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Bluesound Pulse M review: a wireless speaker that fails to justify its substantial price tag, sonically speaking

1:30 pm | December 22, 2024

Bluesound Pulse M: two-minute review

The Bluesound Pulse M is a mid-market multi-room speaker that promises wide, immersive sound. It's compatible with both lossless streaming and hi-res audio over a wired connection, and is clearly aimed at audiophiles who are looking for a compact yet versatile speaker. On top of this, its angled tweeters are billed as providing a broader stereo effect than many single-unit setups are capable of.

The Bluesound Pulse M’s audio is impressively detailed, as you’d expect from a speaker capable of lossless streaming. I was impressed by how Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes by Paul Simon managed to sound both warm and crisp, with his voice rising above the mix and that tight, noodly guitarwork cutting right through. And its stereo effect is genuinely impressive – while you won’t hear two distinct channels for left and right per se, there’s still a separation to its sound that feels broader than a single speaker should be able to deliver.

Unfortunately, this is somewhat undermined by how unbalanced the audio can be. Like a lot of speakers in recent years, the Pulse M bets big on bass, which would normally be a pretty safe bet for a fan of sub like myself. However, in the process it neglects other frequencies, with mids in particular suffering compared to many of the best wireless speakers. With its sub and kicks, a slice of warm tech like Burst by Kiasmos should really shine on a bassier speaker, but instead that dusty arpeggiated synth and lush strings came off as slightly foggy here.

It is possible to rectify this using some of the speaker’s sound profiles. Personally, I found Front Row, Bluesound’s enhanced profile, to be a bit of a damp squib – it absolutely has an impact on the sound, giving it a bit more urgency, but that comes at the expense of a compressed feeling overall. Instead, I found using the BluOS app’s settings to boost treble and duck the bass achieved better results – although I did find myself wishing it had proper EQ settings to give me even more direct control over the sound.

When it comes to setting up and controlling the Pulse M, Bluesound’s BluOS app is easy enough to use, although it has some odd issues here and there. When setting up the speaker, multiple steps would fail, only to immediately succeed when I retried. And these glitches extend to its Alexa voice control skill as well. I found I was able to pause, play and skip music, but every time I asked my Echo Dot to select a specific track the Pulse M remained obstinately silent – so if voice control is your thing, you might be better off with one of the best smart speakers instead.

Design is probably the area where the Pulse M shines most. It’s well built, feeling sturdy without being overly heavy or bulky, while its white matte finish feels suitably premium to the touch. A built-in proximity sensor only lights up the buttons when you wave your hand near, which feels appropriately sci-fi. However, I’d personally prefer the touch-sensitive buttons to have some haptic feedback; offering that immediate feedback when pressed would make it much more obvious when the speaker has registered your input.

All in all, the Bluesound Pulse M is a quality mid-range speaker that's able to produce detailed, hi-res audio. Ultimately though, it lacks the nuance I’d expect from a speaker that costs $399 / £399 – powerful bass shouldn’t come at the expense of lush, expressive mids. Coupled with the fact that similarly priced speakers offer more – the JBL Authentics 200 offers fuller, more rounded sound for $349.95 / £299, while the spatial-audio-equipped Sonos Era 300 costs just $449 / £449 / AU$749 – this makes the Pulse M harder to recommend.

Bluesound Pulse M review: specs

Bluesound Pulse M review: price and availability

Released October 26, 2022
Costs $399 / £399 / AU$899

Launched on October 26, 2022, the Bluesound Pulse M is available to buy now. It retails for $399 / £399 / around AU$899, which puts it firmly in mid-market territory – it costs a fair way north of the Sonos Era 100 at $249 / £249 / AU$399 but doesn’t quite cost as much as its premium cousin the Sonos Era 300 at $449 / £449 / AU$749.

In return for your spend, you’ll get a compact speaker with 80W of combined amplification, a single woofer and two angled tweeters. There’s not a huge variety in terms of options. It comes in just two colorways – black or white – but that’s pretty common with more premium speakers.

The rear of the Bluesound Pulse M showing its power and Ethernet ports, as well as analog and digital optical inputs. — (Image credit: Future)

Bluesound Pulse M review: features

Great range of connectivity options
Occasional app gremlins
Limited EQ options

The Bluesound Pulse M rocks a decent number of features for a wireless, multi-room speaker, without necessarily ripping up the rulebook. It offers a combined 80W total amplification power, with 50W going to its upfiring 5.25-inch woofer and 15W to each of its 0.75-inch tweeters. The latter two are offset at 45 degrees from each other to give what Bluesound describes as an ‘immersive’ soundstage. Combined with an inbuilt acoustic reflector, this helps to radiate higher-frequency sounds in a 360-degree pattern, reducing the impression that the sound all emerges from a single point in space.

Getting started with the Pulse M is relatively straightforward. Once you’ve downloaded the BluOS app you just need to connect your mobile device to the speaker’s hotspot so it can piggyback on it to join your local Wi-Fi network. This process is pretty simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely smooth sailing – at multiple points I would find the connection process would time out, only to connect instantly when I retried. This did add a bit of friction to the process, particularly given that the Pulse M seemed to need setting up afresh every time it was unplugged.

Once the BluOS app is connected, it enables you to connect to the speaker via Bluetooth or AirPlay 2, as well as connecting specific apps like Spotify, Tidal and Amazon Music directly to the Pulse M. The app also allows you to pair it with other Bluesound speakers to form a multi-room setup, or pair two Pulse Ms with the Pulse Soundbar+ or PowerNode to create an effective surround sound setup for your home cinema.

The BluOS app is also where you’ll find options to tweak the Pulse M’s sound profiles. On top of its default profile, it also offers Front Row, a setting that, according to Bluesound, enhances "richness in the lower frequencies (<60Hz)" and "openness and expansiveness in the higher frequencies (>5kHz)". It also offers access to the Tone Control settings, although these are unfortunately pretty limited: plenty of budget price Bluetooth speakers like the Tribit Xsound Plus 2 offer full nine-band EQ, whereas this speaker only allows you to boost or reduce treble or bass by 6dB either way. The BluOS app also offers ‘Replay-gain’, essentially an auto-gain adjustment that tweaks different tracks or albums to make sure they play back at similar volumes. I can’t say this is a problem I have very often these days, given that many streaming services standardize recordings to be at the same volume, but it’s nice to have I guess.

Naturally, the BluOS app isn’t the only way to control the Pulse M. If you want to control it as part of your smart home network, you can connect it to an Amazon Echo speaker using the BluOS Voice Control skill in the Alexa app. Unfortunately though, the skill seems to have a few holes here and there. Try as I might, I couldn’t get Alexa to select specific songs and artists – it would happily chirp that music was playing through my named speaker and then nothing would start. When I manually selected music though, Alexa was at least able to pause and play, as well as adjust the volume and skip backwards and forwards. So it’s a mixed bag: you’ll still have to reach for your phone a fair amount.

Should you prefer using your own digits to digital controls, the Bluesound Pulse M has a range of touch-sensitive controls on top of the speaker itself. These are invisible most of the time, but wave a hand over them and they’ll light up – you can then tap them to play and pause, skip forwards and backwards, set the volume, and pick one of five audio presets you’ve assigned in the app.

Features score: 3.5

The Bluesound Pulse M in profile

(Image credit: Future)

Bluesound Pulse M review: sound quality

Over-liberal with its bass
Front Row audio profile lacks finesse
Genuinely impressive breadth to its soundstage

When you actually fire up the Bluesound Pulse M, the first thing you’ll likely notice is its bass. In fact, that’s probably the only thing you’ll notice. When listening to Black Eye by Allie X, I was immediately impressed with how punchy the kick sounded and how warm the low subby end of the bass sounded – but the mids sounded set quite far back in comparison. I tried switching things up to Rosewood by Bonobo, a track that very much shines on a warmer speaker and, once again, it felt like the bass overshadowed the rest of the mix, which is pretty disappointing.

Comparing it to the Sonos Era 100, it became much easier for me to diagnose the problem. In our original Sonos Era 100 review, we criticised it for its over-emphasis on bass and yet it comes across as far better integrated and more coherent. In contrast, the Pulse M pulls way too many punches when it comes to its mids. Weighing up the two while listening to Young Blood by The Naked & Famous, there’s a real slam and thud to the bass kicks and snares to the Pulse M but, like the weightlifter who overlooks their core to focus on their arms and legs, all this flexing only serves to draw more attention to its soggy middle in comparison to its trimmer rival.

That’s not to say it completely lacks all precision. In sparser mixes, things feel like they have much more room for expression. Listening to the sparser ballad-y composition of Rains again by Solji, I was impressed with how polished and detailed her voice sounds, while the drum beats and piano are granted plenty of room to breathe – when the bass isn’t hogging all the limelight, other elements are given their chance to shine.

Given the default sound is a bit of a mixed bag, you might expect Front Row, BluOS’s inbuilt frequency tweaking, to step in and save the day. In practice, it’s a bit of a blunt tool, akin to using a pocket knife for micro-surgery. Some tracks definitely shine more with it on – originally White Dress by Lana Del Rey sounded a bit demure and lacklustre to me but Front Row boosted the breathy edge to her voice and made that light cymbal work a bit more crisp. Conversely, it brought the beat and vocals in Baby It’s You by London Grammar forward a lot but at the expense of making things sound a bit too compressed.

In my personal experience, you’ll get better results getting your hands dirty and tweaking the Tone Control settings according to your own tastes. Upping the treble by 6dB on London Grammar’s track gave its hats and Hannah Reid’s honeyed vocal that little more immediacy, while dropping the bass just a fraction by 6dB tamed the Pulse M’s worst impulses. Ultimately, this setting felt much more balanced for me and I ended up using it as standard pretty much from there on out.

One place I will commend the Pulse M however is for its soundstage. Thanks to those angled, stereo tweeters, this speaker offers a much wider sound than the narrow point of origin that many single speakers are capable of. Playing Manchild by Eels, there was genuinely an impressive sense of separation between the vocal and the guitar in the left and right channels, especially the further back I was sat in the room. While I’m not convinced I would describe this as true stereo, as Bluesound has, there’s no doubt it feels immersive and broad – although it’s not quite as impressive as the Dolby Atmos a speaker like the Sonos Era 300 offers.

Sound score: 3.5/5

The top of the Bluesound Pulse M with its touch-sensitive buttons lit. — (Image credit: Future)

Bluesound Pulse M review: design

Gorgeous, refined design
Solidly built but not bulky
Controls could offer more feedback

For the most part, I’m a big fan of the Bluesound Pulse M’s design. The brand has nailed the nexus of minimal and premium that’s absolutely appropriate with a speaker at this price point.

Essentially a cylindrical oval shape, it gives off slight Sonos Move 2 vibes, while still being distinct enough to feel like its own beast. It comes in both black or white colorways; for me the latter has the definite edge here, feeling much cleaner and more futuristic. Its plastic body has a pleasing matte finish, while the fabric-covered grille has a curved bottom edge giving the whole thing a nice aesthetic balance. When it comes to the pure look of the device, I – unusually – have nothing negative to say.

Again, in build quality, the Pulse M occupies a Goldilocks zone of both solid without being overly bulky. The absence of a battery helps here, of course: moving it from room to room requires considerably less exertion than something like the Move 2. While it’s close in size to the Sonos Era 300, it's significantly lighter, weighing in at 2.54kg compared to the Era 300’s 4.47kg. While you’re not likely to be repositioning it very often, it’ll definitely be less cumbersome when you do.

One slight niggle centers around the touch-sensitive controls on top of the device. Given they aren’t physical buttons, I’d personally have preferred it if they’d included some haptic, or at least aural, feedback to confirm a successful finger press – I wasn’t always clear when it had actually registered a finger-press on the volume bar, meaning I’d often stab at it several times to be sure. But more of an issue for me is the lack of labelling: minimal buttons sure look cool until you’re trying to work out what half of them do, at which point you start to appreciate why almost all speakers follow certain conventions, like pluses and minus for volume or numbers for presets.

All things considered though, this feels more like splitting gossamer than splitting hairs – the overall style and build of the Bluesound Pulse M is aesthetically pleasing, and creates a decent impact in any room it’s situated in.

Design score: 4.5/5

A closeup of the rear of the Bluesound Pulse M showing its power and Ethernet ports, as well as analog and digital optical inputs. — (Image credit: Future)

Bluesound Pulse M review: value

Looks and build match its premium price
Sound can’t compete with similarly priced speakers
You’ll likely get better value for your spend elsewhere

Weighing up how the Bluesound Pulse M compares in terms of value is a tough undertaking. On the one hand, it looks stunning, works as part of a multi-room setup and can stream true lossless audio. On the other, its bass out-of-the-box is seriously overblown, its app can be periodically frustrating and it’s a bit lacking when it comes to audio optimisation features.

Those kinds of compromises would mostly be fine if the Pulse M was cheaper or the competition wasn’t so good at this price range. But this is not an affordable wireless speaker: at an MSRP of $399 / £399 / around AUS899, it’s reasonable for you to expect more than you’re getting here. For that kind of money, I want a speaker to sound great right out of the box, ideally with algorithms that optimise the sound depending on the surroundings. And the Pulse M just cannot clear that bar, which feels like a missed opportunity.

So while this is a very capable speaker in a lot of ways, it’s still not enough to quite justify the high price tag: there are simply too many speakers out there that will give you better sound for your spend. For example, the JBL Authentics 200 is available for $349.95 / £299 / AU$299 and offers both the full bass and crisp treble of the Bluesound, while providing full, convincing mids. Alternatively, the Sonos Era 300 doesn’t retail for much more, at $449 / £449 / AU$749, and it rocks both full sound as well as that awesome spatial audio effect.

Value score: 3/5

A closeup of the top of the Bluesound Pulse M with its touch-sensitive buttons lit. — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Bluesound Pulse M?

Buy it if...

You want wide, immersive sound
The Bluesound Pulse M can definitely fill a room. Its soundstage is much wider than many single speakers are capable of and its ersatz stereo effect is strong enough to give decent separation between various elements in the stereo field.

You want a speaker that looks the part
Looking suitably futuristic, with its matt white finish and buttons that only light up when you wave your hand near, the Pulse M will definitely make an attractive centerpiece in any living room.

Don’t buy it if...

You want unimpeachable sound balance
The Pulse M is far from a neutral listen and even unreformed bass addicts might find its subby brew a little too intense. It’s definitely salvageable with some tweaking but should you have to ‘salvage’ the sound from a $399 / £399 speaker?

You want the best value for your money
In many ways, the Pulse M is a quality product but it has an awful lot of competition at this price point. With multiple wireless speakers offering more features and more nuanced sound for not much more cash, it is worth asking whether another product might give you more banging tunes for your buck.

Bluesound Pulse M review: also consider

Sonos Era 300
Coming in at a little more than the Bluesound Pulse M, the Era 300 costs $449 / £449 / AU$749. But in return it offers so much more: on top of the stereo effect you get from Bluesound’s speaker, you also get a sensation of height with its true Dolby Atmos sound. On top of this, its sound is detailed and rich, although it does pull some punches when it comes to bass. Check out our full Sonos Era 300 review.

JBL Authentics 200
If you’d like to go in the other direction and save a bit of cash, the $349.95 / £299 /AU$299 JBL Authentics 200 is a quality multi-room wireless speaker that sounds great right out of the box. It offers well-rounded bass, rich mids and crisp, discerning treble and, while it doesn’t offer as wide a soundstage, it does offer great features like automatic room calibration. Read our full JBL Authentics 200 review.

Bluesound Pulse M review: how I tested

Tested for two weeks
Used in a range of rooms and settings
Played a wide range of music over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and wired connections

I spent many hours testing the Bluesound Pulse M over the course of several weeks. Not only did I try it out in multiple different sized spaces, I also compared it to the Sonos Era 100 and hooked it up to a variety of devices, including my iPhone 16 Pro over AirPlay 2 and the Fiio M11S hi-res music player via analog stereo 3.5mm input.

In terms of music, I used our curated TechRadar testing playlist, as well as a wide array of tracks from my personal library. This allowed me to try out how the speaker handled everything from deep pulsing bass to delicate vocals. I also used a variety of different quality sources, whether that was Spotify’s standard tier, Apple’s lossless tier or Tidal’s hi-res tier.

I’ve been testing audio kit like headphones and speakers for many years now. I’ve also spent decades making music in my free time, which has given me a lot of insight into analyzing the frequencies of music, composition and soundstage.

First reviewed: December 2024
Read more about how we test

Govee Table Lamp 2 review: this captivating smart lamp stole my heart and brightened my mood

8:00 pm | December 21, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Smart Home Smart Lights | Comments: Off

Govee Table Lamp 2 review

The Govee Table Lamp 2 is listed at $69.99 / £69.99, although, at the time of writing, there’s a sale on the Govee website lowering the price to $55.99 / £58.99. This may seem a little steep for a small light-up lamp but, if like me, you’re a fan of anything bright and colorful, appreciate extensive customization options, and enjoy the convenience of a smart lamp, then it’s definitely worth the cost.

When it’s off, the design of the Govee Table Lamp 2 looks pretty nice. It’s got a modern aesthetic, with silver-colored accents and a pearly finish on the circular control panel. The lamp's outer doesn’t have the cheap, unattractive finish that many lower-cost RGB lamps do; in fact, it looks like it could be made of glass, and the ridged titanium-colored inner makes for a nice feature.

The Govee Table Lamp 2 is unlit and sits on a stone surface with wooden slats and a pink wall behind. — (Image credit: Future)

The only slight negative I found was that the outer surface proved to be a bit of a dust and fiber magnet. I noticed a subtle texture on the side of the cylindrical lamp and realized that fibers had accumulated after only a few hours of use. This isn’t hugely noticeable, though, and our reviews office sees a lot of cardboard boxes and products daily, so the dust levels are certainly higher than average.

The controls on the device include power and two brightness adjustment buttons on the top panel, as well as color and scene cycling buttons that can be customized within the Govee Home app, meaning I was able to assign eight different colors/lighting effects to each button respectively.

The Govee Table Lamp 2 is unlit, the shot shows a close-up of the circular control panel on the top of the lamp. — (Image credit: Future)

Naturally, the design really came to life when the Govee Table Lamp 2 was on, and the effects were as beautiful as anything from the best smart lights. There’s a huge array of fantastic effects on offer via the Govee Home app, including several preset color collections, an RGB color wheel, plus another sectioned color wheel to choose colors. The latter had different emotions assigned to different color areas; choices included jolly, surprised, concerned, disappointed, and aggravated. I’m not sure I associate purple with “horrify” myself, but the assigned emotions amused me, anyway. There were over 60 scene presets to choose from, with collections of lighting effects arranged under themed tabs such as natural, festival, and sleeping, and I had great fun investigating them all.

The Govee Table Lamp 2 is lit up in lava-like colors and sits on a stone surface with wooden slats and a pink wall behind. — (Image credit: Future)

My personal favorite scenes were some of the most colorful (naturally): Rainbow produced a beautiful gradient of pastel colors that slowly swirl about the outside of the lamp, and Fish Tank showed colorful shapes swirling around the center of the lamp. A great additional feature with some of these presets is that I could alter the speed, so I could set them to be as calm or as energetic as I fancied. On the few occasions I didn’t want colorful lighting effects, say when I wanted a warm light to read with, or to brighten the immediate area up, this lamp had me covered with a temperature range of 2700 – 6500K.

As if the huge array of scene and color presets weren’t enough, the AI feature was fantastic. It was like an easy-to-use online chat format, and I could ask it to create a scene via text or voice command, or take or attach a photo. I decided to take a photo of a stack of boxes in the office, and the AI bot recommended a “vibrant, dynamic lighting effect that dances and shimmers, mirroring the colorful packaging”. I accepted the recommendation, and the resulting light effect was a gorgeous pale lavender and pastel orange gradient that slowly waved from the bottom in an upwards diagonal direction – I was then able to save it to my DIY library.

The textured internals of the base of the Govee Table Lamp 2 is lit up white, and the lamp is turned so you can see where the power cable connects to the lamp. — (Image credit: Future)

The Govee Home app was delightfully easy to navigate and provides a great user experience. The different light features are laid out simply under labeled icons, and I really appreciated that the app allowed me to adjust the layout to suit my needs, allowing me to sort, hide, and show the quick access and modes right where I needed them.

Wonderfully bright and colorful even in a well-lit office, the Govee Table Lamp 2 was even more so in darker environments. Even on the bright white setting in darkness the light is diffused enough not to be harsh on the eyes, and the warmer lights targeted toward reading and night-time were soft and comforting.

One thing I noticed is that the Table Lamp 2 became warm after a little while, but not to a concerning extent. As I tested it in the winter, it actually proved to be a positive, as it was nice to feel a slight warmth when using the touch controls.

The Govee Table Lamp 2 is lit up with blue and purple colors and sits on a stone surface with wooden slats and a pink wall behind. — (Image credit: Future)

After an enjoyable period of testing and other than it collecting a little dust, there was nothing I didn’t like about the Govee Table Lamp 2. When unlit, it was unobtrusive and attractive, as much as one of these lamps can be. And when switched on it provided beautifully eye-catching and colorful light displays with what felt like endless scenes, combinations, and customizations.

As a lover of anything colorful with plenty of options to mix things up, I’m a huge fan of this smart little lamp, so if this is something you’re in the market for, you won’t feel let down by the Govee Table Lamp 2.

Govee Table Lamp 2 review: Price and specs

Should you buy the Govee Table Lamp 2?

Buy it if...

You want a light with lots of options and customization
This table lamp certainly isn't lacking when it comes to preset scenes and options to make your own. From personalized color collections to speed and brightness levels, the intuitive Govee app makes it light work to create the effects you want.

You want to go hands-free
The fantastic app isn't the only smart feature here as you can easily connect the Govee Table Lamp 2 to smart home tech like Alexa or Google Assistant, plus it has Matter connectivity too.

Don't buy it if...

You want a lamp that's super bright as well as smart
It's perfectly bright enough for reading or when working close to the lamp. However, as one would expect from a lamp of this size, it isn't going to illuminate a room.

You want something cheap and cheerful
While this lamp certainly gives some bang for your buck, it is on the pricey side. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives floating about – just be mindful that the build quality may be lacking, and you might be hard-pressed to find anything with such a satisfying array of features.

Govee Table Lamp 2 review: Also consider

Philips Hue Twilight
If you've got (a lot) more to spend, and you're a die-hard Philips smart home tech fan, then this purpose-built wake-up light could be the one for you. It features two light sources, one at the rear of the lamp that scatters color up the wall, and one inside the lampshade. It features an attractive, modern design, and two buttons for automation and light control, but you'll need a Hue Bridge to make the most of all the features. If you'd like to learn more, check out our full Philips Hue Twilight review.

How I tested the Govee Table Lamp 2

I thoroughly enjoyed using the Govee Table Lamp 2 for one week
I tested the different features and customizable settings
I observed the brightness and visibility of the scenes in light and dark environments

I used the Govee Table Lamp 2 as a calming and mood-lifting addition to my desk setup in the TechRadar reviews office for one week. I evaluated the usability and performance of the Govee companion app and went down the rabbit hole playing with all the different settings.

I enjoyed exploring the various presets within the app. I also made some of my own color sequences, and used the AI scene creator from photos and prompts.

I assessed the different light modes in brighter and darker conditions to see how visible they were in daylight and bright office lights, and to see just how vibrant the colors were in the dark.

First reviewed December 2024
Read more about how we test

Sony LinkBuds Fit: The best fitness earbuds for people who don’t like earbuds

1:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: ANC, Jabra Elite | Comments: Off

Sony LinkBuds Fit: Two minute review

The Sony LinkBuds Fit are the latest addition to Sony’s mid-range true wireless earbud lineup. Sony has a solid reputation for making some of the best high-end buds, while also catering to people on a budget with more affordable options. The LinkBuds range has already impressed in the past, with models like the original Sony LinkBuds, which have an open-ear design, and the Sony LinkBuds S with a closed design that are perfect for smaller ears.

The LinkBuds Fit take a slightly different approach. The name tends to suggest these buds are targeted at fitness lovers – and they are – but it also hints at their best feature, a fantastic fit. They stay put throughout rigorous workouts, but are also light and comfortable enough for all-day wear while you work.

They won’t beat the very best earbuds when it comes to sound quality or noise cancellation. Sony’s high-end models, like the WF-1000XM5, are considerably better on those fronts and Bose is still ahead of the competition when it comes to ANC, with the QuietComfort Ultra.

But although the LinkBuds Fit don’t have top-tier features, they make up for it with an option that we think is a reliable and versatile choice for most people. They’re perfect for movement, sports, and anyone who has struggled to find earbuds that fit securely without sacrificing comfort.

Becca holding one of the Sony Linkbuds Fit earbuds — (Image credit: Future)

Let’s start with the fit, which is genuinely excellent. I’ve reviewed many earbuds in this mid-range price bracket, including fitness-focused models, and these are among my favorites. They’re small, lightweight, and versatile, making them ideal for almost anything – whether you’re working at a desk all day or doing intense workouts at the gym.

The fit stands out for several reasons. Each earbud weighs just 4.9g, so light that you might forget you’re wearing them. While there are lighter options – like the budget Jlab Go Pop ANC at 4.1g per bud – few fitness-oriented earbuds with noise cancellation and robust features are this light. For comparison, the Jabra Elite 8 Active, some of my favorites, weigh 5g per bud, and the Sennheiser Momentum Sport buds come in at 6.4g per bud, which is a significant difference for such small devices.

The stability and comfort are enhanced by two key features. First, the silicone tips, which are standard with most true wireless earbuds. Although there are only three sizes included, I found the pre-installed tips surprisingly perfect for my ears, even though I usually size down. That said, the limited tip selection might not suit everyone. Second, the earbuds feature silicone fins that fit snugly into the cartilage of your ear. Initially, I wasn’t a fan of how the fins looked, but they’re very effective at holding the buds in place, which won me over.

These earbuds aren’t just comfortable; they’re incredibly stable. I tested them while running in the rain, perfecting calisthenics skills upside down on parallel bars, attending a yoga class, and working out at the gym. No matter the activity, they stayed firmly in place without ever feeling tight or uncomfortable.

Aesthetically, they have a minimal yet playful design, with an almost bubble-like appearance for both the buds and the charging case. Their small size and lightweight build make them look discreet in your ears, without protruding too much, like some competitors. The design seems aimed at a younger audience, which makes sense given they’re marketed as a collaboration with singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo.

The charging case is a bit chunkier and less streamlined than those of rival buds. While I personally love its unique, slightly marble-like finish (available on the white and green versions), it might not be as pocket-friendly. If you want other colors, the Sony LinkBuds Fit also come in black and violet.

A close up of the Sony linkbuds fit earbuds next to their case — (Image credit: Future)

The Sony LinkBuds Fit have two noise-cancelling modes: standard and ambient. The standard mode isn’t best-in-class. For example, I could hear myself typing at my desk and a baby crying in a cafe. However, it effectively blocked out low-frequency sounds like the hum of a heater or the rumble of a train. It seems particularly effective at dampening hums and rumbles rather than completely silencing all noise.

With that in mind, if you want near silence, the Sony LinkBuds Fit might not be the right choice. They’re designed to reduce noise rather than eliminate it completely, which I personally appreciate as it keeps me aware of alarms or emergencies. For those needing to hear their surroundings, the ambient mode also reduces noise while still allowing announcements and other key sounds to come through.

These settings can be adjusted in the Sony Connect app, which is packed with features. You’ll find expected options, like EQ settings (with an intuitive process to determine your favored presets), head-tracking sound, and multipoint pairing. There are also more unique features, such as a mode that makes your music sound more like background noise, adaptive sound control that adjusts based on what you’re doing, and a speak-to-chat feature that pauses music when you talk. If this all feels overwhelming, the good news is you don’t need to customize every feature to enjoy a great experience right out of the box.

Connectivity is robust, with Bluetooth 5.3 supporting AAC, SBC, LDAC, and LC3 codecs, catering to a wide range of preferences and devices.

You can also customize gesture controls via the app. Sony claims you can tap the area below your earlobe or between your ear and sideburn to activate gestures, but I couldn’t get this to work reliably. Instead, I had to tap the buds themselves, which occasionally required a firm tap to register.

Battery life is solid, offering 5.5 hours with noise-canceling on and eight hours without. This matched my testing, though it varies depending on the audio codec and extra features you’re using. With the case, you’ll get just over 20 hours in total. While decent by modern true wireless standards, it’s not exceptional. For example, the more affordable Sony WF-C510s deliver 11 hours of playback but lack noise-cancelling – so your choice depends on your priorities.

As expected for workout-focused earbuds, the LinkBuds Fit have an IPX4 rating, making them resistant to sweat. However, don’t take them in the shower or to the swimming pool.

The exterior of the sony linkbuds fit case — (Image credit: Future)

During testing, the Sony LinkBuds Fit delivered a sound that’s best described as powerful and punchy. While I wasn’t blown away by the detail or richness of the audio, the experience was undeniably enjoyable. The buds provide a bouncy, bass-heavy sound that’s perfect for powering through workouts.

If you’re a fan of boomy, high-energy tracks, these earbuds will hit the mark. I even boosted the bass in the EQ settings for extra impact. While this became fatiguing over time, tracks like Armani White’s Billie Eilish and Hanumankind’s Big Dawgs had an adrenaline-pumping intensity. Similarly, heavy rock like Queens of the Stone Age’s Sick, Sick, Sick sounded meaty and immensely satisfying.

Dramatic ballads like Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence also worked well, delivering an emotional punch. For work sessions, I found melodic tracks by Ólafur Arnalds especially enjoyable, often pairing them with the background music effect to improve focus.

However, these buds sacrifice some detail and subtlety in favor of their bass-forward profile. Sony’s DSEE tech, which upscales low quality sound, maybe worked some magic. But it felt like something was lacking a little when I listened to classical music, and expected the richness and expansiveness found in higher-end earbuds. At higher volumes, complex arrangements sounded a bit messy and restrained.

Which is all to say that the LinkBuds Fit excel at delivering a robust, energetic soundtrack for daily activities and workouts. However, if you’re looking to analyze every nuance of your favorite tracks, you’d be better served by a more refined option.

Sony LinkBuds Fit: Price and availability

The Sony LinkBuds Fit pictured in their charging case on a wooden surface. — (Image credit: Future)

Priced at £179 / $179 / AU$348
Released in October 2024

The Sony LinkBuds Fit cost £179 / $179 / AU$348. Although the buds are currently discounted on the Sony website in some regions. At the time of writing, the price in the UK has dropped from £179 to £149.

This price puts the buds in the mid-range category. Cheaper than Sony's WF-1000XM5 earbuds at $299.99 / £259 / AU$499 but more expensive than the Sony WF-C700N at $119 / £99 / AU$199.

Other competitors in this space are the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC at $179 / £179 / AU$299 and the JBL Live Beam 3 at $199.95 / £179.99 / AU$249. There are several at a similar price that are also considered workout-friendly buds too, like the Jabra Elite 8 Active at $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$329, and the Beats Fit Pro at $199 / £199 / AU$299.

What this means is that although you will find good buds that are cheaper and can pay more for better audio performance and features, the wealth of features, the comfy fit, the design and the fitness-friendly specs make the Sony LinkBuds Fit competitively priced and good value.

Sony LinkBuds Fit: Specifications

Sony LinkBuds Fit: Scorecard

The Sony linkbuds fit true wireless earbuds pictured out of their case — (Image credit: Future)

Sony LinkBuds Fit: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You’ve struggled to find buds that fit

Whether your ears are small or you get stressed when buds stick out and think you're going to lose one, give these a go. We can't make promises, but think some people will be pleasantly surprised.

You work out a lot

These buds did it all. They came running with me through fields and along the beach, to the gym, the yoga studio and swung around on some parallel bars. They’re super stable and not going anywhere.

You like a cute and considered design

They’re not premium-looking or particularly design-y, but the rounded shape, the marble case, the shiny surface and bubble-like vibe make them cute and Instagrammable.

Don't buy it if...

You want excellent ANC

I personally enjoyed what the noise-canceling here had to offer, but they’re not fantastic. No near-silent cocoon of sound to be found. Choose Bose or higher-end Sony buds instead.

You prioritize longevity

At 5.5 hours from the buds themselves, it's not like the battery life is bad, but you can find better if that’s a priority for you.

You value a seamless experience

I had to tweak the sound here a little and there's a lot to play around here in the app in terms of features. Is this a good thing? Yes But does it require a fair bit of setup? Also yes.

Also consider

Beats Fit Pro

A very similar proposition with enjoyable sound and decent ANC, as well as silicone ear fins. More expensive than the Sonys, but they've been around a while so you can find solid discounts.

Beats Fit Pro review

You'll find a better battery and more durable build from these Jabras – there's a Gen 2 version out now, too. They're also the only workout buds that come close to the Sonys in terms of comfort for me.

Jabra Elite 8 Active review

How I tested

I tested the Sony LinkBuds Fit every day for two weeks. This gave me the chance to trial them in a range of different environments and all sorts of situations.

I mostly used them to listen to music and podcasts on my iPhone 14 Pro with Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube music. I tested them when I was travelling on a train, working in a busy cafe and a quiet library and at home at my desk. I also took them to the gym when I was using the cardio machines and lifting weights, to the yoga studio, along the beach for several runs, and to an outdoor pull-up bar.

I’ve tested many headphones and earbuds over the past 12 years, with a focus on fitness devices. I’m interested in tech that prioritizes comfort and ease of use.

First reviewed: December 2024

Oppo Reno 12 FS review: a colorful budget contender

12:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Oppo Phones Phones | Tags: Australia, GPU, US | Comments: Off

Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G: Two-minute review

The Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G is a budget phone done the Oppo way – better-than-average specs, a great sense of style, and cost-cutting decisions that mostly land on the side of confusion rather than frustration. This is a phone that, despite its shortcomings, punches well above its weight, most obviously with its great 6.67-inch display. Though far from perfect, this is a capable budget handset that handles 90% of what we use our phones for every day without complaint.

At a fixed price point of £299, the biggest selling point the Reno 12 FS has is its excellent value for money. There are few other models on the market that offer this much utility for so little money, and a combination of 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is almost unheard of in this price bracket.

The Reno 12 FS continues to impress with its software experience – that is, once you get clear of the awful bloatware the phone ships with. ColorOS 14 is otherwise a swift and snappy experience, with terrific customization, though slowdown can hold the phone back at seemingly random times. It’s clear that the included MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset can’t quite keep up with modern demands.

As for cameras, the Reno 12 FS struggles to keep pace with close competitors like the Samsung Galaxy A35, or even the iPhone SE. The main 50MP camera can be coaxed into producing photos that are acceptable, so long as conditions are ideal, but don’t bother with the 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro camera. It would have been wiser for Oppo to have spent those resources on a better single-camera system.

Overall, the Reno 12 FS 5G will work for a specific type of user, and should appeal far more to media consumers than media producers. If you’re looking for a device to keep you connected, browse the internet, and watch videos, this is a solid choice – but those looking for photography power or totally impressive performance should look elsewhere.

Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G review: Price and availability

Costs £299, available in one configuration
Sole model comes with 512GB of storage
Not available in the US or Australia

The Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G marked Oppo’s re-entry to the UK market, and now forms a core part of the brand’s steadily growing phone lineup. It comes in a single model, with 12GB of RAM and a huge 512GB of storage for £299. It’s not available in Australia, where it’s missing from an otherwise fairly robust range of phones, including the base-model Reno 12 for AU$799 (about £400). Oppo doesn't sell its phones in the US, though sister company OnePlus sells very similar models.

Half a terabyte of storage and as much RAM as a Galaxy S24 for under £300 is no small feat, and while the Reno 12 FS doesn’t exactly sport a flagship chipset, it generally packs enough power for day to day use and even some gaming. That’s pretty phenomenal value for money already. Those who want a capable all-rounder for light use and the occasional session of Call of Duty Mobile won't be disappointed.

At the time of writing, the Reno 12 FS 5G sits towards the lower end of the Oppo smartphone lineup – I mention this because the Oppo phones for sale in the UK have changed continually over the last few months as the company establishes its presence once more. It walks the line between budget and mid-range tiers and aims for the best of both – with a great display and fresh design, but a lacking camera system and cheap-feeling construction. It would have benefitted from a simpler, more focused allocation of resources.

Value score: 4 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G review: Specs

Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G review: Design

The rear panel of the Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G, showcasing the breathing light feature — The Breathing Light on the Oppo Reno 12 FS (Image credit: Future)

Simple but solid silhouette
Breathing Light LED is a fun addition
Cheap materials that mark easily

For such a simple phone, I do quite like the design of the Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G. This is a wide, thin slab that fits a lot of screen onto a relatively efficient form factor, and has no trouble getting around bags and pockets thanks to its slim profile and rounded edges. I especially like the nearly flat camera housing, which is the subtlest I’ve seen on a smartphone this year.

The cameras therein may not be amazing (more on that later), but having a phone that almost lays flat on a table feels like some kind of nostalgia trip, especially compared to the awkwardly rocking iPhone, Samsung, and OnePlus flagships we’ve gotten used to. The ports and buttons are as basic as they come but the Reno 12 FS isn’t trying to be much more than usable, and at this price point that’s all I’d expect.

The circular camera module holds another secret, however. Around this housing lies a ring of LEDs, which Oppo calls the Breathing Light. This refers to the light’s ability to react to different sources of sound and information. It’ll flicker in time with music, for example, and fill up as the phone charges.

The Breathing Light is a surprisingly fun addition that adds a lot to what is otherwise essentially just a thin ingot. It’s not made of the most premium materials, with a rear panel that creates a weird amount of friction in the hand and plastic rails that pick up nicks and dents easily. The creatively titled Black Green color is the only option, and luckily exactly to my taste, but if you’re into other colors you’re out of luck.

The camera module follows the Xiaomi 14T school of thought by giving the flash its own lens-sized ring. I’m not opposed to the symmetry this provides, but it feels slightly like an effort to make the Reno 12 FS 5G seem more premium than it actually is. The same could be said for the phone’s curved bezels, which actually hold up a flat screen. It would be more reassuring to see a simpler design and more investment in performance: nobody is expecting a work of art at this price point anyhow.

Design score: 3.5 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G review: Display

The Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G displaying its magazine unlock against a river — (Image credit: Future)

1080 x 2400 resolution
120Hz refresh rate
Peak brightness of 2100 nits

The Oppo Reno12 FS 5G comes equipped with an excellent 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED display, with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is easily the phone’s biggest selling point after its bargain price. For the money, this is a beautiful panel that’s ideal for games, watching videos, or simply scrolling through posts and articles.

With a maximum local brightness of 2100 nits, the Reno 12 FS gets plenty bright, and can just about hold its own in direct sunlight. In fact, I’d recommend using it at higher brightness levels most of the time, as colors can lose contrast and saturation towards the darker end of the slider. Colors are noticeably deeper here than on other displays, which will be a knock or a boost depending on taste.

The display feels responsive to use, which pays off during gaming sessions. Oppo is very good at shaving unnecessary milliseconds off of everyday tasks, and this display works in tandem with the smoothness of ColorOS to provide a genuinely nice experience when the hardware can keep up. It even comes fitted with a screen protector! There are panels with richer colors and sharper images, but for £299 this is one of the best you’ll get.

Display score: 4 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G review: Software

The Oppo Reno 12 FS app drawer, river in the background — (Image credit: Future)

Android 14 with ColorOS 14
Absolutely full of bloatware
Otherwise solid with great customization options

The software experience on the Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G makes the most of the phone’s limited hardware. ColorOS is fast becoming my favorite implementation of Android thanks to its swift navigation, easy-to-use settings, and exceptional customization options. However, as with other Oppo phones, what could be an entirely slick experience is marred by an unfortunate amount of bloatware.

Though the Reno 12 FS isn’t exactly a fast phone, ColorOS is generally responsive and loaded with useful options. There is some unpredictable slowdown in the UI, though, which is either down to hardware limitations or poor optimization. The phone comes loaded with Google Gemini, but not Circle to Search, and the pre-installed Oppo apps are fine, though most users will defer to Google’s options instead.

On the topic of apps, the amount of bloatware here really is an issue. Switching on the phone for the first time almost felt like I’d picked up someone else’s handset by mistake, with the pages of the homescreen taken up by apps and games I'd never heard of. The most offensive of these are the ones that are blatant advertisements – this robs the setup experience of its sheen and the user of a sense of proper ownership.

Some of that ownership can be reclaimed with the stellar customization options on the Reno 12 FS. ColorOS has some of the best wallpapers and theme settings of any phone OS I’ve used, Android or no, and they really bring the Reno12 FS to life. There are uniquely generated lock screens, wallpapers that react to your taps, and plenty of font options.

As a side note, The Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G is also the only phone I’ve ever used that has a 300% volume option. Pushing the volume past the normal maximum adds a menacing red “300%” to the top of the bar. The next time someone tells you “it goes up to 11”, you can tell them your phone goes up to 300.

Software score: 3 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G review: Cameras

The Oppo Reno 12 FS camera module over a river background — (Image credit: Future)

50MP wide camera
8MP ultrawide camera
2MP macro camera

The cameras on the Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G are, frankly, not great. Even holding the phone steady in brightly-lit conditions will produce images that range from just serviceable to unimpressive. It’s honestly disappointing that a 50MP main camera could produce pictures that are so lacking in detail – a reminder that resolution isn’t everything.

Using the camera app is no chore as it comes replete with plenty of options and modes, but the viewfinder consistently displays a grainy and unattractive image. The phone can produce decent final images if you give it a lot of light, but even these show a huge disparity from the preview, which leads me to believe there’s some very active post-processing going on. This theory is somewhat confirmed by the blurriness you’ll see in tree branches and grasses.

I don’t want to come down too hard on the Reno 12 FS, because it is firmly a budget phone, but some of the best cheap phones offer more in this department (the Samsung Galaxy A35 comes to mind). The secondary cameras on the Reno 12 FS – an 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro camera – are especially rough, to the point that I question why they were even included.

Still, for capturing home photos and videos, scanning documents, and the occasional holiday snap, the Oppo Reno 12 FS will manage. The selfie camera is also fine, but again doesn’t seem to live up to its 32MP resolution, and video recording at 1080p 60fps is serviceable. The Reno 12 FS doesn’t offer an offensively barebones experience, but those who care about photography should definitely look elsewhere.

Camera score: 2 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G Camera Samples

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A pub across a green — (Image credit: Future)

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A basketball hoop — (Image credit: Future)

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A wide shot of a river running through a park — (Image credit: Future)

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A warm lightbulb over hanging a bouquet mounted on sheet music on an indoor wall — (Image credit: Future)

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A sign warning that the reader is about to enter a cricket ground — (Image credit: Future)

Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G review: Performance

The Oppo Reno 12 FS playing Crossy Road — (Image credit: Future)

MediaTek Dimensity 6300
GPU: Mali G57 MC2
12GB of RAM

The Oppo Reno 12 FS is something of an oddball performance wise. I’ve managed to get smooth 30fps gameplay from it when booting up Call of Duty Mobile, even in extended sessions, and yet it’ll stutter randomly when swiping into the discover tab or opening YouTube. It's bothersome, but the slowdown isn’t prevalent enough to ruin an otherwise usable device. Calls are clear and messages are delivered without issue.

The Reno12 FS runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset and comes equipped with a very healthy 12GB of RAM. That’s a reasonable handful of silicon at this price, and I’m especially impressed by the large amount of memory on offer. It shows in the phone’s surprising capacity for multitasking; I’ve yet to have an app crash on me.

Coming from a premium handset, the Reno 12 FS is noticeably slower to open apps, scroll through web pages, and complete searches. I can quite easily get the phone to stutter while switching between apps, too. From a more neutral perspective, the phone is powerful enough for 90% of what people use their phones for, and again I have to consider the price point. The Reno 12 FS finds a reasonable balance.

Performance score: 3 / 5

Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G review: Battery

The underside charging port of the Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G — (Image credit: Future)

Excellent battery life with monstrous standby times
Confidently an all-day phone
5,000 mAh capacity

The Oppo Reno12 FS 5G has a truly excellent battery life, bolstered by absolutely ridiculous standby times. I tested the Reno12 FS intermittently over the course of multiple weeks, and was frequently surprised by picking up a still-charged phone after a week or two away. In daily use, the efficient MediaTek chipset sips at the battery, never dropping by an alarming amount when browsing the web or social media. A 5,000 mAh cell powering a 1080p display is bound to last a while, but the Reno 12 FS still manages to impress.

In normal use, the Reno 12 FS offers a reassuring amount of battery, but when put to one side, the Reno 12 FS just refuses to run out of power. I appreciate standby times aren’t always at the front of buyer’s minds, but I’d be remiss to not mention it in this case – the phone seems to take up between 5% and 10% of its charge per day in standby.

When it does eventually come time to top up, the Reno 12 FS isn’t so impressive. The phone charges via USB-C and doesn’t support wireless charging. An official charging speed isn’t listed, but when plugged in to my 80W SUPERVOOC brick the phone says it's charging at 45W - a solid power draw by any measure.

Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G?

Buy it if...

You're on a budget

At £299, there are few phones that offer this much for so little. Not every feature is as refined as the display or operating system, but this is still a very capable phone for the price.

You want something stylish

From the classy Black Green colorway to the fresh new Breathing Light, the Reno 12 FS 5G is pure Oppo style. The software customization is top notch, too.

You want a large display

The 6.67-inch display fitted to the Reno 12 FS 5G is a big and bold green flag, and obvious evidence of the phone's value for money.

Don't buy it if...

You need strong performance

The Reno 12 FS 5G can handle the basics, but is prone to stuttering. It doesn't ruin the experience, but I wouldn't pick it for critical tasks.

You're a shutterbug

Photographers should look elsewhere - our list of the best cheap phones has plenty of options with much better camera systems than the misguided triple-camera setup on the Reno 12 FS 5G.

Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy A35

The Samsung Galaxy A35 brings similar value for money to the Reno 12 FS 5G, but with a more sophisticated camera system and the power of Samsung's platform. If you prefer to stick with well known brands, then this is a suitable swap.

Read our Samsung Galaxy A35 review

iPhone SE

If you can stretch your budget, the iPhone SE will be more consistent and powerful than the Reno 12 FS at every turn. The camera performance is notably much better than the Reno, and you get the benefit of accessing the Apple ecosystem.

Read our iPhone SE review

How I tested the Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G

I used the Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G intermittently over the course of several weeks. Over this time, I used the phone for everyday tasks, as well as more specific tests designed to push the handset’s performance. As mentioned, the phone only comes in one model, and as such my test unit came with 512GB of storage, 12GB of RAM, and the dashing Black Green colorway.

In terms of my everyday usage, I made phone calls, sent messages, and scrolled through articles on Chrome. I watched videos on YouTube and listened to music via Spotify (including testing the quirky 300% volume feature in person). I was able to get a sense of how the Reno 12 FS serves to keep users connected to others and the latest news.

I undertook more specific tests to determine the performance limits of the Reno 12 FS. These included extended play sessions on Call of Duty Mobile, a popular demanding mobile game, and stepping out in various weather conditions to test the phone’s camera system. I also observed battery levels throughout my usage.

After gathering this real-world experience, I applied my in-depth knowledge of smartphone specs and the wider phone market, as well as my journalistic training, to assess the value and performance of the handset, and help you decide whether the Reno 12 FS is for you.

KTC A32Q8 Smart Monitor review

10:41 am | December 19, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: HDR | Comments: Off

The KTC A32Q8 Smart Monitor from KTC (Key To Combat), a relatively new Chinese brand to the market bringing an affordable 32″ 3840 x 2160 4K 60Hz 16:9 VA panel with an advertised high contrast ratio measured at a 98% DCI-P3 colour gamut, a Variable Refresh Rate and HDR10 support.

That puts it into best video editing monitor territory. It also includes 2x 5w speakers. One key feature of this monitor is its SMART TV support for a variety of streaming services such as Google TV, Netflix, Disney+ etc.

The known Key Specs are:

Screen Size: 32”
Resolution: 3840 x 2160
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Max Refresh Rate: 60Hz (though it does support variable refresh rates)
HDR: HDR10
Colour Gamut: 98% DCI-P3
Speakers: 2 stereo speakers with 5W

KTC A32Q8: Packaging & assembly

The monitor came in the usual large box associated with monitors. The box was keen to point out the Smart TV capabilities of the monitor with logos of a couple of streaming services labelled on it. Once opened the box revealed a large polystyrene foam shell taking up the entirety of the box.

KTC A32Q8 Smart Monitor during our review process — (Image credit: KTC)

The polystyrene foam came in two parts encapsulating the monitor with the stand and cables placed externally. Other than the stand, the monitor arrived with a UK to IEC13 cable, a Power Brick with Barrel adapter, HDMI Cable and its remote control. Also included were two small screwdrivers to get you started.

KTC A32Q8 only came with a quick start manual showing you how to put the monitor stand together and attaching it to the monitor, some basic specs and what the different ports on the back were for. It wasn’t very in depth. It goes into no detail about the OSD menus or other menus

The stand is put together by slotting the pillar-like part onto the base plate and using the supplied screws and screwdriver, tightening them to fit. The supplied screwdriver is good for just getting started or if you have no tools, otherwise I would say use proper tools, they are painful on the hands and fingers to use.

The vertical part of the monitor is then mounted to the monitor itself, again with another two screws to support it. There is no vertical height adjustment or swivel support, only a slight amount of tilt from -5 to +15 degrees. There are no cable tidy clips, hooks, channels, etc.

KTC A32Q8: Connectivity

Four USB-A 2.0 ports
A 3.5mm headphone jack
DisplayPort 1.4
USB Type C connector with up to 65W of power delivery
HDMI 2.1
The DC power Port
On the rear is the 100x100mm VESA mounts points

The rear of the monitor has, thankfully, downward facing connection ports thereby allowing you to place this monitor as close to a flat vertical surface such as a wall.

The connections are:

The DisplayPort supports the full 4K 60Hz 10 bit colour gamut, the HDMI however is limited to only 8 bit at 4K 60Hz, a shame that they only supply a HDMI cable and no DisplayPort cable meaning that most average customers wouldn’t know this and may just opt to use the supplied HDMI cable thereby overlooking this flaw.

The USB-C also supports DisplayPort Alternate Mode allowing you to connect devices such as modern laptops to the monitor without use of a DP or HDMI cable, as long as you use an appropriate USB-C cable, which again isn’t supplied.

I was a bit disappointed by the use of the power delivery, a standard UK plug to IEC C13 cable, to power brick and then to DC barrel jack. The brick itself is that, a brick, it is fairly hefty with a long and wide body and slim height. I’m not a fan of power bricks because they will need to be placed and hidden and as an external point of failure, if the brick or DC was to be damaged, sourcing a new one with the correct sized barrel jack may prove difficult. I would have preferred a built-in solution with just a UK to IEC C13 plug as its one less thing to worry about, looking at the rear of the monitor suggest that there could have been space, there is a void large enough below the connectors, albeit the connectors may have to be repositioned if a redesign was in order.

KTC A32Q8: Performance

With a resolution of 3840 x 2160 at 32” on a VA Panel I noted that monitor a matt like textured anti reflective/glare coating on the screen, using a flashgun I was able to defeat it, but it's unlikely that you would ever have such glare like this on the monitor.

The monitor's backlight allowed some bleed but not much in truly inky blacks, not as good as a QD-LED. The image quality was sharp enough to allow you to enjoy most streaming services, complain free. To be honest, the average person will probably not notice any slight discrepancies in image quality unless testing it side by side with a better monitor from a well-known brand. Most end users would most likely be happy.

KTC A32Q8: Useability

The monitor has a single joystick like button on the back right hand side (as if looking straight ahead at the monitor) to allow navigation through the basic OSD (On-Screen Display) menu. Most of the menus, settings and controls are down through the monitor's own built-in OS like menus accessed and navigable using the supplied remote control.

After setting everything up and switching it for the first time, there were a series of menus to navigate in order to set it up which was quite involved. It wasn’t unlike me setting up my Samsung Smart TV for the first, not surprising since both are in effect, Smart TVs.

The monitor has built-in Wi-Fi, a useful feature allowing it to connect to your network and by extension to the internet allowing you to access the raft of popular streaming services. Especially as there is no RJ45 connector.

As soon as it was up and running, I used it more as a Smart TV than actual monitor, checking its features, logging on to my Netflix account, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube before remembering that this is a monitor review, not a TV one.

I used the monitor as any normal person would, using the display for work, general browsing, gaming and watching films or streaming service. For work, the monitor's large screen was useful for being able to display two good sized windows at once. General browsing was good, 32” being a very comfortable and usable size to work with unlike ultra-wide screen monitors.

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Gaming had no issues, I tested the display playing both Helldivers 2 and Horizon Forbidden West, two games which are PS5 console ports, so more modern PC games should have no issues.

Watching content, such as Amazon Prime (here seen is Fallout) has two large black bars on either side, as did Netflix. YouTube was the same though this was content-dependent. In this example I am viewing a video in the 2160 mode.

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The Monitor has 2 speakers, each with 5Ws of power, I listened to the speakers using a variety of sources from music, films, games and other genres. Like most in built Monitor speakers, they are better if you have nothing else but are easily outclassed by even cheap stereo speakers or better yet a headset or headphones.

I found the remote to be a bit on the small side, it doesn’t have many buttons and is powered by two CR2032 button batteries. the usual buttons are there; on/off, source selector, account, Google Voice, settings buttons. The centre is dominated by a square D-pad with centre select button, below that is the Home, back and multi-function button often found on Android like phones followed by the volume buttons. Lastly and most colourfully are the streaming services buttons as displayed.

Using the remote I noted the mushiness of the square D-Pad meaning that without looking at the remote, it was difficult to tell which direction you were pressing, my wife also noted the lack of a mute button which could have been placed between the “-“ and “+” volume buttons.

KTC A32Q8: KVM

The Monitor is KVM capable for laptops and other small portable devices that support USB C output. You can plug in a keyboard, mouse and any other USB accessory so long as they are USB 2.0 compatible, which is near universal, just be advised that you’ll be limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds if you use an external HDD. Once connected your laptop or device automatically (if capable) discover your attached devices and display your desktop.

This would mean that you could have the display set up at home with attached mouse and keyboard. You could then take your laptop with you, plug this in via USB-C and are good to go with just one cable. An alternative would be to have a desktop PC and or laptop dock capability to connect to the display sharing a common mouse and keyboard. An incredibly useful feature in this day and age of mobile computing/hot desking.

However, having tested other monitors in the past and hot desking at work, I note that in order to use DisplayPort Alternate Mode to pass a laptop’s display to the monitor require the use of properly compatible cables, most USB-C cables used for charging phones are not compatible

However, I noted that for a monitor boasting USB-C KVM and display capabilities, a distinct lack of any ethernet RJ45 jack. Whilst most laptops, tablets etc have or are Wi-Fi capable, sometimes a hardwired connection is preferred. A missed opportunity, I think.

KTC A32Q8: Final verdict

Overall, the KTC A32Q8 Smart Monitor has some decent things going for it, trying to pull double duty as a 4K monitor and Smart TV like features. It does most of this well but falls short in some places, most notably the lack of an RJ45 connector for the KVM feature and stinginess of the supplied cables.

The sheer number of connectors allows end users the flexibility to use several consoles or workstations with the KTC A32Q8 as well as other peripherals. But you will need to supply your own cables.

The downside is that there is a lack of support or exact specs on the KTC A32Q8 as finding the KTC website isn’t as straightforward as you would like, once on the KTC website there is no mention of the KTC A32Q8 or documentation.

So, who is the KTC A32Q8 aimed at? Having thoroughly used the monitor as a general user as both a computer monitor and TV, I see it as useful for students, anyone on a tight budget, or those without much space to have both a desktop with monitor and TV. As it doubles as both it can do the role of both yet taking up the space of one at a great value.

For more monitor reviews, we tested the best 5K and 8K monitors you can get right now.

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Tineco Floor One Switch S6 review: a five-in-one wet-dry vacuum for all kinds of floor

6:35 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: Australia, UK | Comments: Off

Tineco Floor One Switch S6: Two-minute review

There aren’t too many vacuum mops like the Tineco Floor One Switch S6 – it goes from being a wet-dry vacuum mop to just a vacuum to a handheld unit. Tineco claims the Switch S6 is a 5-in-1, but I found it to be more of a 3-in-1. Still, it's one of the most versatile vacuum cleaners I’ve tested. It takes into account that no two homes are alike and that several have mixed floor types – and I don’t mean just rugs; I mean homes with either wood or tile floors as well as wall-to-wall carpeting.

Product info

The Tineco Floor One Switch S6 is available in the US and Australia. In the UK, only the Tineco Floor One S6 is being sold, which is the vacuum mop without the hot-swappable vacuum attachment that allows it to also become a handheld unit. The wet-dry vacuum mop, though, is nearly identical in functionality, with just a minor difference in the display.

Its primary function is to be a wet-dry vacuum mop, so it does both at the same time. That means its main body consists of a front-mounted dirty-water tank, which has a filter to capture solids (like debris and hair) and a clean-water tank on the rear which can also take Tineco’s proprietary cleaning solution. In tests, I found that the vacuum mop was incredibly easy to use and its cleaning prowess was quite good on both wet and dry spills, thanks to really good water dispersal and the 450rpm roller cleaning head.

This wet cleaning head gets constantly washed with each rotation, plus there’s a scraper built into the casing that, as the name suggests, keeps scraping away the dirt from the roller so as not to transfer any muck back onto your just-cleaned floor.

I found the auto dirt-detection sensors to be quite good too, with the vacuum mop dynamically altering power and water dispersion to match the spill you’re trying to clean up. Equally good is its self-cleaning process, which uses clean water heated to 70ºC / 158ºF to clean the entire machine, although you will need to first manually clean out the dirty-water tank. The roller brush is then flash-dried with air, which I’m glad for, as it reduces the chances of it growing its own little ecosystem and eliminates odors. The self-cleaning process, though, I found to be rather noisy.

Where the Tineco Floor One Switch S6 falls short is when using it as purely a vacuum. Again, it’s not bad, but there’s just not enough suction power on the hot-swappable attachment to match some of the best vacuum cleaners on the market. However, I have to commend Tineco for making such a versatile cleaning machine, as it can still handle the small, quick jobs. And, thanks to being lightweight in vacuum mode, it makes sucking up cobwebs hanging off the ceiling corners easy.

Given the battery is shared between both the wet-dry functionality and the hot-swappable vacuum, the runtime of the Switch S6 isn’t too bad. Mopping, being the more power-heavy functionality, gets you a top of 35 minutes per charge, while you'll get nearly double that amount when using it as a vacuum. There are other vacuum mops with longer runtimes, but given its versatility and excellent performance on hard floors, there’s good value for money here.

Tineco Floor One Switch S6 review: price & availability

Launched in May 2024; available in the UK and Australia now via Amazon
List price: $649 / AU$999
UK model lacks the hot-swappable vacuum attachments

Having entered the market in May 2024, the Tineco Floor One Switch S6 has already seen some discounts during major sales but, even at full price, it offers plenty of bang for your hard-earned buck.

Unlike other vacuum cleaner models, the Tineco Floor One Switch S6 is identical in the US and Australia, where it will set you back $649 / AU$999 without a discount. Based on TechRadar’s price brackets, this price point puts the Switch S6 in the lower-premium / upper mid-range band (we consider anything over $500 / £400 / AU$1,000 as premium), but given it can be had for a discounted price at certain times of the year (usually down to around $440 / AU$640 mark), it really does represent good value as it’s so versatile.

This specific model isn’t available in the UK, although the standalone Tineco Floor One S6 is sold for £449 at full price. This is just the wet-dry vacuum mop main unit, without the swappable attachments for floor and handheld vacuuming.

While the standard S6 has plenty of comparable models from various manufacturers, including Shark and Roborock, there’s nothing quite like the Switch S6 to do a fair price comparison. Still, to put its value into perspective, the Dyson WashG1 costs $699.99/ £599.99 / AU$999, and it’s just a standard wet-dry vacuum mop. On the other end of the spectrum, the Shark HydroVac costs just $359.99 / £329.99 / AU$399.99. It’s not a versatile machine like the Tineco Floor One Switch S6, though.

You can purchase Tineco products directly from the manufacturer in the US and UK, but in Australia, the vacuums are sold via Amazon AU.

Value score: 4.5/5

Tineco Floor One Switch S6 review: specs

Tineco Floor One Switch S6 review: design

Removable motor for switching units
Lighter than other wet-dry vacuum mops
Easy storage to keep all attachments together

Tineco Floor One Switch S6 motor being removed — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

The first thing that hit me when I opened up the Tineco Floor One Switch S6 box was the staggering number of pieces that came out of it. And putting it all together while following the diagrams in the user manual was a losing battle. Thankfully, there are easier instructions on the box.

Given this is the first Tineco machine I’ve tested, I was a little surprised (pleasantly, I might add) to see that the motor is a separate piece on its own, which made sense to me once I realized it could be swapped between the vacuum mop and the standalone cordless vacuum. To handle those different tasks, there are two floor cleaning attachments in the box – the wet roller and a ZeroTangle brush. There’s also a Mini Power Brush for upholstery and a 2-in-1 crevice/dusting tool. Tineco even supplies a cleaning brush for the dirty water tank.

Tineco Floor One Switch S6 docking cradle with all attachments — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

While the main charging dock houses the mopping unit of the S6, a small side cradle fixes onto the side of the dock to hold the vacuum in place and stow the other attachments as well. So essentially, every part of this versatile machine is in one place, and the total footprint isn’t too large – so you can consider this model if you live in a smaller apartment.

The vacuum alone is really quite light and, when used as a handheld, is easy to hold up to get to cobwebs on your ceiling. And, in comparison to some other vacuum mops we’ve tested here at TechRadar, the main unit of the Switch S6 isn’t too heavy either. At 4.3kg (9.5lbs), it’s about half the weight of the Roborock Dyad Pro and the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro. Well, it is a little smaller than both of them, with the front-mounted dirty-water tank holding only 450ml of liquid compared to 720ml in the Floor One S7 Pro. So while it’s not entirely ideal for larger homes, it is more than enough for smaller ones.

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Tineco Floor One Switch S6 clean water tank — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

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Tineco Floor One Switch S6 dirty water tank — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

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Tineco Floor One Switch S6 LED display — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

The dirty-water tank is also what prohibits the Switch S6 from sliding under furniture – it’s not bendy and tilting it beyond a 145º angle will see water slosh all over your feet. The swappable vacuum unit, though, is better able to clean under furniture, but you will need to be mindful that the angle of the cleaning head doesn’t change – if it lifts off the floor, its limited suction will be diminished further.

Like many other vacuum mops, the Switch S6 also boasts an LED display that shows you the battery life in the centre and the current cleaning mode. These include ‘auto’, ‘max’ or ‘eco’ depending on the attachment you have connected. A ring of light can be seen around the outer edge of the display that, for the most part in my case, remains blue, telling you that your floor is clean. If the iLoop sensor detects an especially dirty area of floor or a lot of debris, this turns red and the motor will increase its suction power to get your floor clean. Tineco says this function works for both the wet roller head and the vacuum head, but I only noticed it working for the former. There’s no touch functionality, but all the physical controls are within reaching distance of your fingers, so using the Switch S6 is easy. Importantly, it moves over floors smoothly, so you don’t need to exert too much energy when getting your cleaning done.

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Tineco Floor One Switch S6 crevice attachment — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

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Tineco Floor One Switch S6 crevice attachment with brush — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

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Tineco Floor One Switch S6 being used with vacuum attachment — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

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Tineco Floor One Switch S6 being used with upholstery attachment — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

Aside from the main wet/dry foam roller head, the Tineco Floor One Switch S6 also comes with a swappable vacuum head for carpets and soft flooring. It’s fitted with what Tineco calls – and claims to be – a ZeroTangle brush to prevent fluff, hair and other debris getting caught up and affecting its cleaning performance. In my time using the vacuum head on carpets and rugs, I can certainly support the claims as I’ve not once had to pick or clean anything out of the brush.

Smaller attachments include an upholstery brush for use on a sofa or in the car, for example, and a crevice tool with a brush that can be attached or removed to the end to assist with agitating debris in hard to reach areas. An extender pole can be attached to the main motor unit too, and the crevice tool can also be used on the end of it.

The removable motor, which can be swapped between the mop unit and the vacuum, is easy to remove from the former but, during my testing, I found that it’s a little harder to take off from the vacuum. It needs a little extra elbow grease, so it’s a good thing it has its own handle.

Design score: 4.5/5

Tineco Floor One Switch S6 review: performance

Excellent mopping, but not a lot of suction when vacuuming
Auto dirt detection works effectively to boost performance
Self-cleaning functionality is good, but noisy

While I personally hadn’t tested any Tineco vacuum prior to the Switch S6, we have tested a few of the brand’s machines previously and have been impressed with what the company has been able to achieve at the mid-range price tag in terms of performance. The S7 Pro – while now discontinued in Australia – continues to be our pick of one of the best wet-dry vacuum cleaners for other markets.

So the expectations were high for the Switch S6 going into testing and, while it didn't outperform its older sibling, it still holds its own – particularly as a vacuum mop. I was very surprised at how much dirt it gathered in its tank, even when I thought the floors in my test space (which, for this review, was my own apartment) were looking quite clean. Importantly, none of the mopped-up dirt made its way back onto the floor.

I found that leaving the machine on Auto mode was ideal for my purposes, but there is also a Boost option for some extremely stubborn spills. The wet roller rotates at 450rpm and the cleaning head does a good job of dispersing water onto the floor for easy mopping. I found that even with caked-in stains, the Switch S6 needed no more than 3-4 passes before it mopped it all up. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly the water dried, meaning I could walk on my floor within a matter of minutes.

What impressed me the most was how well the wet roller cleaned along the edges of a room (along skirting boards). While it won’t necessarily be able to get into very tight spaces, I found that it was able to automatically boost cleaning if it detected more dirt along room edges. I was relieved to find this didn’t need to happen very often in my apartment, but it was also reassuring to learn the iLoop sensor was doing its job.

Dynamic suction is also available for the hot-swappable vacuum as well, but don’t expect it to perform like a Dyson or Shark. While Tineco hasn’t revealed how many air watts of power is available for suction, I suspect it’s around 120 air watts. That's not as good as the approximately 250aw you get from the Dyson Gen5detect or Samsung Bespoke Jet AI, but it’s enough to handle the little clean-up jobs you might need in a pinch. I also appreciated the LED light in the vacuum head to help shine a light on otherwise invisible debris, ensuring I didn’t miss any spots. The vacuum could handle the regular weekly vacuuming, but I think the mop does such a fantastic job that vacuuming becomes unnecessary as a regular chore, saving me time.

The mopping head also made light work of liquid spillages, with just one pass being enough to clean up some milk from the floor. The iLoop sensor also kicked into gear to recognise there was a major spill and so adjusted its suction power accordingly. It also did an admirable job with grains such as rice, easily vacuuming up a small portion of rice from the floor and taking it through to the dirty water tank.

While the regular vacuum attachment does a good job with everyday dust and debris, it doesn't perform as well when attempting to vacuum up the same portion of rice. As you can see in the video, I vacuumed up a small portion of risotto rice, and while it seemed as though it had all been collected from the floor, when I picked the vacuum up, it all fell back out.

The lack of suction power also means that if you do have mixed flooring, the vacuum would definitely struggle on wall-to-wall carpeting with hair and dirt embedded deep into the fibres. I used it on the bedroom carpet and on a living room rug and wasn’t quite enthused by its suction, despite being in Boost mode. It’s still effective on hard floors, but only with everyday debris and crumbs.

However, I appreciate the fact that the Switch S6 also converts into a handheld unit. As I’ve mentioned earlier in this review, it’s light enough to keep raised for long periods of time, so cleaning upholstery or ceiling fans isn’t too hard at all.

Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Tineco Floor One Switch S6 review: maintenance

Has a self-cleaning process that is good, but noisy
Flash-drying of the mop takes place automatically
Manual cleaning of the dirty-tank is necessary

When you’ve finished a clean using the mopping roller head and returned the machine to its docking station, the voice prompt (if you leave it activated) will instruct you to perform a self-cleaning cycle. A button on the handle with a water droplet icon is all you need to press and the machine takes care of the rest. The self-cleaning cycle sees the machine using leftover clean water heated to 70ºC to blast the roller head while it spins to remove any dirt and debris. Dirty water collected in the tray is then vacuumed up into the dirty water tank. This process takes a couple of minutes, after which the Switch S6 blasts the roller head with hot air for around a further five minutes to dry it completely. Suction continues to be used to remove any last dirty water droplets.

It’s an effective process but one that is pretty noisy and much louder than when the machine is used for cleaning. I used a decibel meter app on my phone and recorded a reading of around 78dB. Even with the machine in my laundry room towards the back of my apartment and the door shut, I could still hear it from my living room roughly 26ft / 8m away.

Once the self-cleaning cycle is complete, the voice prompt will inform you it’s finished and tell you to empty the dirty water tank to prevent odors. I absolutely agree you should do this, as (to my surprise) odor can build up quickly. Removing the tank is simple, and you’ll want to separate the lid and the filter and run everything under a tap to remove any debris collected. I left the pieces to air dry before attaching them back to the main unit.

Tineco supplies a small brush to help agitate and remove debris from the filter. You’re also able to remove the roller head entirely to give it an even deeper clean, and Tineco supplies a spare to swap over.

Maintenance score: 5/5

Tineco Floor One Switch S6 review: software

Voice prompts are a lovely touch
Tineco Life app is superfluous but handy

Tineco wants to make your time using the Floor One Switch S6 as easy as possible and so has integrated a voice prompt feature to give you useful instructions and to let you know what the machine is doing. These include telling you to perform a self-cleaning cycle, that it’s charging and which cleaning mode has been selected. If you don’t want to hear them, you can silence them within the Tineco Life app, or simply reduce the volume a few notches.

I found that the app itself wasn’t all that useful, and in some instances, totally unusable. I found that the machine has to be on, or at least ‘woken up’ for the app to connect. I wasn’t going to hold my phone whilst using the vacuum, so the only realistic time you can view information is soon after you’ve put it on the charging dock. It will eventually power itself down entirely, at which time I found the app didn’t connect.

Screenshots from Tineco Floor One Switch S6 app — (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge)

When you do manage to get the app to connect to view information, there isn’t really much to see. You can view a bar graph infographic showing the amount of time you spent cleaning on a particular day, and the current state of the water tanks and the roller head. On all occasions they all returned a ‘Normal’ result during my time testing, but the intention is that it will tell you if something needs cleaning.

There is a user manual in the app too, but I was never able to get this to open. It instructs you to “tap to enter the corresponding tutorial manual”, but in my experience, there was never anything to tap on. The app also regularly displayed the battery level as 0%, despite it being fully charged on the charging dock.

Software score: 3.5 / 5

Tineco Floor One Switch S6 review: battery life

Decent battery life but not adequate for large homes
Up to 35 minutes mopping; up to 65 minutes vacuuming
Takes a while to top up

The Tineco Floor One Switch S6 has average battery life for a vacuum mop. The company hasn’t revealed what battery capacity it’s using, but you won’t get more than 35 minutes when using the main vacuum mop unit. That’s because it needs more power to suck up dirt and debris while washing floors and keeping the brush rolling. This may not seem like much, but I found it more than enough for my apartment (which has an approximate total cleaning area of 120 sqm / 1,300 sqft), but potential users living in larger homes will need to consider another option with better battery life.

If you’re just vacuuming, however, there’ll be up to 65 minutes available on tap.

Battery score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Tineco Floor One Switch S6?

Buy it if...

You want one machine for all floor types

With a mopping head and a regular vacuum attachment, the Switch S6 can tackle all floor types with just one swappable motor. View Deal

You want an assured clean

With the iLoop sensor in mopping mode, suction power automatically increases when it detects major dirt and debris, meaning you can be sure everything will get sucked up. View Deal

You have a smaller home

I had no issues concerning battery life in a 2 bedroom apartment, with plenty of juice left in the tank after a clean.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You have deep pile carpet

The vacuum attachment for carpet doesn’t have the suction power to get deep within the fibres.View Deal

You have a tight budget

You are essentially getting four vacuum cleaners in one, but there are cheaper alternatives that do a similar – and sometimes better – job.View Deal

Also consider

Shark HydroVac Cordless
This 3-in-1 machine cleans and vacuums hard floors and carpets with a single roller head. No other attachments means it struggles with tight corners and ceilings, but for main tasks, it offers great value.

Read our full Shark HydroVac Cordless reviewView Deal

Dyson V15s Detect Submarine
Excellent performance in both mopping and vacuuming functions, but some design flaws keep it from getting full marks. Plus, you'll need to spend Dyson money.

Read our full Dyson V15s Detect Submarine reviewView Deal

How I tested the Tineco Floor One Switch S6

I tested this vacuum over a period of about a month in my apartment, which has a mixture of sealed wood flooring, tiles and carpets. I ran tests to see how well both main attachments picked up liquid spills and common solid spills such as rice and other grains.

Roborock Qrevo Slim review

4:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Comments: Off

Roborock Qrevo Slim: two-minute review

Although sporting a lower-profile design than some rivals, the Roborock Qrevo Slim is otherwise a full-size robotic vacuum and mop that is powerful, intelligent and packed with features. The redesigned LiDAR system means it can slide more easily under low furniture, getting to floorspace that other robots can't, without any noticeable compromise in navigation performance.

The well-appointed Roborock app serves up no fewer than five suction levels, plus configurability for the cleaning route and mopping performance. It also smartly raises its dual spinning mops when carpet is detected, and features a spinning side brush that pivots outwards to reach into the corners of every room.

With up to 11,000Pa of suction power, the Qrevo Slim is more powerful than many rivals, including the pricier Eufy Omni S1 Pro, and you can even view a live stream from the front-facing camera in the Roborock app, turning the vacuum cleaner into a pet monitor.

The Slim does not feature the bouncy 'AdaptiLift Chassis' found on the Roborock Qrevo Curv, which launched alongside the Slim in September 2024. However, perhaps thanks to the improved navigation system, the Slim robot itself still tackles thick rugs and raised door thresholds with a confidence missing from most rivals. It's also worth noting that despite the low profile, this is still a relatively large robot, with an equally large docking station, so it's best-suited to medium and larger homes. That's the short version; read on for my full Roborock Qrevo Slim review.

Roborock Qrevo Slim robot vacuum in its dock — (Image credit: Future)

Roborock Qrevo Slim review: price & availability

List price: $1,399
Launched: September 2024
Availability: US

The Qrevo Slim launched in September 2024 and sits in the premium price bracket. It comes with a list price of $1,399, but you might be able to avoid paying that – I've spotted it discounted to around $999. At time of writing (because this market moves fast!) it sits at the top of Roborock's Qrevo range at, which itself occupies the middle tier of the company's robotic vacuum offering.

Below it you'll find the budget Q Series, and above you'll find the flagship S Series family, where prices start just below the Qrevo Slim (you'll pay $1,300 for the S7 Max Ultra), and extend all the way up to the range-topping, $1,800 S8 MaxV Ultra.

A four-figure vacuum may sound expensive, but that $1,300 buys you a lot of smart technology, and in this case your money goes into an interpretation of LiDAR known as 'StarSight', which is unique among robot vacuums, and is responsible for the Qrevo Slim's reduced height. You also get very high suction power – and in fact, at 11,000Pa, the Slim is more powerful than even Roborock's flagship S Series, which peaks at 10,000Pa. For comparison with other brands, the equally expensive Eufy Omni S1 Pro is rated at just 8,000Pa.

There is no ongoing subscription cost for the Qrevo Slim, although you'll need to purchase replacement dust bags every couple of months (Roborock says they get full in about seven weeks), and the side brush and mopping pads will eventually need replacing too.

Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Slim specs

Roborock Qrevo Slim review: design

Low-profile design fits under furniture
Self-cleaning and emptying charge dock
Dual rotating mop pads

The ‘slim' part of this robot's name refers to how it doesn't have a spinning LiDAR sensor on top. This makes it shorter than most rivals, and at 8.2 cm tall it can drive places other robotic vacuums cannot. Roborock has replaced the conventional LiDAR sensor with a system it calls StarSight. This includes a dual-light, solid-state LiDAR system, plus a 3D time-of-flight sensor, a camera and infrared sensors. (Head to TechRadar's article on how robot vacuums navigate for a deep-dive into this area.)

Roborock Qrevo Slim robot vacuum flipped over to show underside — (Image credit: Future)

The rest of the Qrevo Slim's design is similar to other self-cleaning robovacs in the Roborock range. The robot is circular, with dual spinning mops at the rear (this style of mop is typically better at scrubbing than the fixed, D-Shaped pad style), a rotating brush at the side that cleverly extends to reach into corners, and a pair of rotating rubber brushes underneath. The charge dock has a dust bin and a pair of water tanks – one clean and one dirty – to work with the robot's mopping function.

The robot itself measures 350mm (13.8in) wide, 353mm (13.9in) deep and 82mm (3.23in) tall, while the dock is 340mm (13.4in) wide, 487mm (19.2in) deep (including a ramp the robot parks on) and 521mm (20.5in) tall, although you'll need to leave space for the water tanks, which are removed by lifting them upwards from the dock.

Roborock also sells the Qrevo Slim with a refill-and-drainage system. This works in the same way, but plumbs into your home's water supply, so can refill and drain the mopping water tanks automatically. This dock is the same width and depth, but is shorter, at 405 mm (15.9in). For this review we're looking at the regular model with the larger, manually-refilled and emptied water tanks.

Top of Roborock Qrevo Slim robot vacuum dock, showing water tanks — (Image credit: Future)

As with other such robots, the Qrevo Slim dock charges the robot's battery and empties its dust bin into a larger bag that Roborock says only needs changing every seven weeks, although that will vary depending on what you're asking it to pick up. The robot also has its mopping pads cleaned with warm water and dried during charging, while the onboard water tank is emptied into the dock.

Back to the robot itself, and the Qrevo Slim can automatically lift and lower its mops, depending on the floor surface and what cleaning task is required. The side brush and one of the spinning mops can also move outwards, touching the walls and skirting boards for a complete clean.

There are three buttons on the top of the robot for quick access to key functions, like powering up, pausing and sending it back to its dock. Removing the magnetic cover gives access to the dust bin and filter, which can then be removed and cleaned or replaced.

The robot and dock take up a fair bit of space, and it's recommended that you place the dock against a wall, but with enough space either side for the robot to drive into, ensuring it cleans every last bit of your floor. You don't have to do this though, and you can sit the dock in a corner if needed; just make sure the ramp is clear for the robot to drive onto.

Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Slim review: performance

Handles thick rugs and raised thresholds with ease
Automatic switching between vacuum and mop
Cleans deeply and reliably

Right away, I want to highlight how good the Roborock Qrevo Slim is at driving through thick rugs and over raised doorway thresholds. These are both tasks other robotic vacuums can really struggle with, and even flagship models with four-figure price tags have failed to clamber their way from my exposed-floorboard hallway into the carpeted bedroom.

Not the Qrevo Slim though. It drove over every threshold, every time. It even managed to wade its way through a thick rug in the lounge – something no other robot has achieved reliably – during its first exploratory drive. During that drive it used its camera and imaging sensor to create a map of my flat, which it automatically split into labeled rooms. It got most of the labelling correct, but I still had to jump into the app and make a few edits before saving the map.

Its off-roading abilities meant I could leave the Qrevo Slim to get on with its job, safe in the knowledge that it would drive into every room, clear the rug (and automatically vacuum it, too) and return to base without me checking if it had got trapped. On a couple of occasions, it briefly got stuck on a raised threshold, but always managed to clear it by reversing and driving forward again at a higher speed.

The automatic mode selection also impressed me. Since it's so often a challenge for robotic vacuums, I usually roll the rug up and set a robot to mop and vacuum the wooden floor. But with the Roborock I left it to do its own thing, where it vacuumed and mopped the wooden floor, then automatically raised its mop to vacuum the rug, before lowering it again to continue mopping the floor and ensuring the rug stayed dry.

As well as recognizing the difference between floor types, and where each room ends, the robot can also spot common household items like beds, sofa and television stands, which it then adds to the map.

Dock for Roborock Qrevo Slim robot vacuum, with front cover removed to show internal dust bag — (Image credit: Future)

On test, the Qrevo Slim's navigation was usually very good, driving confidently into small gaps, not crashing into anything at speed and not getting stuck. But on one occasion it got confused and failed to find its way back to the dock. Understandable if it was stuck under the sofa, or somewhere else far from the charging station, but it was just a foot or so from the dock, yet after lots of spinning around it declared defeat via an app notification. I don't know what caused this, but it only happened once during several weeks of testing.

Onto the specific cleaning tests. I begin by scattering a mix of oats and flour across approximately one square meter of wooden kitchen floor. I began in the quietest, least powerful vacuuming mode, with the robot driving a standard pattern and completing the route only once.

At just 60 dB, Quiet mode really is very quiet indeed, with the vacuuming itself no louder than the motors driving the robot around. As expected, this mode didn't do a particularly good job at picking up debris. It's okay for dust (or flour in this case) but struggled with the oat mix. Just like most other robotic vacuums, the Qrevo Slim's rotating side brush tends to flick debris around the room, and out of the robot's path. Telling it to perform the route twice mostly fixes this, as the flicked debris will be collected on the second pass.

Roborock Qrevo Slim robot vacuum with dust bin removed — (Image credit: Future)

Turning the vacuum power up to Balanced (one level up from Quiet) and telling the robot to clean the same area twice made a big difference. Despite only being slightly louder (about 63 dB), this setting sucked up almost all of the oat mix, with just a few pieces flicked out of reach by the side brush. Turbo mode is the next step, but at 65 dB it's only slightly louder than Balanced, but clearly has more power and was able to pick up all of the flour and almost every piece of oat.

Max vacuum strength is noticeably louder, at 69 dB. This is when the Qrevo Slim starts to really sound like a vacuum cleaner, but it's still the sort of volume you can talk over with a slightly raised voice. The cleaning power is also ramped up, providing an excellent clean.

However, on this run I noticed how when you create a zone for the robot to vacuum, it won't go right to the edges of a room, even if the zone you create overlaps the walls of the room map. This means you'll be left with a line of debris – in this case flour – swept to within a few inches of the wall but not collected. This is despite me telling the robot to clean right up to the wall. It also frequently failed to clean up directly in front of its docking station. Telling it to clean the whole room fixed this.

Finally, it's time for Max+, which even comes with a warning that it will shorten battery life due to being so power-intensive. This mode peaked at 70 dB and did a great job of collecting the debris, but the routing still meant some oats were flicked across the room and left behind; I also spotted how the robot drove over some flour without the vacuum on, then left a line of white tire tracks that it failed to pick up on subsequent passes. Requesting another clean, on a lower power setting, addressed this.

To summarize, cleaning whole rooms twice using Turbo or Max mode is best in most cases.

Roborock Qrevo Slim robot vacuum with side brush extended — (Image credit: Future)

I then repeated these tests on carpet, and saw very similar results. The Quiet and Balanced modes are fine for a little-and-often approach, but failed to pick up all debris. Turbo and Max modes performed better, while Max+ feels like overkill for regular cleaning, but is still a nice-to-have. If I'd just moved into a new home, I'd be using the full 11,000 Pa of suction with Max+ in every room to start with, then switch to Routine or Turbo for scheduled cleaning.

Turbo mode is the best all-rounder, mixing an ability to suck flour out of a reasonably dense carpet, with a low volume level. I still wish the robot was better at collecting debris flicked around by the rotating brush, but this is only apparent when faced with very specific tests. You won't notice this during regular cleaning, but might need to occasionally pick up a few bits of debris with a handheld vacuum.

Roborock Qrevo Slim robot vacuum cleaning a hard floor — (Image credit: Future)

Finally, the mop. The Qrevo Slim has a pair of mops that spin at 200 rpm and push downwards for a deep clean. There are three preset water flow options (low, medium and high), plus a custom option where you can pick from a flow rate between one and 30. You can then tell the mop to clean an area once or twice, and pick from four route options, ranging from the quickest, through to Deep+, which is more thorough but takes much longer.

For my test I scattered some hot sauce across the wooden kitchen floor, left it to partially dry, then set the Roborock to work. I asked it to mop the entire room, using a moderate water flow (number 20 of 30), with two cleaning passes, and the Standard route option. In short, it did a great job. The right-hand rotating mop extends outwards, so that it can clean right up against the walls or skirting boards on an initial lap of the room, before tucking back into its default position and working together with the left-hand mop to give the entire floor a thorough wipe.

All of the hot sauce was removed, but only because I set the robot to make two passes; some stains were still visible after the first pass.

The side brush spins slowly during mopping, so it's best to use the mop on a dried stain instead of a fresh spill, as any liquid will be wiped by the brush and require manual cleaning later. It's also worth remembering that the mop uses only warm water and no detergent. (You can find premium robot vacuums that offer hot water mopping, although it's rare – the option to add detergent is more common and is included on other Roborocks, including the S8 MaxV Ultra).

Water tank removed from Roborock Qrevo Slim robot vacuum dock — (Image credit: Future)

The mopping process is all very quiet, ranging from 44 bB to 58 dB as the water tank is filled from the docking station, then emptied again, and the mop is cleaned using hot water and dried with warm air. The mop takes three hours to fully dry, but during that time you can ask the robot to either mop again, or do some vacuuming. The dock base (the part the robot sits on while charging) self-cleans with a pair of rotating scrapers, but can also be removed for a manual scrub. After several weeks of testing, the base still appeared as-new.

There's even a sensor in the charge station that checks how clean the robot's water is, then cleans the mops more thoroughly if required.

Lastly, the robot has a voice control system that responds to the command 'Hello Rocky'. It can be asked to 'vacuum the bedroom', 'mop the kitchen' or 'dry the mop', for example. The robot responds quickly and accurately, making voice commands a convenient way to access basic functions without finding your phone and diving into the app for more granular control.

The Qrevo Slim's battery life is a claimed 180 minutes. This feels fairly accurate, but will vary considerably depending on which settings are used.

Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Roborock Qrevo Slim review: app

Easy to use, but…
Lots of customization on offer. Almost overkill
SmartPlan and homescreen widgets are handy one-tap solutions

The Roborock app works like most other robotic vacuum controllers. There are several customizable cleaning parameters to adjust, including five levels of suction power, three levels of water flow for the mopping function, and the option to clean an area once or twice, plus an option to pick between the standard or faster, more efficient cleaning route. Or, it can be set to only vacuum or mop a certain room or area, depending on your needs.

There's also the SmartPlan, which uses artificial intelligence to learn your cleaning habits and preferences, then creates a customized vacuuming and mopping plan.

Screenshots for Roborock Qrevo Slim robot vacuum companion app — (Image credit: Roborock)

On top of all that are the routines. If you don't want to clean the whole map, or a single room, you can instead select the After Meals routine, which can be configured to clean only the kitchen and dining room, for example. Routines appear on the home screen of the app, and can be activated with just one tap. iPhone users can create a homescreen widget with one-tap access to a couple of your most-used routines. With that set up, it's a case of unlocking your phone and tapping once on the widget to start a cleaning routine.

There are even a few pet-friendly app features, including a function where the robot will go and look for your pet without the vacuum running, using its forward-facing camera to show a live stream of what's going on.

As with other robotic vacuum apps, there are options to reconfigure your map and rename rooms. There are also masses of settings to adjust, if you wish, from cleaning schedules, to how the robot uses its lifting mops, what temperature water it uses to clean the mops, how often it empties its dust bin, and much more.

These can almost all be left to their default setting, but I strongly urge pet owners to enable pet mode in the Reactive Obstacle Avoidance page of the settings menu, since this ensures the robot recognizes and avoids pets and their waste with extra precision.

App score: 4.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Roborock Qrevo Slim?

Buy it if...

You have low furniture

It might sound a bit niche, but its lack of height is the defining feature of the Qrevo Slim. It can drive into and clean places other robots can't reach, while the side brush and one of the mops cleverly pivot outwards to clean right up against every wall.

You need lots of power

Despite its more compact design, the Qrevo Slim is currently Roborock's most powerful robotic vacuum cleaner, with 11,000Pa of suction. The most powerful setting consumes lots of power, and is fairly loud, but it does a fantastic job of cleaning carpets and hard floors alike. Much quieter settings are also available.

You want an equally impressive mop

The Qrevo Slim's dual-rotor mop is impressive. Both mops push downwards and spin at 200 rpm, while the amount of water used is highly configurable and the robot automatically works harder on tougher stains.

Don't buy it if...

You're tight on space

Despite the name, this robot is only compact in one dimension – height. The diameter of the robot is still on par with other high-end rivals, and so too is the considerable size of the docking station. A smaller dock is available, but you'll need to be able to plumb it into your water supply.View Deal

You value simplicity

While this robot can function in a simple, one-tap way, to even get to that stage requires a fair bit of setup. There are pages and pages of settings to tinker with, routines to create, a voice assistant to learn phrases for and all manner of configuration, including no fewer than 30 levels of water flow for the mop.

You're on a budget

Although it isn't quite the most expensive robotic vacuum around, the Qrevo Slim is right up there. I think it still represents good value as a premium product, but there are also plenty of options for shoppers wanting to spend less. Roborock itself has the more affordable Q Series, for example.

How I tested the Roborock Qrevo Slim

I set up the Qrevo Slim and used it as my only vacuum cleaner for several weeks. After using it for general vacuuming and mopping duties, I performed a series of tests to appraise its cleaning abilities, as well as its noise levels and how well Roborock's smartphone app works.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners

First reviewed November 2024

Alien: Rogue Incursion review: superb survival horror with monsters I wish were more terrifying

5:00 pm | December 18, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Virtual Reality Gaming | Tags: Resident Evil | Comments: Off

Alien: Rogue Incursion is a prime example of horror done well in a VR game. It doesn’t simply bung you in a pitch-black space and spook you with jumpscare after jumpscare, no, the whole title exudes an inescapable tension that’s an amalgam horror of its setting, sound design, and game mechanics.

The specific nature of the chaotic, labyrinthine Gemini Exoplanet Solutions facility your two-person party – Zula Hendricks and her synth companion Davis – is stranded in doesn't overly matter, but its design and decoration certainly do.

It boasts a jumbled network of crawlspaces that are perfect for Xenomorphs to exploit to sneak up on you, and even with the motion detector it can be a challenge to track them down before they break cover and launch an attack at you – with the sound of their clambering serving as a constant reminder that the monsters are close, even if you can’t see them.

Review Info

Platform reviewed: PSVR 2
Available on: PSVR 2, PC, and later Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S
Release date: December 19, 2024 (February 13, 2025 on Quest)

Sneaking around the facility yourself is advised then to avoid unnecessary combat, but what makes that a challenge is commonplace workplace debris. On any other day a few boxes, a creaky locker door, or a trash can would be mundane items you hardly consider, but they’re transformed into your enemy by Rogue Incursion as any noise has a chance to summon your alien foes.

This ties in perfectly with the intrinsic risk-reward structure which should be at the core of a survival horror campaign like this one. Yes, you can explore a few additional rooms to try to restock your dwindling supplies, but the noise you’ll create could mean you’ll spend more resources than you’ll regain if you aren't careful.

Davis weilding a shotgun in concept art — Concept art of Davis weilding his shotgun (Image credit: Survios / 20th Centuary Fox)

I also appreciated that, as someone who is relatively unfamiliar with the Alien universe – I know what a Xenomorph is, how their parasitic nature relies on facehuggers and chestbusters to violently reproduce, and I could pick one out in a lineup of sci-fi heels, but I’ve never seen an Alien movie, and the closest I’ve come to playing an Alien game before is eliminating Xenomoprophs and Ripley in Fortnite – I never felt locked-out of the story.

This was aided by the admittedly trope-heavy plot, but while there were clear references to characters and events who meant very little to me the well-crafted dialogue contained enough context clues that I could follow along without feeling lost. So don’t feel this isn’t a game for you if you’re new to the Alien franchise like I was.

Bark worse than their bite

Ironically, however, the least scary aspect of this whole scenario was the eponymous Aliens. As you’re well stocked with military-grade rifles, shotguns, and revolvers Xenomorphs can be dispatched by Zula and Davis with enough shots to the chest or head.

And there are no variants to keep you on your toes mechanically speaking. Once you’ve fought one Xenomorph, you’ve fought them all making otherwise tense fights feel a little repetitive.

Best Bit

The Motion Scanner picking up Aliens — (Image credit: Survios / 20th Centuary Fox)

Whenever Xenomorphs approach your motion detector lets off a whistle-like alert which never failed to put me on edge. The ending is also very strong, but I can’t talk about it in this spoiler-free medium.

As a result, the fear of combat comes not from its challenges but from resource management and unforgiving save points.

You can kill any alien, sure, provided you have ammo – the supply of which is far from endless. And if a group of Aliens does catch you off guard while you’re low on healing items you’ll be sent back to the last time you saved at a panic room – and from experience, I can say it’s not unlike having your college essay reset by a computer crash after not saving for over an hour.

Xenomprophs are frightening in a way, then, but it’s a little immersion-breaking as the in-universe monster isn’t what’s scary, instead it’s the metacontext of the monster as a video game foe that is terrifying.

Aliens crawl out of the dark murky water to attack Zula (Concept art) — Concept art of the Xenomorphs (Image credit: Survios / 20th Centuary Fox)

At the same time, while I feel Rogue Incursion would have done well to start you on a weaker footing to let you truly experience the threat Xenonorphs pose, or throw in a few variants (which the facility's Xenomorph experiments would have played into from a story perspective) I never once felt at ease in this world.

And at the end of the day, that's what you really want from a survival horror excursion. To that extent this title reminds me greatly of Resident Evil 7 which similarly suffers with enemy variety outside of boss fights, but that doesn’t ever mean you want to run into the Molded or feel safe on the Baker estate. So if that was a game you enjoyed like I did, I can see you also finding a lot to love about Rogue Incursion.

Alien's own Kobayashi Maru

Story-wise, Rogue Incursion doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but its plot serves as an excellent driving force for your adventure with the ideal balance of hope and despair to keep you pushing on without ever feeling too happy about your situation.

Additionally, I appreciated that the nuggets of world-building you can glean from email logs and audio recordings bring not only additional context to the facility’s SNAFU for lore fans to chew on, but directly tie into the ending which has left me desperately excited to dive into a sequel.

I will keep this review spoiler-lite, as we always do, but I want to quickly air my grievances at the only frustrating moment I faced: the story’s mid-game no-win scenario.

It’s certainly an interesting way to play on the world’s general sense of hopelessness as you’re outgunned in an epic fight against wave after wave of Xenomorph, but not knowing I couldn’t win I had actually manually reset a few times thinking a different strategy would serve me better – the first-person death animations are a bit much for me so I preferred to use the pause menu to return to a save point than let the death play out.

Zula points are rifle at the Xenomorphs — Going down with too much of a fight (Image credit: Survios / 20th Centuary Fox)

Eventually, after several failed attempts I did quickly loosen the headset to check the reviewer’s guide on my phone to see if there was a walkthrough that could tell me what I was missing, and while there wasn’t a walkthrough it did mean I had finally not reset manually, and instead of returning to a panic room save point, I discovered I had progressed the story as I was always meant to lose.

It then leads into a pivtol "oh damn" moment of the game which I was not expecting at all, but the impact was unfortunately a little lost in my irrattation.

Should you play Alien: Rogue Incursion?

Play it if…

You love Alien
Even as a newcomer, it’s clear this game is a love letter to the Alien series and will delight players who (for whatever reason) want to immerse themselves in the horror-filled setting.View Deal

You’re a fan of survival horror
This game is a very good example of the survival horror genre and one of the better in VR specifically as a solid blend of Metroid and Resident Evil 7.View Deal

Don’t play it if…

You want something unique
Rogue Incursion is fun, but a little bit too tropey and repetitive at times which could bother some gamers.View Deal

You want a relaxed experience
Even on its easiest difficulty there’s nothing relaxed about Alien: Rogue Incursion.View Deal

Accessibility

Alien: Rogue Incursion, like other VR games, requires a full range of upper body motion to be playable as you’ll need to be able to interact with door handles, wire puzzles, and weapon controls.

It also uses smooth motion which can be a challenge for VR newcomers, however, its strong suite of vignette options meant I was able to play for hours at a time without feeling like I was about to lose my lunch.

How I tested Alien: Rogue Incursion

I played through the whole Alien: Rogue Incursion campaign on a standard PSVR 2 setup using a regular PS5. I tried a few different difficulty settings to get a sense of the level of challenge they provided, and tried the game from both standing and seated positions to see if there were any major benefits of challenge to one style over another – there weren’t, so choose whichever you prefer.

Brevo review 2026

4:04 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Brevo, formerly known as Sendinblue, is among the most budget-friendly and best email marketing platforms available today. It's tailored for small to medium-sized businesses, combining email marketing, automation tools, and CRM features into one easy-to-use platform. With professional-grade templates and strong automation workflows, it's already established itself as a firm favorite among marketers.

Brevo provides a free plan for beginners and budget-conscious businesses, allowing unlimited contacts and up to 300 emails daily. It also includes SMS and WhatsApp marketing, which isn't usually found in basic tools.

However, Brevo has its downsides. Users might face minor data import issues and find the landing page features somewhat limited. This could be frustrating for those seeking a more comprehensive tool. Despite this, Brevo's affordability and user-friendliness make it a strong contender in the market.

Brevo: Core capabilities

Brevo's core toolset remains one of the more well-rounded you'll find at this price point. At the center of it all is a drag-and-drop email builder with 40-plus customizable templates, along with segmentation, personalization, and real-time campaign analytics (including open rates, click-through rates, and heat maps). These tools are available even on the free plan, giving you a genuine taste of what the platform can do before you commit.

You can build automated workflows triggered by sign-ups, purchases, website visits, and more. The Standard plan removes the 2,000-contact automation limit, making it practical for growing lists. Plus the built-in CRM lets you manage your entire contact database directly inside Brevo, with visibility into interaction history, deal stages, and audience segments without third-party integrations.

screenshot of brevo SMS and Whatsapp tools — (Image credit: Brevo)

Beyond email, multi-channel marketing spans SMS, web push notifications, live chat, and even WhatsApp campaigns. It's worth noting that WhatsApp features are more restricted than the others, available only on Professional and Enterprise plans.

Landing page creation is available from the Standard plan, though it remains more limited than standalone tools like Unbounce. If landing pages are central to your workflow, that's worth weighing carefully.

Brevo: AI tools

Brevo made a significant push into AI-powered marketing in 2024 and 2025. The most visible result is Aura, Brevo's AI marketing agent, which launched in May 2025. Aura is accessible from any page in your dashboard, including directly inside the email editor, through a chat-style interface.

You can use Aura to generate subject lines, draft email body copy, create CTAs, and refine existing content with tone adjustments or multilingual translations. These content generation features are available even on the free plan.

Another useful AI addition is the predictive send-time optimization, available from the Standard plan. It uses your past campaign data to automatically send emails at the time each individual contact is most likely to engage. According to Brevo, this results in measurably higher open and click rates compared to manually scheduled sends.

The platform also offers AI-powered dynamic content, letting you tailor product recommendations, images, and copy based on each subscriber's behavior and purchase history. Brevo's Conversations platform also uses AI to help support teams summarize live chats and generate on-brand responses faster.

For enterprise users, AI segmentation (launched December 2024) takes personalization a step further. Rather than manually configuring filters, you simply describe the contacts you want to reach in plain language. For example, "customers who purchased X in the last 30 days" prompts the AI to build the segment automatically using machine learning. It's a genuinely useful feature, though it's currently limited to Enterprise plan subscribers only.

Brevo: Ease of use

Brevo is often praised for its easy-to-use interface. Signing up is quick and takes just a few minutes. The onboarding process includes helpful prompts and guidance, perfect for first-time users.

The email editor is intuitive, with drag-and-drop features that make building email marketing campaigns easy, even if you're not technical. Tasks like uploading a contact list or designing an email campaign are quick and efficient.

New users can also access resources such as tutorials, blogs, and webinars, offering step-by-step guidance to maximize the platform's benefits. However, some users occasionally experience lags and tricky data imports, which can disrupt an otherwise smooth experience.

Brevo: Customer support

Brevo offers solid customer support with live chat, email, and a detailed knowledge base. However, the tiered approach gets a mixed reception.

Free plan users get basic support, while paid subscribers enjoy faster response times through priority channels. Most users have positive experiences with the support team, but sometimes, responses can be slow during busy periods.

The absence of phone support might be another downside for those needing immediate help. The knowledge base is well-organized and full of tutorials, guides, and FAQs — but that may not be enough for every situation.

Brevo: Plans and pricing

screenshot of brevo pricing — (Image credit: Brevo)

Plan	Starting rate (paid annually)	Starting rate (paid monthly)
Free	$0/month	$0/month
Starter	$8.08/month	$9/month
Standard	$16.17/month	$18/month
Professional	$449.08/month	$499/month
Enterprise	Custom pricing	Custom pricing

Brevo restructured its plan lineup in October 2025, replacing the old "Business" tier with a renamed "Standard" plan and introducing a new "Professional" plan for high-volume senders. There are now five tiers in total, each priced by monthly email volume rather than contact count. All paid plans come with a 10% discount when billed annually.

The Free plan stays generous with 300 emails per day, up to 100,000 contacts, and access to core tools including the drag-and-drop editor, basic automation, and the Aura AI email builder. The Starter plan from $9/month removes the daily sending cap and raises your monthly limit, starting at 5,000 emails. Note that automation on this plan is still capped at 2,000 contacts and removing Brevo's logo requires a $9/month add-on.

Moving up to Standard ($18/month) unlocks landing pages, A/B testing, advanced analytics, and full marketing automation without contact limits. The Professional plan, starting at $499/month, is aimed at high-volume teams. It adds WhatsApp campaigns, AI segmentation, push notifications, a dedicated analytics studio, and up to 10 user seats. Enterprise offers custom pricing with unlimited contacts, subaccounts, an SLA, and a dedicated account manager.

Brevo: Final verdict

Brevo offers a great mix of affordability and functionality. With powerful automation tools, CRM integration, and an intuitive design, it's accessible for small and medium-sized businesses. Its multi-channel marketing features also give it an edge over competitors.

However, some downsides include limited landing page capabilities and occasional lags, which might annoy users looking for a more comprehensive solution. Brevo is ideal for businesses that prioritize email marketing over full campaign management.

Brevo: FAQs

What makes Brevo different from other email marketing tools?

Brevo offers competitive pricing and charges based on email volume instead of contact count, making it more cost-effective for businesses with large databases. Its built-in CRM and support for SMS/WhatsApp marketing also distinguish it.

Is Brevo good for beginners?

Yes, Brevo is beginner-friendly thanks to its intuitive interface, robust tutorials, and generous free plan. Its drag-and-drop editor simplifies email creation, and the automation tools are easy to implement even for novices.

Does Brevo support advanced marketing automation?

Absolutely. Brevo's automation tools allow users to create workflows triggered by various customer actions, such as email opens or website visits. Advanced users can set up custom workflows for deeper personalization.

Is there a free trial?

Brevo offers a free plan instead of a time-limited trial. This free tier supports up to 300 emails per day, giving users a chance to explore core features before committing to a paid plan.

Can I create landing pages with Brevo?

Brevo allows for basic landing page creation, but it lacks the sophistication and customization options found in dedicated tools like Unbounce or Instapage. For businesses heavily reliant on lead pages, this could be a disadvantage.

Modretro Chromatic review: a great modern Game Boy

7:51 pm | December 17, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Game Boy Advance, US | Comments: Off

Modretro Chromatic: Two-minute review

The Modretro Chromatic is a 2024 take on the Game Boy Color and is an excellent portable handheld device that elevates the experience of using Nintendo’s 1998 iconic video game console.

The Chromatic is founded upon nostalgia, it’s a modern device that requires three AA batteries to run, doesn’t have Bluetooth for audio, and perfectly recreates the 160x144 pixels of its spiritual predecessor, improving it with gorgeous backlighting and a very durable sapphire crystal front. The console can run physical Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, but there's no emulation, and it even has a volume wheel. With so many inconveniences, it’s still incredibly fascinating to use and takes you right back to the heyday of trading Pokemon with friends in your backyard through a link cable.

Make no mistake about it, the Chromatic is a product built for those of us who are nostalgic about the 90s, but it’s so well-made that its limitations are almost justifiable. With a supposedly indestructible magnesium alloy shell, a display that’s been built from the ground up to replicate and enhance your favorite childhood games, and excellent mono speakers, Modretro has captured the imaginations of those seeking the coziness of their youth. But in 2024, there are plenty of other devices that offer similar experiences, and the Chromatic’s confidence in what it is and who it’s for means that it’s an incredibly niche product.

I’ve been using the Modretro Chromatic for a month, and as someone who loves retro gaming from the 90s and early 2000s, I’ve got the expertise to assess the Chromatic’s biggest achievements and its shortcomings. This might be one of the most difficult products I’ve ever had to review, purely because its whole reason for existence is nostalgia. And nostalgia, as enjoyable as it can be, isn’t always worth your hard-earned cash.

I love the Modretro Chromatic, it’s a readily available Game Boy Color made in 2024 that’s stocked on shelves in GameStop. If you’d told me last year that I could buy a handheld in stores that plays my Pokemon Gold and Link’s Awakening cartridges from my youth I’d have been overcome with emotions. Ultimately, when it comes to spending $199 / £159 / $AU 316 a product needs to be more than just a time machine back to the past, and rising retro game console prices combined with a stagnant game library (even if Modretro is producing new cartridges based on new IP and old Game Boy titles) means the Chromatic is excellent for those who know exactly what they want from a device like this, but not necessarily for a mainstream audience.

Modretro Chromatic: Price and availability

List price: $199 / £159 / $AU 316
Comes in six colors based on original Game Boy Color options
Widely available in most regions and sold in GameStop stores in the US

The Modretro Chromatic is available now directly from modretro.com, and is also on shelves this holiday season in GameStop stores around the US. Priced at $199 / £159 / AU$316, the Chromatic comes bundled with a newly produced Tetris cartridge as part of Modretro's Chromatic First Edition release. The company hasn't disclosed whether the handheld will be sold without Tetris at a later date, but at the time of writing the only way to purchase a Chromatic is with a copy of the world's best-selling video game.

My review unit came in the Leaf color option, which is a similar green to my first-ever Game Boy Color and it's beautiful. The Chromatic also comes in Inferno, Bubblegum, Volt, Wave, and Midnight. All color options can be purchased with either English or Japanese markings for A, B, Start, and Select buttons.

One of the Chromatic's biggest strengths is how readily available it is. Competitors like the Analogue Pocket are often sold out online, and original Game Boy Colors can't be purchased in-store. Modretro, on the other hand, ships right away online and has teamed up with GameStop to offer the Chromatic to customers shopping in-store in one of nearly 3,000 retail locations.

Cartridge slot of Modretro Chromatic with Pokemon Gold (Image credit: Future)

Modretro Chromatic: Specs

Modretro Chromatic with Modretro-produced cartridges and Zelda: Link's Awakening (Image credit: Future)

Modretro Chromatic: Design and features

Magnesium alloy shell feels incredible in hand
Display built from the ground up with durable sapphire crystal cover
PBT buttons are excellent

Modretro has not cut any corners when it comes to producing the Chromatic. Make no mistake about it, this is a very premium product at an equally premium price point. The design is an ode to the original Game Boy Color with a volume wheel, AA batteries, a tactile sliding switch for power, and even a satisfying "thunk" when you pop in a game cartridge.

The Chromatic feels excellent in hand, with its magnesium alloy shell weighty but not uncomfortable, and its PBT buttons and d-pad every bit as nice to interact with. Modretro has also built a 160x144 pixel modern display with subpixel-level accuracy from the ground up. The company wanted to create the ultimate Game Boy Color screen without straying too far away from the original and they've definitely managed to do so. If you were to imagine a Game Boy Color built in 2024, this would be it.

Modretro Chromatic with Pokemon Gold on the screen (Image credit: Future)

The Chromatic is very tricky to review, on one hand, it does everything it sets out to do in modernizing the Game Boy Color. On the other hand, however, it's so faithful to the original that it fits into a weird space in between the original hardware and the class-leading Analogue Pocket.

I've loved my time playing Pokemon Crystal on the Modretro Chromatic, it has felt like a warm hug every evening in bed as I explore Johto for the thousandth time. But that experience is expensive to recreate, especially considering games like Pokemon Crystal can cost upwards of $100 / £100 on sites like eBay. The Chromatic can't play any titles via emulation, so it relies on a large cartridge library and that could be a deterring factor for many people. While the screen is infinitely better than the original Game Boy Color's one that required direct light to really see it, there's no increase in resolution which feels authentic but limiting.

Modretro sells Modretro-published games for the Chromatic on its website and alongside Tetris there are excellent adaptations of games like Toki Tori as well as new IPs like Tales of Monsterland DX. That said, one of the Chromatic's most limiting elements is the Game Boy and Game Boy Color games library. Taking off my nostalgia glasses for a minute, the lack of Game Boy Advance compatibility really impacts the Chromatic. The Game Boy Advance offers a wide range of some of the best video games of all time, and I found myself yearning for games that can't be played on the Chromatic. While it might not be readily available, the Analogue Pocket can play Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance cartridges, and so much more at a very similar price point.

If you're looking for a Game Boy Color with a better screen and better build quality then the Modretro Chromatic fits the bill. But for those people who want pure nostalgia, an original Game Boy Color and all its inconveniences is probably more up their street. For people who want a modern Game Boy experience as well as access to a larger game library, it's hard to not pick the Analogue Pocket's 1440p display.

Modretro Chromatic AA batteries (Image credit: Future)

Modretro Chromatic: Performance

Faithful FPGA hardware emulation of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games
Excellent battery life (albeit inconvenient to refill)
Comfortable for long play sessions

In terms of performance, the Modretro Chromatic is excellent at recreating Game Boy and Game Boy Color games and had no issues running any of my cartridges. The display is bright and easy to see in all environments, including direct sunlight and the speaker is much, much better than its spiritual predecessor. The sapphire glass on the front of the display means you don't need to worry at all about scratches, and combined with the durable shell makes for a stress-free gaming experience where you're never worried about damaging the handheld.

Games run excellently from classics like the Game Boy Color's Pokemon Gold to original Game Boy games like Link's Awakening which see the FPGA hardware as a Game Boy Color, adding color palettes and filters just like it would on original hardware.

Modretro has decided to use AA batteries to power the Chromatic, an ode to the past when the inconvenience of swapping out batteries was absolutely not a fun time. Well, over 20 years later and using single-use batteries still sucks. Modretro, there are some nostalgic elements that are worth keeping in the past, and AAs are one of them.

Despite the fact that replacing batteries is very inconvenient, the battery life is stellar and in my time using the handheld I only needed to swap out AAs once. Modretro says it's working on a rechargeable battery pack, but you'd expect this will cost extra once it launches.

Modretro Chromatic (left) next to Analogue Pocket (Image credit: Future)

I want to harken back to the display as aside from availability compared to sourcing second-hand hardware on sites like eBay, that's the real selling point here. The Chromatic's display is genuinely incredible, if you're looking for a faithful Game Boy experience with a little added oomph. The pixel lines from the low resolution are amazingly accurate and capture the joy of being a kid playing a Game Boy perfectly.

There were times during my time with the Modretro Chromatic that I genuinely felt transported back to my childhood, and that's something even products like the Analogue Pocket haven't been able to quite achieve. In that sense, the Chromatic's hardware and performance nails exactly what it's trying to achieve, it's just an excellent Game Boy Color Pro, a mid-console refresh if you will.

Modretro Chromatic display on left compared to Analogue Pocket display on right (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Modretro Chromatic

Buy it if...

You want a better Game Boy Color
If you're looking for a Game Boy Color and want a better screen than the original then the Modretro Chromatic is for you. The display is gorgeous, it has excellent build quality, and the buttons are a joy to use. If you only want to play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, this is the handheld for you.

You own a large Game Boy cartridge library
If you've still got all of your old Game Boy cartridges then the Chromatic will give you hours and hours of joy. The console can play any Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge, so dust off your favorites and jump back in where you left off all those years ago.

You want a handheld retro console for the holidays
The fact that GameStop is stocking the Modretro Chromatic is not to be scoffed at. The Analogue Pocket is an excellent competitor, but it's always sold out and can't be found in stores. So if you're looking to pick up a console to play Game Boy cartridges the Modretro Chromatic will be your best bet this holiday season.

Don't buy it if...

You don't own Game Boy cartridges
If you're thinking of starting a Game Boy cartridge collection then ignore this point. But if you don't own any games already, the Chromatic will quickly become a far more expensive purchase. Some Game Boy games go for hundreds of dollars and you need to be ready to invest that into an extinct gaming system. Modretro's cartridges somewhat solve this but they won't be publishing Pokemon and Zelda, so...

You want to play Game Boy Advance games
Only purchase the Chromatic if you love Game Boy and Game Boy Color. I found myself wishing I could play games on other systems like the Game Boy Advance which ultimately meant that I chose to play games on other hardware with more variety.

You want better resolution and flexibility
The Chromatic will replicate Game Boy games in a pixel-accurate 160x144 display. If you're looking for a handheld that enhances Game Boy games for a modern audience with increased resolution, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Also consider...

If you’re still not entirely sold on the Modretro Chromatic then check out these excellent similar products for comparison and consideration.

Analogue Pocket
The Analogue Pocket is a direct competitor to the Modretro Chromatic, offering more game libraries and a larger 1440p screen. The Chromatic feels more premium in hand and has sapphire glass to protect the 144p screen, but Analogue's offering gives you more bang for your buck and fewer restrictions. Do you want a reimagining of the Game Boy Color in the form of an Analogue Pocket or a modernization of it in the form of the Modretro Chromatic?

I've owned the Analogue Pocket for over a year and use it every day. My review of this direct competitor to the Modretro Chromatic is currently in progress and will be added here soon.

Nintendo Switch OLED
If you're just looking to casually play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games on the go, the Nintendo Switch offers a range of games on its Nintendo Switch Online service. Add to that the extensive Nintendo Switch library and a gorgeous OLED display, and this might be the best middle ground for those looking for the perfect handheld gaming console.

For more information, check out our full Nintendo Switch OLED review.

Super Pocket
The Super Pocket packs power, fantastic controls, and a strong selection of built-in games from either Capcom or Taito into an attractive pocket-size package. While it may not be as capable as the other recommended options, for such a low price you really can't go wrong with this handheld device.

For more information, check out our full Super Pocket review.

How I tested the Modretro Chromatic

Tested for a month
Compared it directly to other retro handhelds
Tested across game types and cartridge types

I've used the Modretro Chromatic for a month now, and have used it as my primary retro gaming handheld.

I've tested the console with all of my original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges including Pokemon Gold, Pokemon Crystal, Pokemon Yellow, and Link's Awakening, just to name a few. I also played Modretro-produced games such as Tetris, Toki Tori – Ultimate Edition, and Tales of Monsterland DX.

The Modretro Chromatic has been my main handheld gaming console over the course of the last 30 days and I've made comparisons with my Analogue Pocket.