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I reviewed this AI film production tool and I’m torn over how easily it let me storyboard and create professional video projects
9:02 pm | August 8, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: | Comments: Off

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

LTX Studio: Pricing & plans

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

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

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

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

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

You can check out LTX Studio by clicking here.

  • Score: 4/5

LTX Studio: Computing Seconds

LTX Studio during our review

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

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

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

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

  • Score: 3/5

LTX Studio: Getting started

LTX Studio during our review

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Score: 3/5

LTX Studio: Generative AI

LTX Studio during our review

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)
  • This genAI service acts and feels like any other, with the one major distinction being the in-house algorithm’s speed, which is most impressive

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Score: 4/5

LTX Studio: Storyboarding

LTX Studio during our review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Score: 4/5

LTX Studio: Environmental concerns

LTX Studio during our review

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

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

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

Should I buy LTX Studio?

LTX Studio during our review

(Image credit: Lightricks // Future)

Buy it if...

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

Don't buy it if...

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

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

The LG B5 is a brilliant, entry-level OLED TV with plenty to like, even though it doesn’t hit the same picture quality heights as its pricier OLED siblings
8:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

LG B5 OLED TV review: Two minute review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LG B5 OLED TV review: Prices & release date

LG B5 OLED TV with sunset over a city on screen

The LG B5 demonstrates strong contrast and refined detail (Image credit: Future)
  • Release date: July/August 2025 (UK/US)
  • 48-inch: $899.99 / £1,299
  • 55-inch: $1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995
  • 65-inch: $1,999.99 / £2,499 / AU$2,695
  • 77-inch: $2,999.99 / £3,499
  • 83-inch: $4,499.99 / £4,499

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

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

LG B5 OLED TV review: Specs

Screen type:

OLED

Refresh rate:

120Hz

HDR support:

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Audio support:

Dolby Atmos

Smart TV:

webOS 25

HDMI ports:

4x HDMI 2.1

Built-in tuner:

ATSC 1.0 (US)

LG B5 OLED TV review: Benchmark results

LG B5 OLED TV review: Features

LG B5 OLED TV ports

The LG B5's connections include four HDMI 2.1 ports (Image credit: Future)
  • Alpha 8 AI Processor Gen 2 and W-OLED panel
  • 4K 120Hz, VRR, ALLM and four HDMI 2.1 ports
  • AI picture and sound tools

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

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

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

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

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

  • Features score: 5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Picture quality

LG B5 OLED TV with red flowers in a field on screen

The LG B5's superb color is one of its highlights (Image credit: Future)
  • Detailed, contrast-rich picture
  • Accurate colors and textures
  • Middling brightness levels

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

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

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

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

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

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

LG B5 OLED TV with gold stopwatch inner mechanisms on screen

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Picture quality score: 4.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Sound quality

LG B5 OLED TV with Elphaba on screen

The LG B5's sound is average, and although AI Sound Pro mode does a good job, movies such as Wicked (pictured) deserve better (Image credit: Universal Pictures / Future)
  • Two-channel speaker system
  • Clear, accurate sound
  • Limited bass and soundstage

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

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

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

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

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

  • Sound quality score: 3.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Design

LG B5 OLED TV metal foot on dark surface

The LG B5 uses two metal feet instead of a central pedestal stand. (Image credit: Future)
  • Sturdy, lightweight design
  • Solid, metal feet
  • New AI smart remote

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

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

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

  • Design score: 4/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Smart TV & menus

LG B5 OLED TV with webOS 25 home page on screen

webOS 25 is easily one of the best iterations of LG's smart TV platform to date (Image credit: Future)
  • LG webOS 25 interface
  • AI-based tools for content recommendation
  • Quick Cards and Quick Menu for easy navigation

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

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

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

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

  • Smart TV & menus score: 4.5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Gaming

LG B5 OLED TV with Battlefield V and game optimizer menu on screen

The LG B5 is a brilliant TV for gaming with responsive performance and handling with games such as Battlefield V (pictured) (Image credit: Future)
  • 4K 120Hz, FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync
  • 9.1ms input lag time
  • Four HDMI 2.1 ports

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

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

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

  • Gaming score: 5/5

LG B5 OLED TV review: Value

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

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

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

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

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

  • Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the LG C5 OLED TV?

LG B5 OLED TV with parrot on screen

(Image credit: Future)
LG B5 OLED

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

A fantastic list of features for smart TV and gaming

5/5

Picture quality

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

4.5/5

Sound quality

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

3.5/5

Design

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

4/5

Smart TV and menus

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

4.5/5

Gaming

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

5/5

Value

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

4/5

Buy it if...

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

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

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

Don't buy it if...

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

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

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

Also Consider

LG B5

LG B4

LG C5

Samsung QN80F

Price (55-inch)

$1,499.99 / £1,699 / AU$1,995

$1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199

$1,999.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$3,299

$1,299.99 / £1,399 (roughly AU$1,991)

Screen type

OLED

OLED

OLED

Mini-LED

Refresh rate

120Hz

120Hz

144Hz

144Hz

HDR support

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

HDR10+, HDR10, HLG

Smart TV

webOS 25

webOS 24

webOS 25

Tizen

HDMI ports

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

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

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

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

How I tested the LG B5 OLED TV

LG B5 OLED TV with colorimeter, laptop, test pattern generator and Portrait Display Calman software all connected and on display

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested over a couple of weeks
  • Tested using SDR and HDR sources
  • Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

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

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

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

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

LG B5 OLED TV with testing equipment attached and person testing

(Image credit: Future)

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

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

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

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

OpenAI releases ChatGPT-5 – its best AI model to date with PhD‑level intelligence
12:57 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

GPT-5 is OpenAI’s most advanced AI model to date, and it's now officially launched to all users. It comes in four variants: nano, mini, standard, and chat. OpenAI says you can expect expert-level intelligence from GPT-5 across numerous fields like coding, math, writing, health, and visual perception. The new model comes with enhanced reasoning capabilities, a real-time router that selects the best model based on conversation type and a deeper reasoning (GPT-5 thinking) model for more challenging problems. OpenAI proudly claims that GPT-5 is its best-performing model in terms of...

OpenAI releases ChatGPT-5 – its best AI model to date with PhD‑level intelligence
12:57 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

GPT-5 is OpenAI’s most advanced AI model to date, and it's now officially launched to all users. It comes in four variants: nano, mini, standard, and chat. OpenAI says you can expect expert-level intelligence from GPT-5 across numerous fields like coding, math, writing, health, and visual perception. The new model comes with enhanced reasoning capabilities, a real-time router that selects the best model based on conversation type and a deeper reasoning (GPT-5 thinking) model for more challenging problems. OpenAI proudly claims that GPT-5 is its best-performing model in terms of...

The Asus Zenbook S 16 is built from a mysterious new material – but does this space-age laptop live up to the hype?
11:00 am | August 6, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: | Comments: Off

Asus Zenbook S 16: Two-minute review

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

The Asus Zenbook laptop line has long been one of my favorites, sitting among the best ultrabooks alongside rivals like Dell's XPS series and the LG Gram collection. Now, Asus has given its premium laptop lineup a fresh lease on life, thanks to AMD's mighty new Ryzen AI chips and the magic of something called 'ceraluminum'.

I'll get further into that mysterious new material further down in this review, but here's the short version: the lid of the new Asus Zenbook S 16 is made from a futuristic composite of aluminum and ceramic, giving it a soft matte feel while also being more durable, lighter, and fingerprint-resistant than the traditional aluminum and plastic used in the construction of most modern laptops.

Of course, a fancy outer casing doesn't guarantee you're getting a high-quality product. But the Zenbook S 16 delivers a premium experience in other areas too, with great performance across a variety of workloads and a generally very comfortable user experience.

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

Although I always spend at least a full workweek using any laptop I review in lieu of my regular daily driver (the ever-faithful HP Spectre x360), I was actually forced to use this laptop for a few days. See, my boiler needed replacing, and unfortunately, it's situated in my home office - meaning that for two days, I was jettisoned from my desktop setup to the breakfast bar downstairs while the installation engineer resolved my lack of hot water.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a creature of habit, and was initially unhappy to be displaced from my usual workstation. But honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't drop Asus a line politely asking (read: begging) to keep this Zenbook. The 16-inch OLED touchscreen is gorgeous, and the large touchpad and keyboard make for a very comfortable user experience. It's perhaps the closest I've felt to using a MacBook Pro while actually on a Windows laptop - and while I'm a known macOS hater, I've always maintained that Apple's Mac products are very well-designed devices.

Starting at $1,599 / £1,499 / AU$2,999, the Zenbook S 16 isn't exactly cheap, but for that price tag, you're getting some pretty impressive performance and a really, really nice piece of physical hardware. I'll dig into the details more in the Price and Availability section, but the key takeaway here is that the value proposition is solid.

There's only one real drawback here, in my opinion: the battery life. It's perfectly serviceable, don't get me wrong, but it's nothing spectacular within the current market space. Still, it'll last you through a full day's work and then some - so as long as you don't mind putting it on charge overnight.

Asus Zenbook S 16: Price and availability

  • How much does it cost? Starts at $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,999
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

With a price tag starting at $1,599 / £1,499 / AU$2,999, the Asus Zenbook S 16 certainly leans towards the premium end of the market, but you're getting plenty of bang for your buck here.

There are a few different configurations, with the main difference being the Ryzen processor model and the amount of RAM. Every model comes with the same 3K OLED display and 1TB of storage - a 2TB model would've been nice, but at least the SSD is user-upgradable. The base configuration, priced as above, comes with a Ryzen AI 7 350 chip and 24GB of RAM (an unusual amount, but still better than the more commonplace 16GB industry standard).

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

My review unit is a higher-end model, featuring a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor and 32GB of RAM, and it will cost you $1,799 / £1,599 - and at the time of writing, this model unfortunately isn't available in Australia. I say 'unfortunately' here because for my money, that extra $200 / £100 is well worth it for the internal hardware upgrade.

For comparison, a 16-inch MacBook Pro will cost you $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999 - and that's just for the base M4 Pro model. Granted, there's no denying that Apple's pro-grade laptop can offer better performance in many areas than this Zenbook, but the point stands that the Zenbook S 16 is very good value for money.

  • Price score: 4.5/5

Asus Zenbook S 16: Specs

Asus Zenbook S 16

CPU

Up to AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370

GPU

Up to AMD Radeon 890M

RAM

Up to 32GB LPDDR5X

Display

16-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED, 120Hz

Storage

Up to 1TB SSD

Ports

2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x USB 3.2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x SD card reader, 1x 3,5mm combi audio jack

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

1.5kg / 3.31lbs

Dimension

35.4 x 24.3 x 1.29cm / 13.9 x 9.6 x 0.51 inches

Asus Zenbook S 16: Design

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Super comfortable keyboard and trackpad
  • Ceraluminum casing is impressive
  • Surprisingly lightweight

Aesthetically speaking, this is undeniably one gorgeous laptop. With the 'Scandinavian White' colorway, it feels as clean and striking as any of the best laptops. The back of the screen is not only made from Asus's fancy ceraluminum material, but it also has a kintsugi-inspired pattern of sharp lines inlaid in silver, which strikes the perfect balance between eye-catching and minimalist.

A little more about that revolutionary new material, though: you can read about my first time encountering ceraluminum right here, but I'll give you a quick breakdown in case you don't feel like reading a whole different article. It's created by electrochemically bonding aluminum with a ceramic component, producing a strong plated material with a matte surface that feels like unglazed pottery to the touch.

The best thing about this is that it brings the lightweight, durable nature of aluminum - a popular choice among manufacturers when it comes to laptop construction - while also providing a grippier surface that is more resilient against both damage and smudging from fingerprints. I've criticized more than a few laptops over the years for being 'fingerprint magnets', and happily that doesn't apply here. The whole thing feels impressively sturdy despite being very thin and light for a 16-inch laptop.

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

Opening up the lid, you're met with a more conventionally constructed aluminum keyboard housing, with a large glass touchpad and nicely spaced keys that make it very comfortable to type on. I also found the touchpad to be sensitive and responsive, with a firm click, although I typically prefer to connect a wireless mouse when using laptops.

Above the keyboard, a wide cooling grille sits with a subtle Asus logo in the corner. The keys are backlit with white LEDs, which can be set to three different brightness levels; it's not often I take much time to comment on keyboard backlighting, but the Zenbook S 16's is particularly vibrant.

Speaking of vibrancy, the display on this laptop is fantastic, offering rich color and sharp contrast thanks to its 3K OLED panel. While the maximum brightness isn't quite as high as I've seen on some other OLED laptops, it's certainly bright enough to use in well-lit environments, and it's also a touchscreen. Somewhat surprisingly, this display has a 120Hz refresh rate, a pleasing upgrade from the 60Hz panels you see on most non-gaming laptops.

In terms of physical connectivity, we've got a good selection of ports here, including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and even an SD card reader - the latter of which may be a boon for photographers when combined with the excellent display. Lastly, the speakers are quite good, providing detailed audio for both music and dialogue - it's perhaps lacking a tiny bit of kick in the bass department compared to some laptops I've seen, but overall I really can't complain about the speaker quality.

  • Design score: 5/5

Asus Zenbook S 16: Performance

  • Solid all-rounder performance
  • NPU provides support for AI features in Windows
  • Playing games is certainly an option, though it's no gaming laptop

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is a powerful chip backed with 32GB of RAM in my review unit, and I'm pleased to say it performs admirably. General responsiveness is great and everyday tasks run smoothly, to the point where anyone who just wants a laptop for office work could probably consider downgrading to a Ryzen AI 7 model.

When it comes to more demanding workloads, the Zenbook S 16 offers good performance across a variety of areas, including 3D rendering, AI functionality, and gaming. Sure, it's not going to beat out an actual gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU, but the AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics are surprisingly competent even in more demanding games, provided you're willing to dial back the graphical settings a bit and turn on AMD's FSR 3.0 resolution upscaling mode.

Asus Zenbook S 16 review: Benchmarks

Here's how the Asus Zenbook S 16 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Night Raid: 34,618; Fire Strike: 8,516; Time Spy: 4,407; Steel Nomad: 889
Cinebench R23: Multi-core: 13,441; Single-core: 1,953
Geekbench 6.4: Multicore: 14,102; Single-core: 2,845
Geekbench AI: Single Precision Score: 2,359; Half Precision Score: 1,217; Quantized Score: 4,811
PCMark 10: 6,827
Crossmark: Overall: 1,744; Productivity: 1,637; Creativity: 1,940; Responsiveness: 1,537
Sid Meier's Civilization VII: (1080p, Medium, No Upscaling): 45fps; (1800p, High, No Upscaling): 16fps; (1800p, High, Balanced FSR 3 Upscaling): 22fps
Cyberpunk 2077: (1080p, Medium, No Upscaling): 22fps; (1800p, Ultra, No Upscaling): 6fps; (1800p, Ultra, Balanced FSR 3 Upscaling): 10fps
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 14 hours, 55 minutes

In real-world testing, I had no issues whatsoever with the performance of the Zenbook S 16. Running Spotify in the background while working across 20+ open Chrome tabs didn't cause the slightest bit of slowdown, and image editing in GIMP 3.0 was smooth and effective - a far cry from the rather sluggish experience I get when trying to edit images on my usual laptop.

AI performance is also reasonably good; again, you're ideally going to want to spring for a laptop with a dedicated Nvidia GPU if you want to be running serious AI workloads locally, like producing your own language models, but for running the local aspects of something like Microsoft's Copilot+ AI assistant, the average user will have no problems.

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

To dig into that gaming performance a little more (there's overlap here with other 3D rendering and modeling software), I needed to drop the resolution to FHD+ rather than the native 3K and enable AMD's FSR 3 upscaling to make most games playable - this machine isn't coming close to any of the best gaming laptops - but for anyone who just wants to play casual titles or indie games on their off-time, the Zenbook S 16 is more capable than I had expected. I used it for a spot of Stardew Valley after work on multiple occasions, which unsurprisingly ran great.

In Civilization VII, I was easily able to get a decent framerate at 1200p, while the infamously hardware-demanding Cyberpunk 2077 was completely unplayable at native 1800p but produced an fps of 35 at 1200p with Low settings and FSR 3's Performance mode enabled (and frankly, even with those settings, this game still looks bloody fantastic). It's a true testament to the power of AMD's resolution upscaling tech for integrated GPUs; I'm quietly awed by the fact that a game like Cyberpunk is playable at all on an ultrabook like this.

I will note that the fans on the Zenbook S 16 get a tad noisy when you're running more intensive software - it's nothing too onerous, and I found it ran quietly during regular tasks like web browsing, but be aware that you might want headphones to play games on it. It's worth adding that the laptop didn't get uncomfortably hot at any point (aside from directly on the vent above the keyboard), even during stress testing.

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Performance score: 4.5/5

Asus Zenbook S 16: Battery

The battery life on the Zenbook S 16 is pretty good. That's almost all I can really say about it; it's not mind-blowing, beaten out by several competitors, but it's still sufficient for a full day's work (or two) without needing to plug in provided you turn off the keyboard backlight and don't work at maximum brightness.

In our battery life test, which involves running a looped video file at 50% brightness, the Zenbook S 16 ran out of juice just shy of the 15-hour mark, which for a 16-inch OLED laptop is respectable, if unspectacular. In real-world use situations, I was getting between 10 and 12 hours out of it at a time on average, and it holds its charge remarkably well when not in use.

Since it charges via USB-C, you can easily make use of other charging cables, though the supplied 65W adapter provides fast-charging capabilities that provide 50% battery charge in a little over half an hour.

  • Battery score: 4/5

Should you buy the Asus Zenbook S 16?

Notes

Rating

Value

It's no budget machine, but the price-to-performance ratio here is great.

4.5/5

Design

A stylish and robust design combined with a comfortable user experience makes for a truly premium-feeling laptop.

5/5

Performance

Performance is solid across productivity, creative, and gaming workloads, with good responsiveness and fans that only kick in when you're running demanding programs.

4.5/5

Battery

The battery can comfortably run for more than an 8-hour workday, though it is beaten out by some competing laptops.

4/5

Total

While the pre-installed Asus software is a bit annoying, this is a fantastic laptop that delivers a great aesthetic and strong performance at a sensible price point.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a laptop that looks great
Between its sleek shell, excellent display, and pleasantly understated keyboard backlighting, the Zenbook S 16 is certainly an aesthetically pleasing laptop.

You want something thin but powerful
Despite its relatively light overall weight (for a 16-inch laptop) and thin chassis, the next-gen Ryzen chip inside this Zenbook is fantastic for productivity workloads and can even handle some light gaming.

You want to use Windows 11's AI features
Since this is a 'Copilot+ PC' with a built-in NPU and a dedicated button for summoning Microsoft's AI assistant, it's a solid pick for anyone who wants an AI laptop.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a tight budget
The price tag on the Zenbook S 16 is actually very reasonable for the specs, but it's certainly not a cheap laptop.

You want the best in battery life
While this Zenbook's battery is alright, there are competitors that do a better job - and if you really want ridiculously good battery life, a smaller laptop is usually the way to go.

Also Consider

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro)
Beating the Zenbook S 16 in both performance and battery life, Apple's latest MacBook Pro 16-inch is a staunch competitor - though bear in mind that it'll cost you more, and macOS isn't for everyone.

Read our full Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch review

Dell XPS 17
If you're looking for a similar premium-feeling laptop but with an even larger screen, the Dell XPS 17 is arguably the best 17-inch laptop out there right now.

Read our full Dell XPS 17 review

How I tested the Asus Zenbook S 16

  • Replaced my regular laptop with the Zenbook S 16 for several weeks
  • Used the laptop both for day-to-day work and personal projects
  • Ran it through our full suite of benchmarks, plus some extra tests

As is typical for my laptop review process, I swapped out my daily driver for the Asus Zenbook S 16 - and actually ended up liking it so much that I kept using it after my usual week or two of real-world testing. Asus, if I could keep this one, that would be great...

This involved all my day-to-day work, which is mostly emailing, word processing, web research, and image editing, plus some work on personal projects and a bit of gaming in my off hours. I also ran our suite of benchmarking and battery tests to provide a clearer image of the Zenbook S 16's overall performance.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2025

The Asus Zenbook S 16 is built from a mysterious new material – but does this space-age laptop live up to the hype?
11:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: | Comments: Off

Asus Zenbook S 16: Two-minute review

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

The Asus Zenbook laptop line has long been one of my favorites, sitting among the best ultrabooks alongside rivals like Dell's XPS series and the LG Gram collection. Now, Asus has given its premium laptop lineup a fresh lease on life, thanks to AMD's mighty new Ryzen AI chips and the magic of something called 'ceraluminum'.

I'll get further into that mysterious new material further down in this review, but here's the short version: the lid of the new Asus Zenbook S 16 is made from a futuristic composite of aluminum and ceramic, giving it a soft matte feel while also being more durable, lighter, and fingerprint-resistant than the traditional aluminum and plastic used in the construction of most modern laptops.

Of course, a fancy outer casing doesn't guarantee you're getting a high-quality product. But the Zenbook S 16 delivers a premium experience in other areas too, with great performance across a variety of workloads and a generally very comfortable user experience.

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

Although I always spend at least a full workweek using any laptop I review in lieu of my regular daily driver (the ever-faithful HP Spectre x360), I was actually forced to use this laptop for a few days. See, my boiler needed replacing, and unfortunately, it's situated in my home office - meaning that for two days, I was jettisoned from my desktop setup to the breakfast bar downstairs while the installation engineer resolved my lack of hot water.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a creature of habit, and was initially unhappy to be displaced from my usual workstation. But honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't drop Asus a line politely asking (read: begging) to keep this Zenbook. The 16-inch OLED touchscreen is gorgeous, and the large touchpad and keyboard make for a very comfortable user experience. It's perhaps the closest I've felt to using a MacBook Pro while actually on a Windows laptop - and while I'm a known macOS hater, I've always maintained that Apple's Mac products are very well-designed devices.

Starting at $1,599 / £1,499 / AU$2,999, the Zenbook S 16 isn't exactly cheap, but for that price tag, you're getting some pretty impressive performance and a really, really nice piece of physical hardware. I'll dig into the details more in the Price and Availability section, but the key takeaway here is that the value proposition is solid.

There's only one real drawback here, in my opinion: the battery life. It's perfectly serviceable, don't get me wrong, but it's nothing spectacular within the current market space. Still, it'll last you through a full day's work and then some - so as long as you don't mind putting it on charge overnight.

Asus Zenbook S 16: Price and availability

  • How much does it cost? Starts at $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,999
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

With a price tag starting at $1,599 / £1,499 / AU$2,999, the Asus Zenbook S 16 certainly leans towards the premium end of the market, but you're getting plenty of bang for your buck here.

There are a few different configurations, with the main difference being the Ryzen processor model and the amount of RAM. Every model comes with the same 3K OLED display and 1TB of storage - a 2TB model would've been nice, but at least the SSD is user-upgradable. The base configuration, priced as above, comes with a Ryzen AI 7 350 chip and 24GB of RAM (an unusual amount, but still better than the more commonplace 16GB industry standard).

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

My review unit is a higher-end model, featuring a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor and 32GB of RAM, and it will cost you $1,799 / £1,599 - and at the time of writing, this model unfortunately isn't available in Australia. I say 'unfortunately' here because for my money, that extra $200 / £100 is well worth it for the internal hardware upgrade.

For comparison, a 16-inch MacBook Pro will cost you $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999 - and that's just for the base M4 Pro model. Granted, there's no denying that Apple's pro-grade laptop can offer better performance in many areas than this Zenbook, but the point stands that the Zenbook S 16 is very good value for money.

  • Price score: 4.5/5

Asus Zenbook S 16: Specs

Asus Zenbook S 16

CPU

Up to AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370

GPU

Up to AMD Radeon 890M

RAM

Up to 32GB LPDDR5X

Display

16-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED, 120Hz

Storage

Up to 1TB SSD

Ports

2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x USB 3.2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x SD card reader, 1x 3,5mm combi audio jack

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

1.5kg / 3.31lbs

Dimension

35.4 x 24.3 x 1.29cm / 13.9 x 9.6 x 0.51 inches

Asus Zenbook S 16: Design

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Super comfortable keyboard and trackpad
  • Ceraluminum casing is impressive
  • Surprisingly lightweight

Aesthetically speaking, this is undeniably one gorgeous laptop. With the 'Scandinavian White' colorway, it feels as clean and striking as any of the best laptops. The back of the screen is not only made from Asus's fancy ceraluminum material, but it also has a kintsugi-inspired pattern of sharp lines inlaid in silver, which strikes the perfect balance between eye-catching and minimalist.

A little more about that revolutionary new material, though: you can read about my first time encountering ceraluminum right here, but I'll give you a quick breakdown in case you don't feel like reading a whole different article. It's created by electrochemically bonding aluminum with a ceramic component, producing a strong plated material with a matte surface that feels like unglazed pottery to the touch.

The best thing about this is that it brings the lightweight, durable nature of aluminum - a popular choice among manufacturers when it comes to laptop construction - while also providing a grippier surface that is more resilient against both damage and smudging from fingerprints. I've criticized more than a few laptops over the years for being 'fingerprint magnets', and happily that doesn't apply here. The whole thing feels impressively sturdy despite being very thin and light for a 16-inch laptop.

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

Opening up the lid, you're met with a more conventionally constructed aluminum keyboard housing, with a large glass touchpad and nicely spaced keys that make it very comfortable to type on. I also found the touchpad to be sensitive and responsive, with a firm click, although I typically prefer to connect a wireless mouse when using laptops.

Above the keyboard, a wide cooling grille sits with a subtle Asus logo in the corner. The keys are backlit with white LEDs, which can be set to three different brightness levels; it's not often I take much time to comment on keyboard backlighting, but the Zenbook S 16's is particularly vibrant.

Speaking of vibrancy, the display on this laptop is fantastic, offering rich color and sharp contrast thanks to its 3K OLED panel. While the maximum brightness isn't quite as high as I've seen on some other OLED laptops, it's certainly bright enough to use in well-lit environments, and it's also a touchscreen. Somewhat surprisingly, this display has a 120Hz refresh rate, a pleasing upgrade from the 60Hz panels you see on most non-gaming laptops.

In terms of physical connectivity, we've got a good selection of ports here, including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and even an SD card reader - the latter of which may be a boon for photographers when combined with the excellent display. Lastly, the speakers are quite good, providing detailed audio for both music and dialogue - it's perhaps lacking a tiny bit of kick in the bass department compared to some laptops I've seen, but overall I really can't complain about the speaker quality.

  • Design score: 5/5

Asus Zenbook S 16: Performance

  • Solid all-rounder performance
  • NPU provides support for AI features in Windows
  • Playing games is certainly an option, though it's no gaming laptop

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is a powerful chip backed with 32GB of RAM in my review unit, and I'm pleased to say it performs admirably. General responsiveness is great and everyday tasks run smoothly, to the point where anyone who just wants a laptop for office work could probably consider downgrading to a Ryzen AI 7 model.

When it comes to more demanding workloads, the Zenbook S 16 offers good performance across a variety of areas, including 3D rendering, AI functionality, and gaming. Sure, it's not going to beat out an actual gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU, but the AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics are surprisingly competent even in more demanding games, provided you're willing to dial back the graphical settings a bit and turn on AMD's FSR 3.0 resolution upscaling mode.

Asus Zenbook S 16 review: Benchmarks

Here's how the Asus Zenbook S 16 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Night Raid: 34,618; Fire Strike: 8,516; Time Spy: 4,407; Steel Nomad: 889
Cinebench R23: Multi-core: 13,441; Single-core: 1,953
Geekbench 6.4: Multicore: 14,102; Single-core: 2,845
Geekbench AI: Single Precision Score: 2,359; Half Precision Score: 1,217; Quantized Score: 4,811
PCMark 10: 6,827
Crossmark: Overall: 1,744; Productivity: 1,637; Creativity: 1,940; Responsiveness: 1,537
Sid Meier's Civilization VII: (1080p, Medium, No Upscaling): 45fps; (1800p, High, No Upscaling): 16fps; (1800p, High, Balanced FSR 3 Upscaling): 22fps
Cyberpunk 2077: (1080p, Medium, No Upscaling): 22fps; (1800p, Ultra, No Upscaling): 6fps; (1800p, Ultra, Balanced FSR 3 Upscaling): 10fps
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 14 hours, 55 minutes

In real-world testing, I had no issues whatsoever with the performance of the Zenbook S 16. Running Spotify in the background while working across 20+ open Chrome tabs didn't cause the slightest bit of slowdown, and image editing in GIMP 3.0 was smooth and effective - a far cry from the rather sluggish experience I get when trying to edit images on my usual laptop.

AI performance is also reasonably good; again, you're ideally going to want to spring for a laptop with a dedicated Nvidia GPU if you want to be running serious AI workloads locally, like producing your own language models, but for running the local aspects of something like Microsoft's Copilot+ AI assistant, the average user will have no problems.

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)

To dig into that gaming performance a little more (there's overlap here with other 3D rendering and modeling software), I needed to drop the resolution to FHD+ rather than the native 3K and enable AMD's FSR 3 upscaling to make most games playable - this machine isn't coming close to any of the best gaming laptops - but for anyone who just wants to play casual titles or indie games on their off-time, the Zenbook S 16 is more capable than I had expected. I used it for a spot of Stardew Valley after work on multiple occasions, which unsurprisingly ran great.

In Civilization VII, I was easily able to get a decent framerate at 1200p, while the infamously hardware-demanding Cyberpunk 2077 was completely unplayable at native 1800p but produced an fps of 35 at 1200p with Low settings and FSR 3's Performance mode enabled (and frankly, even with those settings, this game still looks bloody fantastic). It's a true testament to the power of AMD's resolution upscaling tech for integrated GPUs; I'm quietly awed by the fact that a game like Cyberpunk is playable at all on an ultrabook like this.

I will note that the fans on the Zenbook S 16 get a tad noisy when you're running more intensive software - it's nothing too onerous, and I found it ran quietly during regular tasks like web browsing, but be aware that you might want headphones to play games on it. It's worth adding that the laptop didn't get uncomfortably hot at any point (aside from directly on the vent above the keyboard), even during stress testing.

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Performance score: 4.5/5

Asus Zenbook S 16: Battery

The battery life on the Zenbook S 16 is pretty good. That's almost all I can really say about it; it's not mind-blowing, beaten out by several competitors, but it's still sufficient for a full day's work (or two) without needing to plug in provided you turn off the keyboard backlight and don't work at maximum brightness.

In our battery life test, which involves running a looped video file at 50% brightness, the Zenbook S 16 ran out of juice just shy of the 15-hour mark, which for a 16-inch OLED laptop is respectable, if unspectacular. In real-world use situations, I was getting between 10 and 12 hours out of it at a time on average, and it holds its charge remarkably well when not in use.

Since it charges via USB-C, you can easily make use of other charging cables, though the supplied 65W adapter provides fast-charging capabilities that provide 50% battery charge in a little over half an hour.

  • Battery score: 4/5

Should you buy the Asus Zenbook S 16?

Notes

Rating

Value

It's no budget machine, but the price-to-performance ratio here is great.

4.5/5

Design

A stylish and robust design combined with a comfortable user experience makes for a truly premium-feeling laptop.

5/5

Performance

Performance is solid across productivity, creative, and gaming workloads, with good responsiveness and fans that only kick in when you're running demanding programs.

4.5/5

Battery

The battery can comfortably run for more than an 8-hour workday, though it is beaten out by some competing laptops.

4/5

Total

While the pre-installed Asus software is a bit annoying, this is a fantastic laptop that delivers a great aesthetic and strong performance at a sensible price point.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a laptop that looks great
Between its sleek shell, excellent display, and pleasantly understated keyboard backlighting, the Zenbook S 16 is certainly an aesthetically pleasing laptop.

You want something thin but powerful
Despite its relatively light overall weight (for a 16-inch laptop) and thin chassis, the next-gen Ryzen chip inside this Zenbook is fantastic for productivity workloads and can even handle some light gaming.

You want to use Windows 11's AI features
Since this is a 'Copilot+ PC' with a built-in NPU and a dedicated button for summoning Microsoft's AI assistant, it's a solid pick for anyone who wants an AI laptop.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a tight budget
The price tag on the Zenbook S 16 is actually very reasonable for the specs, but it's certainly not a cheap laptop.

You want the best in battery life
While this Zenbook's battery is alright, there are competitors that do a better job - and if you really want ridiculously good battery life, a smaller laptop is usually the way to go.

Also Consider

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro)
Beating the Zenbook S 16 in both performance and battery life, Apple's latest MacBook Pro 16-inch is a staunch competitor - though bear in mind that it'll cost you more, and macOS isn't for everyone.

Read our full Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch review

Dell XPS 17
If you're looking for a similar premium-feeling laptop but with an even larger screen, the Dell XPS 17 is arguably the best 17-inch laptop out there right now.

Read our full Dell XPS 17 review

How I tested the Asus Zenbook S 16

  • Replaced my regular laptop with the Zenbook S 16 for several weeks
  • Used the laptop both for day-to-day work and personal projects
  • Ran it through our full suite of benchmarks, plus some extra tests

As is typical for my laptop review process, I swapped out my daily driver for the Asus Zenbook S 16 - and actually ended up liking it so much that I kept using it after my usual week or two of real-world testing. Asus, if I could keep this one, that would be great...

This involved all my day-to-day work, which is mostly emailing, word processing, web research, and image editing, plus some work on personal projects and a bit of gaming in my off hours. I also ran our suite of benchmarking and battery tests to provide a clearer image of the Zenbook S 16's overall performance.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2025

Google makes fun of Apple’s delayed AI features
2:08 am | August 5, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Google is unveiling the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold on August 20 alongside the Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Buds 2a. Ahead of that, we've seen all of these devices leaking multiple times, sometimes even multiple times per day, and Google itself has been teasing its next-gen products here and there. Today, the company has uploaded a new teaser video to its YouTube channel, and this one pokes Apple very hard. See for yourself: In case you couldn't watch the video for whatever reason, note that it's all about Apple's constantly delayed AI features. The...

Reliable, neat and user-friendly, the Anthbot Genie lawn mower is a wish come true
8:00 am | July 31, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home | Tags: | Comments: Off

Anthbot Genie: two-minute review

Like the very best in the latest tranche of self-guided robot lawn mowers, the Anthbot Genie requires no perimeter wires and no professionals to install it. Simply take it out of its box, set up its charging station and RTK receiver in a suitable spot and set it off on its way.

There are three versions to choose from, with different battery capacities making them suited to different lawn size. The Genie 600 is designed for lawns up to 0.22 acres / 900m², the Genie 1000 is for up to 0.49 acres / 2000m² and the Genie 3000 is for up to 0.89 acres / 3600m². For this review, I tested the 3000.

Although the Genie's 7.9 inch / 20cm cutting width isn't the widest on the market – that accolade goes to the five-star Mammotion LUBA 2 – what it lacks in size it makes up for in accuracy. Thanks to RTK-GPS and its AI-empowered 3D four-camera recognition technology, the Genie cuts in straight lines and navigates neatly around edges without the typical zig-zag chaos of older robot mowers. It's a sterling obstacle avoider, too.

However, its success may depend on the RTK receiver having a good line of sight to a range of satellites in the sky, and to that end it's a bit of a shame that a wall-mounting kit (to place the receiver above the tree-line) is an added extra rather than being included as standard. That said, positioning mine in the lawn next to the charge station – the only setup possible with the included equipment – worked just fine to me, even with a fair amount of tree coverage.

Like the vast majority of robot mowers, the Genie doesn't have a grass collector. Instead, its five-blade cutting disk snips off millimeters at a time, leaving the nitrogen-rich cuttings to fertilize the lawn. Its motorized cutting deck is easily adjustable in the app and lets you fine-tune your grass from a crisp trim to a lush, longer look.

If you're in the market for an easy-to-use robot that's reliable and easy to operate, you've found it. Read on for my full Anthbot Genie robot lawn mower review.

Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

Anthbot Genie review: price & availability

  • List price: $999 to $1,359 / £999 to £1,699
  • Launch date: Spring 2025
  • Available: US and UK

The Anthbot Genie went on sale in Spring 2025, following a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. They're available to buy direct from Anthbot and Amazon in the US and the UK, and at list price they cost $999 / £999 for the Genie 600, $1,199 / £1,299 for the Genie 1000 and $1,599 / £1,699 for the Genie 3000.

Given that wire-free yard robotics is a relatively new thing, right now you can expect to pay big money for the privilege of never having to mow the lawn again. However, prices have already started to tumble and this will likely continue as more competition enters the market. In fact, at time of writing, all sizes of the Genie were heavily discounted in both the US and the UK. In the pantheon of robot lawn mowers, the Anthbot Genie's price structure can be considered quite reasonable given the huge amount of sci-fi tech involved.

  • Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Anthbot Genie specs

Max lawn size:

0.22 acres / 900m², 0.49 acres / 2,000m², 0.89 acres / 3,600m²

Cutting deck width:

7.9 in / 20cm

Cutting height adjustment:

1.18 - 2.8 in/ 30-70mm, motorized

Bot dimensions:

24.8 x 16.1 x 10.6in / 63 x 41 x 27cm

Navigation:

RTK GPS + 4-camera 3D Vision

Climbing ability:

45% (24°)

Drivetrain:

Rear wheel drive

Waterproof:

IPX6

Rain sensor:

Yes

Noise:

58dB

Connectivity:

Wi-Fi (2.4G), 4G, Bluetooth

Obstacle avoidance:

3D Vision (4 Cameras) + All-round Physical Obstacle Avoidance

Maximum zones:

20 - 30

Anthbot Genie review: design

  • 3 variants with different batteries for different lawn sizes
  • Navigates using RTK GPS and AI powered cameras
  • Wall mounting kit for RTK station is sold separately

Funny how the world of technology works. It takes just one company to create a new type of innovative product and within a year everyone's at it. Just look at robot vacuum cleaners. Once there was iRobot, then the likes of Roborock followed suit and, before we knew it, we were being bombarded with hundreds of robot vacs from companies we'd never heard of. Well the same thing is happening in the world of robot lawn mowers.

Although robot mowers have been out since the 1990s, I've never had the desire to review one because they've all required getting down on hands and knees and fixing, or burying, a ridiculously long boundary cable around the entire perimeter of the lawn and every outdoor ornament and piece of furniture. But that's all changed with the recent advent of RTK GPS-, camera-, and LiDAR-guided lawnbots that not only navigate a lawn – and any obstacles – with gobsmacking precision but cut grass in beautifully straight lines that make any lawn look immaculately snazzy.

Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

Anthbot is one of those young upstarts and I've got to say that its design team has done its homework and designed one of the very best lawnbots I've so far tested – and a great looker to boot. In fact, it's getting rather difficult to write these reviews because every robotic lawn mower I receive to test seems to be a bit better than the last, and there are only so many stars one can give as commendation.

The Anthbot Genie is the latest addition to the fast-evolving world of smart robotic lawn mowers, and it brings some serious tech to the yard. This model is available in three battery capacities, which equate to the amount of lawn space they can realistically handle without having to return to recharge too often.

Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

If you have a small urban-sized lawn, opt for the Genie 600 which has a reach of 0.22 acres / 900m² . If your lawn's a lot larger or you want the robot to cut an entire space without heading back to base for a recharge (remember, fewer recharge cycles equals a longer battery life) then opt for either the Genie 1000 which is suitable for lawns up to 0.49 acres / 2,000m² or the Genie 3000 which is capable of trimming a whopping 0.89 acres / 3,600m². All three variants are exactly the same size and have the same features, except the 3000 model can cut up to 30 different lawn zones while the other two can manage 20.

Unlike traditional robot mowers that rely on cumbersome boundary wires, the Genie uses advanced RTK-GPS combined with an AI-empowered navigation system comprising four cameras (including one on each side) that are said to provide '300-degree human-like vision and 360-degree collision sensing'. I believe it having seen it in operation.

RTK station for Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower

(Image credit: Future)

RTK-GPS uses an RTK receiver to correct satellite signals, making them accurate to within a few centimeters. The system requires the bot and the receiver to have direct line of sight to a large proportion of the sky. The idea is that if the GPS signal is weak or lost due to overhead obstructions, the lawn bot will switch over to camera-based navigation.

I should add that RTK-GPS, which is accurate to just a few centimetres, isn't suitable for every home layout because the package requires having an aerial spiked into the lawn within a foot of the charging station and with a clear line of sight to as many satellites as possible. My own lawn is surrounded by very tall trees and the RTK stations of every lawnbot I've so far tested have all been positioned to the side of two 80-foot beech trees.

In theory my yard should be the worst case scenario but, against all odds, I'm receiving signals from between 12 and 25 satellites at any given time – and with just 50 per cent or so of visible sky. So don't write off this model or any other without taking a good look at the sky around your home.

Close up of cameras on Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower

(Image credit: Future)

If your land space looks unsuitable, Anthbot sells a wall-mounting kit that enables you to attach the RTK receiver to a structure up high (so there's wider direct line of sight to satellites in the sky), and plug it into a separate power source to the charge station. Some other lawnbots, include wall-mounting kit with the initial bundle, but here it's an additional purchase.

When it comes to obstacle avoidance, this model features three levels of sensitivity (low, medium and high) and it's worth playing around with the settings to find the best solution for your lawn. I've been very impressed with the Genie's obstacle avoidance and you can read more about it in the Performance chapter below.

Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower on its side, showing blades and wheels

(Image credit: Future)

Right, let's get down to the stats. The Genie's 7.9 inch / 20cm cutting width may sound modest, but it's more than capable of maintaining a consistently neat finish on the lawn sizes it was designed for. Like all robot mowers, the Genie uses a spinning horizontal disc with razor blades attached to the outer edge. Some models like the Eufy E15 have just three blades, but this one has five.

The Genie's motorized cutting height is fully adjustable between 1.2-2.8 inches in 0.2in increments (30-70mm in 5mm increments), allowing you to switch between a close-cropped summer lawn or a longer, lusher look in the cooler months. However, you won't see the 0.2in / 5mm increments on the app unless you tap on the dividing lines between each main measurement. Please fix this Anthbot.

Like 99 per cent of robot mowers, the Genie is a mulching model, so it finely chops grass into tiny nitrogen-rich clippings that naturally fertilize your lawn. That means no messy grass collectors and no piles of cuttings to dispose of. If the mower is set to perform two to three cuts a week, it will simply snip off a few days' worth growth and therefore not litter the lawn in cuttings.

All robot mowers are whisper-quiet when working; so quiet that you can hardly hear them from just a few meters away. This model's drive motor is a fraction louder than other lawnbots I've tested (around 58dB), but it's hardly audible when you're more than 8 meters away.

I sadly wasn't able to test the Genie's multi-zone function since I only have one lawn, but from what I've seen online, it behaves in the same way as other robot mowers and involves steering the robot like an RC car using the Bluetooth connection from one zone to another. As long as the path between the two zones is free of clutter – and especially gates and steps – the Genie will follow the same path every time it's out on a cutting spree. Impressively, this mower provides the option to create between 20 and 30 zones depending on the variant you've chosen.

Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower under cover on its charge station

(Image credit: Future)

If there are permanent obstacles within the lawn (beds, for example), you can create no-go zones so the mower doesn't try to cut them. As a step up from some competitor models, you can create these in-app with a few taps, just as you would with a robot vacuum cleaner. I should add that the Genie's navigation system will cover the vast majority of obstacle avoidance but it's good to have the no-go option for those who wish to make doubly sure that the robot will always avoid pitfalls like drop offs and ponds.

Like all robot mowers and vacs, the Genie can be easily programmed to run a regular schedule so the grass is always kept in tip-top condition. However, the Anthbot Genie app also features a Smart Lawn Care function, which automatically selects the best mowing strategy based on growth of the grass. I wasn't able to try out this function properly because my test period coincided with an ongoing drought that has prevented most UK grass from growing.

I did select the option but found it very confusing because it leapt straight into a schedule and the whole point of the function is that it chooses when to mow. If it's like Worx's Landroid Vision system, it should require input of grass type and then check local weather to create an automatic schedule.

Perhaps this feature will be improved going forward but for now I would suggest ignoring it and stick to your own schedules. Incidentally, like every other bot on the market, a rain sensor on top of the body automatically pauses mowing during wet weather and you can change the delayed mowing time from between one hour and eight hours.

Close up of side camera on Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower

(Image credit: Future)

Most mowers are capable of climbing inclines of 30% to 40% but this rear-wheel-drive model goes 5% more, meaning it's suitable for a slightly wider variety of landscapes. The two large and chubby front caster wheels help in this regard, but it's the oversized and heavy treaded rear wheels that provide all the traction. Nevertheless, there will be some lawns that are still too steep for this mower to handle. If that's your lawn, consider the all-wheel-drive Mammotion LUBA 2 or LUBA Mini which both boast amazing 80% incline ability.

Like most modern wireless robot mowers, the Genie is initially bound to one's WiFi and Anthbot account so any light-fingered thieves will basically have a brick on their hands. To further enhance security, a four-digit code is also required and if the robot is moved beyond its preset boundary, an alarm sounds on the robot and the user receives an emergency alert. Top marks in this respect.

According to the US and UK websites, Anthbot already has an after sales repair service in place in many territories – including the UK and US – with a 10 day turnaround in most cases. In fact, I've been very impressed by Anthbot's activity on Facebook in seeking feedback from current users regarding any improvements the company can make going forward.

Setup

The Genie arrived in a large box containing the mowing unit, a charging base, ample electrical cabling for an outdoor mains output and the RTK GPS antennae. I selected a space next to my Mammotion LUBA 2 and placed the antennae beside the charging station. This area is right beneath two 80-foot beech behemoths, a large horse chestnut and a small damson tree but, against all odds, every RTK system I've used has worked.

This one worked too, though it took a few minutes for the RTK receiver to log on to the prerequisite number of satellites. I'm actually amazed that these RTK-based lawnbots work at all on my lawn given the amount of trees surrounding it, and that just goes to show that there are a lot more satellites up there than you might think.

Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower in its garage

(Image credit: Future)

After turning it on and hearing the musical fanfare, you'll be asked to select the default pin code (0000). Even though the machine is also bonded to the owner's Wi-Fi and email address, this code is an extra line of defence against theft of the machine and should be changed to a personal code using the keypad on the unit or, better still, via the app. Just make sure to make a note of your own pin code because the product is a brick without it, and the only way to fix it is by contacting the manufacturer with proof of purchase.

All robots need to map the space they'll be working in; in this model's case, the Genie uses its RTK GPS and multi-camera system. Anthbot provides two methods for mapping a lawn: auto or manual. In auto the robot analyses the lawn's borders automatically, while manual involves driving the bot around the perimeter like an RC car.

I initially chose auto and the Genie mapped the lawn quickly without any messing about. It simply went to the nearest edge and mapped the entire lawn in about five minutes. That's a record! However, I've since discovered an excellent feature in the app that lets you manually expand the map by driving the robot even closer to the perimeter. Nice one Anthbot.

Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

At this juncture I wish to give a shout out to the tailored Rain Cover for the Genie because it not only keeps the robot dry (even though its IPX6 waterproof) but, perhaps more importantly, it blocks out hot summer sun which could feasibly mess around with the bot's battery and electronics. The Anthbot garage is an impressive piece of kit in its own right since the main body is cast from solid steel and is so robust that I sense it would stand up to a tornado, let alone a gale.

Once the Anthbot Genie is all set up and ready to roll, it's simply a case of going into the app and setting a two- or three-day schedule, your preferred cutting height and obstacle sensitivity, and whether you want the robot to mow in vertical or horizontal stripes. And that's it. You can now retreat, safe in the knowledge that your lawn will always look neat and tidy, even when you're away on holiday.

  • Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Anthbot Genie review: performance

  • Impressive cutting performance
  • Superb navigation system
  • On-par obstacle avoidance

Every perimeter wire-free robot mower I've reviewed to date has performed surprisingly well, at least given the relative newness of this particular field of robotics. The Genie's 7.9 inch / 20cm cutting width may seem compact compared to the 15.7 inch / 40cm Mammotion NUBA 2, but I've been impressed by the precision of its cut – its five-blade disc spins at around 3,000rpm, slicing through grass stems like a pair of sharp scissors, leaving only the tiniest of mulched clippings in its wake. If programmed to perform regular cutting sessions during the main season, the nitrogen-rich clippings will soon disappear back into the lawn where they'll act as natural fertilizer.

Whether you set it to 1.2in / 30mm for a UK-style summer trim or 2.8in / 70mm for a longer cut that's more suited to US grass varieties, the Genie should maintain a consistent finish across varied lawn surfaces. The Genie's simple, replaceable blade system certainly handled my lawn's thick early summer growth with ease, leaving no clumps or uneven patches. However, it sadly hasn't seen much use during the past two weeks because the UK has been experiencing a series of heatwaves and all lawns in the southern region have shut down to some extent.

Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

I've been especially impressed by the Genie's navigation system, which has never faulted in four weeks of using it. My base station is set to one side of my 170 square metre lawn with a gap of around 15 meters / 49ft to the side border and when the Genie leaves its station, it starts mowing in a straight vertical line from that point, missing the 1.5 metres of lawn width to its left and continuing to cut the largest section of lawn to its right.

It then moves to the left side of its first path to complete the rest of the lawn before moving to the edges, which it cuts remarkably well. I should add that its border cutting improved tenfold since I engaged the new 'edge-cutting' option and manually expanded the map by driving the robot closer to the border.

Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

Granted, the Genie employs an unusual cutting pattern when compared to other lawnbots I've tested but, hey, it has always finished the task in about an hour so I have nothing to grumble about in this regard. All I know is that it creates lovely stripes in its wake. Yes, I still prefer the much wider tract of the Mammotion LUBA 2 but I'm getting more and more used to the narrower stripes that the majority of current bots create.

I've also been impressed by the Genie's better-than-average obstacle avoidance. I tested it using a variety of objects – from dog toys and tennis balls to a chewed-up plastic plant pot – and it avoided all of them with deft precision (the two extra side-mounted cameras most definitely helped in this area). In fact I was so impressed I decided to bring out the ping-pong ball that no robot mower has so far avoided. Unfortunately, this was too small an item even for the Genie, which makes me think that manufacturers adjust their respective robots to ignore the smallest of objects on purpose lest they mistake scattered leaves for obstacles and avoid them entirely.

Anthbot Genie 300 robot lawn mower avoiding obstacles in reviewer's yard

(Image credit: Future)

I should add that my test lawn is perfect for any robot since it's rectangular shaped and with no inclines and no major obstacles in the way. Nevertheless, I have watched a few videos by other users with more challenging terrain and they've also been impressed with the Genie's performance.

One thing I have noticed is that the Genie 3000 I was sent to review has been able to cut my entire lawn and the edges with 72 per cent of battery remaining. Yes, this model is overkill for my lawn size but it just goes to show how energy-efficient the model's battery and motors are. If you can afford it, perhaps opt for a larger model than you need so you can cut down on battery charging cycles and have the available juice to cut extra lawn zones in the future.

  • Performance score: 5 out of 5

Anthbot Genie review: app

  • Easy to use
  • Receives quite regular updates
  • Some room for improvement

The Anthbot app is mostly excellent. This easy-to-use app allows the user to set cutting heights and angle of cut, create up to 30 mowing zones, programme different schedules for each and define no-go areas with a swipe of the finger. The app also includes real-time monitoring so you can check the mower's location, battery level and progress at any time, even if you're away from home.

Screenshots from Anthbot Genie app

(Image credit: Anthbot)

My test model recently received a comprehensive update with additions to cut horizontally, edit the lawn's boundary and choose from three levels of obstacle avoidance. However, I would love to see Anthbot improve its cutting angle feature so that it behaves more like Eufy's E15 model, which provides an animated map with an adjustable arrow that swivels the entire map of the lawn on its axis so you can easily view the direction in which the robot will cut.

Given that Anthbot's reps are very responsive and eager to address current users' suggestions, you can be sure there'll be more tantalising updates along the way.

  • App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Anthbot Genie lawnbot?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

In the arena of smart lawnbots, the Genie is very competitively priced. Deals are already easy to come by.

4/5

Design

Navigates using RTK GPS and 4 cameras on front and sides. Available in 3 battery capacities for different-sized lawns.

4.5/5

Performance

Exceptional performance with neat mowing, very accurate navigation and commendable obstacle avoidance.

5/5

App

Despite a few required tweaks, the Anthbot app is easy to use and pretty comprehensive.

4/5

Buy it if...

You want an easy time

This model is a breeze to use, with no major foibles to report.

You want lawn stripes

The Genie cuts in uniform parallel stripes.

You value reliable obstacle avoidance

With three levels of avoidance, this bot is a top dodger.

Don't buy it if...

Your lawn looks like the foothills of the Himalayas

With a 45% maximum gradient, this bot isn't suitable for very steep inclines.

You have lots of overhead obstacles

The Genie uses an RTK GPS navigation system, which relies on a decently clear view of the sky to allow it to talk to the satellites.

How I tested the Anthbot Genie

TechRadar employs a strict routine when testing equipment. Firstly I live with the robot for a week or two, letting it do its thing while observing its behavior. Then I get down to enacting some real-world scenarios like obstacle avoidance and introducing it to various types of borders to see how well it behaves. Robots can be very unpredictable so these tests can take a few hours to complete with lots of written observations. Once I'm satisfied that there aren't any major concerns, I'll start writing the review while very carefully considering the amount of stars each area of the product deserves.

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed July 2025
OpenAI announces ChatGPT Agent – its agentic AI that does tasks for you
4:23 pm | July 18, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

OpenAI announced its latest agentic AI called ChatGPT Agent. It combines features from Operator with its ability to interact with websites and ChatGPT’s conversational fluency, alongside deep research skills and information synthesis into ChatGPT so it can get work done on your behalf. As OpenAI puts it, “ChatGPT Agent carries out tasks using its own virtual computer, fluidly shifting between reasoning and action to handle complex workflows from start to finish, all based on your instructions.” So what can it do? You can ask it to automate repetitive work-related tasks like...

OpenAI announces ChatGPT Agent – its agentic AI that does tasks for you
4:23 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

OpenAI announced its latest agentic AI called ChatGPT Agent. It combines features from Operator with its ability to interact with websites and ChatGPT’s conversational fluency, alongside deep research skills and information synthesis into ChatGPT so it can get work done on your behalf. As OpenAI puts it, “ChatGPT Agent carries out tasks using its own virtual computer, fluidly shifting between reasoning and action to handle complex workflows from start to finish, all based on your instructions.” So what can it do? You can ask it to automate repetitive work-related tasks like...

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