This is a 6nm chipset with two Cortex-A76 cores (2.0GHz) and six A55 cores (1.8GHz), plus a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. It is similar to, say, a Dimensity 6100+, though with the CPU and GPU running at lower...
In 2024, Kanary is one of a number of the best data removal services, which play a fundamental role in keeping your personal information out of the wrong hands, such as data brokers that buy and profit from data.
For the uninitiated, data removal services come in a few different forms but their task is essentially simple: scan the web for your personal data (think address, email, phone number, and so on) and, either automatically or manually, remove that data from data brokerages, social networks, search engines, and so on.
There are a lot of companies that offer such services, and today we're looking at Kanary, one of the most well established and reliable services on the market.
We'll get into the nitty gritty below, but Kanary offers a free trial (which then turns into a free tier subscription) and two paid tiers of its data removal services that offer different levels and specifications, including the ability to add custom domains and emails to speed up removals.
In 2024, keeping your online data safe should be of paramount importance, and we recommend checking out the best VPNs, the best password managers, and the best antivirus software to help prevent anything untoward happening.
We also recommend checking out rival data removal services like DeleteMe, Mozilla Monitor Plus, and Surfshark Incogni to make the best choice for your needs, be that a wider range of data brokers targeted or a corporate plan.
As we mentioned above, Kanary offers two paid tiers and, at the moment, a fairly generous 14-day free trial that includes three removals, which will then turn into a free tier subscription if a user decides not to pay.
The Premium tier is split into monthly and yearly payment plans, albeit with one difference: the monthly plan does not include free custom domain and email to speed up removals.
Kanary charges $16.99 per month or $179.88 per year, which translates to $14.99 per month, but that will, of course, be billed yearly. Each tier lets users add family members, for $7.49 per month on the yearly plan and $8.49 on the monthly plan.
Finally, Kanary offers an Enterprise plan, which costs $179.88 per year per user and adds a ton of different features that we'll get into below.
These prices are fairly towards the high end of the range for data removal services, although the addition of a limited free tier and, on top of that, a 14-day free trial are nice perks that can at least offer a feel of the services, and remove at least some data from brokers and other online services.
Kanary has a really helpful explanation of how its service works on its website, and we'll break down the main themes here, on top of some other notable features.
Upon becoming a Kanary member, the service begins scanning the web to identify where your data is located and who has been storing it. That process can take anywhere from two to 14 days, and includes removing users from Google Search, and asks for your preference on data on Facebook and other websites.
Between days four and 14, Kanary is still scanning the web and removing any data automatically that falls within its scope. On day 15 (or maybe sooner), Kanary will generate a dashboard to show removals, pending removals, and its overall progress.
By day 30, Kanary says there should be around a 60% removal success and the software will continue to rescan and check for your data out there. Users can initiate a new scan sooner than 30 days, but Kanary recommends waiting for the dust to settle first.
Between day 31 and 45, Kanary estimates there will be an 80% removal success rate, as the service focuses on the "toughest removals" and its support team investigates websites that are not responding to removal requests. By day 90, you will likely be looking at a 95% to 100% removal success rate as Kanary's software and its staff work their magic.
Beyond the 90 days, Kanary will continue to scan every month and resurface old exposures to fix them promptly, and users can track pretty much everything on the main dashboard.
It's pretty much simple, and we found Kanary to work as advertised. The company publishes a helpful website on its Privacy & Security philosophy that offers a lot of details for those interested.
Kanary also offers a tier for businesses, which provides a pretty similar set of features to the personal plans but with some additions geared towards enterprise.
The high-end service comes with 256-bit encryption and multi-factor authentication, the ability to set up accounts within five minutes, and dedicated support, to make sure that your needs are met quickly and easily.
Kanary works by searching and removing content related to employees at a business, like it does with personal data. You can find out more about its enterprise tier on its website.
Like its peers, Kanary offers a good range of support documentation, including a helpful blog with tips on everything from Google data removal to deleting popular social media services like Instagram and LinkedIn.
There's also an FAQ with a lot of basic questions about how the service works, and the company publishes a long list of all of the websites Kanary removes from.
On top of that, Kanary offers email support, as you would expect.
There are a number of high quality data removal services available right now from a range of companies, some independent and some part of larger organisations.
DeleteMe, for example, is a veteran of the data removal game having been launched in 2011, and includes a lot of great features, including support for up to 750 data brokers (albeit with some available on on expensive plans). The company charges $129 per year for its basic plan.
Mozilla Monitor Plus, too, is a great option that is developed by the same people as Firefox, meaning you can rely on its quality and robustness. Monitor Plus costs $8.99 per month.
Honourable mentions should also go to Surfshark Incogni, PrivacyBee, IDX, and Hello Privacy, all of which offer data removal services to a high standard and are worth checking out to match your specific needs.
In our testing, Kanary worked well and deserves to be up there alongside the best data removal services around in 2024. With the crisis of data brokers and the abundance of personal data we (accidentally) leave across the web, there has never been a better time to get a handle on your online footprint.
It's worth checking out Kanary's competitors like DeleteMe and Mozilla Monitor Plus, especially if you have a specific use case in mind, or to just make sure you're getting the best value.
Covering hundreds of data brokers, plus Google, Facebook, and other social networks, Kanary is a solid option, and the $16.99 per month tier, while not cheap, offers a wide range of features.
The Moto G84 is getting a successor soon and that would be the aptly named Moto G85 which has been in the rumor mill for the past month. The latest additions are a batch of high-quality renders of the Moto G85 in grey and green, joining the previously leaked purple color.
Moto G85 in grey
We can see the device will sport a curved OLED screen and a revised camera island on the back that blends in with the frame. The renders also confirm a 50MP main cam with OIS. We already know the device will be equipped with a Snapdragon 4 Gen 3 chipset alongside 8/12GB RAM and 128/256GB...
Phone Link is a Microsoft solution that allows you to sync and cast your Android smartphone to a Windows computer. And integration will get even better with a new update that will allow you to grab text from Android photos and use it directly on PC through optical character recognition (OCR).
Phone Link, called Link to Windows on the phone side, lets you connect Android 14 devices (only select brands like Samsung, Honor, OnePlus, Realme, Oppo, and others) and use their apps through your PC.
Now, with OCR, you can copy the text from an image in your gallery and directly paste it on...
If you’re shopping for a mid-range phone in 2024, there’s a lot of box-ticking happening in this category. Thankfully, Samsung is a pretty sure-fire bet in this space and its latest release, the Galaxy A55, is another strong contender to become one of the best cheap phones you can get. Like its predecessor, it’s a mid-tier phone with a design that arguably looks and feels as good as its flagship counterpart.
It might not possess all the high-end components and cutting-edge features of the Galaxy S range, but straight out of the box, the Galaxy A55 looks and feels like a premium smartphone – all while costing less than half the handsets that sit atop our list of the best Samsung phones. And while it might be slightly sacrilegious, I think it's even more attractive than the Samsung Galaxy S24.
The A55 has kept the elegantly smooth and clean design of its predecessor, including the shiny back glass that was a major improvement over the Samsung Galaxy A53. However, what sets the A55 apart from both the Galaxy A54 and other mid-tier phones, and what makes it feel like a premium device, is that it’s completely ditched plastic in favor of a new and strikingly classy metal build.
(Image credit: TechRadar/ Max Delaney)
Upgrading the already impressive 6.4-inch display in the A54 to 6.6-inches, you could assume the size increase would make the A55 harder to hold than its predecessor. Don't immediately rule out the A55, however: while I admittedly have big hands and had no issue using the Galaxy A54, I found the A55’s aluminum frame even easier to grip. As a happy side effect, this ensures its bigger Super AMOLED display isn't tarnished by having to put your grubby fingerprints all over it to comfortably hold it.
That's about where the big talking points end. The Galaxy A55 won't leave you disappointed in the photography department, keeping the same 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide and 5MP macro camera trio that we loved in our Samsung Galaxy A54 review. The photos and videos are detailed, the app is snappy, the autofocus is quick and it does indeed perform well in low-light areas, even if it takes a bit of a learning curve to get the best results. The only real flaw I found was that the photos taken in bright sunshine tended to be overexposed, resulting in a hazy, unsaturated image.
Despite retaining the same 5,000mAH battery as its predecessor, the Galaxy A55 easily saw me through more than seven hours of screen time during my testing – that’s regular use like social media, YouTube, some light gaming and sitting on the home screen while I stare into the abyss – and that’s thanks to its new Exynos 1480 chipset. It's unlikely to see you through the two-day battery life that Samsung boasts about, but it will last long enough for most users. While I loved the battery life, it's charging was slower than I'd have liked, and it didn't have the convenience of wireless charging to make up for it.
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This also isn't the phone for the more intense or passionate mobile gamer, but it can still handle relatively demanding titles (like 3D online shooters) with medium graphics settings.
These few sacrifices, though, are what make the Galaxy A55 a great budget smartphone – a speedier chipset than before, a bigger display and a premium design at an affordable price tag that matches the launch price of the A54 in some markets.
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: Price and availability
Launch price from £439 / AU$699
Released March 20 in the UK and March 25 in Australia; unavailable in the US at the time of writing
Available in two storage options and four colorways
While it was released across the globe in March 2024, the Galaxy A55 is unavailable in the United States as Samsung places a larger focus on the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE and the even more budget-friendly Samsung Galaxy A35 5G in that market.
In other markets like the UK and Australia, the A55 is available in two storage options – 128GB and 256GB – both with only 8GB of RAM (there is a model with 12GB RAM that seems to be listed only for availability in India). However, the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G provides the rare feature of up to 1TB of additional storage via a microSD card.
In a change to what we see across a span of products, Aussies actually get quite the deal in comparison to their UK brethren, as £439 directly converts to over AU$800. So while we think the Australian price is very fair, UK customers aren't getting the same deal. It's not all bad, though, as the UK price is actually cheaper than the launch price of the Galaxy A54's two £449 and £499 models last year, and the 6GB RAM option is no more.
Value Score: 4/5
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: Specs
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There's a few considerable changes from the Galaxy A54, including improved glass durability, a larger display and greater size generally. Here's a quick breakdown of the Samsung Galaxy A55's specs.
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: Design
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Aluminum build
IP67 rating means it can handle a splash
Fingerprint sensitive
Bigger and heavier than it predecessor
With no plastic in its build, Samsung has continued its lean towards sustainability by opting to use aluminum for the Galaxy A55’s chassis, giving it a premium-looking, exceptionally classy and functional metal build. When combined with its stylish back glass, it amounts to a supremely elegant design that brings the handset physically more in line with Samsung's Galaxy S series.
It's not beauty over function, though, as the upgraded Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus – the toughest yet – adds even more durability to its front and back than what we saw in the A54, and the pretty aluminum build increases sturdiness while making it easier to grip. During my testing period, it's strong build and IP67 rating had no problems handling the trials of everyday life – in and out of bags, a few small drops onto a carpeted floor and some water-laden situations when listening to podcasts while in the shower – the A55 is almost as durable as it is beautiful.
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Unfortunately, that big sleek, glossy back glass isn’t without drawbacks, as I found out as soon as I picked up my Navy Galaxy A55, which was anything but ‘Awesome’ in this respect. It picks up smudges as easily as my niece picks up germs from preschool. Even leaving some room for the possibility that I have an above-average knack for smudges, the phone is extremely smudge sensitive. However, it's safe to assume fingerprint marks on the lilac, lemon and ice blue models will be less visible.
It's also probably worth mentioning that the A55 doesn't lie evenly on its back due to its floating camera design – and placing it face down just put the abundance of fingerprint smudges on display. This little niggle is not exclusive to the Galaxy A55, but I did find it bothersome.
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While UK customers will have access to the full gamut of colorways, a design factor that the Galaxy A55 5G has retained from its predecessor, Australian customers only get two colors. Last year it was Awesome Violet and Awesome Graphite, and now in 2024 it's Awesome Lilac and Awesome Navy. Apparently Aussies only like near-black shades and variants of purple. The UK has a little more room for taste, with Awesome IceBlue and Awesome Lemon added into the fold.
Design Score: 4.5/5
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: Display
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Bigger display than the Galaxy A54 (6.6-inches)
1000-nit peak brightness
120Hz variable refresh rate
Protected with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
It would be unreasonable to expect immense display upgrades with such heavy improvements to the A55's design, but there are a few slight improvements from the A54 that make a definitive difference. Most notably being a slight increase in size, moving up to 6.6 inches from the A54's 6.4 inches. Otherwise, you'll get the same 1080 x 2340 resolution Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR 10 support and the same 19:5.9 aspect ratio.
While Samsung makes a clear point of saying the A55 peaks at 1000 nits, and did not say that the A54 did, our time with both shows that the difference, if any at all, is negligible. In comparison to the Google Pixel 8a's 2000-nit maximum, let alone something like the OnePlus 12 that boasts an insane 4500 nits, the A55's output can't be considered much more than a pass mark.
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The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G has a wonderful display that makes swiping through socials, watching videos and playing games an absolute blast. Heck, I could almost taste LeBron James' wine while watching the Mind the Game podcast. With a passable peak brightness you'll be able to enjoy its beauty even in direct sunlight and its minimum brightness is more than comfortable laying in bed. The A55's display is vibrant, detailed and strong, so while there might be better displays on more expensive phones, I have very few complaints.
One thing I did like about the A55's display was the built-in fingerprint sensor. While it's not the snappiest I've experienced, it was accurate and faster than typing in a passcode or pattern. Even if it's a bit slow for your taste, the payoff of the A55's flawlessly clean design – with no fingerprint sensor or button below the screen or on the back glass – is well worth it. However, I was unimpressed with the A55's facial recognition, too often finding myself swiping to unlock before it was ready, despite my face being unobstructed.
Display Score: 4/5
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: Software
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Galaxy A55 homepage, app library and control panel (Image credit: TechRadar / Max Delaney)
Android 14 w/ One UI 6.1
Four years of OS updates
Knox Vault and Seamless Updates
If you were expecting the Galaxy A55’s software to mimic that of the Galaxy S24, you've set yourself up for disappointment. This is a mid-tier phone that costs a lot less than the S24, so expecting mass upgrades from the A54's output would be unfair. That said, the OS is far from bad, it's just a minimal update to that of the A54, running on the Android 14-based One UI 6.1.
Despite reported issues for older phones and rumored impact on charging speed from the One UI 6.1 update, the Galaxy A55 runs very smoothly, and will be familiar to those with some Samsung experience. While it doesn't have the Galaxy AI functionality of the S line, and only four major upcoming OS updates to the latter’s seven, One UI 6.1 is a perfectly fine operating system that works seamlessly within the A55.
One positive feature worth noting – a very happy introduction that comes years after Google launched a similar function with the first Google Pixel – is the introduction of a new era of update functionality for Samsung devices. 'Seamless Updates' adds the ability to download system updates in the background, and the A55 is the first Samsung phone to feature it as part of the brand's March 2024 security patch.
Shutting your phone down for 20 minutes while it updates is, or should be, a thing of the past, and this patch means only a speedy 3-minute restart is needed to complete updates. Along with seamless updates, the A55 also sees the addition of Knox Vault – a new addition passed down from the S24 – that secures important data like passwords and biometrics.
Now, while those two little features aren't much, when put together with the design and display developments we've already looked at, it makes for quite the enhancement. Combined with smooth performance and everything Samsung fans already enjoy about the Galaxy software – squircles and all – there's a lot to like about the software of the A55. With guaranteed four years of software updates coming, you can rest easy knowing your phone will remain up to date, at least for a while.
Software score: 4/5
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: Cameras
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50MP f/1.8 main camera w/ OIS
12MP ultra-wide + 5MP macro camera
32MP f/2.2 front-facing camera
Improved low-light photography
Photography is a crucial part of the modern handset, and a phone's camera can make or break it in the eyes of the user. In the best way possible, the Galaxy A55's camera does neither.
Providing a rear trio of cameras that can take wonderful photos in various ways, and a front camera that you'll have no problem taking flattering selfies with, the camera is a huge upgrade… over the Samsung Galaxy A53's 64MP main camera. But, a lack of massive change from the A54 isn't what disappointed me about it.
Whether it's selfies, ultra-wide shots, high-detail pics or snaps of your morning coffee, the Galaxy A55 has an objectively good camera system that will be more than serviceable, even for the most photo-obsessed. My biggest problem was that it just didn't capture the reality of what I was looking at when I most expected it to – aka in bright sunlight. Whether it was photos of my sun-baking dog, the book I was reading or a cat-holding selfie out in the garden, the results were a toned-down, dull version of what my eyes were seeing due to overexposure. They were still clear, beautiful images, but a touch too hazy for my liking.
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Combine that issue with a macro camera that was near-impossible to hit the sweet spot with – as you can see by my best results below – and you have a camera that is little more than good. There is just too much high-quality competition, even within this price range, to give it any further praise.
Samsung does make up for that slightly, though, with an abundance of options to help you take the best photo possible, even before you get to the pool of editing tools waiting for one to be taken. Within the four main photo-type options in the camera app (Fun, Portrait, Photo and Video) are tools to help you smooth out the image, get the right framing, activate a timer, turn the flash on and enter the camera settings to ensure you're ready to click away.
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macro camera results (Image credit: TechRadar / Max Delaney)
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While the modes within More, like macro, slow-mo and Pro, will undoubtedly be put to good use by some users, they remain mostly unused by me. However, the one mode hidden here that I do think is worth a special mention, is night mode. I wasn't blown away by the A55's ability to take photos in low-light areas at first. However, when I put it to the test in a pitch-black room its performance was truly impressive.
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Testing the night mode on the Samsung Galaxy A55 (Image credit: TechRadar / Max Delaney)
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The before: the books are invisible in normal, standard photo mode (Image credit: TechRadar / Max Delaney)
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The after. The same lighting but with night mode turned on (Image credit: TechRadar / Max Delaney)
While it might not be a breathtaking photo of the night sky, I think the night mode better portrays how well the Galaxy A55's camera performs in low light. As you can see from my sample images, it works pretty darn well. From freezing cherished moments at dimly-lit restaurants, taking selfies under the hazy ambiance of street lights and snapping pics of your puppy snoozing under the TV’s silver glow, the A55's nighttime performance will be there for a really good shot.
Camera score: 4/5
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: Performance and Audio
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New Exynos 1480 Chipset
8GB RAM (12GB in select locations) with no more 6GB model
Stereo speakers
Up to 256GB of storage with up to 1TB additional storage
With a new chipset, I had high hopes for a noticeable performance improvement over the Galaxy A54, but I was prepared for the more-than-likely event that it would be hardly noticeable. Thankfully, the Exynos 1480 chipset provided much more of the former than the latter.
With scores of 1155 and 3468 in the two single-core and multi-core Geekbench tests, and solid results in the 3D Mark: Wildlife, Wildlife Extreme and Sling Shot Extreme stress tests of 3996, 939 and 6216, the Galaxy A55 won't be getting any awards on the test front. However, its results were consistent. For reference, the Google Pixel 7a and Samsung Galaxy S24 results can be seen below.
Despite what the numbers might say and how they compare, the A55 felt excellent during my time with it. From Spotify, Instagram, Reddit, YouTube, Netflix to the camera, the A55 ran each one of them perfectly, even when I switched haphazardly between them to try and force some lag – it didn't break a sweat.
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One area the Galaxy A55 did slow down slightly was within high-performance apps like the Camera after considerable use. With a day’s worth of apps open and some considerable time spent within the camera app, load times started to get noticeable when switching between camera modes. Though it was little more than slight stutters, the lag did stand out compared to its otherwise smooth performance.
Perhaps due to its upgraded cooling system and adaptive refresh rate that better uses its battery, the A55 will be more than adequate for even a heavy casual mobile gamer. I had no problems earning 20 eliminations and a win in my first game of PUBG Mobile, even if it was against a bot, and was happy to see PUBG automatically set the graphics and framerate to their mid-range settings, with the A55 remaining smooth even when turned up to Ultra HD and the highest framerate. However, some rendering issues did start to occur at those high settings, but didn't impact gameplay. Whether it's PUBG Mobile, Apex Legends or hours of Candy Crush interspersed with regular phone use, the Galaxy A55 will handle it all, with battery to spare.
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As for audio, whether you like to listen to podcasts through the phone's stereo speakers or blast music through a pair of the best wireless headphones, the days of muffled speakers from the A-series handsets are gone. You'll find little problems in how the A55 handles its audio.
The phone's earpiece and down-firing speakers combine to offer clear, balanced sound, providing easy listening when you don't feel like using headphones – and you won't unless you need to. While audiophiles might want to stick with their high-powered stereo units, the A55 does more than well enough for the average person, retaining some clarity even at high volume. And, in regards to connecting wireless devices via Bluetooth, I had absolutely no issues – even when pairing Apple AirPods 3, which don't always easily connect to Android devices.
Performance and Audio score: 4/5
Samsung Galaxy A55 review: Battery
5000mAh battery
25W wired charging
Advertised two-day battery life
Simultaneously great and disappointing might sound strange, but the Samsung Galaxy A55's fantastic battery life was slightly tarnished by its disappointing charge speed.
The surprisingly good battery life of the Galaxy A55, improving on the A54, more than offsets the slight disappointment I felt when my handset went from only 18% to 48% after 30 minutes of charging. That's far from terrible, and fully charging in around 90 minutes to reach 100% isn't the worst thing in the world, but it took longer than I had hoped. Unfortunately, Samsung's claims that the A55 has “super fast charging”, burying in the fine print that the fast-charging wall adapter is sold separately, sets the phone up for some disappointment.
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Retaining its predecessor's 5,000mAh battery, Samsung created high expectations once again, and fell short once again. While you won't get two days of use unless you leave your phone untouched and unopened, I was still impressed by the A55's battery life. Whether it was the seven hours of continuous Stranger Things – after which it still had more than 15% battery left – or hours of Candy Crush, plus everyday actions like social media, video calling, browsing and audio playing – the battery life of the A55 more than held up. I racked up around seven hours of screen time from a full charge, far more than my personal average of just over five, and there was still ample battery at the end of the day.
While the A54 charges slightly faster than the A55 in my experience, the Exynos 1480 chip the Galaxy A55 uses helps it to outlast its predecessor – if by a miniscule amount – leaving enough charge left that could be the difference between ordering an Uber and being left stranded. In short, the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G has more than enough battery life to get you through work, fun and be there when you need it. Just don't expect it to charge to 50% in 15 minutes before you head out.
Battery score: 4/5
Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A55?
Buy it if...
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How I tested the Samsung Galaxy A55
Review period: Three weeks
Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
Tools used: 3D Mark: Original, 3D Mark:Extreme, 3D Mark: Slingshot Extreme (unlimited), Geekbench 6.2.2, Geekbench, native Android stats
Once I received the Samsung Galaxy A55, I put it to the test immediately by running it through some benchmarking tools. I then used it as my main phone through the first week and this included playing games, taking photos and watching content.
Across the final two weeks of my testing time, I put it under the stresses, both technical and physical, of everyday life. From scrolling sessions at home to podcasts on the bus to being pulled in and out of my bag and accidentally walking into the doorway of my bedroom. These activities allowed me to see how the battery holds up over the course of time with normal use, not just how it handles high-impact stress tests.
With a heavy coverage focus on phones here at TechRadar, I'm knowledgeable of the phone market, what it has to offer and how different phones aimed at different budgets fit into it – making me the perfect candidate to test a mid-tier phone like the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G.
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