The Tassimo Finesse Friendly from Bosch is a compact capsule-based coffee maker that's an affordable alternative to similar machines from Nespresso and Keurig. It works in much the same way as its rivals, accepting proprietary capsules, piercing them, and forcing hot water through to brew your drink.
Unlike some other small coffee makers, it can also brew milky drinks such as lattes if you use separate pods for the milk and the coffee, with impressive results. The downside is that these capsules (known as T-Pods) can be quite expensive, particularly for drinks with two components.
The Finesse Friendly is very simple to use and clean, with a blank disc stored in a slot at the bottom that enables a quick rinsing cycle between drinks. Its water tank is east to remove as well, though its small capacity (just 23.7oz / 700ml) means you'll be making frequent trips to the sink if you're making more than one or two drinks at a time.
(Image credit: Future)
It's a well-built and likeable little coffee maker, but if you enjoy lattes regularly, you might want to consider learning to use a compact espresso machine with a manual steam wand instead. Although the initial cost will be higher, you could save money in the long run by using fresh milk for your regular brews rather than capsules. Take a look at my roundup of the best espresso machines for options at various price points.
Boch Tassimo Finesse Friendly: specifications
Name
Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly
Type
Capsule coffee maker
Dimensions (W x H x D)
6.2 x 10.4 x 14.2 inches / 15.7 x 26.5 x 36cm
Weight
6.2lbs / 2.8kg
Water tank capacity
23.7oz / 700ml
Boch Tassimo Finesse Friendly: price and availability
List price £89.99 (about $120 / AU$180), but often discounted
Widely available in Europe, but not in the US or Australia
T-Pod capsules can be quite expensive, depending on type
The Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly is one of the most affordable capsule coffee makers machines I’ve ever tested. It has a list price of £89.99 (about $120 / AU$180), but is frequently discounted to £49.99 (about $70 / AU$100). That’s even less than the entry-level Nespresso Vertuo Pop. You’ll find all today’s best prices below.
The downside is that although it’s widely available in the UK and continental Europe, it’s not currently sold in the US or Australia.
Although the Finesse Friendly is cheap, Tassimo capsules (known as T-Pods) can be quite pricey particularly if you prefer drinks with milk, which require two pods each. They are widely available online and from supermarkets, and include varieties from brands including Cadbury’s, Costa, Kenco, Jacobs, and L’OR.
(Image credit: Future)
Prices vary widely depending on your chosen drink. For example, a pack of Costa Caramel Latte T-Pods, for example, contains enough capsules to make just eight drinks, and has a list price of £7.25 (about $10 / AU$15). Pods containing just coffee are much more affordable. At the time of writing, a bundle containing 80 Kenco Pure Colombian capsules is £21.38 (about $30 / AU$40).
Value score: 3.5/5
Boch Tassimo Finesse Friendly: design
Compact and lightweight
Easy to clean and maintain
Water tank holds only 23.7oz / 700ml
The Tassimo Finesse Friendly is an exceptionally light and compact coffee maker, which is ideal for small kitchens and easy to tuck away in a cupboard when not in use. Its body is made using 60% recycled plastic, and is available in four colors: black, white, cream, and red. The black version I tested had a tendency to accumulate fingerprints, particularly on the matt-finish sides, but they were easily cleaned off with a damp cloth.
Its drip tray is removable for cleaning, and can be repositioned closer to the dispenser to accommodate espresso cups without splashing.
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It has a single control button, which uses colors and blinks to indicate the machine’s current status. A red light means the machine needs attention, and usually signals that the water tank is running low.
The tank is attached to the back of the machine, and is easy to remove; just angle it slightly and pull upwards. It has a maximum capacity of just 700ml / 23.7oz, so you’ll need to refill it after making two full-size drinks.
(Image credit: Future)
Cleaning the Finesse Friendly is straightforward. Just remove the orange maintenance disc from the slot at the bottom of the machine, place it in the capsule holder with the barcode facing down, close the lid, and hit the brew button just as you would when preparing a drink.
The machine will rinse itself with a cupful of hot water, leaving it clean and ready to use next time. It’s also worth wiping the outside of the dispenser clean if you’ve made a drink with milk, as this has a tendency to splutter.
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The Finesse Friendly has no water filter, but is easy to de-scale when indicated by the red status light. Just fill the water tank to the line marked ‘calc’, add two descaling tablets (not provided with the machine but available online), insert the cleaning disc, place a cup under the dispenser and hold the start button for about five seconds.
Design score: 4/5
Boch Tassimo Finesse Friendly: performance
The Tassimo Finesse Friendly is extremely simple to use. Just fill the water tank to the maximum line, pull the top of the machine upwards to open it, and place your drink capsule in the opening face-down. Push the lid closed and the light on the control button will light up orange, indicating that the Finesse Friendly is ready to start brewing.
After your drink has finished dispensing, wait until the light stops blinking orange before removing the used capsule.
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I tested the Finesse Friendly with a couple of different capsules: Tassimo Cinnamon Roll Latte (which Bosch provided with the review machine), and Jacobs Latte Macchiato (which I bought myself). Each variety came with two boxes of pods: one containing the coffee, and the other filled with long-life milk.
Although a latte macchiato is usually my coffee of choice, the cinnamon roll pods were the clear winner. Although it was definitely sweet, the drink had a more mellow flavor than many other coffee pods I’ve tried. In fact, it was so good I ended up buying a second pack.
The tiny Finesse Friendly did a particularly good job of steaming milk, producing a long-lasting layer of creamy foam. During my tests the machine had a tendency to sputter a little, and emitted quite a lot of steam once it had finished dispensing, but this had dissipated by the time the orange light stopped blinking.
In the UK, you can recycle used T-Pod capsules through Podback (a scheme that also accepts used Nespresso, L'OR and Dolce Gusto pods). You'll receive a Podback bag when you receive an order of T-Pods, and you can order more through the Podback website.
You can drop off your Podback bags in most big supermarkets, or take loose capsules to a recycling center with a Podback bin. Find your nearest drop-off point.
Performance score: 5/5
Should you buy the Boch Tassimo Finesse Friendly
Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly score card
Attribute
Notes
Score
Value
The machine itself is very affordable, but pods for milk-based drinks can be expensive.
3.5/5
Design
Compact and light, made using 60% recycled plastic, but water tank is very small.
4/5
Performance
Heats quickly, foams milk well, and dispenses consistently tasty coffee. Easy to clean and maintain.
5/5
Buy it if
You want a coffee maker that's easy to use
Brewing coffee doesn't get much easier than this. Just add water and a pod, wait a minute, and you'll have a perfectly brewed drink every time.
You want more than just coffee
The Finesse Friendly also makes excellent hot chocolate, and there are plenty of T-Pod capsules available from brands including Cadbury's.
Don't buy it if
You drink several lattes daily
T-Pods for milky drinks can be quite expensive. They're delicious, but you'll go through a pack of capsules very quickly unless you keep them as a special treat.
You want to make drinks for a crowd
The Tassimo Finesse Friendly's small water tank will need refilling after every couple of drinks unless you're brewing short drinks like espresso.
Boch Tassimo Finesse Friendly: also consider
If the Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly isn't the right coffee maker for you, here are two alternatives to consider.
Nespresso Vertuo Pop
This is another compact pod-based coffee maker with an affordable price tag. The upgraded Pop+ has an extra large water tank, which will be useful if you want to brew drinks for a larger group, and even premium Vertuo pods work out a little cheaper than the most expensive T-Pods.
This capsule coffee maker accepts Nespresso Original capsules. Nestlé no longer owns the patent to these, so they're widely available from a huge range of coffee producers, from big chains to small independent roasters.
I used the Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly in my own kitchen for three weeks, making an average of two coffees per day. I used tap water, and used the maintenance disc with the rinse program the clean the machine between each drink.
I used Tassimo Cinnamon Roll Latte and Jacobs Latte Macchiato capsules, and used the milk capsule for each drink first before dispensing the coffee through the foam. I compared the results to those from my own Nespresso Vertuo Pop machine.
Motorola made the Moto G (2026) official in early November, and today the phone has become available in the US and Canada via Motorola's own online store.
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Moto G (2026) in Pantone Slipstream (left) and Pantone Cattleya Orchid (right)
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Two and a half years after eco-friendly tech champions Fairphone released its first pair of headphones, the company is back to release… the same pair but better. Sort-of. The new Fairbuds XL 2025 aren’t a 2.0 model of the original cans, but an updated model with a few nice changes, and a maintained feature that the best headphones should’ve copied years ago.
Fairphone is primarily a smartphone maker, with the Fairphone 6 from mid-2025 being its latest release, and its green credentials come in two forms. Firstly, its gadgets are generally made from recycled or ethically-sourced materials, and secondly they’re designed to last so you won’t be throwing them away and contributing to e-waste.
The original Fairbuds already ticked those boxes pretty well, but the XL 2025 add in more recycled elements and a longer warranty. It’s a nice bonus on cans you already feel good wearing. They also build on one of the big perks of the originals in that they’re modular, so if one part breaks you can easily replace it yourself.
As is always the case with Fairphone tech, though, you come for the environmentally-friendly promise and stay for one or two surprising extra ways the product elevates itself from the competition. Case in point with the Fairbuds XL 2025: they maintain the 2023 version’s joystick, which is a control system so easy and responsive to use that I’m surprised the big dogs aren’t copying it.
Instead of having myriad touch-capacitive buttons, dials, sliders and levers like most headphones I test, they delegate controlling your sound to a small joystick (well, and a separate ANC button that you rarely need to touch). By pressing or nudging this you can control basically everything you need to for your music, quickly and easily. I love using it and already know I’ll miss it when I move onto my next headphone review.
Beyond that, these are decent-sounding headphones which have energetic and bassy sound, but miss out on the extra ounce of detail or super-expansive soundscapes that many rivals offer. They’re comfortable to wear and look much more distinctive (and fun) than your generic dime-a-dozen headphones.
If there’s something that’ll put off prospective buyers, it’s the price – a common consideration with eco-friendly tech. These cans cost more than I would’ve guessed if I didn’t know, and while their long-lasting guarantee justifies that price well, it’s still a fair amount to pay upfront for headphones which don’t exactly rival the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra.
Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025) review: Price and release date
(Image credit: Future)
Released on December 9, 2025
Costs £219 (roughly $300, AU$460)
US release possible; AU unlikely
The Fairphone Fairbuds XL 2025 were announced on December 9, 2025, roughly two and a half years after the original model. According to the company, the newer model are more of an improved version of the older one, not a brand-new device.
The headphones will set you back £219 (roughly $300, AU$460). Fairphone is generally a European brand but its recent move into America means we could see these launch in the US, and we’ll add in a dollar price once we learn of one. Don’t expect to see these release in Australia though – Fairphone follows geographical (not Eurovision) rules on continents.
That price is, importantly, exactly the same cost that the original cans cost when they came out – but where some manufacturers are actually lowering prices in response to increasingly tough competition in a crazy-crowded market, Fairphone hasn't.
Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025) review: Specs
Drivers
40mm
Active noise cancellation
Yes
Battery life (ANC off)
30 hours
Weight
330g
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.1
Frequency response
Not listed
Waterproofing
IP54
Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025) review: Features
(Image credit: Future)
30-hour battery life
ANC is decent when combined with PNC
App has equalizer... and not much else
If there’s an issue with the Fairbuds (aside from the fact that they're absolutely, positively not buds and let's be clear on that), it’s that they’re a little scant on features. There’s no find-my functionality, no listening test or spatial audio, and the Fairbuds app doesn’t offer much.
The key reason to download it is its equalizer, offering presets as well as a custom mode so you can tweak it via a five-band deck – this is called ‘Studio’ mode, so I missed it when I first tested the buds. I found that the only preset worth listening to is the default one, called Amsterdam, as it was louder a clearer than the others.
Beyond that the app lets you install firmware updates, learn the basics of headphones (not particularly important to anyone who’s used headphones before) and order replacement parts for the XL if you damage any. I can see this last service being useful – though hopefully not too often!
(Image credit: Future)
You can toggle ANC, but only with the button on the buds, and not via the app. There are three modes: on, off and ambient. Combined with the passive noise cancellation of the fabric cups, the ANC does a good job at blocking out most sounds around you. It’s not the best noise cancellation I’ve ever heard in headphones, but they won’t leave you wanting more.
The battery life clocks in at 30 hours, which is decent enough for headphones though nothing stellar – some models now offer 80 hours. Fairphone says the battery will last for at least 500 charges before needing to be replaced (that’s 15,000 hours, if you empty the juice tank fully each time) – and given that Fairphone is basically the only company to release a stat like this, it’s hard to say whether that’s standard or not. Still, it’s good to know, and there’s no way you’ll reach that amount of listening in the three years the warranty now covers, anyway.
Features score: 3.5/5
Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025) review: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Sustainable build
Comfortable to wear
Incredibly handy joystick controls
The Fairbuds XL aren’t your bog-standard over-ear headphones, and that’s not just a comment on their sustainability. They have a distinctive look and hue, with a fabric band covering and cups, protruding plastic loops connecting the cans and the band, and a two-tier look for the phones. I tested the attractive green model, but there’s also a black one.
I found the headphones comfy to wear, though some people might find them a little heavy. They can be folded, as well as extended quite a bit if you’ve got a larger head, and the fact that the wider tier of the cans wiggles a little bit means they can adapt to different head shapes. However, you can’t rotate the cups to lie flat, like you can on certain other headphones.
On the right cup, there’s an ANC button which you can use to switch ANC modes and also enable Bluetooth, and just beyond that is one of my favorite features of the cans. It’s a little joystick which you can use to turn on the buds (press and hold), play or pause (single press), change the volume (nudge it up or down) and go forward or back a track (nudge it left or right).
(Image credit: Future)
It’s really simple and easy to use, and is probably the best implementation of touch controls that I’ve ever used on a pair of headphones.
Let’s also talk about sustainability. The 2023 models used 100% recycled plastics and aluminum, and the 2025 versions one-up that: 100% of the cobalt, copper and silver is fair-mined, 100% of the rare-earth materials are recycled and the cans were assembled with 100% renewable energy.
Now, I’m no eco-genius, but that all sounds good to me – especially the part about rare earth materials given how they cost the Earth. The buds are also modular, so if a part breaks you can replace it without needing a whole new pair of cans, and Fairphone offers a three-year warranty on the Fairbuds (one year longer than on the last model).
While the 2025 model of Fairbuds XL have the same 40mm driver, one of their big updates is still in the sonic department. Apparently the new cans have been re-tuned for more balanced audio – that doesn’t quite track with my own experiences with them, but I’m not really complaining.
In our reporting on the original cans we noticed that the sound of the Fairbuds was “energetic and forthright, rather than refined an analytical”, and that’s exactly how the new model sound to me.
(Image credit: Future)
In sounds like O.A.R’s Lay Down, or Michael Franti’s Once A Day, you can hear the punch of brass lines and hearty bass, giving an infectious energy to songs. But songs which have complex instrumentation can sometimes feel like their losing some of their edge – Somewhere in Between by Morningsiders feels a little more monophonic than it needs.
Generally, it’s the warmer sounds that benefit from whatever touch Fairphone has added, with (reasonably) well-defined bass and mids that keep their head above the water more often than not. But there’s not quite the expansiveness through the soundstage as you might want and crave, which stops instruments from standing apart, keeping back certain songs from reaching their true sonic breadth and impact.
Some technical specs here: the Fairbuds connect with Bluetooth 5.1. They miss most codecs but do support aptX HD for higher-resolution 24-bit wireless streaming, if you're source material and device is up to it.
Sound quality: 3.5/5
Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025) review: Value
(Image credit: Future)
Pricier than the features would suggest
Longevity balances value out
If you compare the Fairbuds XL 2025 to same-price contemporaries, it’s easy to make the case that they’re not great value for money. They lack features and the same level of audio refinement that you’d get in rivals.
While that’s true, it's also missing a key point – these headphones are designed for longevity. Where you might need to buy a new pair of Sonys or Bose in a year or two when they inevitably break or the battery renders them unusable, the Fairbuds XL will almost certainly last you a lot longer.
So these are better value than they may first appear – but you need to be playing the long game to appreciate it.
Value: 4/5
Should I buy the Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025)?
Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025) score card
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Features
The ANC and battery life are average, and there are few other features.
3.5/5
Design
Between the eco-friendly build, the comfortable fit and the handy joystick, I have no notes.
5/5
Sound quality
It's a flawed but fun sound, far from perfect but still enjoyable to listen to.
3.5/5
Value
Sure, the price is high, but they'll last longer than alternatives.
4/5
Buy it if…
You care about the planet It's the core selling point here: these have been built sustainably.
You want long-lasting cans Between the modular design and the warranty, you can guarantee these will last longer than alternatives.View Deal
You like controlling music from your cans The joystick is the single best control feature I've used in headphones.View Deal
Don’t buy it if…
You're on a budget While they're long-lasting cans, that doesn't stop the fact that the upfront cost is fairly high.
You like tweaking your sound profile The Fairbuds' equalizer doesn't give you much wiggle room over your sound, and the presets don't help.
Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025) review: Also consider
Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025)
House of Marley Positive Vibration Rebel
Sony WH-1000XM5
Drivers
40mm
40mm
30mm
Active noise cancellation
Yes
Yes
Yes
Battery life (ANC on)
30 hours
75 hours
30 hours
Weight
330g
517g
250g
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth 5.4
Bluetooth 5.2
Waterproofing
IP54
IPX5
Not specified
House of Marley Positive Vibration Rebel These more affordable headphones are made from wood and recycled aluminum, while offering a much longer-lasting battery too.
Sony WH-1000XM5 Thanks to its Green Management 2025 plan, Sony headphones can be relatively eco-friendly, and these previous-generation ones are actually cheaper than the Fairbuds.
Tested at home, on walks, on public transport and the gym
My testing period for the Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025) lasted for roughly 3 weeks, not including the additional time it took to write this review (or run them in).
I generally used the headphones for streaming music from Spotify and Tidal using my Android phone, but also tested on Netflix, Prime Video and various games. I listened at home, on walks around my local area, at the gym, and on public transport (trains and buses) during several long journeys.
In the past I've reviewed multiple smartphones from Fairphone, and other gadgets with an emphasis on eco-friendly tech. I've also tested plenty of headphones over the 7 years I've been writing for TechRadar.
The Bissell PowerClean FurFinder is a simple but effective cordless vacuum with an affordable price tag. I've been testing it out for two weeks and have generally been very impressed.
On the design front it keeps things basic, with three suction modes, a removable battery, a small but easy-to-empty bin and a wall mount for out-of-the way storage. Like almost all stick vacuums these days, it can be reconfigured for use as a handheld with one of the provided detail tools. In general use I found the performance very good – it had no issues clearing particles and hair from hard floors and carpet, and only struggled when it came to tackling large debris, which tended to get caught in the floorhead casing.
Those seeking the best vacuum for pet hair might prefer a model with larger bin, as the one included here is smaller than average and will fill up quickly if you have shedding pets. They might also struggle with the shorter runtimes – if you bump up to Med mode (as you will likely want to if you're vacuuming carpet), you'll only have 20 minutes or so or cleaning time before having to stop to recharge.
I was especially impressed with the Mini motorized tool, which did a stellar job of pulling fuzz from an old cushion-turned-makeshift cat bed. Unusually, this is kitted out with headlamps to help illuminate areas you might otherwise miss.
It's not doing anything especially new, and those who prefer a more hi-tech appliance have plenty of flashier options to choose from. In its price bracket, though, it's a very strong performer – and certainly one of the best cheap vacuums I've tested. If you're after a solid cordless vacuum for an affordable price, the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder should be on your shortlist.
The Bissell PowerClean FurFinder is only available in the US, where it's very competitively priced, coming in at $229.99 (equivalent to about £180 / AU$360). That's in TechRadar's budget bracket for vacuums, and considering the excellent performance, makes this vacuum easy to recommend.
If you're in the market for a new vacuum, you're probably also considering Shark or Dyson. The Shark Freestyle Max is comparable in price at $199.99 / £149 / AU$249.99 but it's an upright vacuum and can't be reconfigured for use on anything other than the floor, as you can with the Bissell. Plus the battery times are even shorter than on the Bissell.
The oldest and cheapest Dyson is the Dyson V8, which comes in at $349.99 / £329 / AU$397, though discounts do crop up on occasion. It's still a very strong option, with better battery life. But in terms of features it doesn't really add much outside of brand recognition to justify the price difference.
Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5
Bissell PowerClean FurFinder specs
Weight:
3.3 kg / 7.3 lbs
Bin size:
0.4L
Max runtime:
40 mins
Charge time:
2 hrs 30 mins
Size (H x W x L):
in / cm
Max suction:
200AW
Modes:
Low, Med, High
Tools:
Main floorhead, Mini motorized brush head, Crevice tool
Bissell PowerClean FurFinder review: design
Cordless stick vacuum with three power modes and headlamps
Modular design means it can be used as a handheld; comes with useful tools
Dustbin is rather small – especially given it's meant for pet hair
While the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder cordless vacuum doesn't really redefine anything about cordless vacuums, it's a solid offering in just about every way. It's attractive, coming in a black and blue colorway. Its floorhead has lights, like most decent vacuums nowadays, so you can see any dirt right in front of it. It's modular so the main body of the vacuum can be removed from the telescopic tube, and the tube itself can be removed from the floorhead. And its included tools make it multifunctional, and suitable for use as a handheld vacuum.
Speaking of extras: this cordless vacuum comes not only with a 2-in-1 Crevice tool (it has a retractable brush), but a Mini motorized brush head that lights up like the floorhead, and a wall mount for easy storage. The wall mount does require a screwdriver to install, though I appreciate the inclusion of wall anchors if you have to install on nothing but drywall.
(Image credit: Future)
Getting back to the vacuum itself. The controls here are straightforward, with a power button and a mode button that cycles through low, medium and high suction. There are no screens to provide information and nothing in the way of automation here, which isn't surprising at this price point (although the similarly affordable Dreame R20does offer automatic dirt detection). I was pleased to see the battery is removable and swappable.
(Image credit: Future)
A minor complaint is that the dustbin is small. The 0.4 liter capacity will rule it out for large homes, and – perhaps ironically, given the name – it's also not ideal for households with shedding pets. It is at least easily removable, and just as easy to empty.
Design score: 4 out of 5
Bissell PowerClean FurFinder review: performance
Pickup is good on all sorts of dust and debris, including pet hair
Motorized mini brush is ideal for clearing pet hair from upholstery
Not that quiet in operation, and struggles to pick up chunky particles
After having tested the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder on all sorts of surfaces and with different types of messes, I'm confident in its cleaning abilities. Now, it's not going to compete with a heavy duty canister or upright vacuum in terms of pure power, but it has good enough suction that I'm okay grabbing this instead of said heavy duty vacuum. (If you do want a super-sucky upright, head to TechRadar's guide to the best upright vacuums.)
Even on the low setting, it did a good job sucking up dust and debris. I used this cordless vacuum to clean up some extra flour and sugar left over from a robot vacuum test and it got all the leftover remnants in a single pass.
(Image credit: Future)
I also vacuumed baking soda, lentils, and cereal as a benchmark on hard flooring using the low suction mode and was done spot cleaning in about a minute on low suction. The only issue I came across is that the transparent cover on the floorhead doesn't allow chunky debris to pass beneath it. I experienced this specifically when I pushed forward to vacuum the Cheerios, and they piled up instead of being sucked away. But that just meant it took me two passes instead of one to clean everything up.
I repeated the same test on low-pile carpet actually using the medium suction mode to see if it would take me just one pass, but I ended up with similar results, needing an extra pass to get the Cheerios.
(Image credit: Future)
Considering that this is advertised for picking up fur, we have to consider whether it actually handles that task well. I believe that this vacuum does. I used the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder to vacuum up after two dogs and a cat (and a number of humans, a few of which have long hair), and it did a great job of sucking up stray hairs.
I found it didn't really matter which mode I used – higher modes just sucked in more. The floorhead never got in a tangle, either. My only complaint is that the bin filled up quickly, so if you have multiple shedding pets you'll find yourself emptying it more often than you perhaps would like.
(Image credit: Future)
Where cordless vacuums shine over powerful corded ones is in their versatility. I was also impressed with how effective the Mini motorized brush head was at cleaning upholstery. I had a couch cushion in the basement was covered in hair from months of being used as an impromptu cat bed and no clean up. With the Mini motorized brush head, it took one pass to completely remove all that hair, and I didn't have any issues with it getting stuck. The motorized roller helped pull up strands of hair, and the headlamps (which are rare to find on a detail tool) helped illuminate any patches I might have missed.
(Image credit: Future)
I was also able to get into corners easily with the Crevice tool. I used this for multiple tasks, including clearing lentils and Cheerios stuck between the carpet and the molding after a benchmark test, tackling the cobwebs and spiderwebs that had been overtaking the basement, and vacuuming the dirt that had build up in the footwells of my car. It made short work of all these tasks, although it wasn't ideal as a car vacuum as it was a bit too bulky to get to awkward spots like the dashboard.
It's worth noting that it's not a particularly quiet vacuum, running from 66 to 76 dB depending on the power level chosen.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Bissell PowerClean FurFinder review: battery life
Battery life is underwhelming – 40 mins on low, 21 on Med, and 13 on high
Recharge is relatively speedy at 2 hours 30 mins
Battery is removable and swappable
Bissell states this cordless vacuum will last up to 40 minutes on Min, 21 in Med, and 13 on Max. I found this accurate – I timed it at 40 minutes and 25 seconds on a single charge in the lowest suction mode. And I find that battery life is enough for vacuuming a good 800-square-feet on a single charge. However, most people will want to use the Med mode most of the time, and 21 minutes is really not enough to get much done.
(Image credit: Future)
The 40 minutes does not measure up favorably on the wider market, either. Most of today's best cordless vacuums last around 60 minutes in Min mode, and some even longer. Recharge takes around two and a half hours, which is actually quite quick, but still rather a long time to wait if you're having to stop mid-clean.
Because the battery is removable, it is possible to pick up a backup battery to extend your cleaning times – or to replace the existing battery if it starts to eventually lose charge. The power cable plugs directly into the battery, which is good news if you want to store the vacuum somewhere that's not near an outlet.
Battery life score: 3 out of 5
Should you buy the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Budget bracket, and great value for the performance.
4.5 / 5
Design
Basic but effective, although the dustbin is smaller than I'd like.
4 / 5
Performance
Efficient pickup of dust and pet hair, although struggled with chunky particles.
4 / 5
Battery life
With a maximum of 40 mins per charge, battery life is underwhelming – most competitors manage 60 mins.
3 / 5
Buy it if...
You don't need anything fancy
This vacuum lacks fancy features but keeps all the essentials, including good pickup, three suction modes and an easy-to-empty bin.
You're on a budget
This vacuum is simple but effective, and comes in at a nice, wallet-friendly price.
You have a smaller home
This vacuum's runtimes are rather limited, but that won't be an issue if you don't have a massive area to clean.
You want a great upholstery tool
I was impressed with how efficiently this Bissell vacuum's upholstery tool pulled pet hair from an old cushion that was being used as a cat bed.
Don't buy it if...
You want something hi-tech
The Bissell PowerClean is rather simple in features. Competitor models offer things like automatic suction adjustment and info screens.
You have multiple shedding pets
As convenient as the Bissell PowerClean is, that small dustbin needs to be emptied after almost every use, and even more frequently if you have hairy pets.
You have a lot of space to cover
The battery life is the biggest weakness for this cordless vacuum. Most of the competition adds at least another 20 minutes of use before needing to be charged.
Bissell PowerClean FurFinder review: Alternatives
Dyson V11
The Dyson V11 is certainly still pricey, even if it's a bit older. But it still has that Dyson magic and does an excellent job cleaning up all sorts of debris, including pet hair. It also comes with a stronger battery life than the Bissell despite having come out in 2019.
The Shark Freestyle Max may not be modular but it's compact, has a large dust cup, and excellent suction power. Its battery life even worse than this Bissell's, and the fact it can't be reconfigured means you're more limited than most cordless stick vacuums, but it is very affordable.
To test the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder, I used it for a couple weeks, testing its vacuum capabilities not only on hardwood floors, but also tile, low pile carpet, and even a high pile bath mat. It was tested in a home that houses two dogs and a cat, plus a number of humans, a few of which have long hair. I used it at its various strengths and tested it by doing general cleaning and also running bench marks with baking soda, lentils, and cereal.
The Bissell PowerClean FurFinder is a simple but effective cordless vacuum with an affordable price tag. I've been testing it out for two weeks and have generally been very impressed.
On the design front it keeps things basic, with three suction modes, a removable battery, a small but easy-to-empty bin and a wall mount for out-of-the way storage. Like almost all stick vacuums these days, it can be reconfigured for use as a handheld with one of the provided detail tools. In general use I found the performance very good – it had no issues clearing particles and hair from hard floors and carpet, and only struggled when it came to tackling large debris, which tended to get caught in the floorhead casing.
Those seeking the best vacuum for pet hair might prefer a model with larger bin, as the one included here is smaller than average and will fill up quickly if you have shedding pets. They might also struggle with the shorter runtimes – if you bump up to Med mode (as you will likely want to if you're vacuuming carpet), you'll only have 20 minutes or so or cleaning time before having to stop to recharge.
I was especially impressed with the Mini motorized tool, which did a stellar job of pulling fuzz from an old cushion-turned-makeshift cat bed. Unusually, this is kitted out with headlamps to help illuminate areas you might otherwise miss.
It's not doing anything especially new, and those who prefer a more hi-tech appliance have plenty of flashier options to choose from. In its price bracket, though, it's a very strong performer – and certainly one of the best cheap vacuums I've tested. If you're after a solid cordless vacuum for an affordable price, the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder should be on your shortlist.
The Bissell PowerClean FurFinder is only available in the US, where it's very competitively priced, coming in at $229.99 (equivalent to about £180 / AU$360). That's in TechRadar's budget bracket for vacuums, and considering the excellent performance, makes this vacuum easy to recommend.
If you're in the market for a new vacuum, you're probably also considering Shark or Dyson. The Shark Freestyle Max is comparable in price at $199.99 / £149 / AU$249.99 but it's an upright vacuum and can't be reconfigured for use on anything other than the floor, as you can with the Bissell. Plus the battery times are even shorter than on the Bissell.
The oldest and cheapest Dyson is the Dyson V8, which comes in at $349.99 / £329 / AU$397, though discounts do crop up on occasion. It's still a very strong option, with better battery life. But in terms of features it doesn't really add much outside of brand recognition to justify the price difference.
Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5
Bissell PowerClean FurFinder specs
Weight:
3.3 kg / 7.3 lbs
Bin size:
0.4L
Max runtime:
40 mins
Charge time:
2 hrs 30 mins
Size (H x W x L):
in / cm
Max suction:
200AW
Modes:
Low, Med, High
Tools:
Main floorhead, Mini motorized brush head, Crevice tool
Bissell PowerClean FurFinder review: design
Cordless stick vacuum with three power modes and headlamps
Modular design means it can be used as a handheld; comes with useful tools
Dustbin is rather small – especially given it's meant for pet hair
While the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder cordless vacuum doesn't really redefine anything about cordless vacuums, it's a solid offering in just about every way. It's attractive, coming in a black and blue colorway. Its floorhead has lights, like most decent vacuums nowadays, so you can see any dirt right in front of it. It's modular so the main body of the vacuum can be removed from the telescopic tube, and the tube itself can be removed from the floorhead. And its included tools make it multifunctional, and suitable for use as a handheld vacuum.
Speaking of extras: this cordless vacuum comes not only with a 2-in-1 Crevice tool (it has a retractable brush), but a Mini motorized brush head that lights up like the floorhead, and a wall mount for easy storage. The wall mount does require a screwdriver to install, though I appreciate the inclusion of wall anchors if you have to install on nothing but drywall.
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Getting back to the vacuum itself. The controls here are straightforward, with a power button and a mode button that cycles through low, medium and high suction. There are no screens to provide information and nothing in the way of automation here, which isn't surprising at this price point (although the similarly affordable Dreame R20does offer automatic dirt detection). I was pleased to see the battery is removable and swappable.
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A minor complaint is that the dustbin is small. The 0.4 liter capacity will rule it out for large homes, and – perhaps ironically, given the name – it's also not ideal for households with shedding pets. It is at least easily removable, and just as easy to empty.
Design score: 4 out of 5
Bissell PowerClean FurFinder review: performance
Pickup is good on all sorts of dust and debris, including pet hair
Motorized mini brush is ideal for clearing pet hair from upholstery
Not that quiet in operation, and struggles to pick up chunky particles
After having tested the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder on all sorts of surfaces and with different types of messes, I'm confident in its cleaning abilities. Now, it's not going to compete with a heavy duty canister or upright vacuum in terms of pure power, but it has good enough suction that I'm okay grabbing this instead of said heavy duty vacuum. (If you do want a super-sucky upright, head to TechRadar's guide to the best upright vacuums.)
Even on the low setting, it did a good job sucking up dust and debris. I used this cordless vacuum to clean up some extra flour and sugar left over from a robot vacuum test and it got all the leftover remnants in a single pass.
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I also vacuumed baking soda, lentils, and cereal as a benchmark on hard flooring using the low suction mode and was done spot cleaning in about a minute on low suction. The only issue I came across is that the transparent cover on the floorhead doesn't allow chunky debris to pass beneath it. I experienced this specifically when I pushed forward to vacuum the Cheerios, and they piled up instead of being sucked away. But that just meant it took me two passes instead of one to clean everything up.
I repeated the same test on low-pile carpet actually using the medium suction mode to see if it would take me just one pass, but I ended up with similar results, needing an extra pass to get the Cheerios.
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Considering that this is advertised for picking up fur, we have to consider whether it actually handles that task well. I believe that this vacuum does. I used the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder to vacuum up after two dogs and a cat (and a number of humans, a few of which have long hair), and it did a great job of sucking up stray hairs.
I found it didn't really matter which mode I used – higher modes just sucked in more. The floorhead never got in a tangle, either. My only complaint is that the bin filled up quickly, so if you have multiple shedding pets you'll find yourself emptying it more often than you perhaps would like.
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Where cordless vacuums shine over powerful corded ones is in their versatility. I was also impressed with how effective the Mini motorized brush head was at cleaning upholstery. I had a couch cushion in the basement was covered in hair from months of being used as an impromptu cat bed and no clean up. With the Mini motorized brush head, it took one pass to completely remove all that hair, and I didn't have any issues with it getting stuck. The motorized roller helped pull up strands of hair, and the headlamps (which are rare to find on a detail tool) helped illuminate any patches I might have missed.
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I was also able to get into corners easily with the Crevice tool. I used this for multiple tasks, including clearing lentils and Cheerios stuck between the carpet and the molding after a benchmark test, tackling the cobwebs and spiderwebs that had been overtaking the basement, and vacuuming the dirt that had build up in the footwells of my car. It made short work of all these tasks, although it wasn't ideal as a car vacuum as it was a bit too bulky to get to awkward spots like the dashboard.
It's worth noting that it's not a particularly quiet vacuum, running from 66 to 76 dB depending on the power level chosen.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Bissell PowerClean FurFinder review: battery life
Battery life is underwhelming – 40 mins on low, 21 on Med, and 13 on high
Recharge is relatively speedy at 2 hours 30 mins
Battery is removable and swappable
Bissell states this cordless vacuum will last up to 40 minutes on Min, 21 in Med, and 13 on Max. I found this accurate – I timed it at 40 minutes and 25 seconds on a single charge in the lowest suction mode. And I find that battery life is enough for vacuuming a good 800-square-feet on a single charge. However, most people will want to use the Med mode most of the time, and 21 minutes is really not enough to get much done.
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The 40 minutes does not measure up favorably on the wider market, either. Most of today's best cordless vacuums last around 60 minutes in Min mode, and some even longer. Recharge takes around two and a half hours, which is actually quite quick, but still rather a long time to wait if you're having to stop mid-clean.
Because the battery is removable, it is possible to pick up a backup battery to extend your cleaning times – or to replace the existing battery if it starts to eventually lose charge. The power cable plugs directly into the battery, which is good news if you want to store the vacuum somewhere that's not near an outlet.
Battery life score: 3 out of 5
Should you buy the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Budget bracket, and great value for the performance.
4.5 / 5
Design
Basic but effective, although the dustbin is smaller than I'd like.
4 / 5
Performance
Efficient pickup of dust and pet hair, although struggled with chunky particles.
4 / 5
Battery life
With a maximum of 40 mins per charge, battery life is underwhelming – most competitors manage 60 mins.
3 / 5
Buy it if...
You don't need anything fancy
This vacuum lacks fancy features but keeps all the essentials, including good pickup, three suction modes and an easy-to-empty bin.
You're on a budget
This vacuum is simple but effective, and comes in at a nice, wallet-friendly price.
You have a smaller home
This vacuum's runtimes are rather limited, but that won't be an issue if you don't have a massive area to clean.
You want a great upholstery tool
I was impressed with how efficiently this Bissell vacuum's upholstery tool pulled pet hair from an old cushion that was being used as a cat bed.
Don't buy it if...
You want something hi-tech
The Bissell PowerClean is rather simple in features. Competitor models offer things like automatic suction adjustment and info screens.
You have multiple shedding pets
As convenient as the Bissell PowerClean is, that small dustbin needs to be emptied after almost every use, and even more frequently if you have hairy pets.
You have a lot of space to cover
The battery life is the biggest weakness for this cordless vacuum. Most of the competition adds at least another 20 minutes of use before needing to be charged.
Bissell PowerClean FurFinder review: Alternatives
Dyson V11
The Dyson V11 is certainly still pricey, even if it's a bit older. But it still has that Dyson magic and does an excellent job cleaning up all sorts of debris, including pet hair. It also comes with a stronger battery life than the Bissell despite having come out in 2019.
The Shark Freestyle Max may not be modular but it's compact, has a large dust cup, and excellent suction power. Its battery life even worse than this Bissell's, and the fact it can't be reconfigured means you're more limited than most cordless stick vacuums, but it is very affordable.
To test the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder, I used it for a couple weeks, testing its vacuum capabilities not only on hardwood floors, but also tile, low pile carpet, and even a high pile bath mat. It was tested in a home that houses two dogs and a cat, plus a number of humans, a few of which have long hair. I used it at its various strengths and tested it by doing general cleaning and also running bench marks with baking soda, lentils, and cereal.
With the Honor Magic 8 Lite, the battery is undoubtedly the star of the show. It has the same massive 7,500 mAh capacity as the Oppo Find X9 Pro, but when combined with its lower-end energy-efficient chip, it lasts even longer. I'm not exaggerating when I say that four days on a single charge is quite easy to achieve with this phone.
The Magic 8 Lite's construction has been significantly upgraded this year, too. It now carries the highest possible IP rating, so dust and water will pose no threat, while a shock-resistant frame and reinforced tempered glass should keep it fairly safe from drops.
The phone's display is another highlight, and it ticks all the most important boxes. It's bright, has a speedy 120Hz refresh rate, supports PWM dimming, and has slim symmetrical bezels all the way around.
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Unfortunately, the Magic 8 Lite's performance isn't quite so impressive. You'll see the occasional stutter when you're going about your daily business, and you'll need to use very low graphics settings to get a playable experience in modern games.
The cameras, too, left me wanting more. Honor hasn't upgraded the camera hardware on its Magic Lite series for the last few generations, and while the main sensor on this latest model is quite good, the ultra-wide is pretty terrible.
The software won't be to everyone's taste (and it's not fully up to date), but it has some genuinely useful features, as well as some neat AI tricks that are often reserved for pricier flagship phones. I found it very easy to live with.
So, whether the Magic 8 Lite is right for you will all depend on your priorities. As a photographer and a gamer, I didn't have the greatest time with Magic 8 Lite, but not everyone is like me. Battery life is the number one concern for many users, and that's one area where the Magic 8 Lite will definitely not disappoint.
Honor Magic 8 Lite review: Price and availability
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£399 for the 512GB model
Launched in Europe on December 8, 2025
Not available in the US
The Honor Magic 8 Lite launched internationally on December 8, 2025. It's now available to order in most regions across Europe, including the UK, but as usual for Honor products, it's not launching in the US.
At the time of writing, I only have pricing for the 8GB/512GB model, which costs £399 in the UK. The previous model, the Magic 7 Lite, started with an MSRP of £399 for the 256GB model, so this is a welcome price drop.
Of course, there are plenty of other great phones around this price (the Samsung Galaxy A56 and Google Pixel 9a, for instance). However, the Magic 8 Lite manages to stand out by offering the biggest battery of the bunch, as well as capacious storage and an IP69K rating.
Value score: 4 / 5
Honor Magic 8 Lite review: Specs
Here's a look at the Honor Magic 8 Lite's key specs:
Honor Magic 8 Lite
Dimensions
161.9 x 76.1 x 7.76mm
Weight
189g
OS
MagicOS 9, based on Android 15
Display
6.79-inch OLED, 120Hz
Resolution
2640 x 1200 pixels
Chipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4
RAM
8GB
Storage
256GB / 512GB
Battery
7500mAh
Rear cameras
108MP (f/1.75) main, 5MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide
Front camera
16MP (f/2.45)
Honor Magic 8 Lite review: Design
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Plastic frame with 6-layer drop-resistant structure
Forest Green, Midnight Black, and Reddish Brown options
IP68/IP69K dust and water-resistant
With the Magic 8 Lite, Honor has done away with the curved edges we saw on the last few generations, instead opting for a boxy design with flat siderails, which is bang on trend. While I appreciated how slim the curved edges made the Magic 7 Lite feel, the newer model feels more premium and modern.
The phone is available in three different colors: Midnight Black, Reddish Brown, and Forest Green. I have the latter in for review, and it looks lovely. The rear panel has a velvety matte feel, and the color shifts slightly when the light hits it. It's not a fingerprint magnet, either, which is often a problem with matte-finish phones.
The cameras are arranged in a centrally placed halo, just like on the previous generation, and the design reminds me of the Huawei Mate-series flagships. Love it or hate it, there's no denying it stands out from the crowd.
One of the big upgrades this year is the new IP68/69K rating for dust and water resistance. This means the phone is effectively immune to dust ingress and can withstand dunks in fresh water, as well as blasts from jets of hot water. So, if you can't resist scrolling while you take a shower, this is one of the few phones that will survive the ordeal.
The drop resistance has also been cranked up a notch. Honor reckons it'll survive drops from up to 2.5m heights, thanks to a new 6-layer drop-resistant structure that incorporates non-Newtonian fluid.
The phone still has a plastic frame, but it doesn't seem to be holding it back in terms of durability. The tempered glass coating on the screen has also been toughened; it now has a 31% deeper tempering depth to help with scratch and crack resistance.
Design score: 4 / 5
Honor Magic 8 Lite review: Display
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6.79-inch 120Hz OLED display
3840Hz PWM dimming
6,000-nit peak brightness
The Honor Magic 8 Lite now has a fully flat screen, rather than curved edges, and I much prefer it. Not only does this mean you avoid unwanted reflections and accidental edge touches, but it's also easier to find a quality screen protector.
The bezels are slimmer, too, and they're symmetrical on all sides, which gives the phone a more premium look. The pill-shaped selfie cutout is also gone, and you now get a more typical circular punch hole.
The screen is also brighter than before, able to reach a whopping 6,000 nits at peak brightness. I certainly never had any trouble seeing the display out in the sunlight.
(Image credit: Future)
It's an OLED panel, and as you might expect, it delivers the deep, inky blacks and vibrant colors that the technology is known for. A 120Hz refresh rate keeps things looking smooth as you swipe around, too.
If you're concerned about eye strain, you'll be pleased to learn that the Honor Magic 8 Lite supports 3,840Hz high-frequency PWM dimming. This will help your eyes feel fresher when using the phone at low brightness levels.
Another neat feature is Honor's AI Heavy Rain Touch/Glove Touch tech. This ensures that the touchscreen continues working when others might fail, for example, when there's water on the screen. It's very useful in the British wintertime.
Display score: 4 / 5
Honor Magic 8 Lite review: Cameras
(Image credit: Future)
108MP main (f/1.75)
5MP ultra-wide (f/2.2)
16MP selfie camera (f/2.45)
The Honor Magic 8 Lite has two rear cameras: a 108MP main and a 5MP ultra-wide. Around the front, there's a 16MP punch hole selfie camera.
This is the exact same hardware that we saw on the Magic 7 Lite and Magic 6 Lite before that. Neither of those phones impressed me with their photographic abilities, so my expectations were on the ground when coming to test the Magic 8 Lite.
Indeed, the ultra-wide is as bad as you might expect. You can get passable results in perfect lighting, but there's only so much you can do with such a low-resolution sensor. In low light, you should avoid it entirely.
The main camera, on the other hand, is quite decent. Just don't let the 108MP specification fool you into thinking you'll get exceptionally detailed shots. It spits out 12MP JPEGs by default, and you'll need a bright sunny day if you want to use the full resolution, as the pixels are quite tiny.
I had hoped that this high-resolution sensor would allow for big digital crops without much of a loss in quality, but that's not the case. You can see the quality degrade quite significantly at 3x zoom, and it gets worse as you approach the maximum of 10x.
Still, in the right conditions, you can get some great shots with the Magic 8 Lite. Honor's processing is a little punchy and contrasty for my tastes, but you are given plenty of controls to adjust the way your images look.
The selfie camera is fine, but wholly unremarkable. It's on par with most budget-focused handsets, and it gets the job done, but it doesn't have the edge that Instagram addicts will be looking for.
I found that portrait mode cutouts weren't the most reliable, often chopping off bits of hair. Plus, there's less control than I'm accustomed to. There's no way to change the blur level on the selfie camera, for instance; it's just on or off.
For video shooting, you can capture at up to 4K 30fps on the main camera, while the other two lenses top out at 1080p. Video stabilization isn't the most impressive, and the lack of consistency across lenses means that budding content creators will be left wanting more.
Cameras score: 3 / 5
Honor Magic 8 Lite review: Camera samples
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Honor Magic 8 Lite review: Performance
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chipset
8GB RAM
256GB / 512GB storage
The Honor Magic 8 Lite is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 SoC. It's a healthy upgrade compared to the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 that was (strangely) present in both the Magic 6 Lite and 7 Lite.
Still, this is a budget-focused chipset, so you should temper your expectations when it comes to performance. It's paired with 8GB of RAM, which should be sufficient for some multitasking, and either 256GB or 512GB of storage.
In normal day-to-day use, when scrolling social media and responding to emails and WhatsApp messages, the phone feels quick enough. At times, though, you can feel the difference between this and a flagship device. You can expect to see the occasional stutter in the system animations, and sometimes things will take a split second longer to load. Honestly, though, it's very easy to live with.
However, when you boot up a demanding game, that performance gap widens significantly. In fairness, the Magic 8 Lite was still able to play Wuthering Waves, which is well known as one of the most challenging Android titles, but I had to stick to the lowest preset to get playable framerates, and I still saw the odd performance dip.
So, this phone is not a good choice for keen gamers, but if you're more into Candy Crush or retro titles, you might find this level of performance to be all you need.
Performance score: 3 / 5
Honor Magic 8 Lite review: Software
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Magic OS 9, based on Android 15
Plenty of AI features
6 years of updates and security patches (in EU regions)
The Magic 8 Lite runs Magic OS 9, which is the same software you'll find on Honor's 2025 flagships like the Magic 7 Pro and Magic V5. That said, we've already seen Magic OS 10 begin to roll out to these handsets, so it's a little strange that the Lite model is launching one step behind. Hopefully, the upgrade will materialize before too long.
Honor promises six years of OS upgrades and security patches for the Magic 8 Lite in the EU, so it will definitely get the new OS, but how soon it will arrive remains to be seen. Regardless, it's a very decent update policy at this price point; it doesn't match the seven years that you get with Honor's flagship phones, but it outdoes a lot of the similarly priced competition. It should be noted, though, that outside of the EU, this phone only gets two years of updates.
Magic OS continues to be a divisive Android skin. It's heavily stylized, and it changes a lot of the core fundamentals, so Android purists probably won't love it. Personally, though, I quite enjoy it. I think it looks nice, and it adds some genuinely useful features.
Honor's Magic Portal interface on the Magic 8 Lite (Image credit: Future)
Honor's Magic Portal is probably the most unique offering. It allows you to drag text and images from one app to another, and I find myself using it quite frequently. I was pleased to see that Honor's "Knuckle to Portal" gesture is now supported on the Lite model, too, as it was missing when I reviewed the previous model.
In terms of functionality, there's a lot of overlap between Magic Portal and Google's Circle to Search, which is also supported on this phone. That said, having more than one way to accomplish a task is rarely a bad thing, because if one service isn't behaving the way you'd like, you can try the other.
You also get loads of AI-powered image editing tools on the Magic 8 Lite, like an object eraser, reflection removal, outpainting, background removal, and more. Again, a lot of these features are built into Google Photos, too, but if you use both platforms, you can see which one does a better job.
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Magic Pill on the Magic 8 Lite (Image credit: Future)
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Magic Pill on the Magic 8 Lite (Image credit: Future)
I'm a big fan of Honor's Magic Pill feature, which is functionally almost identical to Apple's Dynamic Island. It's nothing particularly new, but it means you have quick access to things like media controls and timers, no matter which app is running in the foreground.
The aggressive power-saving measures that the OS applies by default are less impressive. If you want timely notifications, you might find that you need to go into the settings and tweak things. I often found I wasn't getting notifications from my video doorbell, for example.
Software score: 3 / 5
Honor Magic 8 Lite review: Battery
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7,500mAh silicon-carbon battery
66W wired charging
No charger included
Without a doubt, one of the most appealing aspects of the Magic 8 Lite is its insane battery life. The 7,500mAh silicon-carbon cell is up there with the largest batteries available today (tied with the Oppo Find X9 Pro and RedMagic 11 Pro). The difference here is that it's paired with a less powerful and more energy-efficient chipset, which results in the best battery life of any phone I have tested to date.
When I was working in the office, and not playing too many games or taking a lot of photos, I found I was only using around 25% of the Magic 8 Lite's battery per day. I managed to make the phone last for four days on a single charge, and it wasn't particularly challenging to do so.
Of course, battery life varies wildly depending on how you use your phone, but even the heaviest of users should be able to achieve two days on a charge without any difficulty. So, if you're always forgetting to charge your phone, the Magic 8 Lite could be an absolute game-changer.
What's more, despite having a massive battery, the phone also doesn't take too long to charge. It supports up to 66W speeds using an official Honor charger, but sadly, you don't get one included in the box.
With the right charger, you can expect around a 50% charge in just half an hour, while a full charge will take just over an hour. Not too shabby.
As ever, I would have loved to see wireless charging support, especially since the feature seems to be making its way to more mid-rangers, but there's none of that here.
Battery score: 5 / 5
Should you buy the Honor Magic 8 Lite?
Honor Magic 8 Lite scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
It's slightly cheaper than the previous generation and has very competitive specs.
4 / 5
Design
The Magic 8 Lite looks a lot more premium than its predecessor, and it's a lot more durable, too.
4 / 5
Display
Slimmer bezels, higher brightness, and PWM dimming make this display a winner.
4 / 5
Cameras
The 108MP main camera can take some decent shots, but the ultra-wide is pretty awful.
3 / 5
Performance
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 is adequate for daily use, but it's nothing too special.
3 / 5
Software
There are some great features, but it's already a generation behind, and the power-saving features can be annoying.
3 / 5
Battery
Simply put, this is the longest-lasting phone I've tested to date.
5 / 5
Buy it if...
You hate charging your phone
If you're always walking around with 1% left in the tank, the Honor Magic 8 Lite could be the phone for you. You can easily go for three days on a single charge, and with light use, you might even be able to make it last four.
You need something durable
An IP69 rating for dust and water resistance, along with a shock-resistant frame and thickened tempered glass, makes for a very hard-wearing phone. This device should be able to withstand some abuse.
Don't buy it if...
You want blazing-fast performance
While I found the performance to be adequate for basic tasks, you can definitely tell this isn't the speediest device around. Gamers should steer clear.
You want the best cameras
With the Magic 8 Lite, you only really get one good camera; the ultra-wide and selfie snappers are wholly unimpressive. If photography is your priority, there are better options to consider.
Honor Magic 7 Pro review: Also consider
The Honor Magic 8 Lite is a battery life champion with great durability, but there are plenty of other great options around the same price. Here are a couple of competitors that are worth looking at:
Samsung Galaxy A56
Samsung's mid-range favorite offers a more premium build, using more aluminum and glass than plastic. It also has a superior ultra-wide camera, but the battery is much smaller, and the charging isn't as quick.
Google's Pixel 9a is powered by the Tensor G4 chip, which is a massive step up from the Magic 8 Lite's Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 in terms of performance. The cameras are more impressive, too. However, yet again, Honor reigns supreme when it comes to battery life and charging speed.
I put my SIM card into the Honor Magic 8 Lite and used it as my main phone for just over a week. I used it exactly as I would use any other phone, taking lots of photos, gaming, messaging, working, streaming video, and navigating with Google Maps and Waze.
I also compared the experience of playing graphically challenging games like Wuthering Waves and Zenless Zone Zero to my experience on other Android mid-rangers like the Nothing Phone (3a) and Samsung Galaxy A56. I also ran multiple benchmarks on the handset, including 3DMark, GFXbench, and Geekbench.
I assessed the battery performance based on my real-world usage, and charging times were measured using an official Honor 100W wall adapter and cable.
It's not every day I get to review a PC that looks this good. PC-building brand Starforge Systems makes some excellent pre-built systems worthy of standing among the best computers, but it's the company's collaboration builds that really stand out - and I've been lucky enough to get Starforge's latest themed PC, which is a collab with the popular new anime Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.
Starforge has previously run collabs for novel PC builds with popular media from across anime and gaming, including Jujutsu Kaisen, Path of Exile, and even Old School Runescape. Why am I reviewing this one specifically? 'Cos Frieren slaps, that's why. Chronicling the misadventures of an ancient and powerful (but also frequently goofy) elven mage, it features near the top of our best anime shows list for good reason, and season 2 is out in January - so if you haven't watched it already, get a move on!
Uh, anyway. Enough about the show. Let's actually talk about the PC Starforge has built: because it also slaps. A premium mid-tower gaming desktop with high-end components, it's fundamentally similar to the Voyager III system, with the most notable change being that it features an AMD graphics card rather than an Nvidia one (and that it has the cast of Frieren plastered all over it, obviously).
(Image credit: Future)
As far as PC builds go, it's nothing particularly wild outside the anime-themed aesthetics. I'll get more into the nitty-gritty of the internals down in the Design section, but the guts of this build should look largely familiar to anyone familiar with the art of custom PC building. It's exceptionally colorful when switched on, too; I played around a bit with the RGB settings and was easily able to set up a very pleasing white-and-green light scheme that matched the design of the case.
Thankfully, the performance is solid: this system can comfortably handle 1080p and 1440p gaming, and run all but the most demanding titles at 4K - though you might want to turn on AMD's FSR 3 upscaling for that, especially in ray-traced games like Cyberpunk 2077. If you want a gaming PC that can also pull double duty as a workstation for professional or hobbyist creative work, this system can get the job done.
(Image credit: Future)
The main downside for me here - other than the lack of an Nvidia RTX GPU, which does lock users out from using Nvidia's best-in-class upscaling and frame-generation tech - is the price. I'll do a full breakdown in the next section, but the cost is $2,499.99 (around £1,870 / AU$3,760).
That's not a terrible price, for sure; I took some time to sit down on PCPartPicker and tried to replicate this build as accurately as possible, and even opting for some cheaper components in the same performance bracket (like more budget-conscious RAM and storage), I landed at a price just barely south of $2,300.
The fancy backlit display panel and general extra design features here will be worth that extra two hundred bucks for some people, and the skyrocketing price of RAM will no doubt be pushing some people away from DIY-ing their next PC. Oh, and of course, if you buy from Starforge, you don't have to go through the pain of actually building the damn thing.
Starforge notably does bundle this PC with a large desk mat and acrylic wall art panel matching the Frieren aesthetic, too - which, when purchased individually, would run you an extra $110. Still, you're definitely paying a premium for the Frieren theme, so it's probably a PC you should only pick if you're a serious anime lover.
Starforge Systems Frieren PC review: Price & Availability
Fixed price of $2,499.99 (around £1,870 / AU$3,760)
Available now in the US, ships to UK and Australia
Only one configuration available
There's only one model of the Frieren PC available, and it'll run you a total of $2,499.99 (around £1,870 / AU$3,760). As I noted above, that's only marginally above the price you're likely to pay to build your own similar system at the time of writing, though you'd obviously be missing out on the exclusive design starring everyone's favorite tiny but overpowered elf and her pals, plus the bundled artwork and desk mat.
It should also be noted for British and Australian shoppers that those GBP and AUD conversions don't include regional tax (VAT and GST, respectively), so you will actually end up paying a bit more once you factor in that and shipping fees. Americans, you already know the drill when it comes to sales tax.
(Image credit: Future)
So while the Starforge Systems Frieren PC is undeniably a rather expensive purchase, I can't knock it too hard for that; it's a niche collab targeting the crossover between PC gamers and a relatively new TV show fanbase, and the bundled extras soften the blow of the asking price.
The Frieren PC is already available to purchase directly from Starforge's website, with shipping to anywhere in the US, Europe, and Australia. All of Starforge's PCs come with a 2-year warranty, too.
Value: 4 / 5
Starforge Systems Frieren PC review: Specs
Starforge Systems Frieren PC Specs
Starforge Systems Frieren PC Config
Price
$2,499.99 (around £1,870 / AU$3,760)
CPU
Intel Core i5-14600K
GPU
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB
RAM
32GB DDR5-6000
Storage
1TB PCIe NVMe 4.0 M.2 SSD
Ports and Connectivity
Front I/O: 2x USB-A 3.2, 1x USB-C 3.2, 1x 3.5mm combi audio jack
18.82 x 11.42 x 18.54in (47.8cm x 29.0cm x 47.1cm)
Starforge Systems Frieren PC review: Design
Clean, well-assembled internals
Fantastic aesthetic with swappable platelights
Potentially bigger than it really needs to be
I'll say this right out of the gate: even for a mid-tower system, this is a pretty chunky desktop PC. The specially-customized Lian Li O11 Dynamic case used for the Frieren PC is large, and there's quite a bit of negative space inside the case - this isn't the PC to buy if you're working with limited real estate on your desk.
Still, that extra room does mean that the Frieren PC has a lot of upgrade potential. Removing the glass side panel to root around inside the guts of this system is as easy as pie, and there's ample space for a bigger GPU if so desired in the future, too. Or, you know, an anime figurine...
Size aside, this is obviously one really good-looking system. The art quality is excellent, and the anime-themed print doesn't just extend to the glass panels; there's a separate piece of artwork depicting Frieren's previous adventuring party (shown in flashbacks in the show, which form an important part of her narrative development- okay, I'll shut up now) printed on the metal opposite side panel, as well as a large sigil on the top grille. It's also decked out with plenty of fully customizable RGB lighting, including two slim lightbars that run along the top and bottom edges of the panelling. There's also the usual abundance of ports on the back you'd expect from a gaming PC, and a pretty standard front I/O featuring USB-A, USB-C, and an audio jack.
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
I also feel compelled to say that this is one of the tidiest and most well-assembled pre-built PCs I've seen in years, rivalling many of the best gaming PCs. I'm not saying that most reputable PC-builders are messy with their builds, but Starforge's work here is clearly top-class, with masterful cable management. Even the space hidden beneath the vertical PSU shroud is tidy (an area I'm personally accustomed to using as the 'just stuff it out of sight' space in my own PC builds).
In addition to the Frieren-themed extras, you also get a pack containing all the additional bits and pieces that weren't used in the build - drive brackets from the case, spare screws, unused modular cables from the PSU, all that good stuff. Not all PC-builders include this superfluous kit, but it's highly useful if you choose to upgrade your system further down the line.
One particularly nice inclusion here - also seen in some of Starforge Systems' other premium pre-built PCs - is the 'platelight'. That's the tall, thin acrylic art strip with LED backlighting you can see in some of the photos I've taken; pop off the other side panel, and you can easily slide it out and replace it with a different piece of illuminated artwork. Starforge sells a variety of these on its site (there are four other Frieren ones besides the default one included here), which range from other collabs to striking original artwork. You could even theoretically make your own, since it's just artwork printed on a rectangular slab of translucent acrylic.
Design: 5/ 5
Starforge Systems Frieren PC review: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Strong gaming and creative performance
CPU performance is okay, but not spectacular for the price
Fans are impressively quiet even under load
Starforge Systems Frieren PC Benchmarks
Here's how the Frieren PC performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
Powered by the excellent AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card, the Frieren PC has no issues running the latest PC games at 1080p and 1440p resolutions, and can easily spring to 4K without dropping below 60 frames per second in many titles too. If you're willing to switch on upscaling with FSR 3 (and you really should be at this point, as upscaling tech has come a long way in recent years), 4K gaming is comfortably within reach here.
I got stable framerates at 1440p and 4K in all the listed games (plus Black Myth: Wukong, which I'm currently playing through) except Cyberpunk 2077, which struggled a little once ray tracing was turned on. If you're willing to do a very small amount of fiddling in the graphical settings, though, virtually any game should be playable at 4K on this PC.
Considering the synthetic test results too, it's safe to say that this PC is also able to comfortably handle creative workloads such as video editing and 3D rendering. If you're a creative professional who also happens to be an anime fan, this might actually be the perfect computer for you.
(Image credit: Future)
CPU performance is a little less impressive, though still good. Although the Intel Core i5-14600K chip inside the Frieren PC is fast, as an i5 CPU, it's fundamentally just not a high-end processor. That has the potential to create minor bottlenecks in CPU-heavy programs, particularly single-core workloads. It's perfectly sufficient for 99% of use cases, but there will potentially be some users who want to do a lot of stuff beyond gaming on their PC, and this should be an important consideration if you're one of those people.
That i5 chip lacks a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) for handling AI workloads, but that doesn't matter in the slightest, since the far more powerful Radeon GPU can handle locally-run AI tasks to a good degree. This is a fairly niche application, though, so unless you already know you're going to be running AI software locally (or you're planning on building your own LLM) it shouldn't be a major concern.
Lastly, I'd like to note that despite its hefty size and six case fans (plus two on the GPU), it's surprisingly quiet in operation. Airflow overall seems good, with vertical pressure venting heat efficiently (I saw no significant component temperature spikes during my tests). Sure, you can hear the fans, but considering how much whine some PCs put out when running a demanding game or program, I have to say I was impressed at how little noise this system produces.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Should I buy the Starforge Systems Frieren PC?
Starforge Systems Frieren PC Scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
It's not cheap, but the pricing puts it only a little above the cost of a similar DIY PC - and the aesthetics are worth it if you're a weeb like me.
4 / 5
Design
Aesthetically stunning and well-assembled from good quality components, there's very little I can reasonably fault about this PC's design.
5 / 5
Performance
Gaming and creative performance is strong, with only minor tweaks needed to run the latest games at 4K with 60+ frames per second.
4.5 / 5
Total
A love letter to PC gaming and anime, the Frieren PC is the indisputable best possible gift for someone who loves that show.
4.5 / 5
Buy the Starforge Systems Frieren PC if...
You want a powerful, upgradable PC With solid gaming performance and an extremely tidy internal finish that should make future upgrades a breeze, this is a future-proofed system - though I can't guarantee it'll live as long as an immortal magical elf.
You love Frieren Do I really need to explain this one? If you like the show and you're a PC gamer, this is probably the best system you could possibly buy. If you haven't seen the show, how did you even get this far into the article? Leave immediately and watch it, that's an order.
Don't buy it if...
You're on a tight budget Two and a half thousand dollars is a lot of money, I can't dispute that. This is a product for die-hard fans who are willing to pay a bit more (though Starforge does also have some very reasonably-priced generic pre-builds).
You want a compact desktop The Frieren PC has a frankly huge footprint for a mid-tower system, measuring almost as much as my massive old Corsair Carbide 600C build from 2017. If you're already working with a cramped gaming space, I'd advise look for something smaller.
Starforge Systems Frieren PC review: Also Consider
NZXT Player PC One of the best desktop PCs we've reviewed this year, the 'Player PC' from NZXT might have an awful name, but it delivers strong gaming performance in a well-constructed case - plus, as an RTX 5070 system, it'll cost you a bit less than the Frieren PC too.
Asus ROG NUC (2025) If you’re looking for a powerful PC in the same price range that won't take up half your tiny desk's surface area, this compact gaming PC from Asus is a stellar choice. It's incredible how much performance Asus was able to cram into its pint-sized chassis, though it can get a bit noisy while gaming.
Used for work, video calls, and general internet use
Replaced my usual desktop for gaming
I tested the Starforge Systems Frieren PC for a set period of two weeks, during which it replaced my usual home office desktop (a similarly beefy system). I naturally used it for everyday work from home, which usually involves straightforward tasks like word processing, emailing, and web research, but also image editing using GIMP.
As usual with PC reviews, I ran the Frieren PC through our usual suite of benchmarking tests, which includes both in-game and synthetic benchmarks, as well as using it daily for my own gaming activities - it ran Black Myth: Wukong and Doom: The Dark Ages great (and Stardew Valley, but that could run on a lemon clock). Aside from gaming, I also used it for a few other online activities; I'm rewatching Twin Peaks, and on two occasions, it played host to my regular virtual TTRPG session.
I've been reviewing PC hardware for more than seven years and have been a PC gamer for more than twice that time, with so many laptop and desktop reviews under my belt at numerous different publications that I genuinely can't even count them. This was my first time reviewing a system from Starforge, and needless to say, I came away from the experience impressed (and quite frankly, frustrated that I couldn't keep it).
The OnePlus 15 is finally up for pre-order in the US today, following a rather lengthy launch delay caused by the US government shutdown preventing the FCC from issuing the phone's certificate.
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You can get the device with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in Infinite Black for $899.99, or with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage in Infinite Black, Ultra Violet, and Sand Storm.
Right now, the official website says the OnePlus 15 will ship in 18 days, so on December 22. Whether that means it will make it to you before Christmas isn't clear.
You can...
The OnePlus 15 is finally up for pre-order in the US today, following a rather lengthy launch delay caused by the US government shutdown preventing the FCC from issuing the phone's certificate.
[#InlinePriceWidget,14206,1#]
You can get the device with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in Infinite Black for $899.99, or with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage in Infinite Black, Ultra Violet, and Sand Storm.
Right now, the official website says the OnePlus 15 will ship in 18 days, so on December 22. Whether that means it will make it to you before Christmas isn't clear.
You can...
