The Oppo Find X7 Ultra unveiled a few days ago has landed at our office for review. But before we put this 2024 Oppo flagship through our review gauntlet, let's take a quick look at what it offers.
The Oppo Find X7 Ultra comes in Tailored Black, Ocean Blue, and Sepia Brown colors, and it's the blue version we received for review. Its retail box includes a protective case, charging cable, 100W power adapter, a SIM ejector tool, and the usual paperwork.
The Oppo Find X7 Ultra is built around a 120Hz 1,440p 6.82" LTPO AMOLED screen protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The display has a...
The new Asus ROG Phone 8 is very much still a gaming phone, but this time around Asus designed it with everyday usability in mind. It’s smaller and lighter than before and has a proper IP68 dust and water resistance rating (vs. IP54 on last year’s model).
Bigger changes include a 32MP 3x telephoto camera and improved stabilization for the main cam (Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer 3.0). There is now wireless charging too (15W), though the battery capacity was reduced slightly (at 5,500mAh it’s not small by any means).
As a gaming phone, it will make use of the new variable refresh rate...
One of Dell's other gaming laptop refreshes for 2024 is the Alienware x16 R2, which is meant to have superior performance over the Alienware m16 R2 since the former is more of a dedicated gaming desktop replacement. As such, both CPU and GPU options are maxed out with the best laptop specs you can get.
There's not much difference in terms of aesthetics, with the x16 R2 similar to the 2022 Alienware x15 R2 but that's not a bad thing considering how distinctive and downright cool its design is.
It also received an upgrade to its display, webcam, and updates to its ventilation system, which should help catapult it to one of the best gaming laptops on the market.
Alienware x16 R2: Price and availability
The Alienware x16 R2 will be launching in the US, according to information released during CES 2024. There hasn't been an official announcement yet revealing the release window or availability for the UK and Australia but knowing Dell, it'll be available in those regions pretty soon after the US launch.
As for pricing, it's starting at around $2,099.99 / £1,649 / AU$3,136 and will end up as high as about $2,899.99. This is a huge price difference compared to the 2022 Alienware x15 R2 at $2,910 (£2,800 / AU$5,203). It's good to see that gaming laptop prices aren't skyrocketing as I originally feared.
Alienware x16 R2: Specs
(Image credit: Future)
Alienware x16 R2: Design
The Alienware x16 R2's design is pretty much identical to the Alienware x15 R2 from previous years, including that bright white color with blue highlights as well as the iconic back that juts out. It looks super unique, a gaming laptop that's worth showing off.
Its 16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) display is all tricked out with a 240Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, as well as having a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. Soon after launch, Dell revealed a version with an FHD+ 480Hz panel would also be released, which is incredible. As for the current version not only does it offer incredibly smooth, stutter-free gameplay that would make any hardcore gamer happy, but it can be used for creative and editing projects with ease.
It's quite a bit on the heavy side, weighing six pounds. You won't be transporting this baby around often, but it's in line with a desktop replacement. It's a little heavier than the 2022 x16 model, so hopefully with the overhauled Alienware Cryo-tech Cooling technology it ventilates better and isn't prone to overheating.
The keyboard uses Alienware's in-house switches similar to the Alienware Pro Wireless keyboard and it has satisfying typing feedback. Not to mention the very distinctive rainbow-colored touchpad that complements the RGB-lit keyboard. The built-in camera has been upgraded, adding HDR capability on the FHD IR webcam, a plus for a gaming laptop.
The port selection, like before, is located wholly on the back and includes both HDMI and Display Port, which is a great touch. But it's bizarrely missing an ethernet port, which is an issue for a desktop replacement, as hardcore gamers would want a more stable connection.
Alienware x16 R2: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
The Alienware x16 R2 comes with options for the current-gen Intel Core Ultra series CPUs, with choices between the 7 and 9. Paired with the RTX 4000-series GPUs up to an RTX 4090, and you have a truly tricked-out laptop made to perform at its best.
You can either upgrade the storage to 4TB using the standard single storage, or you can upgrade to a whopping 8TB using Raid 0 configurations. However, you can only configure up to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM, which is very good but not as high as the Alienware m16 R2, a strange choice.
Unfortunately, we won't have benchmark results until we can properly sit down with and test out this gaming machine. But with the specs it has, this should be an absolute beast in terms of output.
Alienware x16 R2: Early verdict
(Image credit: Future)
As a huge fan of the 2022 Alienware x15 R2 gaming laptop, I have high hopes for the Alienware x16 R2 refresh I was shown. And so far it seems like a solid upgrade from the previous gen, with better specs, an updated display, improved ventilation, an upgraded webcam and more. All wrapped up in the same sexy package this series is known for, with a few upgrades like that gorgeous rainbow-lit touchpad. Even the pricing is somewhat reasonable and much better than so many other gaming laptops in the market.
My only real concern is the lack of an ethernet port, but that's not a deal breaker. I also hope that this ventilation system can hold up better when running an extensive gaming session. Other than that, I look forward to really putting this laptop through the ringer in testing.
Amazon has an offer on the top-specced Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 – the version with 1TB storage is discounted £300, which drops it to the same price as the 256GB model. On top of that, there is a £300 voucher for a total discount of £600.
With the arrival of the Google Pixel Fold, OnePlus Open and such, the Z Fold5 is no longer the only horizontal foldable, however, both cost more than the Samsung foldable right now, even configurations with less storage.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
12GB/1TB
£600 off after...
The Engwe brand has been on the map for some time now, so I was excited to get my hands on their new M20 model. With a fish-inspired design reminiscent of the Super73, the M20 is a great-looking bike. Considering most electric bikes struggle to turn heads, Engwe has done a fantastic job of picking colors, materials, and shapes that make the overall look work.
With the dual battery option, riders will have no issues reaching their destination, and with a peak power of 1,000 W, the necessary assistance is there in abundance.
Unfortunately, the M20 is limited to inclines of 10 degrees, which makes it more of an urban cruiser than a mountain biker. The weight, 35 kg, makes it difficult to move around but has the added benefit of ensuring a safe ride.
The build quality is nothing particularly special, something you'd expect at this price point, but it's fairly decent all the same. The lack of hydraulic brakes is disappointing, especially considering the top speed reaches 45 km per hour.
All in all, the M20 is a great-looking bike with a superb cycling range. The range you get for the price makes the M20 a very appealing package indeed.
Engwe M20: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future)
$1,299 / £1,049 / around AU$1,938 for single battery
$1,599/£1,349/ around AU$2,385 for dual battery
Available from the manufacturer directly
The Engwe M20 is available to buy in the US and the UK, but it's important to note that it's not road-legal in the UK at the moment. With a great range but budget-friendly build quality, the M20 costs $999 / £999 for a single battery or $1,199 / £1,299 for the dual battery option.
For that budget price, it is quite remarkable what you get in the box. The package includes the option of two batteries and ships with dual front lights and a bright rear light, an LCD display, mudguards, horns, Shimano gears, disc brakes, and a sturdy stand.
Engwe also offers a range of accessories, including a rack bag, bike pump, lock, and additional taillights for an additional cost.
Engwe M20: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Beautiful café racer-style e-bike
Budget-friendly quality components
Lightweight aluminium alloy but still a heavy bike
The Engwe M20 delivers when it comes to design. Everything about the colors, materials, and overall design makes this a great-looking e-bike. After a fairly easy process of unboxing and building, I struggled to take my eyes off the bike. I managed to get my hands on the green frame with mustard seat and black accessories, and boy did it look good. The green frame can also be swapped out for a white or black option, with the latter looking particularly nice thanks to every part of the bike being black.
The fish-inspired design looks very similar to the Super73 bike but comes in at a fraction of the price. The seat sits quite far back, which took a little bit of getting used to and offers no height adjustment, which is not ideal for taller riders. The sponge seat delivered all the comfort that could be hoped for and was large enough to sit on comfortably.
The frame is made of lightweight aluminium alloy rather than carbon steel, but it's still a really heavy bike. I had trouble shifting it during assembly, and lugging it around at the beginning and end of rides was not easy. The full 35 kg means it's not for the faint-hearted.
The tyres might be the thing I noticed first about this bike. At 20 by 4.0 inches, these tyres are seriously fat and offer a sturdy ride no matter the weather conditions or the speed you are travelling. The three-layer design of rubber, carbon nano-braiding, and a butyl rubber inner tube makes these puncture-resistant while offering a great ride on any terrain.
Everything that you need to get on the bike is included in the box. The front lights are added using two bolts, while the rear lights are pre-installed. The mudguards are easily attached with a bolt on either side, and the inclusion of a robust stand makes it easy to park the bike anywhere you want.
Design Score: 4.5/5
Engwe M20: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Great power delivery and an abundance of torque
Top speed of 45km per hour
Struggles on steeper inclines
I was really impressed by the overall performance of the Engwe M20. The peak power of 1000W delivered an incredible level of torque, sometimes proving to be a little too much. It was fantastic to have so much power at my fingertips, but I did have to be careful to avoid lurching forward, especially from a standstill.
The five power assist modes are plenty for providing enough help under most circumstances, and I found myself utilizing modes 2 and 3 most of the time, which proved, in general, to be enough. The transition up and down the modes is easily achieved using the buttons on the bottom of the LCD display. They are accessible without needing to look at the buttons and are responsive enough to deliver immediate impact.
Unfortunately, the power is lacking when it comes to hills and inclines steeper than 10 degrees. This level of incline isn't very much at all and would rule the bike out for some people surrounded by hills. At the higher end of its incline capabilities, the bike begins to struggle, so it's well worth planning your trips out ahead of time, especially if you're doing any unknown routes. You don't want to be pedaling this heavy beast up any steep hills.
The battery manages to deliver the advertised range, but only at the lower end of the power assist mode. This was significantly helped by the second battery, which not only increased the range from 75 km to 150 km but also made the bike feel more sturdy underneath me.
Due to the height of the seat and the design of the bike, I didn't find myself pedaling very much at all. I didn't particularly need to, due to the power of the bike, but it's always nice to have the option to get some exercise when out cycling.
The disc brakes should have been hydraulic due to the fast available speeds and the heavy weight of the bike. They were a little too grabby for my liking and did rub a bit. In general, they performed fairly well so it was more a case of lacking confidence in the parts rather than having any real issues braking.
Each battery takes around five hours to charge, but only one charging cable is included. This makes it very difficult to get both batteries charged up at all quickly and will require a lot of planning on the riders' part if they're using this bike regularly.
Performance score: 4/5
Engwe M20: Battery life
(Image credit: Future)
75Km range for each battery
Five hour charge per battery
Batteries increase bike stability
The Engwe M20 boasts a range of 75km for a single battery but can be extended to 150 km with a second battery. The full range is only available when using assist mode 1 throughout the whole range, which is unlikely to be the case for most riders. The range of a single battery drops to 55 km in electric mode one.
The range, as is the case for all e-bikes, is completely dependent upon the way the bike is used and the terrain traveled. I used modes two and three most of the time, so I wasn't going to benefit from the top range, but I was still impressed by its efficient power usage.
The fact that a single battery takes around five hours to charge means you'll want to be thoughtful about how you ride the bike. If you want to get from A to B as quickly as possible, then there will be more charges required and a higher electricity bill as a result.
The batteries are nicely mounted to the frame and, as a result, stay very much out of the way. Their mounting position and weight give this bike a strong 'core' and keep it well routed to the ground—something that is essential for safe riding.
Battery life score: 4/5
Engwe M20: Scorecard
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
How I tested the Engwe M20 electric bike
The wet, windy, and at times calm weather that was presented to me made for perfect conditions to test out the Engwe M20. Heavy rain meant I could properly test the brakes and the mud guards. Both performed adequately, considering their construction.
The variable weather also meant the tyres got a good run-out. Their significant size and tread depth surpassed all requirements I could throw at them. I wasn't able to test the incline limitations particularly thoroughly due to my area and its surrounding areas being quite flat.
Writing reviews on gaming laptops with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 like the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is an exercise in splitting hairs. Some are a little more expensive, some are a little cheaper. Some quality of life factors like changes in refresh rate or webcam resolution differ from laptop to laptop. The guts, however, are very similar.
The Acer Nitro 16 AMD, then, is a lot like many of the best budget gaming laptops with its surprisingly solid performance while sitting at the lower end of the gaming laptop spectrum. In its case, it does have that faster refresh rate and a good keyboard with bright RGB backlighting. However, its aesthetics are a bit more aggressively gamer-centric than many of the best gaming laptops, which have in recent times taken lessons from MacBooks and Ultrabooks.
That said, it has a lot to offer, especially for competitive gamers on a budget. You can surely go cheaper with models sporting older GPUs, but those will start to show their limitations much earlier. Because of that, the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is not a hard laptop to recommend for the right budget-conscious gamer.
(Image credit: Future)
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Price & availability
How much does it cost? Starting at $1,249.99 (about £988 / AU$1888)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US. Only older models currently available in UK, and Australia
Acer is no stranger to budget laptops and that’s certainly the case with the Acer Nitro 16 AMD. Whether you go for the most basic model with its $999.99 (about £788 / AU$1,471) price tag and its AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS CPU, 8GB RAM, RTX 4050 GPU, and 512 GB SSD or the max version that clocks in at $1,799.99 (about £1,418 / AU$2,647) and has an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU, 16GB RAM, RTX 4070 GPU, and 1 TB SSD, you’ll be dropping less than a lot of other gaming laptops.
Part of that is the fact that Acer generally runs cheaper than other brands and part of that is that AMD-equipped laptops are often cheaper than similarly specced Intel models. For comparison sake, the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD) I reviewed back in October starts at $1,189.99 / £1,080 / AU$2,199 for a model that is very similar with a slightly different CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 7640S, and a slightly smaller 15.6 inch screen with a 144Hz refresh rate. Of course, it does come in a slightly more attractive package.
The one thing I will complain about here is the fairly different versions of this laptop across different territories. Those in the US have the widest selection while those in the UK have one AMD-equipped model available that’s essentially the review unit with a slightly weaker Ryzen 5 processor. Those in Australia have two – one just like the review configuration and one that’s almost identical but with a Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU.
Price score: 4.5 / 5
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Specs
The Acer Nitro 16 AMD, being a budget-oriented gaming laptop, comes with a fairly limited array of options despite there being up to 11 options depending on your territory.
The processors range from the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS 3.30GHz chip to the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS 4.0GHz one. RAM ranges from 8GB to 32GB. And, the GPU goes from the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 to the 4070.
Strangely, the weakest CPU is not in the cheapest model as that one has less RAM. And, the most expensive model with that AMD Ryzen 9 CPU doesn’t have the highest amount of RAM.
Beyond the internal components, there aren't any other variables to worry about such as colorways or displays.
Regardless of which model you get, you end up with a 16-inch 1900 x 1200p screen with a 165Hz refresh rate.
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Design
Chunkier, gamer-centric in design
Some ports on the back
16:10 1920 x 1200 screen with 165Hz refresh rate
As far as aesthetics go, the Acer Nitro 16 AMD does not pull its punches when it comes to its gamer looks. From the angled blue and reddish lines adorning the laptop lid as well as the aggressive looking N (for “Nitro”) on the lid as well as under the screen, this laptop is not going to pass as a non-gaming laptop the way a Razer laptop can.
Of course, it doesn’t help that it is pretty bulky, not only in size but in weight, especially considering that it weighs 5.95 lbs (2.70 kg). And, it certainly looks chunky. It is over an inch thick – the same as two MacBook Airs stacked on top of each other.
Since this is a budget gaming laptop, that form factor is somewhat to be expected. At least Acer made sure to put plenty of venting underneath and on the sides. Because of the side venting though, not all the ports fit on the sides as some of them, namely the power, HDMI and USB-C ones are on the back. Some people like having ports on the back for a cleaner look. I don’t as I find them to be harder to access.
(Image credit: Future)
On the bright side, Acer included a 16:10 1920 x 1200 display with a speedy 165Hz refresh rate (and 3ms response time), which is perfect for competitive gamers. Of course, it’s basically a slightly larger 1080p screen so you’re not going to step up in resolution. However, that’s never the case with budget gaming laptops. Still, it’s a good screen. Plus, it has a 125% sRGB color gamut and at least the review unit came with a Delta-E of 0.22 so you can do some photo editing here. Its DCI-P3 coverage is 89%, so it’s not as ideal for professional video editing.
(Image credit: Future)
As far as the keyboard and trackpad go, they’re more than competent for regular use. The keyboard is easy to type on with a nice textured feel. I didn’t find that I experienced any missed presses when gaming.
More interesting is the fact that it has full-color backlighting, though only in four zones so you won’t be able to adjust key by key.
Design score: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Performance
Very good 1080p (well, 1200p) performance
Sound quality is decent
Webcam is disappointing
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Benchmarks
Here's how the Acer Nitro 16 AMD performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Port Royal: 4,682; Fire Strike: 19,390; Time Spy: 8,472 GeekBench 6.1: 2,593.7 (single-core); 10,798.3 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 14.1s Handbrake 1.6: 5:25 CrossMark: Overall: 1,799 Productivity: 1,781 Creativity: 1,859 Responsiveness: 1,681 Far Cry 61080p (Ultra) 76 fps Cyberpunk 2077: 1080p (Ultra) 23.44 fps Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 9:15:40 PCMark 10 Battery Life (Gaming): 2:26
I’ve continually been impressed by all the laptops I’ve tested with a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. And, that continues to be true with the Acer Nitro 16 AMD. Obviously, there’s a ceiling to that performance.
For instance, this laptop can achieve a 64.7 fps on Cyberpunk 2077 on Ultra settings, but as soon as ray tracing is on, the fps drops like an anchor. Just look at the benchmark for Far Cry 6 – it also gets 76 fps on Ultra.
In more real world testing, I’ve been able to run Starfield and Hogwarts Legacy at higher than expected settings. Of course, that’s with ray tracing off and a tick or two off Ultra settings. Still, the results were very playable with just a tiny bit of screen tearing. Turning on Vsync takes care of that.
(Image credit: Future)
It’s important to note also that the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is also running that display at a 165Hz refresh rate so getting the results is even more impressive. That means this is perfect for competitive gamers on a budget. To test, I ran Battlefield 2042 and had stable results without any issues at high settings.
As far as the sound goes, it’s not going to win any awards but it’s serviceable, just lacking some low end. The webcam is a little less impressive with its peak 720p resolution. It also gets a bit grainy.
Performance score:4 / 5
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Battery life
Decent battery life for regular use
Not very good when gaming
The battery life of the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is about as interesting as an episode of the Great American Baking Show (yes, it does exist). Yes, we must discuss. You’re not going to be wowed with its longevity. But, it’s ok in certain instances.
When using it in a non-gaming capacity, you can get a little over nine hours of use. For a gaming laptop, that’s pretty good. Of course, you’ll want to be plugged in to actually game as it can only get just under two and a half hours when playing titles. Other than some configurations of the Asus Rog Zephyrus, most gaming laptops have not cracked the battery code.
Battery life score: 3 / 5
Should you buy the Acer Nitro 16 AMD?
Buy it if...
You’re a competitive gamer With an RTX 4050 GPU and a screen with a 165Hz refresh rate, you’ll be able to keep up in the fastest competitive games, skill notwithstanding.
You’re on a budget You don’t have to spend all that much relatively to get quality gaming performance. The only way to go cheaper is to go console or with an older GPU that might not keep up.
Don't buy it if...
You want a more portable gaming machine It’s bulky and on the heavy side so the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is not an ideal grab-and-go gaming machine, not to mention that the battery life isn’t all that great either.
Acer Nitro 16 AMD: Also consider
If our Acer Nitro 16 AMD review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...
How I tested the HP Victus 16
Tested for a couple weeks
Pushed it as hard as possible gaming-wise
Played with various settings
I used the Acer Nitro 16 AMD for a couple weeks, playing a number of demanding games like Starfield, Hogwarts Legacy, Battlefield 2042 and Cyberpunk 2077. While doing so, I ran the games at various settings, particularly at the highest ones with ray tracing on wherever possible, and took note of the results. I also tested each aspect of the laptop from the keyboard and trackpad to the webcam and speakers.
After spending time with the Acer Nitro 16 AMD, it’s clear that this is meant to be a budget-conscious model for those that care about competitive gaming or for those that want something affordable while still equipped with a current generation GPU.
I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.
The CMF Watch Pro is astonishingly cheap, retailing for just $69 / £69 / AU$142, but despite that it looks and feels premium throughout. Moving into this watch from my (comparatively expensive) Amazfit Balance, I was worried that the experience would be laden with frustrations and limitations, but on the contrary, I’ve really enjoyed testing it.
The design, while clearly taking inspiration from Apple, is lovely. It looks great on the wrist, the materials and finish are top-notch, and Nothing’s signature design language is present across a large library of aesthetically pleasing and functional watch faces. It’s a chunky watch, but extremely lightweight, and that makes it a pleasure to wear.
Of course, at such a low price, there are plenty of features missing that have become commonplace on more expensive smartwatches. There’s no onboard Wi-Fi, no payment system and the vast majority of features will require your smartphone to be connected in order to function, but I think the Watch Pro covers the basics well enough to satisfy most users.
The frustrations arise when you realise how much effort it takes to keep the watch connected to your phone. It just seems to disconnect itself all the time, and that means you won’t be getting notifications and many functions will be unavailable until you open the smartphone app and reconnect your phone.
Hopefully, this is something that will be improved as the software matures, and in fairness, there have been multiple updates pushed over the few weeks I’ve been wearing it. As it stands, it’s still a great-looking smartwatch at a bargain price, but there are definitely some refinements to be made.
CMF Watch Pro: Specifications
(Image credit: Luke Baker)
CMF Watch Pro: Price and availability
(Image credit: Luke Baker)
£69 in the UK
$69 in the US
AU$131 in Australia
The biggest draw of the CMF Watch Pro is its low asking price. While it may look a lot like an Apple Watch, its pricing puts it in closer competition with devices like the Xiaomi Smart Band 8, Fitbit Inspire 3 and the Amazfit Bip 5. All great watches in their own right, but none have quite the same premium allure as the CMF option.
It launched in September 2023 as a debut product for the CMF by Nothing brand, alongside some earbuds and a wall charger.
It’s available to purchase now from Nothing directly and via various authorised resellers in the UK. In the US, it can be found on Amazon and in Australia it’s available via AliExpress.
Value score: 5/5
CMF Watch Pro: Design and screen
(Image credit: Luke Baker)
1.96-inch AMOLED display
Dark Grey and Metallic Grey options
Replaceable 22mm silicon wrist strap
The CMF Watch Pro is quite a sizable watch, and while I think it looks great on my wrist, it’s worth noting that I am male and over 6 feet tall – it’s likely to look more out of place on petite wrists.
This watch is only a few millimeters smaller than the Apple Watch Ultra, so it’s quite chunky, but it wears it well. It’s also extremely lightweight, coming in under 50 grams including the silicon wrist strap, so you’ll barely feel it on your wrist – but you’ll see it.
I was sent the Dark Grey variant for testing and I think it’s the better-looking of the two finishes. The Metallic Grey option has a polished, almost mirror finish on its frame, a bit like the Google Pixel Watch 2, and while it does look nice I know I would be concerned about scratches and blemishes. The Dark Grey option is anodized with a more rugged-looking matte finish, and comes paired with either an ash gray or dark gray sports strap, the flashier orange strap is only supplied with the metallic version.
On the right-hand side, there’s a push button and a speaker, while all the other sides are blank and minimalistic. On the base, you’ll find an array of four optical sensors for fitness tracking and two pogo-pin pads that attach to the magnetic charging puck.
The screen is large, sharp and bright and it’s extremely responsive to touch input. There are large bezels on all sides, but for the most part, you’d never know. The UI has a black background throughout, and the majority of watch faces are dark, too. This means you rarely see these chunky bezels unless you’re really looking for them.
My biggest gripe with the screen isn’t the fault of the screen itself, it’s just that the watch doesn’t have an ambient light sensor. This means that on many occasions, the display is inappropriately bright or dim. Thankfully, it only takes a couple of taps to adjust the brightness, but it’s a hassle that you won’t experience with the more expensive watches on the market.
Design score: 4.5/5
CMF Watch Pro: Features
(Image credit: Luke Baker)
110 sport tracking modes
CMF Watch companion app for Android and iOS
Bluetooth calling with AI noise reduction
As you might expect with a watch at this price point, the functionality is quite limited compared to a Wear OS device or an Apple Watch. There’s no app store, everything that you can use comes preinstalled and ready to go out of the box. That said, the most commonly used smartwatch features are present here, and there’s more than enough for most people's needs.
There’s also no Wi-Fi onboard, so for any feature that requires internet access, like weather info, you’ll need to be paired to your smartphone via Bluetooth. The CMF Watch app is available on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store and it makes it as simple as can be to get up and running.
Most of the CMF Watch Pro’s features are accessed by tapping the button on the right-hand side. In the resulting menu, you’ll find everything from timers and alarms to music controls, phone calls and fitness tracking. When you open the Exercise app, you’ll find a comprehensive list of 110 different activities to choose between. I was pleasantly surprised to see that some of my more unusual hobbies, like inline skating and snowboarding, were represented here – so there’s a good chance that your sport of choice will be on the list.
Most of the tracking works similarly, measuring your heart rate, workout duration and location data (where applicable). It’s enough information for the casual user, but it might be a little lacking for true fitness buffs. You can’t use the watch to track your reps while strength training, for example.
The CMF Watch Pro can also check your stress level and blood oxygen levels, and it can monitor them 24/7 if you want it to, though that will cost you some battery life. Personally, I chose to keep the 24/7 heart rate monitoring active, which is the default, and activated the other sensors manually.
You can make and answer phone calls directly from the watch, so long as you are connected to your phone, and the function works quite well. My friends told me that my voice came through clean and clear, and the surprisingly loud built-in speaker meant that I could hear them well, too. The only frustration is that you have to manually add contacts to the watch, they won’t appear by default, so you’ll need to do a bit of set-up before you can call people on a whim.
One feature that I found quite appealing was the camera remote, which allows you to trigger a photo or start a timer using your watch. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it to work with my Vivo X100 Pro, and the literature says it won't work with an iPhone, either. Still, I've seen it demonstrated with other Android devices, and if yours happens to work, it could be handy.
Features score: 3/5
CMF Watch Pro: Performance
(Image credit: Luke Baker)
Up to 13 days of battery life
Heart rate, sleep, stress and SpO2 monitoring
Built-in multi-system GPS
The CMF Watch Pro is advertised as having up to 13 days of battery life on a charge, but of course, that all depends on how you use it. Personally, I used it with the always-on display active, 24/7 heart rate monitoring and notifications enabled for all of my most-used applications. With this configuration, you can expect to be charging it every five days or so.
When it's time to charge, you do so with the proprietary magnetic charging puck that comes included in the box. It's a bit of a flimsy connector and I think it could benefit from some stronger magnets or a ridge to lock into as it's very easy to accidentally disconnect it. That said, it gets the job done well enough, and it'll juice you back up to full battery in under 2 hours.
Nothing hasn't provided any information about the processor powering this watch, nor is there much information about its operating system, but what I can tell you is that it feels snappy and responsive in use and I haven't experienced any freeze-ups or stutters in my usage. In terms of fitness tracking, it’s hard to gauge exactly how accurate the measurements are, but my step count always came close to the figures I’m used to seeing on my other devices, and my average and maximum heart rates were very similar to the readings I got with my Amazfit Balance, too. The only oddity was that sometimes it would think I was asleep when I was relaxing and watching TV, so the sleep data might not be the most reliable out there.
Otherwise, the only real performance issue I experienced was the connection between the CMF Watch Pro and my phone. Unless I had recently used the CMF Watch app, the Bluetooth connection would just randomly drop, and that means no more notifications until you reopen the app, which seems to bump start the connection.
This happened every day without fail, and no matter how many permissions I gave the CMF Watch app, it didn’t seem to change. I tried pairing the watch with a couple of different phones, and the results were always the same, so it’s not an isolated problem, either. On the plus side, there has been at least one firmware update a week since I have been testing, so Nothing is actively working to make the experience better. Fingers crossed one of these updates brings with it better Bluetooth connection stability.
Performance score: 3/5
CMF Watch Pro: Scorecard
CMF Watch Pro: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
CMF Watch Pro: Also consider
CMF Watch Pro: How I tested
Our reviewer wore the CMF Watch Pro as his primary smartwatch for over two weeks, and it accompanied him in travelling, commuting and during regular workouts. It was paired to a Vivo X100 Pro for the majority of the testing period, but was also tried with an Honor smartphone and a Google Pixel to compare.
The tracking results were compared to historical results from the Amazfit Balance and TicWatch Pro 5, as well as the built-in step counter on the smartphone and the Strava app for GPS accuracy.
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The new AK UW100MKII are a hair’s breadth from being some of the best wireless earbuds on the market right now, but one major issue – and another problem that’d be a major one if the other didn’t exist – stop the right in their tracks.
The latest buds from South Korean premium audio company Astell & Kern, the buds sit alongside other audiophile-friendly products from the company, including DAPs, big-budget speakers and four-figure-price wired headphones. That should give you an impression of where A&K's latest proposition is targeted: these are top-end wireless earbuds.
You can tell when you listen to the AK UW100MKII – they sound absolutely fantastic. Audio is incredibly high-quality, detailed and balanced, enough to automatically place the AK amongst the best. So why only 2.5 out of 5?
The main issue (and it's a big one) comes from the UW100MKII’s design, as the bulky buds simply refuse to stay in the ear for long periods. That’s true even when you’re sitting still in a seat, but it can be dangerous when you’re out and about, with one ill-timed head turn or jump over a puddle causing these premium buds to fall into the drink or down a street grate, out of view.
I can’t overstate how annoying it was to have the buds constantly plummeting to the ground when I was trying to enjoy music; A&K offers five different silicon tips of different sizes in the box, yet none fixes the issue that these giant earbuds provide.
Even when the earbuds aren’t escaping and sliding to earth, they seem to think that they are. The errant wearer detection would constantly pause music, thinking that the earbuds were no longer in my ear, even when I hadn’t even touched them. The AK UW100MKII really don’t want you to listen to music, apparently!
It’s a great shame, because without those two issues, the AK UW100MKII could be best-in-class contenders. The feature set is rounded out by a fantastic EQ app that lets you fiddle with audio to your pleasure, incredibly responsive touch controls that’ll have your AirPod- or Samsung-bud-toting friends jealous, and an impressive battery life that beats many rivals.
That could all bring the score up to 3 stars, but what stops the AK UW100MKII from getting that round figure is the price of the buds. They’re priced at a level that’d be justifiable for the audio quality you’re getting, but that just seems galling if you can’t listen to music for more than 15 minutes at a time.
I can begrudgingly recommend the UW100MKII if you’re only going to listen at home, and have the money to spend on this pricey home-only pair. But if that’s not you, there are countless preferable rivals.
AK UW100MKII review: Price and release date
The case isn't the smallest, but we've seen far bigger (Image credit: Future)
Released in October 2023
Officially priced at $280 / £269 (roughly AU$340)
The AK UW100MKII are certainly not cheap earbuds. They cost $280 / £269 (roughly AU$340) when they were released in October 2023, and while you can find small discounts from third-party retailers occasionally, that’s generally the price you’ll pay for them.
At that price, the AK buds cost more than the Apple AirPods Pro 2, Sony WF-1000XM4 and, in the UK at least, the Technics EAH-AZ80, which we call the best premium earbuds in our round-up of the best wireless headphones.
AK UW100MKII review: Specs
AK UW100MKII review: Features
It's a unique design, but it doesn't lend itself to comfort or security (Image credit: Future)
Useful tie-in app
Responsive touch controls
Inaccurate wearer detection feature
The AK UW100MKII use Bluetooth 5.2, which isn’t quite the top standard, with 5.3 offering slightly reduced power consumption and lower latency, but the honestly the difference is largely negligible. Not once in our testing period with the AK did they lose connection or drop without reason. Initially the pairing process was a little fiddly, with my phone not recognizing the buds until I restarted both it and them, but afterwards it all worked peachy.
Of course, you can choose to set up the A&K app to gain a few extra features. Using this means you get to change what the touch controls do, play with EQ including creating your own custom set-up, and change the strength of ‘ambient mode’, a transparency mode letting you hear your surroundings.
There’s no active noise cancellation (ANC) here, with Astell & Kern instead opting for traditional passive noise isolation (PNI), which is arguably better at removing high-frequency noises but therefore struggles at the low end and with the constant thrum of everyday life.
The UW100MKII have a feature common in true wireless earbuds: automatic wearer detection, so they can pause music when you remove them and resume it when you put the buds back in your ear.
The Astell & Kern app opens up a lot of features (Image credit: Future)
That’s how the feature works in theory, but in practice it often erroneously thought I’d removed the buds when I hadn’t. I had to keep manually restarting my music; it only happened every hour or so, but it was still annoying enough that it’s imposible not to flag or to not affect the overall star-rating. I’d suggest it was only an issue with my review unit, however other reviewers have also raised the problem. Thankfully, you can toggle wearer detection off in the app – and I’d strongly advise you do so straight away.
Another common feature in buds is touch controls, but far from it not working well here, these could actually be some of the best-in-class headphones for on-ear touch functionality. You can tap on most parts of the earbuds to pause or resume your music, and not once in testing did they fail to recognize a press. The command is carried out quickly, with a gentle chime to let you know that it’s happening and you don’t need to press so hard that you shove the bud further into your ear. I often avoid earbud touch controls but these had me gleefully using them.
A&K cites a battery life for the buds of 9.5 hours, and in our testing this seemed roughly right. Using the charging case you can boost this up to 29 hours, and overall that figure matches or exceeds quite a few premium rivals in the market. For context, the AirPods Pro 2 have a 6-hour bud life and 30-hour case life.
The USB-C port in the charging case lets you power up the buds quickly, but you can also use wireless charging to power up these buds too. That can be especially useful if you have a smartphone with reverse wireless powering, which means you can turn the phone into a powering pad to boost other tech.
Features score: 3/5
AK UW100MKII review: Design
Large buds are prone to falling out
Unique appearance for buds and case
Fairly large charging case
A futuristic aesthetic for sure (Image credit: Future)
The UW100MKII just look a little different from other earbuds on the market (well, except the inaugural Astell & Kern AK UW100 buds).
This starts with the case: it has a hexagonal body that makes it resemble a futuristic-looking treasure chest more than somewhere you’re meant to store headphones. That’s doubly the case when you lift up the lid, which turns on the cyan LED strip. Weighing in at 65g, it’s a little on the large side, but we’ve seen cases that are a lot bigger too.
The earbuds themselves continue this unique design: they’re large and pentagonal, with a tapered, pointed end that continues the sci-fi theme. If you want earbuds that make it look like you’re living in a cyberpunk future, these fit the brief. However, this large housing contributes to the UW100MKII’s deal-breaking issue.
They're just a little too big to stay in (Image credit: Future)
In my testing time with the A&K buds, they would frequently fall out of my ears. Most frequently this was when I was walking, bobbing up and down, but they’d even tumble out if I was sitting still or simply moving my head. In an attempt to remedy the issue, I tested each of the five differently-sized replaceable tips that come with the headphones, but none fixed the matter.
If I were to speculate on why the UW100MKII were so keen to test the pull of gravity, I’d say that it’s the fault of the giant earbuds. Despite only weighing 7g, the large size drags the buds down and makes a secure fit impossible.
Given the tech packed into these second-gen. A&S earbuds, their large size is perhaps justifiable, but it’s hard to enjoy top-quality audio when they are constantly falling out.
Design score: 2.5/5
AK UW100MKII review: Sound quality
As a home-only set of earbuds, they may yet work for you (Image credit: Future)
Fantastic audio quality
Customization options
Max volume could be higher
Finally, we can move into ‘praise’ territory for the AK UW100MKII – and it’s well-deserved praise because they sound absolutely great.
The spec sheet is a veritable who’s who of audio-improving features and tools. There’s A&K’s home-brewed AK4332ECB DAC for improved conversion of digital information into music; multiple Bluetooth codecs including AptX Adaptive and AAC, a Qualcomm-made Bluetoooth chipset, a driver made by Knowles and more.
You don’t need to know what any of these individual entries mean, other than the fact that many different companies have contributed their expertise to the buds. And it shows.
The UW100MKII have a surprising level of sound quality for wire-free earbuds. You can hear the squeaks of guitars as players move their hands, individual notes in chords, different parts of harmonies, instruments as they fade instead of just dropping out. It’s really easy to enjoy music when you can hear all of the components separated and celebrated like this.
The bass sounds crisp and impactful, even when you haven’t boosted it using the app's EQ tab, but it never overpowers the treble in music. The soundstage is also impeccable – if you close your eyes, you can almost imagine a live band performing the music in front of you.
The ability to fiddle with, and customize, the EQ may appeal to particular audiophiles. I didn’t use it to augment my testing other than to test the efficacy of the feature itself, but was impressed by what I heard – some headphone EQs barely affect the music, but there was a palpable change when I fiddled with the bass or treble.
If I’ve one note – and it’s a fairly minor one – it’s that the maximum volume could have been a little higher. It’s fine for when you’re listening in a quiet room – I generally listened one tier below maximum in this setting – but if you’re out in public or somewhere noisy, it’d be nice to be able to bump up the volume a little more, especially with the lack of ANC.
Sound quality: 4.5/5
Should you buy the AK UW100MKII?
A thing of beauty, but sadly not good for the commute (Image credit: Future)
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
AK UW100MKII review: Also consider
How I tested the AK UW100MKII
Tested for two weeks
Largely tested at home, though with some excursions
The overall testing period for the AK UW100MKII was two weeks, not including writing time for the review itself.
After first setting up the earbuds, it quickly became apparent that they wouldn't reliably stay in my ear, even after I tried every single one of the other sized silicon tips included with them. For this reason I conducted most of the testing from home, for fear of the buds falling out somewhere – and me not being able to retrieve them. I did take the AK UW100MKII on a few trips around my neighborhood, just to be able to test the passive isolation out in the wild though.
I mainly tested the buds by streaming music from Spotify, but also watched TV shows on Netflix, played a few mobile games and conducted calls through the buds, in order to test them in a variety of circumstances.
I've been testing tech for TechRadar for nearly five years now including earbuds, headphones, smartphones, tablets, ereaders, speakers, smartwatches, even electric scooters; I've got plenty of experience reviewing and comparing products.
