TCL had an eventful MWC 2026 with several product launches and we are now set to bring you some hands-on coverage of its latest Android tablet. The Tab A1 Plus brings a 12.2-inch IPS LCD with 1,600 x 2,400 px resolution, a 3:2 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s also available in a version with TCL’s NxtPaper tech, which gets the signature matte display coating, which is the one we got to test.
The bezels seem thinner than previous TCL tablets, and the signature NxtPaper key now glows and allows you to quickly switch between the three display modes.
Regular mode...
The Honor MagicPad 4 becomes the first tablet to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (the non-Elite near-flagship chipset). It is available starting today, though retail stores might have to wait until the 3rd. The tablet will be available at a discount this month and there are bundles with accessories on promo prices too. The offers for the UK and EU markets are slightly different, so let’s split them.
Honor MagicPad 4 in Gray and White
In the UK, the base MagicPad 4 (12/256GB) costs £600, while the 16/512GB upgrade is £700. However, a £100 early-bird voucher is available to...
With the Philips Baristina, brewing espresso using freshly roasted beans is as easy as using coffee pods. Unlike most of the best bean-to-cup coffee makers, where the entire brewing process takes place within the case, the Baristina uses a portafilter handle much like a manual espresso machine. Push the empty handle into place, select your drink, and the Baristina will grind the right dose of coffee into the filter basket, tamp it down, then move it to the brewing group automatically for the shot to be extracted.
It's a clever design that's unlike any other bean-to-cup machine I've tested, and because the Baristina uses a portafilter, cleaning up is a piece of cake. There's no need to take the side off the machine, empty messy internal bins, remove components, or wipe up stray coffee grounds that have escaped.
It's a good-looking little coffee maker as well. Although its case is plastic, its matt finish and choice of tasteful colors mean it doesn't look cheap or attract fingerprints. The portafilter handle even arrives in a choice of colors and natural wood finishes (the exact options available will depend on where you buy your machine).
(Image credit: Future)
During my tests, coffee was consistently well extracted using my usual freshly roasted beans, with the pressurized filter basket producing a thick layer of crema.
In my opinion, the biggest drawback is that the Philips Baristina doesn't allow you to adjust the grind size, which means you have no control over how quickly your coffee is extracted. You can adjust the volume of your brew, but that's all. If your coffee tastes over- or under-extracted, you'll need to try different beans until you find something that works well with the standard settings.
You should also be aware that the Baristina doesn't have a steam wand or any other means of foaming milk, although it's available bundled with a standalone milk frother if cappuccinos and lattes are your thing.
All in all, it's an excellent beginner-friendly espresso machine that's ideal if you're new to using fresh beans and want to keep things as simple as possible. It's remarkably affordable, too, with a list price of just $299.95 / £279.99 (about AU$600).
Unlike most espresso machines, the Philips Baristina doesn't offer a way to adjust the grind size. (Image credit: Future)
Philips Baristina: price and availability
Very cheap for a bean-to-cup coffee maker
Sold in North America, Europe and Australia
Often available at a discounted price
The Philips Baristina is the most affordable bean-to-cup coffee maker I've tested to date, with a list price of $449.99 / £299.99 / AU$599. You can pick up a good-quality manual espresso machine for around the same price — the five-star rated De'Longhi Dedica Duo for $299.95 / £279.99 (about AU$550), for example — but if you're after an automatic coffee maker, I haven't seen another model that delivers better in terms of value for money.
It's often available at a discount at major retailers, making it even better value. You'll find all today's best deals below.
The Baristina is available in North America, throughout Europe and has recently made its way to Australia.
Value score: 5/5
Philips Baristina: specifications
Name
Philips Baristina
Type
Bean-to-cup
Dimensions (W x H x D)
7 x 13.6 x 15 inches / 18 x 34.5 x 38cm
Weight
11lbs / 5kg
Water reservoir capacity
47oz / 1.2 liters
Milk frother
No
Bars of pressure
16
User profiles
None
Philips Baristina: design
Sleek design with matt finish
Clever "one swipe" portafilter design
No steam wand (although separate milk frother is available)
The Philips Baristina is a compact coffee maker with a smart, minimalist design. It comes in two colors, black and white, with matching portafilter handles as standard. Some retailers also offer a selection of contrasting portafilter shades (including red, green, and yellow), plus light and dark wood options so you can pick something that suits your kitchen décor. Whichever color you choose, the portafilter is fitted with a non-removeable pressurized basket.
All in all, it's a good-looking machine, and although its case is made from plastic, its matt finish means it doesn't appear cheap or attract fingerprints like some more expensive coffee makers I've tested.
The Baristina uses what Philips calls a "one-swipe" system. Push in the portafilter, slide it to the right, and the machine does the rest (Image credit: Future)
The Baristina is controlled using a simple set of three buttons: one for a single shot of espresso; one for a lungo (a longer drink with the same amount of coffee and twice as much water); and one to boost the intensity by increasing the dose of ground coffee.
The bean hopper is quite small, but that isn't a problem unless you're preparing coffee for a crowd; it's best to keep your coffee in a dark, cool, airtight place until you're ready to grind it and refill your coffee machine little and often.
The Baristina's water tank slides onto the back of the machine, and although I'd have liked to see a handle, its ridged surface makes it easy to grip when filling and replacing. It has a robust lid that fits firmly in place to avoid accidental spills, but do note that there's no water filter provided, so if you live in a hard water area then you might want to use a separate water filtration pitcher.
The water tank has no handle, but its ridged surface provides grip (Image credit: Future)
There's a removable plastic drip tray for your espresso cup, which slots into place below the groupset. It's nicely made — but, unfortunately, it isn't designed to accommodate a larger cup if you want to use your espresso as the foundation for a long drink.
The Baristina doesn't have a steam wand or automatic milk-frothing system. However, if you want to make milky drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos, it's available bundled with a standalone milk frother.
The standard Philips Baristina (which I tested here) has a single hopper, but there's also a model called the Baristina Variety, which has a larger dual hopper so you can choose between two different beans or roasts on-the-fly.
Design score: 5/5
Philips Baristina: performance
Super easy to use, with no need to weigh or measure
Produced well-extracted espresso in tests
Easier to keep clean than a typical bean-to-cup machine
Grind size can't be changed
The Philips Baristina is a beginner-friendly espresso machine that combines the convenience of a bean-to-cup coffee maker with the easy cleanup of a manual one. To use it, just fill the water tank and bean hopper, gently push the empty portafilter handle into place, and slide it to the right under the coffee grinder. Choose your drink (espresso or lungo), hit the extra intensity button if you like, and the machine will get to work.
The appropriate dosage of coffee will be ground and dispensed directly into the filter basket, then tamped down evenly. Once it's ready, the machine will slide the handle to the left so it sits under the brew group, and extract your drink into your waiting espresso cup. You never touch the coffee grounds yourself, and there's no need to weigh or measure anything.
The Baristina's pressurized filter basket produces plenty of crema (Image credit: Future)
When the Baristina is done and your coffee is ready, the handle will be unlocked so you can pull it out, knock the puck of used coffee grounds into your food waste bin, and clean the basket. It's a lot easier than cleaning up a conventional bean-to-cup coffee maker, which involves pulling out the drip tray to clean out used coffee grounds, removing a side panel to take out and rinse the brew group, wiping up any stray coffee grounds inside the machine's casing, and leaving the whole thing open to dry so it doesn't grow mold.
The biggest drawback of the Baristina is that there's no way to change the grind size, so if your drink tastes under- or over-extracted (sour or bitter), you'll need to experiment with different types of coffee until you find something that works with the machine's default setup.
During my tests, the used coffee grounds always formed a dry, solid puck, showing that the coffee was properly extracted (Image credit: Future)
It's also worth noting that while manual coffee makers give you a choice of single and double filter baskets, with double (pressurized) and single walls, the Baristina's basket is integrated into the handle and can't be removed. Again, this limits customization, but it's unlikely to be a concern for those looking for their first espresso machine, or upgrading from a capsule coffee maker.
Performance score: 4.5/5
Should you buy the Philips Baristina?
Philips Baristina score card
Attribute
Notes
Score
Value
The most affordable bean-to-cup coffee maker I've tested – and one that doesn't skimp on quality.
5/5
Design
Simple, compact and stylish, without the tricky clean-up associated with most automatic coffee makers – although it lacks a steam wand.
4.5/5
Performance
Quick and easy to use, even for beginners, and produces great results with the right beans. Grind size can't be adjusted, but at this price it's tough to complain.
4.5/5
Buy it if
You're on a budget
This is the most affordable bean-to-cup coffee maker I've tested, and Philips hasn't cut corners to achieve its affordable price tag.View Deal
You want to upgrade from coffee capsules
The Philips Baristina is just as convenient as a capsule coffee maker, but without the hassle of having to recycle the pods (which can be difficult, depending on the facilities in your area).View Deal
Don't buy it if
You want to experiment with different beans
The Baristina doesn't offer any way to customize the grind size, so you'll have to stick with coffees that work well with its default settings. There's nothing you can do to change the extraction rate.View Deal
Philips Baristina: also consider
If the Philips Baristina doesn't sound like the right coffee maker for you, take a look at these two highly rated alternatives:
De'Longhi Dedica Duo
If you're feeling a bit more adventurous and want more control over your coffee, this is the best entry-level manual espresso machine I've tested in the past couple of years. You'll need a separate coffee grinder, but this setup provides more scope for experimentation.
This semi-automatic coffee maker doesn't have a spring-fired portafilter so you'll come into contact with loose coffee, but it gives you a lot more brewing options than the Baristina, and is a good way to start developing your home barista skills.
I used the Philips Baristina for two weeks with my usual regular and decaffeinated coffee beans, freshly bought from a local coffee roaster. I used fresh tap water, and compared the taste of the coffee with that from my usual Gaggia Classic espresso machine. I used both the regular espresso and lungo options, with and without the "intensity boost" feature. I cleaned the portafilter between each drink, and flushed the brewing group with hot water by pressing and holding one of the control buttons.
And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.
The final three months of 2025 proved great for smartphone shipments in Europe as the market was up 2% compared to Q4 2024. According to Counterpoint Research’s Q4 2025 Smartphone Market Monitor, Apple was the leading brand in Europe with an estimated 33% share of all shipments.
Cupertino saw strong demand for the iPhone 17 series, resulting in a 7% rise in shipments compared to the prior year. The report outlined strong demand for the 17 series in Eastern Europe.
[#InlinePriceWidget, 14050, 1#]
Samsung came in second with a 29% market share and a 4% rise in shipments,...
Apple currently sells eSIM-only iPhones across 12 markets, including the US, Japan, Mexico and Saudi Arabia and according to a new rumor, Europe might join them with the launch of the iPhone 18 series. A new report from Techmaniacs, suggests that Cupertino is gearing up to include Europe in the list of eSIM-only countries with the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max this fall.
Apple is expected to split the iPhone 18 series into two separate launches, with the Pro models debuting in the usual September timeframe. According to the new report, iPhone 18 Pro Max’s battery capacity...
HMD semi-announced the Terra M rugged phone back in November, and now the company is sharing more details about it, as it's becoming available in select European markets. HMD says this is "more than a device", it's in fact "a fully managed communications ecosystem designed for operational excellence from day one".
It's designed "purposefully for professional workers who rely on durable, reliable, secure connectivity on the job — from hospitals and construction sites to airports, security teams and first responders", according to the official press release. It's IP68, IP69K, and...
The Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro is a premium, feature-rich, hybrid floor-cleaning robot that delivers an impressive 25,000 Pascals of suction – great for lifting fine dust, debris and pet hair from hard floors and even deep-pile carpet. With its ultra-slim profile. retractable LiDAR navigation turret and clever AdaptiLift chassis with omnidirectional wheels, this bot can clean under very low furniture and scale especially tall thresholds.
Those 'AdaptiLift' stilts also enable this robot vacuum to hover at exactly the right height over thick carpet and rugs. In practice, this worked extremely well – the Curv 2 Pro offers some of the very best carpet cleaning performance I've experienced.
While the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's navigation is robust and reliable (it uses a combination of lasers and an RGB camera), its Reactive AI obstacle avoidance isn't quite up to the accurate standards of some of its premium stablemates.
Given that this is a hybrid robot, it comes with a dual-spinning mop system that exerts 12 Newtons of downward pressure for tackling everyday messes though it will struggle with liquid spills and some ingrained stains. These mops also automatically detach or lift up whenever the bot is on carpet or crossing a rug.
The chunky, curvy look of Roborock's newly updated Hygiene+ 3.0 docking system may not be to everyone's liking but there's no doubting its efficiency at maintaining the robot on a daily basis. Like most of today's hybrid models, the dock charges the bot after every cleaning session, automatically empties the contents of the robot's diminutive bin into the dock's large 2.7-liter dust bag, and washes the robot's two spinning mop pads with hot water before wafting hot air over them to prevent smells and mould. In other words, it's mostly hands free.
Overall, the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro is an exceptionally capable everyday floor cleaning solution that offers excellent suction, intelligent navigation and a highly self-sufficient dock. Granted, it doesn't have the best obstacle avoidance I've ever encountered, but for everyday household cleaning of both hard floors and especially carpet, it's an efficient workhorse that shouldn't let you down.
(Image credit: Future)
Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro review: price & availability
List price: €899 (about $1,060 / £780 / AU$1,520)
Available: Europe and Asia – US, UK and AU to follow
Launched: September 2025
The Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro sits toward the premium end of the robot vacuum spectrum and generally delivers solid value for money, if your priorities are advanced automation and cleaning performance. High-end features like expert LiDAR-based mapping and decent obstacle avoidance justify the price for users who want a mostly set-and-forget cleaning solution rather than a basic scheduled robot.
That said, there are similar robots at lower cost that may suit some households just as well. For instance, in the UK the standard Roborock Qrevo S5V with a decent 12,000Pa of suction power, self-cleaning dock and similar mopping system retails at a smidge under £500 for the black model and £425 for the white. Or, for just £549, the excellent Dreame L40 Ultra with 19,000Pa is an equally good bet.
No question, the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro offers very decent value for those who want maximum convenience and features (including AdaptiLift), but there are some less expensive robots out there that are on a par for typical floor cleaning tasks.
As of writing, the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro is only available in select territories, including most of Europe (where it's selling for around €899) and some Asian and Middle East countries. The rest of the world, including the USA, UK, Canada and Australia, will see staggered launches throughout 2026.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro specs
Max suction:
25,000Pa
Robot diameter:
13.8 x 13.9in / 35 x 35.2cm
Robot height:
3.1 in / 8cm
Dock dimensions (W x D x H):
17.7 x 17.7 x 17.7 in / 45 x 45 x 45cm
Mop type:
Dual spinning discs
Max threshold clearance:
1.6 in / 4cm (double-layer)
Dust bin volume (base):
2.7L
Water tank volume:
3.2L (clean), 3L (dirty)
Base functions:
Charge, empty dust, wash mop pads with hot water, dry mop pads with hot air, self-clean
Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro review: design
Excellent suction power, with split rollers to avoid hair tangle
Retractable LiDAR puck and 'AdaptiLift' legs for deep carpet and tall thresholds
Large but fully-featured cleaning dock
As I mentioned in my review of the Roborock Q5 Pro+ in March 2025, there's a proliferation of robot vacuum brands on the market right now, each with a huge roster of models. This makes it a challenge for any journalist writing about a specific robot vacuum cleaner that is, in many ways, very similar to other models on the market, and it must be even more confusing for the consumer when faced with so many options.
Take Roborock, for instance. There are currently five different models in its Saros range, five in the Qrevo Curv Series, eight in the standard Qrevo range, five in the S Series, four in the Qrevo Edge Series and seven models in the lower-priced Q Series. And that's without even having a sniff at all the other brands like Dreame, Ecovacs, Eufy, Narwal, EZVIZ, Switchbot and iRobot. It seems that the world is awash in robot vacs at the moment and the same thing is already beginning to happen with robot lawn mowers.
But I digress – let's look at the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro in more detail and see if it's as good as the myriad of other premium models I've reviewed from the Roborock stable.
Robot vacuum design
On the surface, Roborock's Qrevo Curv 2 Pro adopts the same design principles as many other premium robot vacuum cleaners. The robot itself – 13.8 in / 35cm in diameter – is circular in shape with a centrally-located roller brush, an expandable side sweeping brush for edge and corner cleaning, two circular mops that are automatically ejected in the dock or raised whenever the robot is working on or crossing over carpet, a LiDAR turret for expert navigation, plus a full gamut of other navigational and obstacle avoidance aids. The Full Monty, in other words.
(Image credit: Future)
As one might expect from a renowned manufacturer like Roborock, build quality is exceptional throughout and well up there with the best in premium robot vacs. I've reviewed many Roborock products over the years and have never once experienced any issues aside from the odd clogging of a dust bag or some cotton tangled around a spindle. In the main, they have all performed reliably and efficiently. As a consequence, Roborock is the brand I always recommend whenever asked.
Given the popularity of Roborock's retractable LiDAR turrets that allow many models from its current roster to venture beneath low-slung furnishings, it's no surprise that Roborock has opted to fit the same RetractSense system to this particular model. As a result, when the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's turret is retracted, the height of the robot measures a squat 3.14in / 7.98cm.
That means it can scuttle under most wardrobes, TV stands and low sofas as long as there's a minimum of 3in / 8cm of clearance. This is a major boon for anyone who has struggled to clean such inaccessible areas using a standard stick vac, especially one that isn't equipped with a Shark-inspired bendy suction tube.
(Image credit: Future)
The Qrevo Curv 2 Pro uses the aforementioned tried-and-trusted LiDAR system for its primary navigation, a VertiBeam lateral laser system for accurate edge cleaning around furniture, an upward-facing Range Finder for measuring overhead clearance, a top contact sensor to prevent the robot from jamming itself and, importantly, a combination of 'structured light' and a front-facing RGB camera with LED light for expert obstacle avoidance in all lighting conditions.
According to Roborock the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro can recognise over 200 objects, 'from tangled cables to pet surprises' but presumably only when the 'Pet' switch in the app is activated. Incidentally, the Pet setting also ensures that the robot's brush roller stops working the moment the sensors detect a furry friend.
While I personally prefer the idea of a dual counter-rotating brush head system as introduced by iRobot, Roborock has quite recently started fitting some of its bots with single split rubber brushes that meet with a small gap in the centre, and that's the case with this model. According to Roborock, the so-called 'DuoDivide' layout helps deal with hair tangles by moving the hair towards the suction gap in the middle to prevent it from getting tangled around the roller's spindles. I vouch that this system works very well and I have no issues to report regarding pet hair tangles.
(Image credit: Future)
However, as mentioned in my article on overdue robot innovations I want to see, I really do wish robot manufacturers would adopt D-shaped bodies to their products, because the circular ones of norm require fitting a short 6.3in / 16cm roller brush between the robot's wheels, which leaves as much as 3.5in / 9cm of unused space on either side of the roller.
I cite iRobot's very early S9+ as an example. This D-shaped robot came onto the market in 2019 and featured a long 9in / 23cm rubber roller positioned near the front, almost across the entire width of the machine. This meant it was not only better at collecting dust along edges, but it also picked up a wider band of detritus with every sweep. Perhaps there's a valid technical reason why the vast majority of robot vacs are circular, so answers on a postcard please.
(Image credit: Future)
Let's look at this bot's suction power, because suction strength is one of the only differences between the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro and its sibling, the Qrevo CurvX. Where the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra TechRadar reviewed in July 2024 featured a then 'industry-leading' 10,000 Pascals of suction power, this one hits the 25,000Pa mark; 3,000Pa more than the Qrevo CurvX. Mind, even this lofty stat is still 5,000Pa shy of the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra I recently reviewed, but it just goes to show how fast robot vacuum technology has advanced in such a short space of time. For the record, the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro offers five levels of suction, from quiet to MAX+.
Given that this robot is of the hybrid variety, it also comes with a full mopping system comprised of twin spinning mops on the rear, with the ability to extend the mop on one side for cleaning around furniture legs and in corners. These mops are only used for hard floor cleaning and are therefore either raised when the robot is crossing carpet or rugs, or left behind in the dock if the robot is only performing a vacuum task. Like all decent mopping bots, the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's mops are given a thorough wash and dry after each working session, and you can read more about this in the Dock Design chapter directly below.
(Image credit: Future)
Finally, those with single or double thresholds up to 1.6in / 4cm in height will be thrilled to learn that the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro has been fitted with Roborock's clever AdaptiLift technology. Rather than relying on fixed-height wheels like traditional robot vacuums, AdaptiLift gives the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro the ability to dynamically raise and lower its chassis and wheels to adapt to complex floor environments.
The robot's two articulated wheels literally allow the robot to automatically lift and tilt its body to clear high thresholds and even maintain optimal brush and suction contact across different floor types, including carpets with up to 1.2in / 3cm of pile. It also helps free the robot when encountering an obstruction. By intelligently sensing floor transitions and responding in real time, AdaptiLift reduces the need for manual intervention while expanding the robot's practical reach within a home. What's not to like?
Dock design
Roborock's Qrevo Curv series is defined by the curvature of its newly updated Hygiene+ 3.0 dock design. Available only in white, this rounded design aesthetic differs from the rectangular norm and looks shiny, minimalist and, dare I say, rather swish when installed in a modern home. However, its rotund shape may not be to everyone's taste.
(Image credit: Future)
Like the majority of robot docks, this one charges the robot after every task (it takes approximately 3 to 4 hours to charge from 0%) as well as emptying the contents of the robot's small 270ml bin into the dock's much larger 2.7-liter dust bag. If you don't have pets, expect about a month or so to pass before the dust bag is full and ready for disposal. However, if you have hairy pets like me, then be prepared to fit a new bag every couple of weeks or so. To save on the cost of extra bags, I often remove the hair and muck in the bag using a pair of long-nose pliers. It's messy, yes, but it saves money in the long run.
(Image credit: Future)
Given that this robot also mops hard floors, the mops always go through a thorough cleaning regime in the dock after every cleaning session. This involves scrubbing them using water at 212F / 100C followed by a 122F / 50C hot-air drying session to prevent mould and nasty odours. All you have to do is occasionally fill the dock's 3.2-liter reservoir with fresh water and dispose of the contents in the 3-liter dirty water tank.
Various levels of moisture can be added to the mops depending on the type of flooring you have. Simply go to the Roborock app and select the level of moisture required – for vinyl flooring I would suggest a higher level, and for wooden flooring I'd opt for one of the various levels well below the midway mark. This is especially pertinent for thin laminated flooring which can easily warp if too damp.
Design score: 4 out of 5
Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro review: performance
Exemplary carpet cleaning performance
Acceptable mopping performance
Slightly disappointing obstacle avoidance
I have no major anomalies to report regarding this bot's navigation which is generally very good, though it might take the long way round to get to its place of work rather than a direct path. I've noticed a lot of robot vacs do this but then I've also noticed that some models, specifically those from Roborock, appear to learn over time and eventually take the shorter, direct route. I would expect this model to start doing the same over the next few weeks.
While the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's first mapping run of my open-plan area was a success, it didn't initially name the rooms in my home as accurately as the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra. While it correctly named the kitchen, it treated the open-plan lounge and dining area as one large room and called it the sunroom. It also named the hallway as the living room and the hall passage as a bedroom. By comparison, the Matrix10 Ultra not only named every room correctly, but all areas were divided correctly, too.
(Image credit: Future)
Mind, this slight hiccup in the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's room recognition was easily rectified by using the Roborock app to divide, merge and rename all rooms correctly. The key takeaway here is that this bot has never not found its charging dock, has never got lost under a sofa and has never stranded itself under the dining table. Every cleaning task has generally gone without any navigational hitches, and that's all you need to know.
Obstacle avoidance
For my obstacle avoidance test I laid out an assault course of dog toys, including two small items to replicate the size of average dog waste. While the robot deftly avoided the larger obstacles over two inches in height, it twice ran over one of the smaller items, a one-inch tall nylon bone. In the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's defence, this item often flummoxes robots though I'll admit that I was surprised that the Curv 2 Pro didn't avoid it given the Roborock website's poo-dodging claim.
FutureFutureFuture
I then added a phone cable to the mix and, despite adjustments in the app, I was surprised to see the robot run over the cable on three separate occasions, even wrapping the cable around the brush head in one instance. This one really surprised me so I checked the multitude of parameters in the app – I had 'Pet' selected for extra overall sensitivity – and I couldn't see any conflicting settings. The upshot is that, while I consider this model's obstacle avoidance to be generally acceptable, I wouldn't rely on it to avoid all clutter in the home. More importantly, I would never rely on it to avoid dog mess of any shape or form.
Vacuum performance
Roborock has been marketing this bot as one of the best for carpet cleaning and, on evidence of my test using oats, muesli and crushed biscuits, I'd say the claim is spot on. I was blown away by how well it tackled the test.
I admittedly selected two passes in the app and MAX+ mode for 25,000Pa of suction, but I needn't have bothered going that far because pass number one was enough to remove the vast majority of detritus. That's an exceptional result, and one of the best I've seen for carpet pickup. I also tried it on a thick pile carpet upstairs and was equally impressed that it a) it managed to collect a sprinkling of oats and b) it didn't get bogged down in the pile.
The carpet rug before the vacuuming testFuture... during the test...Future... and the results afterwardsFutureThe contents of the bin following the testFuture
For the hard floor test, I used the same ingredients but changed the suction one level down to Max. I was generally very pleased with the results though, as is often the case with robots, the edges weren't completely cleaned and some of the debris was scattered by the robot's spinning side brush – which just goes to show why having a cordless stick vac to hand is always advisable.
The Qrevo Curv 2 Pro before the suction test on hard flooring...Future... during the test...Future... and the results afterwardsFutureAs with many bots, the Curv 2 Pro didn't do a perfect job of the cornersFuture
Mopping performance
In terms of its bi-weekly mopping ability, I've been impressed by the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's overall performance. It has dealt with light stains and general footfall marks very well, including regularly extending one of its articulated mopping pads when traveling along skirting boards, in corners and around chair and table legs.
However, there's only so much one can ask of a twin-pad mopping system like this because, unlike some roller-based models which rinse the roller while it's cleaning, the pads on this aren't cleaned during the mopping task. And that means that any gunk that appears to have been cleaned off the floor actually remains on the mops – which is then spread around the rest of the floor. It's the nature of the beast, which is why it's never advisable to let a robot with spinning pads loose on a large-ish liquid spill.
To prove this, I created a small 'zone' in my kitchen, squirted some tomato ketchup over my wooden floor and commanded the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro to go and clean it up, having set the mop moisture setting to medium. On initial evidence it did a fine job at removing the mess, though it did leave one small smear behind. However, on closer inspection in the right reflective lighting, I could clearly see some clear but slimy swirls on the floor which would invariably dry, leaving a tacky residue behind.
Before the mopping test...Future...during... Future... and the results afterwardsFutureAnother look at the mopping resultsFuture
Had I not had the excellent Roborock F25 Ultra to hand to completely finish the job, I would have had to reach for the good old mop and bucket to fully remove all residue. This is no slight on the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro since all mopping robots of this nature behave the same way. You just need to choose your battles carefully.
Dock performance
While I don't mind the look of the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's dock, it's not a patch on its stylish stablemates, the Roborock Saros 10 and 10R, which both come with black mirrored docks that meld into the background of any room. By contrast, this one is larger in appearance and much more noticeable.
From an operational point of view, the dock itself has proved faultless over the past few weeks with no anomalies to report. Yes, the bin emptying process is quite noisy but it's been powerful enough to always empty the robot's bins even when packed with dog hair. It has also washed and maintained the mops very well leaving no residue behind.
(Image credit: Future)
Is there anything negative to report about the dock? Well I'm not keen on the design of the dock's dust bag container, since its deep and narrow, downward-facing chamber entails having the dust bag hang and bend at the top where it connects with the inlet. When filled with detritus, the weight of it could feasibly cut off airflow into the bag. I should add that I haven't had any issue to date with the emptying process but I still maintain that it's an odd design that appears to go against simple physics. But what do I know?
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro review: app
Exceedingly comprehensive
Well laid out
Easy to use
The Roborock app is an essential companion that elevates the Qrevo Curv 2 Pro's overall cleaning experience from the moment you open it. Cleanly designed and intuitively laid out, this app makes both initial setup and day-to-day control extremely straightforward, whether you're a first-time robot vacuum owner or a seasoned user who requires a plethora of customization options.
Roborock / FutureRoborock / Future
Mapping is mostly accurate, with detailed floor plans that are highly editable, allowing you to label rooms, set no-go zones, define virtual walls and customize cleaning routines with surprising precision. Moreover, the ability to adjust suction power, mopping intensity and cleaning sequences on a per-room basis gives users a level of control that few competitors can match, Dreame notwithstanding.
The Roborock app also supports a raft of scheduling options, self-created routines and multi-level home management, making it easy to tailor cleaning to your lifestyle. Combined with its stable connectivity and regular firmware updates, this app feels genuinely mature and thoughtfully engineered. Which is why it's still my favorite robot app of all.
App score: 4.5 out of 5
Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro review: scorecard
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
A premium robovac (although a step below most flagship models). Advanced specs and features justify the price tag.
4 / 5
Design
Sleek, ultra-slim profile and packed with features. Dock is comprehensive but quite chunky.
4 / 5
Performance
Excellent vacuuming and especially impressive on carpet. Mopping very acceptable but obstacle avoidance a bit underwhelming.
4 / 5
App
The Roborock app is the gold standard for design and features.
4.5 / 5
How I tested the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Pro
With so many similarly-specced robot vacs on the market, it's becoming quite difficult to detect the differences between them. But in this day and age, specs mean nothing if the bot doesn't perform to the high standards that TechRadar's writers expect.
We always strive to get the best out of the products we review and always push them to the limits of their functionality. In this case I tested the robot vac on different floor types, watched it navigate a room, set up an obstacle course and put it to four performance tests – carpet vacuuming, hard floor vacuuming, general mopping and messy mopping. Half points out of five are then awarded for each category and averaged out for a final score. Five stars are only given to a product that unequivocally impresses on all fronts but four-stars products, too, are absolutely worth investigation.
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