Gadgets - Organizer

4:52 pm | July 24, 2025

For years now, there’s been an online arms race between companies that want to know everything about what you do online, and companies that are trying to stop all these intrusive logging and tracking technologies.

We, as consumers, have a fairly limited privacy-boosting toolbox. Think antivirus apps and today's best VPNs.

But now there’s something new. Something we haven’t seen in a while. A new web-browser called Psylo. While the name might bring up memories of a certain terrible movie featuring a seven-foot-tall dreadlocked alien, the name is a play on the core functionality – the ability to have multiple tabs within one browser, each one completely isolated from the others, and each with its own IP address.

So how does Psylo stand up against today's best secure web browsers? We’re going to take a look and see just what Psylo brings to the table.

Features

User privacy is at the heart of what Psylo does, and a small but focused set of features reflects that. The main feature of this mobile browser is the concept of tab isolation.

This "silo" system means that every tab is isolated from the others, so websites can only attempt to track what you’re doing in that single silo rather than following you around the internet.

Another big driver for Psylo’s developers was to combat browser fingerprinting. Browser fingerprinting works by identifying all the specific ways in which your particular device’s setup is unique. This is done by looking at the apps and extensions you have, what hardware you’re running, where in the world you are, what timezone you’re in, and even the size of your browser window.

No two individual setups are the same, which means, just like a human fingerprint, these details can be used to identify and track a specific user.

Psylo works to foil this fingerprinting by changing your browser's time zone and language to match the location of the proxy server you’re connected to, making it harder for websites to identify and track where you are in the world. It also works to stop another form of tracking called canvas fingerprinting by implementing canvas randomization, all of which makes your unique fingerprint that much harder to pick out from all the others.

An image of the Psylo interface on an iPhone — (Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

Psylo is also a no-logs provider. The only information it holds about you is your subscriber number, which it needs to confirm whether or not you’ve paid. It can also see when you’re connected and how much data you’re using, so that it can track your monthly bandwidth allowance. It doesn’t store your browsing history, IP address, or any other kinds of information that might be used to identify you.

Finally, unlike many other browsers these days, you don’t need to worry about Psylo trying to shoehorn in an AI assistant. It’s a browser first and foremost. Oh, and because it’s subscription-supported, you don’t need to worry that it'll overload you with adverts or sell your personal data on to third parties.

Server network

An image showing a list of Psylo's servers in the UK, Germany and Japan — (Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

Psylo would not work without the network of private proxies that underpin it. The Mysk Private Proxy Network is made up of 40+ servers around the world. While a proxy server usually does not offer the same level of added encryption that you find with a VPN, it still works to anonymize your identity.

Psylo works in partnership with the well-known VPN service Proton VPN to provide the exit nodes for its connections. This means that any website you access through Psylo will see your traffic coming from a Proton VPN IP address.

An additional benefit here is that, because you’re using only Proton VPN’s IP addresses, you’ll still be able to access websites that block or restrict traffic coming from an IP address that’s associated with a datacenter, as these are often connected to fraudulent activity.

These servers are key to Psylo’s functionality, and you must pick a proxy server to connect to before you can create a new silo within the browser.

Apps

As Psylo is built using Apple’s WebKit, it’s currently only available for iPad and iPhone users, though the developers do hope to bring us an Android version in the future.

You can find Psylo in the App Store. Installation is as straightforward as any other app, and the iPad and iPhone apps are laid out the same, so it’s easy to swap from one device to the other.

An image displaying Psylo's tabs within the app. — (Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

The app is minimalist and simple. Once you’ve created your silos, they’re laid out for you. You tap to open that particular silo and, if you tap and hold, you'll see options to edit the silo details, copy the URL and deep link, or delete that silo.

Other than that, you have a plus sign to add more, and the traditional cogwheel icon to access the settings menu. The settings menu shows your bandwidth usage, subscription details, and you can choose to have the silo tabs show the website address and/or the proxy IP address.

You can also access Mysk’s social media, send an email to the support team, and view the FAQ, Privacy Policy, and TOS.

Ease of use

The Psylo interface could be charitably described as “minimalist”. After you’ve got the app installed and you’ve signed up for a subscription, you’re dropped into an empty black workspace (or a white workspace if you’re not using dark mode on your device), with an invitation to create your first silo.

An image showing the setup process for a silo within Psylo. — (Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

You need to enter a name, the website address you want to connect to, and then choose a proxy server. You can also give each silo an individual icon and color. Advanced options are tucked into a sub-menu, but it’s unlikely your average user will need these.

It only takes a click to access the silo, and the website you’ve chosen is loaded up automatically. It’s pretty easy to get to grips with, though it’s unlikely this is the sort of browser that would appeal to a beginner or even the average internet user. This is a product targeting someone who values privacy above all else.

Speed and performance

Psylo is a browser designed to interact with websites, and it’s very good at doing so. It renders even image-heavy websites like Amazon’s storefront in a couple of seconds, but it’s not really designed or intended to be used for streaming content, torrenting, or downloading large files.

Its speed tests were remarkably consistent, but also very much on the slower end of things. We tested the UK, US, and Australia proxy servers on a 1 Gb connection, and every test returned a speed just above 21 Mbps.

That’s more than enough for most things when it comes to using the internet and interacting with online apps, but if you’re thinking about doing anything bandwidth-intensive, there are better options than Psylo.

An image depicting Psylo's speed test results. — (Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

To put these results into context, a download speed of 25 Mbps is recommended for streaming 4K content, so it’s unlikely this is a browser you’d want to use for your movie marathon. Then again, this isn’t really what Psylo is designed for, so we don’t consider these results to be a mark against it.

Unblocking

As mentioned above, Psylo is not really designed with accessing streaming content in mind, and as such, it struggles with the big streaming sites. Trying to access Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video resulted in a prompt to download the specific platform’s app to view content, and the Paramount+ website refused to load at all when connected to either the UK or US proxy servers.

When connected to BBC iPlayer, it detected that our IP address was not in the UK and refused to display any content, even with the UK proxy server connected. This suggests there might be some issues with accessing geo-restricted content. We’ve raised the issue with Psylo’s tech support team, and they are going to look into it, but for now it’s just something to bear in mind.

Privacy and Security

With such a focus on user privacy and security, you would hope that the company’s terms of service and privacy policy reflect that, and Psylo does not disappoint.

Both documents are written in plain, easy-to-understand English and are up front about the information the company collects from you when you sign up for, and use, the product.

Psylo collects your Apple subscription identifier so it knows if you have a valid subscription or not, your App Store region, how much bandwidth you’re using, and timestamps. All uploaded or downloaded data is aggregated by the hour and is rounded to the nearest 50 Mb, making it all the more difficult to identify a specific user. Psylo also does not collect any sort of personally identifiable information (PII), IP addresses, or logs of website visits.

Each of Psylo’s nodes runs an HTTPS proxy server that routes traffic between the silos you create and the target websites via a Proton VPN exit node. These proxy servers can’t see the content of what you’re doing online, but they do see the destination address. Psylo’s no-log policy guarantees that none of this data is logged or stored.

Psylo’s privacy policy is also one of the rare ones that specifies exactly what happens to any stored data once you stop using the service, and how long it will take the company to delete any information it does collect, such as bandwidth data or the details of your subscription.

Psylo is impressively open about the nuts and bolts of its service, despite not being an official open-source product. You can even see a diagram of the system architecture on the Mysk Inc. blog.

Customer support

Psylo has an FAQ available within the app, which goes into detail about the service, including limits on bandwidth, number of silos, details of the no-logs policy, etc. There is also email support, as well as accounts on Bluesky and X/Twitter that you can reach out to with any questions.

At the moment, there’s no live chat support or AI chatbot, but we found the support team responsive and helpful when we reached out during our testing.

An image showing the settings page of Psylo, focused on the support section. — (Image credit: Shaun Rockwood)

Pricing and plans

Psylo is available with a monthly or annual subscription. A monthly subscription is currently £9.99 in the UK ($9.99 in the US), and an annual subscription will cost £99.99 (or $99.99). Psylo is running a deal at present that'll net you 30% off an annual sub, but there’s no getting around the fact that Psylo is one of the more expensive options out there.

£99.99 puts Psylo in the same price bracket as Brave VPN’s annual subscription, which was already nearly twice as much as an annual subscription with a VPN provider like Proton VPN, Surfshark, or even Express VPN, though the month-by-month cost is cheaper than some.

A 7-day free trial is available for users who sign up for the annual subscription, while users who opt to pay monthly get 3 days free to decide if the product is right for them before any money is taken.

Should you use Psylo?

Psylo is an interesting product with some strong selling points and an impressive commitment to user privacy, especially defeating browser fingerprinting. There are some alternatives on the market that can be used to obtain a similar result, but none are quite as effective or as elegant as Psylo and often require both multiple apps as well as a fair degree of technical know-how to make them work properly.

The biggest issue is the subscription cost. In a world where it seems almost everyone has their hand out asking users to cough up for an ongoing subscription, wallets are more strained than they ever have been, and an expensive, niche product like Psylo is likely only going to appeal to a specific subset of people.

All this said, we feel that Psylo is a fast, effective product that does exactly what it sets out to do. If you’re someone who values their privacy above all else and you don’t mind paying for it, then Psylo deserves a place as part of your privacy toolkit.

Alternatives to Psylo

The Brave browser is a product with a commitment to user privacy, through what it calls “Shields”. These are designed to block trackers, cross-site cookies, and alert you to phishing or malware risks. It also works to defeat browser fingerprinting by blocking browser-language and font fingerprinting as well as randomizing and/or removing browser features to make you harder to track. Brave also comes with a built-in VPN that requires a subscription to use.
Aloha is a privacy-first browser with a built-in VPN. It also features an advert, tracker, and malware blocking, along with a no-logs commitment; however, it does not appear to have any specific measures to defeat browser fingerprinting. So, if that's a specific concern, you'd be better off looking at one of the other alternatives. The free version also comes with adverts that can be removed by signing up for a paid subscription.
LibreWolf is another browser that was based on the Firefox browser, but this one comes with far tougher security out of the box. It’s a little on the bare-bones side and offers little in the way of added features beyond the basics, but as with Psylo, this is a browser you use for a very specific reason. Librewolf comes with uBlock built in and offers strong protection against web tracking and browser fingerprinting. The absence of any sort of subscription makes it a tempting alternative.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

I tested Canon’s biggest multifunction tank printer and loved it

4:43 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

The Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M is a large-format printer with a difference; it can also scan and copy. By adding a flatbed scanner to a 24-inch ink tank printer, Canon has created a three-in-one device that could prove indispensable for schools or small businesses wanting to enlarge prints quickly and affordably, or print posters at the point of sale without a PC.

This unique multifunction device can print on cut paper up to LTR or A4 size, or produce banners and personalized wrapping paper on 24-inch wide rolls. With its integrated scanner, you can do more than just copy documents; enlarging graphics such as maps or CAD drawings into A0-size posters can be done via the printer’s own touchscreen interface.

Is it one of the best large format printers? I put it to the test.

Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M: Design and build

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Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M during our review — (Image credit: Canon // Future)

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Specs

Type: large format color multifunction inkjet printer

Functions: Print, scan, copy

Connectivity: Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi

Data storage slots: USB Host

Print speed: A3+ in 4min 15sec

Max paper size: 24-inch roll

Print quality: 2,400 x 1,200 dpi

Memory: 1GB

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: 4 x 70ml ink bottles

Dimensions/Weight: 968 x 533 x 245 mm (WxDxH)/31.7lb/34kg

The user-friendly design has the same chunky appeal as Canon’s other professional MegaTank models, with the rounded off white plastic casing and large tilting touchscreen display.

It’s quite a large unit because the 24-inch paper roll fits neatly inside where it’s kept clean and dust-free. The four ink reservoirs add to the bulk, but given its broad functionality, I’d say this printer is pretty compact.

The A4 scanner platen adds nothing to the size when you compare the multifunction imagePROGRAF TC-21M with the otherwise identical print-only version called imagePROGRAF TC-21, without the ‘M' for multifunction.

Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M: Features & specifications

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This is a three-in-one device so you can print, scan and copy. There’s no fax, but it has plenty of other features, enriched by its wide format capabilities. Naturally, it has Wi-Fi with AirPrint, Mopria and Chrome OS compatibility, but it can also enlarge A4 or smaller documents up to A0, or repeat the scanned image to produce banners or wrapping paper on the paper roll.

Alternatively, you can shrink your scans down to make name tags or business cards. Basically, this versatile machine has a much longer list of paper size options than your average wide-format printer.

There’s room for 100 sheets of plain letter or A4 paper in the main tray, while larger sheets of cut paper are loaded one at a time. The internal roll holder will take anything up to 24-inches wide. There’s no output tray to collect your prints, unless you buy the optional stand with integrated basket for around US$180 (£140).

There’s no auto duplex mode either, but there is a USB Host port beside the touchscreen display for a convenient way of printing to, or scanning from a thumb drive.

Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M: Setup and operation

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Getting your new Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M started is much like installing any inkjet printer, except that it takes two to lift it onto the table. There’s also the extra time needed to fit a roll or paper, but the shaftless roll holder makes this quite easy.

The box includes four 70ml bottles of ink which pour into the tanks on the right hand side and the keyed bottle spouts make it impossible to fill the wrong tank.

The touchscreen simplifies the setup procedure by telling you what to do next. It’s even quicker to download Canon’s Print app onto your smartphone and use that to connect it to your local Wi-Fi network. The app also makes it easy to print and scan remotely, or check the printer’s status and ink levels.

Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M: Performance

The Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M printed without a hitch and only suffered one A4 paper jam during my tests, which was easily rectified. Overall, it scored highly on ease-of-use and print quality. It takes nearly two minutes to print an A1 poster in standard quality, so it’s not fast, but the results are very good. It also has a draft mode which almost doubles the print speed and the slightly paler print quality is fine for gift paper and the like.

Canon’s single bubble jet printhead has a total of 4,352 nozzles spraying its four pigment inks onto the paper and producing detailed prints at 1,200 x 2,400 dpi resolution. It’s equally adept at printing color documents on A4 paper, as it is on A1.

The four colors look bright and being pigment-based, they dry quickly for smudge-resident and longer lasting results. This is perfect for large maps, CAD drawings and poster-sized graphics, where the vivid colors look pleasing vibrant on plain paper.

With coated photo paper, you still get bright and detailed images, but unsurprisingly, it doesn’t achieve the wide color gamut and natural shading of photo printers like the 12-ink Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100. It’s certainly good enough to say that the Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M has strong all-round print quality.

The CIS scanner worked well and made it possible to blow up A4 test documents to A1 size without any real loss of detail. I can see how this application would be useful in a shop, or school setting where posters can be produced without the need of a PC.

I found it quite easy to use the printers touchscreen to turn a test scan into a repeated pattern that could be used as wrapping paper. I did the same thing using Canon’s PosterArt, which is an equally user-friendly piece of software that comes free with the printer.

The only slight problem I had was a practical one. Without the optional stand or any extendable flap to collect each printout, you have to catch each print as it emerges and before the internal cutter sweeps across to dump them on the floor. Easily solved by moving the printer to a bigger table.

Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M: Consumables

As a refillable ink tank printer, the Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M is potentially very economical to run, which is important in a printer designed for running out such large prints.

The box includes four 70ml bottles, which is roughly enough ink for around 6,000 letter or A4 pages. While a replacement Canon PFI-050 multipack is significantly cheaper than cartridge ink, it’s quite expensive for bottled ink.

I found compatible pigment ink tended to be around a quarter the price of Canon-branded ink.

Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M: Maintenance

Being an inkjet, the Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M is prone to drying out and suffering clogged nozzles if left unused, but this can usually be solved by simply running a maintenance cycle.

Just enter the printer’s on-screen settings and choose one of the cleaning cycles to flush the nozzles. Further down the line, you may need to replace the PF-08 printhead and MC-32 maintenance cartridge, both of which are reasonably priced by Canon.

Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M: Final verdict

I enjoyed turning out bright poster-sized prints and banners with the Canon imagePROGRAF TC-21M simply by blowing up images on its integrated scanner. It proved to be a very versatile product with its wide paper size compatibility and two input options.

The touchscreen interface and bundled PosterArtist software ensure it’s easy to use, and with the scanner, front USB port and Wi-Fi with AirPrint compatibility, it’s pretty well featured.

No, it can’t auto-duplex and it’s better with graphics and line drawing than photos, but otherwise, the strong print quality, and the affordability of its bottled ink will make this an essential accessory in many a shop, school or studio.

For more print solutions, I've comprehensively tested the best small business printers and best home printers.

After weeks of testing, the 11th-gen iPad proves it’s still one of the best – even without Apple Intelligence

4:07 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets iPad Tablets | Comments: Off

Apple iPad (A16): One-Minute Review

Choosing the best iPad these days can be tricky. Not only are there several models to choose from, but all of those models are also pretty well-specced, and they increasingly look similar.

I've spent several weeks testing the latest iteration of Apple's entry-level tablet, which for the purposes of this review we'll mostly refer to as the 11th-gen iPad. You may also have seen it referred to as the iPad (A16), or the iPad 2025. It’s not noticeably different from the 10th-gen model that arrived in 2022, and which ushered in a significant redesign that brought plenty of modernization.

Instead, this is a more under-the-hood upgrade that keeps Apple's most affordable iPad ever-so-modern and ensures that it'll still be kicking for many years to come. The biggest change is a jump in processing power to the Apple-made A16 – it's not a light-years-ahead upgrade from the A14 Bionic in the 10th-gen iPad, but it's still zippy-fast for opening apps and completing most tasks you'd want to do on an iPad.

Those tasks include playing games, browsing the web, multitasking with two apps, using handwriting recognition with the Apple Pencil, or doing any of the above while on a FaceTime call, without slowing things down or unduly draining the battery life. While testing this iPad alongside an iPad Pro with M4 and the 11-inch iPad Air with M3, I didn't always find myself reaching for those to perform more demanding tasks, thanks to the performance on offer here.

This iPad still boasts a sizable 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, offering a nice experience for watching almost anything; however, the glossy finish does make it harder to use in very bright environments. Still, there are no issues with color accuracy or the reproduction of visuals here. Apple's still tucking the front-facing cameras alongside the top here, which makes the Magic Keyboard Folio, or at least a Smart Folio, a nice addition. The Magic Keyboard for this iPad still splits into two, which I quite like, but it's not a free upgrade.

Out of the box, this iPad is running iPadOS 18, and it runs really well here, thanks to the A16 chip, but it's not enough power to support Apple Intelligence. That might be a deal breaker for some, but I don't see it as a major shortcoming based on my testing. Remember, you can download ChatGPT from the App Store and it'll work just fine here.

One piece of excellent news is that there will be no price increase for the new entry-level iPad, which means no premium for the A16 chip, and Apple is also doubling the starting storage to 128GB.

While the 11th Gen iPad is sticking with more affordable prices at $349 / £329 / AU$599, it's still more expensive than the 9th Gen iPad once was – with hindsight, that tablet was an excellent deal. Even so, I think many people will find themselves at home with the 11th-gen iPad, they just need a basic model or someone who wants to get a bit more out of an older iPad, like the 9th Gen.

Apple iPad 11th-gen: Specs

iPad Air (A16) Specs
	iPad (A16)
Starting price	$349 / £329 / AU$599
Operating System	iPadOS 18
Chipset	A16
Memory (RAM)	6GB
Storage	128GB / 256GB / 512GB
Display	11-inch LED Backlit (2360 x 1640) IPS LCD
Cameras	12MP wide main, 12MP ultrawide front
Battery	28.93Wh
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. 5G Sub-6Ghz and Gigabit LTE on Cellular models.
Weight	1.05lbs / 0.475kg without cellular and 1.06lbs / 0.48kg with
Dimensions	9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches / 24.9 x 17.95 x 0.7mm (L x W x D)

Apple iPad A16: Pricing and Availability

11th Gen iPad (A16) Review — (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

The 11th-gen iPad starts at $349 / £329 / AU$599
One major change: it now starts with 128GB of storage
It comes in Pink, Yellow, Blue, and Silver

Apple's 11th Gen iPad – also known as the iPad A16 or the 2025 iPad – is on sale now with a starting price of $349 / £329 / AU$599. That starting price gets you 128GB of storage, which is double the starting storage of the 11th-gen iPad with no price increase.

You can choose to upgrade that storage to 256GB or 512GB, but it will cost you. Storage aside, all models have the same specifications, including the A16 chip inside. The 11th-gen iPad comes in four colors: Blue, Pink, Yellow, or Silver.

Apple iPad 11th Gen: Design

The 11th-gen iPad keeps the more modern design that the 10th-gen model ushered in
It no longer says 'iPad' on the back, now matching the rest of the lineup
This iPad still feels pretty high-end, with an aluminum build, and is easily portable

As I hinted at above, my favorite part of the iPad A16 – aside from the value proposition it provides – would be the design, and specifically the colors, as the rest of it is basically unchanged. My review model is a lovely shade of Pink that’s vibrant and fun.

Like most other iPads, and different from the likes of a Samsung Galaxy Tab or an Amazon Fire HD tablet, the entry-level iPad A16 is mostly a slice of aluminum. It’s effective at hiding fingerprints on the sides and rear, thanks to its mostly matte finish. This also allows the shade of Pink to vary here, depending on how the light hits it – either bouncing off with a highlight or looking a bit more muted.

The only glossy and fingerprint-prone area on the rear would be the Apple logo. Just like the updated iPad Air with M3 in the 11-inch or 13-inch size, this iPad no longer says iPad on the back. It’s a simple cosmetic change that gives this iPad a more minimalist finish.

If pink isn’t your thing, Apple also offers the iPad A16 in Yellow, Blue, or Silver – all crafted from that single piece of aluminum.

The rest of the story with the design is mainly bezels and buttons. Apple reserves Face ID and the True Depth Sensor stack for the iPad Pro, meaning that to unlock or authenticate securely without entering a pin, you place a finger on the power and sleep button, thanks to it being finished with a piece of glass.

That critical material enables Touch ID, and it works well – I just recommend setting up one finger from each of your hands so that you can better unlock your iPad, regardless of how you’re holding it. The power/sleep button, located at the top, is accessible when you hold the tablet vertically or on the left-hand side when held horizontally, making either position convenient. The volume up and volume down buttons are right next to it.

The only other input-output element is the USB-C port on the bottom, which remains unchanged from the previous-generation 10.9-inch entry-level iPad. In fact, almost every part of the design is unchanged here.

There are stereo speakers that push sound out at the top and bottom when the tablet is vertical or left and right when it’s held horizontally. There’s a main 12-megapixel camera centered along the longer side of the iPad – that’s on the top when held horizontally or on the right side when held vertically – and it delivers excellent performance for video calls. Apple has also kept a 12-megapixel camera on the rear as well.

While Apple didn’t redesign anything here, the 10.9-inch iPad remains a well-crafted tablet, and its modern look and feel complement its performance. It has nearly identical looks to the higher-priced iPad Air and feels at home next to an iPad mini or even an iPad Pro. It still comes in just one screen size, and as I’ll detail below, the 10.9-inch size, which Apple markets as 11-inch, is ideal for a wide range of tasks.

It’s easily portable, weighing in at just 1.06lbs / 0.48kg if you opt for cellular connectivity, or 1.05lbs / 0.475kg with a standard Wi-Fi-only connection. If you’re upgrading from the previous generation, it keeps the exact dimensions – 9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches / 24.9 x 17.95 x 0.7mm – which means your existing Smart Cover Folio or Magic Keyboard Folio will work just fine.

Design score: 4 / 5

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Apple iPad 11th Gen: Display

The 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display is great for most tasks
The glossy display can make it harder to use in very bright conditions
The 11th-gen iPad supports two Apple Pencils

If you’re looking for an iPad to browse the web, use various apps, stream movies or TV shows, play some games, and even do a little work, you’ll have no problem with the iPad in almost any scenario.

That’s a testament to the upgrades Apple rolled out in 2022, when it introduced this updated look for the most affordable iPad. The iPad A16 still boasts a 10.9-inch display, although, as Apple has done with the iPad Air and iPad Pro, it rounds that up to 11 inches in the marketing blurb – you’ll see in a footnote on Apple’s tech specs page for the iPad A16 saying it has a 10.86-inch display, which we’ve found to be the same as the 10.9-inch size of the previous generation.

Apple is still opting for its Liquid Retina display technology, and the 11th-gen iPad has an LED IPS screen that offers a resolution of 2360 x 1640 pixels. In my testing, I’ve found that it’s great for watching Severance on Apple TV+ or Nobody Wants This on Netflix, as well as for browsing the web, working within TechRadar’s CMS, or typing in a document. I’ve found that it can get punchy with colors. It’s a great screen to use in general.

The only issues are that it has a glossy, reflective finish, which makes it challenging to use the iPad A16 in really bright scenarios, and that fingerprints easily show on this display. The 11-inch iPad Air with M3 most certainly has the iPad A16 beat here, as it features an additional coating to block reflections, and it can produce even more vibrant colors. Then again, it is a bit more expensive.

I also had no issues with writing or sketching using either the Apple Pencil (first generation) or the Apple Pencil with USB-C on the iPad A16. Using both models here felt quite close to writing with an actual pencil or pen on a sheet of paper, in that there wasn’t a noticeable lag.

Display score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad 11th Gen: Cameras

The camera setup on the 11th-gen iPad remains unchanged from that of the 10th-gen
That's fine, though, as the selfie camera is awesome, mainly thanks to its CenterStage tech
There's still a rear 12-megapixel camera with no flash as well

The previous-generation iPad (10th-generation, also known as the 10.9-inch or 2022) saw Apple correcting its placement of the selfie camera on its iPads, and the iPad A16 doesn’t make waves by moving it again.

As I mentioned above, the 12-megapixel CenterStage camera lives on the longside of the iPad A16, so if you have it placed in the Magic Keyboard Folio or the Smart Cover and have it laying horizontally, it’ll be in the right spot for you to record a video – maybe a monologue or an audition tape – or to take a video call.

The latter is really where this camera excels. Sure, it’s fine for snapping a selfie, but the CenterStage tech uses some onboard software tricks to always keep you in the frame. So, if you’re prone to pacing on video calls, the A16 processor inside will do the work to keep you in the shot. It’ll work in tandem with the stereo microphones to pick up your voice as well.

If you jump up, crouch down, move to the left, or the right, the camera will slowly but surely pan to keep you in the frame. Remember, though, that it can only follow you so far, as the camera itself isn’t moving. The 12-megapixel camera itself supports up to 1080p HD recording, and is the same one that’s used on the 10th-gen and 9th-gen iPads.

If you want to take photos or record video with your iPad, this model again has a 12-megapixel camera on the rear that works just fine. Don’t expect it to rival the camera built into your phone, or a dedicated camera, though.

Cameras score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad 11th Gen: Software

Fans of iPadOS will feel right at home on the 11th-gen iPad, as it's the classic experience
With iPadOS 18, you can still split the screen between two apps and also use picture-in-picture
Apple Intelligence isn't supported here, but Math Notes does work

Ever since Apple split the iPad’s operating system off from iOS into iPadOS, its tablets have been increasingly treading the line between being entertainment devices and productivity machines. The 11th-gen iPad is similarly multi-talented, and the leap to Apple’s A16 chip over the A14 Bionic in the 10th Gen or the A13 Bionic in the 9th Gen ensures that everything runs smoothly here.

I threw a wide range of tasks at the iPad A16, and it didn’t let me down, although it might have made me wait a bit longer for some things. iPadOS 18 here, though, runs very well and didn’t exhibit any noticeable slowdowns when doing the things most people will use the iPad for. I could open nearly every app in what felt like the blink of an eye, from Safari, Messages, games and streaming services to more demanding ones like iMovie or Final Cut Pro. I could also split the screen without slowing things down and run a video in picture-in-picture, or a FaceTime call while having two other applications open.

The iPad A16 is a very competent device for most tasks – you could easily use it in school or college, splitting the screen to take notes with an Apple Pencil on one side and viewing a slide deck or highlighting lines in a virtual textbook on the other. I could use it for work, responding to emails and Slack, then switching to Safari or Google Chrome to edit or write stories on the web. I also edited a few photos in Pixelmator Pro without a hitch.

Something you won’t find supported here, though, is Apple Intelligence. The A16 is not one of the chips that Apple says can handle it, so those features are not here, nor will they arrive in the future. That means the 11th-gen iPad will not receive the new AI-powered Siri whenever it ships and, currently, doesn’t support features like Writing Tools, Genmoji, Imagic Playground, the new look for Siri, or – one of my favorites – Clean Up in Photos.

If you're looking for an iPad that can run Apple Intelligence, the iPad A16 isn’t the model for you, and you’ll need to consider the iPad mini, Air, or Pro. However, I don’t think this will be a deal-breaker for the type of user this tablet is aimed at. If you’re simply after an iPad on which you can browse the web, work with nearly any app on the App Store, and enjoy some gaming, FaceTime with friends, or Netflix streaming, with some productivity tools thrown in and Apple Pencil support, you’ll be right at home.

Furthermore, you can get AI features running on the iPad A16 by downloading Google Gemini, ChatGPT, or any number of services. I’ve tested those first two here, plus Copilot, and they work just fine. And one of the standout machine learning features from Apple, MathNotes within the Calculator or Notes app, also works just fine here.

One last note on software – while the iPad A16 with iPadOS 18 can’t run StageManager, Apple’s more advanced multitasking solution for iPads, it will support iPadOS 26 and receive a whole host of upgrades when that arrives later this year, likely in September or October 2025. And yes, that does mean true to the iPad windowing of apps, a menu bar, and the ability to place folders in the dock. I think it will stretch the mileage even further here, and the Apple silicon inside should keep it running for many years.

Software score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad 11th Gen: Performance

The A16 chip keeps things running promptly, even if it's not a night-and-day upgrade over the previous generation
Even more power-hungry tasks like creative edits run well here, but will take some time

Now let’s break down the specifics of the Apple-made A16 chip that powers the 11th-generation iPad. The A16 consists of a 5-core CPU, a 4-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine, and remains relatively modern even in 2025, despite being introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.

The other hardware change, alongside the A16 chip, is the doubling of the storage to 128GB from the start, which means plenty of room for apps, videos, and anything else you’d want to store on the iPad. It certainly punches up the value of the device as well.

Inside this iPad, the A16 gives you a tremendous runway – think of it as a performance superhighway – for really any conceivable task you might want to run here. No, it doesn’t essentially eliminate load times, as is the case with the M3-powered iPad Air or the M4-powered iPad Pro, but you’ll be hard pressed to make things slow down here.

I primarily encountered slowdowns when using more creativity-focused applications, such as Pixelmator Pro, Final Cut Pro, or any Adobe Suite product, including Premiere Rush or Photoshop for iPad. Most games, whether Apple Arcade titles or just purchased from the App Store, ran just fine here, and multitasking with picture-in-picture on top didn’t seem to cause much of an issue.

I also ran the iPad A16 through Geekbench 6, which runs the device through a series of tests in a stress-test fashion, and here are the results: 2,577 on single-core and 5,408 on multi-core. While those scores don't beat those of the iPad Air with M3 – and we wouldn’t expect them to – they show that the latest entry-level iPad isn’t any slouch. It matches up pretty clearly without everyday use.

It’s also a highly efficient chip, and it’s paired with a 28.93Wh rechargeable battery inside, which is the same-size cell as in the 11-inch iPad Air with M3. Apple promises up to 10 hours of video playback or surfing the web over Wi-Fi, and up to nine hours on cellular. A better benchmark is that the iPad A16 can last for a full workday of use, depending on the apps you're using. It ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable and a power brick in the box, allowing you to recharge when needed.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPad 11th Gen: Should you buy it?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	With double the starting storage and the same starting prices as well as the A16 chip and promised future software updates, the entry-level iPad strikes a great value posistion.	4.5/5
Design	The entry-level still looks like a modern tablet with a higher-end design over competitors and support for Touch ID.	4/5
Display	Everything from streaming movies to browsing the web with calls, games, and editing in between looks great, I just wish it got a little brighter to combat using it outside on sunny days.	4/5
Cameras	The CenterStage functionality of the front-facing camera makes this a great device for calls.	4/5
Software	iPadOS 16 runs really well here and gives you basic multitasking and supports the Apple Pencil.	4/5
Performance	The A16 isn't a huge leap over the A14 Bionic and doesn't support Apple Intelligence, but it keeps things running very smoothly and lets you use the iPad for really any conceivable task.	4.5/5

Buy it if...

You have an aging iPad or other tablet

Apple's latest entry-level iPad makes a lot of sense if you have an older iPad (maybe something beyond the 9th Gen) or another tablet and have been wanting better performance, battery life, or a larger screen. View Deal

You want an iPad for the basics and then some

With 128GB of starting storage, an excellent 10.9-inch screen, and the A16 chip, the 11th Gen iPad works exceptionally well for a broad range of tasks, including work and entertainment.View Deal

You don't want to spend a ton

With a starting price of $349/£329/AU$599, this is the most affordable way to enter Apple's iPad lineup in terms of a new model.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You need more power

If you want an iPad that can rival the best laptops and serve as your one device for everything, you'll likely want to consider the M3-powered iPad Air or the iPad Pro with M4.View Deal

Your current iPad is working just fine

Considering that even the 9th Gen iPad will receive iPadOS 16 later in 2025, if your current iPad still meets your needs, then you don't need to make the upgrade just yet.View Deal

Also Consider

Apple iPad Air with M3 (2025)

With the 11-inch size just as portable as the 11th Gen base iPad, the Air is all about speeding things up even further, featuring a better screen that doesn't have issues operating on a bright, sunny day, and the ability to pair it with an even better Magic Keyboard.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

It's our pick for the best Android tablet for most folks, and the Galaxy Tab S9 really toes the line of being an excellent slate for both work and play, nearly as well as the iPad.View Deal

Apple iPad 11th Gen: How I Tested

I spent several weeks with the 11th Gen iPad (A16) in Pink, using it with a few Apple-made accessories, including the Magic Keyboard Folio, a Smart Folio, a first-generation Apple Pencil, and the Apple Pencil USB-C. I first unboxed the iPad and then set it up as a new tablet, before beginning to install my usual apps to start using it.

I tested the new, entry-level iPad alongside the new iPad Air with M3 for a few days, conducting comparison testing to see how the two similar iPads, in terms of build, hold up.

I also tried to use the iPad A16 as my primary device for testing. I use the iPad for a broad range of tasks, including much of my job, like responding to Slack, emails, editing photos or videos, and writing and editing stories. I also streamed hours of content from some of the best streaming services and played several games on the tablet.

Wild Hearts S isn’t exactly definitive, but I’m glad the underrated monster hunting game has a home on Switch 2

3:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming Nintendo | Comments: Off

Review information

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2 (originally released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC)
Release date: July 25, 2025

Wild Hearts S is the Nintendo Switch 2 port of the 2023 action game, developed by Dynasty Warriors team Omega Force, and this time published in-house at Koei Tecmo. No longer an EA Originals title, Wild Hearts S has been given a chance to shine on Nintendo’s new hardware. So how does it fare?

Well, performance and visuals are a mixed bag. Wild Hearts S targets 60 frames per second (fps), but unfortunately rarely meets that goal. Instead, frame rate can fluctuate wildly, especially in busy, visually dense areas. Graphics on Switch 2 are also noticeably worse than the original PS5 and Xbox Series X|S release, with greatly simplified textures and geometry. Thankfully, the kemono (Wild Hearts’ term for monsters) still look and animate fantastically, as does your player character.

Thankfully, it never reaches a point that I’d call outright unplayable. If you can get used to the performance and presentational downgrades, Wild Hearts S is a solid port of an underrated game that was never able to leave the long, wyvern-like shadow cast by Capcom’s Monster Hunter series.

Far from being an uninspired clone or quickly-made cash-in, Wild Hearts brings plenty of its own ideas to the monster-hunting subgenre. Its karakuri system is fantastic, as it lets players quickly place down contraptions that are useful for both combat and traversal. Its roster of weapons is interesting, too, with each category falling squarely in that satisfying ‘easy to learn, hard to master’ stable.

It’s a game that I strongly believe doesn’t get enough credit for the things it does right. But that’s not to say there aren’t some frustrating elements. Overall movement can feel a bit stiff, the camera can be your worst enemy, and even early game kemono punish new players hard by hitting like trucks.

But if you’re willing to overlook its shortcomings - and a relative lack of polish compared to Capcom’s flagship franchise - there’s plenty to love about Wild Hearts S.

Real face

Wild Hearts S — (Image credit: Koei Tecmo)

The main drive of Wild Hearts is that you’re a hunter from a distant land, trying to find a new purpose away from the chaos of the world. You’re drawn to a land ravaged by deadly beasts - known as kemono - and decide to help the town of Minato rebuild and fight back against the threat these creatures pose.

The story is as basic as it gets, but it’s certainly not offensively bad. It’s very much a vehicle to guide you from monster to monster, location to location. What is neat, though, is that the four main areas outside of Minato are massive, and each is inspired by a different season of the year.

After a brief tutorial, which introduces you to some basic combat against smaller monsters and the awesome karakuri system (more on that soon), you’ll have a chance to create your character. If you’ve done character creation in other Koei Tecmo games, like Nioh 2 or Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, it’s very similar here with plenty of options to customize your appearance, hairstyle, and cosmetics. Definitely one of those where you can literally spend your first hour perfecting your look.

Threads of fate

Your initial run of hunts in Wild Hearts will gradually introduce you to the karakuri system, which is easily my favorite part of the game. Karakuri are wooden, mechanical contraptions that you can spawn instantly from a quick-select menu, and there are tons of different types that aid you in both combat and traversal.

The most basic of these is a stackable box, which can either help you climb to high ledges or allow you to jump into the air for a plunging attack. Springs, meanwhile, can propel you over gaps or let you lunge at a monster for a surprise attack. These and more have multiple uses, providing a good amount of depth to the game.

That’s kind of a running theme with most karakuri devices - they’ll almost always have more than one use. The game doesn’t always spell out the uses to you outright, either, so there’s plenty of room for experimentation.

Furthermore, some karakuri can combine into larger, more powerful devices. Stacking six boxes creates a bulwark, for example, which can stop charging beasts dead in their tracks. Elsewhere, three torches stacked together create a firework that can ground flying beasts.

Naturally, these hybrid karakuri are more expensive to spawn (the system has its own ‘currency’ called thread, which you can gather from rocks, trees and so on), and outside of tutorial moments introducing you to their uses for the first time, it’s largely up to you to figure out when best to deploy them against specific monsters.

Maybe what I love most about karakuri is that you can place them literally anywhere on the open map. Struggling to locate a monster? Pop down a radar tower to scan the surroundings. Need to cross a large swath of land? The flying vine can zip you over there in a flash. What if you need an extra fast travel point? You can set up a base camp and various amenities anywhere you want. It’s an impressively fluid and dynamic system, and one that can help you shape any hunting ground in your favor.

Hunter monster

Wild Hearts’ core objective of hunting large monsters may sound part and parcel for the subgenre, but its pace is decidedly different from that of Capcom’s Monster Hunter series, especially. In Wild Hearts, there’s nothing in the way of item management, and food buffs can be applied at any time, just while you’re out in the field.

That may disappoint some looking for something a bit more slow-paced and preparatory. But Wild Hearts does make up for this in its fast-paced action, aggressive monsters, and its interesting take on build variety.

To start, Wild Hearts handles weapon categories pretty differently from what you might expect. The karakuri katana, for example, is perhaps the easiest to understand. It builds meter as you attack, and when full, it can transform into a whip-like weapon with a powerful, modified move set.

Best bit

Wild Hearts S’s karakuri system is a creative and innovative addition to the monster hunting subgenre, greatly expanding traversal and combat possibilities. Examples include planting a spring to launch yourself at a monster for a surprise attack or placing a zipline to cross massive distances quickly. It’s awesome, and I hope we get to see the system expand in a potential sequel someday.

The karakuri staff is a bit more interesting. It morphs between four forms - each with its own move set - with a carefully timed press of ‘ZR’, and these morph attacks build meter when connecting with a monster. At full gauge, you can morph the weapon into a comically large buster sword, unleashing diabolical amounts of damage. It’s a very risky weapon, though; the sword combo is slow and locks you in place, while knowing the best time to morph the weapon is a learning experience in and of itself.

The bladed wagasa is similarly risky, rewarding successfully-timed parries with massive damage. However, my favorite has to be the claw blade, which has a hook you can embed into a creature before swinging around and towards it like a deranged, combat-ready George of the Jungle.

The way you go about upgrading weapons and armor is really interesting, too. Each weapon type has a universal skill tree, which branches off into weapons you can create from various monster parts. While you can beeline from the start of the tree to your desired weapon, it actually can pay dividends to plan out a route on the skill tree that provides unlockable traits which you can carry over to the final build. You don’t need to worry about wasting materials if you mess up or change your mind, either, as you can reset the tree at any time for a small gold fee, refunding all materials used.

Armor is a similar story, most featuring unique skills like increased health or dodging distance while out on a hunt. The key thing here, though, is a gauge that tilts in either a ‘human’ or ‘kemono’ direction depending on which pieces you have equipped. This is important as certain skills will only become active if you’re in the right spot on this gauge, either on the human or kemono side. You can also make human or kemono-inspired versions of armor sets after crafting the base piece, to further influence the gauge.

It’s a really interesting approach that reminded me of how Monster Hunter players craft hybrid sets that target specific skill activations. In Wild Hearts’ case, you may have to sacrifice some defence or elemental resistances in order to get the skills you want, again bringing an element of risk-versus-reward to gameplay. It’s cool.

What's the 'S' for?

So what are the big differences in the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Wild Hearts? Well, the game now supports multiplayer for up to four players, an increase from the original release’s three. It’s unfortunately not crossplay, though, which makes Wild Hearts S an independent experience that’ll live or die on the Switch 2’s player base. Another slight downer is that the game doesn’t support voice chat, so you’ll need to rely on GameChat or an app like Discord when playing with friends.

Wild Hearts S does pack in all of the original’s post-launch support from the get-go at least. That includes additional kemono and quests, though there isn’t anything brand new or exclusive to this Switch 2 version that you wouldn’t have seen in the original 2023 package.

Aside from four player multiplayer, then, it’s all sounding like a bit of a downgrade so far. And if you were hoping for a fresh, transformative experience compared to the original release, you’re going to be let down. What doesn’t help here is that the game on Switch 2 does look noticeably worse in the visuals department, and performance can be rocky at the best of times.

Wild Hearts S does at least boast some pretty impressive load times, and quality-of-life features have been implemented. These include buffs to certain weapons and armor sets, as well as a reduced frequency of how often kemono will flee to another area (which was a huge gripe I had with the original).

Otherwise, while the port itself certainly leaves a lot to be desired, Wild Hearts S is still a great and more affordable version of the original at retail price. There’s a ton of content to sink your teeth into here, especially if you’re looking for something different in the lull period between Monster Hunter Wilds patches. It’s definitely not as polished or long-lasting as Capcom’s game, but there are plenty of fresh, fun ideas in Wild Hearts that absolutely make it worth checking out.

Should you play Wild Hearts S?

Play it if...

You want a unique take on the monster-hunting subgenre
Wild Hearts has plenty of ideas all of its own, including the innovative karakuri system and an interesting take on weapon and armor upgrades.

You’ll have friends to play with on Switch 2
Wild Hearts S has support for four players via online multiplayer. If you know some friends who’re interested in picking up this release, then you’ll probably have a blast.

Don't play it if...

You were hoping for pristine performance
There have been some impressive Switch 2 ports on the performance front, like Street Fighter 6 and Cyberpunk 2077, but Wild Hearts S isn’t quite there with a notable drop in fidelity and performance that often can’t sit still.

Accessibility

There’s a healthy amount of accessibility options in Wild Hearts S, which could be a knock-on effect of Koei Tecmo working with Electronic Arts for the original release. EA is typically on point when it comes to accessibility options, too, so to see them maintained in this Switch 2 version is great.

You’re getting a suite of colorblind options here for the game’s user interface - protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia - as well as subtitle customization including size, color, and background opacity. You can also change the size of in-game text in general, alter how long you need to hold a button down for certain prompts, and force monophonic audio from all sources.

How I reviewed Wild Hearts S

I’ve put 15 hours into Wild Hearts S on Nintendo Switch 2. Having played through the original release on Xbox Series X back in the day, I was already greatly familiar with the game, and I enjoyed it as much now as I did back in 2023. That said, the Switch 2 version doesn’t offer much in the way of substantial additions or improvements, so the overall experience is very similar.

I largely played in docked mode on an LG CX OLED TV, using the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller as my go-to gamepad. I also spent some time in handheld mode, but performance is predictably worse here, so I stuck to TV play as much as I could.

Google Chrome Enterprise Review: Features, Usage, and Competition

1:49 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Browsers Chrome Computers Computing Gadgets Internet | Comments: Off

Chrome Enterprise is Google’s enterprise-centric version of its popular Chrome browser. With Chrome Enterprise, businesses get the ability to remotely manage the browser and its various aspects, for all their employees across the company.

They can, for instance, manage and control the use of web apps, and extensions, and can influence all kinds of browser settings. Chrome Enterprise also offers several security controls, protects against malware and phishing attempts, and even offers data loss prevention functionality.

This is especially useful these days as web browsers have emerged as a doorway to cyberattacks. In fact, several security reports have shown that a majority of security breaches hit companies through their browsers.

This doesn’t come as a surprise since the growth of cloud-based applications, and powerful SaaS platforms, combined with the accelerated adoption of remote working, has helped transform the web browser into an all-in-one workstation.

Here’s everything you want to know about Chrome Enterprise and whether it’s the best web browser for your business.

Chrome Enterprise: Features

Google Chrome enterprise browser review — (Image credit: Google)

Chrome Enterprise is built around the Chrome web browser and inherits all its security features, and productivity enhancements.

For instance, Chrome Enterprise too runs every web page and web app in an isolated environment of its own to protect other tabs against malicious code. You also get Google’s Gemini AI to help create content and summarize information, as well as improve your search with Google Lens.

Besides the regular browser features, Chrome Enterprise also gets you a cloud-based management and reporting interface for free in the form of Chrome Enterprise Core.

After signing up for Chrome Enterprise Core, IT admins can control how your employees use their browsers, from a single console, irrespective of whether they use Windows machines, Linux distros, MacBooks, and Macs, or even iOS and Android devices.

The IT department can segregate browsers into multiple groups for fine-tuned control. This allows them to define and implement different policies for different departments, different job profiles, and even different offices. They can, for instance, mandate certain extensions for the sales team, while disabling them for remote developers.

Talking of extensions, you can use Chrome Enterprise Core to allow, block, force-install or pin Chrome extensions, and even enable your employees to request extensions. IT admins can also remotely send commands to the browser, for example, to delete browser caches or cookies, and tweak all kinds of settings.

In addition to controlling the browsers, Chrome Enterprise also offers detailed reports on the browser’s deployment and use across your organization. You get the ability to view all versions of Chrome installed in your company, along with all the installed web apps and extensions. It’ll also help you keep track of things such as browser crashes, password reuse and more.

For more advanced security and data protections, you can subscribe to Chrome Enterprise Premium, which costs $6/user/month. This will get you additional controls to enforce policies, detailed security reporting functions, and more.

Chrome Enterprise: Privacy

The biggest advantage with Chrome Enterprise is that it enables centralized browser management. This helps reduce privacy risks by enabling knowledgeable IT admins make informed decisions on behalf of the employees, not all of whom will be well-versed with the dangers lurking on the web.

Chrome Enterprise benefits from Chrome’s malware and phishing protections, and will also prevent users from visiting harmful sites. It’ll also help the IT department keep an eye on the use of extensions and their behavior, for instance, if they are accessing cookies.

Chrome Enterprise also helps cure some of Chrome’s nefarious privacy-invading features. For instance, it’ll help you control your users’ ad privacy settings, and override whether the browser sends usage statistics and crash-related data to Google.

This is especially useful as depending on how it’s configured, the usage stats include details such as memory usage, button clicks, as well as web page URLs and other personal information. Similarly, crash reports contain system information at the time of the crash, and even URLs, and personal information depending on what the user was doing when the crash reporting was activated.

Chrome Enterprise: Ease of use

The management console of Chrome Enterprise Core is fairly intuitive and easy to navigate, which, Google claims, makes it accessible to IT admins of varying technical skill levels. It helps IT define and enforce policies and browser configurations across different operating systems and devices using a point-and-click interface that’s easy on the eyes.

It also helps ease the process of managing a large number of devices, as all browser settings and policies are controlled from a single console.

The cloud-based management console has interactive setup guides that’ll take admins through the entire setup and configuration process. The process to enroll browsers is straightforward and well-documented with detailed OS-specific instructions.

Chrome Enterprise: Competitors

Chrome Enterprise is built around the regular Google Chrome browser, and has all the features you’d expect from a modern desktop and mobile web browser. As an everyday browser, it’s right up there with the best such as Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and their ilk.

The primary competition for Chrome Enterprise Core comes from other enterprise-focused browser management solutions. Different enterprise browsers have different capabilities and go about securing the browser differently.

One of the first enterprise browsers in the market was Island. While Chrome Enterprise takes pride in its management capabilities, especially for large-scale deployments, Island offers fairly detailed reports about how the users are using the web, as well as granular security controls.

Other popular enterprise browsers include the Citrix Enterprise Browser whose USP is its seamless integration with the Citrix Workspace platform. There’s also Microsoft Edge for Business that similarly offers tight integration with Microsoft 365 applications like Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive.

In addition to standalone browsers, you also get products that operate much like browser extensions. They are designed to make regular internet browsers act like enterprise browsers. Solutions like LayerX Enterprise Browser Extension, and Red Access add extra security layers to your existing browser, saving your employees the effort to switch to a completely new browser.

Chrome Enterprise: Final verdict

Chrome Enterprise offers the familiarity of the Chrome web browser along with the centrally managed advantages of an enterprise browser.

You can sign up for Chrome Enterprise Core for $0, which makes it affordable to even the smallest of organizations. Chrome Enterprise is a good option for businesses with mixed device environments, and even more so for those that need to strengthen their BYOD policies.

The product’s central management console is fairly intuitive and well-documented for IT admins, and presents a familiar user experience to end users. Combined with its no-cost tier Chrome Enterprise presents itself as a must-try option for any business looking for an enterprise browser.

Try secure private browsing with the best VPN service.

I’ve used the NiSi V7 kit for a long time, and it’s the best filter holder I’ve used by a long shot

12:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Camera Accessories Cameras Computers Gadgets | Comments: Off

NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL: two-minute review

When it comes to square filter holders, they’re surely all the same, aren’t they? In terms of basic design, they are, but build quality, functionality and value are another matter. For me, the NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL is one of the best professional 100mm filter holders available, with an impressive performance that belies its attractive price.

100mm filter holders are typically used with lenses as wide as 15mm full-frame (or 10mm for APS-C). For lenses wider than this, you’ll need to move up to a cumbersome and painfully expensive 150mm square filter system.

150mm filters are also so large that they simply look ridiculous, and I have chuckled watching other photographers on location with me wrestle with their window pane-sized filters. But I digress.

The advantage of the Nisi V7 kit, like many 100mm filter holders, is that you can use up to three square filters at once alongside a polarising filter. So, that’s ND graduated filters, ND filters, color correction filters and special effects filters. Are three slots overkill? Definitely not – I often require all three slots when shooting in tricky lighting conditions while controlling exposure times.

One thing that I love about the NiSi V7 kit is that you get four adaptor rings, which means you can use the holder with four filter thread sizes straight away. These include 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, plus the main ring which has an 82mm thread. This covers the vast majority of landscape photography lenses, plus you can also buy adaptor rings for other sizes separately if you need them. For example, I own a 62mm ring that allows me to use square filters with my macro lens.

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NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL case on a branch — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL case attached to a tripod leg — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL adaptor rings — (Image credit: James Abbott)

The V7 filter holder isn’t really suitable for smaller lenses with smaller filter threads, say in the 39mm to 67mm range. For example, I own some small Fujifilm prime lenses, plus some Micro Four Thirds lenses, for which the NiSi M75 II with True Color NC CPL is a better fit. The downside with this smaller holder only is that it only has two filter slots alongside the rear-mounted polarizing filter, rather than three.

Build quality of the V7 kit is excellent and the overall design is reasonably compact. The holder is a CNC-machined single block of matte black coated aeronautical aluminum, with three plastic filter holder slots screwed onto the front. The polarizing filter screws into the main ring, locking in place at around a 10-degree turn, while the holder clips onto the main ring and can be locked in place to avoid detachment of the two parts.

The main ring is also an 82mm adaptor ring, and is attached to the smaller adaptor rings when a smaller thread than 82mm is required. Practically speaking, these are best attached to the lens before the holder is attached. The polarizer can be rotated using a couple of small dials on the rear of the main ring. You can also use any 100mm square filters with this holder.

The advantage of the rear positioning of the polarizing filter is that the filter holder doesn’t vignette with lenses as wide as 15mm. NiSi even says that the Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4S doesn’t vignette at 14mm, although I haven't tried that lens with the holder. The rival LEE Filters LEE100 Polarizer mounts at the front, thereby creating a vignette with ultra wide-angle lenses – meaning Nisi has the advantage in this regard.

Unlike cheap polarizers, the supplied True Color NC CPL also produces clean images with no color casts at different rotations, which is exactly what you want.

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NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL front view attached to a lens — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL rear view with a filter in place — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL lock detail — (Image credit: James Abbott)

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NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL polarizing filter being held — (Image credit: James Abbott)

In my experience, some filter holders can also be too tight, making it hard to slot filters in and out, to the point that this can risk accidental damage.

The V7, thankfully, provides just the right amount of resistance that filters are secure, but they’re easy enough to slot in and out of the holder when it’s attached to the front of your lenses.

The downside to a system like this, however, is that a set of filters and the holder take up space in your kit bag and can weigh more than other types of filters.

As magnetic and stackable filters are growing in popularity, you may be wondering what place there is for larger, heavier and more expensive square filters. The simple answer is ND grads. With square filters, you can get everything as right as possible in-camera, including the sky exposure.

With magnetic filters, the price you pay is no ND grads, so while you get a polariser, NDs and other types of filters depending on the kit, you have to shoot HDR to maintain sky detail. That naturally means you have to take more shots and spend more time at the computer editing. For me, square filters remain the optimal option for landscape photography.

NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL: key specs

Filter slots	Three
Adaptor rings	67, 72, 77, 82mm
Polarizing filter	True Color NC CPL
Case included	Yes
Lens cap	Yes

NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL price and availability

The NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL costs $259 / £199 / AU$389, which is an incredible price considering what’s included in the kit: a Filter Holder for three 100mm filters and a CPL, an 82mm main ring with polarizing adjustment, a True Color NC CPL (removable), three adapter rings (67/72/77), a soft case and a V7 Lens Cap.

To provide a point of reference, the LEE Filters LEE100 Polarizer filter alone costs as much as the NiSi V7 kit.

There are V7 kits available that also include several filters and offer excellent value for money compared to purchasing separately. The NiSi Starter Kit – V7 – 100mm Filters costs $499 / £345 / AU$849 and includes most of the above, a few additional accessories, a 3-stop medium GND and a 10-stop ND filter.

If you already own 100mm filters and would simply like a new filter holder, the NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL is perfect for you. If you’re getting started with 100mm filters, I’d recommend the NiSi Starter Kit – V7 – 100mm Filters or one of the other kits that come with filters, because you will save money and have several filters to use from the get-go.

NiSi square filters themselves are expensive. They’re optically fantastic and made of high-quality optical glass, but expect to pay in the region of $245 / £95 /AU$279 per filter. The glass used is much better than traditional resin square filters in many ways, but they do cost more.

Should I buy the NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL?

NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL front view attached to a lens with a filter attached — (Image credit: James Abbott)

Buy it if...

You need a pro filter holder

This is a professional filter holder kit offering excellent performance and several extremely useful accessories.

You want incredible value

While not cheap, the NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL is a high-quality professional filter holder at an affordable price, certainly versus LEE filters. For me, it's a bargain.

Don't buy it if...

You’d prefer lighter weight filters

The weight of square filters does add up once you factor in several glass filters, so you may find magnetic circular filters are better for you.

You don’t require ND Grads

The main reason to have square filters is to combine NDs and corrective filters with ND grads. So, if you don’t use ND grads, square filters aren’t for you.

How I tested the NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL

Long-term test
Tested with a variety of lenses
Used for landscape, cityscape and astrophotography

I've tested the NiSi V7 with True Color NC CPL over many years, with a range of different NiSi filters in different combinations, for subjects including landscape, cityscape and astrophotography.

As my go-to filter holder, I've also used it with a wide range of lenses, including zooms and primes, ranging between 16mm and 200mm on a full-frame camera.

With nearly 30 years of photographic experience and 17 years working as a photography journalist, I’ve used many of the cameras and lenses that have been released in that time. As a working photographer, I aim to test cameras, lenses and accessories from a photographer’s point of view.

First reviewed July 2025

Pro goals make Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 the best skateboarding game to date, and I can’t get enough

10:00 pm | July 23, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Comments: Off

Review information

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Release date: July 11, 2025

To be frank, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 didn’t have a particularly tough job on its hands. Five years prior, the 1 + 2 remake landed during the Covid-19 pandemic and reminded us that the series was an absolute gem, actually, despite what Pro Skater 5 led us to believe in 2015, so all this remake had to do was match the quality of the last installment.

Even though development transferred from Vicarious Visions to Iron Galaxy, it’s safe to say they smashed it out of the park with a fantastic nostalgia hit, complete with all-new content, and I’m hooked all over again.

The start of a new era

When I played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 almost five years ago, I had goosebumps as I rolled down that first ramp in the Warehouse level, struggling to fathom that I was really experiencing this game that comprised so much of my childhood again, but this time looking a heck of a lot better.

That moment never came with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, but that's not a slight. In fact, I'd argue it's a compliment, because those goosebumps were thanks to the novelty of playing those games again, whereas we're now fortunate enough for this to be a semi-regular release, provided we get a remake of Tony Hawk's Underground next, anyway.

Back in the day, some may argue the series peaked with the third game. Pro Skater 3 was the best version that was just all about performing sick combos, completing objectives such as the SKATE letters or impressing pro skaters for the sake of it, essentially making each level a skateboarding sandbox. Pro Skater 4 took these goals a tiny step further by giving them context. The SKATE letters need collecting because the janitor tasks you with tidying up, for example.

This has been removed from the remake, and while there was outrage initially, it turns out it was blown considerably out of proportion. Sure, the Pro Skater 4 levels in the remake lose a little bit of charm, no longer having NPCs to actually talk to, but it means the game retains its fast-paced flow better, and the whole package feels like a single game. Keeping that part would be a touch disjointing, going from the THPS 3 levels without those NPCs, to the THPS 4 levels with them, despite this being one game now.

Passing the torch

Iron Galaxy has proved itself more than capable of handling the Tony Hawk series from here onwards, though, because once again, I've spent hours upon hours grinding through the levels, completing all of the goals, including the pro ones.

At the time of writing, THPS 3 is 100% complete, and I have just a few levels in 4 left to go, and frankly, it's been hard to put the controller down. Watching back footage of the original games shows just how impressive and fluid the remake feels now, and even though mechanics like skitching and acid drops didn't feature in the original THPS 3, the fact that both games are identical mechanically now is a huge positive.

Best bit

There are a few new levels that weren't in the original games, and the last one, Pinball, is a delight to explore, with plenty of secrets and hidden areas.

The only complaint I have, and it may well be anecdotal, is that 3 + 4 feels slightly buggier than 1 + 2 did when I rinsed it for weeks on end five years back. I've glitched through the world a couple of times, got stuck bouncing on the ground where the game thinks my skater is in mid-air, but they're not, and every now and then it feels like my button inputs don't entirely register correctly.

I'd be remiss not to mention the soundtrack too because it's such an important component of any Tony Hawk game. It's safe to say the originals had a significant bearing on my music tastes throughout my entire life so far because these days, I love a mosh pit and some heavy metal or pop punk, but there aren't quite as many tracks retained from the prior soundtracks as I'd have liked.

That said, they have included some incredible, more modern bands, such as Turnstile, Idles, and 100 gecs. Huge shout out to Boys in the Better Land by Fontaines DC, too, which is such a perfect fit, and don't worry, folks; Motorhead's Ace of Spades hasn't gone anywhere.

Crowning a new king

It's hard to argue that this isn't the best skateboarding game of all time, to be honest. The amount of content is staggering, and while some folks may prefer something more realistic like the Skate series - somewhere you can't perform The 900 into a revert, followed by 50+ more tricks all in the same combo. After all, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is very much an arcade game; it's the Need For Speed to Skate's Gran Turismo.

Once you beat all the levels and complete every goal in both games, you unlock pro goals, which are essentially five even more difficult objectives to complete in each level. Beat all of these, and you get your hands on solo tour mode, which gives each individual skater a unique goal in each level depending on their skateboarding style.

Then you have speedrun mode, which allows you to set the highest score you can on different levels and enter leaderboards, along with create-a-park to either design your own level or play those made by the community. Oh, and there's multiplayer, which is endless fun in and of itself. Then there's a bunch of customization options and collectibles to find in each level, plus challenges, including two expert categories which will likely take you a long time to complete.

This is, quite frankly, a no-brainer to pick up if you've enjoyed a single Tony Hawk game in the past. It's one of the best video game remakes in recent memory, and even levels that have a completely different aesthetic now have been improved tenfold. If you haven't played one for many years, then it may be a somewhat steep learning curve, especially for the harder objectives. But it's not too tricky to pick up if you're happy chaining together some kickflips and bluntslides, rather than going for million-plus score combos.

Even the product placement, which usually feels incredibly on the nose, is so well integrated here, with brands such as Vans and Red Bull placed in natural-feeling spots. Although I don't think there's actually a Vans shop right on Trafalgar Square in London, but then again, I also don't think Trafalgar Square is full of quarter-pipes and ramps. Could be mistaken, though.

Should you play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4?

Play it if...

You played the original games 20+ years ago
This remake is so well done, even if you don't think you'll be as skilled as you used to be, experiencing these two games from so long ago remade in such clarity and with so many small enhancements is worth it alone.

You love an arcade sports game
Tony Hawk games are never about realism, so 3 + 4 is wacky and wonderful in the sense that you can combo 50+ tricks as if your skater has robotic legs that don't get tired, all while chasing a van around London's Trafalgar Square with a nearly-nude man with an elephant mask on in the back.

Don't play it if...

You didn't play the originals, or you don't have the time to learn the skillset
Getting really good at a Tony Hawk game is hard, and 3 + 4 is no different. You may get frustrated if you don't have the nostalgia aspect in your favour and you're struggling to beat some of the score goals.

Accessibility

You cannot remap the base controls, but you can choose which button combos individual tricks are applied to, and you can choose between wallplants being either a one or two-button press.

The camera can be inverted, lots of HUD options can be toggled, and if you're struggling, you can enable assists such as perfect balance on rails, manuals, and lip tricks, and you can turn off bails entirely.

How I reviewed Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4

According to my in-game time played, I have sunk 13 hours and 30 minutes into Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 so far, all on a base PS5 with a DualSense controller. This was entirely in the fidelity graphics mode on a Samsung QN88C 55" TV and a Samsung HWMS650 soundbar.

I've entirely completed all of the THPS 3 content, and I'm around halfway through the levels in THPS 4, and while I've given multiplayer a spin, I haven't spent too much time in it. I have also played around with some custom-made levels, both playing community-made ones and making my own.

Weeks testing the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 convinced me flip phones are the best phones – and I won’t be going back to flat

7:25 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: Samsung Galaxy | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Two-minute review

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue in hand showing basic widget info. onthe cover display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is a great flip phone that gives you the best of Samsung’s mobile might in a package that’s innovative and polished. To say it’s an improvement over past Galaxy Flip phones would be an understatement – this is the Flip I’ve been asking Samsung to make for years.

It’s not quite the best flip phone you can buy, but that’s because flip phones have gotten really good; and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 makes a perfect argument for why flip phones may be today’s best form factor.

Think about it, what’s better than a flip foldable? The Galaxy Z Flip 7 has a huge screen – the same 6.9 inches as the mighty Galaxy S25 Ultra – but it’s smaller and lighter in every way, even before you fold it in half. And instead of the Ultra’s questionable S Pen, the Flip 7 gives you a whole second screen to use. On top of that, it costs $200 / £200 / AU$550 less than an Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue open at a 3/4 angle showing the back — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Flip phones just make too much sense, so what’s stopping them from being more popular? First, there’s the durability question. The seventh generation of Samsung’s flip phones still can’t keep dust out, though it can handle being dunked in water thanks to its IP48 rating.

Second, there are sacrifices required to make a folding phone, and the cameras are a downgrade from other Galaxy phones. This year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 got a 200MP main camera, but the Flip 7 keeps its 50MP cameras on the back. There’s no zoom, only wide and ultra-wide. A 200MP sensor would have alleviated the disappointment of not having a 3x telephoto lens or better.

Finally, the battery takes a hit with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 – maybe too big of a hit. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 doesn’t last long enough. I think this is more of a Samsung problem than a flip phone problem, because the Moto Razr Ultra offers great battery life, though it is marginally thicker and heavier than the Flip 7.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue next to a Moto Razr Ultra botrh showing TechRadar.com on the cover display — A Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 (left) and Galaxy Z Flip 7 (right) with TechRadar on the cover displays (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

It’s impossible to avoid comparing the Flip 7 to the Motorola Razr Ultra / Razr 60 Ultra, which is its biggest competitor (for now, Apple?). Samsung should be thrashing the Razr, but Motorola has been consistently eating Samsung’s lunch in the flip phone café.

With the Flip 7, Samsung finally catches up to Motorola on the cover display. Its cover display doesn’t just fill the front of the phone, it features the thinnest bezels Samsung has ever used on a Galaxy phone screen.

The Flip 7 can also, albeit with some difficulty, use every app on the cover display. You can navigate with AllTrails maps, watch some TikTok, and play Vampire Survivors without opening the phone.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue with Vampire Survivors on the cover display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Still, as Samsung takes a big leap forward, Motorola continues its slow and steady pace as the flip-phone frontrunner. Today’s Razr Ultra is faster than the Galaxy Flip 7 in every way. The processor is faster; games run faster; the screen refreshes faster; the battery even charges faster.

Does all of that speed matter? Yes, but some folks will appreciate Samsung’s deep feature set and customization options more than a bit of extra speed.

Samsung’s One UI 8 is a powerhouse, especially if you mix business and pleasure on your smartphone. The Flip 7 also ships with Android 16, and this is the first time Samsung foldable buyers haven’t had to wait for an upgrade to the latest version of Android.

Samsung promises seven years of major Android updates and security patches, more than any competitor except Google. It has a good track record of delivering on such promises, while many Motorola fans are still waiting for promised updates for past Razr phones.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue partially open showing TechRadar.com on the display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Is it time to consider a flip phone? Absolutely. As you’ve probably noticed, I’m a fan of flip foldables, and the Flip 7, with its versatile cover display, rock-solid design, and hefty set of features, offers more value than the sum of its parts.

In fact, I think most people would appreciate the Flip 7, with its unique benefits, more than other phones that don’t make the same sacrifices.

Ask yourself, does your phone need that tiny zoom camera? Wouldn’t you rather have a phone you can slap shut and slip in your front pocket? And I use the cover display on my Galaxy Z Flip 7 far more than I use the S Pen on my Galaxy S25 Ultra.

I’m rooting for flip phones – and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is an exceptional flip for serious smartphone users.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review: Price and availability

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 on display with numerous devices showing New York City scenes on the cover display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Starts at $1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,799 for 256GB of storage
The best color – Mint – is a Samsung online exclusive

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 starts at $1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,799, which is the same price as last year’s Z Flip 6. The price seems reasonable to me, considering that you’re getting two displays for the price of one, plus glass that bends in half like a dang magic trick.

Galaxy Z Flip phones used to seem pricey, but the rest of the phone world has slowly crept up to meet Samsung, and now $1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,799 actually seems fair, especially if you’re getting this phone from your carrier with a steep discount (most US carriers offer it for free with a new contract).

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 costs more than an iPhone 16 Pro (except in Australia, where it’s the same price), and less than an iPhone 16 Pro Max. It costs the same as a Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, or Samsung’s new and thin Galaxy S25 Edge.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue next. toa Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 in wood — The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 (left) is more expensive than the Galaxy Z Flip 7 (right) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Most importantly, the Flip 7 costs less than the new Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 in the US, where the Razr Ultra starts at $1,299. In the UK, the Razr 60 Ultra costs the same: £1,099. Motorola claims it has been outselling Samsung in flip phones, and its cheapest flip, the Razr 2023, is available for $349 in the US.

At launch, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 only comes in four colors, while last year’s Flip 6 was available in seven hues. Mint and Coralred are exciting (the former is a Samsung web store exclusive); Jetblack and Blue Shadow are more staid. I wish Samsung would try something unique with its materials and finish, but it likes to dress the entire product family in the same sweater for holiday portraits, so all the Galaxy phones look alike finish-wise.

Value score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review: Specification

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue showing the Quick Setting drop down menu — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

When Samsung admitted that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 would use its own Exynos 2500 processor instead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy found in every other flagship Galaxy phone this year, it was like a record scratch moment from a comedy show. Rumors suggest this could have been the CPU inside every Galaxy S25 phone, but Samsung changed its plans late in the game on those phones. Instead, this new Samsung chip debuts in the Galaxy Z Flip 7.

Samsung claims the Exynos 2500 is more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy that’s in last year’s Flip 6, and this lets the Flip 7 use Samsung DeX, a feature that was oddly omitted from last year’s Flip. I don’t buy it. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 had the same processor and the same RAM, and the Fold 6 could run DeX. Heck, even the Galaxy S24 FE with its mid-range Exynos 2400e chipset could run DeX. I’m calling shenanigans on this claim.

The display is bigger this year, up to 6.9 inches for the internal display from 6.7 inches last year, and the phone is 4mm wider to accommodate this. Otherwise, the specs are mostly unchanged from the Flip 6 – 12GB of RAM; a 50MP wide camera and a 12MP ultra-wide; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back cover. The battery is larger this year, but maybe not as big as it needs to be.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 specs
	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
Dimensions (folded):	85.5 x 75.2 x 13.7mm
Dimensions (unfolded):	166.7 x 75.2 x 6.5mm
Weight:	188g
Main display:	6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED 1080 x 2520 pixels 1~120Hz adaptive refresh 2,600 nits peak brightness
Cover display::	4.1-inch Super AMOLED 948 x 1048 pixels
Chipset:	Samsung Exynos 2500 (3nm)
RAM:	12GB
Storage:	256GB / 512GB
OS:	Android 16 / One UI 8
Primary camera:	50MP f1.8
Ultrawide camera:	12MP f2.2
Selfie Camera:	10MP f2.2
Battery:	4,300mAh
Charging:	25W wired; 15W wireless
Colors:	Blue Shadow, Jetblack, Coralred, Mint

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review: Design

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue folded like a tent — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Big and beautiful cover display with ultra-slim bezels
Nice colors, but design is a bit bland for a flip phone

After years of me complaining that the Galaxy Z Flip wasn’t using enough of its cover space for the front screen, Samsung finally listened (I’d like to think). The 4.1-inch screen on the front of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 takes up every possible inch – Samsung says it has the thinnest bezel ever on a Galaxy phone.

The Flip 7’s cover screen looks like the future of phone displays, and I’m excited for the internal screen to catch up, with a bezel this slim.

Otherwise, the phone is a standard 2025 Galaxy model. It has flat sides, with the power and volume buttons on the right. The power key acts as an effective fingerprint scanner, though it’s more recessed than the power button on other Galaxy phones, and it was hard to find in the dark.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue close up on the hinge and bending glass — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue showing a close up of the cover display bezels and camera lenses with a dirty filthy dog named Beesly on the display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue close up of the two camera lenses — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

My review sample is Blue Shadow, and the blue certainly has a nice depth to it, though I still wish the color had more pop – there’s not much room for color on a flip phone. Only one half of one side of the phone is actually blue; the rest is all display. Three quarters of the phone is a screen. Is that worrisome? Maybe it should be.

I’ve had the Galaxy Z Flip 7 a week and I’ve been using it extensively. I throw it into my bag with my car keys, and let it bang around with my cameras and other phones in my pockets.

I don’t have a case on it, but some friends at UAG are sending an armored case my way. It may be too late. My back glass – a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 panel – already has noticeable scuffs and scratches marring the shadowy blue. I don’t see any nicks on the screens, so that’s a plus, but I should have gotten that case before I started using this phone. Consider yourself advised.

Design score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Displays

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue in hand showing four widgets on the cover display including weather, now brief, calendar, and health monitor — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Big inner display is super-bright and clear
Cover screen is a showstopper – it’s the future of displays

I could rave about the new cover display again, but I’ll start with the impressive inner screen, because the Galaxy Z Flip 7 has been very satisfying to use thanks to this exceptionally bright and clear AMOLED. It was always a joy to open, even in bright outdoor light.

Don’t worry about the crease on the inner screen. It’s completely invisible when you’re using the phone, and it never bothered my fingers when I was swiping across the screen. After all these years it still feels like a magic trick to fold a piece of glass in half, and it still shocks friends who haven’t seen a flip foldable in person before.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s cover display is, as I’ve mentioned, also spectacular. The ultra-thin bezels make it seem to disappear, and you get plenty of room to work with apps and widgets on the 4.1-inch space. It’s a great improvement to the Flip line, and one I’ve been impatiently waiting to see.

Displays score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Software

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue at a 3/4 angle showing a home screen panel with the Edge Panels on screen — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The best flip for getting things done
Maybe too focused on productivity, not enough on fun

If you want a smartphone you can tweak and customize to your heart’s content, get a Samsung phone. If you prefer something simpler, you can still grit your teeth and ignore most of the settings, the pop-up features, and the extra steps required to make things work.

How bad is Samsung’s software? Take the cover display, for example. On the Motorola Razr, when you’re using an app and you close the phone, the app shows up on the cover display. That’s simple and intuitive. On the Galaxy Z Flip 7? Not even close.

To use an app on the front screen, you have to find the setting to enable apps on the cover display. This isn’t in the Cover Display settings menu; it’s in a menu called Advanced Settings, and then Labs.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue with a finger pointing at the Advanced Features Labs setting — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Labs. Can you imagine a more frightening way to hide a crucial feature? Why not just call it Dungeon?

And once you find Labs, you’ve only gotten started. You can enable a few pre-selected apps to work on the cover display – Maps, Messages, Netflix – or you can download another widget called Multistar from the Samsung Galaxy App Store.

Multistar creates a home screen that lives on your cover display, and on that screen you can add any app on your phone. On the cover, you swipe to the Multistar screen and tap the app you want to open.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue close up of the app icons on the cover display — Multistar on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 cover display (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Unfortunately, you can’t set any of this up on the cover display itself. You can’t even add widgets to the cover display without opening the phone. It feels like Samsung is still getting the hang of this whole cover-display thing, but the Flip7 is its best effort yet.

This complex procedure exemplifies Samsung’s software ‘philosophy,’ if it has one. The phone has lots of features, and they all work… somehow. Finding those features and making them work can feel like an endless chore, and then features work in a way that seems slapped together and haphazard.

I don’t want to open an app twice, on two different home screens, after loading a specialized widget hidden under three layers of settings. I just want to open an app, close my flip phone, and see the same app on the cover. Easy peasy.

Aside from those issues, I have many questions about Samsung’s AI strategy. The company has a habit of talking up features that never materialize. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 was supposed to have a special version of Google Gemini that could talk to me live while the flip screen was half closed, but I haven’t been able to find a mode that works that way.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue showing the Now Brief screen that says Wishing You Well Have a Special Day — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung’s Now Brief home screen widget and app is also a key selling point for its AI features, but it’s truly a useless bit of software. It never offers me more than the weather and the first few appointments on my company calendar, which are always people who scheduled a day off.

Samsung promised that this Now Brief and its Galaxy AI features would offer highly personalized information as the AI gets to know you through your Samsung devices and usage behavior. I carry multiple Samsung phones and wear a Galaxy Watch Ultra, and I’ve never seen anything personalized for my interests or habits.

Software score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Cameras

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue with cover display showing me taking a photo of myself — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Very good cameras with fun and useful features
Samsung is clearly tuning its cameras for more realistic photos

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 has a good set of cameras that took photos I enjoyed sharing. Images taken with Samsung cameras usually pop with bright colors and a highly-sharpened look, but I’ve noticed on the last couple of phones (this one and the Galaxy S25 Edge) that Samsung has been toning down this artificial look for a more natural photography style, closer to what the iPhone produces. I’m all for it.

Don’t worry, Samsung fans, you still get photos that look great, especially if you opt for Samsung’s specialized modes.

Samsung’s Portrait mode is probably the best on any smartphone. It isolated my subject neatly and blurred the background for a gorgeous look. Samsung’s Food mode is by far the best camera phone mode for taking food photos – I reach for my Galaxy phone whenever I bake something tasty and I want to share it.

Samsung’s AI editing features are also the best I’ve used on any smartphone. When you cut an unwanted person or object out of your photo, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 does a perfect job of filling in the gaps. If there are floor boards or vertical blinds behind them, it fills these in seamlessly.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue in hand showing the camera app interface — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Of course, the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s coolest camera trick is letting you use the cover display as your viewfinder for photos. You can take selfies at the full 50MP resolution when you point the main camera at yourself and use the cover display. You can also set the phone in an interesting position – way down low or hanging from up high – and then take shots with voice commands or by signaling the camera with a wave.

My only complaint is the lack of a real zoom lens. I have a kid who plays sports, and the digital zoom isn’t good enough to capture him on the field. If you take photos from far away often, you’ll miss the lack of real zoom. Maybe Samsung should try a zoom camera instead of an ultra-wide on the Flip 8.

Cameras: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Performance

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue in hand showing Vampire Survivors Game Over screen — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Performance is adequate, but not superlative
Exynos is not going to win over any fans from Snapdragon

In my real-world tests, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 performed well. I used it for a variety of complex tasks, including running two apps with one at the top and the other at the bottom of the inner screen, and plugged the phone into my monitor for the full Samsung DeX treatment.

I like Samsung DeX because I have all of my work accounts for email, Slack, and Google Drive on my phone, so when I use my phone I don’t need to log in again, as I do when I use my laptop. I just plug my phone into my USB-C laptop dock and get a little bit of work done, then unplug and go. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 was great at this, and I’m happy to see DeX on the Flip 7 after missing it on last year’s Flip 6.

That said, in benchmark tests it’s clear that the Samsung Exynos 2500 lags behind the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, and it’s a shame that the Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 run on different platforms.

In Future Labs tests, the Exynos 2500 did not beat the Galaxy S25’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy platform in a single test – not processor speed, graphics performance, web browsing, AI and machine learning tests, nor any other benchmark we run. In every way, the Exynos 2500 is inferior to the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Worst of all may be the chip’s power consumption, which I’ll get to in the next section. Samsung isn’t doing itself any favors by ditching one of the best mobile platforms I’ve ever used – the Snapdragon 8 Elite – and I hope it doesn’t ever make the same mistake again.

Performance: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Battery

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue lying flat facing the USB-C port on the bottom — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Battery life is unimpressive and charging should be faster
Could the Exynos platform be to blame?

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 usually lasted a full day in my testing, unless I used it extensively for taking and editing photos or playing games. On camera testing days, I needed to charge up to keep it going until bed time.

It could have been worse, but I wonder if the cover display makes a difference. After all, there were plenty of times when I used the cover when I might have used the full screen on a normal phone, and the inner screen certainly draws more power than the half-sized cover display.

The reason I was pessimistic about the battery life was the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s poor showing in Future Labs battery testing. The Z Flip 7 has a battery that’s 300mAh larger than the cell in the Z Flip 6, but it only delivers about 90 minutes more runtime in our rundown tests.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue folded with the always-on display showing the time on the cover display — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Compare that to the Motorola Razr Ultra, which uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. The Razr Ultra has a battery that’s 400mAh larger than the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s, but in our tests it lasted almost 6.5 hours longer than the Z Flip 7! The Z Flip 7 died in just under 12.5 hours in our lab tests, while the Razr Ultra lasted almost 19 hours.

I have to assume the Snapdragon is sipping power compared to Samsung’s Exynos chip, and that’s why the Razr Ultra lasts so much longer with only a slightly larger battery. Motorola’s displays are just as bright, and actually pack more pixels, which means they could draw more power. If it isn’t the display saving electricity, it must be the chipset.

Battery: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7?

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue in hand showing a firefly wallpaper that was generated by AI — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	Solid value considering you get two displays for the price of one, plus all of the technology Samsung packs inside. There are cheaper flip phones, but none that can do as much as the Flip 7.	4 / 5
Design	A nice design that will be familiar to Samsung fans. I still wish it were more exciting, and some scuffs during my review time left me more concerned about durability than before.	4 / 5
Display	Excellent displays inside and out. The inner display is bright and clear and a joy to use. The cover screen has the smallest bezels ever, and it's more useful than before.	5 / 5
Performance	The Flip 7 can do more than ever, but Samsung doesn’t make it easy. Expect hidden features, extra steps, and hacked-together solutions. Also, the AI features don’t seem fully baked.	3 / 5
Software	Nice cameras that tone down the saturation for a more realistic look. The best camera modes in the biz, including great portraits and appetizing food shots. Solid AI editing tools remove artifacts flawlessly. I wish it had zoom.	4 / 5
Cameras	Disappointing performance all round thanks to the Exynos 2500. I’m being extra harsh so Samsung doesn’t make this mistake again and use an inferior Exynos chip when the Snapdragon is obviously superior. This phone should be faster.	3 / 5
Battery	Battery life isn’t terrible, but it’s disappointing considering other phones have seen huge advancements thanks to new battery tech and more efficient (Snapdragon) platforms. It still lasts a full day, most of the time.	3 / 5

Buy it if...

You want more phone in your phone
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 lives up to the flip-phone promise, giving you more than the sum of its parts. It’s two devices in one.

You can find a great deal on this phone
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is priced well, but Samsung phones see great discounts from wireless carriers and bonus offers for a good trade.

You want a flip but you’re a serious person
The Motorola Razr may be shiny and colorful, but it doesn’t have Samsung DeX or the full suite of software Samsung offers to get things done.

Don't buy it if...

You want simpler software
The Motorola Razr hews closer to Google’s Pixel version of Android, while Samsung’s One UI is feature-packed, but overcomplicated.View Deal

You don’t like the Samsung Galaxy look
The Flip 7 should have been a cooler-looking flip phone, but instead it looks like every other Galaxy, bent in half.View Deal

You hang out in very dusty places
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 has an impressive level of water resistance, but it can’t keep out dust smaller than a big piece of lint, so be careful.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 in blue next to a Moto Razr Ultra from back mostly closed — (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Motorola Razr Ultra
The Razr Ultra is more expensive, but it beats the Z Flip 7 on almost every metric, including processor speed and battery life.

Read our in-depth Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 review

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
It costs $100 / £50 / AU$100 less and blows the Z Flip 7 away for battery life and performance, plus it comes with a 3x telephoto zoom lens.

Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review

	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7	Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 / Razr 60 Ultra	Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
Price	$1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,799	$1,299 / £1,099	$999 / £999 / AU$1,699
Processor	Samsung Exynos 2500	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
Cameras	50MP main; 12MP ultra-wide; 10MP selfie	50MP main; 50MP ultra-wide; 50MP selfie	50MP main; 12MP ultra-wide; 10MP telephoto (3x zoom); 12MP selfie
Future Labs Battery Test (HH:MM:SS)	12:24:30	18:57:12	18:46:04

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7

Review test period: two weeks
Testing included: everyday use, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, and music playback
Tools used: Geekbench 6, and Nit-brightness-testing system

I tested the Galaxy Z Flip 7 for two week before writing this review, using it as my primary work phone for that entire period. I tested the phone using a T-Mobile account provided by Samsung for my review period.

I used the phone extensively for communicating with colleagues, using apps including Slack, Google Meet, Airtable, Gmail and more. I played games including Vampire Survivor and Call of Duty Mobile, and I connected the phone to an Xbox Wireless Controller for games.

I used Android Auto with the Flip 7 in my car, a Kia EV6, for navigation, listening to music and audiobooks, and sending messages using voice input.

I connected the Flip 7 to my Galaxy Buds Pro 3 earbuds, Moto Buds Loop, a Galaxy Watch Ultra smartwatch, and Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses. I used the phone for fitness tracking, snore and sleep apnea detection with the Galaxy Watch Ultra, and other health and fitness activities.

Future Labs tests phones using a mix of third-party benchmark software and proprietary, real-world tests. We use Geekbench, CrossMark, JetStream, WebXPRT and Mobile XPRT, and 3DMark for performance testing. We test a phone's performance on video tasks using Adobe Premiere Rush. We also measure display color output and brightness.

For battery testing we perform proprietary tests that are the same for every phone, which enable us to determine how long it takes for the battery to run down.

First reviewed July 2025

I watched The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and it heralds a much-needed new dawn for Marvel’s First Family on the big screen

4:51 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Entertainment Gadgets Streaming | Comments: Off

Light spoilers follow for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

It's not an exaggeration to say The Fantastic Four have been represented poorly on the big screen. 20th Century Fox's two attempts to launch live-action franchises starring Marvel's First Family in the early and mid-2000s were at best average, and at worst utterly abysmal.

A well-made film that captures the spirit of the iconic quartet's comic-book adventures is long overdue, then – and The Fantastic Four: First Steps duly delivers. It falls short of being, well, fantastic but, considering what's come before it's easily the eponymous team's best live-action adventure to date.

Space oddity

Ben Grimm, Sue Storm, Reed Richards, and Johnny Storm standing on a platform in The Fantastic: Four Steps — First Steps is set in a '60s-inspired universe that's full of space-age wonder and optimism (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Set in a parallel universe – one designated Earth-828 – to Earth-616, i.e., the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), First Steps reintroduces audiences to the titular team. For those who don't know, the individuals who comprise this group are Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).

The only heroes who exist in this retro-futuristic alternate dimension, these superpowered scientists-cum-celebrities have not only created a utopia built upon ground-breaking technological advancements, but also keep their planet safe from those who wish to destroy it.

First Steps is arguably the most accessible Marvel Studios project since 2008's Iron Man movie

That's until Galactus (Ralph Ineson), an immortal, world-consuming cosmic entity, and his surfboard-riding lieutenant The Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) come calling, anyway. With the duo marking the group's planet for death unless they hand over Reed and Sue's newborn son Franklin for reasons I won't spoil, The Fantastic Four face their biggest obstacle yet as they try to stop a seemingly unstoppable space god from tearing their family – and their world – apart.

The Fantastic Four posing for photographs in their space suits before they acquire superpowers in The Fantastic Four: First Steps — First Steps isn't your typical origins story for the iconic quartet (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Thanks to the rich, vibrant, and fully independent alternate dimension that Marvel's new-look Fantastic Four inhabits, you don't need to do any MCU homework before you watch First Steps.

Sure, there are Easter eggs and references to the group's various villains in the comics. Those include Doctor Doom, who wasn't considered as First Steps' main villain before Galactus and who'll be played by returning MCU superstar Robert Downey Jr in Avengers: Doomsday. Still, given it's devoid of ties to the increasingly complex MCU, First Steps is the most accessible Marvel project – for first-time viewers and fans who've fallen off the cinematic juggernaut's bandwagon – since 2008's Iron Man movie.

But this isn't your typical origins story. With two prior film adaptations covering the team's backstory, First Steps takes a leaf out of Tom Holland's debut as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, plus his standalone MCU film trilogy, by introducing heroes who already possess their cosmic radiation-sourced superpowers. As the film tells us, Richards and company have been operating as superheroes for four years by the time it begins.

First Steps' opening act is one of the most tonally jarring I can remember in any movie

Its breezy opening takes a similar approach to another of 2025's most exciting new movies and fellow superhero film in James Gunn's Superman.

Like the most recent entry of a long-running comic book series you've just picked up off the shelf, both films drop you right into the thick of things and expect you to figure things out as you absorb their story. It's a refreshing change of pace for a Marvel project and its DC Universe (DCU) counterpart, and helps to quickly establish these pre-existing universes without prolonging their first acts via another superfluous re-tread of their origins.

Reed Richards and Sue Storm looking at their baby boy Franklin in The Fantastic Four: First Steps — First Steps' plot spans one whole year, with Franklin's (center) growth helping to show the passage of time (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

That doesn't mean this movie's first 30 minutes aren't without fault. In fact, its opening act is one of the most tonally jarring I can remember in any movie.

Indeed, the Marvel Phase 6 flick is all too keen to flit between melodrama, comedy, and the occasional splash of horror between scenes, and sometimes within the same sequence. These narrative jolts make for an emotionally polarizing first act and detract from the grave, existential threat posed by the omnipotent and seemingly unkillable space tyrant (i.e. Galactus) at crucial moments.

Imagine how Avengers: Infinity War's incredibly shocking ending would've been emotionally undercut if one of the surviving heroes made an unnecessary joke amid the heart-shattering silence that follows. That's what First Steps does all too often in its first act and its narrative suffers as a result.

Heavy lies the crown

The Silver Surfer leading Marvel's First Family through Galactus' space vessel in The Fantastic Four: First Steps — First Steps only offers a taste of its space horror vibes through its antagonists (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Thankfully, The Fantastic Four's latest big-screen reboot becomes a much stronger movie once its opening act ends.

Part of that is down to the lack of hard cuts between scenes, which aid the natural flow of its unfolding story. However, the film's narrative improvement also owes much to a greater focus being placed on the four primary members of The Fantastic Four: First Steps' cast and the unwavering mutual bond that exists between them.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps' narrative improvement owes much to a greater focus being placed on its four primary cast members

Much was made of Pascal, Kirby, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach's hirings when Marvel confirmed they'd be playing The Fantastic Four in February 2024, with some observers questioning whether they were the right fit and/or if they'd gel as a collective.

First Steps proves those naysayers wrong. Arguably the movie's biggest strength, their chemistry is on point from the outset, with quips and witty insults aplenty, plus their collective resolve amid individual and group disagreements, highlighting the easy rapport that exists between the actors and the characters they portray.

A back shot of Galactus looking at the Statue of Liberty in The Fantastic Four: First Steps — Galactus is one of the most terrifying villains Marvel has even put in an MCU movie (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Individually, Moss-Bachrach does a great job of capturing Grimm's long-standing position as the heart and soul of the team. Pascal is similarly stellar as the group's incredibly intelligent yet oft-times emotionally awkward de-factor leader.

I wish there were more scenes showcasing their collective camaraderie and quieter moments between each pairing

However, the Storms are the real standouts. Kirby and Quinn steal the show as the superpowered siblings who, throughout The Fantastic Four's early comic book runs, were simply depicted as the team's tokenistic female/damsel in distress and stereotypical cocksure ladies' main.

As they have in more recent comic book stories, though, the pair's representation on the screen have undergone highly satisfying evolutions akin to how they're not portrayed on the page. Indeed, Sue is positioned as the group's strongest member from emotional and superpower perspectives. Meanwhile, Johnny is a fully-formed, three-dimensional character with his own intellectual intuition that ties into a intriguing subplot that makes full use of his multifaceted persona.

If there's a criticism I can level at First Steps from a cast viewpoint, I wish there were more scenes showcasing their collective camaraderie and quieter moments between each pairing.

Some scenes used in TV spots or one of its three main teasers, including First Steps' official trailer and the final trailer Marvel released for its new Fantastic Four movie, are absent from the final cut. Given the movie's sub-two hour runtime, though, there was certainly scope for their inclusion, and I wouldn't have scoffed at seeing more humorous, heartfelt, and dramatically heavy interactions that would've further sold me on these all-important dynamics.

A close up of The Silver Surfer at night in The Fantastic Four: First Steps — Julia Garner does a good job of demonstrating the nuances of The Silver Surfer's emotional conflict (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

The same is true of the film's villains. I've been eager to see Ineson's take on Galactus since his hiring last May and Garner's version of the Big Bad's Herald following her casting a month earlier, especially given the Shakespearean tragedy elements that define their antagonistic sensibilities.

Sadly, both characters are underused. Garner gets more to do than Ineson and , after looming large as a terrifying off-screen presence for much of the film, the latter's humanoid monstrosity gets his due in First Steps' intense final act. Nevertheless, the pair weren't lying when they told me they never filmed a single scene together for First Steps, which is abundantly clear in the final edit. Their characters aren't given the requisite screentime to really dig into their motivations, nor does the flick lean into the cosmic horror they could've delivered individually and collectively.

My verdict

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is an entertaining, distinct, and at-times emotional Marvel film that MCU diehards and newcomers will equally enjoy. Still, while I applaud its brave storytelling and unique selling points, it could've benefitted from some narrative refinement to enhance its primary themes and multi-genre formula.

Those frustrations aside, this is still the most authentic representation of the superteam outside of Marvel literature. Considering what's come before, it wasn't a particularly high bar to clear, but I commend Shakman and company for giving us a Fantastic Four film that won't make me shudder at the thought of rewatching it. For that reason alone, it's not a small step forward, but rather a giant leap in the right direction for Marvel's First Family on the silver screen.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps launches in theaters on Thursday, July 24 (UK) and Friday, July 25 (internationally). The group's three other film adaptations are available now on Disney+.

I enjoyed Jamboree TV’s wacky game show antics, but it’s a pricey extra for an unchanged Super Mario Party Jamboree Switch 2 Edition

3:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming Nintendo | Tags: Nintendo Switch | Comments: Off

Review information

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: July 24, 2025

To beef up its Nintendo Switch 2 first-party library, Nintendo has been bringing enhanced versions of Nintendo Switch games to its new console, both as standalone releases or with an additional upgrade price. While it started strong with Switch 2 editions of two of the greatest games of all time, Super Mario Party Jamboree is a trickier proposition.

This isn't the same as a remaster like Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, which integrated new features into the existing game, but more of an expansion bundled with the base game like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, and at a higher price. Sure, you can play the base game in 4K or on a nicer 1080p display in handheld mode, but you don't really notice a big visual bump, while the Switch 1 version had no performance issues that this Switch 2 Edition has improved.

All the same content, including the single-player Party Planner Trek, the motion-based modes, and the online-based modes, are still there, and if you're upgrading, all your save data and unlocked rewards and content carry over. But you're not going to experience any material differences from the original game I covered in my previous review. For instance, DK hasn't had a Donkey Kong Bananza-style facelift, while Switch 2 functions like the camera doesn't feature either. All the new Switch 2-exclusive content you'll find exclusively in Jamboree TV, so without further ado, let's get to that.

Mouse trap

Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Jamboree TV revamps the Mario Party model into a game show setting, featuring the annoying talking flower from Super Mario Bros. Wonder, though you can thankfully also mute him. But rather than just picking Mario and pals as contestants, if you have a compatible camera attached to your console, you can also put your own faces on screen as a circle besides your character, though for privacy reasons, you won't be able to capture any screenshots or video when using this feature.

Once your contestants (and/or yourselves) are up on stage, you get to choose between four modes: Mario Party, Carnival Coaster, Bowser Live, and Free Play, the latter where you can play any of the minigames but is presented rather barebones compared to the same option in the base game's Minigame Bay.

Mario Party lets you play the core board game with all seven boards from the base game, but with some new exclusive twists. Aside from the standard party rules, this introduces two new rules.

While Tag-Team lets you play as a 2v2 instead of the usual free-for-all, Frenzy is a welcome option for those strapped for time, condensing a game down to just five turns but throwing in all the perks and high stakes of the last five turns of a normal game, so you start with more coins and a star, more to spend but more to lose. Of course, the option to save the game and continue from where you left off in another session is still possible.

Best bit

Bowser as a game show host in Bowser Live is a pretty fun turn for the Mushroom Kingdom's resident baddie, and the Switch 2's camera and microphone functions do a decent job of immersing you in that. It's just a shame it's so short-lived.

While camera play won't make a huge difference on gameplay (although having everyone see your mug when you've had a star snatched from you is going to be more priceless than just selecting an emote) the 14 new mouse-based minigames are a decent addition. They're all creatively varied, not just basic point-and-click or drag-and-drop affairs, but sometimes also incorporate gyro controls, while also requiring team coordination.

But given you've also got 73 other minigames in Mario Party mode, you might only encounter a mouse minigame a handful of times, and there's no way to change a setting for more mouse minigames. You can, however, turn off mouse minigames, which you'll have to if pairing the original Switch Joy-Con as extra controllers, but that annoyingly also turns off motion-based minigames.

It's for that reason that there's the mouse-only Carnival Coaster. In this co-op mode, you ride a rollercoaster-slash-shooting gallery with five different themed routes to choose from, and have to try and get to the end before time runs out. You can gain precious seconds by aiming the mouse to shoot enemies that pop up during the ride, as well as completing randomly selected mouse minigames. These minigames adopt co-op rules rather than battling another team, while you're awarded more bonus time based on how well you do.

Make some noise

If it sounds like the biggest addition to Jamboree TV is mouse controls, you'd be right because the Bowser Live mode feels half-baked, even though it should be a bigger deal. For this game show within a game show, two teams or two battle to win the Koopa king's approval in either camera or microphone-based minigames. The camera is a literally bigger deal because rather than just capturing your heads, it captures each person's whole body so that you're fully transported into the scene and tasked with doing pretty silly things like balancing goombas on your head or hitting coins from a question block as fast as you can.

Meanwhile, microphone minigames takes advantage of the Switch 2 Camera as you use either your voice of handclaps, and it's incredible how well the microphone picks up both even when you're standing or sitting several feet away, so you don't have to yell, even if that's what you're encouraged to do in Bowser Chicken, where you shout to propel a car forward to score points, but not before reaching Bowser at the end. But since the microphone doesn't pick up who's shouting, that allows some underhanded shenanigans like having another team shout just when you thought you stopped your car at just the right spot.

Yet for all the snazzy presentation and wild atmosphere of this mode, Nintendo only thought to include three minigames for each, and they're all incredibly short. So, in a format where you have just two rounds before a final round that's basically determined by which team can make the most noise, the novelty wears off very quickly. It feels like a lack of confidence, perhaps owing to the fact that the camera is also not going to be a peripheral that everyone has. But then it also means it's definitely not worth investing in one if you're expecting to make better use of it in this game.

One other feature that I wasn't able to test pre-launch was GameShare, a cool feature that allows you to share a multiplayer game with other Switch owners even if they don't own the game. However, from the information provided, its support for Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition only works locally and only lets you play a single board, Mega Wiggler's Tree Party, and none of the modes from Jamboree TV. It makes you wonder what even the point is of including the feature when it's so limited, especially when Mario Party boards play perfectly fine on a single console.

Should you play Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV?

Play it if...

You want more fun ways to play with your Joy-Con mouse controls
Mouse-based minigames make up the lion's share of the new minigames in Jamboree TV, which are more creatively varied than mere point-and-click that work in co-op as well as versus modes. With Mario and pals, it's also more charming than the mouse minigames in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.

Don't play it if...

You don't care for multiplayer games
There's little fun to be had playing a party game solo, especially as Jamboree TV contains no rewards or unlockables like the base game. If you don't already own the Switch 1 version, you're also looking at an eye-watering cost for a casual party game.

Accessibility

While there are no set accessibility settings, Super Mario Party Jamboree Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV allows you to adjust the difficulty of CPU, message speed, as well as whether or not to include a tutorial before the start of each minigame. Jamboree TV minigames requiring a camera, motion, or mouse do not have alternate controls, but for microphone minigames, you can also clap your hands instead of using your voice. Content in the base game remains unchanged, so there are no alternate controls to the Motion Island modes.

How I reviewed Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV

I played Super Mario Party Jamboree Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV for about 8 hours on Nintendo Switch 2, including several local multiplayer sessions, but was unable to test online or GameShare as per Nintendo's pre-launch guidelines.

I previously reviewed Super Mario Party Jamboree on Switch, so I was able to make comparisons between the original version and the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. As there are no meaningful changes in the base game, my time was primarily spent on Jamboree TV.

I played primarily in docked mode on an LG C2 OLED TV. I mostly played with a single Joy-Con in horizontal and vertical, button, motion and mouse-based configurations, and also used the official Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, except for when capturing screenshots.

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