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Samsung Galaxy A35 review: a Samsung Galaxy S24 for the rest of us
7:00 pm | May 19, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy A35 two-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy A35 is a smartphone designed for people who want the finest tech from South Korea’s favorite phone company, but can’t stomach the hefty price tag often demanded by the best Samsung phones.

By ‘finest tech’ I of course refer to the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, Sammy’s recent line of flagship phones, which come with a cost that's north of my monthly rent. Thankfully, people who prefer their cheap phones can still enjoy some of the best Galaxy tech thanks to the A35.

If you’re new to the Galaxy A range, it’s Samsung’s step-down line compared to the flagship Galaxy S range (though not as far down as the M or J series, available in some countries). The ‘3’ in the title refers to the phone’s place in the sliding scale of premiumness – ‘0’ is super-cheap, and higher numbers get incrementally better – while the ‘5’ tells you that this is part of the fifth generation of Galaxy A mobiles (well, at least since Samsung started this numbering system).

These handsets all borrow specific bits of Samsung tech from the company's top-end mobiles, while otherwise presenting an affordable package with corners cut to keep the price low. And the Galaxy A35 is another great example of that strategy.

Samsung’s fantastic display tech is shining brightly on the Galaxy A35: the screen is big, bold, bright, vibrant, and other synonyms for ‘nice to look at’. If you consider your phone to be a glorified Netflix, Prime Video or Disney Plus-streaming device, then the Galaxy A35 will tick your box.

The Samsung Galaxy A35 leaning against a bench.

(Image credit: Future)

You’re getting all of Samsung’s popular OneUI software here, with its customization tools, programmable routines and the colorful, fun user interface. You’re also getting its bloatware, as it’s not just stuffed with Samsung and Google apps, but also some choice third-party ones, too.

The chipset is a surprising feature: on paper, it’s just a bog-standard, low-end Samsung chip, but it absolutely cracks through long gaming bouts or intensive tasks; mobile gamers won’t find anything to turn their nose up at here.

It’s not a perfect phone, though, even by Galaxy A standards. The cameras are a prime example, as they just don’t hold a candle to those on other models I’ve tested. Low-light snaps were vibrant enough, but odd scene optimization AI edits and questionable ultra-wide performance marred the results.

The trappings of low-end mobiles are here in some respects, too: charging is slow, the design is a bit utilitarian and the fingerprint sensor is just awful. Stick to facial unlocking or a PIN/password if you buy this device.

Still, there’s nothing on this phone that’s outright disappointing when you consider its price, and a fair few features are actually better than you’d expect. All told, then, you’re not going to be left feeling mugged off if you buy the Galaxy A35.

Samsung Galaxy A35 review: price and availability

  • Released in March 2024
  • On sale in the US, UK and Australia, among other regions
  •  $399.99 / £339.99 / AU$549.99, only one variant

The Samsung Galaxy A35 was announced in March 2024 and released shortly thereafter, as part of the company’s 2024 line of budget smartphones.

You can pick up the device for $399.99 / £339.99 / AU$549.99 in its sole 128GB configuration, though you can pick between a few color options if you want some amount of customization.

At that price, this is a worthy budget alternative to the $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 Samsung Galaxy S24, getting you a few specs and features pinched from the premium mobiles, but at a much lower price.

It’s not Samsung’s cheapest phone, with the Galaxy A0X, A1X and A2X lines all offering cheaper options, though almost all of those devices have specs weak enough to make them not worth considering (with the exception of the Samsung Galaxy A25).

Samsung Galaxy A35 review: specs

The Samsung Galaxy A35 has specs that run the gamut from low-end to top-end, which you can see below:

Samsung Galaxy A35 review: design

The Samsung Galaxy A35's USB-C port.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Standard-looking chocolate bar Android phone
  • Color options vary by region
  • Fingerprint scanner is unreliable

Samsung hasn’t exactly been changing things between its Galaxy A-series mobiles of late, and the Galaxy A35 is certainly no exception. It’s your standard chocolate bar smartphone with a fairly large body and a flat edge.

The handset weighs 209g, so it’s roughly average as mobiles go, and it measures 161.7 x 78 x 8.2mm, which is a little on the hefty side but not as big as Samsung’s ‘Ultra’ phones. It’s noticeably bigger than the S24, though.

The Galaxy A35 has a glass front and back, making it feel more premium in the hand than many other mid-range phones. It ships in a range of color options, too, but those options depend on region: US buyers can pick between navy and lilac, Australian customers can choose navy or pale blue, and UK buyers get all three of those options, as well as the fetching pale yellow that you see in the images accompanying this review. All these colors are relatively restrained given the vibrancy of some of Samsung’s previous Galaxy A color options.

Unlike some of its cheaper A-series siblings, the Galaxy A35 doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack. Instead, its only port is the USB-C one on the bottom edge of the device.

Both the volume rocker and power button are on the right edge of the device, and you may find yourself stretching to reach them unless you have big mitts.

Samsung uses an under-display fingerprint sensor for the phone, but you’d be forgiven for not noticing — that is to say, it failed to find my finger more often than it succeeded, and I ended up having to type my password in far more often than on most other mobiles.

The phone is certified with an IP67 rating, which means it’s totally protected from small particles (sand, dust, flour and the like) and will also survive being submersed in liquid at a depth of up to 1 meter for a limited time – don’t take it swimming, then, but it should still work if you accidentally drop it in your beer.

  • Design score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy A35 review: display

The Samsung Galaxy A35 leaning against a bench.

(Image credit: Future)
  • 6.6-inches with 1080 x 2340 resolution
  • Super AMOLED results in punchy visuals
  • 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling

If any part of the Samsung Galaxy A35 will make you forget that you’re using a budget mobile, it’s the display.

The phone boasts a big 6.6-inch display, which is bigger than most Galaxy A-series mobiles and also the Galaxy S24. It has a 1080 x 2340 resolution, which is the same as most mobiles on the market, and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. 

Anyone who’s used a Samsung phone will know that the company’s tech is strongest in the display department; this mobile uses a Super AMOLED panel with a fairly high max brightness of 1000 nits. The screen is bright and colors pop, enhancing that Netflix stream or gaming session.

Even your average scrolling experience is better on the Galaxy A35 thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate, which makes motion look smoother and is far from a given on phones in this price range (heck, even the iPhone 15 doesn't have a 120Hz refresh rate).

  • Display score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy A35 review: software

The Samsung Galaxy A35's quick settings menu.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Android 14 with One UI 6.1 over the top
  • Customization and routines good, bloatware bad
  • Four years of OS updates, five of security

A major similarity between the Samsung Galaxy A35 and its Galaxy S24 brethren is in the software department: both come with Android 14 pre-installed, with Samsung’s One UI 6.1 slathered over the top.

Samsung has promised four years of software updates, taking you up to Android 18 (unless Google decides to get funky with numerical orders) and you get an extra year of security updates on top of that.

Visually speaking, One UI is one of the more distinctive Android forks, offering pebble-shaped icons, colorful menus and easy-to-parse icons in the quick settings menu. However, between the Samsung apps, Google apps and a fair few third-party apps, the Galaxy A35 is also chock-full of bloatware, which is something you’d think a massive company like Samsung would be above.

One UI brings plenty of customization options with widgets for your installed apps, a wide range of pre-installed wallpapers, the ability to pick a system-wide color palette, and more. The options here aren’t quite as extensive as on, say, Motorola or stock Android phones, but it’s something.

Like on iPhones, Samsung offers a handy ‘Modes and Routines’ feature so you can jump between, say, sleep, driving or workout modes at the tap of a button, which lets you completely change the way your phone works if you need different settings for a temporary amount of time. These options do require some set-up, though, so carve 15 minutes out of your schedule when you first buy the phone to set them up.

  • Software score: 3.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy A35 review: cameras

The Samsung Galaxy A35's camera app.

(Image credit: Future)
  • 50MP main, 8MP ultra-wide and 5MP macro cameras
  • 13MP selfie camera on front
  • Range of extra photography and video modes

You’re looking at three rear cameras on the Samsung Galaxy A35. They create a package that’s par for the course for a mid-range phone at this budget, but won’t hold a candle to the Galaxy S24 range or even higher-priced Galaxy A mobiles.

The leader of the pack is a 50MP f/1.8 main camera, which is joined by a 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide snapper, with a 5MP f/2.4 macro rounding out the trio.

In well-lit conditions, the main camera takes bright and colorful pictures, which made pictures of close items like flowers or food look bold. That's likely due to Samsung’s scene optimization AI processing, which is a staple of Galaxy phones. This feature adds some pep and pizazz to your snaps; and by that I mean it ratchets up the contrast and saturation, and also drizzles in some sharpening and HDR. 

Seasoned photographers might find this tweakery unwanted, but seasoned photographers probably aren’t using this kind of phone. The optimization is most welcomed for snappy social media posts and selfies.

Why did I specify ‘close items’ before? Well, for wider shots, pixel binning seems to result in a noticeable lack of quality, which you can see in the picture of a tree in the camera samples section below.

The Samsung Galaxy A35 taking a selfie.

(Image credit: Future)

The Galaxy A35 also struggled in lower-lighting conditions, with details lost and contrast handled about as well as you’d expect. Sometimes scene optimization decided to cast an odd blue pall over snaps – a picture of some ducks below was taken in overcast conditions, yet looks like a cheap TV-movie day-for-night.

The camera will suit you better if you usually take pictures of close-up subjects (including people) in decently-lit environments, rather than wider landscapes at darker times of day.

The Achilles’ heel of the phone’s camera array is the ultra-wide snapper, because photos taken on it looked dull and lifeless compared to their counterparts. It’s as though the AI scene optimization forgot to step in!

Rounding out the trio is the macro camera, which is a lot more situational in use than its siblings; it’s used for those close-up photos that the main camera will struggle to keep in focus. It’s up to the task, but you probably won’t be using this camera too much if you can help it.

On the front of the phone is a 13MP f/2.2 selfie camera, and everything I said about the rear camera’s optimization is out here in force, with the added distinction that the subject of a selfie is generally going to be close to the camera, so no landscape-shot woes here. There’s nothing wrong with nice bright selfies though, and in Portrait mode the device was fab at blurring the background and balancing the elements of the picture to create a great-looking shot.

Video recording goes up to 4K at 30fps or FHD at 60fps, or goes very low with several slow-mo modes. Most of the modes here are par for the course for a modern-day smartphone, with night, time-lapse and Portrait modes present and correct. Samsung stalwart modes Food (which ramps the saturation up for a very limited focus area) and Fun (which adds AR effects on human subjects) are back here, too.

Samsung Galaxy A35 camera samples

Image 1 of 8

A selfie taken on the Samsung Galaxy A35

A selfie taken in 'standard' mode. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 8

A selfie taken on the Samsung Galaxy A35

A selfie taken in Portrait mode. (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 8

A bright flower taken on the Samsung Galaxy A35

A flower taken on the standard camera. (Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 8

A field with a church taken on the Samsung Galaxy A35

An ultra-wide picture of a field. (Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 8

A field with a church taken on the Samsung Galaxy A35

A 1x zoom picture of a field with a church. (Image credit: Future)
Image 6 of 8

A field with a church taken on the Samsung Galaxy A35

A 2x zoom picture of a field with a church. (Image credit: Future)
Image 7 of 8

A well-lit tree taken on the Samsung Galaxy A35

A well-lit willow tree with detail lost on the leaves and grass. (Image credit: Future)
Image 8 of 8

A picture of ducks taken on the Samsung Galaxy A35

An oddly-blue picture of ducks on the Galaxy A35. (Image credit: Future)
  • Camera score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy A35: performance and audio

  • Snapdragon 695 is fit for purpose
  • 128GB storage can be expanded up to 1TB, plus 4GB RAM
  • 3.5mm headphone jack for wired audio

The ‘brains’ of the Samsung Galaxy A35’s operation is Samsung’s own Exynos 1380 chipset, which Samsung previously used in the pricier Galaxy A54 from last year.

In a Geekbench 5 benchmark test, the Exynos 1380 returned an average multi-core score of 2,868; the warmer the phone was, the lower the result, with scores ranging from the low 2,900s when cool to the mid 2,700s when warm. I’ve seen phones with much more dramatic ranges than that, I just say this to contextualize the average score.

The high 2,000s is nothing to phone home about, but it’s more than enough for most everyday use cases, and the A35 performed admirably in real-world testing. It blitzed through many games of Call of Duty Mobile or PUBG Mobile without breaking a sweat (though it did warm up if I was pushing it), and it did so without significant lagging, bugging or any crashing. Mobile gamers on a budget won’t find anything to dislike here.

Similarly, the phone felt snappy and fast to navigate, which is something you hope for but can never guarantee with phones around this price.

There’s 6GB RAM and board and 128GB storage; if you want more space you’ll need to rely on cloud storage, as there’s no expandable memory.

With no 3.5mm headphone jack, you’ve got one less option for audio on the Galaxy A35. The stereo speakers are serviceable: I found them perfectly fine for CoD:M, but even cheap headphones are better for music. The Bluetooth is 5.3, which is a decent standard for reliable and power-economic connection. You can also use a USB-C to 3.5mm adaptor if you absolutely need wired music.

  • Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy A35 review: battery life

  • Chunky 5,000mAh battery
  • Phone lasts a day of use, sometimes more
  • 25W wired charging is slow

The Samsung Galaxy A35 leaning against a bench.

(Image credit: Future)

You’re looking at a 5,000mAh battery on the Samsung Galaxy A35, which is the same battery you'll find in the vast majority of other budget and mid-range mobiles (and some high-end ones, too).

In testing, that saw the phone comfortably last for a full day of use, despite the big bright screen and 5G connectivity. It limped until lunchtime on a second day before charging really became necessary, so I’d recommend charging daily.

Charging is done using the USB-C port, and it’s 25W, which isn’t exactly fast. At that speed, you’ll have to be tethered to the wall for over two hours, which nudges into ‘overnight charging’ territory.

There’s no wireless charging, but that’s no surprise when it comes to a mid-range mobile like the A35.

  • Battery score: 3.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy A35 review: value

The Samsung Galaxy A35's camera bump.

(Image credit: Future)

In many ways, the Samsung Galaxy A35 gives you exactly what you pay for, but you’re getting great value for money in a few distinct areas. I wasn’t kidding when I called this a budget Galaxy S24.

The display, software and performance all reach above the trappings of the A35’s low-mid-range price tier, giving you an experience that’s not quite ‘premium’, but is still more than you’d usually get for this price.

Plus, there’s no real department in which the Galaxy A35 falls below expectations: value all around.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy A35?

Buy it if...

You watch lots of videos
The good-looking display on the Galaxy A35 makes it a dream for Netflix fans on a budget.

You're a gamer on a budget
The A35 is decently powerful for its price, but the big and attractive display ticks even more boxes.

You want One UI, without the price
You don't need to pay Galaxy S24 prices to use all of One UI's handy features, like routines and its customization options.

Don't buy it if...

You're a photography fan
The Galaxy A35's three cameras aren't going to impress amateur photographers much, especially with its overactive AI optimizations.

You need quick charging
You can buy budget phones with 120W charging, so the Samsung Galaxy A35's paltry 25W is slower than its rivals.

Your budget goes a little higher
Only a small fee will let you upgrade from the Galaxy A35 to the Galaxy A55, or another Samsung phone with improved features.

Samsung Galaxy A35 review: Also consider

If you're not certain on the Samsung Galaxy A35, here are some alternatives you might want to consider:

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy A35

The Samsung Galaxy A35's Samsung logo.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Review test period = 2 week
  • Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used = Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

I tested the yellow – sorry, 'Awesome Lemon' – version of the Samsung Galaxy A35 for two weeks for this review. Product photography was conducted right at the beginning of testing, hence why I've only got a few apps in-shot.

Testing was done by using the phone as my normal smartphone for the two-week duration: texting, photography, music streaming, Netflix, and so on. 

I have over five years' experience of reviewing tech gadgets for TechRadar, having previously been an editor for the phones team and currently freelancing for several verticals. I've used plenty of Samsung phones (and other gadgets by the company) including previous Galaxy A devices.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2024

Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender review
5:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Juicers & Blenders Small Appliances | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Nutribullet Pro+ blender: two-minute review

The Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 personal blender sits towards the upper end of this brands range, with a more powerful motor and an added pulse button compared to cheaper models. 

This looks a lot like a standard Nutribullet, and for the most part it's the same straightforward but effective design. Add the blade part to one of the two included cups, twist it on to the main body of the blender and it starts to blend immediately, cutting out after 60 seconds to prevent pressure from building up in the cup. The more powerful motor (1200W) makes light work of even tough smoothie ingredients, and delivers consistently smooth results. To-Go lids can be attached directly to the blending cup once you've taken off the blade part, enabling you to blend and go. 

Another point of difference here is the addition of a pulse button. This is good for things like salsas, and make it easy to tailor your blend to the perfect consistency you're looking for.

Pulse button on Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender

(Image credit: Future)

Price-wise, it sits in the mid-range of the wider market, and I'd say it's worth it if you want that extra power and the versatility of the pulse function. If you don't want the pulse function and are happy with a lower-powered option, you might be just fine with a cheaper Nutribullet like the 900 (read TechRadar's Nutribullet Pro 900 review), and if you want a quieter model with a fancy touchscreen rather than the twist-to-blend approach, you'll need to spend a bit more on the Ultra model (read TechRadar's Nutribullet Ultra review). However, in terms of effectiveness and value for money, the Pro+ 1200 is easily one of the best blenders I've tested, especially for smoothies.

The names are very slightly different in different territories, so for avoidance of confusion, here's what you're looking for:

For my review, I tested the UK version. There may be very minor differences between the models in different territories. 

Nutribullet Pro+ blender review: price & availability

  • List price: $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$189.95
  • Launched: 2023
  • Available: worldwide

The Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 is available worldwide and is a mid-range blender. At ticket price, it's $129.99 in the US, £119.99 in the UK and AU$189.95 in Australia. 

Within the Nutribullet personal blender range, it's one of the pricier options, sitting between the 900 series and the top-of-the-range Ultra. If you're on a tighter budget, there's also the less powerful 600 Series. See how all the models compare in the specs comparison table. 

While the Pro+ 1200 isn't the cheapest, I think it's reasonably priced for a personal blender with a powerful motor. It's also worth keeping an eye out for deals around sales periods like Black Friday. 

  • Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Nutribullet Pro+ blender review: design

  • Powerful 1200W motor
  • Two cups with two To-Go lids and two Comfort Lip Rings
  • Twist-to-blend, with 60 second auto-shut off
  • Manual pulse mode that lasts up to a minute

The Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 sits neatly on the worktop and is held in place by four suction feet. The main machine, without cups attached, measures 5.4 x 5.4 x 15" / 13.6 x 13.6 x 37.5cm (W x D x H).

It has a black body with a silver trim, and while it's not quite as sleek as the Nutribullet Ultra or the eye-catching finish of the Pro 900, it's still compact and stylish on the countertop. 

Close up of blade for Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender

(Image credit: Future)

It comes with a powerful 1200-watt motor which – like the Ultra – is designed to split through tough ingredients such as frozen berries and almonds. To start it, you simply need to twist on the cup and a 60 second blend will start. What makes it stand out from cheaper models in the Nutribullet blender range, is a dedicated illuminated Pulse button on the front of the motor base, which allows you to stop the auto-blend within 5 seconds of it starting and then manually pulse your ingredients yourself for up to a minute. 

To-Go lids on Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender cup

(Image credit: Future)

There are two blending cups provided – an 'Oversized' 32oz / 900ml cup and a 'Tall' 24oz / 680ml cup. There's no 'Short' 18oz / 511ml cup provided (this is the best option for a single smoothie serving) but one can be purchased separately from Nutribullet. The larger cup sizes give you plenty of flexibility when it comes to making smoothies or dips for a few people. 

Both provided cups come with To-Go lids and Comfort Lip Rings, which means you don't have to decant your smoothie to a different cup before taking it out with you. 

The cups can simply be twisted off after use and while they are dishwasher-safe, I found that washing the blade and cups with warm, soapy water straight after use kept them looking box fresh. Note that if those cups don't suit your needs, you can purchase other sizes separately from Nutribullet.

  • Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Nutribullet Pro 900 specs

Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender review: performance

  • Creates super-smooth smoothies, and pulse function useful for chunky blends
  • A little noisy in use – and louder than the Nutribullet Ultra
  • Ingredients can get stuck at top for thicker blends
  • Also decent at crushing ice

To give the Nutrbullet Pro+ 1200 a fair trial, I used it for a month in my kitchen to create smoothies and dips. I followed the recipe for a Creamy Coffee Smoothie, with banana, coffee, almond milk, Greek yoghurt, cinnamon and maple syrup, for example, which made a nice change from my hot morning coffee. I was also keen to find out how well it did at creating grainier dips such as hummus, as well as for a thick pancake mix.

With a 1200-watt motor base, the Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 has twice the power of the original Nutribullet 600. As soon as the cup is twisted on the blend cycle starts, and it will cut off automatically after a minute. I used the full minute for my Creamy Coffee Smoothie, and it created the smoothest of blends, and whipped the ingredients into up a delicious frothy texture. The 60-sec cutoff is so as not to cause a pressure build-up inside the cup, and it's important to wait until the motor cools before blending again.

Image 1 of 2

Making pancake batter in Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender

(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 2

Coffee smoothie made in Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender

(Image credit: Future)

Like the Ultra, the blades in the Pro+ 1200 are designed to work on tough ingredients, so ice, nuts and chickpeas will all work well here – provided you have enough liquid in the cup to help the mixture blend that is. If you don't have enough liquid, the ingredients tend to get stuck at the top of the cup. I had this issue when making my pancake batter – on my first attempt, the flour got stuck to the sides. I added more almond milk and shook the cup a few times, and after that it combined more effectively, and very quickly, too. 

Ingredients for pancakes next to Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender

(Image credit: Future)

My final test was to see if the Pro+1200 could handle crushing ice. It performed well in our ice test, blitzing through the majority of a cupful of ice so that it formed a powder like finish ideal for snow cones. After 30 seconds i gave the cup a shake and let it soldier on through the remaining ice cubes. 

Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blitzing ice

(Image credit: Future)

One feature the Pro+ 1200 has that cheaper Nutribullets don't is a Pulse button. I used this to help when making a textured hummus, and I also think this would work well for chunky salsas, guacamole or anything else where there are tough ingredients that need breaking down into small chunks. 

To use the Pulse button, you need to twist the cup on the base and press the Pulse button within five seconds. You can then manually press the Pulse button for up to a minute to adjust the texture to your exact preferences.

Overall, I really enjoyed using this blender and appreciate how powerful and flexible it is. It's quite loud in operation, however. The Nutribullet Ultra (which is designed to be quiet) measured 88.9 decibels on my Decibel Meter App, while the Nutribullet 1200 Pro+ came in at around 93.3 decibels. This isn't something that would put me off buying it, however, as my household is more than used to hearing me say ‘cover your ears for 60 seconds' whenever I want to prepare my morning smoothie.

  • Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 blender

I trialled the Nutribullet Pro+ 1200 personal blender in my kitchen to see if it was capable of blitzing up standard blending recipes with ease. I used it to make humus to see how well the pulse feature could work here, and also make pancakes and a creamy coffee smoothie to see if all the ingredients combined effectively. To get a good idea of how loud it is in use, I measured noise levels using the Decibel Meter App on my smartphone. I also gave it a good wipe down and washed it to see how easy it was to clean. 

Read more about how we test

  • First reviewed May 2024
Australia announces it will turn off 3G networks
2:38 pm | May 15, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has announced today that it will completely shut down 3G networks. While TPG Telecom (also known as Vodafone) has already switched off its network, two other carriers are planning to do so in 3.5 months. In a brief statement on its website, the regulator stated that Telstra and Optus will be shutting down their 3G mobile networks in 2024. Telstra is scheduled to deactivate its network on August 31, with Optus following suit in the subsequent days. ACMA reminded users with 3G devices that their phones will no longer be able to...

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review
9:00 am |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances Vacuums | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner: two-minute review

The Miele DuoFlex HX1 is part of the European brand's HX1 range, pitched as the brand's most affordable cordless vacuum cleaner. The DuoFlex HX1 is available in five different iterations. They're the same core vacuum with the same main cleaner head, but in a range of colors and with varying tools and accessories included. That means you can choose the model that suits you, without having to shell out for extra tools that you don't really need.

Miele is a European brand that has a long history of designing practical vacuums that stand the test of time. It's still best known for its plug-in vacuums, but will no doubt be hoping the HX1 range will earn it spot on TechRadar's best cordless vacuum ranking.

On test it felt well-built, sturdy and robust, but heavy and cumbersome. It's designed to be as powerful as Miele's bagged vacuums, and I found the dirt collection was good on the higher power level. The HX1's ability to automatically detect different floor types and adjust its suction in response takes the fuss out of vacuuming around your home. I also appreciated the clever self-cleaning filter. 

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum laid out on the floor, surrounded by attachments

(Image credit: Future)

However, these innovative features are let down by some issues with the basics. The small dirt bin, messy emptying process and the short battery life are frustrating and mean this vacuum cleaner is best suited to smaller homes and those with predominantly hard floors. 

For this review, I tested out the HX1 Cat & Dog version, the USP of which is a handheld 'Electro Compact' brush. I found this did a great job of removing hair from pet bedding and thoroughly cleaning upholstery. However, the small dust bin limits this vacuum's suitability for pet owners, especially if their four-legged friends shed a lot. Read on for my full Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review: price & availability

  • UK: from £449, available now (launched summer 2024)
  • US: from $599, launching June 2024
  • Australia: price and launch date TBC

Each of the five models in the Miele DuoFlex HX1 range is priced slightly differently. It's the same base model for all versions, but the accessories included differ. Hop to my model comparison table to see exactly how they compare, but price-wise the UK range runs from £369 to £499, with the Cat & Dog model I reviewed is £449. There's plenty of scope to choose the model that's right for your home and lifestyle.

The Miele DuoFlex HX1 range launched in summer 2024 in the UK. At time of writing, that's the only territory it's available in, but it is due to launch in the US in June 2024, at $599 for the standard HX1 model. It will also be available in Australia, but we don't have pricing information yet.

  • Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner specs

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum model options

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review: design

  • Sturdy build, tools supplied vary by model
  • ComfortClean system removes the need to wash filter
  • Dust cup is small at 0.3L

The various models in the range are available in different colors. The Miele DuoFlex HX1 Cat & Dog comes in obsidian black and space gray, which is just a fancy way of saying it's essentially a black and gray vacuum – arguably a bit dull. That being said, not everyone wants a bright and lurid vacuum. And while the look is understated, the vacuum itself has a sturdy quality. It feels well built, as do all the tools.

The 'MultiFloor electrobrush' is the HX1's standard cleaning head. Additionally, all models come with a dusting brush and crevice nozzle – both of which can be stored on the wand of the vacuum so they're always to hand when needed – and a large upholstery nozzle. 

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner with tools attached

(Image credit: Future)

Beyond those tools, the extras depend on the model you go for. The special addition for the Cat & Dog version I had on test is a small 'Electro Compact brush', designed specifically for tackling pet hair on upholstery. 

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner in use in reviewer's home

(Image credit: Future)

The vacuum switches on via a button on the front of the handle, so there's no uncomfortable trigger to worry about. A second button below it enables you to switch between the two power levels. 

The charging cable can be plugged directly into the vacuum, or, if you're installing the wall bracket it can be included in this setup so the vacuum automatically charges every time it's docked on the bracket. 

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner in use in reviewer's home

(Image credit: Future)

While many vacuums now include washable lifetime filters, Miele has developed an even better solution with what it calls the ComfortClean self-cleaning function. By turning the ComfortClean cap, the fine dust filter is cleaned in place. Any dirt that's removed from the filter makes its way into the dust bin and gets emptied out with the rest of the debris into your trash.

The dust bin is emptied easily via a flap that releases the dirt into the trash. But the small 0.3 liter dirt capacity will definitely be off-putting for some households.

  • Design score: 4 out of 5

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review: performance

  • Dirt bin fills up frustratingly fast, and emptying it can be messy
  • Feels heavy and a bit cumbersome, but maneuvers well
  • Suction is good and auto power switching is effective

When reviewing the Miele DuoFlex HX1, a few things were obvious even from the first use. This vacuum feels weighty, and I'm not just talking about vacuuming overhead. It has a heaviness even when vacuuming floors, which I think is down to the balance and the position and/or the angle of the handle.

Furthermore, the handle felt pretty chunky in my small hands, verging on uncomfortable. But I'm a 5ft 3in woman, so I got my 6ft 2in husband to try it out. He found the handle size to be more appropriate to his hand size. Though he felt there was less space under the handle and his fingers were a bit squashed. He also commented on the appearance of the vacuum which he liked, but I'm less keen on.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner in use in reviewer's home

(Image credit: Future)

Maneuverability was good on all floors. The main floorhead automatically detects carpet and increases the suction in response. This auto switching function works effectively, and I found it really took the thinking out of maneuvering between floor types, though the down-side it that it drains the battery (more on that later).

Edge cleaning along baseboards is fine on the lower power setting, but much better on the higher setting. Even when I deliberately sprinkled debris along baseboards, it was thoroughly sucked up on the higher suction, which isn't always the case with cordless vacuums.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner sucking up oats near the skirting board of the reviewer's home

(Image credit: Future)

I've got both carpeted and wood stairs and the HX1 coped well with both. However, in general, even on hard floors, it was rare that I could vacuum a whole room on the lower suction. Generally, I felt the need to increase the power to the higher level to be certain of a thorough clean. And again, this impacts the amount of cleaning time you get before the battery dies.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner in use in reviewer's home

(Image credit: Future)

After just five minutes of vacuuming a bedroom carpet, that wasn't all that dirty, the small dust bin was full up. The loose carpet fibers quickly fill the small bin, and while it doesn't fill up this fast on hard floors. If you've got a very busy house with children and pets, the dirt bin is not likely to be big enough. Similarly for larger homes, the frequent need to empty the bin will become very tedious.

Further to that, emptying out the dirt wasn't always straightforward. While the catch releases the base of the dust bin, the dirt doesn't always fall out. Often hair gets tangled around the pre-filter and sometimes debris gets stuck behind it. The pre-filter then has to be pulled out by hand to fully release everything, so it can certainly be a messy task.

The ComfortClean system is great for unclogging the filter, but every three months the filter has to be removed and tapped on the side of the trash. Once again, this is very messy to do.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 filter

(Image credit: Future)

The noise level is pretty typical for a vacuum. When using the hand tools it's around 70dB, rising to 80dB on the higher suction level. With the multi-floor brush in place you can expect a noise level in the region of 75-80dB depending on the floor type and power level.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 tools

The main floor cleaner head is referred to as the MultiFloor ElectroBrush, but there are a range of supplementary tools, which I'll comment on more here. The tools you get will depend on which version of the HX1 you opt for. The smaller of these tools can be attached directly to the vacuum for use as a handheld vacuum, or they can be fitted to the end of the wand for a longer reach. However, as a handheld vacuum in the car the HX1 felt bulky.

Image 1 of 7

Dusting brush for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner

Dusting brush (included with all models) (Image credit: Miele)
Image 2 of 7

Upholstery nozzle for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner

Upholstery nozzle (all models) (Image credit: Miele)
Image 3 of 7

crevice nozzle for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner

Crevice nozzle (all models) (Image credit: Miele)
Image 4 of 7

Electro Compact tool for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner

Electro Compact tool (Cat & Dog / TotalCare versions) (Image credit: Miele)
Image 5 of 7

Universal brush tool for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner

Universal brush (Extra / TotalCare versions) (Image credit: Miele)
Image 6 of 7

Flexible crevice nozzle XL tool for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner

Flexible crevice nozzle XL (CarCare / TotalCare versions) (Image credit: Miele)
Image 7 of 7

Flexible suction hose tool for Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner

Flexible suction hose (CarCare / TotalCare versions) (Image credit: Miele)

The dusting brush (included with all models) was handy for dusting shelves, but depending on the angle and the height of the shelf, isn't always the most comfortable method of dusting. I also used it on some of my car dashboard, but it couldn't reach into tighter spots. 

The wide upholstery nozzle (all models) means you can cover large surfaces at speed. I quickly vacuumed two sofas, but did need to increase the power to the higher level to effectively remove all the dust clinging to a velvet sofa.

Vacumming a sofa using the crevice tool on Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner

(Image credit: Future)

The crevice nozzle (all models) is a good length and the rubber end is a nice touch that means it won't damage or scratch anything. I found it particularly helpful for getting into hard-to-reach spots in the car.

The Electro Compact handheld brush is only included in the Cat & Dog version I tested, and the TotalCare version. On test, I found it was good for thoroughly cleaning my carpeted stairs. I also used it on my car mats, but found it couldn't reach everywhere in the foot wells. It works well on upholstery too and is designed for vacuuming up pet hair.

The nozzles from the HX1 range that I didn't test were the universal brush (Extra and TotalCare models) for cleaning sensitive surfaces, and the flexible crevice nozzle XL and the flexible suction hose (both CarCare and TotalCare only) designed to help you reach further into awkward areas in the car and the house. 

  • Performance score: 4 out of 5

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner review: battery life

  • Short run times
  • Vacuuming carpet drains battery
  • Only three lights to indicate battery level

Vacuuming carpeted floors on the higher power setting is the fastest way to drain the battery. The Duoflex HX1 managed 11 minutes of vacuuming carpets on high power before the battery needed a full recharge. However, the surprise came when vacuuming carpets on the lower power level. Despite being on a lower suction, the battery lasted for a pretty pathetic 13 and a half minutes. 

On hard floors I was able to vacuum continuously on the lower power level for 21 minutes before the HX1 ran out of juice. This is the longest run time you'll get on floors, which is only enough time to blitz round two to three rooms, depending on the size of your rooms and how thorough you're being.

Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner, shot of the upper side showing battery life indicator lights

(Image credit: Future)

You'll get a longer vacuuming time when using the non-motorized hand tools, such as the dusting brush and crevice nozzle. But it still only offers up to 55 minutes, which will be on the lower power level.

When switching between all the hand tools, including the mini motorized tool, as well as switching between the power levels, the battery lasted just long enough for me to fully vacuum a Volkswagen Golf. But the car wasn't super dirty and if it had needed a more thorough, detailed clean, I would have had to do it in stages.

During testing, the battery recharge took between three and three and a half hours, which is in line with Miele's specs (which state 210 minutes).

Should you buy the Miele DuoFlex HX1 vacuum cleaner?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Miele DuoFlex HX1

  • I tried every tool supplied
  • I used it on multiple surfaces throughout my home, as well as in my car
  • I timed the battery life

I used the vacuum in my own home for around a week. During that time, I tried all the various tools on a variety of surfaces. I vacuumed area rugs, carpet and hard floors, as well as upholstery, stairs, and even hard surfaces like shelving.

In addition to simply vacuuming, I took notice of ease of use, maneuverability and comfort. I also tested its performance on very specific tasks, like picking up that hard-to-reach debris along baseboards and in the corners of the room.

I reviewed my first vacuums over 15 years ago at the Good Housekeeping Institute in London. Over the years I've reviewed well in excess of one hundred vacuums. It really doesn't take me long to assess a vacuum and pinpoint its good features, as well as the less desirable qualities that are worth knowing before you buy.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2024

Sony ULT Field 7 review: a great wireless party speaker that can handle its big bass
8:59 pm | May 14, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Tags: | Comments: Off

Sony ULT Field 7: Two minute review

The Sony ULT Field 7 is the company’s latest addition to the world of weatherproof portable speakers – gone are the days when listening to music outside meant trailing an extension cord precariously through the house and watching the skies with trepidation. The ULT Field 7 is a seriously large, seriously powerful party speaker, ready for big spaces.

Priced at $499 / £399, the Sony ULT Field 7 is available for purchase in the US and the UK and will be available in Australia at some point, but Sony hasn’t shared the price or release date there just yet. However you look at it, this is a big outlay if you’re only looking for an occasional party speaker, but if you like to entertain a lot, or are generally just a fan of heavy bass and want one of the best Bluetooth speakers that can deliver this, the price may not be so off-putting to you.

In a bid to make the Sony ULT Field 7 the perfect party companion, it’s been designed to be waterproof and dustproof, with an IP67 rating backing this up, which is about as good as you get from the best waterproof speakers. This means that you’re all good to use this speaker whether you’re entertaining during a rainy BBQ, or having a beach party. While Sony has attempted to jazz things up with colorful lighting, it is a shared opinion in the TechRadar office that this speaker does, unfortunately, look a bit like a trash can when standing vertically. 

While you may be correct in thinking that a super-charged party speaker like the Sony ULT Field 7 isn’t going to provide the most delicate of listening experiences, it’s surprisingly well-rounded. Not only do bass-heavy tracks sound exciting and dynamic, but mids and trebles are handled well across all genres. Podcasts and talk shows are even pleasant to listen to, and speech is clear.

One aspect that let the ULT Field 7 down is the Sony Music Center app. Its design is reminiscent of a pre-2010 website, it’s laggy, and has some connection issues. At least with the ULT bass and lighting modes easily adjustable on the speaker, you should only need to use the app every now and then, unless you spend a lot of time fiddling with the finer details (which I did, but such is the life of a reviewer).

The size and weight of the ULT Field 7 is something worth considering carefully. The speaker is marketed as being easy to carry – which is somewhat true thanks to the solid integrated carry handles – but, at a size of about 20 x 9 x 9 inches / 512 x 224 x 222 mm, and weight of about 14lb / 6.3kg, you aren’t going to want to carry it long distances.

So, should you spend $499 / £399 on this speaker? If you don’t mind the aesthetics and the disappointing app, the quality of the sound is impressive, and could be exactly what your next party or gathering needs.

Sony ULT Field 7 speaker logo close-up

Covered in fabric, the Sony ULT Field 7 is a bit of a black hole. (Image credit: Future)

Sony ULT Field 7 review: Price and release date

  • Released April 2024
  • Priced at $499 / £399 (about AU$770)
  • 'Coming soon' to Australia

The Sony ULT Field 7 launched in April 2024 as part of the new ULT-series lineup. The lineup also included four other models, the ULT Wear headphones, the ULT Field 1, and the ULT Tower 10.

The ULT Field 7 costs $499 / £399. This translates to about AU$770, but it's listed as unavailable on Sony’s Australian website at the time of writing. It does state “available soon”, so hopefully the official pricing will be added shortly.

This is fairly high in the world of portable speakers, but is far from unusual – the JBL Xtreme 4 and UE Hyperboom come in at a similar kind of price, though both are a little cheaper.

Sony ULT Field 7 review: Specs

Sony ULT Field 7 speaker ports

The flap on the back opens to reveal buttons and connections galore. (Image credit: Future)

Sony ULT Field 7 review: Features

  • ULT presets for powerful and deep bass
  • Waterproof and dustproof
  • 30 hours stated battery life

The Sony ULT Field 7 has a load of features that help to make it a good choice for parties or outdoor gatherings. Firstly, and most importantly for this speaker to be worth its salt, is the powerful ULT sound. There are two preset bass EQ settings, ULT1 and ULT2. The ULT1 setting is intended for tracks with especially low-frequency sounds, delivering impressively deep levels of bass. ULT2 is for delivering louder and punchier bass, better suited to house parties where the lack of detail won’t matter, as you’ll be focussing more on dance-offs. 

The ULT Field 7 also has a Sound Field Optimization feature, which is designed to detect the sounds in the surrounding environment before automatically adjusting the audio settings to improve how it sounds in reaction to them. 

The ULT Field 7 promises to provide 30 hours of playtime, and can build up three hours worth of playtime after charging for 10 minutes. This stated 30 hours battery life is based on having ULT 1 or 2 on, and the lighting (which is just in the ends of the speaker) off. 

I found that the battery dropped 20% over about five and a half house with the lighting and Sound Field Optimization on. This suggests that this speaker could run for about 27 hours with these features enabled, which is good going considering Sony says that’s basically the worst-case scenario.

The design of the ULT Field 7 is a feature in itself. It has integrated carry handles that make it easy to maneuver, plus it has an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating and is salt water resistant, so you can feel confident in the speaker's durability whether you’re having a party at home, in the garden, or on the beach. 

To further add to the party vibe, hidden behind the rear panel is an input for a microphone or guitar so you can use the ULT Field 7 as a karaoke machine, or a guitar amp, which is a nice bit of versatility. 

Speaking of amping up the sound, the Party Connect feature means that you can link this speaker to a wide range of other compatible speakers in the Sony range, so you can sync up the sound and lighting.

In other wireless tricks, it has LDAC higher-quality Bluetooth support, plus multi-point pairing so you switch between devices it's connected to easily.

Features score: 4.5/5

Sony ULT Field 7 speaker bass reflex port with lights showing

There's plenty of power from these bass reflex ports. (Image credit: Future)

Sony ULT Field 7 review: Sound quality

  • Impressively deep bass
  • Satisfying vocal clarity
  • Don’t expect a lot of detail

Despite this speaker focusing its efforts on heavy bass levels, it still delivers a balanced and pleasant listening experience across the board, as you’d expect from Sony. Yes, some delicate details are overshadowed by the amplified basslines, but anything aimed at parties was never going to be the audiophile's ideal choice.

By default, the speaker is set to the ULT2 mode. There is a noticeable difference when switching to ULT1 because, as promised, this setting does indeed deliver more depth. I am impressed with the way it handles low frequencies, giving much-needed definition to the low-end of tracks like Angel by Massive Attack, which is lost amid the amped-up bass of ULT2 mode. 

A good level of softness and detail are still detectable in vocals in ULT1 mode – and even in the punchier ULT2 mode, voices still sound clear. It doesn’t sound like you’re listening from outside the venue, which can be the case with cheaper and smaller speakers when you crank up the bass power. 

ULT2 mode succeeds in still delivering dynamic sound that makes you want to bounce along to the beat while being more refined. The bass isn’t overpowering when listening to Von Dutch by Charli XCX; the balance is there between the clear vocals and the energetic bassline.

The important thing with outdoor speakers is that they are able to carry big bass and clear vocals across the open air, battling breezes and other interferences, across a potentially long distance. The ULT Field 7 has no trouble with this – and unlike some, it actually sounds good while doing it. 

Listening to podcasts is a surprisingly detailed experience too. When listening to The Unbelievable Truth there was a good balance between the speech, buzzer sounds, and audience laughter and applause. 

This speaker delivers a satisfying well-rounded listening experience with a light touch when needed, which is particularly impressive considering it’s a beast of a speaker (in a good way) when it comes to its thumping bass registers.

Sound quality score: 4/5

Sony ULT Field 7 speaker standing upright on a stone floor

You can have the speaker flat or standing up. We'll talk about the latter option a bunch in the next section… (Image credit: Future)

Sony ULT Field 7 review: Design

  • Ashtray vibes
  • Collects dust and debris easily
  • Robust and durable

I’m sorry to say that I’m a little less positive when it comes to the looks of the Sony ULT Field 7. It has been designed to sit horizontally on a surface or to stand vertically on one end. I don’t have particularly strong feelings when it is sitting horizontally. The control panel is easy to access, and the ULT Field 7 looks like what it is: a big speaker. But when it’s standing on one end, I can’t lie, it’s giving me the feeling of a public ashtray outside a hotel or conference venue.

On a brighter note, the button controls feel substantial and are easy to press. Sony has a habit of using a satisfyingly soft silicone material, and this is what’s used here too. The control panel houses the power, Bluetooth, play/pause, volume, and ULT mode buttons printed in pale grey. When the illumination is on, the ULT button lights up in sync with the circular ring lights that sit on either end of the speaker. These lights are more subtle than seems ideal, because they’re set quite far into the sides of the speaker – I feel like if you’re going to do this in a big speaker, you should really go for it, otherwise why bother with the battery drain? – but they make a nice touch. There are nine different lighting effects available, as well as the option to turn the lights off.

There is a hatch on the back of the speaker that conceals a number of additional controls, including a light button, which cycles through the illumination effects, a battery care button to protect against over-charging, an echo button, and key control buttons. This is also where the inputs live for a microphone or guitar, USB-A, aux-in, and the plug for charging (a figure-eight cable – no USB-C here).

Sony markets the ULT Field 7 as easy to transport, designed with convenient carry handles built into either end. While these handles do make picking it up a lot easier, it doesn’t change the fact that this speaker is on the large side, measuring about 20 x 9 x 9 inches / 512 x 224 x 222 mm and weighing about 14 lbs / 6.3kg. I’m quite a petite person, and while I can carry the speaker between rooms, it would be a struggle for me to wander down to the beach with it.

While the speaker itself has a good dustproof rating, the outer fabric and silicone ends and feet pick up dust and debris easily. So it'll definitely work happily wherever you take it (within reason), but you will probably find that it starts to look less-than-pristine quite quickly, and fabrics like this aren’t super easy to clean.

Now, I know I bashed the appearance earlier, and I still stand by my opinion that it looks like somebody attempted to jazz up an office trash can with some RGB lights – but ultimately, this speaker is designed to be durable, so it makes sense that it looks somewhat utilitarian.

So while I’m not happy about how quickly it starts to look dirty, the intention is to have the ability to listen to music in wet, dusty, or sandy environments, without worrying about it taking its toll on the hardware. At least the rating means that it’s somewhat washable, so all is not lost even if it gets a little grubby.

Design score: 3.5/5

Sony ULT Field 7 speaker controls

There's a row of controls on top – including the ULT bass control, which changes color, to emphasize how extreme it is. (Image credit: Future)

Sony ULT Field 7 review: Usability and setup

  • Quick setup
  • Disappointing app

Setting up the Sony ULT Field 7 was simple. The speaker powered on easily, and I just had to press the Bluetooth button and my iPhone spotted it straight away.

The appearance of the Sony Music Center app feels low-budget, which is disappointing for an established brand like Sony. My less-than-positive opinions were further proven when switching between apps, as each time I left the app it appeared to disconnect from the speaker, so it takes a moment to reconnect each time I move away from the app. I found this particularly frustrating when fine-tuning the settings, as every time I hopped onto the Apple Music app to change tracks and get a feel for the changes I’d made, I had to start from the home menu again when I returned to the Sony app. 

In addition to the delay from switching between apps, it took over a minute – sometimes longer – for the app to connect with the speaker after powering it on, whereas other Bluetooth speakers I’ve tested will reconnect to an app in seconds. Perhaps this will be improved by software updates in the future, but just note that it might be frustrating if you try it soon.

When tapping on My Library, the app is able to access Apple Music and my media library, so I can get straight to my chosen media through the app, if I choose to. (Obviously, like 99% of people, I mostly choose to just use whatever app I usually use.)

Tapping on Music took me straight to the Apple Music section within the app. There is a tab for audio input, for those times that you might want to use it as an amp for playing guitar, or to blare out some karaoke. There’s also a tab for USB input, so you can play music from a storage device. There’s a dedicated tab to take you straight to Spotify, if that’s your service of choice. 

Alongside the ULT1 and ULT2 modes, you can also alter the EQ settings manually in the Settings tab. Frustratingly, you need to head back to the Sound Effect tab to select Custom mode before the app will let you alter the EQ. Generally, other apps will intuitively switch off other modes when you customize settings, but this is just another example of the Sony Music Center app being disappointingly clunky.

Usability and setup score: 3.5/5 

Sony ULT Field 7 speaker's handle held in a man's hand

The handles at each end make it easy to grab and move, though you wouldn't want to go too far. (Image credit: Future)

Sony ULT Field 7 review: Value

  • Good audio quality for the price
  • Great for parties (if not audiophile listening sessions)
  • Over-priced for an occasional speaker

This speaker may not equate to being good value for the money if you only throw a party every once in a blue moon, but if you enjoy blasting tunes outdoors on the regular, then you’ll be getting what you pay for here, thanks to the durability and sound quality. I think it’s a sound investment for the right person.

That feeling of value is partly helped by the good range of features offered here, from two bass-boosting modes, to the sound adaptation based on audio around it, to karaoke and guitar plugs, to multi-point pairing.

I think the overall versatility is harmed slightly by it being as large and heavy as it is, which may bring down the value for some – its value as a beach speaker is reduced if you don't want to carry it to the beach because it's large and heavy – but that's balanced by it being well-built and having a good IP waterproofing rating.

Value score: 4/5 

Should I buy the Sony ULT Field 7?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Sony ULT Field 7 review: Also consider

How I tested the Sony ULT Field 7

Sony ULT Field 7 speaker power and ports close-up

(Image credit: Future)
  • I tested the speaker for one week
  • I played music continuously to determine battery usage
  • I listened to music and podcasts

I tested the Sony ULT Field 7 over the course of a week – after a thorough run-in. I listened to a range of different music genres, and podcasts, listening out for how the speaker handled bass, mid-tones, treble, and so on. 

I mostly used the speaker in TechRadar's music testing room, where I could really get a feel for what it's capable of – but obviously I used this portable speaker in other locations as well.

To determine how fast the battery would run down, I played music continuously at 25% volume, and continuously checked to see how quickly the battery indicator changed, tracking the time along the way.

I played music to it from an iPhone, a MacBook Air, and a Fiio M11S music player with LDAC support. My main music sources were Apple Music and Tidal, but I also used Spotify and podcasts.

OnePlus Watch 2 review: Finally, a Wear OS watch with staying power
7:34 pm | May 13, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness Smartwatches | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

OnePlus Watch 2: One minute review

After a less-than-stellar introduction to the world of smartwatches with the original OnePlus Watch in 2021, OnePlus is back with its second effort, and it’s a different beast entirely. Rather than relying on its own software, OnePlus’ latest wearable uses Google’s Wear OS platform to deliver a comprehensive set of features that will satisfy even the most demanding user.

Anyone who’s familiar with Wear OS will know that poor battery life is its biggest hurdle, and OnePlus manages to leap right over it with an ingenious solution. This watch has two processors and two operating systems working in tandem, one handles all the basic functions like telling the time and counting steps, while the other tackles the more complex stuff. Depending on your usage, you really can achieve 100 hours on a single charge.

The OnePlus Watch 2 offers a tasteful design, but its large dimensions mean that it’s less suited to those with petite wrists. It feels quality throughout, but I can’t help but wish for a functional rotating crown. This one can be rotated, but it doesn’t do anything. It’s just a circular button.

When it comes to features and performance, I have no complaints whatsoever. Fitness tracking data seems accurate, it pairs easily and remains connected to your phone, and the Wear OS ecosystem means you can install a wide variety of applications to achieve all sorts of tasks. I managed three days on a charge with the always-on display enabled, too.

As it stands, I think it’s one of the most compelling Wear OS options available today, and certainly one of the best smartwatches outside of Apple. It’s reasonably priced, well-designed, feature-packed and lasts for a long time. What more could you need?

OnePlus Watch 2: Specifications

OnePlus Watch 2: Price and Availability

OnePlus Watch 2 worn on man's wrist

(Image credit: Luke Baker)
  • £299 in the UK
  • $299.99 in the US
  • AU$459 in Australia

The OnePlus Watch 2 is available to purchase now globally with an MSRP of $299.99 / £299 / AU$459. It originally launched in Black Steel and Radiant Steel, but a Nordic Blue variant was introduced more recently in Europe, too. The specs and features are the same across all variants, it’s only the colour of the chassis and strap that changes.

The OnePlus Watch 2 is very reasonably priced compared to its Wear OS rivals. The Pixel Watch 2, TicWatch Pro 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro are all slightly more expensive at full retail, but frequent discounts mean that they can be found at similar prices.

  •  Value score: 4/5 

OnePlus Watch 2: Design and screen

OnePlus Watch 2 worn on man's wrist

(Image credit: Luke Baker)
  • 1.43-inch AMOLED display
  • Steel chassis with sapphire crystal face
  • Black Steel, Radiant Steel and Nordic Blue options

The OnePlus Watch 2 immediately gives the impression of quality, it's dense, heavy and shiny, as you’d expect a high-end watch to be. However, the downsides to this design are immediately apparent, too: it’s a big, thick watch, and it’s only available in a single 46mm case size. This means it’s not going to be for everyone. I’m a big guy, and even on my wrists it felt a little large and heavy; I can certainly imagine it looking ridiculous on those with slim wrists.

The OnePlus Watch 2 is mostly circular, but it has a flat edge on the right-hand side. The buttons are offset at an angle, which means they’re never accidentally pressed by the back of your hand when you lean on a table. It’s a thoughtful touch.

OnePlus says the design is inspired by classic stopwatches, but it equally reminds me of the camera surround on the OnePlus 12, it’s a nice bit of design synergy if you happen to own both. On the whole, though, I think it’s lacking in personality. There’s nothing wrong with the design, it just doesn’t do much to stand out, either.

The uppermost button is circular and sticks out from the main body, like a watch crown. However, while it can be rotated, rotating it doesn’t do anything, it’s just a normal button. I found this a bit disappointing, most of the Watch 2’s competitors have functional crowns, and even the budget-oriented Huawei Watch Fit 3 manages to include one.

The display has an ample 466 x 466 resolution and it’s bright enough that I never had trouble seeing it in direct sunlight. The bezels are fairly chunky, but a selection of predominantly dark watch faces do a great job of disguising this. The screen is coated with sapphire crystal and has a hardness rating of 8+ Mohs, which essentially means that it’s highly scratch-resistant. After wearing it for a few weeks, the glass is still spotless (despite taking a few knocks).

The watch also has a MIL-STD 810H rating for durability, and it's completely waterproof up to 5ATM. So, no matter how adventurous your lifestyle may be, the OnePlus Watch 2 should be up to the task.

  • Design score: 3.5/5

OnePlus Watch 2: Features

OnePlus Watch 2 worn on man's wrist

(Image credit: Luke Baker)
  • 32GB of onboard storage
  • Great flexibility with Wear OS apps
  • Over 100 built-in exercise modes

Since the Watch 2 runs Wear OS, it integrates seamlessly with all of Google’s services like Google Calendar, Google Fit, Google Wallet, Maps and more. As someone who relies on Google for most of my digital life, it’s blissful not having to manually link any of these services.

The other big advantage of Wear OS is that it has an app store. As an example, I like to track my rides using Strava. Most watches will require a (sometimes complex) linking process to share data with Strava, but on the OnePlus Watch 2 you just tap the Play Store, install Strava, and you’re ready to track. 

It’s not just fitness stuff that you’ll find here either. You can find all manner of functionalities on Wear OS: I love having the ability to control my smart lights from my watch using Google Home or IFTTT, for example. That’s the kind of function that proprietary operating systems struggle with, but Wear OS handles like a breeze.

The downside to this system is usually the battery drain. Wear OS is a notoriously demanding smartwatch platform, and Wear OS watches with multi-day battery life are few and far between. Brands have tried various techniques to get around this, the TicWatch Pro 5’s dual-layer low-power display is a great example, but none are quite as seamless as the OnePlus Watch 2’s approach.

This watch is essentially two watches in one, and that’s probably why it’s so chunky. It has a Snapdragon W5 to run Wear OS and all the smart bits, while a low-power BES2700BP chip and RTOS system runs all the basics, like telling the time and capturing health data. The watch switches between the two systems depending on what you ask it to do, so you get all the features, without the usual battery woes. It’s a brilliant workaround.

You get 32GB of storage built in, ample space for offline Spotify listening if you want to leave the phone at home. Meanwhile, the default fitness tracking application can track over 100 different types of exercise. Of course, if your favorite is missing, you can always install a different app instead.

The watch uses the OHealth Android app to pair with your smartphone, but there’s no equivalent for iOS, so iPhone users need not apply. In the app, you can check out your fitness metrics, customize your watch face and settings, and start tracking a workout. It’s a little barebones, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It keeps everything simple, and if you want to do something more advanced, you can do that on the watch itself.

  • Features score: 4/5

OnePlus Watch 2: Performance

OnePlus Watch 2 screen

(Image credit: Luke Baker)
  • Up to 100 hours of battery life
  • Heart rate, sleep, stress and SpO2 monitoring
  • Multi-band GPS tracking

The big thing that sets this watch apart is its battery life. I like to use my smartwatches with everything enabled, and the always-on display active, essentially the worst-case scenario for battery life. Even still, I was able to manage around three days per charge when I wasn’t using GPS, and around two days when I was.

If you’re fine with raise-to-wake, and maybe disable some of your more frequent notifications, then you’ll be able to achieve much longer. Kick it into power-saving mode and you can go 12 days between charges, and you’ll still get notifications and track your steps and heart rate, too. Of course, the more advanced features are disabled in this mode.

When it’s time to charge, it's done with a magnetic puck that attaches to the watch with some pogo pins. It’s a nice, compact unit with a removable USB-C cable, I found it much nicer to travel with than a lengthy proprietary cable. Wireless charging support would have been even nicer, though.

The connection between my phone and the OnePlus Watch 2 was rock-solid throughout my testing. Notifications came through reliably and quickly, and if I left the phone somewhere and came back to it, the two devices would reconnect without any hiccups.

It’s hard to gauge the accuracy of the watch’s many fitness sensors, but the readings I got were in line with most of my other wearables. The step count was continually a little higher than my phone’s built-in pedometer, but much of that can be attributed to leaving my phone at my desk as I get up and run errands. Heart rate readings matched those that I’m used to seeing from my TicWatch Pro 5, too.

The watch can track your sleep habits, too. The metrics include everything from sleep stage breakdowns to heart rate changes and even breathing patterns. I hate sleeping in a watch, especially one as chunky as this, but I was on a couple of overnight flights during my testing and managed to capture some data. I did, in fact, not get much sleep, as the watch kindly reminded me.

  • Performance score: 4.5/5

OnePlus Watch 2: Scorecard

OnePlus Watch 2: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

OnePlus Watch 2: How we tested

Our reviewer wore the OnePlus Watch 2 as his primary smartwatch for over two weeks, and it accompanied him on some international travels and during regular workouts. It was paired to a Vivo X100 Pro for the majority of the testing period but was also tried with the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra.

The tracking results were compared to historical results from the Huawei Watch Fit 3 and TicWatch Pro 5, as well as the built-in step counter on the smartphone to assess accuracy.

OnePlus Watch 2: Also consider

First reviewed: May 2024

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review
2:52 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Moto Edge 40 Neo two-minute review

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo straddles the line between the type of fantastic cheap phone that Moto is known for, and a more esteemed breed of mid-range mobile. And while it manages to be a respectable jack of all trades, it’s a master of none.

The handset is ostensibly a more affordable spin on the Motorola Edge 40, released in the early months of 2023, but with some compromises and corners cut in order to save you a bit of money. The three main distinctions are that the chipset is weaker, it has no wireless charging and the body is made from less premium materials.

Offering a ‘budget’ version of a flagship is standard practice in mobile-making, but the Neo offers very few weaker areas than its more premium compadre – in fact, it’s actually a more powerful phone in a few areas, with a bigger battery and more RAM. If you gave me the phones and didn’t tell me which was which, I wouldn’t be able to identify which of them cost over £100 more.

Many of the Edge 40’s impressive features are here in force. The charging is very quick for a Moto phone, with 68W powering getting your phone full in 30 minutes or less. Moto’s spin on stock Android continues to offer loads of customization options and handy shortcuts. The phone has a good-looking display, a range of attractive Pantone-designed color options and more storage than you’ll find in many other mobiles of this price.

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo

(Image credit: Future)

Unfortunately, though the Moto Edge 40 Neo is an attractive alternative to its premium sibling, it doesn’t quite justify its higher price compared to members of the Moto G range of affordable Android handsets. We tested the Neo alongside the Moto G84 which costs less and is more impressive for what it offers, with similar specs, improved gaming capabilities and many features in common with the Neo.

One issue with the Edge 40 Neo is the curved-edge display. This is a feature that used to be commonplace in premium phones, and even some mid-rangers that were positioning themselves as neo-premiums. A display like this lets the phone sit more comfortably in the hand, and lends it a more refined feel, though it’s very easy to accidentally touch the edge and trigger some unintended function. That was the case with the Neo, and it made gaming an absolute pain.

Motorola’s continued Achilles’ Heel returns too in the form of the Edge 40 Neo’s cameras. The 50MP main and 13MP ultra-wide combo looks fine on paper, but the pictures are unremarkable and a little dull. This handset isn’t for the impassioned mobile photographer.

Overall the feature set here is solid, especially considering the low cost of the handset, but a few stumbling blocks stand in the way. Issues with the curved-edge display mean that gaming is more of a pain than it’s worth, making the powerful specs and good-looking screen redundant for gamers. And people who like the software and display will find contemporary Moto G handsets equal in function yet cheaper in price.

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: price and availability

  • Released in September 2023
  • Costs £299.99 (roughly $375, AU$575) 
  • Not for sale in US or Australia

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo

(Image credit: Future)

The newest member of Motorola’s Edge family was announced in mid-September, alongside the Moto G84 and Moto G53. It went on sale shortly afterward in the UK – we don’t have any information on releases elsewhere, but judging by precedent, it could show up in the US down the line under a different name. 

The phone costs just £299 (roughly $375, AU$575) which is surprisingly cheap for an Edge phone, given that some of the brand’s budget Moto G handsets have sold for more. 

For comparison, the main Edge 40 costs £529 (roughly $690 / AU$1,015) while the Edge 30 Neo went for £349 (about $400, AU$500), so this is one of the cheapest Edge mobiles Moto has released. 

  • Value score: 3.5 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: specs

Is the Moto Edge 40 Neo a budget phone, or a mid-ranger? Let's look at its specs...

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: design

  • Four Pantone-designed color options
  • Curved-edge display makes phone feel premium
  • USB-C port but no 3.5mm headphone jack

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo

(Image credit: Future)

The Moto Edge 40 Neo looks surprisingly premium given its price tag. Between the curved-edge display, vibrant color options and svelte body, this could be confused from a distance for a Samsung or Xiaomi blower.

The Neo is one of several recent Moto phones that have had their color options designed by Pantone, and so three of the four you can pick between look distinct and unique. It’s the Caneel Bay model that you can see in pictures but there’s also Peach Fuzz, Soothing Sea (light green) and Black Beauty. This latter is the only one that looks rather basic — it’s just black.

Moto has also continued to use a design feature that used to be commonplace in premium mobiles, but is now sadly rare: the curved-edge display. This rounded screen makes the phone sit nice and comfortably in the hand, and it’s another element of the mobile that seems pinched from a much pricier model. While the angle isn’t as dramatic as the ‘Waterfall’ display used on the original Edge series, that just means it’s less slippery.

Unfortunately, some of the negative traits of premium mobiles are here too; there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, for example, despite Moto continuing to feature this in most of its handsets. The only port, then, is the USB-C adaptor.

On the right edge of the phone is the volume rocker and power button, both in fairly easy-to-reach positions. The handset is lightweight at just 170g and measures 159.6 x 72 x 7.9mm.

It’s a well-protected handset with an IP68 rating. That means it’s nice and snug from dust particles and submersion in water.

  • Design score: 3.5 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: display

  • Large 6.5-inch screen
  • Resolution of FHD+ (1080 x 2400)
  • High max brightness and snappy refresh rate

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo

(Image credit: Future)

The phone’s screen is 6.55 inches across — fairly standard for a smartphone in this day and age. As mentioned in the design section it’s a curved-edge display, which makes it look a little larger, though this feature has a big drawback (head to the ‘Performance and audio’ section to learn more).

There’s nothing surprising in the resolution department: FHD+, or 2400 x 1080 pixels as the vast majority of smartphones are. This is all you really need, though, as popular games and streaming services output at this resolution or lower.

The phone has a nice snappy refresh rate of 144Hz, so motion looks lovely and smooth, and a fairly high max brightness of 1,300 nits too. As budget phone displays go this ticks all the boxes and puts a second tick in a few of them too, so you won’t be disappointed by it.

  • Display score: 4 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: software

  • Uses Google's stock Android
  • Only two confirmed years of updates
  • Lots of navigation and customization features

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo

(Image credit: Future)

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo comes running Android 13, the newest form of Google’s operating system as of its release. Moto tends to be reticent on future update plans though, so its promise for only two years of updates seems a little shallow compared to the longer update spans many other Android phones get. However, not everyone cares about getting the newest version of Android for years to come, and your phone will still work for many more years whether or not you get these updates.

The Neo uses near-stock Android, which means it’s as Google designed it, with no visual or functional overlay like many other Android brands use. Stock Android is generally regarded as having a pretty clean-looking interface with easy navigation.

Motorola has been slowly pulling stock Android in its own direction, though, by bringing more and more of its own features to the phones. These are all welcome additions. A long-running one is Moto Actions, little gestures you can do for shortcuts, including a double-karate-chop action to turn on a torch, or two rotating shakes to turn on the camera. They can take some getting used to, but they’re fantastic time-saving tools once you’ve got the knack.

In Moto’s recent phones it’s also been offering an expansive suite of customization options, more so than most rival mobiles. You can change font, color scheme, app icon shape, display edge light, and a lot more; if you love tinkering settings to your heart’s content, the Edge 40 Neo is going to let you do just that.

  • Software score: 4 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: cameras

  • 50MP main and 8MP ultra-wide cameras
  • Some extra features like Spot Color
  • 32MP front-facing camera for selfies

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo

(Image credit: Future)

You don't buy a Moto phone expecting Samsung- or iPhone-level photography chops, and there's no change in the Moto Edge 40 Neo. 

The phone has two rear cameras, headed up by a 50MP f/1.8 snapper, which is joined by a 13MP f/2.2 120-degree ultra-wide. A fairly standard duo, all things considered.

The main camera is fit for purpose, but it won't wow. I took snaps that would be perfectly suitable for dropping onto Instagram or WhatsApp, but nothing that was fantastic enough that I was enthused to hunt down amazing scenes when I wasn't trying to test the cameras.

My main issue is that the snaps look a little grainy, even when well-lit, as you can see in the below cookies picture, which was taken with help from a professional photography light. The phone's processing sometimes added an odd color tint too, which you can see in both the pineapple and houseplant snaps.

Switch over to the ultra-wide camera, and you're getting pictures that are fairly low-res, and also a little duller than those taken on the main camera.

Selfies are... fine, that's the most descriptive word for these pictures. Portrait mode bokeh was fairly light-touch but sometimes gentle is better. Quality was lost in darker areas.

Moto has added a few extra camera modes beyond the standards, the main of which is a Samsung-esque Spot Color that lets you pick one color from the frame and remove all the others. It's a fun extra mode that not many phones offer, even though it wasn't always flawless in execution (it confused skin tone and wood colors on several occasions). It works both for photography and for videography.

You can record video in 1080p at 60fps or 4K at 30fps, and can drop the frame rate down to 240fps in slow-mo mode.

  • Camera score: 3 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo camera samples

Image 1 of 6

A tray of biscuits taken on the Moto Edge 40 Neo

Some home-made jammy dodgers taken on the Moto's main camera. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 6

A house plant taken on the Moto Edge 40 Neo

A houseplant taken on 1x camera mode, with an odd green tint (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 6

A selfie taken on the Moto Edge 40 Neo

A selfie taken in standard mode. (Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 6

A selfie taken on the Moto Edge 40 Neo

A selfie taken in portrait mode (Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 6

A pineapple taken on the Moto Edge 40 Neo

A picture of a pineapple taken on the main camera. (Image credit: Future)
Image 6 of 6

Another Moto phone taken on the Moto Edge 40 Neo

A picture of the Moto G84, another Pantone-colored Moto phone. Head over to that review to see a snap of the Neo taken on it. (Image credit: Future)

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: performance and audio

  • Powerful Dimensity 7030 chipset plus 12GB RAM
  • Curved-edge display brings gaming problems
  • Bluetooth 5.4, tinny speakers and no headphone jack

On paper, the Moto is a budget gaming champ. It has the mid-range yet relatively powerful Dimensity 7030 chipset running under the hood, paired with an impressive 12GB RAM.

Those lend themselves to power, and a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 2,513 shows that this certainly is a powerful phone compared to same-price contemporaries.

Unfortunately, the phone’s curvy screen makes gaming a frustrating experience. When I played Call of Duty: Mobile, I’d repeatedly accidentally tap the top edge of the display, bringing up the mini-map if it was on one edge or looking wildly around if it were the other. This same experience occurred on other titles too, depending on the buttons that their UI house right at the top.

There’s evidently little accidental-touch recognition here, despite this being a feature that Moto Edge phones have previously boasted. It’s a curious omission or flaw but it means the handset just isn’t great for gaming fans.

It’s a shame too, because the specs are fantastic for a phone of this price. A 144Hz display and 12GB RAM feels wasted in a phone like this.

As stated, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack on the Moto Edge 40 Neo, so for music you’ll have to rely on connecting to the phone with Bluetooth 5.4 or using the stereo speakers. If you’re going for the latter, be warned that they’re a little tinny, especially if you crank up the volume louder. Fine for bangs and explosions for games, not so much for enjoying your favorite symphony on Spotify.

  • Performance score: 3 / 5

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: battery life

  • Chunky 5,000mAh battery
  • Phone easily works into second day
  • Lovely fast 68W charging for half-hour power

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo

(Image credit: Future)

As with the vast majority of its phones, Moto has put a 5,000mAh battery in the Edge 40 Neo, which is the largest-capacity power back you’ll find in the vast majority of smartphones.

In testing, the phone had no issues in lasting a full day of use, and often lasted until mid-way through a second day before it needed to be plugged in. Frugal phone users might even see the mobile last a whole second day.

So what’s that charging like? Well, Moto fans might do a double take here, but it’s 68W; given that Motorola generally sticks to slow charging for its phones, that’s a surprisingly snappy speed that we’re happy to see.

You can power the phone to full from empty in just over half an hour; Motorola’s selling the phone on its ability to charge to 50% in under 15 minutes, which our testing concurred with. Just don’t expect wireless charging, on the Neo or any phone at this price!

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Motorola Edge 40 Neo?

Buy it if...

You like funky phones
Coming in four Pantone-designed color options, the Edge 40 Neo is one for you if you're bored of the typical 'black or blue' options you get for most Android phones.

You're a curved-edge display fan
Curved-edge displays have their fans and their detractors, and if you're in the latter camp you have few options. The Edge 40 Neo is a definite consideration for you.

You like customizing your software
Colorful phone options, colorful phone interface: Moto's phones are rife with ways to customize the look of your handset's interface.

Don't buy it if...

You're a mobile gamer
The curved-edge display's accidental touch issues nearly had me pulling my hair out when I was testing the Neo on online games. This is not one for mobile gamers!

You’re a phone photographer
Motorola's phones rarely have anything in the way of photography chops, and that's definitely the case here too. Fit for purpose, but won't wow.

You care about software updates
If you care about how long your smartphone will see new features for, you might find the Edge a little limited compared to some other brands' phones.

Motorola Edge 40 Neo review: also consider

Considering other mobiles beyond the Moto Edge 40 Neo? Here are some others you could look into:

Moto Edge 40
You're getting a more powerful chipset here as well as a slightly smaller phone made with more premium materials, but it costs more and is pretty much the same (or weaker) in all other departments.

Poco X5
For the same price as the Edge 40 Neo, gaming fans can get this powerful Android phone with a big, bold display. Don't expect as many features as on Moto's phones but its gaming chops far exceed the Neo's.

How I tested the Motorola Edge 40 Neo

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo

(Image credit: Future)
  • Review test period = 2 week
  • Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used = Geekbench 5, Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

I tested the Motorola Edge 40 Neo alongside the G84 and G53, which were announced and released alongside it. I used the Caneel Bay color variant of this mobile, and I've never been to Caneel Bay itself so I can't attest to the color's accuracy.

Since the Edge 40 Neo was not the first of the three phones I tested, it enjoyed an extended testing period, as for two weeks I set it up to let the battery settle, and for the occasional gaming or photography session. The 'true' testing time was two weeks, and I used the mobile as my own handset for this time.

I've been testing smartphones for TechRadar for almost five years now. In fact, after joining the team in early 2019, my first-ever review was a Motorola handset. I left TechRadar in late 2022 but continue to contribute freelance reviews of mobiles as well as speakers, running gadgets, headphones and more. That is to say, I have a long track record of testing devices like the Motorola Edge 40 Neo.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed December 2023

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 review: A superb choice for wider feet
3:30 pm | May 11, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: One minute review

Stepping into the realm of cross-training shoes, the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 is a standout choice for those with wider feet. This shoe blends durability and stability in a package that can be applied to a range of fitness environments. 

The shoe boasts a lovely, striking design. It’s made with durable graphene, yet remains surprisingly light at only 300g – a balance of strength and lightness which is a rare find in cross-training shoes. The F-Lite G 300 offers a range of color selections, including a stylish black-and-white cow print, appealing to those who value aesthetics alongside performance.

Performance-wise, the F-Lite G 300 impresses. Its cushioning and flexibility are apt for diverse workouts, from weightlifting to cross-training. However, it's not without its quirks that prevent it from being given an elusive five stars: the laces don’t tighten as much as I’d like, and the black tab bled color on my ankle during initial uses. Comfort is generally good but not always consistent during testing. 

Ideal for individuals with a wider foot, the shoe supports a transition between running and lifting seamlessly. Yet, it’s worth mentioning that it might not be the perfect fit for everyone, particularly those with narrow feet or people who prefer a completely flat-bottomed shoe.

Overall, the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 stands as a robust option in the world of cross-training shoes, especially for those prioritising durability and a wider fit. Its unique blend of materials and thoughtful design make it a worthy consideration for your next athletic shoe purchase.

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Specifications

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Price and availability

The Inov-8 F-Lite G 300

(Image credit: Future / Lee Bell)
  • Around $150 in the US
  • £145 in the UK
  • AU$159 in Australia

The Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 is competitively priced, catering to a global audience with varied regional pricing. In the United States, the cross-training shoes are available for approximately $150. For fitness enthusiasts in the UK, they can be purchased for £145, while in Australia, the price is set at around AU$159. 

This is about the going rate for a good pair of fitness shoes, especially those that support a wide range of athletic pursuits, from gym workouts to outdoor activities, like these do. However, it’s not outstanding enough value to recommend on price alone.

  •  Value score: 3.5/5 

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Design

The Inov-8 F-Lite G 300

(Image credit: Future / Lee Bell)
  • Robust graphene construction
  • Lightweight, weighing only 300g
  • Wide range of color options

When it comes to cross-training shoes, design isn't just about good looks; it's about crafting a shoe that meets the demands of varied workouts. The Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 makes a good first impression thanks to a blend of functionality and style.

One of the first things you'll notice about this shoe once it's on your foot is its durable graphene construction. Graphene is renowned for its strength, but don't let this toughness fool you – these shoes are surprisingly lightweight at just 300 grams. This delicate balance of durability and weight is quite the design feat, in my opinion, catering to the needs of cross-trainers who need both resilience and agility from their kicks.

Available in a variety of color combinations, the F-Lite G 300 can match just about any gym outfit. For those who prefer understated elegance, the black/white variant is the color I reviewed and proved to be a solid choice. If you're more about making a statement, then the black-and-white cow print could be your go-to. 

As for the fit, these shoes are specially designed for those with wider feet, providing ample room without compromising on support. The knit upper of the shoe adds to the comfort factor, ensuring breathability during intense workouts. However, it's worth noting that the laces might not tighten to everyone's liking since their design tightens to the cage of the shoe, not your foot. Something to keep in mind for those who prefer a snugger fit.

  • Design score: 4/5

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Performance

The Inov-8 F-Lite G 300

(Image credit: Future / Lee Bell)
  • Versatile performance across multiple activities
  • Stable base for weightlifting
  • Mixed bag comfort-wise

After putting the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 through its paces, it's clear these shoes are a strong contender in the cross-training category, albeit with a few caveats.

Let's start with the positives. The graphene-enhanced durability means these shoes can take a beating, whether it's from rope climbs, box jumps, or sprints. Their resilience in varied training scenarios is commendable. Also, their lightweight nature is a pleasant surprise, especially given their robust build. During quick runs, the shoes felt agile and didn't weigh me down, a vital aspect for any cross-trainer.

The grip is another plus. The graphene outsole ensures excellent traction, giving that extra bit of confidence during workouts, particularly in lifts and quick directional changes. It's one of those features you don't realise you need until you experience it.

However, the F-Lite G 300 isn't without its drawbacks. The laces don't provide the tightness some athletes prefer, which could be a dealbreaker for those who need absolute stability, especially in dynamic movements. This was a notable concern during high-intensity workouts where foot security is paramount.

Comfort-wise, they're a mixed bag. The shoes don't require a lengthy break-in period, which is a significant plus. They're comfortable out of the box, a rarity in training shoes. Yet, for narrow-footed individuals, there’s risk they could be a bit too roomy: yet another reminder that these shoes are best suited for those with wider feet.

In terms of versatility, the Inov-8 F-Lite G 300 shoes do a decent job of balancing between lifting and cardio. While they aren't the best for specialised activities like Olympic lifting or long-distance running, they perform well in a general cross-training setting. A decent buy for those who like to do a bit of everything, if you ask me.

  • Performance score: 4/5 

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Scorecard

Inov-8 F-Lite G 300: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Honor Magic 6 Pro review: bold, bright and beautiful
2:31 pm | May 1, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Honor Phones Phones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Two-minute review

Honor was once a brand whose name adorned the shelves of the budget mobile aisle, but with the launch of the Honor Magic 5 Pro in 2023, the former Huawei subsidiary proved itself capable of competing with the likes of Apple and Samsung in the premium hardware department. 

Honor has since rocked the boat with a truly unique foldable phone (see the Honor Magic V2), while maintaining a strong presence in the mid-range category (see the Honor 90), but it’s clear that the Chinese company has its sights set firmly on the luxury electronics market.

The Honor Magic 6 Pro is the latest feature-packed flagship to emerge from Honor’s R&D labs, and it marks another leap forward for this fast-growing mobile manufacturer. In essence, the Magic 6 Pro is the Magic 5 Pro with an even more adventurous rear design, a slightly better camera system and all-new AI smarts, which seems to be the usual upgrade recipe for today’s best phones.

That camera upgrade comes by way of an almighty 180MP periscope telephoto lens, which sits alongside a 50MP wide lens and a 50MP ultra-wide lens in Honor’s ‘Star Wheel’ camera notch. The internal hardware is powered by Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.

Honor Magic 6 Pro review

(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)

The Magic 6 Pro’s battery is a large 5,600mAh cell, which is necessary due to the increased processing power required by those aforementioned AI features. That said, the Magic 6 Pro still boasts endurance to match or exceed the latest handsets from Apple, Samsung and Google – it charges faster than all of them, too.

The Magic 6 Pro’s battery is 10% larger than that of its predecessor – 5,600mAh versus 5,100mAh – but the increased processing power required by those aforementioned AI features means that you won’t see much, if any, improvements in overall battery life. That said, the Magic 6 Pro still boasts endurance to match or exceed the latest handsets from Apple, Samsung and Google – it charges faster than all of them, too.

Honor’s Magic OS software still doesn’t hold a candle to Apple’s iOS software or Samsung’s One UI interface, and despite the seamless integration of Magic Portal and the future-facing potential of Magic Capsule (more on both of these features later), you don’t get any generative photo editing features with the Magic 6 Pro.

Its price isn’t exactly attractive, either – at £1,099.99, it's £150 more expensive than the Magic 5 Pro. However, accounting for the phone’s singular storage configuration (512GB with 12GB RAM), the Magic 6 Pro costs the same as the equivalent Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus model (£1,099), and it’s actually slightly cheaper than the iPhone 15 Plus (£1,199) and Google Pixel 8 Pro (£1,179) models with the same storage capacity. As with most Honor phones, the Magic 6 Pro isn’t available to buy in the US.

All told, then, the Honor Magic 6 Pro is indisputably one of the best Android phones of 2024, and the best Honor phone that the brand has released thus far. But if you’re already well-accustomed to the simplicity of rival operating systems, you should think carefully about forking out the £1,099.99 needed to buy one.

Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Price and availability

  • Costs £1,099.99 / €1299.90
  • Available in the UK and Europe, but not the US or Australia

Honor’s latest flagship was announced in China on February 25, 2024, and went on sale in the UK and Europe on March 8, 2024. In the latter two regions, the Magic 6 Pro is available in a single storage configuration – 512GB with 12GB RAM – for £1,099.99 / €1299.90.

For reference, the Honor Magic 5 Pro launched for £949.99 / €1,199 in 2023, so Honor has hiked the price of its successor by a not-insubstantial £150 in the UK, and €100 in Europe. However, as mentioned above, that £949.99 price puts the Magic 6 Pro on a par with the equivalent storage variant of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus – in the UK, at least – and also makes the phone slightly cheaper than equivalent variants of the iPhone 15 Plus (£1,199) and Google Pixel 8 Pro (£1,179). 

At the time of writing, the Magic 6 Pro is not available to purchase in the US or Australia. 

  • Value score: 3 / 5

Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Specs

Here's a look at the Honor Magic 6 Pro's key specs:

Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Design

Honor Magic 6 Pro

(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
  • Luxury watch-inspired camera module
  • IP68 water and dust resistance

The Magic 6 Pro measures 162.5 x 75.8 x 8.9mm and has a 6.8-inch display, so this isn’t a handset for those who prefer smaller phones. But despite its enormous screen – which is actually a touch bigger than the iPhone 15 Pro Max – Honor’s latest flagship isn’t especially heavy. In fact, at 221g, it’s a whole 11g lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (232g), which also has a 6.8-inch display.

From a design standpoint, the phone innovates upon the Magic 5 Pro, which introduced Honor’s ‘Star Wheel’ camera module. The design of the Magic 6 Pro’s Star Wheel is a nod to “cushion-shaped watches, jade congs, and baroque diamonds,” according to Honor, and given that the former were popularized by luxury watchmaker Panerai in the 1940s, it’s easy to see why the company has embraced this unique ‘squircle’ shape on the Magic 6 Pro

What’s more, this year’s Star Wheel module is more practical. I liked the look of the Magic 5 Pro’s rear camera module but didn’t love the way it felt in the hand (I found that my index finger rubbed against its edge). Due to its wider shape, the Magic 6 Pro’s Star Wheel is more comfortable to the touch, and even more eye-catching than its predecessor, so kudos to Honor’s design team for this small-but-important change.

There’s no titanium in sight on the Magic 6 Pro, but since this is a cheaper phone than the 512GB variants of the iPhone 15 Pro Max (£1,399) and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (£1,349) – two phones that do boast titanium designs – I think Honor was right to make the compromise. You still get IP68 water and dust resistance with the Magic 6 Pro, which brings Honor’s latest flagship in line with those competitors.

In the UK and Europe, the Magic 6 Pro is available in Black or Epi Green. The black features “velvet matte glass”, while the green features “ripple classic leather”, and both design touches make the Magic 6 Pro feel undeniably premium. The ripples on the Epi Green variant are pleasantly grippy, so I recommend that option.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Display

Honor Magic 6 Pro

(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
  • 6.8-inch OLED display
  • Eye-friendly screen technology 
  • 5,000-nit peak HDR brightness

The Magic 6 Pro has a 6.8-inch OLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. That’s the standard for the best Android phones these days (take note, Apple), but the screen on Honor’s latest flagship stands out from the crowd for two reasons. 

First is how it sits on the phone itself. The Magic 6 Pro’s 6.8-inch display is curved – or rather, its edges ‘spill over’ the side of the device. Most of today’s best phones use flat-edged displays, and while I have no particular preference for one approach or the other, Honor’s decision to go with a curved display on the Magic 6 Pro will inevitably appeal to some, and deter others. It's unique, at least.

The second distinguishing feature of the Magic 6 Pro’s display is the technology behind it. As with the Magic 5 Pro (and indeed the Magic V2 and Honor 90), the Magic 6 Pro boasts Honor’s proprietary Circadian Night Display technology, which filters blue light to improve the quality of your sleep. This particular phone is also aided by an impressive 4,320Hz PWM dimming cycle rate that works to minimize strain on the eyes, so if you’re someone who regularly scrolls through social media in the small hours (and let’s face it, who isn’t these days?), the Magic 6 Pro will at least try to reduce the physical impact of that behavior.

The Magic 6 Pro boasts an almighty peak HDR brightness of 5,000 nits (in very specialized situations) though you’re likely to experience around 1,600 nits in day-to-day use (which is more than respectable). 

On the durability front, the phone’s display is protected by Honor’s NanoCrystal Shield, which is supposedly 10 times stronger than regular glass. Naturally, I wasn’t able to put that claim to the test, but I can say that my Magic 6 Pro review unit regularly emerged from my key-filled pocket unscathed.

  • Display score: 5 / 5

Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Cameras

Honor Magic 6 Pro review

(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
  • 50MP wide lens (f/1.4-2.0)
  • 50MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.0)
  • 180MP periscope telephoto lens (f/2.6)

As with most premium Android phones, the Honor Magic 6 Pro goes big on mobile photography, but this particular device has a few distinguishing tricks up its sleeve.

For starters, the Magic 6 Pro’s 50MP wide lens uses an adjustable aperture (f/1.4-2.0), a feature we haven’t seen on a smartphone for years. When taking shots in normal lightning conditions, the phone uses a standard f/2.0 aperture, but it’ll automatically switch to the wider f/1.4 aperture when shooting in low-light environments. Neat! 

Also unique is the Magic 6 Pro’s astounding 180MP periscope telephoto lens (f/2.6), which is the largest sensor on a zoom lens I’ve ever seen on a smartphone. This supersized lens is only capable of 2.5x optical zoom, mind – which is a downgrade from the 3.5x-capable Magic 5 Pro – but the phone can still achieve 5x lossless zoom by cropping shots from the 180MP lens.

An unchanged 50MP ultra-wide lens (f/2.0) rounds out the Magic 6 Pro’s rear camera array, and you get an impressively large 50MP front-facing camera, too.

Let’s start with the performance of the telephoto lens, which is the headline feature of the Magic 6 Pro. On a sunny day in London, shots taken with this lens were rich in detail and exceptionally vivid. At 1x, 2.5x and 5x magnification, colors were realistic and the subject(s) kept in focus, though I’d advise against zooming any further than 10x, where things take a turn for the Dali-esque (the Magic 6 Pro will technically let you zoom digitally up to 100x, but don’t bother). 

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Honor Magic 6 Pro review

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Honor Magic 6 Pro review

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Honor Magic 6 Pro review

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Honor Magic 6 Pro review

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Honor Magic 6 Pro review

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Honor Magic 6 Pro review

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The performance of the variable wide lens was similarly consistent. Shots taken with this lens were crisp, and the depth of field impressive, with shadows appearing particularly life-like. 

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Honor Magic 6 Pro review

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Honor Magic 6 Pro review

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My main gripe with Honor’s assistive camera software continues to be its overcompensation of certain colors – specifically lighter shades of green and blue. As with the Magic V2, the Magic 6 Pro occasionally over-eggs the appearance of the sky or the trees, while at night, artificial blue light presents a particular challenge.

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Honor Magic 6 Pro review

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Honor Magic 6 Pro review

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This isn’t a deal-breaker, by any means, but the Magic 6 Pro doesn’t balance colors perfectly every time. I suspect this has something to do with the way the phone uses AI to identify certain environmental features and adjust the composition of the shot accordingly (see the image in below).

Honor Magic 6 Pro

(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)

I found the Magic 6 Pro’s portrait mode performance to be better than most, while the phone’s 50MP front-facing camera is also solid, if nothing groundbreaking. On the video front, you can record video in 4K at up to 60 frames per second with any of the three rear camera lenses, while the 4K-compatible selfie camera tops out at 30 fps.

All this adds up to an indisputably strong camera phone that ranks alongside best camera phones for versatility, but not necessarily consistency. There’s also no AI-powered photo editing, the likes of which you will find on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro. 

  • Cameras score: 4 / 5

Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Performance and software

Honor Magic 6 Pro review

(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
  • Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset
  • 12GB RAM and 512GB storage
  • Neat Magic Capsule and Magic Portal features

Under the hood, the Magic 6 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset – that’s the same chipset you’ll find inside the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, OnePlus 12 and Xiaomi 14.

Working in tandem with the Magic 6 Pro’s 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, Qualcomm’s latest chipset delivers consistently brilliant performance, regardless of the task. Web browsing, messaging, mobile gaming and high-quality video streaming are child’s play for this phone, and while we’ve come to expect as much from devices in this price range – you’d be hard-pressed to find a flagship phone in 2024 that isn’t lightning fast – you needn’t worry about the Magic 6 Pro’s heavy lifting ability.

The phone sets itself apart, for better or worse, through its software. The Magic 6 Pro runs Honor’s Magic OS 8 skin atop Android 14, which differs from the stock version of Android in several interesting – if not always successful – ways.

The first distinguishing feature is Magic Capsule, which is an unashamed copy of Apple’s Dynamic Island in both functionality and appearance. 

Personally, I don’t have a problem with the similarity – both Magic Capsule and the Dynamic Island are useful tools for quickly controlling music, timers, notifications and incoming calls – but it’s hard to give kudos to Honor for adding this feature given the obvious lack of originality. 

One interesting – and undeniably unique – feature of Magic Capsule is its ability to let you control parts of the Magic 6 Pro’s UI using nothing but your eyes. Or rather, this feature would be interesting if it was actually available to use. At the time of writing, Honor’s eye-tracking tech – which is currently compatible with Magic Capsule apps like Timer, Alarm and Call – is limited to the Chinese market, though the company has assured TechRadar that the feature will be added to international versions of the device in the near future. 

The headline feature of the Magic 6 Pro’s AI offering is Magic Portal, which forms a key part of what Honor describes as the “world’s first intent-based UI.” What does that mean, exactly? Well, instead of acting upon request, Magic OS 8 uses Magic Portal to render services according to user intentions. 

In essence, it’s a shortcut feature that lets you switch between apps and services with a single swipe. For instance, if you’re sent some location information by a friend and want to get to that location in a hurry, Magic Portal will let you drag those details – in one fell swoop – from the messages app across into a compatible ride-hailing or navigation app, saving you clicks in the process.

Honor Magic 6 Pro review

Magic Portal in action on the Honor Magic 6 Pro (Image credit: Future)

In my experience, Magic Portal delivered accurate results and worked pretty seamlessly. I particularly like the way text lifts off the page without creating another white box behind it. I also liked the strong haptic feedback when tapping images, and the way the page 'tilts' in order to share the screen with other apps. 

One big miss with the Magic 6 Pro is its lack of generative AI tools. I’m no particular fan of artificially recomposing images, but given that the latest flagships from Samsung and Google boast a veritable smorgasbord of AI-powered editing features, it’s an omission that I suspect will become more noticeable as the quality and quantity of AI features becomes the standard by which new flagship phones are measured. 

On the longevity front, Honor is committing to four years of Android updates and five years of security updates for the Magic 6 Pro. That’s less than the seven-year commitments made by Samsung and Google, but equal to OnePlus’ commitment to the OnePlus 12.

  • Performance score: 5 / 5
  • Software score: 3 / 5

Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Battery

Honor Magic 6 Pro review

(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)
  • 4,900mAh battery is a slight upgrade
  • 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging 

The Magic 6 Pro boasts a rival-beating 5,600mAh silicon-carbon battery, which should give you around a day and a half of charge when using the phone casually. For reference, we managed to squeeze two days of charge out of the iPhone 15 Plus, but if we’re talking about the most expensive flagships exclusively, the Magic 6 Pro is the best of the current bunch in the endurance department.

Honor’s latest flagship supports up to 80W wired and 66W wireless charging, but annoyingly, you won’t get any type of charger in the box. The brand claims that a full charge takes 40 minutes, and that turned out to be pretty accurate in a test I conducted using the 100W charger that is provided with the Porsche Design version of this phone (I guess that’s what an extra £1,000 buys you these days).

After 15 minutes from a completely dead state, my Magic 6 Pro device had reached 36% charge, and 70% after 30 minutes. A full charge took 46 minutes, which is faster than every iPhone 15 model and every Samsung Galaxy S24 model we’ve tested, but a tad slower than the Xiaomi 14 and OnePlus 12R. However, if you’re using a lower-wattage charger with the Magic 6 Pro, charging speeds will be slower.

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Honor Magic 6 Pro?

Buy it if...

You want a best-in-class display
This phone's 6.8-inch curved OLED screen is big, bright and kind to your eyes. You won't find a better display anywhere elsewhere in 2024.

You're a fan of big phones
If you're after a big-screened Android phone that won't weigh down your pocket, the Magic 6 Pro s is as portable as 6.8-inch phones come.

You need long-lasting battery life
The Magic 6 Pro's supersized 5,600mAh silicon-carbon battery offers around a day and a half of charge, which is supremely impressive given the amount of power at your disposal. 

Don't buy it if...

You're already embedded into a simpler OS
Honor's Magic OS is better than ever, but it's still not at the level of iOS or cleaner versions of Android. Think twice if you're not ready to jump into something new.

You want generative AI editing tools
If you're someone who's excited by the prospect of recomposing images after taking them, you may be dissapointed by the Magic 6 Pro's lack of generative AI editing tools.

Honor Magic 6 Pro review: Also consider

As you'll have read by now, the Honor Magic 6 Pro is a well-designed, highly capable and thoroughly unique device, but there are, of course, alternative phones to consider.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
If you're keen to stick with Android and have a little extra cash to spend, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is indisputably the best Android phone money can buy right now.

Apple iPhone 15 Plus
If you're not fussed about AI features and prefer Apple's more accessible iOS software, the iPhone 15 Plus is a great option. It's almost the same size as the Magic 6 Pro, just as powerful and offers even better battery life. The screen isn't anywhere near as good, mind.

How I tested the Honor Magic 6 Pro

  • Review test period: four weeks
  • Testing included: everyday use including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used: Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats, Honor 100W charger

I received – and subsequently lived for four weeks with – a review-ready version of the Honor Magic 6 Pro at MWC in March 2024, using it for productivity purposes during my working day and for social media browsing and gaming in the evenings.

I compared the experience of playing power-hungry games like EA Sports FC 24 and Asphalt 9: Legends on the Magic 6 Pro to the experience of playing the same games on the iPhone 15 Pro, which helped me to quantify just how well the device’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset stacks up against Apple's A17 Pro. I also used the phone to stream color-rich documentaries via YouTube, and also logged into Twitter and Instagram to assess the social media browsing experience.

I used Geekbench 6 for CPU testing and Geekbench ML for machine learning and AI benchmarking, while battery life was assessed based on real-world usage. I measured charge time in 15-minute intervals using 100W Honor SuperCharge charger.

Read more about how we test

First tested April 2024

Oppo Reno 10 review: cheap with a catch
2:48 pm | April 26, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Oppo Reno 10 two-minute review

If there’s one phone brand with whom you never know what you’re getting, it’s Oppo, but with its latest mid-range mobile it’s managed to make a phone that’ll (mostly) wow you, especially if you’re looking for a great device without spending too much.

The Oppo Reno 10 is the latest of Oppo’s mid-tier mobiles to launch globally, after the Oppo Reno 8 in 2022 – the brand tends to alternate between global releases and China-only ones. And for the first time in many generations, this is a Reno phone that’s really worth checking out.

At its core, the Oppo Reno 10 is a premium phone with a price tag that’s a lot lower than one would expect. It's easily one of the best cheap phones on the market, embarrassing rival handsets from the likes of Samsung, Apple and Google by just how far ahead it is. It feels better in the hand, performs faster, offers a better display, lasts longer and looks more appealing, though it does have two major weaknesses that keep it away from a higher score.

The design is a large draw of this phone. Oppo has brought the curved-edge display design back to low-cost phones, yet has managed to avoid many of the issues common to this feature, like accidental side presses.

Oppo Reno 10

(Image credit: Future)

The Reno 10 may not have a top-end chipset but it works wonderfully for gaming, and streaming videos is just as much of a treat thanks to its top-spec screen. Its battery lasts a long time, and it charges quickly. What’s not to like?

Well, some things aren’t to like; one of them is the camera. Oppo has aped top-end mobiles by introducing a telephoto camera for zoom photography – this is such a rarity that I wish I could be singing from the rooftops about the Reno 10’s camera prowess, but it joins an utterly underwhelming camera line-up. Photos taken on the Reno 10 are dull, grainy and lifeless. 

In its software, Oppo decided to copy not premium phones, but the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. ColorOS is absolutely littered with pre-installed bloatware apps – I counted 30 on my phone when I first booted it up! At its core, the software is great, with easy navigation and handy customization features, but it’s hard to sail through without getting yourself caught on all its trash.

If you scarcely use your phone camera, and don’t mind spending a good chunk of your phone set-up time wearing out your thumbs by deleting countless random games and shopping apps, then the Oppo Reno 10 will be an absolutely fantastic pick for you. Even those two major pitfalls are easy enough to forgive when you consider the phone’s competitive low price.

But don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Oppo Reno 10 review: price and availability

  • Released in August 2023
  • Costs £399 / AU$749 (around $500)
  • On sale in UK and Australia, not US

Oppo Reno 10

(Image credit: Future)

The Oppo Reno 10 was unveiled in August 2023, and like many of the brand’s phones, it’s available in the UK and Australia but not the US.

You can pick up the phone in its sole configuration for £399 / AU$749 (around $500), which is a small but welcome discount from the Oppo Reno 8’s £419 / AU$999 – that was the last Reno mobile that launched globally, as Oppo generally reserves odd-numbered entries for Chinese markets.

At that price, the Reno sits at the cheaper end of the vaguely defined ‘mid-range’ mobile market. In the UK it undercuts some big-name rivals like the Google Pixel 7a (starts at $499 / £449 / AU$749) or the most recent iPhone SE (starts at $429 / £419 / AU$719), though as you can see its Australian price is on par with its peers. 

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Oppo Reno 10 review: specs

A budget phone with premium specs, here's how the Oppo Reno 10 looks on paper:

Oppo Reno 10 review: design

  • Curved-edge display adds premium feel
  • A touch on the big side
  • Camera bump protrudes quite far

Oppo Reno 10

(Image credit: Future)

Oppo is one of a small number of mobile phone companies offering curved-edge smartphones at low prices – that’s right, the Reno 10 has a display that tapers at the edge. This makes it more comfortable to hold in your hand than many other rival devices, and gives it a premium sheen – plus, in the Reno, it’s not so curvy that you’re at risk of accidentally pressing the sides. Not once in my testing period did I incur the ‘accidental side press’ that can plague so many curved-edge mobiles.

If anything, your issue here is going to be hand strain, because the Reno 10 is a pretty big device. It measures 162.4 x 74.2 x 8mm, and weighs 185g, so while it’s relatively thin and lightweight for a phone of its size, people with smaller hands may struggle to use its extensive display size.

Talking of big, the Reno 10’s rear camera bump is pretty huge. It’s a large lozenge-shaped protrusion that houses all three of the lenses and a flash, and it sticks out a fair way from the phone too. You won’t be putting this mobile down flat on a surface, unless it’s in a case.

Glass houses the back and front of the phone, making this mobile feel pretty premium compared to most same-price rivals. But it’ll be a little more fragile than a plastic device, so a case is advised. In the UK, it only comes in a pretty plain gray color too, imaginatively titled Silvery Gray, so a case will give it some life too – more vibrant alternatives are available in some countries though.

The volume rocker and power button are both housed on the right edge of the mobile – I could reach both at a stretch, though to unlock the phone you need to use the in-screen fingerprint scanner that felt too low-down on the display to use naturally. 

The Oppo has a USB-C port on its button edge for charging and data transfer but no 3.5mm headphone jack in sight. You’ll have to use an adaptor if you want to use wired headphones or speakers.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Oppo Reno 10 review: display

  • Chunky 6.7-inch screen
  • FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate
  • Max brightness could be a little higher

Oppo Reno 10

(Image credit: Future)

The Oppo Reno 10’s size is partly because of its large display: at 6.7 inches diagonally, this is a big display, and you won’t find bigger on phones at this price.

It’s a good-looking screen, with a FHD+ resolution (1080 x 2412 pixels) making your games or videos look clear, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes motion appear smooth. 

The HDR10+ certification is just a cherry on top – whether you’re binging a TV show, playing a game, checking out pictures you took or just scrolling through social media, this big and bold display is one of the best you’ll find on a phone at this price point.

If I have a gripe, it’s that the maximum brightness is a little low. At 950 nits, it’s fine for if you’re inside or out and about on an overcast day, but even in this latter circumstance I had to turn the brightness to max to see the screen easily. On a sunny day, you may find it a little hard to see.

  • Display score: 3.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 10 review: software

  • Horrendous bloatware issue
  • Quick to navigate and handily laid out
  • Lots of customization options

Three screenshots showing the user interface of the Oppo Reno 10 as soon as it was set up for the first time.

Three screenshots showing the user interface of the Oppo Reno 10 as soon as it was set up for the first time. Note how some of those icons are actually folders, hiding even more pre-installed apps. (Image credit: Future / Oppo)

The Oppo Reno 10 comes with the newest Android 13 software pre-loaded, with Oppo’s own ColorOS plastered over the top. This Android fork has a similar layout to stock Android, but with a distinctive design to give the software a more playful and energetic tone. Oh, and it has a few choice changes over the base Google-designed software.

I’m talking about bloatware – the Reno has loads. For those that don’t know, bloatware refers to pre-installed apps on the phone beyond the basics that you need for functionality (like a camera app, photo library, Play Store etc). Some companies choose to pack their phones with their own apps, or third-party licensed ones, and in this phone Oppo seems intent on taking that to the logical extreme.

When I first booted up the phone, it was already jam-packed with random games, shopping apps, entertainment platforms, and more – I counted over 30. Some of these are ones I’d choose to install, and it was useful not having to manually download Netflix, but the time I saved in having the streaming service pre-installed was more than made up for in all the unknown apps I had to delete.

Once you’ve worn out your thumbs deleting ‘June’s Journey’ and ‘Portal Parkour’, ColorOS is actually a pretty great operating system. Its buttons, both on the swipe-down quick settings and notifications panels, as well as on the home page, are bold and easy to understand at a scan. Navigation is easy thanks to a handily-accessible app drawer plus well-placed search options. And there’s lots of customization with bespoke widgets, plenty of built-in wallpaper options and ‘style’ options that let you change the always-on display, font, icon and fingerprint animations.

Thanks to the 120Hz display and powerful internals, navigating the phone’s software is a breeze. ColorOS is great to use for people who find stock Android a bit plain – it’s just a shame about the bloatware.

  • Software score: 2.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 10 review: cameras

  • 64MP main, 32MP zoom and 8MP ultra-wide cameras
  • Pictures are unimpressive: lack color, detail, are blown out
  • 32MP snapper on front which suffers from same traits

Oppo Reno 10

(Image credit: Future)

The Oppo Reno 10 makes a staggering leap in the area of budget camera phones: it’s the first low-cost mobile in roughly five years that comes with a telephoto lens, for optical zoom photography (usually when you zoom in on a phone camera it just zooms digitally, via cropping, which quickly loses detail).

This is a 32MP f/2.0 snapper with a lens for 2x optical zoom, and it joins the main 64MP f/1.7 and 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide cameras to round out the trio. It’s understandable to get excited about this lens tripartite – it’s the same combo that premium mobiles from Samsung and Apple use – but it sadly doesn’t save the Oppo from camera mundanity.

There’s nothing offensively bad with photos taken on the Reno 10, but they’re noticeably lacking. The colors look washed out, darker areas lack detail, and images could look surprisingly grainy – this is all with HDR turned on. You also have to hold the phone still for longer to capture a picture than you’d think, as my camera reel was full of blurry misfires.

Talking of misfires, there’s Night mode, which somehow makes night-time pictures look a lot worse. You’ll see two pictures taken at night below; the first is using the normal camera without tweaking settings. As you can see the water is sharp, the light reflecting in it is distinct and fades out, and the contrast between the darker and brighter areas brings your attention to the center. Then there’s the night mode image which turns it into an oil pastel painting. 

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Oppo Reno 10 camera sample

The River Thames at night captured on the Oppo Reno 10's standard photo mode. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 10 camera sample

The River Thames at night captured on the Oppo Reno 10's Night photo mode. (Image credit: Future)

To give Oppo props for anything, it’s that there’s parity between lenses: you can zoom in to 2x and all the same issues from the main camera are present. Still, it’s nice to have this option for versatile photography. That’s not so true for the ultrawide lens which, with its 8MP sensor, loses too much information to be worth using.

The front of the phone wields a 32MP f/2.4 wide camera, and photos on this bore better fruit than on its rear siblings, but only slightly. Snaps are sharp and, in Portrait mode the digital bokeh is accurate to the body. However, brighter backgrounds in selfies were often blown out, and again colors weren’t rich enough. You’ll see two selfies in the camera gallery below – the shirt I’m wearing is meant to be forest green.

The Oppo Reno 10 records video at 4K/30fps or 1080p/60fps, and it also packs all the standard phone camera options: slow-mo (1080p/480fps or 720p/960fps), panoramic photography, time lapse and Pro mode. It also has an Extra HD mode so you can take pictures at 64MP instead of its default pixel-binned option.

  • Camera score: 2.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 10 camera samples

Image 1 of 8

Oppo Reno 10 camera sample

A standard picture taken on the Oppo Reno 10, kicking off the camera samples with an acceptable one. (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 8

Oppo Reno 10 camera sample

Here's another 1x picture, taken to contrast the next two. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 10 camera sample

An ultra-wide shot of the same scene. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 10 camera sample

A 2x zoom shot of the same scene. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 10 camera sample

A close-up image. The phone focuses quickly on close-up subjects. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 10 camera sample

A selfie. Note the shirt color, as mentioned earlier, and also the subject's positioning. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 10 camera sample

A Portrait selfie. Notice how some of the fringe has been blurred, though overall it's not catastrophic. (Image credit: Future)
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Oppo Reno 10 camera sample

No, the sun's not setting in the background - this snap was taken at midday, and it misses all the vibrancy of the actual scene. (Image credit: Future)

Oppo Reno 10 review: performance and audio

  • Handy Dimensity 7050 chipset plus 8GB RAM
  • Handles games and other tasks well
  • Bluetooth 5.3, adequate speakers but no headphone jack

The Oppo Reno 10 performs just about as well as you could hope a low-cost smartphone to – unless you spend more time playing mobile games than you do outdoors, you’ll find this phone absolutely fit for purpose.

The phone packs a mid-range Dimensity 7050 chipset, paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. You can boost the RAM by an extra 8GB by using a RAM boost feature that temporarily converts your storage into extra mobile power, which will give you some extra oomph until you fill up your phone’s data.

In the Geekbench 6 benchmark test, the phone returned a middling multi-core score of 2,360, but in actual use, it worked perfectly well. In popular games like Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile, the device performed admirably, never overheating, lagging or stuttering. If you’re a mobile gamer, you won’t feel let down here.

Oppo has a games mode that lets you boost processing power, monitor your phone’s vital signs and block notifications, but even without enabling this, the device felt great to play games on.

As previously stated there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack. Instead for audio, you can use the handset’s Bluetooth 5.3 connection for phones or speakers, or rely on its in-built speakers. These latter are nothing to write home about but they’re fit for purpose for games, calls, voice notes or other tasks like that.

  • Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 10 review: battery life

  • Big 5,000mAh battery
  • Up to two days of use
  • 67W charging is lovely and fast

Oppo Reno 10

(Image credit: Future)

Like the vast majority of budget phones, the Oppo Reno 10 packs a 5,000mAh battery, which is about as big as you’ll get on a mainstream phone.

This is more than enough power to last the device through the day under normal use, and even heavy game-playing sessions won’t jeopardise its lasting power (well, to an extent). If you’re frugal, you’ll be able to see the phone through two days of use before a charge is required, but most people won’t last that long.

Thankfully, powering up the phone is swift, thanks to one of the fastest charging speeds you’ll see in a budget phone. That’s 67W, and your phone will power from empty to full in just over half an hour with it. An additional promise Oppo is throwing your way is that the phone should keep its battery capacity high for longer, which is often an issue with fast-charging phones; according to the company, the capacity will still be above 80% of its maximum after 1,600 charges and discharges, or about four years of use.

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Oppo Reno 10?

Buy it if...

You wish you weren't on a budget
We all have a certain limit we'd spend on a phone, but if you wish yours was a lot higher, the Reno will let you pretend that it is.

You like streaming games and movies
Between its good-looking screen, powerful chipset, plentiful storage and big battery, the Reno 10 is great for streaming TV, movies, games and music.

You like easy software
ColorOS has a smart layout, easily-understood buttons and handy navigation tricks... once you've got rid of all the bloatware.

Don't buy it if...

You're a mobile photography fan
We've gone into lots of detail as to the Oppo Reno 10's camera issues. While the telephoto lens may be a big draw, it's not worth it!

You're not adept with user interface tweaks
Due to its bloatware, we'd only recommend the Reno 10 to people who are comfortable enough with phone software to quickly delete a huge number of apps.

You have smaller hands
Due to its size, you might have trouble operating the Oppo Reno 10 if you have smaller hands, as it'll be a stretch to reach the volume rocker or upper half of the display.

Oppo Reno 10 review: also consider

Considering other mobiles beyond the Oppo Reno 10? Here are some others you could look into, that all cost the same as, or a tiny amount more than, the Reno.

Google Pixel 7a
Google's pint-sized Pixel 7a has the clean stock Android software and a focus on camera chops, so it's basically the opposite of the Reno 10. In the UK it's a bit pricier though.

Samsung Galaxy A54
Samsung has made a handy low-cost jack-of-all-trades device with the Galaxy A54. It falls a little short in the performance department but makes up for it with fun color options.

How I tested the Oppo Reno 10

  • Review test period = 2 week
  • Testing included = Everyday usage, including web browsing, social media, photography, video calling, gaming, streaming video, music playback
  • Tools used = Geekbench 6, Geekbench ML, GFXBench, native Android stats

The testing period for the Oppo Reno 10 was roughly two weeks, which doesn't time before the fortnight for setting up the device and getting it through a few battery cycles, and time spent using the phone while writing the review.

To test the phone, I used it as a normal owner would: I took it on walks to test the camera, watched TV shows using it, played games at home on it. I also put it through some limited benchmark and timing tests, though kept these to a minimum as they don't usually reflect actual use.

I've been writing about phones at TechRadar for over five years now, after joining in early 2019, and have used Oppo's Reno phones since the first-gen Reno 10x Zoom up until the present day, including the last Reno phone to release in the UK, the Reno 8. I've also used phones from every other mainstream company, which helps with comparisons and with understanding all the phones out there right now.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed January 2023

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