Organizer
Gadget news
DeepSeek app will be banned in the US, predicts Arm CEO
6:07 pm | February 11, 2025

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

DeepSeek is the latest hot name in AI, with Huawei, Honor, Microsoft and even some auto makers already using the R1 model in its products and services. The Chinese-made platform quickly gained popularity in the United States, achieving the top position in the App Store almost overnight. Arm CEO Rene Haas shared his concerns about the service's future with Financial Times, stating it may be forced to shut down “due to foreign policy" implications stemming from its status as a Chinese company. Haas noted that his forecast reflects the developments of recent weeks regarding TikTok. The...

T-Mobile Starlink service now open to everyone in the US, is free to use until July
3:27 pm | February 10, 2025

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

T-Mobile used one of the biggest events of the year, the Super Bowl, to announce that it is opening up its T-Mobile Starlink beta service to everyone in the US. No, seriously, everyone can sign up. First off, what is T-Mobile Starlink? It’s a service created in partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink service (and it uses their satellites) to bring cell coverage to 500,000 square miles in the US that are currently not covered by any cell tower. You don’t need a phone with satellite connectivity, the phone you have right now will probably work just fine. And you don’t need to do anything to use...

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra is a high-spec phone that doesn’t do enough to earn its ‘Ultra’ name
8:35 pm | February 7, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Asus Phones Computers Gadgets Phones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra two-minute review

If you're going to call a smartphone ‘ultra’, it needs to embody that adjective. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a top-tier camera system. The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra has mind-boggling charging speeds and a chic textured look. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a stylus (and lots more besides).

Throughout my testing of the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra, I couldn't quite put my finger on what made it worthy of the 'ultra' designation. It’s undoubtedly a highly capable premium Android phone, but in the competitive mobile market, ‘good’ just isn’t good enough.

The latest entry in Asus’ one-per-year line of flagship Zenfone mobiles, the Zenfone 12 Ultra is another top-spec handset that costs a blisteringly large amount of money. On paper, it's a stablemate of the best Android phones and best iPhones – and it certainly competes with those devices in some areas.

Indeed, if you look at the specs sheet below, you’ll see that the Zenfone 12 Ultra bears all the hallmarks of a premium smartphone. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite processor provides a huge amount of processing power, and its giant 6.78-inch display is great for gaming or streaming movies. The phone's three-lens rear camera array also gives shutterbugs much to delight in.

Certainly, from a specs perspective, there's nothing to dispute the Zenfone 12 Ultra's status as an 'ultra' phone. But that's no longer enough.

All of those aforementioned ‘ultra’ phones go that extra mile to justify the suffix, offering unique features or specs that make their hefty price tags seem almost reasonable. I don’t see any such selling point in the Zenfone 12 Ultra. It’s not ‘ultra’, it just is. Ironically, the lack of a non-ultra Zenfone 12 seems to underline this fact.

If you were to ask Asus, the company would likely say that the killer additions here are the phone's AI features. Most new phones nowadays tout a long list of ‘AI features’, a buzzword given to what we’d otherwise call ‘new software tools’ or, less forgivingly, ‘unnecessary software extras’ – but you need to call everything ‘AI’ in today's tech landscape.

Among the Zenfone 12 Ultra’s AI features are an article summary tool, call translation, a feature that creates AI-generated wallpapers, and plenty of AI-powered camera tools. Now, regardless of the usefulness of many of these features (how many people actually phone someone else who doesn't have a language in common?) and the unproven interest of normal tech buyers in AI features, they don’t allow the Zenfone 12 Ultra to collect the 'ultra' suffix for one simple reason – so few of them are actually new. Honestly, the Zenfone 11 Ultra had most of them.

Speaking of the Zenfone 11 Ultra, the 12 Ultra barely brings any upgrades over it to the table. A newer chipset and some minor tweaks to the camera lenses are the only improvements I could discern. I checked the price of the now-year-old Zenfone 11 Ultra one week prior to the 12 Ultra’s release, and it was going for over a third off from Asus itself. So, you’d be saving loads of money on a pretty similar mobile.

What's more, the Zenfone 12 Ultra has even more similarities to the recent Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro. Their appearances are near-identical, as are their specs, with the scant differences being the 12 Ultra's smaller battery and a refresh rate that doesn’t go quite as high, and the ROG Phone's trigger sensors and LED back panel.

Okay, let's take a breath. I may sound down on the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra in this review, but it's undoubtedly a good phone. It provides a top-tier experience across the board and I enjoyed using it throughout my testing process.

That said, Asus loaned me the device for review purposes, meaning I didn’t have to part with a scary amount of my salary to buy it. When you factor in the phone's high price, it’s hard to see why you should opt for the Zenfone 12 Ultra over its equally expensive rivals – or, for that matter, mid-range rivals that offer similar specs for a dramatically lower price.

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra review: price and availability

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra on a bookshelf.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released in February 2024
  • Costs €1,099.99 in European markets
  • US, UK, and Australian availability unconfirmed for now

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra was launched in early February 2024, a year on from its predecessor, and with nary a standard or Pro sibling to speak of.

At the time of writing, it's only available in European markets for a price of €1,099.99, which will net you 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. "As for pricing and availability in the US, UK, and Australia", Asus told TechRadar, "we have yet to get a clear date or price at this moment." That said, we expect the Zenfone 12 Ultra to launch in at least some of these regions soon.

For a little bit of context, the Zenfone 11 Ultra started at $899.99 / £869.99 (around AU$1,450) for its 12GB/256GB starter model. There was also a 16GB/512GB model, which offers a better price comparison to the Zenfone 12 Ultra, but it was only on sale in the UK (for £949.99). The Asus Rog Phone 9 Pro, meanwhile, is available globally for $1,199.99 / £1,099.99 / AU$1,999.99.

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra review: specs

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra review: design

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra on a bookshelf.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Blocky phone that looks like predecessor
  • Still has a 3.5mm jack
  • IP68 protection

There’s no getting around it: the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra is a blocky phone. I won’t quite call it ‘ugly’, not when the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra lays claim to that term with such an iron rule, but it’s a little on the boring side.

It looks almost identical to the Zenfone 11 Ultra, and pretty similar to the ROG Phone 9 Pro, but without the lines pattern of the former and the ‘gamer chic’ of the latter.

It’s a big phone, measuring 183.8 x 77 x 8.9 mm and weighing 220g, so if you remember how Asus used to cater to the small-phone market with its Zenfones, you’ll be disappointed. It stretched my hands out and I’ve got fairly average-sized mitts, and it was a pretty big burden in the pocket too.

The right edge of the mobile has the power button – pretty easy to reach, despite the phone’s big size – and the volume rocker, which was a little harder to stretch to. There’s also an in-screen fingerprint sensor, positioned higher up than on other phones, which took a little getting used to.

Talking of acclimatizing, the USB-C charging port on the phone’s bottom edge isn’t right in the middle. Instead, it’s to the left – as far as I’m aware, Asus is the only company that uses this design quirk. There’s nothing wrong with it, once you get through the first few days of jamming your charger into the wrong place. There’s another novelty here too, in the form of a 3.5mm headphone jack. How many mobiles cater to wired headphone users these days?! Props to Asus for that.

I mostly used the Zenfone 12 Ultra in a protective case (provided) but even when I didn’t, it took drops and bumps like a champ. It has an IP68 rating, so it can withstand dust ingress, as well as brief drops in the tub or pool.

  • Design score: 3.5 / 5

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra review: display

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra on a bookshelf.

(Image credit: Future)
  • 6.78 inches, 1080 x 2400 resolution
  • 144Hz refresh rate max, though usually at 120Hz
  • A few display customization features

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra has a nice big display: it’s 6.78 inches diagonally, which explains how much of a hand-stretch the mobile itself is.

The screen’s resolution is FHD+ or 1080 x 2400 — that’s pretty standard for most smartphones, although you’d be forgiven for wanting a little more at this price range.

Mind you, the phone's refresh rate is super fast at 144Hz (good luck finding many games to utilize that spec, though) and the max brightness is nice and high at 2500 nits. In typical use, you can expect a buttery smooth 120Hz refresh rate.

There's another feature here I love to see in smartphones: a color temperature and balance mode for adjusting the way the screen looks. Max saturation with the warmest possible temperature? Don't mind if I do!

  • Display score: 4 / 5

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra review: software

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra on a bookshelf.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Android 15 with optional Asus overlay
  • Only two years of OS updates
  • AI features aren't very useful

In a pretty unusual move for an Android phone, you actually have your pick between two software systems when you first boot up the Zenfone 12 Ultra. Both are technically Android 15, but you can choose between stock Android and Asus’ reskinned version. The differences are minimal but it's nice to be given the choice.

Stock Android is, if you don’t know, the standard Google-made version of the Android operating system, and it’s popular for being quite clean-looking. However, it misses many custom features that certain other versions of Android have. Asus doesn’t add any of these features in its own version, mind; it’s just a redesign for how menus and icons look.

Whether you pick stock or Asus Android, you’re getting software that’s quite minimal, which is a good thing; there are few pre-installed apps (beyond lots of Google ones) and a smartly laid-out quick-settings menu with big icons that are easy to press.

Asus has only promised two years of software updates for the Zenfone 12 Ultra, which isn’t a particularly ‘ultra’ commitment given how many years of updates rivals offer. That doesn’t mean it’ll stop working after two years, but you won’t get new features added after that point.

As mentioned in the introduction to this review, a few AI features on the Zenfone 12 Ultra seem to be its main selling point, but I wasn’t hugely impressed by any of them. The option to use them is often buried in menus (to use the AI article summarizer, for instance, you need to go into the browser’s ‘share’ menu to share it with the summary tool) and they were often pretty slow to work. In fact, for summarizing articles online, I found it quicker to literally just read the article than to wait for the summary tool to work.

You have to download extra kits for most of the AI features, too, and they’re pretty big, often several GB each. I can see these tools eating up a fair amount of storage space.

I’m always a little cynical of AI features on phones, with most of them seemingly designed to fix problems that no one actually has, and offered in lieu of actual improvements to a given device. Suffice to say, I never used these AI features on the Zenfone 12 Ultra beyond my obligatory testing of them.

  • Software score: 3.5 / 5

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra review: cameras

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra on a bookshelf.

(Image credit: Future)
  • 50MP main, 13MP ultra-wide and 32MP telephoto lenses
  • 32MP selfie snapper
  • Scene optimization comes in clutch

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra may not offer the megapixel overload of its rivals, but it covers its bases.

On the back of the phone is a 50MP main camera, which is joined by a 13MP ultra-wide and a 32MP telephoto, the latter of which can reach 3x optical zoom.

All three combine to give you a decent level of versatility and control over the shots you take (as long as you don't want to go above the 30x digital zoom cap), and there's largely a consistency between image quality at these ranges

Coming in clutch is the image optimization and HDR, which was quick to punch up the contrast and saturation of pictures to improve their vibrancy without making them look unnatural. Look at the curry bowl or football field images below as cases in point; neither looked as bright in real life as they do on camera.

These improvements increase the Zenfone's camera grade from 'fine' to 'good', even if the phone misses the extra lenses, sensitive sensors, and super-high-res MP counts of its competitors. That said, the latter would have been preferable for situations in which the AI optimization didn't step in, like in the pizza pic below.

Another thing to note is that photos often took longer to capture than I'd expect; I'd often press the shutter button and assume the photo had been taken, only to move the phone and end up with a blurry end image. My advice to owners would be to hold the Zenfone 12 Ultra in place for a few seconds longer than you think you need to, or else you'll end up with a long list of camera reel mistakes.

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra on a bookshelf.

(Image credit: Future)

The selfie camera hits 32MP, and its result is largely similar to the rear ones: it has the potential to make some bright and bold pictures, and succeeds most of the time, thanks to software.

The phone can record video in 8K/30fps, 4K/60fps, or down to HD/480fps in the slow-mo realm.

The Zenfone 12 Ultra also has a small selection of extra modes. Some, like Night and Portrait, work well; the latter was great at balancing contrast and exposure, as you can see in the photo below, and Portrait was fantastic at adding a natural-looking bokeh and also balancing the colors and tones of a shot.

There are a few modes being touted as 'AI' ones too, despite the fact that almost all camera software features use artificial intelligence in some way or another. These include AI Panning, which creates a "dynamic focus effect" on a moving object, and in effect, this is very similar to Portrait mode. The other is AI Tracking, which lets you record a video of something moving and it'll output a zoomed-in photo that keeps the moving subject framed center. I can see this being situationally very useful, although I only ever found myself using it for testing's sake.

  • Camera score: 4 / 5

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra camera samples

Image 1 of 7

A camera sample captured on the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra showing a football field at 0.7x zoom.

(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 7

A camera sample captured on the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra showing a football field at 1x zoom.

(Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 7

A camera sample captured on the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra showing a football stand at 3x zoom.

(Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 7

A camera sample captured on the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra showing a curry bowl.

(Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 7

A camera sample captured on the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra showing a pizza.

(Image credit: Future)
Image 6 of 7

A camera sample captured on the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra showing a light installation.

(Image credit: Future)
Image 7 of 7

A camera sample captured on the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra showing the sun setting over a river.

(Image credit: Future)

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra: performance and audio

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra on a bookshelf.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset
  • Fast for gaming and everyday use (mostly)
  • Range of audio options

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra really embodies the ‘ultra’ in its name when it comes to performance: it’s a certifiable beast.

The processor at work here is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, which is the chipset you'll find inside many of the current best Android phones (at the time of writing, at least) and it tells. It’s paired with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.

Games were snappy to play, and could easily handle the highest graphical settings; they didn’t lag or stutter once and, in the most noticeable improvement (in my mind) over a lesser chipset, they were really quick to open too.

In a Geekbench 6 multi-core test, the Zenfone 12 Ultra returned a score of 9,818, putting it in the higher echelons of phones we’ve tested. For context, Geekbench’s own rankings mark the iPhone 16 Pro at a score of 8,528 (though no recent 8 Elite-toting phones are listed).

The speed is mostly noticeable in other parts of the phone, too, for example when you’re trying to edit a big photo. However, I noticed that the AI features could cause the phone to slow down noticeably. This isn't a deal-breaker, especially given that most of the features take only a second to use, but the minor slowdown was still noticeable.

The Zenfone 12 Ultra has stereo speakers and, in a surprisingly retro turn, a 3.5mm headphone jack. As a result, audio fans have a choice as to how they’d like to listen to content on this phone, which is a rarity in this day and age.

  • Performance score: 5 / 5

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra review: battery life

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra on a bookshelf.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Pretty big 5,500mAh battery
  • Lasts for over a day of use
  • 65W charging, 15W wireless

The Zenfone 12 Ultra packs a 5,500mAh battery — that's pretty big, but it’s also necessary for a phone of this size and power.

When I used the Zenfone as a normal mobile (i.e. not as a gaming phone) it could reliably coast through a single day of use and reach mid-way into the second day without trouble, but I wouldn’t go quite so far as to say it’s got two-day battery life.

When I did go heavier on the gaming side of things, I was happy with how well the Zenfone 12 Ultra could handle a few hours of gaming without losing too much battery — it’s hard to be scientific when talking about experiential battery use, but the phone lost charge slower than lots of other handsets I’ve tested recently.

Charging is a little slow. That feels silly to say for a phone with 'fast charging', but it’s at 65W, which is slower than lots of its rivals. There’s also 15W wireless charging.

  • Battery score: 3.5 / 5

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra review: value

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra on a bookshelf.

(Image credit: Future)

The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra is an undeniably pricey premium phone. While an argument could be made that no phones in this price range really offer value for money, it's doubly the case with the Asus.

I say this because it doesn't really offer any killer features, either over its predecessor or comparatively priced rivals, that make it a must-buy. When you cost this much, specs alone will only get you so far.

If you can find the Zenfone 12 Ultra at a meaty discount, it's potentially more deserving of your money, but I'm talking a 25% discount as a minimum for that to be the case.

  • Value score: 2.5 / 5

Should you buy the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra?

Buy it if...

You need lots of processing power
The Zenfone 12 Ultra is one of the most powerful phones on the market right now, and it'll stay a contender for years to come.

You're a wired audio fan
Few Android phones come with headphone jacks these days, especially towards the premium end of the market.

You play 144Hz games
Very select mobile games can play at 144 fps, but for the ones that do, it's hard to find mobiles that support this high refresh rate. The Zenfone 12 Ultra is one of them.

Don't buy it if...

You don't like big phones
The Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra will stretch smaller hands; don't buy it thinking it's one of the compact Zenfones of old.

You find the Zenfone 11 Ultra discounted
The Zenfone 12 Ultra doesn't offer that many upgrades over its predecessor, and that older phone is now poised for sizeable sales.

Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra review: Also consider

If you want other 'ultra' smartphones to compare the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra to, here are some other similar-priced picks.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The natural rival, this Android powerhouse has a wider array of cameras, a bigger and higher-res display, and a stylus. However, its chipset is the same as the one in the Asus, its battery is smaller, and it charges slower.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

iPhone 16 Pro
The other natural rival, the iPhone 16 Pro, costs roughly the same as the Asus. It has a smaller screen, a weaker battery, and, if the benchmarks are anything to go by, a lesser chipset. But I'd be remiss not to mention the Apple rival at a phone this costly.

Read our full iPhone 16 Pro review

Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Another ultra-branded Android phone, this Xiaomi has an unbeatable camera array, a better display, and faster charging, but last year's chipset and software.

Read our full Xiaomi 14 Ultra review

How I tested the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra

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

To properly test the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra, I used it daily for two weeks; this doesn't include a short period beforehand when I set it up, took the review photos, and played a few games on it.

The testing of the handset occurred in two parts. The first saw me run benchmark tests, take sample photos, and run down the battery. The other was more experiential; I used the handset for personal things like music and video streaming, social media scrolling, mobile game-playing, and other everyday tasks.

At the time of this review's publication, I've been writing reviews for TechRadar for exactly 6 years (happy anniversary, me!). I've reviewed countless smartphones in that time, including multiple Asus models as well as headphones, smartwatches, and tablets.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2025

I tested Amazon’s Fire TV Soundbar Plus system, and it’s wireless 5.1 surround sound without the expense or fuss
6:23 pm |

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

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus: Two minute review

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is a solid soundbar at a decent, but not exceptional, price. While that’s a non-controversial and fairly vanilla statement, it’s a strange situation for Amazon since the company typically subsidizes its products, especially ones like Echo speakers and Fire TV branded TVs, to beat the market. It’s hard to ignore that there are plenty of cheaper options, whether you’re considering a basic all-in-one soundbar or a 5.1-channel soundbar system.

While I’m surprised that the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is not as discounted as most Amazon products compared to the competition, it is one of the best soundbars I’ve experienced when it comes to ease of setup – everything is already paired and you just have to plug it all in.

The performance is, as expected at this price point, good but not great. The surround sound is immersive and the audio quality is what you’d expect at this price point. The sound doesn’t have quite the clarity of more premium options, but only fussy listeners will notice.

The only big issue I had with the audio quality is that the stereo image is not as wide as it should be from the soundbar, which I’ll get into below. And while the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is advertised as having Dolby Atmos, it doesn’t actually have the physical speakers for spatial audio, so you won’t find it on any list for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.

That said, you could do a lot worse for a soundbar system at its price point, whether you’re looking at the most basic configuration or the 5.1-channel one, especially if you see it discounted (as Amazon is wont to regularly do with its products).

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus system on rug

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus comes with all the accessories you need, including an HDMI cable and wall-mount brackets (Image credit: Future)

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus review: Price & release date

  • First available: December 2025
  • Price: Starting at $249.99 / £249.99 (about AU$400)
  • Available in the US and UK

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is priced at $249.99 / £249.99 (about AU$400), and is just a standalone soundbar (along with a power cable, HDMI cable, remote, remote batteries, and mounting kit). The next level up comes with a wireless subwoofer and is priced at $374.99 (about £300 / AU$590). The maxed-out configuration (reviewed here) adds surround speakers along with the subwoofer for a 5.1-channel setup and costs $489.99 (about £390 / AU$770).

Surprisingly, this is more mid-range than budget pricing, bucking Amazon’s typical model of subsidizing its hardware for either market share or branding, especially when it comes to either smart home devices or Fire TV ones.

As far as availability goes, those in the US have access to all three configurations while only the most basic configuration is available in the UK. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is not sold in Australia.

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus review: Specs

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus top surface control buttons

A basic set of control buttons is located on the soundbar's top surface (Image credit: Future)

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus review: Features

  • Surprisingly stripped down feature set
  • Some EQ and audio modes available through the remote
  • Virtual Dolby Atmos

Considering the branding, I was surprised to see how barebones the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is. It doesn’t have built-in streaming the way Roku soundbars do, and it doesn’t have any Alexa-related functionality. There’s no app either, so you’re not going to be able to do any EQ fine-tuning (with an exception that I’ll mention below).

All EQ settings are available via the remote. There are four audio modes: Movie, Music, Sports, and Night. I preferred the Movie mode most since it seemed the least affected. However, Night mode is a nice addition as it keeps any peaks in the audio from getting too loud while simultaneously making everything easy to hear at low volume.

There are also individual bass and treble controls as well as surround sound volume on the remote. A dialogue function boosts the volume of dialogue to make it easier to hear – a great option for those with hearing loss, even if it’s a somewhat subtle effect.

There’s no physical Dolby Atmos on hand – the advertised Dolby Atmos is virtual, meaning you don’t get a true spatial audio experience. You get a full surround sound experience with the rear speakers at least, so there is a lateral 360-degree soundstage, just not the vertical one that spatial audio provides.

Besides the usual HDMI and optical digital connections, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus also comes with Bluetooth, so streaming a Spotify playlist from a phone is straightforward.

The one area where the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is unique is that, when paired with certain Amazon Fire TVs, you can fine-tune the audio on a deeper level in the TV’s settings.

  • Features score: 3.5 / 5

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus subwoofer on rug

Subwoofer level can be adjusted using the bass settings on the remote (Image credit: Future)

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus review: Performance

  • Sounds good but not the best resolution
  • Stereo image is a bit narrow
  • Surround sound is immersive

The sound quality of the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is pretty good. You might not be impressed if you’ve used hi-fi equipment or premium soundbars, but if you’re looking for your first home theater surround sound system, you should be pretty happy.

Specifically, the high-end is just a tiny bit lacking so the audio doesn’t quite have the best clarity and resolution. This was especially apparent when playing music I’m familiar with, which just didn’t quite have the same sparkle it usually does. However, this is a nitpick.

The mids are fairly well balanced so that they sound full without being compressed or distorted. And there’s lots of bass available from the subwoofer so you get that rumble when watching movies.

You can adjust the subwoofer via the bass settings on the remote to be less impactful (or more) if you want. The treble, as mentioned before, is also adjustable via the remote, though I found the various levels to be a little too subtle.

When it comes to the soundstage, the left and right channels are a little closer together than I would like. This is because, even though the soundbar has left, center, and right channel speakers, the drivers and tweeters for the left and right channels (each channel has a mid-bass driver and tweeter) both face straight ahead. Even though the soundbar is 37 inches wide, this is not enough separation when you’re sitting beyond a 1.5-meter distance from the TV.

Yes, everything that’s supposed to be on the left sounds like it’s on the left and everything that’s supposed to be on the right is there as well. But, the stereo image is still a bit too narrow.

The surround sound, on the other hand, is a pleasure to listen to. The surround speakers offer a 360-degree experience, even when it’s just the atmosphere of a video game like It Takes Two or random background characters talking such as I experienced when watching Fool’s Paradise. I also tested the surround speakers with 5.1-channel audio mixes on YouTube, and it was enlightening to experience the spaciousness these speakers deliver while also confirming that you don’t really need to listen to Bob Marley in anything other than stereo.

It’s worth noting again that, though this soundbar supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, this is purely virtual as there are no physical upward-firing speakers. And I didn’t notice anything resembling that vertical sense of space when watching movies and TV with Dolby Atmos soundtracks.

  • Performance score: 4 / 5

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus rear ports

A minimal set of inputs, including HDMI ARC, optical digital and USB-A, is located on the soundbar's back panel (Image credit: Future)

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus review: Design

  • Basic aesthetics and design
  • LED indicator lights instead of alphanumeric display
  • Most fine tuning done through the remote

Aesthetically, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus can best be described as utilitarian. All the units come in a matte black. The units are also all pretty boxy, and you would only know that they were made by Amazon because each piece has the Fire TV logo imprinted in shiny black somewhere on it. The various units don’t call too much attention themselves, other than the fact that the sound bar is 37 inches wide so you’ll need a wide enough surface to install it if you’re not wall-mounting.

The ports on the back are surprisingly limited to HDMI, optical digital, and USB. While the HDMI port is ARC-enabled, I would have appreciated a second HDMI passthrough port. This is an issue I frequently find with cheaper sound bars.

Another limitation is that there’s no alphanumeric display on the front, just five LED indicator lights that shine through the front grill cloth to reflect what the volume or various settings are up to.

The controls on top of the soundbar are a bit more limited than on the remote, but the necessary ones are here, namely: power, source, Bluetooth, volume up, and volume down.

All fine-tuning is done on the remote. Luckily, it’s easy to use and has separate bass and treble buttons to cycle through levels as well as a button to turn on/off surround sound, which has its own volume up and down. There are also EQ preset and dialogue buttons.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus rear speaker on table

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus system's surround speakers make an instant wireless link to the soundbar when plugged in (Image credit: Future)

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus review: Setup & usability

  • Already paired out of the box
  • Easy to use
  • No real display for current settings

Setting up the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus couldn’t be easier. Everything comes in one big box – all the packaging seems to be materials that can be recycled – and just needs to be removed and plugged in.

The soundbar, subwoofer, and rear speakers are already paired so that once everything is plugged in and powered on, the soundbar will register the other units. A wall-mounting kit is also included, though it’s just for the soundbar. The hardest part (unless you’re planning on mounting) is putting the batteries in the remote.

As far as using the soundbar, it’s also just as straightforward. The buttons on the sound bar itself are a bit basic so you need to keep track of the remote to get most of the functionality. But switching sources and adjusting the audio to taste within its limitations is fairly foolproof.

I do wish there was a front panel alphanumeric display for feedback when making changes. Instead, you have to rely on the indicator LEDs and listen to a voice prompt to know what setting you’ve changed. And if you’re not paying close attention, you have to adjust again to find out what it was on.

  • Setup & usability score: 4.5 / 5

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus remote control

With no app or Alexa control, EQ and sound adjustments on the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus are all carried out using the included remote (Image credit: Future)

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus review: Value

  • Good, but not great, deal for a surround sound soundbar system
  • Can find cheaper, though lesser, 5.1-channel sound bar options
  • Same money can get better-sounding options, but with fewer channels

I may sound a little confused when discussing the price of the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus by saying it’s at once affordable and overpriced. At $489.99 (about £390 / AU$770) for the surround sound configuration, it’s a good mid-tier system for the price that comes with a large soundbar, subwoofer, and two rear speakers. Yet, it’s priced higher than one would expect from the likes of Amazon, especially considering how light on features it is.

This is particularly highlighted when considering the Ultimea Poseidon D50, a 5.1-channel sound bar system that goes for a paltry $119.99 / £149.99 (about AU$180). Sure, the Ultimea comes with many more compromises with slightly worse audio and build quality, but it’s also much, much cheaper.

Of course, you can spend the same amount on something that’s not quite considered premium and get a much smaller package. Consider the Sony HT-S2000, a 3.1-channel system that counts virtual Dolby Atmos as a main attraction. It does have generally better audio quality. Still, you have to pay $499 / £449 / AU$695 for it.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus rear speaker behind sofa

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus?

Buy it if...

You want the easiest setup possible
All you have to do to set up the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is to power up the various units. It doesn’t get easier than that.

You don’t want to spend too much for a surround sound system
While it’s not the cheapest out there, the price is pretty good, especially if you go for the configuration with the surround speakers and subwoofer.

You want a straightforward soundbar
Not only is this soundbar system easy to set up, but it’s easy to operate. If you find that too many bells and whistles get in the way, then this might be the one for you.

Don't buy it if...

sound-enabledYou want a lot of features
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is surprisingly stripped down, especially for a surround sound- enabled setup. Sure, there’s virtual Dolby Atmos, but it’s not the real deal.

You want crystal-clear audio
The sound quality is good, but if you’re fussy, you’re going to wish you spent a little more on something with better clarity and resolution.View Deal

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus review: Also consider

Ultimea Poseidon D50
The Ultimea Poseidon D50 is proof you can go really cheap and still get a 5.1-channel system. Yes, there are compromises, such as the lack of any kind of Dolby Atmos support, and it’s also a bit cheap-looking. But, it mostly sounds good, and is easy to set up.

Read our full Ultimea Poseidon D50 review

Sony HT-S2000
If surround sound is not a top priority, but you still want something beyond stereo and have $500 / £500 to burn, the all-in-one Sony HT-S2000’s overall sound quality is impressive and its virtual Dolby Atmos is actually spacious-sounding.

Read our full Sony HT-S2000 review

Hisense AX5125H
Hisense's soundbar system offers 5.1.2 channels in a compact package with wireless surround speakers and subwoofer. It also has an alphanumeric front panel LED display and costs less than Amazon's system.

Read our full Hisense AX5125H review

How I tested the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus on TV stand

The Nakamichi Dragon with its two subs in my home. (Image credit: Future)
  • I used the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus for a couple weeks
  • Tested with both TV, movies, and music

I used the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus system regularly for a week. I used it with TV shows, movies, and music. I tested the various EQ options and audio modes as well as played around with all the other settings available, such as the dialogue mode.

After testing, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus seems to be a decently priced 5.1-channel system that leans a bit on the Fire TV brand, offering mostly convenience and the surround sound experience, and not much else.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

US imposes a 10% tariff on products imported from China, which might be bad news for Apple
12:41 am | February 6, 2025

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

If you’ve been paying attention to international news, you are probably sick of hearing the word “tariff”. Unfortunately, you’ll be hearing it even more – President Trump’s 10% tariffs on all products imported from China went into effect on Tuesday. That’s bad news for Apple, which manufactures most of its iPhones, iPads, Macs and other products in the country. It’s not yet clear how this will impact the prices of Apple devices. Apple has moved part of its production to India and now even makes iPhone Pros there (previously, only non-Pro models were made in India). And it is now doing...

Fewer iPhone buyers are paying up for storage upgrades in the US
2:46 pm | January 30, 2025

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

The share of iPhone buyers in the US that are paying up to upgrade from the base storage trim declined in 2024. The latest report from the Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) looks at the percentage of iPhone buyers upgrading the base storage trim on their iPhones for the December quarters in 2023 and 2024, and the results show a decline across the board. The findings also suggest that more consumers now rely on cloud storage, which is a big revenue driver for Apple. Apple currently has three base iPhone storage trims - 64GB for the iPhone SE (2022), 128GB for the iPhone 16,...

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: smart, swell, and it purifies well
5:00 pm | January 23, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Air Quality Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: , | Comments: Off

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite: two-minute review

The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite is a space-saving air purifier that's easy to use, thanks to simple onboard touchscreen buttons, app, and voice control. It has a list price of $49.99 / £59.99 on the Govee website and is also available to purchase at Amazon. Both Govee and Amazon offer the occasional discount on the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite, so it's worth checking in to see if there's a deal to be had.

Replacement filters can easily be purchased from the Govee site and Amazon for a price of $19.99 / £19.99. This is an acceptable price for a 3-in-1 HEPA filter; however, this depends on how long the filter life is, which is currently an unknown as Govee doesn't appear to have provided this information

A great size for placing on your desktop or dresser, the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite measures just 6.2 x 6.2 x 10.75 inches / 158 x 58 x 273mm and is delightfully lightweight at 2.4lb / 1.1kg.

The individual components of the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite.

(Image credit: Future)

The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite purifies using a 3-in-1 HEPA filter, designed to trap particle matter up to 2.5 microns, as well as VOCs (volatile organic compounds). 3-in-1 filters are fairly commonplace in air purifiers, but since testing purifiers such as the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max and Shark NeverChange, I'd love to see more brands using washable prefilters over disposables built into the filters.

Unsurprisingly for the low cost, the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite doesn't have an abundance of features, but it does offer app and voice control via the Govee Home app and compatible smart home devices, something many other similarly priced air purifiers don't offer. There's no air quality data available, and it doesn't possess the capability to react to contaminants, so it'll need to be controlled manually to ensure efficiency.

The onboard touchscreen buttons are easy to use, with it simply being a case of pressing the power button to cycle between the sleep, low, high, and custom modes, and there are also Wi-Fi and filter change indicator lights on the control panel. Custom mode is another feature I've not often seen for this price. It enabled me to set up a routine triggered by selecting this setting; for example, I was able to set the purifier to run at high, low, and sleep modes for set increments at a time, making it perfect to set off in the run-up to bedtime.

A close-up of the touch-button control panel.

(Image credit: Future)

The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite proved satisfyingly efficient when it came to freshening up the air in my living room, with a noticeable improvement when walking into the room. The only failure in terms of performance came from the aromatherapy function, which only produced a light fragrance even when the fragrance pad was saturated with a very intensely fragranced oil.

When it comes to noise levels, the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite was satisfyingly quiet. Volume ranged from 30dB on sleep mode, to 38dB on low, and 47dB on high. The whisper quietness of sleep mode meant that I found it easy to sleep with the purifier on, even with it next to my side of the bed.

In summary, you'd certainly be getting your moneys worth with the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite. The aromatherapy aspect was underwhelming, and there's a lack of detection and air quality data, but the latter is forgivable for the price. However, the smart and custom features really set this air purifier apart from competitors, and I was impressed with this Govee air purifier's performance. I'd highly recommend the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite, but if you'd like to see some other options, I'd suggest checking out our pick of the best air purifiers.

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: price & availability

  • List price: $49.99 / £59.99
  • Available now in the US and UK

The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite is a smart yet simple-to-use small-room air purifier available at a list price of $49.99 / £59.99 on the Govee website, which is offering a discount at the time of writing, lowering the price to $34.99 / £47.99. It’s also available to purchase at Amazon and is occasionally included in their limited-time deals, so there’s often a saving to be made.

Replacement filters are easy to purchase on the Govee website for $19.99 / £19.99. That's pretty standard for a replacement HEPA filter of this size, assuming that it will last around six months like the HEPA filters in other air purifiers, as Govee doesn’t appear to have released guidance on the recommended usage period.

  • Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: specs

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: design and features

  • Simple design
  • 360-degree air intake
  • Smart features

The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite is pleasantly lightweight, weighing just 2.4lb / 1.1kg, and with dimensions of 6.2 x 6.2 x 10.75 inches / 158 x 58 x 273mm, it’s small enough to sit on a desk or dresser. While Govee hasn’t reinvented the wheel with the aesthetic of the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite, the materials look and feel good. The bottom of the air purifier comprises of white plastic slats that enable 360-degree air intake. As with many air purifiers, the 3-in-1 HEPA filter is accessed by unlocking the base by twisting the handle on the bottom of the unit, making it easy to remove and replace the filter when required.

The 3-in-1 HEPA filter is made up of three layers, a pre-filter, for hair and fibers, a personal HEPA filter, which aims to capture from PM 2.5 to 0.1-micron particles, and an active carbon filter intended to trap cooking odors, smoke, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). While the design of the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite feels suitably robust, in terms of sustainability I prefer the option of a washable pre-filter. Pre-filters built into these 3-in-1 filters have a shorter life span as they can’t be cleaned to restore efficiency or be reused; the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max is a great example of this being done right.

A close-up of the back of the air purifier showing the power-in port and the closed fragrance pad tray.

(Image credit: Future)

The touchscreen control panel was simple to use. All I needed to do was hit the power icon to switch it on, then press again to cycle through to my chosen setting with a choice of sleep, low, high, and custom. There are two light-up icons on the control panel too, consisting of Wi-Fi and filter change indicator lights. While I appreciated the simplicity, I don’t generally like needing to increase to a higher power before switching the purifier off, but the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite responded far quicker than other purifiers I’ve tested, so it wasn’t a major problem.

If I didn’t have the patience to cycle through the settings, I could easily change the settings from my phone. The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite has 2.5GHz WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity so can sync with the well-designed Govee Home app, and works with smart home assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri.

One feature I was particularly interested in testing out was the built-in aromatherapy function. There’s a small pop-out tray located above the removable power cable at the back. This houses a pad for dropping essential oils onto that’s intended to circulate the fragrance through the air outlet. Unfortunately, this excitement was short-lived – as you'll discover below.

  • Design score: 4.5 out of 5

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: performance

  • Operated quietly
  • Easy to use
  • Aromatherapy feature underperformed

The Govee Home app is user-friendly and visually appealing. It was easy to add the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite and connect it to my Wi-Fi, and the settings were simple to use, plus was no delay between the app and the purifier whenever I switched between different power modes. Although the interface is fairly simple, there were plenty of useful settings I could alter, which I was pleased to find as some lower-priced air purifiers have limited options. The display brightness can be adjusted, it’s set to “always on” by default, but I could change it to only be on within a certain time frame, so it was simple to set it to switch off around bedtime. I also had the option to set schedules, set a timer, and change the name of the device.

The GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite sits on a table with house plants on either side.

(Image credit: Future)

One feature that the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite lacks is data on the quality of the surrounding air, which is an important thing to note if you’re someone who wants to keep track of these details. This isn’t unusual for a purifier of this price, so while the Smart Air Purifier Lite doesn’t lose any marks for this, it does mean that you’ll need to be proactive in adjusting the settings to suit your environment.

I found the custom mode, which is the final setting in the cycle when using the onboard touchscreen controls, to be a useful feature, as it allowed me to choose a series of three settings, each with their own timer. For example, I could set the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite to run at high for half an hour, then reduce to low power mode for two hours, before switching to sleep mode continuously. This was great for an evening air purifying routine and was simple to calibrate within the Govee Home app.

A close-up of the fragrance pad tray.

(Image credit: Future)

I loved the prospect of purifying and adding fragrance to my living space in one process; in practice, however, the result was lackluster. Due to the intensity of my chosen fragrance oil, I only applied a couple of drops to the aroma pad at first. For context, I only need a maximum of four drops of this fragrance oil in a water diffuser to get an intense aroma, but I needed about twelve drops to be able to detect any hint of it from the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite.

While this aligns with the advice in the user manual, it was surprising that a fragrance this potent needed this many drops to get just a slight hint of the fragrance even when sitting right next to the purifier. In the end, I used enough drops to saturate the pad, resulting in a light fragrance. Obviously, this isn’t going to be a substitute for a diffuser or wax melt burner, but I can forgive this as it isn’t the product's main function, although I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed.

Aromatherapy aspect aside, I was pleased with the performance of the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite. It made a noticeable difference to the air quality of my 13 x 16 ft / 4 x 5 meter living room after running for just two hours on the low-speed setting. I found it easy to sleep with the purifier located next to my side of the bed, something that didn’t come as a surprise as I measured a sound level of just 30dB, which is comparable to a soft whisper. When watching TV, I found the low-speed setting wasn’t noticeable with a reading of 38dB, a sound level similar to light rain, and the high-speed setting was 47dB, which is as loud as moderate rainfall. So overall I didn’t find it disruptive.

  • Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should I buy the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite?

Buy it if...

You want an air purifier in multiple rooms
Not only is the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite small and light enough to easily carry between rooms, it's also cheap enough to buy more than one thanks to its low price.

You want smart features
A real bonus at this price, the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite has smart capabilities making it easy to control via the Govee Home app or with voice control with smart home assistants.

You want to sleep peacefully
Thanks to the sleep mode's 30dB volume, I found it really easy to get a good night's sleep even when the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite was placed next to my side of the bed.

Don't buy it if...

You want some aromatherapy
Unfortunately, I was left unimpressed by the aromatherapy feature. Even after saturating the fragrance pad with an intense fragrance oil, I was only able to detect a slight hint of fragrance.

You want automated purifying
We can't have it all for this price, so if monitoring the air quality or having your air purifier keep on top of the air quality in your environment is top of your wishlist, this won't be the one for you.

You want washable pre-filters
I'm seeing more air purifiers popping up on the market with eco-conscious features, and I'd have loved it if the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite offered this too. This change can increase the life of HEPA filters, and reduce the amount of waste.

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: also consider

Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max
I adored this little Blueair purifier when I tested it. As with the Govee purifier, it doesn't have detection or automated response features, but it performed really well. Plus, it's incorporated a washable pre-filter into its design with the fabric outer sleeve, available in a range of colors. Why not take a look at my full Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max review to learn more.

Levoit Core 300S Smart True HEPA
A pricier alternative, this Levoit air purifier offers insight into the air quality in your home. It's larger than the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite, but with the larger size comes better features with automated detection. To learn how well it performed when we tested it, check out our Levoit Core 300S True HEPA air purifier review.

How I tested the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite

  • I used the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite for one week
  • I tested the usability, app, and smart features
  • I tested how much of an impact it had on the surrounding air quality

I assessed how easy it was to get the GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite set up, how easy it was to operate via the touch screen and app, and how portable it was.

I tested it in different rooms in my home and observed how quiet it was at night time and whether it disturbed my sleep.

I looked at its design and structure, paying close attention to quality, and I reviewed the impact it made on the air quality in my environment, and how well the features worked.

Oclean X Ultra S review: a chatty guide to next-level oral care
6:49 am | January 22, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness Oral Health | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Oclean X Ultra S: Two-minute review

I'd been reading about Oclean’s toothbrushes for a while and was impressed at how popular the brand had become in some markets in a short period of time. We already consider the Oclean X Pro to be one of the best electric toothbrushes, so I was rather excited when, in November 2024, the Oclean X Ultra S finally arrived in Australia, where I am based, after being released in the US in April 2024.

The Oclean X Ultra S is a sonic electric toothbrush that boasts some seriously smart features, including leverage bone-conduction technology to provide verbal feedback in real time to help you brush correctly. I’ve been using it since its Australian release late last year and there’s hardly been a day when I haven’t been scolded for doing something wrong.

What I mean by ‘scolded’ is that the voice alerts sound like a 4- or 5-year-old child telling you off. You’ll hear feedback like “over pressure” suddenly pipe up in your ear or, as has happened to me a few times, “hold the brush at a 45º angle”. I mean, you can’t exactly measure that angle while you’re brushing, can you? While I didn’t get scolded for brushing too quickly, there is a prompt for that too. The most common verbal feedback from the X Ultra S is to “switch area” every 30 seconds.

A hand holding the Oclean X Ultra S with the thumb on the power button below the display

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Despite sounding like a petulant child sometimes, I think the verbal feedback is helpful as I found it improved my brushing habits over time, although understanding what the voice is telling you to do isn’t always clear. It took me a couple of times to realize I was being told to hold the brush a certain way (at a 45º angle), and even the “switch area” prompt can occasionally sound a little incoherent over the brush’s buzzing. I would have preferred the voice prompts to be a touch clearer, but I’m really glad it’s not loud.

If you happen to live in a crowded house (or are traveling), people around you will barely know you’re being told off for not brushing particularly well. A few weeks after I began testing the Oclean X Ultra S, I traveled overseas for a 4-week family holiday and no one heard a thing when standing about two feet away from me. In fact, as a sonic toothbrush, the X Ultra S isn’t loud – the motor, despite delivering up to 84,000 movements per minute, doesn’t buzz above 45dB. To put that into perspective, that’s about how loud a library would get.

Brushing data is available in (gory) detail within the Oclean Care+ smartphone app. The toothbrush tracks 8 zones by dividing the oral cavity into 4 areas and counting the inner and outer sides of your pearly whites separately. It doesn’t, however, track the biting surfaces of your molars and premolars. Not only are you presented with a clover-shaped diagram to indicate your brushing score, number of times you’ve brushed that day and for how long, but a 3D movable denture diagram shows you how well you’ve done each session. You are also provided with information on how much excessive pressure you might have used or if there was any lateral movement.

Image 1 of 2

The color touchscreen on the Oclean X Ultra S displaying the Exclusive Mode icon

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Image 2 of 2

A hand holding the Oclean X Ultra S overa. bathroom countertop

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

In fact, some of this information will be displayed on the bright color touchscreen on the brush itself, including the clover. This display comes on automatically as soon as you pick up the brush from its charging base or travel case, displaying a default mode based on the time of day – Sunrise Soothing in the morning or Sunset Clearout at night. A total of 6 modes are saved on the brush, including the so-called Exclusive Mode that you can select on the app from a choice of 14 (yes, there are a lot of brushing modes here!). You can even set up your own custom brushing mode if you want via the app and have it saved on the brush. Swiping downward on the side of the touchscreen will let you cycle through the 6 saved options.

The Oclean X Ultra S connects to the app via both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with a remarkably easy setup. While traveling, the brush can save up to 7 days of cleaning data, then transfer this information to the app when it’s back within the original Wi-Fi network. I was away for a total of 3.5 weeks on an overseas trip during my testing period and, sadly, wasn’t able to transfer the early brushing data to the app, but the last week of travel is visible on the app. Incidentally, this information can also be sent to the Apple Health app if you happen to be an iPhone user.

Image 1 of 2

Screenshots of the Oclean Care+ app showing brushing and brush data

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Image 2 of 2

Screenshots of the Oclean Care+ app showing different brushing modes

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

While it comes with a small, round charging base that also doubles as its stand, there’s even a magnetic wall mount with a double-sided adhesive pad on it. Oclean says there’s wireless charging capabilities here but that didn’t work for me and, to be absolutely honest, I didn’t miss the feature at all – it seems rather superfluous to me when it has an impressive battery life of up to 40 days.

Admittedly, this remarkably long battery life will only be possible if you are brushing twice a day for just the recommended 2-minute session each, although I think the Oclean X Ultra S is capable of going longer. At the end of my 26-day overseas trip, the X Ultra S dropped down to 40% battery from a full charge, and that’s using the Unlimited Clean mode that let me brush for over two minutes each time (my average was 4 minutes). There are other brushes that offer similar battery life too, but I am yet to see a travel case that can charge the brush while you’re away.

Image 1 of 2

The Oclean X Ultra S travel case in black and grey

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Image 2 of 2

Two Oclean X Ultra S replacement brush heads stored inside the travel case

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

While it does seem to be relatively fragile compared to some of the travel cases that ship with say, Philips Sonicare and Oral-B electric toothbrushes, the Oclean X Ultra S has a case that looks premium and well made. Importantly, it has a USB-C port that can actually top up the toothbrush – something you’d be hard pressed to find with other popular brands. The case also stores two brush heads.

The X Ultra S comes with three replaceable brush heads in the box, each one catering to a different type of clean, like gum sensitivity or whitening. They look like any other sonic brush head, and the design of the brush itself isn’t anything remarkable. However, the color touchscreen is bright and looks rather smart when it's lit up. It’s capable of displaying festive greetings and showing you the weather. Even the light around the bottom of the brush, which goes from white to red when you’ve exerted too much pressure, adds to the brush’s aesthetic.

The USB-C port on the Oclean X Ultra S travel case

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

All in all, the Oclean X Ultra S is one of the best electric toothbrushes I’ve used – available in Sage Green and Black colorways, it cleans really well in various modes and is arguably the smartest electric toothbrush yet. Perhaps a little too smart, because my only (tiny) issue with the brush is how the verbal feedback sounds – like a child scolding you. Other than that, this is a toothbrush you could definitely… well, sink your teeth into, but maybe consider buying it when it's discounted.

The Oclean X Ultra S electric toothbrush standing on a table beside its travel case and replacement brush heads

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Oclean X Ultra S review: price & availability

  • Announced at CES (January) 2024; released April 2024 in the US
  • Available to buy now in the US and Australia; unavailable in the UK
  • List price of $129.99 / AU$449.95

As mentioned earlier in this review, the Oclean X Ultra S made its debut in January 2024 at the CES tech trade show and quickly made headlines as the only talking electric toothbrush. It was subsequently released in the US in April 2024, then made its way to Australia in November 2024. While it officially hasn’t been released in the UK, it may be possible to find it on Amazon but being shipped and sold by third-party resellers.

The Oclean X Ultra S will set you back $129.99 in the US and a whopping AU$449.95 in Australia, which is a much higher pricepoint as compared to other markets, even taking taxes into consideration. However, the X Ultra S can be had for half its Aussie price during major sales (which it was during Black Friday 2024, just days after its release Down Under).

If you’re in the UK, I’ve seen it listed online from anywhere between £93 and £219.99 at third-party retailers. UK customers who would love to try an Oclean brush can opt for the X Pro Elite instead, which has a list price starting from £69.90.

Given its various smart features and its build quality, I think the Oclean X Ultra S is absolutely worth considering if you’d like to stop using a manual brush or are keen to upgrade to a new electric one. Just keep in mind that it might take you a while to get used to the verbal prompts – if you can be patient, you’ll definitely see an improvement in your brushing habits.

The Oclean X Ultra S electric toothbrush inside its travel case

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Oclean X Ultra S review: specs

Oclean X Ultra S: score card

Should I buy the Oclean X Ultra S?

Buy it if...

You want the smartest electric toothbrush on the market

With its real-time voice prompts and feedback, plus a very detailed brushing report at the end of each session, the Oclean X Ultra S was designed to ensure you develop better oral hygiene.

You wear braces or have specific dental issues

Not only are there several brushing modes available via the app to cater to different needs, including one for people who wear braces, it also allows you to set up your own custom mode that would be best suited to you.

You travel a lot

Given its rather impressive battery life and the fact that the brush can be charged via its charging case using any USB-C cable, it’s a good one to take with you on the go.

Don't buy it if...

You want simplicity in your brushing routine

While its features can help improve oral hygiene, it’s also overkill for many users. If you don’t need all its bells and whistles, you can opt for a simpler electric toothbrush.

You prefer an oscillating electric toothbrush

While sonic toothbrushes like the Oclean are good for people with sensitive teeth and gums, some people might require the circular motion of an oscillating brush instead. In which case, you’ll need to opt for an Oral-B.

You don’t want to use an app

There’s no getting away from the Oclean Care+ app here – you’ll need it even to set up the brush and choose your preferred modes. If you don’t care for app dependency, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Also consider

If you aren’t sold on the Oclean X Ultra S or are looking for something different, below are a couple of options to consider – one is an oscillating toothbrush while the other is a sonic alternative.

Oral-B iO Series 6

If you want the power of rotating brush heads, Oral-B is the go-to brand and the iO Series 6 is a fantastic option that is frequently discounted, so you won’t need to shell out a lot of money for it. There are 7 brushing modes, a timer, pressure detection sensor and a basic travel case. Importantly, it’s easy to source the brush heads.

Read our in-depth Oral-B iO Series 6 review

Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige

Coming close to what the Oclean X Ultra S can offer – sans the voice prompts, although you still get real-time feedback via the app. It’s a beautiful-looking brush, with a very quiet motor, but gets you only 5 brushing modes. You will, however, be rather dependent on the app to make adjustments to the modes and brushing intensity settings.

Read our full Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige review

How I tested the Oclean X Ultra S

  • Used for two months daily, twice a day
  • Testing period included a 26-day overseas trip without the charging base
  • Tried different brushing modes and brush heads

The Oclean X Ultra S toothbrush standing on a table beside its travel case and brush heads

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

I swapped out my Oral-B oscillating toothbrush for the Oclean X Ultra S in November 2024, soon after its release to the Australian market (I am Sydney-based). I’ve used it twice a day since (and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future), trying out different brushing modes already available in the app and trying to set up my own custom mode. It took me a few sessions to realize that the maximum voice feedback comes via the Exclusive Modes and, for me, that was what helped improve my brushing habits over time.

A planned overseas holiday about three weeks after I began testing the Oclean X Ultra S was an excellent chance to test its claimed battery life. I didn’t carry its charging stand and, although I knew I could use the travel case with any USB-C cable to top up the brush, I didn’t have the need to.

I’ve been using different electric toothbrushes over the years – both sonic and oscillating – and have used this knowledge to rate the Oclean X Ultra S.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed January 2025]

X now has a vertical video feed in the US
3:21 pm | January 20, 2025

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

TikTok is back up in the US but a lot of its competitors have been making moves to attract its users these past few days, and today X announced its own bid to convince TikTok defectors to join its network. X now has a vertical video feed with its own dedicated tab in the app. This is unsurprisingly only available in the US for now, as that's where TikTok ceased operations for a few hours. you better not be making a dedicated video tab when I get homeme: pic.twitter.com/ZbmLBmSbDp— X (@X) January 20, 2025 Considering the fact that TikTok is operating in the US again, it's unclear...

X now has a vertical video feed in the US
3:21 pm |

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

TikTok is back up in the US but a lot of its competitors have been making moves to attract its users these past few days, and today X announced its own bid to convince TikTok defectors to join its network. X now has a vertical video feed with its own dedicated tab in the app. This is unsurprisingly only available in the US for now, as that's where TikTok ceased operations for a few hours. you better not be making a dedicated video tab when I get homeme: pic.twitter.com/ZbmLBmSbDp— X (@X) January 20, 2025 Considering the fact that TikTok is operating in the US again, it's unclear...

Next Page »