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Blackmagic Pyxis 6K review – a filmmaker’s workhorse with quality full-frame sensor
3:20 pm | January 24, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Cameras Computers Gadgets Video Cameras | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K: two-minute review

The Blackmagic Pyxis is the company's first venture into box-style cameras, and at its core lies a proven full-frame sensor, delivering up to 6K resolution and 13 stops of dynamic range. The key benefit of this high resolution is that you can use the full width and height of the 3:2 surface area of the sensor, allowing for much greater flexibility when you need to produce content for multiple platforms.

The camera’s UI is generally a triumph, with large touch controls, clear navigation, and sensible menu structures. However, when you turn the camera to film vertically, the UI stays fixed; on the older Pocket 6K, the UI rotates to suit the new orientation, so it’s clear that Blackmagic had thought about this problem and had come up with a simple solution, and it’s odd that they’ve yet to implement it on the Pyxis, which lends itself even more to shooting in different orientations. That said, even during my brief time with the camera the company released significant updates to both the camera and the Blackmagic Camera App that delivered functionality and performance improvements, so I’m confident that it will address smaller issues like this in time.

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera in the studio, mounted to video tripod, with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)

In terms of hardware, the camera's standout feature is its machined aluminum construction, which offers professional-grade modularity and heat dissipation. However, the positioning of its cooling mechanism draws air from the base of the camera and forces it out through the top, and while it’s great for warming your hands on a chilly day, it does leave the camera feeling particularly exposed to inclement weather.

It features a multitude of mounting points on its bottom, top and side, where you’ll find its modular accessory plate, which can be used to install a rosette plate for a grip or an SSD holder for example. While the $2,995 / £2,645 / AU$4,899 (approx) starting price is competitive, buyers should factor in additional costs for essential accessories like an EVF, monitor, handle, and other rigging solutions, although many people buying this camera are likely to already have some compatible accessories.

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera on set, with optional monitor

(Image credit: Jon Devo)

The camera excels in its versatility with its comprehensive I/O (input / output) options, including BP-U battery compatibility, a nice common standard, as well as a 12G-SDI port and USB-C connectivity. The USB-C port on the front of the camera can transmit a video signal out to an HDMI source (without visual assist tools like false color), and the one on the rear can be used to tether the camera to a mobile device for remote wireless control, monitoring and synced recording across multiple connected Blackmagic cameras. Other professional features like timecode sync, Ethernet connectivity, SSD recording, and cloud workflow integration are also included.

The Pyxis delivers impressive image quality with Blackmagic's highly regarded color science, though it lacks some features that mirrorless shooters will be used to, like advanced autofocus and optical image stabilization. Some form of internal ND filter system would have been a big bonus, but nothing in this price range or class offers that, so expecting it would be unreasonable. While its few limitations are worth consideration, if you’re in the market for a true workhorse camera that can be adapted to a wide range of shooting scenarios the Blackmagic Pyxis makes a strong case for itself, especially when you consider that the purchase of a Blackmagic camera includes a full license for the DaVinci Resolve Studio editing suite, worth $295 / £235 / AU$440.

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K: price and release date

  • Body-only price: $2,995 / £2,645 / AU$4,899 (approx)
  • Available now in three lens mount versions; EF-mount, L-mount of PL-mount (the latter costs $100 / £100 / AU$180 extra
  • You'll want additional accessories

The Blackmagic Pyxis 6K was announced at NAB Show Las Vegas in April 2024 and is available to order now. It can be picked up for a list price of $2,995 / £2,645 / AU$4,899 body-only in EF or L-mount, while the PL mount version costs $100 / £100 / AU$180 (approx) extra.

That price represents five star value given how the camera handles and what it is capable of for filmmaking. However, you will also need to factor in multiple accessories to improve the shooting experience, including an optional monitor, viewfinder, top handle and more.

  • Price score: 4.5/5

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera in the studio, mounted to video tripod, with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K: specs

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K: design and handling

  • Excellent build quality with machined aluminum construction
  • Modular design, requires accessories to maximize its potential
  • UI doesn’t rotate as on the Pocket 6K

The Blackmagic Pyxis 6K is a relatively compact camera given what it's capable of, but it still weighs in at a hefty 3.3lbs / 1,500g, which is roughly the weight of two Lumix S5 IIX mirrorless cameras. Measuring 119 x 106 x 151mm (H x W x D), and with a fixed LCD display on its left side, the Pyxis feels like it needs an additional accessory for monitoring. If you want to stay on brand, your options include the Blackmagic URSA Cine EVF, the specially designed Blackmagic Pyxis Monitor, or a Blackmagic Video Assist. I had the chance to pair the camera with the Pyxis monitor, and it was ideal for run-and-gun-style shooting without being overly conspicuous, and its built-in pop-up hood is a nice touch. It’s a solid addition to the camera's accessory lineup, and provides full camera control via its touchscreen and the three customizable function buttons on its rear.

I also got to use the URSA Cine EVF, and it would be a great option for filming Electronic News Gathering (ENG) / documentary-style work, as it immerses you in the frame by blocking out off-camera distractions. The setup is highly flexible, with the EVF being easy to position. It comes with an extension arm, as well as USB-C to USB-C cables of various lengths, so that you can place the EVF in the most comfortable orientation possible for your style of shooting. A nice detail sees the EVF’s USB-C cables come with screw fixtures so that they can’t be easily pulled out, and I also like that the EVF has a tally light built into it.

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Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera in the studio, mounted to video tripod, with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)
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The Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera's top handle, in the studio with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)
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Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera in the studio, mounted to video tripod, with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)
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Closeup of the Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera's I/O options, in the studio with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)

Returning to the side of the camera, the Pyxis has physical controls for all key functions, and offers three customizable function buttons so that you can save your most commonly used tools – I set mine to focus assist, false color and LUT view. If you use the EVF, it also has physical buttons, three of which can be independently customized from the ones you’ve assigned on the body. I found that the buttons and control dial click and scroll responsively, and while I would have preferred an additional record button on the front or right side of the camera, the placement of the physical controls is generally logical, and will be swiftly committed to muscle memory with regular use.

People who are new to cinema-style box cameras may be in for a slight shock when they realize just how much additional kit they need to buy in order to make their camera functional – while its starting price seems competitive, the camera doesn’t even come with a battery in the box. So you will want to factor in additional costs, as they can stack up quite quickly. As well as power, the optional £165 / $199 (around AU$325) top handle feels like a necessity too, not least because it's critical for working with the EVF or Pyxis monitor. I’d most likely purchase the Pyxis monitor first, but the EVF is a nicely designed piece of kit; for me, as somebody who often shoots handheld outside, it definitely elevates the functionality of the camera.

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Memory card in the Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera's card port

(Image credit: Jon Devo)
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Rear of the Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera, in the studio with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)
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Top view of the Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera, in the studio with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)
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Closeup of the Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera's controls, in the studio with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)
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Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera in the studio, mounted to video tripod, with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)
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Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera in the studio, mounted to video tripod, with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)

The camera's layout is professional and purposeful, although the built-in screen’s position on the left side of the camera body forces you to touch it while holding it, quite a lot, which will undoubtedly jar some people. Helpfully, in the latest update (9.2) you’re able to lock the screen while still having full access to the camera’s physical controls, which is a welcome improvement in functionality. For audio, the camera offers a 3.5mm stereo input on the front, as well as a mini XLR input, which will give you phantom power. You can run the camera directly from mains power via its +12V 2-pin Lemo connector, which is handy for me, as someone who predominantly shoots in studios and controlled indoor environments. Its dual CF Express Type B card slots are protected by a rubber cover, and the locking USB-C ports add security for monitor connections. The overall build quality is excellent, especially given the camera’s competitive pricing, although the rubber media door could be more robust, and the lack of weather sealing is notable, albeit typical for this style of camera body.

  • Design score: 4/5

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K: features and performance

  • Internal 12-bit Raw video, but no ProRes
  • Filmic quality to footage
  • Versatile rigging options
  • Professional I/O
  • No in-body image stabilization
  • No continuous AF

The Blackmagic Pyxis 6K offers impressive connectivity options, including 12G-SDI output, USB-C, and Ethernet. The dual native ISO provides flexibility in various lighting conditions, while the dual card slots offer redundancy and extended recording times. Its best-in-class menu system is intuitive for newbies and familiar to Blackmagic users, offering logical functionality and decent customization options.

Professional features include built-in timecode, streaming capabilities, and cloud workflow integration. It also comes with a range of exposure tools that will ensure you’re gathering as much usable Raw imaging data as possible while recording. Typically, I would rely on false color, which I assigned to one of the camera’s three customizable function buttons. But it was great to see the addition of the RGB traffic light indicator system, which has possibly been borrowed from RED’s Komodo cameras. When any one of the camera’s pixel channels are beginning to clip, that light will stay illuminated, indicating that you need to lower your exposure. It’s a great at-a-glance exposure tool that’s been seamlessly integrated into the general display UI. Although it doesn’t work for underexposure, there are plenty of other tools, like false color, histogram, and zebra patterns available to help here.

Closeup of the Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera's monitor, in the studio with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)

During my review window Blackmagic released a couple of relatively major updates, one for the Blackmagic Camera App (iOS v2.2) and the other for the Pyxis 6K. The improvements introduced with Firmware 9.2 included some handy connectivity features. If its running the latest firmware, the Pyxis can now use a compatible iPhone as a monitor when acting as a personal wireless hotspot and tethered via the rear USB-C port (the Pyxis itself has no Wi-Fi transmission module), and when functioning like this, you can use your iPhone to control multiple cameras and even initiate synchronized recording, which is a great solution for people who often rely on multi-camera setups. The new firmware also provided a significant boost to the camera’s power efficiency, adding roughly 30-40% more operating time in my experience. Of course, your mileage may vary, but before the update I was already able to get about 35 minutes out of a BP-U-30 (28Wh) battery, and after the update I was getting another 20-30 minutes or so extra. Battery life monitoring was also improved by the update, so the camera will now go all the way down to 1% before eventually shutting off.

Some may be disappointed to learn that the Pyxis 6K has no stabilization whatsoever, but it does record gyro data to offer reasonable stabilization in post. There’s also noticeable wobble caused by rolling shutter when you’re moving with the camera, particularly when shooting in 6K open gate mode; it’s not horrendous, but it would encourage me to shoot more static-style shots when using this camera in particular. The visible effects of rolling shutter diminish as you reduce the sensor area used for recording, and are barely noticeable when shooting at 4K/60p in 17:9 aspect ratio, so I’d say it’s worth being conscious of what your output may be. Shooting for your end output instead of belligerently spamming open gate may be the wiser choice – you can save open gate for shots with less camera movement that need the flexibility of the sensor’s full readout. It’s worth mentioning that Davinci Resolve is also able to use the camera’s gyro data to mitigate some of the warping that you may see when moving the camera around while recording.

Closeup of the Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera's LCD monitor, in the studio with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)

Wrapping up my niggles, the autofocus system is basic and offers no continuous AF, but it does have some handy focusing tools, which can be adjusted to suit your preferences. You can also use the dedicated push-to-focus button at the top-left side of the camera, and there’s an Iris button above that, which can help you nail exposure in a pinch. The camera also works well with external focus solutions like the DJI Focus Pro, which would be a typical approach for working with a camera like this.

A final, positive operating observation is just how quickly the camera powers up. Within five seconds of switching it on, the camera is up and ready to record. If you’re not familiar with cinema cameras, this may seem like a long amount of time, but in this realm, the Pyxis is relatively speedy, and it’s refreshing.

  • Features and performance score: 4/5

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K: image and video quality

  • Excellent image quality in most conditions
  • Better noise-handling than the Z50 at the same ISO
  • 4K/60p video with a 1.5x crop

The Pyxis captures images that are typically attractive for Blackmagic cameras, if it’s a look you’re familiar with. By this, I mean that the footage looks detailed, without looking sharp, and highlights roll off softly, delivering a cinematic look that needs very little work to get it ready to publish. The quoted 13 stops of dynamic range provides good flexibility in post-production, especially if you expose for the highlights and utilize DaVinci Resolve’s highlight recovery in post, when needed. Color reproduction is excellent thanks to Generation 5 color science, and the OLPF effectively controls moiré, which is great for shooting buildings, or clothing like silk and denim.

Low-light performance is good within the camera’s limitations, though not class-leading. However, Resolve is armed with comprehensive tools for reducing the impact of sensor noise. If you have the time and the aptitude, Blackmagic RAW files are really easy to work with, and can be honed to deliver an attractive look in most situations. While it’s not a no-light camera, the Pyxis would be perfectly capable of delivering attractive video in bar/club lighting scenarios or other low-ambient-lighting scenarios. The ability to shoot up to 6K resolution with a full-frame sensor with frames for various aspect ratios provides excellent flexibility for different delivery formats.

  • Image and video quality score: 4.5/5

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K: testing scorecard

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera in the studio, mounted to video tripod, with a vibrant magenta background

(Image credit: Jon Devo)

Should I buy the Blackmagic Pyxis 6K?

Buy it if...

You’re a solo filmmaker or a small production unit that needs a professional solution
The Blackmagic Pyxis 6K is clearly built with pro work in mind, and is incredibly versatile.

You value image quality and want RAW video
Blackmagic RAW is one of the easiest pro video formats to work with, and even at its lowest bitrate settings the Pyxis delivers sumptuous video when exposed well.

You have a higher-end cinema camera and need a B-cam
The combination of the Pyxis 6K’s sensor and Blackmagic’s color science provide an excellent starting point for delivering cinematic video. However, the camera produces an image that is robust and flexible. If you or your colorist has a basic understanding of grading, matching your clips with footage from another high-end camera should be straightforward enough.

Don't buy it if...

You need a compact all-in-one solution
The Pyxis is designed to be rigged up and utilized in a wide variety of ways. For this reason, it’s relatively stripped back, but provides users with plenty of options for customizing its form and functionality to suit their needs.

You don’t need RAW video
If color grading your footage is not something your work (or pleasure) typically requires, there’s no need to pick up a camera that offers no compressed recording formats. You’ll be adding an unnecessary step to your workflow, which will cost you time and may cost you enthusiasm.

You need high-frame-rate, high-resolution video
The Pyxis 6K can shoot 6K at up to 50/60fps in the 17:9 and 2:4:1 aspect ratio respectively. It also shoots 2K at up to 100fps. However, if high-frame-rate video is a must for you, there are other cameras to consider that are more specialized for this type of filmmaking

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K: also consider

Canon EOS C70

Canon's smallest cinema camera, the EOS C70 can be had for a similar price seccondhand to the Pyxis 6K. It's a Super 35 format camera (a smaller crop-sensor) with 4K video up to 120fps in 10-bit 4:2:2 plus 12-bit RAW recording. It boasts up to 16 stops dynamic range and utilizes Canon's RF-mount and features autofocus, while it features most of the I/O options demanded by serious filmmakers. Both the Pyxis 6K and EOS C70 put forward unique strengths.

Z CAM E2-F6 Mark II

Another cinema camera with modular box design iz Z CAM'S E2-F6 Mark II. Like the Pyxis 6K, it features a full-frame sensor and is able to record 6K video, but up to 60fps, plus it supports ProRes RAW and 10-bit color, with 15 stops dynamic range. There's SDI and full-size HDMI ports, plus a BNC timecode port and genlock. There's also the E2-S6 Mark II version which is largely the same, only it has a smaller Super 35 sensor. At $3,499, Z CAM's box camera is pricier than the Pyxis 6K

How I tested the Blackmagic Pyxis 6K

Blackmagic Pyxis 6K camera on set, with optional monitor

(Image credit: Jon Devo)
  • I had a briefing and sneak peak of the camera before its unveiling at NAB in 2024
  • I paired the camera with a variety of L-Mount lenses, and a IRIX T1.5 via a Viltrox PL-L adapter
  • I connected the camera to the Blackmagic Camera app

I was sent the Blackmagic Pyxis for review to test for a couple of weeks, due to a firmware update being released during my review window. The kit that came with the camera included the Blackmagic URSA Cine Handle, the Blackmagic URSA Cine viewfinder, a 1TB Angel Bird memory card and reader, as well as a Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 lens.

The first thing I did after receiving the camera was to conduct my endurance tests, which include battery run-downs and heat management. I set the camera up on a tripod in an ambient temperature environment of 70F / 21C, and left it filming continuously while connected to mains power and on battery power alone.

I then took the camera out with me on some street walks, and to a couple of family and evening events. I performed sound-quality tests in a small studio environment.

First reviewed January 2025

Quicken Simplifi review
11:48 pm | January 23, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

The original incarnation of Quicken personal finance software has been around for many years, but it was joined a while ago by this, Quick Simplifi. With so many people using apps to get their personal finances in order on the go, Quicken Simplifi is a great option. This is an affordable package, which works really well on mobile devices meaning that it’s also super convenient to use.

There are personal finance app rivals, of course, especially from the likes of Rocket Money and YNAB, both of which offer a similar array of features and functions while staying reasonably affordable into the bargain. However, Quicken Simplifi is still one of the cheapest ways to get those personal finances into better shape and keep them that way.

The great thing about Quicken Simplifi, aside from its competitive price point, is the way that it lets users control all aspects of the personal finance landscape and can help manage money much more effectively. And, just like the best budgeting apps, there are tools and user options that will allow you to keep on top of personal finances and help plan for the future too. It’s one of the handiest personal finance apps you can have on a mobile device.

Quicken Simplifi

Quicken Simplifi is one of the most affordable of all the personal finance apps (Image credit: Quicken Simplifi)

Quicken Simplifi: Pricing

One very appealing aspect of Quicken Simplifi is its price point. Quicken is often available by way of an offer and currently the same applies to Quicken Simplifi thanks to a 50 percent off deal, which takes the monthly cost from $5.99 down to a hugely affordable $2.99 a month, billed annually. This was correct at the time of writing, but could obviously always be subject to change. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee too, which is handy if you’re not sure quite how well Quicken Simplifi will suit your needs.

Quicken Simplifi: Features

If you’ve ever experienced the original incarnation of Quicken you’ll know that it comes packed with features. Quicken Simplifi takes the usability feel of its bigger brother and presents a wealth of features in a much more mobile-friendly environment, which makes it ideal if you like to organise personal finances on the move. There is a desktop edition but Quicken Simplifi works really well when you’re dipping into those features and functions on your phone.

Although there are fewer power tools than the standard issue Quicken, this is a great app especially for anyone with more of a casual interest in staying financially organises. Getting your money into an organized state is central, but there’s also the option to get alerts, create reports and plan for the future too using Spending Watchlists. The great thing about all this is the way that the graphic-drive interface presents the figures.

Quicken Simplifi

The Quicken Simplifi interface is slick but features a powerful feature set (Image credit: Quicken Simplifi)

Quicken Simplifi also boasts tools for projected cash flows and investments. There’s a credit score tracker and detailed reporting whenever it’s needed. Better still, the management of all this data can be done very easily, with all manner of options for sorting and organising accounts, payees, bills and transactions. Again, the impressive graphics help drive the experience and make it much less stressful than some more sober personal finance packages.

Quicken Simplifi

Quicken Simplifi is great for getting a handle on how your finances are doing (Image credit: Quicken Simplifi)

Quicken Simplifi: Performance

Quicken Simplifi speeds along very efficiently in mobile guise, although the iOS  edition does feel slightly more nimble for some reason. Considering the software can be hooked up to over 14,000 financial institutions, it always performs admirably and a lot of that seems to be down to the carefully honed interface. Using Quicken Simplifi in the desktop environment is just as rewarding, plus there’s the added benefit of more screen real estate to get the most from its many features and functions.

Quicken Simplifi

Quicken Simplifi has a powerful set of tools that work great in the app (Image credit: Quicken Simplifi)

Quicken Simplifi: Ease of use

Much like the rest of Quicken Simplifi, the setup process is wonderfully straightforward. The app can be downloaded for both iOS and Android, with the Apple-focused edition feeling just that little slicker, and that has to be followed by an account setup procedure. Once that’s in place, the app can be connected to your financial accounts, which allows the software to paint a full picture of your financial situation within the software. The more accounts connected, the clearer the overview.

Quicken Simplifi

Quicken Simplifi has a very user-friendly interface (Image credit: Quicken Simplifi)

Quicken Simplifi: Support

Quicken has been around a long time, so it comes as no surprise to find that the levels of help and support found within Quicken Simplifi are as good as ever. The software is very intuitive and simple to get your head around anyway, but should a question or issue arise there’s a chatbot to get started. If that doesn’t solve a quandary, live help can take its place. However, there are also lots of resources and articles within the setup that tackle pretty much everything contained in Quicken Simplifi.

Quicken Simplifi

Quicken Simplifi benefits from comprehensive support if it is needed (Image credit: Quicken Simplifi)

Quicken Simplifi: Final verdict

If you’re really not keen on paying anything to keep your personal finances organised then Rocket Money’s free edition might do the trick. However, Quick Simplifi is hard to resist for the small monthly outlay (even less if you can bag one of the frequent Quicken deals) and for that you get a whole bunch of great power tools. Quicken Simplifi is super easy to use too, with a mobile interface that is second to none while the desktop edition isn’t bad either.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: the supercar of graphics cards
5:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Computing Components Gadgets | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: Two-minute review

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 is a difficult GPU to approach as a professional reviewer because it is the rare consumer product that is so powerful, and so good at what it does, you have to really examine if it is actually a useful product for people to buy.

Right out the gate, let me just lay it out for you: depending on the workload, this GPU can get you up to 50% better performance versus the GeForce RTX 4090, and that's not even factoring in multi-frame generation when it comes to gaming, though on average the performance is still a respectable improvement of roughly 21% overall.

Simply put, whatever it is you're looking to use it for, whether gaming, creative work, or AI research and development, this is the best graphics card for the job if all you care about is pure performance.

Things get a bit more complicated if you want to bring energy efficiency into the equation. But if we're being honest, if you're considering buying the Nvidia RTX 5090, you don't care about energy efficiency. This simply isn't that kind of card, and so as much as I want to make energy efficiency an issue in this review, I really can't. It's not intended to be efficient, and those who want this card do not care about how much energy this thing is pulling down—in fact, for many, the enormous TDP on this card is part of its appeal.

Likewise, I can't really argue too much with the card's price, which comes in at $1,999 / £1,939 / AU$4,039 for the Founders Edition, and which will likely be much higher for AIB partner cards (and that's before the inevitable scalping begins). I could rage, rage against the inflation of the price of premium GPUs all I want, but honestly, Nvidia wouldn't charge this much for this card if there wasn't a line out the door and around the block full of enthusiasts who are more than willing to pay that kind of money for this thing on day one.

Do they get their money's worth? For the most part, yes, especially if they're not a gamer but a creative professional or AI researcher. If you're in the latter camp, you're going to be very excited about this card.

If you're a gamer, you'll still get impressive gen-on-gen performance improvements over the celebrated RTX 4090, and the Nvidia RTX 5090 is really the first consumer graphics card I've tested that can get you consistent, high-framerate 8K gameplay even before factoring in Multi-Frame Generation. That marks the RTX 5090 as something of an inflection point of things to come, much like the Nvidia RTX 2080 did back in 2018 with its first-of-its-kind hardware ray tracing.

Is it worth it though?

That, ultimately, is up to the enthusiast buyer who is looking to invest in this card. At this point, you probably already know whether or not you want it, and many will likely be reading this review to validate those decisions that have already been made.

In that, rest easy. Even without the bells and whistles of DLSS 4, this card is a hearty upgrade to the RTX 4090, and considering that the actual price of the RTX 4090 has hovered around $2,000 for the better part of two years despite its $1,599 MSRP, if the RTX 5090 sticks close to its launch price, it's well worth the investment. If it gets scalped to hell and sells for much more above that, you'll need to consider your purchase much more carefully to make sure you're getting the most for your money. Make sure to check out our where to buy an RTX 5090 guide to help you find stock when it goes on sale.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: Price & availability

  • How much is it? MSRP is $1,999 / £1,939 / AU$4,039
  • When can you get it? The RTX 5090 goes on sale January 30, 2025
  • Where is it available? The RTX 5090 will be available in the US, UK, and Australia at launch
Where to buy the RTX 5090

Looking to pick up the RTX 5090? Check out our Where to buy RTX 5090 live blog for updates to find stock in the US and UK

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 goes on sale on January 30, 2025, starting at $1,999 / £1,939 / AU$4,039 for the Nvidia Founders Edition and select AIB partner cards. Overclocked (OC) and other similarly tweaked cards and designs will obviously run higher.

It's worth noting that the RTX 5090 is 25% more expensive than the $1,599 launch price of the RTX 4090, but in reality, we can expect the RTX 5090 to sell for much higher than its MSRP in the months ahead, so we're really looking at an asking price closer to the $2,499.99 MSRP of the Turing-era Nvidia Titan RTX (if you're lucky).

Of course, if you're in the market for the Nvidia RTX 5090, you're probably not squabbling too much about the price of the card. You're already expecting to pay the premium, especially the first adopter premium, that comes with this release.

That said, this is still a ridiculously expensive graphics card for anyone other than an AI startup with VC backing, so it's worth asking yourself before you confirm that purchase if this card is truly the right card for your system and setup.

  • Value: 3 / 5

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: Specs & features

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090's power connection port

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • First GPU with GDDR7 VRAM and PCIe 5.0
  • Slightly slower clocks
  • Obscene 575W TDP

There are a lot of new architectural changes in the Nvidia RTX 50 series GPUs that are worth diving into, especially the move to a transformer AI model for its upscaling, but let's start with the new specs for the RTX 5090.

First and foremost, the flagship Blackwell GPU is the first consumer graphics card to feature next-gen GDDR7 video memory, and it is substantially faster than GDDR6 and GDDR6X (a roughly 33% increase in Gbps over the RTX 4090). Add in the much wider 512-bit memory interface and you have a total memory bandwidth of 1,790GB/s.

This, more than even the increases VRAM pool of 32GB vs 24GB for the RTX 4090, makes this GPU the first really capable 8K graphics card on the market. 8K textures have an enormous footprint in memory, so moving them through the rendering pipelines to generate playable framerates isn't really possible with anything less than this card has.

Yes, you can, maybe, get playable 8K gaming with some RTX 40 or AMD Radeon RX 7000 series cards if you use aggressive upscaling, but you won't really be getting 8K visuals that'll be worth the effort. In reality, the RTX 5090 is what you want if you want to play 8K, but good luck finding an 8K monitor at this point. Those are still years away from really going mainstream (though there are a growing number of 8K TVs).

If you're settling in at 4K though, you're in for a treat, since all that bandwidth means faster 4K texture processing, so you can get very fast native 4K gaming with this card without having to fall back on upscaling tech to get you to 60fps or higher.

The GeForce RTX logo on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The clock speeds on the RTX 5090 are slightly slower, which is good, because the other major top-line specs for the RTX 5090 are its gargantuan TDP of 575W and its PCIe 5.0 x16 interface. For the TDP, this thermal challenge, according to Nvidia, required major reengineering of the PCB inside the card, which I'll get to in a bit.

The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, meanwhile, is the first of its kind in a consumer GPU, though you can expect AMD and Intel to quickly follow suit. Why this matters is because a number of newer motherboards have PCIe 5.0 lanes ready to go, but most people have been using those for PCIe 5.0 m.2 SSDs.

If your motherboard has 20 PCIe 5.0 lanes, the RTX 5090 will take up 16 of those, leaving just four for your SSD. If you have one PCIe 5.0 x4 SSD, you should be fine, but I've seen motherboard configurations that have two or three PCIe 5.0 x4 m.2 slots, so if you've got one of those and you've loaded them up with PCIe 5.0 SSDs, you're likely to see those SSDs drop down to the slower PCIe 4.0 speeds. I don't think it'll be that big of a deal, but it's worth considering if you've invested a lot into your SSD storage.

As for the other specs, they're more or less similar to what you'd find in the RTX 4090, just more of it. The new Blackwell GB202 GPU in the RTX 5090 is built on a TSMC 4nm process, compared to the RTX 4090's TSMC 5nm AD102 GPU. The SM design is the same, so 128 CUDA cores, one ray tracing core, and four tensor cores per SM. At 170 SMs, you've got 21,760 CUDA cores, 170 RT cores, and 680 Tensor cores for the RTX 5090, compared to the RTX 4090's 128 SMs (so 16,384 CUDA, 128 RT, and 512 Tensor cores).

  • Specs & features: 4.5 / 5

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: Design

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 sitting on its packaging

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • Slim, dual-slot form factor
  • Better cooling

So there's a significant change to this generation of Nvidia Founders Edition RTX flagship cards in terms of design, and it's not insubstantial.

Holding the RTX 5090 Founders Edition in your hand, you'll immediately notice two things: first, you can comfortably hold it in one hand thanks to it being a dual-slot card rather than a triple-slot, and second, it's significantly lighter than the RTX 4090.

A big part of this is how Nvidia designed the PCB inside the card. Traditionally, graphics cards have been built with a single PCB that extends from the inner edge of the PC case, down through the PCIe slot, and far enough back to accommodate all of the modules needed for the card. On top of this PCB, you'll have a heatsink with piping from the GPU die itself through a couple of dozen aluminum fins to dissipate heat, with some kind of fan or blower system to push or pull cooler air through the heated fins to carry away the heat from the GPU.

The problem with this setup is that if you have a monolithic PCB, you can only really extend the heatsinks and fans off of the PCB to help cool it since a fan blowing air directly into a plastic wall doesn't do much to help move hot air out of the graphics card.

A split view of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090's dual fan passthrough design

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Nvidia has a genuinely novel innovation on this account, and that's ditching the monolithic PCB that's been a mainstay of graphics cards for 30 years. Instead, the RTX 5090 (and presumably subsequent RTX 50-series GPUs to come), splits the PCB into three parts: the video output interface at the 'front' of the card facing out from the case, the PCIe interface segment of the card, and the main body of the PCB that houses the GPU itself as well as the VRAM modules and other necessary electronics.

This segmented design allows a gap in the front of the card below the fan, so rather than a fan blowing air into an obstruction, it can fully pass over the fins of the GPU's heatsink, substantially improving the thermals.

As a result, Nvidia is able to shrink the width of the card down considerably, moving from a 2.4-inch width to a 1.9-inch width, or a roughly 20% reduction on paper. That said, it feels substantially smaller than its predecessor, and it's definitely a card that won't completely overwhelm your PC case the way the RTX 4090 does.

The 4 8-pin to 16-pin 12VHPWR adapter included with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

That said, the obscene power consumption required by this card means that the 8-pin adapter included in the RTX 5090 package is a comical 4-to-1 dongle that pretty much no PSU in anyone's PC case can really accommodate.

Most modular PSUs give you three PCIe 8-pin power connectors at most, so let's just be honest about this setup. You're going to need to get a new ATX 3.0 PSU with at least 1000W to run this card at a minimum (it's officially recommended PSU is 950W, but just round up, you're going to need it), so make sure you factor that into your budget if you pick this card up

Otherwise, the look and feel of the card isn't that different than previous generations, except the front plate of the GPU where the RTX 5090 branding would have gone is now missing, replaced by a finned shroud to allow air to pass through. The RTX 5090 stamp is instead printed on the center panel, similar to how it was done on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition.

As a final touch, the white back-lit GeForce RTX logo and the X strips on the front of the card, when powered, add a nice RGB-lite touch that doesn't look too guady, but for RGB fans out there, you might think it looks rather plain.

  • Design: 4.5 / 5

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090: Performance

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 slotted into a test bench

(Image credit: Future)
  • Most powerful GPU on the consumer market
  • Substantially faster than RTX 4090
  • Playable 8K gaming
A note on my data

The charts shown below are the most recent test data I have for the cards tested for this review and may change over time as more card results are added and cards are retested. The 'average of all cards tested' includes cards not shown in these charts for readability purposes.

So how does the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 stack up against its predecessor, as well as the best 4K graphics cards on the market more broadly?

Very damn well, it turns out, managing to improve performance over the RTX 4090 in some workloads by 50% or more, while leaving everything else pretty much in the dust.

Though when looked at from 30,000 feet, the overall performance gains are respectable gen-on-gen but aren't the kind of earth-shattering gains the RTX 4090 made over the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090.

Starting with synthetic workloads, the RTX 5090 scores anywhere from 48.6% faster to about 6.7% slower than the RTX 4090 in various 3DMark tests, depending on the workload. The only poor performance for the RTX 5090 was in 3DMark Night Raid, a test where both cards so completely overwhelm the test that the difference here could be down to CPU bottlenecking or other issues that aren't easily identifiable. On every other 3DMark test, though, the RTX 5090 scores 5.6% better or higher, more often than not by 20-35%. In the most recent;y released test, Steel Nomad, the RTX 5090 is nearly 50% faster than the RTX 4090.

On the compute side of things, the RTX 5090 is up to 34.3% faster in Geekbench 6 OpenGL compute test and 53.9% faster in Vulcan, making it an absolute monster for AI researchers to leverage.

On the creative side, the RTX 5090 is substantially faster in 3D rendering, scoring between 35% and 49.3% faster in my Blender Benchmark 4.30 tests. There's very little difference between the two cards when it comes to video editing though, as they essentially tie in PugetBench for Creators' Adobe Premiere test and in Handbrake 1.7 4K to 1080p encoding.

The latter two results might be down to CPU bottlenecking, as even the RTX 4090 pushes right up against the performance ceiling set by the CPU in a lot of cases.

When it comes to gaming, the RTX 5090 is substantially faster than the RTX 4090, especially at 4K. In non-upscaled 1440p gaming, you're looking at a roughly 18% better average frame rate and a 22.6% better minimum/1% framerate for the RTX 5090. With DLSS 3 upscaling (but no frame generation), you're looking at 23.3% better average and 23% better minimum/1% framerates overall with the RTX 5090 vs the RTX 4090.

With ray tracing turn on without upscaling, you're getting 26.3% better average framerates and about 23% better minimum/1% framerates, and with upscaling turned on to balanced (again, no frame generation), you're looking at about 14% better average fps and about 13% better minimum/1% fps for the RTX 5090 against the RTX 4090.

At 4K, however, the faster memory and wider memory bus really make a difference. Without upscaling and ray tracing turned off, you're getting upwards of 200 fps at 4K for the RTX 5090 on average, compared to the RTX 4090's 154 average fps, a nearly 30% increase. The average minimum/1% fps for the RTX 5090 is about 28% faster than the RTX 4090, as well. With DLSS 3 set to balanced, you're looking at a roughly 22% better average framerate overall compared to the RTX 4090, with an 18% better minimum/1% framerate on average as well.

With ray tracing and no upscaling, the difference is even more pronounced with the RTX 5090 getting just over 34% faster average framerates compared to the RTX 4090 (with a more modest 7% faster average minimum/1% fps). Turn on balanced DLSS 3 with full ray tracing and you're looking at about 22% faster average fps overall for the RTX 5090, but an incredible 66.2% jump in average minimum/1% fps compared to the RTX 4090 at 4K.

Again, none of this even factors in single frame generation, which can already substantially increase framerates in some games (though with the introduction of some input latency). Once Multi-Frame Generation rolls out at launch, you can expect to see these framerates for the RTX 5090 run substantially higher. Pair that with Nvidia Reflex 2 to help mitigate the input latency issues frame generation can introduce, and the playable performance of the RTX 5090 will only get better with time, and it's starting from a substantial lead right out of the gate.

In the end, the overall baseline performance of the RTX 5090 comes in about 21% better than the RTX 4090, which is what you're really looking for when it comes to a gen-on-gen improvement.

That said, you have to ask whether the performance improvement you do get is worth the enormous increase in power consumption. That 575W TDP isn't a joke. I maxed out at 556W of power at 100% utilization, and I hit 100% fairly often in my testing and while gaming.

The dual flow-through fan design also does a great job of cooling the GPU, but at the expense of turning the card into a space heater. That 575W of heat needs to go somewhere, and that somewhere is inside your PC case. Make sure you have adequate airflow to vent all that hot air, otherwise everything in your case is going to slowly cook.

As far as performance-per-price, this card does slightly better than the RTX 4090 on value for the money, but that's never been a buying factor for this kind of card anyway. You want this card for its performance, plain and simple, and in that regard, it's the best there is.

  • Performance: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090?

A masculine hand holding an RTX 5090

(Image credit: Future)

Buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 if...

You want the best performance possible
From gaming to 3D modeling to AI compute, the RTX 5090 serves up best-in-class performance.

You want to game at 8K
Of all the graphics cards I've tested, the RTX 5090 is so far the only GPU that can realistically game at 8K without compromising on graphics settings.

You really want to flex
This card comes with a lot of bragging rights if you're into the PC gaming scene.

Don't buy it if...

You care about efficiency
At 575W, this card might as well come with a smokestack and a warning from your utility provider about the additional cost of running it.

You're in any way budget-conscious
This card starts off more expensive than most gaming PCs and will only become more so once scalpers get their hands on them. And that's not even factoring in AIB partner cards with extra features that add to the cost.

You have a small form-factor PC
There's been some talk about the new Nvidia GPUs being SSF-friendly, but even though this card is thinner than the RTX 4090, it's just as long, so it'll be hard to fit it into a lot of smaller cases.

Also consider

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090
I mean, honestly, this is the only other card you can compare the RTX 5090 to in terms of performance, so if you're looking for an alternative to the RTX 5090, the RTX 4090 is pretty much it.

Read the full Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 review

How I tested the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090

  • I spent about a week and a half with the RTX 5090
  • I used my complete GPU testing suite to analyze the card's performance
  • I tested the card in everyday, gaming, creative, and AI workload usage
Test System Specs

Here are the specs on the system I used for testing:

Motherboard: ASRock Z790i Lightning WiFi
CPU: Intel Core i9-14900K
CPU Cooler: Gigabyte Auros Waterforce II 360 ICE
RAM: Corsair Dominator DDR5-6600 (2 x 16GB)
SSD: Crucial T705
PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower PF3 1050W Platinum
Case: Praxis Wetbench

I spent about a week and a half testing the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, both running synthetic tests as well as using it in my day-to-day PC for both work and gaming.

I used my updated testing suite, which uses industry standard benchmark tools like 3DMark, Geekbench, Pugetbench for Creators, and various built-in gaming benchmarks. I used the same testbench setup listed to the right for the purposes of testing this card, as well as all of the other cards I tested for comparison purposes.

I've tested and retested dozens of graphics cards for the 20+ graphics card reviews I've written for TechRadar over the last few years, and so I know the ins and outs of these PC components. That's why you can trust my review process to help you make the right buying decision for your next GPU, whether it's the RTX 5090 or any of the other graphics cards I review.

  • Originally reviewed January 2024
GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review: smart, swell, and it purifies well
5:00 pm |
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.

Eizo FlexScan EV3240X review
2:53 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 357 of PC Pro.

Sometimes, numbers can’t do justice to products. In fact, if you judged this monitor by numbers alone then it wouldn’t even win an award, let alone the Labs Winner gong. No matter how well it might perform in technical tests, there was one number that would always rule them all: the price. It’s more than three times as expensive as the award-winning Iiyama ProLite XUB3293UHSN-B5, despite them sharing the same 4K resolution and 31.5in screen diagonal, and scoring similarly in our tests.

We think the Iiyama is great – and stupendous value – but the Eizo will make you go “wow” in a way that no other monitor on test here can. Much of the credit for this must go to the combination of a 2,000:1 contrast ratio and the color characteristics of an IPS panel. Aside from mini-LED panels, we’ve never been hit so forcefully between the eyes when looking at photos or films. Couple that with gorgeous whites and it’s the best all-round image quality we’ve seen in a monitor this size.

Full view of the Eizo FlexScan EV3240X

(Image credit: Future)

Naturally, you also benefit from the extras offered by Eizo monitors. Let’s start with the OSD, as this is not only incredibly intuitive and speedy – Eizo provides the best OSDs here by some margin – but also offers the ability to tweak colors to fine margins. Head into the Advanced Settings, for instance, and you can control hue, saturation and gain.

However, you’ll probably find it easier to switch between the presets. Those are sRGB, Paper, Movie and DICOM (for medical environments), plus two user-defined slots. The sRGB preset is particularly impressive, locking the panel down to exactly 94% of the gamut, without any spillover, and with an excellent –albeit not exceptional in this month’s company – average Delta E of 0.61. Switch to Movie and it leaps from 66% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut to 87% – again, with no leakage and strong accuracy.

While you don’t get the high-end color control provided by Eizo’s ColorEdge monitors, nor its ColorNavigator software, Eizo’s InStyle software is worth the 6.6MB download. Connect over USB-C or USB-B and you can save your color preferences (useful if you connect to different Eizo screens in a hotdesking office) and activate the circadian dimming option – this gradually shifts the color temperature over the course of a day. The separate InStyle server tool offers some basic management for IT teams, too, so long as the monitor is connected via the wired network port. Useful if you want to prevent users pushing up the brightness too high or control how quickly its Power Save mode kicks in.

Rear view of the Eizo FlexScan EV3240X

The solid stand offers plenty of adjustment options (Image credit: Future)

There are plenty of ways for users to control how much energy this monitor draws, too. Activate the EcoView mode in the OSD and it will change the brightness based on the ambient light conditions, and if you want to take manual control then it goes all the way from 1cd/m2up to 400cd/m2(despite its official peak of 350cd/m2).

As with the ColorEdge, you also benefit from a generous five-year warranty with the promise of on-site swapouts if something goes wrong. We also love how easy it is to set up Eizo monitors: they come ready assembled, so it’s simply a matter of lifting them into place.

Here, despite what looks like a pair of fixed feet, the stand delivers a huge amount of flexibility. You can rotate through 45° in either direction, tilt it up 35°, adjust the height by an astonishing 195mm and pivot it 90° into portrait mode (imagine having two of these monitors side by side). We love the sleek bezels, too, giving the monitor a more modern look than previous Eizo screens.

Eizo provides a generous number of ports, with a pair of HDMI inputs and a DisplayPort alongside USB-C. Two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports sit at the rear, too, with one more to the side next to a USB-C downstream port for connecting peripherals. This delivers up to 15W of power while the main USB-C connector can feed up to 94W.

Sideview of the Eizo FlexScan EV3240X

Eizo provides a generous number of ports, including RJ45 (Image credit: Future)

There are even a pair of 3.5mm jacks, one for a mic and the second for headphones. You may never need this, though, as a pair of impressive 2W speakers round off the FlexScan’s features. While they don’t offer the miracle of a strong bass response, they’re a surprisingly good choice for listening to music. You may even decide you don’t need a separate pair of speakers.

Admittedly, that £50 saving only fills a small part of the nigh-on £1,500 you’ll need to pay for this monitor. Despite the many advantages offered by the FlexScan EV3240X over Iiyama’s far cheaper rival, that’s tough to justify. But trust us when we say that if you find the extra budget for this monitor, you’ll appreciate the purchase years after the pain of paying the bill has gone.

We've also ranked the best photo-editing PCs.

Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X review
2:39 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 357 of PC Pro.

The ColorEdge CG2700X stands out from other monitors in this group test for many reasons. First, this is a monitor absolutely and unapologetically designed for creative professionals. Second, and tied to that, its huge top bezel contains a built-in calibrator (more on that in a moment). Third, its price, which is six times that of the BenQ PD2706U – which is also a 4K 27in monitor with its eye on the creative market.

A 10-bit panel sits at this monitor’s foundation. As we mentioned in the buyer’s guide (in PC Pro), this means it can cover 1.07 billion colors without the use of FRC, and it’s one of the indicators of professional-level quality here. Years ago, you would have needed a pro-quality graphics card to supply a 10-bit signal, but the rising quality of consumer graphics cards (and Nvidia’s Studio driver) means this is no longer the case.

However, the ColorEdge still needs to be part of a color-managed system if you want to maximize your investment. Eizo’s ColorNavigator 7 software is here to help, as it not only helps end users set up an individual monitor but also means a company can ensure all the ColorEdge monitors, in all their offices, will display the same colors.

It enables them to control the brightness, too, and Eizo is keen to promote the sustainability of its ranges. A big part of that is power consumption, and while this monitor can push all the way up to 545cd/m2it still looks great at 200cd/m2(and, unusually, you can push it right down to 40cd/m2, while the OSD even tells you how bright it is). Using the supplied monitor hood helps to control the appearance of colors.

Full view of the Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X

The ColorEdge CG2700X is as color-accurate as you’d expect for the price (Image credit: Future)

Eizo promises that this monitor will be up and running, producing accurate colors, after three minutes rather than the 30 minutes creatives are used to waiting, which will help if you need to set it up on shoots.

Then there’s its most unique feature: the built-in calibration tool.

You can set this to swing down automatically after a set number of hours (50 to 500) or at regular times – this could be daily, weekly, monthly or even annually. You can even keep working as it performs the calibration. The other brilliant feature for designers is that you can so easily jump between pre-calibrated color spaces. These include the expected sRGB, Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 gamuts to those favored by video editors: BT.2020 and BT.709. If you’re using a BT.2020 clip, it can even warn you that it can’t be reproduced in BT.709 and can show you how it will look to audiences who have more standard TVs.

Anyone who needs to edit HDR footage will also appreciate its support for hybrid log-gamma (HLG) and the perceptual quantization (PQ) curve, and you’ll even see a warning if areas of an image – think extreme whites – can’t be accurately displayed as they go beyond the peak brightness of the monitor itself.

The Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X, with the screen adjusted sideways into a portrait configuration

Eizo’s monitor is the pinnacle of quality (Image credit: Future)

Eizo is also notorious for its attention to detail, and that extends to its support for 100W when powering devices over the USB-C connection. Power equals heat, and that affects colors unless you dissipate it fast. And that’s why there are two metal grilles at the rear of the monitor: not merely to look good, but to allow any excess heat to be removed without recourse to noisy fans.

We also love the OSD. It’s by far the most informative on test, and it’s packed with options that allow you to switch to different gamuts, gamma settings, ICC profiles and color temperatures within seconds. You can also prioritize contrast deviation.

Alternatively, so long as you have a USB connection, you can use ColorNavigator 7. The rear offers a USB-B port next to the RJ45 connector (vital if you want to manage this monitor across a network), plus DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 inputs. Over on the left-hand side you’ll find four USB-A ports, with two in blue supporting the faster USB 3.2 Gen 1 standard, but note the lack of a second USB-C port. The only other missing feature is a pair of speakers.

Sideview of the Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X

Two of the four USB-A ports support USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Image credit: Future)

We’ve covered a lot of technical detail, but ultimately what Eizo is offering is trust. Trust in the colours you see, but also that this monitor will keep on delivering the goods for years. That’s reflected in the build quality of the monitor and in the five-year on-site warranty, where Eizo will come and replace the faulty unit.

Clearly, you’re paying for this in the up-front price, and many creative companies will get more value out of six BenQ PD2706U screens instead. Ultimately, though, the CG2700X is the pinnacle of quality and, so long as you support it with the right hardware and color management system, it’s worth the investment.

We also rated the best graphic design software.

BenQ BL2790QT review
2:32 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

This review first appeared in issue 357 of PC Pro.

There’s a lot to like about this 27in, 1440p monitor. Especially for owners of Apple laptops, as BenQ goes out of its way to color-match its output with MacBook screens via the M-book mode. And that’s just the start: the brilliant OSD, arguably the best here, makes it simple to switch profiles between Coding, Movie, Game and sepia-tinted ePaper.

Those who find their eyes are tired by the end of the day will appreciate the Care mode, which uses an ambient light sensor to keep the screen at sensible brightness and contrast levels. You can also manually adjust low blue light options, with five intensity levels to flick between, while BenQ says its Flicker-Free Technology “eliminates flickering... to reduce eye strain, fatigue and headaches”. It also offers a Color Weakness Mode, where you can tweak the red and green filters.

A 1440p resolution is a great choice on this size of display. That works out at 109ppi, so at normal viewing distances it’s sharp. Sure, you miss out on the 4K detail of the similarly priced Acer Vero CB272K, but we prefer the whites of the BenQ display.

Don’t expect wide color gamuts. Despite all those menu options, its DCI-P3 coverage stayed at around the 70% mark throughout our tests, and in reality this panel is tuned to the sRGB space: it covered 98% out of a 103% volume in its default mode. Color accuracy is excellent, too, with an average Delta E of 0.43. For a 6-bit panel that reaches 16.7 million colors using FRC, we were pleasantly surprised by its quality.

Sideview of the BenQ BL2790QT

The 1440p resolution looks sharp on this size of display (Image credit: Future)

BenQ also packs in a pair of high-quality speakers; certainly good enough to listen to music to during a working day. There’s no webcam, but oddly there is a microphone – complete with noise reduction – which may well do a better job than a standalone webcam’s. Another minor surprise: this stand swivels. Its slim, square stem looks like it should stay in place, but offers 20° of movement each way. There’s a decent 110mm of height adjustment, too.

Connectivity is mixed. There’s no RJ45 port and no USB-B input, so the three USB-A ports (two crammed into the rear, one at the side) and data-only USB-C port can only be used if you’re connecting via USB-C. Those with power-hungry laptops should note that this only delivers 65W. But, unusually, it offers a DisplayPort out for daisy-chaining a second display, and there’s a 3.5mm input to go along with the normal headphone jack.

Even without these features the BenQ BL2790QT is a great-value choice, but if you’ll take advantage of them then it’s a no-brainer.

We've also rated the best iPhones.

Logitech G309 Lightspeed review: a wireless gaming mouse that offers just enough to keep gamers interested
12:54 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Mice Peripherals & Accessories | Comments: Off

Logitech G309 Lightspeed review

The Logitech G309 Lightspeed is a mid-range wireless gaming mouse, aimed towards the more casual gamer who doesn’t need the elite features or performance of more premium offerings.

In terms of appearance, the G309 Lightspeed keeps things simple. There’s no gaming imagery or designs present (there’s not even any RGB lighting), looking more akin to a productivity mouse than anything else. Only a small Logitech G logo offers any sort of contrast to the monochrome colorway.

The overall shape is sleek, as the bulbous rear thins out towards the front. It’s not as wide or as long as the G502 Lightspeed, one of the best gaming mice around. But the mouse buttons do feel long, and their relatively flat profile means your fingers are more horizontal than you might expect; claw-grippers, therefore, might not find the G309 Lightspeed to their liking.

Build quality is also good. The plastic shell feels reasonably thin but sturdy nonetheless, and thankfully the large lid for the battery compartment feels secure yet easy enough to open when needed. The mouse buttons are snappy and light, but with enough solidity to inspire confidence.

The scroll wheel is notched tightly enough to prevent misfires, yet loose enough for speedy performance. The scroll wheel button puts up too much resistance, though, and is awkward to press at times. The side buttons, however, are light and responsive yet solid.

The PTFE skates are quite thin, making the G309 Lightspeed a mouse I would recommend using on padded surfaces only. There’s no replacement skates included in the box either, as some other gaming mice do.

Top of Logitech G309 Lightspeed

(Image credit: Future)

Weighing in at 86g, the G309 Lightspeed does make itself felt in the hand. The weight is mostly concentrated in the center-rear, which helps it feel balanced, but those who set a low DPI may struggle to perform big swipes. This isn’t helped by the lack of grip: the sides aren’t indented to allow your thumb and fingers to get a proper hold of the body, and the smooth-textured plastic material fails to offer much traction. However, grip tape is included for both the sides and the mouse buttons, which does help to improve the situation.

If you use the G309 Lightspeed with the Logitech’s Powerplay wireless charging mat, the weight drops to 68g as you shed the AA battery. This makes the G309 Lightspeed much more amenable to large sweeps. However, Powerplay is an additional extra that adds to the overall price of the mouse.

Logitech claims the Lightspeed Hybrid switches feel mechanical despite being optical. I have to say that these claims hold water. They are light enough for ultra-fast clicking, yet provide enough feedback to feel what’s going on, all of which makes the G309 Lightspeed very satisfying to game with.

The G309 Lightspeed is also smooth and precise when gliding and aiming, although the 1K maximum polling rate might not be enough for those after the absolute best FPS performance. However, the G309 Lightspeed still performs on this front.

The Lightspeed Wireless connection also gave me no trouble when gaming. Switching between two devices, one connected via Bluetooth and the other the Lightspeed USB dongle, was also quick and hassle-free.

Side buttons of Logitech G309 Lightspeed

(Image credit: Future)

Via Logitech’s G Hub software, various tweaks and customizations to the G309 Lightspeed are possible. There are profiles available for a whole host of popular games, and DPI presets for various genres and use cases, including productivity, first-person, MMORPG, simulation and strategy. You can also tweak the sensitivity of each of the five DPI increments yourself, from 100 up to 25,600.

Along with the DPI settings, you can also reassign the mouse buttons. Options include rebinding buttons to other buttons and keys, as well as common shortcuts and system-level functions, such as cycling audio devices, copying and pasting, launching apps, and controlling media playback. There are also configurable actions specific to Discord, Streamlabs, Overwolf and OBS.

You can change the poll rate too, as well as the switch-type from hybrid to mechanical. However, the G309 Lightspeed lacks some of the more advanced tweaks seen on other gaming mice. For instance, there’s no motion sync toggle, or lift-off and debounce time adjustments.

Battery life is quoted as being up to 300 hours when using the Lightspeed wireless connection, or 600 when using Bluetooth. Although I wasn’t able to spend this much time with the G309 Lightspeed, I can say that over almost a week’s worth of use via both Bluetooth and the Lightspeed wireless USB dongle, the battery life dipped by around 5%, so Logitech’s claims do seem reasonably accurate.

At this price point, the G309 Lightspeed represents good value, considering its performance and specs. The multiple wireless connectivity options, as well as the integration with Logitech’s G Hub software, are welcome features and work as intended. However, the 1K poll rate may not be enough for some, and there are other gaming mice out there, such as the Cooler Master MM311 and Logitech’s own G305, that may prove to be better value depending on what you want from a gaming mouse.

Logitech G309 Lightspeed: Price & availability

Underneath of Logitech G309 Lightspeed

(Image credit: Future)
  • $79 / £79 / AU$149
  • Available now
  • Cheaper alternatives available

The G309 Lightspeed costs $79 / £79 / AU$149 and is available now. It comes in two colorways, black and white. There’s also a Kamisato Ayaka Special Edition available in certain territories, such as the US.

Despite the AA battery, the G309 Lightspeed can be used with Logitech’s Powerplay wireless charging mat, with the brand currently offering a 30% saving on it in a bundle deal.

The G309 Lightspeed sits somewhere towards the lower end of Logitech’s Lightspeed wireless range of gaming mice. The G502 and G903 sit above it in terms of spec, with their upgraded hardware and additional features. However, the G502 is only marginally more expensive, although it does have an inbuilt battery and many additional buttons.

Meanwhile, the G305 is even cheaper, although this only has one onboard memory profile slot, as opposed to five on the G309 Lightspeed. There’s also no Bluetooth connectivity, but it does have an inbuilt battery and a USB-C port.

If you’re really on a budget, the Cooler Master MM311 is even cheaper and about the best wireless gaming mouse around in terms of value for money. Like the G309 Lightspeed, the MM311 also has a 1K polling rate and requires a AA battery.

Logitech G309 Lightspeed: Specs

Should you buy the Logitech G309 Lightspeed?

Buy it if...

You want good gaming performance
For the price and spec, the G309 Lightspeed will provide many players with enough precision and snap.

You want good software
G Hub, for the most part, is an easy-to-use and versatile tool, offering numerous customization options for the G309 Lightspeed, although more advanced tweaks aren’t possible.

Don't buy it if...

You want an elite performer
With a weight of 86g / 68g and a maximum polling rate of 1KHz, the G309 Lightspeed might not cut it for pro-level players.

You want to play and charge
There’s no USB port or inbuilt battery, so you can’t just plug in a cable and continue gaming. There’s an optional charging mat available, but it’ll cost you.

Logitech G309 Lightspeed review: Also consider

Cooler Master MM311
Our pick as the best gaming mouse for those on a budget, the MM311 undercuts just about every other wireless gaming mouse on the market, yet still offers top-tier quality. It also requires an AA battery like the G309 Lightspeed, but it’s lighter at 77g.

Read our full Cooler Master MM311 review.

Logitech G305 Lightspeed
For less money than the G309 Lightspeed, you could opt for the G305 Lightspeed. It has an inbuilt battery and a USB-C port, both of which are absent from the G309. It also has the same 1K polling rate, although it does miss out on Bluetooth connectivity and only has 1 profile slot on its onboard memory. If you want to keep things as simple as possible, though, this could be a contender.

Read our full Logitech G305 Lightspeed review.

How I tested the Logitech G309 Lightspeed

  • Tested for about a week
  • Used for gaming and productivity
  • 10+ years gaming experience

I tested the G309 Lightspeed for about a week. During that time, I used the G309 Lightspeed for gaming, as well as for productivity and general use.

I played games that put the G309 Lightspeed through its paces, including Counter-Strike 2 and I Am Your Beast. I also used as many features and made as many tweaks as possible via the G Hub software, in order to test its usability and effectiveness.

I have over 10 years of PC gaming experience, and during that time I have used multiple gaming mice, including those made by Logitech. I have also reviewed numerous gaming mice with varying specs and price points, from budget offerings to esport-grade devices.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: January 2025

GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro: a wireless gaming mouse with a brash design that unfortunately hampers performance
12:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Mice Peripherals & Accessories | Tags: | Comments: Off

GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro: two-minute review

The GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro is made for pro-level players with its advanced features and looks aimed squarely at the gaming market. But its design will be divisive, to say the least.

The GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro's industrial spiderweb body with its faux scuffs and scratches (on the Battle Worn Edition) would’ve looked dated 20 years ago. The dull gray color of this variant only adds to the dourness. The center of the mouse features a large RGB light, which certainly makes it stand out even more. However, I struggle to imagine anyone who would find the Mercury M1 Pro to their taste.

You might think the pitted design would help keep the weight down, but the metal frame and center mass of the Mercury M1 Pro makes itself felt; at 88g, it’s certainly heavier than the best gaming mouse around.

Its long shape and webbing also make for bad ergonomics. The metallic material doesn’t offer the best grip, and the mouse buttons are quite short and feel like a stretch to reach – those with smaller hands may struggle in particular with this aspect.

The concave side walls also fail to offer much support or grip when lifting off before swipes. Optional grip tape is included for the sides and the mouse buttons, but this didn’t improve matters for me, and the padding material feels cheap and too slippery to be of much use.

On top of this, the mouse buttons feel too weighty to allow for quickfire clicks despite their cheap-feeling plastic construction, and simply don’t feel comfortable under the fingertips. However, the scroll wheel and side buttons do feel solid and secure enough to use.

The thin skates seemed quite scratchy at first, even on padded surfaces, until I realized they were covered by imperceptibly thin peel-away sheets - so make sure to take these off before using the Mercury M1 Pro. Afterward, the scratchiness was gone and gliding felt a lot smoother. Replacement skates are also included, but these don’t offer any additional padding.

GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro on desk with USB cable and dongle

(Image credit: Future)

Via the GravaStar software, you can make various customizations and tweaks. All the standard options are present, such as the ability to rebind five of the six buttons on the Mercury M1 Pro (the main left button cannot be altered).

These include some useful system-level shortcuts and functions, including custom keystroke combinations (with or without modifier keys), media playback controls, and both vertical and horizontal scrolling. However, the selection is a little sparse compared to those offered by some other peripheral software.

Other rebinds include a fire mode, which lets you assign a button to rapid-fire left click up to three times (or infinitely until the button is released) in intervals of between 10 and 255 ( I presume milliseconds, as the software doesn’t actually specify the unit). There’s a DPI lock mode to set the sensitivity of the Mercury M1 Pro to a fixed amount rather than cycling through the six available increments (although these increments can be set yourself in the software too).

There’s also a macro recording feature, and – of course – multiple patterns and color options to choose from for the RGB lighting.

Catering to the elite, there are also tweaks for the lift-off distance (between 1 and 2mm) and debounce times (between 4ms and 8ms). You can also toggle motion sync, ripple control, and angle snapping on or off.

However, what won’t suffice for many pro-level gamers is the 4K polling rate. This is achieved using the other USB dongle included in the box of the Battle Worn Edition, which is much larger than the default bundled 1K dongle and looks like something that might birth a xenomorph (though why you'd want that on your desk, I have no idea). Many high-end gaming mice offer an 8K polling rate, which makes for a more noticeable improvement in precision and smoothness. Here, though, I struggled to discern a performance increase between 1K and 4K, which begs the question: if you’re going to include a separate dongle to allow for higher polling rates, then why stop short of 8K?

When it comes to actually playing games, the Mercury M1 Pro fails to impress in this regard either. The aforementioned ergonomic issues make gliding and clicking awkward; there’s just not enough snappiness or ease of movement to make it viable for pro-level play in competitive online games. It’s precise enough for more casual sessions, but the feel in the hand doesn’t make the Mercury M1 Pro much fun to use.

As for battery life, GravaStar's website merely states that it’s “prolonged”, whatever that means. During my tests, in which I used a mixture of power and connectivity modes, it only dropped by 5% after a day's worth of use, which is admittedly solid performance.

The various connectivity methods worked well, although switching between the 1K and 4K dongles isn’t straightforward, requiring re-pairing every time, which only adds to the inconvenience. However, the process is relatively quick and easy, and you likely won’t be switching much between these modes on the same machine anyway.

It’s hard to find much to commend in the Mercury M1 Pro, especially since it commands a high-end price. For the same money, you could have a Cherry XTRFY M68 PRO, which offers a higher 8K polling rate and much better design and performance, though it lacks any tweaking software. Various Razer offerings, such as the DeathAdder V3 Pro, roundly beat it in every regard.

Side view of GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro

(Image credit: Future)

GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro: Price & availability

Underneath of GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro with USB dongle

(Image credit: Future)
  • $129 / £101 / AU$198
  • Battle Worn Edition includes 4K dongle
  • Top end of the market

The Mercury M1 Pro costs $129 / £101 / AU$198 and is available now. It comes in two colorways: Gunmetal Gray and Silver Mist, the latter of which is the Battle Worn Edition. This features the aforementioned faux wearing and comes with the 4K dongle, hence its price hike over the Gunmetal Gray variant, which costs $99 / £78 / AU$152.

It’s cheaper than some of the best wireless gaming mouse options in our view, including the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro. However, that mouse can achieve an 8K polling rate (albeit requiring an additional adapter to do so). It also integrates with Synapse, Razer’s peripheral software that offers many advanced customizations.

For about the same price as the Mercury M1 Pro, you could also get the Cherry XTRFY M68 Pro. Again, this mouse has an 8K polling rate, which is supported right out of the box. At 55g, it’s also a lot lighter than the Mercury M1 Pro. However, it doesn’t have any peripheral software, so all adjustments must be made via some rather cumbersome button combinations.

GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro: Specs

Should you buy the GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro?

Buy it if...

You want something brash
There’s no denying you’ll be making a statement with the Mercury M1 Pro, as its bright lights and doom-metal stylings stand out.

You want good software
The accompanying software is easy to use, runs well, and offers the advanced tweaks and customizations pro-level gamers crave.

Don't buy it if...

You want good looks
Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the Mercury M1 Pro is hard to love, especially the dreary Battle Worn Edition.

You want good ergonomics
That design and long profile makes it hard to use the Mercury M1 Pro comfortably, especially in the heat of simulated battle.

You want the best performance
Offering a 4K polling rate but not 8K is somewhat baffling, and its hefty weight isn’t ideal for speed.

GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro: Also consider

Cherry XTRFY M68 Pro
For the same price as the Battle Worn Edition of the Mercury M1 Pro, you could have the M68 Pro instead. This offers an 8K polling rate as opposed to the 4K maximum of the Mercury M1 Pro, as well as better performance and a superior design.

Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro
It’s more expensive than the Mercury M1 Pro, but as one of the best gaming mice on the market, the DeathAdder V3 Pro has everything a pro gamer needs: a light weight, excellent performance, great customization options, and an 8K polling rate is possible with the optional HyperPolling dongle. Read our full Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro review.

How I tested the GravaStar Mercury M1 Pro

  • Tested for several days
  • Used for gaming and productivity
  • 10+ years PC gaming experience

I tested the Mercury M1 Pro for several days, and used it for gaming, productivity, and general use.

I played titles such as Counter-Strike 2 and I Am Your Beast – fast-paced shooters that are the perfect testing grounds for gaming mice. I also used as many features present in the GravaStar software as possible, and used all connectivity modes, including the 4K dongle.

I have been PC gaming for over 10 years and during that time, I have used a number of gaming mice. I have also reviewed a wide variety of products in this segment, spanning various sizes, feature sets, and prices, from big-name brands and lesser-known manufacturers.

Read more about how we test.

First reviewed: November 2024

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: I used it for two weeks, and it’s so good I don’t understand why anyone would buy the Galaxy S25 UItra
9:00 pm | January 22, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Two-minute review

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue showing TechRadar.com Galaxy S25 Ultra review

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Galaxy S25 Plus is much better than good enough. For a few hundred more than the Galaxy S25 you’re getting a major upgrade over that phone – much bigger than the step up from the Plus to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. If you’re looking for a larger-screen Android phone and you like the smell of what Samsung is cooking, the Galaxy S25 Plus is easy to recommend. It does everything well, and you won’t be wasting your time and money on features you don’t need.

Don’t call the Galaxy S25 Plus a Goldilocks phone. It isn’t just a slightly bigger Galaxy S25, or a slightly cheaper Galaxy S25 Ultra. The screen size is actually in the middle, fractionally smaller than the Ultra display, but it feels like a much larger phone compared to the Galaxy S25’s more pocket-friendly size.

The Galaxy S25 Plus’s secret weapon is its display. It packs the same number of pixels as the larger S25 Ultra, but more densely into a 6.7-inch panel, instead of the 6.9 inches of the Ultra. That means it’s technically Samsung’s sharpest phone screen, with a higher pixel density than the more expensive flagship, even if you might not notice the difference in day-to-day use.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue next to Galaxy S25 both showing always on displays

Galaxy S25 on the left, Galaxy S25 Plus on the right (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

What else do you get with the Galaxy S25 Plus, besides the best display? The Plus charges a bit faster, up to 45W, than the Galaxy S25, which charges at up to 25W. Of course it has a larger battery inside as well, which translates to longer battery life. In our battery tests, the S25 Plus actually beat the S25 Ultra by 10 minutes – a nice win considering it has a slightly smaller battery cell.

Another fun advantage the Galaxy S25 Plus has over the Ultra is the choice of colors. Samsung sent me the S25 Plus in blue, and it's the nicest-looking blue phone I’ve ever seen. It’s a deep, rich hue that changes as it refracts light. I’m almost relieved that I didn’t get a case with it, because I love showing off this phone.

During my review period, the Galaxy S25 Plus was a joy to use, and I found myself using the larger Plus much more often than the smaller Galaxy S25. I loved having more screen real estate, especially when it came to shooting photos.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue showing TechRadar.com with Galaxy S25 Ultra review

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

I wish I had more to say about Galaxy AI, but in the two weeks I spent with the phone, it didn’t do very much. I was expecting more suggestions and recommendations, if not a complete AI takeover like we’re seeing with Apple Intelligence. Instead, during my time with the Galaxy S25 Plus, Galaxy AI was… quiet?

I didn’t mind. The Galaxy S25 Plus is solid, really pleasing in almost every way – and I wonder if more AI would have made my experience worse, rather than better.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Price and availability

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue behind Galaxy S25 in silver, both from back showing cameras

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Available for $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 with 256GB of storage
  • Better display than Galaxy S25, cameras a step down from S25 Ultra

While Apple charges $100 / £100 / AU$200 for its ‘Plus’ iPhone 16 over the smaller model, Samsung asks for more when you upgrade to Plus, and it gives you more. The Galaxy S25 Plus isn’t just a larger version of the Galaxy S25; it’s a step up in terms of the display, and it has better battery life with faster charging. Frankly, that puts the Galaxy S25 Ultra in a precarious position, priced as it is above the $1,000 / £1,000 threshold.

What the Galaxy S25 Plus lacks, compared to the flagship Ultra, is the best cameras Samsung offers. The Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus have the same cameras as last year’s Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus, and frankly these cameras look suspiciously similar to the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus. If you want Samsung’s best cameras, and one of the best camera phones you can buy, you’ll need to pay an exorbitant $300 / £250 / AU$450 premium, although you do also get the S Pen.

The Galaxy S25 Plus comes in the brighter, more vibrant colors that you’ll also find on the Galaxy S25, not the made-for-business hues of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. My review sample is, to my mind, the best color, the striking Navy Blue; you also get the Plus in Icyblue, Mint, and Silver Shadow, along with some exclusive colors that Samsung is saving for its own web store.

At this price tier the competition is especially fierce. You can forgo the basic iPhone 16 and get the titanium iPhone 16 Pro. You can get a Google Pixel 9 Pro for around the same price, but the Pixel phone often drops closer to the Galaxy S25’s price level, so it can look a bargain next to the Samsung. The OnePlus 13 is cheaper than the Galaxy S25 Plus, and OnePlus has a perpetual trade-in deal in the US that keeps the final price even lower.

I’m just saying, this phone is a good choice, but it would be even easier to recommend if it had some new, amazing cameras.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

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Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Specs

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue showing more setting options

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Galaxy S25 Plus gives you more than just a bigger display and battery, compared to the Galaxy S25. The display is much bigger, a full half-inch diagonally, which makes the phone seem a whole larger category of device. It’s also a better display, with more pixels per inch, making it seem just a touch sharper than the Galaxy S25 – as mentioned, it’s technically more sharp than even the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

You also get a bigger battery in the Galaxy S25 Plus than in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and Samsung also increases the charging speed to 45W versus the Galaxy S25’s 25W charging. In our testing, that translated to about 10% more battery every 15 minutes of charging, a nice little boost.

The Galaxy S25 Plus starts with 256GB of storage, which is twice what most of the world will find on the base model Galaxy S25. Every Galaxy S25 model, including the Plus and Ultra, comes with 12GB of RAM inside.

Samsung offers enough of a spec bump with the Galaxy S25 Plus to justify its price jump over the Galaxy S25, but I wonder if it could have made better choices. At this price range, Apple, Google, and OnePlus give you the best cameras those phone makers offer. With Samsung, you still need to spend more to get the best cameras, and then you’ll end up with the Ultra, which might be more phone than you need, and more money than you’d like to spend.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Design

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue showing back of phone and bottom USB-C port

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Much bigger than the Galaxy S25, not much smaller than the Ultra
  • Half the buttons of an iPhone 16

Samsung has stagnated when it comes to its phone design, and the Galaxy S25 Plus looks just like the Galaxy S25, as well as the Galaxy S24 and S23. That’s not the worst thing – the Galaxy S25 Plus feels like a polished, well-built, premium smartphone – but it also feels like a missed opportunity.

Maybe Samsung doesn’t need a full redesign, but can’t we at least have one more button? When the iPhone 16 got the Camera Control and an Action button I predicted that Samsung would eventually catch up; but the Galaxy S25 was already too far along, I suppose, for Samsung to add more hardware to keep parity with Apple’s base model iPhone.

The Galaxy S25 Plus just needs… something. The side button can now activate Google Gemini, in addition to Bixby, but I kind of like using that button for Bixby, to turn on the flashlight or turn on my Wi-Fi hotspot. I don’t need a Gemini button; I want my hardware buttons to control the hardware.

I’d love to see Samsung nail the camera button, because Apple left me wanting something softer, with more travel. Or maybe a temperature sensor, like the Pixel 9 Pro. Or maybe an infrared emitter to control my home gear, like the OnePlus 13. See, the Galaxy S25 Plus needs something, because the competition is offering more and more for the same price, or less.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue held in hand from side showing volume and power button

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Also, the overall design hews too close to the iPhone… again. If you’d never seen a smartphone and I handed you a Galaxy S25 Plus and an iPhone 16 Plus, you’d think they were made by the same people. That’s a backhanded compliment, but Google, OnePlus, and even Motorola have shown us that there is room for originality in phone materials and design – not every handset has to be hazy glass and metal slabs with rounded corners, and cameras in the upper-left corner.

  • Design score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Display

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue showing home screen with AI generated lighthouse, standinng in between two adorable Android figurines

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Higher resolution than the Galaxy S25, not just bigger
  • Fingerprint scanner didn’t work consistently

The Galaxy S25 Plus has a fantastic display, and it might be Samsung’s best, on paper at least. Instead of blowing up the Galaxy S25 display, with its lower resolution, Samsung shrank the Galaxy S25 Ultra display a bit, so both phones pack the same pixels. Because the S25 Plus is a bit smaller, it packs those pixels more tightly, resulting in a display that’s technically sharper. I couldn’t see a difference from the Ultra, but the step up from the smaller Galaxy S25 is noticeable, and significant.

The Galaxy S25 Plus is especially bright, which helps when you need to use the phone outdoors. This phone is great for taking photos, because the viewfinder is easy to see in any situation, and I preferred shooting with the larger S25 Plus versus the Galaxy S25 because the larger display made it easier to see my subjects.

The Galaxy S25 Plus, like the S25 Ultra, gets Samsung’s new ProScaler technology, which the phone maker says it’s borrowed from the Samsung TV group. This tech is supposed to upscale the resolution on any video content you watch on the Galaxy S25 Plus. It won’t change the frame rate, so you won’t get the weird motion effect you see on some TVs; it just improves the resolution.

In practice, I didn’t notice much difference between regular HD video quality on this phone and the smaller Galaxy S25. If I paused a video, I could see less blurriness on the Plus, but it wasn’t noticeable while the video was playing.

Like the Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25 Plus has a fingerprint scanner that gave me some trouble. About once a day it failed to open for my fingerprint, and I had to use my password instead. I’ve seen much more reliable scanning from competitors, especially the OnePlus 13.

  • Display score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Software

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue with two windows open and a pop-up video call all at once

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Samsung One UI is colorful but more polished than ever
  • Galaxy AI isn’t overbearing, at least not yet

I usually complain about Samsung phone software – I find the settings and the sheer number of features and options to be confusing and excessive. In this case, I’m going to let things slide. The Galaxy S25 Plus has the latest One UI 7 version of Android 15 from Samsung, and it looks good. It’s colorful and original, and it still offers plenty of customization, but now the phone does more of the work for you, thanks to improved AI.

For instance, every time I opened the Widgets menu to add a new widget to my home screen, the Galaxy S25 Plus had new suggestions for me – and they weren’t bad! I found some useful widgets this way, even though I’m not sure what criteria the AI uses to decide what I’d like. The Galaxy S25 Plus also did a fine job with other suggestions, like suggesting replies to text messages, or suggesting edits in the photo Gallery app.

Somehow Samsung has struck the best balance between powerful AI and obtrusive AI of any phone maker. Galaxy AI appears in the form of suggestions, not demands. You can almost ignore the AI features entirely, or just have all of the AI results computed on your phone, instead of in the cloud. This is a nicely measured approach to mobile AI, and Samsung is doing it best.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue showing settings Quick Settings drop down, standing in between two adorable Android figurines

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

I also appreciate the improvements to Samsung’s own Bixby AI. Bixby is better than ever at finding and controlling features on your phone. We’re still not at the finish line – I think Bixby could become even more helpful if it could explain things better. Still, for finding features and taking actions on the phone, Bixby is the best AI, better than Siri or Gemini, for sure.

Sadly, Bixby has been cut off from most of the Galaxy S25 Plus. At startup, your phone encourages you to make Gemini your side-button companion, relegating Bixby to the settings menu or its own Bixby app. I worry that most people won’t find my friend Bixby, which makes me sad, because Bixby has finally gotten smart enough to be interesting.

It’s still early days for all of this mobile AI stuff, and even new phones like the Galaxy S25 Plus will have years to improve, with Samsung promising seven full Android OS updates. As my phone collects more data about me and learns to do more itself, and once Samsung figures out how to integrate Gemini and Bixby properly, I think Samsung could have the best mobile AI device around.

For now, the AI just doesn’t do much, and I’m fine with that – it doesn’t do too much. I wish it did everything Samsung promised at launch, like turning off my TV when I fall asleep or suggesting better lighting for bed time. We’ll get there. For now, I’m just enjoying the suggestions.

  • Software score: 3 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Cameras

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue held in hand showing the back

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Solid cameras that work well in a variety of situations
  • Great pro settings, though some require extra downloads

The Galaxy S25 Plus takes great photos, and I especially like Samsung’s Camera app for all of its shooting modes, though it can get a bit confusing, in classic Samsung style. If you like shooting bright blue skies, crispy croissants, and colorful crowds, the Galaxy S25 Plus is the right camera for you, because Samsung excels at photos that are meant for sharing.

You won’t get the most accurate colors or the most detail, but the Galaxy S25 Plus is very reliable, and I knew it could capture low-light photos and get me the details I wanted, or close-up macro photos to catch that bug before it skittered away. It feels versatile, and there’s no situation it can’t handle.

There are, perhaps, a couple too many shooting modes. There’s a Pro mode, as well as Pro Video, and you can get even more Pro and become an Expert Raw user. Expert Raw is a separate app, though you access it through the Camera, and it gives you features like astrophotography and even more photo controls.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue showing a TechRadar Google Meet video call, standing in between four adorable Android figurines

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

If you shoot mostly video, the Galaxy S25 Plus now supports Log file recording, which gives you much more control over your color profile at the editing stage. The maximum video resolution is 8K at 30fps, which is higher-resolution than any monitor I own.

I’m skeptical about AI photo editing, but the Galaxy AI tools have become truly impressive. For fun, I decided to cut my exes out of old photographs, and the Galaxy S25 Plus gave me perfect selfie shots in romantic locations – nobody else included. It even managed to create proper folds in my pullover, or add landscape to fill in the blanks. Only the closest scrutiny would cause a viewer to suspect the photo was altered by AI, were it not for the ‘AI-generated content’ logo that appears at the bottom after you make such changes.

  • Camera score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Camera samples

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Camera samples from the Galaxy S25 Plus

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Camera samples from the Galaxy S25 Plus

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Camera samples from the Galaxy S25 Plus

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Camera samples from the Galaxy S25 Plus

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Camera samples from the Galaxy S25 Plus

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Camera samples from the Galaxy S25 Plus

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Performance

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue with Star Wars Hunters title screen showing

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Top-ranking performance from the Snapdragon 8 Elite
  • Where does all that power go? It’s hard to tell

The Galaxy S25 Plus is one of the best-performing phones I’ve ever tested, matched only by the other two Galaxy S25 devices. That’s thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset inside, a bespoke version of Qualcomm’s Elite mobile platform that has been just slightly overclocked for Samsung, and while it’s enough for Samsung to claim bragging rights, this processor was already plenty fast.

In fact, I’m not sure why I need all that power? Last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 could already run all of the best Android mobile games at the top performance settings. What’s above the top? Samsung hasn’t done much visually to take advantage of the improved performance, though I suspect that the Galaxy AI features, especially the AI features that will eventually come to this phone, will take up much of the processor’s clock time.

For now, you can choose to run most of the Galaxy AI computations on the phone instead of sending that work to the cloud, if you’re especially security conscious or worried about the impact on the environment.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue showing always on display with photograph in color

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

You can also run DeX, Samsung’s desktop environment, though DeX is looking more and more mobile these days, more like a big iPad than a Chromebook. If you want to get some work done on a bigger screen, and with a bigger keyboard, and a mouse even, you can plug all of those into the USB port on the Galaxy S25 Plus (or connect wirelessly), and you suddenly have a mini desktop computer. It’s pretty sweet for the right circumstance, like answering work emails or checking out photos on a big screen.

I still wonder if it’s time for the Galaxy series to step up to a more advanced experience. I’d love to see more desktop-level apps, like a real Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, since the Snapdragon seems to have that kind of power. I haven’t seen huge improvements in Android apps for a while, besides some choice games, which the Galaxy S25 Plus can handle easily, with all the ray tracing and pixel pushing required.

  • Performance score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Battery

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Navy Blue showing USB-C port on bottom

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Best battery life of the Galaxy S25 family
  • Faster charging than the Galaxy S25

Battery life on the Galaxy S25 Plus is remarkable. The phone easily lasted through a full day in my time using it for work and play alike, and probably could have made it through two days with more conservative usage – but I take a lot of photos.

Our Future Labs testing agrees. In our battery rundown test, the Galaxy S25 Plus is our new Samsung battery champ, beating even the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which is odd considering that the Ultra has a slightly larger battery. The S25 Plus lasted 18 hours and 45 minutes, while the Ultra lasted 18 hours and 35 minutes. Both of those are stellar results. The smaller Galaxy S25 was also admirable, but it lasted less than 16 hours in our testing; so if you want the best battery from a Samsung Galaxy, get the Galaxy S25 Plus.

That said, the OnePlus 13 lasted 19 hours and 45 minutes in the same battery rundown test, making it our outright battery champ, but all of these phones will easily get you through an active day of use.

The Galaxy S25 Plus charges faster than the other Galaxy phones as well. With a 45W charger, you can charge the S25 Plus to 70% in 30 minutes, and my phone was fully charged within 50 minutes. That’s faster than the iPhone 16 or the Galaxy S25, which both max out at a slower 25W charging speed. Once again, however, the OnePlus 13 steps out ahead with incredibly fast 80W charging (with a 100W charger on the way).

It’s strange that Samsung hasn’t improved its charging speed, whether that’s for USB-C or wireless charging. Phones from many Chinese brands can charge much faster, but I guess that since Apple and Google aren’t competing with faster charging, Samsung hasn’t stepped up. Hopefully we’ll see this improve with in the next generation.

  • Battery score: 4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a Galaxy S25, only bigger and better
You might spend more to get a larger screen and more battery life, but the Galaxy S25 Plus also gives you faster charging and a sharper display.

You have hope for the future
Galaxy AI doesn’t do much right now, but there are seven years of Android updates ahead for this phone. It can only get better, right?

You’re all-in on Galaxy gear
If you have a Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Book, or Galaxy Buds, the Galaxy ecosystem is growing, and Galaxy devices work better together.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best cameras
Unlike Apple and Google, Samsung makes you pay more if you want the best cameras. Only the Ultra has the best cameras Samsung makes, sorry Plus.

You’re buying a house, or you like to draw
The Galaxy S25 Ultra has the S Pen, which is useful if you sign a lot of digital documents, or you want professional-strength drawing capabilities.

You want something fresh and new
The Galaxy S family has been stagnant for a while, so if you don’t need a new phone right away, maybe wait until Samsung has some new ideas.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: Also consider

OnePlus 13
For less than the Galaxy S25 Plus you can have much better battery life, better ultra-wide and zoom cameras, and a more durable phone in the OnePlus 13.

Read our full OnePlus 13 review

Galaxy S25 Ultra
Let’s be honest, cameras are the most important feature, and the Galaxy S25 Plus just doesn’t have them. If you want the best cameras, you need the Ultra.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus

  • I tested the phone for two weeks
  • I took dozens of photos
  • I played games and watched movies
  • I checked email and worked in Slack
  • I used AI features extensively
  • Benchmark testing is for comparison, not scoring purposes

I received the Galaxy S25 Plus almost two weeks before this review was published. I tested the phone extensively, alongside the Galaxy S25, using the same work and personal apps and accounts on each.

I used the Galaxy S25 Plus for taking photos, communicating with work colleagues using messages and Slack, and conducting video conference calls. I played games, and edited photos from my Google Photos library.

I connected the Galaxy S25 Plus to a Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, supplied by Samsung. I wore the Galaxy Watch to sleep, and let the Galaxy S25 Plus listen to me as I slept. I also connected an Xbox wireless controller to play games. I connected the S25 Plus to my car for Android Auto and multimedia. I connected the phone to my Steelseries USB-C keyboard, my MX Master mouse, and my Dell monitor for DeX capabilities.

I used Smart Things on the Galaxy S25 Plus to control my home thermostat, lights, security, and television. I used Gemini as my primary side-button AI, but I also used Bixby extensively.

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