I've reviewed a lot of power stations. My home office has backups on backups on backups. I have power stations to run everything I could need for weeks. So, I had thought I knew every brand of power stations worth knowing as well. I know many, but it turns out I've been missing out on a fantastic brand of power stations, Ampace.
The company's Andes 1500 has been with me for a little while now, and in that time, I've been able to put it through the paces. I've used this portable power station to do everything from run a backup desk of mine to some light camping. I've recharged mowers and tools. I've run computer setups and more.
The Andes 1500 is Ampace's top-of-the-line hybrid unit that sits nicely between massive home backup units and mobile, lightweight power solutions. Ampace utilize the LFP battery type that professionals in the battery space frequently use. These batteries are designed from the ground up to be fast, powerful, and long-lasting, which in something like an expensive power station, is always a plus.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
Ampace Andes 1500: Pricing & Availability
The Andes 1500 by Ampace is generally around $1,400 new on the Ampace website, but at the time of writing this, it looks like there is a $600 sale, bringing the price down to $799.00. There are options to bundle this purchase with solar panels if desired, and there's a five-year warranty.
The Ampace looks Tesla-like. The first thing I noticed when unboxing this unit was the design language, the lights on top, and the port layout. From first glance, this looks like it could be a Tesla-inspired design, and while I cannot get that claim confirmed, I wouldn't be totally surprised.
The design offers two carrying handles, one on either side of the power station (or front and back), and from the beginning, I can tell that it is well-balanced, yet a bit heavier than other power stations I have that are this size.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
When I first turned this power station on, the top of the unit lit up, making what I thought was just a cool design light up with a cool blueish-greenish glow. This is a light in addition to the light bar on the front of the unit, with the ability to be a light if the power goes out, and also light up the ports. I wish there were a bit of light on the back where the AC ports are, but I understand why there is not.
Ampace Andes 1500: Design & build quality
Specs
Capacity: 1,462 Wh (LFP) Lifespan: ~6,000 cycle lifespan Inputs: AC up to 1,800W (A‑Boost), solar up to 600W, 96W car port Outputs: 4× AC outlets, 2x USB-C, 4x USB-A Weight: 16.5 kg / 36.3 lb Warranty: 5-year
The overall layout of this power station is one that I understand, but I'm not sure if I love it. I go back and forth if I prefer the AC ports on the front or the back of the unit; I feel the same way about docking stations.
For some setups, it works well to have AC ports on the back, and in others, it is super helpful to have those ports on the front.
The frame is chunky and easy to grab, which I appreciate, and thanks to a reinforced frame, it doesn't feel like it flexes at all, even when moving it around with one handle. The display is clean and easy to understand, it is also pretty bright and usable in broad daylight as much as it is usable in the dark.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
Ampace Andes 1500: In use
As I mentioned, I have been able to use this power station for various tasks and scenarios. I have used it to back up a desk during a power outage so I could still get some work done without compromise.
I used it to charge up some tools while working on a home project, I've used it to recharge devices on a working road trip, I also used this to run a portable work setup on a rolling cart for a week during some construction at one of my jobsites I was working at. In all of these scenarios, the Ampace held up just fine, without any concern, stress, disconnect, or issue.
The recharge on this device is remarkably impressive. Ampace notes that this can recharge from empty to full in 55 minutes. I've also experienced this in my use.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
Even while running a heavy load, I never heard a fan kick on, nor did I notice any excess volume from the machine getting hot or trying to draw heat. Pair that with the safe ports, and this power station may just be the perfect machine to use while camping, especially if you need a CPAP to breathe while sleeping in the great outdoors under the stars.
Whether you're looking for a power station for your road trip, camping, or battery backup in inclement weather, or to power a semi-permanent setup, this power station is better than it seems. It's one that I'll be reaching for more in the future.
Ampace Andes 1500: Final verdict
The Ampace Andes 1500 portable power station is a powerful solution for those looking to have some serious power in a still very portable unit. This has great ports, excellent output, fun lights, and excellent durability, making this a great option for most. For the size, price, and performance, the Ampace Andes 1500 is hard to beat.
Released back in 2023, the original Camp Snap camera has quickly established itself as a minor cult classic. While I wouldn’t call it one of the best compact cameras around, this ultra-affordable, ultra-simple and ultra-pocketable screen-free snapper is a refreshing return to photography’s old-school principles: just point, shoot and look at the results at some point in the future.
Now, with the new Camp Snap CS-8, the company has brought that same ethos to video. Styled after the Super 8 film cameras of the 1960s, complete with vintage textured plastic, pistol-grip operation, knurled dials and analogue meters to show remaining battery life and storage space, the CS-8 is a retro camcorder for a generation bored of using smartphones for all their video needs.
The CS-8 is large and chunky, and felt reassuringly weighty in my hand. I’m not in love with the abundance of plastic here – despite the classic looks, there’s very little of the metal you’d find in a genuine original Super 8 camera – but I get it.
This is an ultra-affordable modern simulacrum of a vintage camera rather than the painstaking recreation provided by Kodak’s own 2024-released Super 8 (price tag: north of $5,000), and it’s awash with obvious fakery: there are imitation screws on the base of the handle, a dummy cold shoe on top and, despite the rubbery grip wrapped around its barrel, there’s no way to actually adjust the lens. I can live with all that, as I don’t expect it to be a “real” 8mm camera – just to look like one from a distance.
Distractions are minimal; with no screen and an electronic viewfinder designed only for shot composition, there’s no way to review (or even delete) your footage until you offload it to a computer. There are very few settings to fiddle with, either: one dial picks your preferred aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9, 1:1 or 9:16), one your film look (standard, B&W, analogue or one of two vintage filters) and… that’s it, basically.
When the CS-8 is powered on, the rubber-cupped viewfinder shows a live view, formatted to match the current aspect ratio, plus the amount of battery life remaining and the current film look. To record a video, you simply point the camera at a subject and squeeze the trigger – there’s no need to focus, although you can use the “W” and “T” buttons to zoom in and out. Just like on a real 8mm camera, you need to keep the trigger pulled the entire time you’re filming; releasing it stops the capture immediately.
While reviewing the CS-8, I realised that it makes filming a much more conscious act than when I’m using my phone, or even a compact camera. Because there’s no screen and no pressure to immediately check on the footage after it’s been recorded, I can concentrate on recording a clip, and then move on. There’s no need to fret about what I’ve recorded until I get home, or until the SD card is full (which takes a while, as there’s enough space here to hold about 30 minutes of video – and by loosening two screws and pulling off a panel, you can replace the supplied 4GB card with one up to 128GB in capacity, giving you room enough for around 16 hours of video).
The footage itself is quite high-resolution, but not high-quality. There’s no stabilization, using the digital zoom degrades detail quickly and sound is monoaural. This suits the camera perfectly, I think; in fact, my favorite look by far is the Super 8-mimicking Analogue, which reduces the frame rate to 20fps (it’s 30fps on all the other modes) and adds fake scratches and artefacts to the image. The resulting imperfect, jerky video is charmingly odd, while the other modes are a little flat and boring.
If I want pristine, stabilized video, I’ll use my iPhone or a mirrorless camera. What I want from the CS-8 is something different, weird and striking – and with the Analogue setting, at least, I’m getting just that. It’s not “good” video, no, but good video is not the point.
I also think the camera is ideal for kids, being incredibly simple to operate, robustly built and cheap enough that it doesn’t matter too much if it gets damaged. In my experience, youngsters weaned on smartphone photography expect to be able to look at what they’ve just filmed right away – and might find the idea of waiting hours or even days to see their footage utterly baffling. Maybe the CS-8 could be a perfect way to teach them a bit of good old-fashioned patience?
The CS-8 is robustly built, despite being made almost entirely of plastic (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
I don’t like everything about the camera, though. The microphone picks up the noise of the trigger being pulled in almost every shot, which is one bit of jankiness I found far less charming than the rest. The viewfinder is also a real pain to use if, like me, you wear glasses; even pressed right up against the cup I could only see about half of it, which I found annoying when trying to compose shots or even scope out remaining battery life.
Still, I view the Camp Snap CS-8 more as a fun alternative to a smartphone than a camcorder I’d use every day. It’s great for holidays, road trips, parties and the like – pass it round and let everyone have a turn filming, then edit all the clips together when you get home and share the results. As a piece of cheap, nostalgia-fuelled fun, it’s hard to beat.
Camp Snap CS-8: price and availability
At the time of writing, the CS-8 is currently available for pre-order, with shipments due to go out “by mid-September” 2025.
The camera is priced at $199 / £152, but those who do order ahead of the launch date can take advantage of 25% introductory discount, making the price a very reasonable $149 / £114.
In the box you get the camera itself, a pre-installed 4GB microSD card and a USB-C to USB-C cable for charging and data transfer. It would have been nice to include a strap or lanyard, but you either buy Camp Snap’s own wrist strap/USB-C cable or add any strap of your own.
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
Agfaphoto Realimove MC3X review: specs
Video
Up to 2880 x 2144 30fps
Audio
Mono only
Aperture
f/2.0
Zoom
8x digital
Focus
0.3m-infinity
Storage
4GB microSD card (replaceable)
Stills
N/A
Connectivity
USB-C
Battery life
30 minutes (approx.)
Dimensions
200 x 58 x 203mm / 7.9 x 2.3 x 8in (approx.)
Weight
519g / 18.5oz
Should I buy the Camp Snap CS-8?
Buy it if...
You want an ultra-simple video camera About as point-and-shoot as video gets, these days – and there’s no even a screen to distract you from the act of filming.
You’re a fiend for nostalgia If you’re on your fourth binge-watch of Mad Men, the CS-8’s 1960s flair and its vintage video look might well appeal to your mid-century aesthetic sensibilities.
You want a kid-friendly camcorder Cheap, sturdy and simple to use, the CS-8 is ideal for young kids. As long as they don't mind waiting to review their footage.
Don’t buy it if…
You’re expecting pristine audiovisual quality With tinny sound and grainy video, the CS-8’s home movie clips are much more 1960s than 2020s. That’s kind of what you’re paying for, really – but inveterate pixel peepers need not apply.
You’re a spectacles wearer If your glasses are, like mine, as thick as bottle bottoms, you might struggle with the CS-8’s restrictive viewfinder. It’s not a deal-breaker for me, but it is an annoying design quirk.
You want pocket-sized portability The CS-8 is a very chunky camera by today's standards, and isn't fitting in anything but the largest of coat pockets.
(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)
How I tested the Camp Snap CS-8
Three weeks of regular use
Filmed video using all settings and looks
Edited videos together using DaVinci Resolve
I was sent an early, pre-release review sample of the CS-8 from the initial batch of models off the production line, and had plenty of time to live with and test the camera in a variety of real-world scenarios: family get-togethers, coastal walks and inside my home, both day and night.
The camera is light on options, but I tested all the aspect ratios and looks (or filters), before exporting the video files to my laptop and editing them together into the sample video you see above using DaVinci Resolve. I didn’t color grade, correct or adjust any of the files, though – just used the editor to trim and stitch them together.
If you’re searching for a no-nonsense gamepad to use with your phone, then the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is a solid choice. It’s light on features compared to some of the best mobile controllers out there, but it delivers good performance where it counts.
It’s only available with a USB Type-C connector, but is fully compatible with both iOS and Android out of the box. It can fit a wide range of devices too, ranging all the way from the iPhone 15 or most small Android phones to bigger options like the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It even comfortably fits an iPad mini or a small Android gaming tablet like the Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3.
This is a huge advantage given its compact size, as tablet compatibility is normally reserved for larger models like the Razer Kishi Ultra.
Its thumbsticks are on the smaller side, but they’re perfectly smooth and responsive. The face buttons are a little mushy, especially when compared to the mechanical ones found on the competing Backbone One 2nd Gen, but thankfully never impacted in-game performance in my testing.
Aesthetically, the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is on the basic side but elevated by small decals and red highlights. Its plastic and rubber construction is also nothing special, but it keeps the weight down and feels suitably robust for the price.
Although it lacks a headphone jack, which is a shame, the inclusion of pass-through charging is a win. It supports 18W fast charging when you’re using a compatible plug, too, which makes keeping your device topped up while you play a breeze.
(Image credit: Future)
Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller: Price and availability
Only available in the UK
RRP of £79.99
Easy to find for less than £70
The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is currently available in the UK with no official word on a US release quite yet. It is available via the Acer website for £79.99 (around $100 / AU$165), but can easily be found cheaper.
At Very, for example, it costs just £69.99 (around $90 / AU$145), which is a very competitive price and comfortably undercuts the £99.99 Backbone One 2nd Gen (when that latter controller is not on sale).
Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller: Specs
Price
£79.99 (around $100 / AU$165)
Dimensions
2.5 x 4.4 x 6.2in / 64 x 112 x 157mm
Weight
0.4lbs / 195.6g
Connection type
Wired (Type-C)
Compatibility
iPhone 15 Series, Android
Software
N/A
(Image credit: Future)
Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller: Design and features
Folding design
Compact and light
Fits a lot of devices
The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller clearly takes a lot of inspiration from the successful Backbone One, with a similar overall form factor and design. It’s two halves of a small controller separated by an extending mechanism that holds your phone.
Unlike the Backbone One, however, the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller can fold in at two points, making it easier to store and transport. This folding mechanism also has the benefit of increasing device compatibility, as it allows you to more easily fit it around larger phones or small tablets.
All the expected buttons are present, with a soft, rounded D-pad and conventional face buttons. The face buttons are on the spongy side, which is a shame, but by no means a dealbreaker. The start, select, home, and capture (that’s the little red one on the right-hand side) buttons, in contrast, are much more tactile and responsive and feel better to press.
The only other notable element on the front is a small indicator LED, which illuminates when your phone is connected. On the bottom of the right-hand grip, you will also find a Type-C connector that is used for pass-through charging. The controller supports 18W fast charging, making it very easy to keep your phone full of juice as you play.
At just 0.4lbs / 195.6g, it feels very light, but importantly, not cheap or poorly made. The plastic and rubber here isn’t quite as premium as that found on the Backbone One, but this seems fair given the difference in price.
(Image credit: Future)
Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller: Performance
No software required
Small but comfortable
Easy to transport
The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller does not require any software. Simply plug in your phone or tablet and you’re ready to go. On one hand, I appreciate the simplicity of this. Sometimes, you really do just want something that will work perfectly out of the box without the need for any fiddling.
On the other hand, I do miss the many customization options offered by competitors. If you crave the ability to remap buttons or tweak the dead zones of the thumbsticks, for example, this is decidedly not the controller for you.
That aside, performance is good. The controller is small, but still suitably comfortable in the hands. Its analog triggers respond well in fast-paced games like Zenless Zone Zero or Call of Duty Mobile, and the mushy face buttons never falter under even the most rapid inputs. Alternatives like the Asus ROG Tessen perform noticeably better thanks to their more tactile buttons, but come in at a higher price.
The thumbsticks, while small, have a decent range of motion similar to those found on the original Joy-Con Controllers and are therefore a decent fit for most games. They do not seem to be using Hall effect sensors, though, which is unfortunate and seems like a missed opportunity for an easy win.
When the controller is not in use, its folding design and light weight make it easy to transport. I’ve been taking it around in my bag for weeks and have honestly sometimes even forgotten that it’s in there. It can even comfortably fit into the large front pockets of my coat, though your mileage in this regard may vary.
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller?
Buy it if...
You want a simple, no-nonsense mobile gamepad The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is one of the simplest mobile controllers that I’ve ever tested. It works out of the box with both Android and iOS, making it a good choice for those who don’t want to mess around with complicated software or extra features.
You need a compact option for a tablet The Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller is one of the few models that works with the iPad mini or a small Android tablet. Its small size sets it apart from the rest, so pick it up if you want a tablet-compatible controller that’s easy to transport.View Deal
Don't buy it if...
You rely on more features Aside from its pass-through charging, the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller has no real features to speak of. Choose something else if you want remappable buttons, RGB lighting, or proper software.
Also consider
These two alternatives are slightly pricier than the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller, but offer greater functionality.
Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller
Asus ROG Tessen
Backbone One 2nd Gen
Price
£79.99 (around $100 / AU$165)
$109.99 / £109.99 / AU$179
$99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.99
Dimensions
2.5 x 4.4 x 6.2in / 64 x 112 x 157mm
7.5 x 3.6 x 1.5in / 191.5 x 92 x 40mm
6.93 x 3.70 x 1.34in / 176 x 94 x 34mm
Weight
0.4lbs / 195.6g
0.29 lbs / 136g
0.30 lbs / 138g
Connection type
Wired (Type-C)
Wired (Type-C)
Wired (Type-C / Lightning)
Compatibility
iPhone 15 Series, Android
Android
iPhone 15 Series, Android / iPhone 14 series, and earlier
Software
N/A
Armoury Crate (Android)
Backbone App
Asus ROG Tessen The Asus ROG Tessen is a fantastic choice for mobile FPS gaming. It boasts tactile face buttons, a folding design similar to that of the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller, customizable RGB strips, and even remappable rear paddles made from durable metal.
Backbone One 2nd Gen The Backbone One 2nd Gen is a fantastic all-round choice. It’s more expensive than the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller, but it feels more premium and is compatible with the superb Backbone App.
How I tested the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller
Tested for multiple weeks
Tried with both Android and iOS
Used in a range of games
I tested the Acer Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller over multiple months, using it as my primary mobile gaming controller. During that time, I tried it with both Android and iOS devices, mainly my iPhone 15 Plus and Porsche Design Honor Magic 7 RSR. I also tried the controller with my compact Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 gaming tablet.
I used the controller to play a wide range of games, including Call of Duty Mobile and Zenless Zone Zero, in addition to the likes of Hitman: Blood Money Reprisal, and more. Throughout my time with the controller, I compared its performance to my hands-on testing of many other mobile controllers, such as the Backbone One 2nd Gen, Turtle Beach Atom, Scuf Nomad, and Razer Kishi Ultra.
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus review: two-minute review
The Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus is best summed up as ‘it does the job’. It’s not a standout speaker. It doesn’t offer anything exceptional above the competition, but it is very cheap, easy to track down, and very low-maintenance. Audiophiles will still complain about the lack of 360-degree sound (despite the specs) and when you crank up the volume, the audio quality definitely dips.
However, it’s much, much cheaper than the best Bluetooth speakers and it has the strength of being IPX7 waterproof and very robust, so it competes against the best waterproof speakers on that front. I accidentally dropped it a few times and it’s always fine and eager to work once more. It’s easy to carry in one hand, too, thanks to its strap.
The Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus has a handful of attractive buttons for volume, Bluetooth connectivity, and RGB lighting – all the kind of size that’s perfect for tapping while in the pool. There’s only a couple of RGB lighting settings and the app doesn’t support different color schemes, but it does the job. Yup, there’s that phrase again.
Costing $39.99 / £32 / AU$65 (approx.), it's a good price for a simple speaker. There are better options available for slightly more, but not much that you can find for less. If you just need something a little disposable to take on your hike or vacation, the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus will keep you happy enough.
(Image credit: Future / Jennifer Allen)
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus review: price and release date
$39.99 / £32 / AU$65 (approx.)
Launched in June 2025
The Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus was released in June 2025 at a $39.99 / £32 / AU$65 (approx.) price point and is available to buy in the US, UK, EU, and Australia. It’s already discounted at some third-party retailers, with the speaker dropping as low as £23.99 in the UK.
As with all of Tribit’s speaker range, it’s pretty cheap. Competitors at about the same price include the JBL Go 4, but it only offers IPX67 waterproofing, while the JBL Clip 5 is pricier with the superior audio quality to match.
For the most part, at this aggressive price, you’ll be more likely to find unfamiliar brands.
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus review: specs
Weight
545g
Dimensions
118.9 x 90.9 x 90.9 mm (HWD)
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.4 (SBC, AAC codecs), AUX-in, USB-C (charging)
Battery life
12 hours (quoted)
Speaker drivers
48mm
Waterproofing
IPX7
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus review: features
IPX7 waterproofing
RGB lights
12-hour battery life
Small yet robust, the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus is designed to be that speaker you take wherever you’re headed. It has IPX7 waterproofing so it’ll happily sit in the pool without issue. Accidentally, I dropped it from about 5ft onto concrete and, again, all good here. The Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus is built to last.
The battery life is a fine-if-unremarkable 12 hours, and you should expect a full recharge to take about 2.5 hours. More would be nice but it’s not the end of the world, especially at this price. Bluetooth 5.4 means dropouts aren’t going to happen and there’s a comparatively rare AUX port if you need it. Support for SBC and AAC codecs are convenient, too.
The Tribit app isn’t the most exciting to look at but it has a simple Equalizer, so you can tweak sound how you like it. This is far from an audio powerhouse (more on that and its mediocre 360-degree sound in a moment) but being able to adjust things is always useful.
I rather liked the RGB lighting. It’s not too in your face and the two presets both look nice without overcomplicating matters. It’s all a nice checklist of the essentials and everything is suitably speedy to get using. Nothing is too complicated.
Features score: 3.5/5
(Image credit: Future / Jennifer Allen)
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus review: sound quality
Less-than-encompassing 360-degree sound
48mm drivers
Fine at low volumes
The Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus’ principal weakness is its audio quality, which is quite an unfortunate drawback for a speaker. The Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus is fine-if-unremarkable at low volumes, but crank it up, and the issues become noticeable. Bass is weak and the general sound is pretty muffled. This is a small and cheap speaker so does all that matter? Only you know the answer to that.
For me, listening to podcasts was fine as I had no intention on maxing out the volume. Similarly, listening to some relaxing Chet Baker and other jazz worked fine. Moving over to the more bass-heavy Muse is where I realized the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus sounded weaker and more underwhelming. The soundstage is quite weak, too, with 360-degree sound appearing to be more of a buzz term than something that is actually noticeable.
Adjusting the equalizer helps a little but it still doesn’t solve the high-volume issue. Keep it low, though, and you won’t have many complaints at this price point.
Sound quality score: 3/5
(Image credit: Future / Jennifer Allen)
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus review: design
Tactile, chunky buttons
Clear design
Grab strap
The Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus has a fairly typical design for a portable speaker and it works well for it. Along its side are chunky, tactile buttons for volume and playback, while the back contains smaller buttons for power, Bluetooth, and lighting.
The latter controls aren’t as tactile for those with visual impairments but they’re reasonably divided up so you won’t mis-tap easily. Underneath that lineup are the covered AUX and power ports. Everything works smoothly which should be an obvious one but, well, not always.
At the top is the lighting, while there’s also an easy-to-grab strap that is the perfect size for most hands. If you want to change up the EQ, you’ll need to use the aforementioned Tribit app, which is simple and offers five presets, as well as the ability to manually tweak matters.
There are less weighty speakers around but the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus is nevertheless pretty light. I found no issue with carrying it around, placing it on a countertop or even leaving it lying on my bed while napping. The plastic exterior is robust but not harsh to hold.
Design score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future / Jennifer Allen)
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus review: value
Cheaper than most of the competition
Robust design
Ideal for a summer’s fun
The Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus is cheaper than most of the competition. For a little more, you could buy the JBL Clip 5 or the Soundcore 3 but there are pros and cons here. The former costs a fair amount more, but boasts much better audio quality. The latter is about the same price but not as portable-looking.
As always, there’s a trade-off here, and I certainly appreciated the form factor of the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus more than a standard speaker.
Value score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future / Jennifer Allen)
Should I buy the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus?
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Features
All the essentials are here, from an app to neat lights, and reasonable battery life.
3.5/5
Sound quality
The weakest element, doesn’t lend itself to high volumes, but it could be worse.
3/5
Design
Portable with tactile buttons and an easy-to-grab strap, with few complaints.
4/5
Value
Well-priced, and feels like the speaker for your summer.
4/5
Buy it if...
You want a speaker for a season I’m no fan of waste but if you just need a temporary solution rather than a long-term fix, the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus does the job. I’m thinking you can take it on vacation and not worry if you run out of storage space on the way back.
You want something robust I’m clumsy and the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus was fine with me. It’ll last a few falls and clashes without any issue, which is great for a rugged lifestyle.
You’re on a budget The Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus is cheap and already discounted. It’s perfect if you can’t justify spending too much on a portable speaker.
Don't buy it if...
You’re an audiophile This is a budget-priced speaker. This isn’t a surprise that punches above its weight so it won’t delight audiophiles by any means. Give it a miss.
You need great battery life The Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus offers reasonable battery life but it’s nothing spectacular. If you need to be away from a power source for a while, this may not suit the bill.
You love music loud The Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus sounds poorer the louder it gets. If you love your music loud, you’ll have an inferior experience to those keeping it low.
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus review: also consider
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus
JBL Clip 5
Nokia Portable Wireless Speaker 2
Price
$39.99 / £32 / AU$65 (approx.)
$79.95 / £59.99 / AU$89.95
$69 / £49 / AU$129
Weight
545g
285g
225g
Dimensions
90.9 x 90.9 x 118.9 mm
86 x 134.5 x 46 mm
90 x 90 x 74mm
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.4 (SBC, AAC codecs), AUX-in, USB-C (charging)
Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C (charging)
Bluetooth 5.1, AUX, USB-C (charging)
Battery life
12 hours (quoted
Up to 12 hours
22 hours (quoted)
Speaker drivers
48mm
Integrated class D digital amplifiers x 1
45mm
Waterproofing
IPX7
IP67
IPX7
JBL Clip 5 Better audio quality, and more portable but a little pricier, the JBL offers great bass and detail. It’s perfect if you want superior sound quality, but it has a IP67 rating rather than IPX7. It won’t stand on its base like the Tribit option, either. Read our full JBL Clip 5 review
Nokia Portable Wireless Speaker 2 Teeny if a little soulless, the Nokia lacks a great soundstage but up close, it’s pretty crisp. It also has much better battery life and it’s small enough to easily toss into your bag. Read our full Nokia Portable Wireless Speaker 2
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus review: how I tested
Tested over 10 days
Used with Spotify and Apple Music
15 years' audio equipment reviewing experience
I used the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus a lot to entertain me while sick in bed. That meant a lot of podcasts through Spotify and Apple Music, and plenty of chill music via Spotify. As my health improved, it lived on my desk and was paired up with my PC so I could listen to YouTube and Twitch streams.
I also sometimes used the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus while outdoors, seeing how it faced up against the British summer, and occasional drops on concrete. Basically, it took over as my main listening device for those 10 days to see how it performed.
When you think of the best Garmin watches, you think of thick, G-Shock-style rugged adventure watches, not a sleek full-screen bezelless smartwatch that sits slim on your wrist. The Garmin Venu X1 bucks the trend, offering a complete redesign, and it’s fun to get to grips with the Garmin experience in what feels like a whole new way.
Personally, I loved it. I’ll discuss the design and display, which of Garmin’s usual suite of metrics and features it gets, and how it performs, in detail below, but it’s an eminently usable watch that has very quickly become a fixture in my usual rotation. The slender nature of the watch and curved stainless-steel backing hugs the wrist and makes it comfortable, and that gorgeous full-color AMOLED display is perfect for viewing maps.
The battery life is a concern in comparison to more typical Garmins, however: if you’re used to a two-week battery, the always-on display will crush the Garmin Venu X1’s longevity down to just a few days. However, without the always-on display you’ll get a week (far more than even the best Apple Watch), even with multiple battery-sucking hour-long GPS workouts.
The other slight concern is the redesigned operating system. The list of widgets (or ‘glances’ in Garmin speak) are navigated via a combination of touchscreen and buttons, and have received a Liquid Glass-style facelift to make use of Garmin’s Apple Watch-style screen. However – and to keep the comparison going – sometimes the framerate can lag, and without Garmin’s five-button configuration or an Apple-style digital crown, swiping around can be cumbersome (especially mid-workout). It doesn’t spark joy, to quote Marie Kondo, in the same way that Apple’s form factor does.
Nevertheless, I’ve been wearing the watch for weeks, and I’ve finished my testing, and it’s still on my wrist – and once I’ve finished testing my next watch, I’ll probably strap it back on again. It’s light, it looks good, it’s comfortable, it lasts longer than an Apple Watch (with the latter two factors helping to make it practical to wear overnight for better sleep tracking), and it’s just a damn good watch. I still can’t get over how good full-color maps look on its enormous screen.
Garmin Venu X1: Price and availability
(Image credit: Garmin)
$799 / £799 / AU$1,399
One size
Around the same price as the Apple Watch Ultra 2
The Garmin Venu X1 is available in all regions, priced at $799.99 / £679.99 / AU$1,499. That’s around the same price as the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is priced at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399.
Like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Garmin Venu X1 comes in just one size, as opposed to most other Garmin watches that are available in multiple sizes. However, the Ultra 2 does have one major feature the Venu X1 doesn’t: LTE support.
LTE support means you can add the Ultra 2 to your phone’s data plan (this usually costs extra), and allows you to make calls, send messages and even stream music directly without being connected to your phone. The Venu X1, despite being in the same premium price bracket as the Ultra 2, doesn’t have this functionality.
Then again, neither do other Garmin watches such as the Garmin Fenix 8, which actually costs more than the Venu X1. The difference between the two is that the Venu X1 is positioned as a smartwatch competitor, rather than an adventure watch.
Value score: 4/5
Garmin Venu X1: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Gorgeous, bright AMOLED display
Slim profile, highly unusual for Garmins
Stainless steel curved backing for comfort
The Garmin Venu X1 is slimmer than any other Garmin I’ve yet tried, and I’ve tried a lot. No chunky adventure watch here: Garmin has opted for a practically bezel-less slender watchwith just 7.9mm of thickness. The slim profile combines with the metal backing, which is curved to follow the wrist, for a fit that I found very comfortable, though people with smaller or larger wrists than mine might not find it quite as good a fit.
Most other smartwatches have straight backs, relying on straps to bind their boxy cases to your wrists, which can cause the sensor to dig into your wrist. I found the Garmin Venu X1 very comfortable indeed, more so than the Apple Watch Ultra series.
While the back is cambered, the wide display isn’t curved at all, unlike the Apple Watch Series 10. Instead, it’s completely flat, slightly reducing glanceability in theory, but the screen is big and bright enough that it doesn’t really matter. The display (a 51.2mm AMOLED Sapphire Glass display) is among the best I’ve ever seen on a smartwatch.
The velcro strap included with the watch isn’t particularly stylish, but it’s perfectly adequate performance-wise. It’ll need cleaning, as it’s fabric, and it got a bit dirty even during my first month of training.
The only real design flaw I’ve identified after using this watch for a month is Garmin’s operating system, which has had a bit of a facelift to better suit Garmin’s biggest, brightest display. It looks fine, but to navigate it you have to scroll through with two buttons and the touchscreen, as there’s no digital crown and only two buttons, unlike on most of Garmin’s other watches.
This is something that’s always been a problem with the Venu series for me; however, it’s by no means a dealbreaker. Occasionally you’ll need to swipe between screens during a workout, from heart rate and time to maps for example, with the touchscreen – and this can become smeared with sweat and dirt. However, it’s not enough to be a serious problem with the watch; it’s just a minor gripe.
Design score: 4.5/5
Garmin Venu X1: Features
(Image credit: Future)
Garmin’s top-tier training features
Full-color offline maps
LED torch
First up, all of Garmin’s best features, including Morning Report, Training Readiness score, Endurance and Hill scores, Garmin Coach, full-color maps, work brilliantly here, and the watch functions well as a workout companion that’s much lighter than the chunkier Forerunners and Fenixes, making it ideal for runners and swimmers as you’ll practically forget you’re wearing it.
The added comfort and reduced weight are especially beneficial for sleep tracking. The watch is so much more comfortable than watches with thicker profiles, which means it’s easier to wear in bed. You can get all your recovery metrics, such as sleeping heart rate variability and sleep quality, from the watch directly, rather than not wearing it (or even removing it in frustration during the middle of the night because it’s stopping you nodding off, as I’ve done with some chunky watches) and relying on Garmin’s estimations.
That massive display is transformative when viewing complex information such as multiple glances at once, or full-color maps. You can’t use the touchscreen for precision movements such as responsive pinches to zoom in and out, like you would on a phone, but the maps screen is still ideally suited for getting turn-by-turn directions on city walks, or long runs using the Create a Course functionality.
The Garmin Venu X1 offers a generous 32GB of onboard storage for music and GPX maps, and supports offline playback from apps such as Spotify. It’s also packing Garmin’s useful LED torch, with a red mode for wearing at night as a safety light, and three levels of white light. It can be used for anything from finding your way to the bathroom in the dark to signalling for help atop a mountain, perhaps when you’ve taken a wrong turn after a hike.
The torch uses a fair amount of battery, though, so if you’re going to be out overnight you might want to disable the always-on display to conserve power – more on that in a moment.
Features score: 5/5
Garmin Venu X1: Performance
(Image credit: Michael Sawh)
Good battery life without always-on display
Easy to wear
I enjoyed training in it
I wore the Garmin Venu X1 for around a month, draining the battery completely, charging it multiple times and doing lots of running and resistance training while wearing it. I also competed in a 12K trail-running event, using the Primary Race training tool to fine-tune my plans for the day. I slept with it, took it out on the roads, and wore it during gym and yoga sessions.
I’ve seen some criticisms stating the battery is very bad with always-on display enabled, and they’re right: with this functionality on, you’re only getting a few days of battery life. However, as someone who found the raise-to-wake functionality more than suitable and sensitive enough for my needs, I’m living with the watch just fine. During testing, the battery lasted around a week with multiple GPS workouts, which is pretty much as advertised.
Using it as a running watch, I found that it’s one of the best I’ve tried this year. It’s not as powerful or rugged, or quite as feature-rich, as the Fenix 8, but it’s a much better all-rounder watch. I used the voice command functionality to set kitchen timers and so on, and it’s certainly easier than swiping through the OS. However, it’s not quite as seamless as the Apple Watch’s nigh-on futuristic raise-and-speak functionality, as it still takes a swipe and tap to set up.
As Garmin’s attempt at an Apple Watch, the Venu X1 very nearly succeeds, and it’s a lovely watch to wear and train with in its own right. However, I think that in order to truly succeed both as a training watch and a smartwatch, it needs to leave more of its Garmin trappings behind – among other things, Garmin needs to completely redesign the interface, and enable users to access its voice command feature with one fewer swipe.
Performance score: 4/5
Scorecard
Category
Comment
Score
Value
A premium watch with premium features, but not outrageous value.
4/5
Design
A beautiful screen with a transformative slim, light chassis.
4.5/5
Features
Garmin’s best features packed into a slender package.
5/5
Performance
A terrific running watch, but not quite the complete smartwatch package, and so-so battery life with always-on display.
4/5
Should I buy?
Buy it if...
You’re on Android
This powerful watch is the closest thing to a system-agnostic Apple Watch Ultra 2.
You want comfort
This slender watch is extremely light and comfortable for workouts, sleep tracking and daily wear.
You’re a power user
Are you a serious runner, cyclist, hiker or triathlete? You’ll love this watch.
Don't buy it if...
You’re on a budget
This is not a cheap watch, even by Garmin standards.
You like the traditional Garmin look
There are plenty of Garmin watches with the usual rugged aesthetic to choose from.
You need a two-week battery life
The Garmin Venu X1 lasts anywhere from two to nine days.
Also consider
Component
Garmin Venu X1
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
Price
$799.99 / £679.99 / AU$1,499
$799 / £799 / AU$1,399
$649 / £599 / AU$1,299
Dimensions
41 x 46 x 7.9 mm
49 x 41 x 14 (mm)
47.4 x 47.4 x 12.1mm
Weight
41g
61g
60.5g
Case/bezel
Titanium/Polymer
Titanium
Titanium
Display
51.2 mm AMOLED Sapphire Glass display
49mm poly-silicon always-on OLED Retina Display
480 x 480 full-color AMOLED
GPS
GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS
Dual-frequency (unspecified)
Dual-frequency GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo
Battery life
Up to 8 days
36 hours
590mAh, up to 100 hours
Connection
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, LTE
Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi
Water resistant
Yes, 5ATM
Yes, WR100 (diveproof)
10ATM + IP68
Apple Watch Ultra 2
The best all-rounder running smartwatch for iPhone users.
I wore the Garmin Venu X1 for a month, draining the battery multiple times and testing it against the Apple Watch Ultra 2. I used the Primary Race tool to complete a trail running event, slept with it, showered with it and completed gym, running and a variety of other workouts with it. I used its maps functionality in conjunction with running routes created on Garmin Connect.
When you think of the best Garmin watches, you think of thick, G-Shock-style rugged adventure watches, not a sleek full-screen bezelless smartwatch that sits slim on your wrist. The Garmin Venu X1 bucks the trend, offering a complete redesign, and it’s fun to get to grips with the Garmin experience in what feels like a whole new way.
Personally, I loved it. I’ll discuss the design and display, which of Garmin’s usual suite of metrics and features it gets, and how it performs, in detail below, but it’s an eminently usable watch that has very quickly become a fixture in my usual rotation. The slender nature of the watch and curved stainless-steel backing hugs the wrist and makes it comfortable, and that gorgeous full-color AMOLED display is perfect for viewing maps.
The battery life is a concern in comparison to more typical Garmins, however: if you’re used to a two-week battery, the always-on display will crush the Garmin Venu X1’s longevity down to just a few days. However, without the always-on display you’ll get a week (far more than even the best Apple Watch), even with multiple battery-sucking hour-long GPS workouts.
The other slight concern is the redesigned operating system. The list of widgets (or ‘glances’ in Garmin speak) are navigated via a combination of touchscreen and buttons, and have received a Liquid Glass-style facelift to make use of Garmin’s Apple Watch-style screen. However – and to keep the comparison going – sometimes the framerate can lag, and without Garmin’s five-button configuration or an Apple-style digital crown, swiping around can be cumbersome (especially mid-workout). It doesn’t spark joy, to quote Marie Kondo, in the same way that Apple’s form factor does.
Nevertheless, I’ve been wearing the watch for weeks, and I’ve finished my testing, and it’s still on my wrist – and once I’ve finished testing my next watch, I’ll probably strap it back on again. It’s light, it looks good, it’s comfortable, it lasts longer than an Apple Watch (with the latter two factors helping to make it practical to wear overnight for better sleep tracking), and it’s just a damn good watch. I still can’t get over how good full-color maps look on its enormous screen.
Garmin Venu X1: Price and availability
(Image credit: Garmin)
$799 / £799 / AU$1,399
One size
Around the same price as the Apple Watch Ultra 2
The Garmin Venu X1 is available in all regions, priced at $799.99 / £679.99 / AU$1,499. That’s around the same price as the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is priced at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399.
Like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Garmin Venu X1 comes in just one size, as opposed to most other Garmin watches that are available in multiple sizes. However, the Ultra 2 does have one major feature the Venu X1 doesn’t: LTE support.
LTE support means you can add the Ultra 2 to your phone’s data plan (this usually costs extra), and allows you to make calls, send messages and even stream music directly without being connected to your phone. The Venu X1, despite being in the same premium price bracket as the Ultra 2, doesn’t have this functionality.
Then again, neither do other Garmin watches such as the Garmin Fenix 8, which actually costs more than the Venu X1. The difference between the two is that the Venu X1 is positioned as a smartwatch competitor, rather than an adventure watch.
Value score: 4/5
Garmin Venu X1: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Gorgeous, bright AMOLED display
Slim profile, highly unusual for Garmins
Stainless steel curved backing for comfort
The Garmin Venu X1 is slimmer than any other Garmin I’ve yet tried, and I’ve tried a lot. No chunky adventure watch here: Garmin has opted for a practically bezel-less slender watchwith just 7.9mm of thickness. The slim profile combines with the metal backing, which is curved to follow the wrist, for a fit that I found very comfortable, though people with smaller or larger wrists than mine might not find it quite as good a fit.
Most other smartwatches have straight backs, relying on straps to bind their boxy cases to your wrists, which can cause the sensor to dig into your wrist. I found the Garmin Venu X1 very comfortable indeed, more so than the Apple Watch Ultra series.
While the back is cambered, the wide display isn’t curved at all, unlike the Apple Watch Series 10. Instead, it’s completely flat, slightly reducing glanceability in theory, but the screen is big and bright enough that it doesn’t really matter. The display (a 51.2mm AMOLED Sapphire Glass display) is among the best I’ve ever seen on a smartwatch.
The velcro strap included with the watch isn’t particularly stylish, but it’s perfectly adequate performance-wise. It’ll need cleaning, as it’s fabric, and it got a bit dirty even during my first month of training.
The only real design flaw I’ve identified after using this watch for a month is Garmin’s operating system, which has had a bit of a facelift to better suit Garmin’s biggest, brightest display. It looks fine, but to navigate it you have to scroll through with two buttons and the touchscreen, as there’s no digital crown and only two buttons, unlike on most of Garmin’s other watches.
This is something that’s always been a problem with the Venu series for me; however, it’s by no means a dealbreaker. Occasionally you’ll need to swipe between screens during a workout, from heart rate and time to maps for example, with the touchscreen – and this can become smeared with sweat and dirt. However, it’s not enough to be a serious problem with the watch; it’s just a minor gripe.
Design score: 4.5/5
Garmin Venu X1: Features
(Image credit: Future)
Garmin’s top-tier training features
Full-color offline maps
LED torch
First up, all of Garmin’s best features, including Morning Report, Training Readiness score, Endurance and Hill scores, Garmin Coach, full-color maps, work brilliantly here, and the watch functions well as a workout companion that’s much lighter than the chunkier Forerunners and Fenixes, making it ideal for runners and swimmers as you’ll practically forget you’re wearing it.
The added comfort and reduced weight are especially beneficial for sleep tracking. The watch is so much more comfortable than watches with thicker profiles, which means it’s easier to wear in bed. You can get all your recovery metrics, such as sleeping heart rate variability and sleep quality, from the watch directly, rather than not wearing it (or even removing it in frustration during the middle of the night because it’s stopping you nodding off, as I’ve done with some chunky watches) and relying on Garmin’s estimations.
That massive display is transformative when viewing complex information such as multiple glances at once, or full-color maps. You can’t use the touchscreen for precision movements such as responsive pinches to zoom in and out, like you would on a phone, but the maps screen is still ideally suited for getting turn-by-turn directions on city walks, or long runs using the Create a Course functionality.
The Garmin Venu X1 offers a generous 32GB of onboard storage for music and GPX maps, and supports offline playback from apps such as Spotify. It’s also packing Garmin’s useful LED torch, with a red mode for wearing at night as a safety light, and three levels of white light. It can be used for anything from finding your way to the bathroom in the dark to signalling for help atop a mountain, perhaps when you’ve taken a wrong turn after a hike.
The torch uses a fair amount of battery, though, so if you’re going to be out overnight you might want to disable the always-on display to conserve power – more on that in a moment.
Features score: 5/5
Garmin Venu X1: Performance
(Image credit: Michael Sawh)
Good battery life without always-on display
Easy to wear
I enjoyed training in it
I wore the Garmin Venu X1 for around a month, draining the battery completely, charging it multiple times and doing lots of running and resistance training while wearing it. I also competed in a 12K trail-running event, using the Primary Race training tool to fine-tune my plans for the day. I slept with it, took it out on the roads, and wore it during gym and yoga sessions.
I’ve seen some criticisms stating the battery is very bad with always-on display enabled, and they’re right: with this functionality on, you’re only getting a few days of battery life. However, as someone who found the raise-to-wake functionality more than suitable and sensitive enough for my needs, I’m living with the watch just fine. During testing, the battery lasted around a week with multiple GPS workouts, which is pretty much as advertised.
Using it as a running watch, I found that it’s one of the best I’ve tried this year. It’s not as powerful or rugged, or quite as feature-rich, as the Fenix 8, but it’s a much better all-rounder watch. I used the voice command functionality to set kitchen timers and so on, and it’s certainly easier than swiping through the OS. However, it’s not quite as seamless as the Apple Watch’s nigh-on futuristic raise-and-speak functionality, as it still takes a swipe and tap to set up.
As Garmin’s attempt at an Apple Watch, the Venu X1 very nearly succeeds, and it’s a lovely watch to wear and train with in its own right. However, I think that in order to truly succeed both as a training watch and a smartwatch, it needs to leave more of its Garmin trappings behind – among other things, Garmin needs to completely redesign the interface, and enable users to access its voice command feature with one fewer swipe.
Performance score: 4/5
Scorecard
Category
Comment
Score
Value
A premium watch with premium features, but not outrageous value.
4/5
Design
A beautiful screen with a transformative slim, light chassis.
4.5/5
Features
Garmin’s best features packed into a slender package.
5/5
Performance
A terrific running watch, but not quite the complete smartwatch package, and so-so battery life with always-on display.
4/5
Should I buy?
Buy it if...
You’re on Android
This powerful watch is the closest thing to a system-agnostic Apple Watch Ultra 2.
You want comfort
This slender watch is extremely light and comfortable for workouts, sleep tracking and daily wear.
You’re a power user
Are you a serious runner, cyclist, hiker or triathlete? You’ll love this watch.
Don't buy it if...
You’re on a budget
This is not a cheap watch, even by Garmin standards.
You like the traditional Garmin look
There are plenty of Garmin watches with the usual rugged aesthetic to choose from.
You need a two-week battery life
The Garmin Venu X1 lasts anywhere from two to nine days.
Also consider
Component
Garmin Venu X1
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
Price
$799.99 / £679.99 / AU$1,499
$799 / £799 / AU$1,399
$649 / £599 / AU$1,299
Dimensions
41 x 46 x 7.9 mm
49 x 41 x 14 (mm)
47.4 x 47.4 x 12.1mm
Weight
41g
61g
60.5g
Case/bezel
Titanium/Polymer
Titanium
Titanium
Display
51.2 mm AMOLED Sapphire Glass display
49mm poly-silicon always-on OLED Retina Display
480 x 480 full-color AMOLED
GPS
GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS
Dual-frequency (unspecified)
Dual-frequency GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo
Battery life
Up to 8 days
36 hours
590mAh, up to 100 hours
Connection
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, LTE
Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi
Water resistant
Yes, 5ATM
Yes, WR100 (diveproof)
10ATM + IP68
Apple Watch Ultra 2
The best all-rounder running smartwatch for iPhone users.
I wore the Garmin Venu X1 for a month, draining the battery multiple times and testing it against the Apple Watch Ultra 2. I used the Primary Race tool to complete a trail running event, slept with it, showered with it and completed gym, running and a variety of other workouts with it. I used its maps functionality in conjunction with running routes created on Garmin Connect.
The GL.iNet Slate 7 is precisely what I wanted on paper for a travel router, and it still has the potential to be something great. This travel router beautifully blends speed, security, and compact simplicity all in one device. It has dual 2.5GbE ports, a built-in VPN, a touchscreen for ease of navigating the onboard UI, and it is all easily powered by USB-C while barely pulling any power.
Portable routers have gained popularity over the years due to increased cybersecurity awareness, the rise of remote work, and the growing number of devices people carry with them. Portable routers can be helpful for quickly connecting devices, sharing files between devices, providing a layer of security between a public network and your devices, and much more.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
GL.iNet Slate 7: Pricing and Availability
You can grab a GL.iNet Slate 7 for $134.91, currently on sale from $149 on Gl-inet.com. You can also find these via online retailers including Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
Since this device does not have an internal battery, consider purchasing a portable charger to make this travel router even more mobile.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
GL.iNet Slate 7: Unboxing & first impressions
When I unboxed this portable travel router, I was surprised by its compact size. The solid, matte-black casing helped keep this light, weighing in at just under 300 grams altogether. The front panel features a touchscreen, which is excellent for changing settings, though I am concerned that it may be a tad too convenient and may share information that I want to keep private.
Regardless of your opinion on this shape, the functionality and performance of this unit are also quite impressive. It's easy to connect devices, with two 2.5 GbE ports, a USB-A port, and a USB-C port on the back, making physical connections a breeze. This is especially true since the device can power over USB-C, which is the single most popular cable in recent history. When connecting devices via Wi-Fi, they are snappy, have a decent range, especially for a small and portable unit, and are easy to use.
As mentioned previously, if you plan on traveling frequently with this unit, it's worth considering a portable power station or a long USB-C cable. This way, you can position it where you want it while still being able to plug into the nearest outlet.
The GL.iNet Slate 7 is very sleek. It looks like what Batman would carry if he were in IT and needed a travel pocket router. The industrial design is compact and well-finished, allowing for the antenna to be folded when not in use. The back houses all the ports, including the PD power input, dual 2.5GbE ports, and a USB-A 3.0 port. The front features a touchscreen that displays pages side by side, allowing you to view all the features and settings of the Slate 7. That's where a significant potential flaw arises with this unit. In theory, anyone could grab this, or view it from a distance, and know precisely what your SSID is, or worse.
Outside of that, though, the design on this unit is super sharp. I love that it can compactly collapse, and I appreciate the overall footprint. This is small enough that it can live in my backpack without taking up much space at all, helping me forget I even have it.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
GL.iNet Slate 7: In use
I've used this router for various purposes during my testing. I've taken it to a coffee shop to have all my devices connect (automatically. I've also taken it on a quick trip to a family cabin and into normal working areas.
In the coffee shop scenarios, I quickly and easily unpack the router and place it to the side, running it off my Anker Power Bank. Next, I pulled out my iPhone, and through the companion app, I was able to join the coffee shop's network with my Slate. Then, my Slate put out my personal Wi-Fi, which all of my devices are already connected to. Additionally, I enabled a VPN through OpenVPN using Primes Lab that allowed me to connect back through my secure home office network. Now, when I pulled out my laptop, iPad, and my iPhone, I was able to see everything on my home network, all while knowing I am secure and protected thanks to Primes and my GL.iNet portable router. Having this router also means that my devices automatically connect to a network they recognize, giving me even more reason to have a portable router like this.
On trips, I rely heavily on this portable router to make connecting all of my devices, my wife's devices, my kids' devices, and more a breeze. Stopping at a hotel is now a snap to reconnect any devices we may need, whether for work or play. Additionally, the ability to press one button and loop back to my home network, all from a tiny box, is invaluable.
As I mentioned briefly above, one potentially significant issue with this is that there are too many ways to accidentally reveal more information than I'd want anyone to know in a coffee shop or lobby through the touch screen. That could be fixed with a patch in the future, as it's a simple software ordeal, but I also understand what they were going for.
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Design
Minimalist and Sleek
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of use
Easy to use for what it is
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Practicality
Practical for the right user
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price
Fairly priced
⭐⭐⭐⭐
GL.iNet Slate 7: Final verdict
The GL.iNet Slate 7 has become an essential device whenever I work outside of a known network. It helps me stay safe while traveling and working, or traveling and staying connected, even if all I'm linking to is PLEX and Netflix.
I wish there were a slight software patch to hide network settings from the screen. For more power users, individuals will want to know that this device has true Wi-Fi 7 with a 6GHz channel. However, for my use cases, the 5GHz channel has been plenty.
Wednesday season 2 is back with a bang, and even though we have to wait until September for part 2, we're off to an excellent start.
Part one of season 2 is made up of four episodes, so it was crucial to keep audiences engaged and make sure they'd come back for the final installment. Considering Wednesday has been renewed for season 3, the pressure is on, but I personally can't wait for this show to keep going.
When we catch up with Wednesday after a two-year break, the gloomy teenager is returning to Nevermore as summer has come to an end. But while her peers were all partying and having fun, Wednesday spent her summer break pursuing a serial killer, very on brand for her.
Upon returning to Nevermore, a lot has changed. Following Gwendoline Christie's departure as Principal Weems, we've got a new head of school in the form of Steve Buscemi's Principal Dort, a dorky yet suspicious character who is keen to secure funding for the school.
He's not the only new addition to the cast, either. Joanna Lumley joins to play Morticia's estranged mother, Hester, expanding the beloved Addams Family and providing more family drama, something season one was seriously lacking.
I was thrilled that the family takes center stage this time, with Wednesday's brother, Pugsley, joining Nevermore, and her parents, Morticia and Gomez, sticking around to help with a gala. Having them around is a delight and you can expect laughs, macabre delights, and some cringeworthy moments because yes, Morticia and Gomez are sickeningly loved up this season.
The Nevermore students are back, too, of course, and we're reunited with familiar faces like Enid Sinclair, Bianca Barclay, Ajax Petropolus, and Eugene Ottinger.
It's not long before more drama ensues, of course, as Wednesday attempts to track down her stalker, deal with her psychic abilities, and figure out why a murder of crows is well, murdering people. There's never a quiet day for Wednesday.
While the main plot focuses on the crows and who (or what) is controlling them to kill people, we do have several subplots going on. Wednesday gets a vision of Enid's death, Enid is caught in a love triangle, Pugsley accidentally creates a zombie, and more.
I will admit, not all of these are attention-grabbing and do slow the pacing down in places, but the main plot is enough to keep you invested. I was also very enamored by the zombie character, named Slurp, who provided laughs and scares in abundance.
Steve Buscemi's new principal is a shady figure. (Image credit: Netflix)
We're only halfway through, but so far, I can confidently say this has been a good season and there's real potential to expand on things across the next four episodes.
I'm hoping we get to learn more about the family and their buried secrets, some of which have been referenced early in season 2. Without spoiling anything, there's plenty for fans to look forward to on that front, and Addams Family drama can rival any reality TV show.
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.
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.
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.
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.
