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Canon’s latest PowerShot proves the compact camera isn’t dead — and testing it reminded me why I got into photography in the first place

9:00 pm | February 3, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Cameras Compact Cameras Computers Gadgets | Tags: ISO, LCD | Comments: Off

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: two-minute review

Several camera brands are riding the wave of sudden popularity in compact digital models that we’ve seen over the past couple of years. I suppose we should have seen an uptick in interest coming, once photographers started using smartphone cameras for ‘serious’ work, and while the format has never truly vanished completely, the humble compact seems to be returning to the mainstream.

The Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A (known as the Ixus 285 HS A outside the US) is indistinguishable from its predecessor, the ‘A’ in the name being the only external feature that can be used to tell them apart. The biggest internal differences are the replacement of a full SD card slot with a microSD type, which is either an advantage or a nuisance, depending on how you look at it. Apart from some minor changes to Wifi security, that’s about it when looking for ‘new’ features. So, in short, if you didn’t like the 2016 version, which went viral because of TikTok and that fact Kendall Jenner has one, the 2025 edition is unlikely to be for you.

Image quality is perfectly acceptable for point-and-shoot uses which, let’s face it, is the main reason you’d buy a compact camera in the first place. It isn’t going to win awards for critical sharpness or low light performance like it’s big brother the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, nor is it going to become a Netflix filmmakers tool, like the Nikon ZR, but it provides maximum portability and a practical solution for casual travel photography.

The Canon Ixus 285 HS A Compact camera — The Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A/ Ixus 285 HS A compact camera is incredibly small and fits into a pocket (Image credit: Peter Fenech)

Its 20.2MP 1/2.3-inch sensor is back-illuminated, which goes some way to improving signal-noise ratio in reasonable lighting, but it falls short once the ambient lighting levels drop. Images are fairly mushy under interior lights, where the ISO must be raised above 400.

I’m glad Canon didn’t feel tempted to squeeze on more pixels, which is something many smartphone manufacturers do to grab the headlines, as any more would have been a step too far in my opinion. The flash doesn’t help much as it’s small and not very powerful, plus it tends to bleach detail, creating an ugly exposure fall-off inherent to direct flash photography in darker environments.

However, you’ll probably find this flash effect is one of the reasons for people to buy the camera. It’s an incomprehensible reversal of consumer aspirations for image quality, but the ‘disposable camera look’ of the 80s, 90s and 2000s is to Gen-Z what honey is to ants. Images from cameras such as this are edgy and original to this age group, while to mine (millennials and others with more grey hairs than they’d like generally known) they bring a wash of nostalgia.

The zoom is very handy, supported by a surprisingly effective image stabilization (IS) system that keeps shots steady as low as 1/25sec at the long end of the focal range in my tests. The screen, meanwhile, isn’t super-detailed but matches the baseline quality of the files the sensor is capable of turning out.

All-in-all, the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A is a fun, trendy, and highly usable compact camera that, as long as you buy it with realistic expectations, is sure to bring you joy and great memories.

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A specs

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A specs:
Type:	Digital compact
Sensor:	1/2.3 type back-illuminated CMOS
Sensitivity:	ISO 80-3200
Shutter speeds:	5 – 1/2000sec
LCD:	7.5 cm (3.0”) LCD (TFT), Approx. 461,000 dots
Memory:	MicroSD
Lens:	4.5 – 54.0 mm (25 – 300 mm Efl) f/3.6 – f/7.0
Video:	Full HD (1080p)
Photo:	20.2MP
Burst rate	2.5fps / 7.2fps (5MP)
Dimensions:	99.6 x 58.0 x 22.8 mm
Weight:	5.15oz / 146g

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: Price and availability

Released September 9 2025
Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A costs $379.99 / £369.99 / AU$549
The camera is currently sold out in most markets due to high demand

The Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A is available for $379.99 in the USA. The camera is sold as the Canon Ixus 285 HS A in the UK and Australian markets and can be found for £369.99 / AU$549 depending on the retailer.

Due to the incredible demand for the camera, many resellers are currently out of stock in most markets, with back-ordering often available.

Price score: 4/5

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: Design

Small and compact body which is easy to carry in a coat pocket
There is no touchscreen LCD, which seems and odd omission
Telescopic 12x zoom lens closes to a flat profile when the camera is off

On picking up the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A you realise you’d forgotten how impressively small compact cameras could be, despite their sometimes exceptional zoom ranges. Compared to an interchangeable lens camera, or even the average smartphone, this Powershot camera is positively tiny. It comfortably fits in a coat or trouser pocket and, unlike a smartphone, the lens is conveniently folded away behind a protective shutter, reducing the possibility of scratches.

Despite its diminutive proportions, the camera is easy to handle. All of the buttons are within easy reach of the thumb and can be pressed comfortably. Most of these are recessed into the camera body, making it less likely to press them by accident - always a potential issue on a device that lives in your pocket, but without the protection of a locked touchscreen.

For someone with larger hands such as myself, it can be a challenge to hit the right button on the first attempt without knocking its neighbours, since they are all so close together. I didn’t encounter too many occasions where I was required to work quickly with the PowerShot though, so it didn’t prove too inconvenient.

The Canon Ixus 285 HS A — (Image credit: Peter Fenech)

The mode switch on the top right of the body, next to the shutter button, makes it simple to flick between Automatic and custom shooting modes, although there aren’t too many of those. The Auto mode is the basic point-and-shoot mode for stills and video, but by navigating through the menu system, it’s possible to switch the camera into Program mode for more manual control.

Just as on higher-end cameras, Program mode looks after the shutter speed and f-stop, but enables the user to select the ISO along with color profiles and other more custom settings. There is no Tv or Av modes like you might find on the main dial of a Canon EOS R8, or even the entry level mirrorless Canon EOS R100, however, so you are reliant on the internal light meter to do its job well.

The middle position is the Creative Shot mode, which curiously shoots five additional frames each time you fire the shutter, each one having a different effect applied. I guess this is a quick way to capture unique shots for social media, but the effects themselves are questionable.

Finally, Hybrid Auto captures a short video ahead of the final still photo, creating a sort of behind-the-scenes style clip that could be used to accompany an image in an Instagram Reel or on TikTok. You can tell it’s this user demographic the Elph 360 HS A is aimed squarely towards.

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The main LCD isn’t especially mind-blowing, not least because it isn’t touch-sensitive. I understand this keeps the cost down, but in the smartphone age it seems a strange omission. I guess it really leans into the ‘blast from the past’ theme and while I was unhappy at first, I quickly grew accustomed to going without. In fact, I ended up enjoying the neo-vintage effect this created and suddenly, I was back in High School again. Technology-wise, the 2000s were literally simpler times.

The resolution can’t keep up with many of the most recent smartphones and tablets, at approximately 461,000 dots, and images do look a little washed out. Even magnifying the preview image doesn’t reveal much about the sharpness and contrast of the saved file. However, shots from this camera aren’t meant to be seen up close or in-print, so the screen is good enough for checking the basics of composition and exposure, in anticipation of sending your images to the web.

The new microSD memory card format might bug some users, especially if you have a collection of full-size SD cards in your collection. However, since many potential buyers will be coming from a smartphone anyway, it shouldn’t be too unfamiliar. If you buy a microSD card with an SD adaptor, you can enjoy the best of both worlds should you need to re-use it in a larger format camera.

Design score:4.5/5

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: Performance

Relatively limited 180-shot battery life
Integrated optical IS system is very effective in low light
Rapid autofocus with subject tracking
No RAW file shooting capability

Despite having a smaller sensor and often lower resolution than interchangeable lens cameras, compacts also regularly suffer from reduced processing power, caused by the use of a derated version of a processing engine found in higher-end models. This keeps costs and size down, but negatively impacts performance, including startup times. Thankfully, the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A doesn’t lag too much, and takes only a couple of seconds to be shot-ready from pressing the power button. There weren’t any instances where I felt I had missed a shot because the camera wasn’t ready. It’s impressive for a model in this price bracket.

Similarly, there isn’t excessive buffering after each shot, perhaps helped by the fact you can only shoot JPEGs, with no RAW mode available. This limits maximum file size, but the result is still a sporty camera with respectable reflexes. There’s more of a delay after a burst of images, namely in the Creative Shot mode where a sequence of six shots is created in one go, putting the DIGIC 4+ processor under more strain.

The iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology is said to improve the performance of the white balance, autofocus, and auto exposure systems – the camera put in a reasonable performance on all fronts.

The AF system isn’t up to the standards of the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system seen in cameras like the Canon EOS R5 Mark II or EOS R10 or even the PowerShot V1. These models not only provide full phase-detection AF capability, but also have far more latitude for customization of subject sensitivity and tracking behavior. That said, the PowerShot Elph 360 HS A isn’t slow to focus, especially in good light.

It was able to pick out details in the landscape, at both wide and long focal lengths with minimal hunting, and rarely did I find it had back or front-focused. It struggled more at close focusing distances, using the Macro shooting mode. I couldn’t get the camera to find the area of the subject I wanted it focus on, and so it took several attempts to guide it in the right direction. I didn’t expect much else since even dedicated macro lenses can show their AF weaknesses at minimum focus distance. Moreover, the 1cm working distance is praiseworthy.

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Images takes with the Canon Powershot Ixus 285 HS A — (Image credit: Peter Fenech)

The Creative Shot mode captures a sequence of five additional images, each with creative effects applied. Some are more attractive than others

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The zoom range is a reason alone to buy the camera over using a phone. It offers a full-frame equivalent of a 25-300mm lens – a 12x optical zoom. This covers both standard-wide and telephoto lengths. The zoom travel is rapid and smooth, making in-clip zooming possible during video shooting, although the internal mic does pick up the noise of moving components. Within about five seconds from hitting the power button, I was racked out at the longest focal length and focused on my subject.

AF tracking isn’t the camera’s strong point, especially at these telephoto settings. But once again, it’s good enough for the types of scenarios you’d be using such a camera. The AF points aren’t as thoughtfully spaced and positioned as on an enthusiast-level camera, and they rely on a contrast detection-based system, which is always going to be slower and more prone to hunting. This is particularly noticeable in low light, and on a couple of occasions the camera failed to focus entirely.

Performance score: 4/5

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: image quality

The sensor is smaller than on smartphones such as the iPhone 17 Pro
Low-light images feature quite heavy detail loss through noise reduction
The lens is sharp and can reveal good detail at lower ISO settings

That 1/2.3-inch sensor is significantly smaller than the unit found on the latest iPhone, which is of the 1/1.28-inch format. It’s hard to imagine that phones have overtaken compact cameras in this way, but it’s also important to remember that the iPhone starts at around $1,100 while the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A retails for about $379. That’s a pretty big price gap. Yes, the iPhone isn’t a dedicated photographic tool, but it’s a technology powerhouse and one of Apple’s flagship products. The PowerShot is a proverbial drop in the ocean in the percentage it contributes to Canon’s yearly turnover.

Even with a 20-megapixel resolution, the pixels are fairly small, with an approximate pixel pitch of 1.19 micrometers. This limits their light-gathering capacity, which you can see in the signal-noise ratio from ISO400 and above. At the lowest sensitivities the situation is much better, and outdoors the resolution is rather good. It’s under these conditions that you get to see what the lens is capable of, and it impresses in its sharpness. I was especially enamored by its micro contrast, which lends a great deal of texture to stone walls, tree bark and other granular materials.

In flatter tones like the sky, or smooth areas of berries and other glossy surfaces like car paintwork, noise is far more noticeable – it isn’t as effectively hidden amongst subject texture. By ISO800 the mushiness starts being hard to ignore, and at around ISO1600 colors take on a washed-out, insipid character.

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Images shot with the Canon PowerShot Ixus 285 HS A — (Image credit: Peter Fenech)

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Auto White Balance is fairly accurate, although it is readily confused by saturated color in the frame. Under mixed lighting it will tend to favor one end of the kelvin scale or the other. However, it will then cope unexpectedly well under interior lighting. Exploring the corridors of a 14th-Century castle-turned-hotel, there wasn’t a lot of external light penetrating the small windows in the three foot thick stone walls, so the low illumination and warm artificial light posed a great challenge – true for any camera.

The PowerShot Elph 360 HS A managed to figure out the fluorescent lamps and warm-toned walls, preventing over saturation without unpleasantly neutralizing everything by adding too much blue. A fantastic result for a point-and-shoot camera with limited color control.

Dynamic range, meanwhile, suffers quite a lot from the pixel size, and it doesn’t take much before the photosites are saturated and clipping of the highlights starts to occur. This is even more of a problem in the absence of RAW capture although, while you can actually retrieve a decent amount of shadow detail, once the highlights are blown there’s nothing to bring back.

Video is limited to FHD, although I was surprised once again by the quality in difficult lighting. Grain is definitely visible, but footage can look fantastic. For the TikTok generation, whose buying habits are responsible for bringing the camera back in the first place, it could be genuinely useful.

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The 12x optical zoom is far more powerful than what is available on most smartphones

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I must also give a special shoutout to the IS system, which demonstrated it could be remarkably effective at reducing camera shake. There were multiple cases where I tapped the shutter release, audibly heard the length of the exposure duration and instinctively went to delete the resulting shot, confident it would be unusably blurry. But to my surprise, there was very little.

In summary, the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A is a fun little camera to use, that keeps the compact camera flame burning. It’s limited in its capabilities, but it does what it is designed to do very well: taking the joy of an ultra-portable camera and de-coupling it from your phone’s myriad other functions.

Image quality score: 3.5/5

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A: testing scorecard

Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A:
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Price	If you want a separate camera that isn't buried amongst the other features of your phone, getting it for up to $700 less than the latest top-line handsets is good value	4/5
Design	The button layout is logical and makes good use of the body real estate. It's not that robust, but is fine for everyday usage	4.5/5
Performance	The fast start up and processing times are impressive, while the autofocus puts in a respectable performance for the camera type	4/5
Image quality	It wouldn't be fair to give the camera top marks for image quality. It struggles in all but the best light. However, auto WB is great and the sensor turn in images with a nostalgic feel	3.5/5

Should I buy the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A?

Buy it if...

You want a simple point and shoot

If you don't want too many bells and whistles, which even smartphones can overdo these days, this compact will make shooting images easy and fuss-free.View Deal

You're travelling light

Where absolute portability is your priority, the Elph 360 HS A won't take up much space in your bag or pocket. It is also discreet, so won't draw too much attention on the street or in the bar.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want the best images

The quality of the files from the camera are fine, but the small sensor and lack of RAW mode are always going to limit what can be achieved in terms of detail and color capture.View Deal

You want to take creative control

This isn't a camera for professional use. There is no manual, aperture or shutter priority modes, so high-end or experienced shooters may feel cut off from taking control over their images. Once again, there is no RAW mode so this lack of input extends to the digital darkroom.View Deal

Also consider

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII

It's a bit long in the tooth in digital terms, plus it is far more expensive, but if you want a camera with professional features that still minimizes size and weight, this is a great choice. The sensor is a little bigger, too, so expect better image quality, while you can also enjoy 4K video recording and a burst rate of 20fps.

Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII review

Panasonic Lumix TZ99 on white background

Panasonic Lumix TZ99

Offering a 30x zoom, this compact is genuinely useful for telephoto imagery, such as wildlife and sports. It certainly makes it a great travel companion. You also benefit from a touchscreen and full PASM modes, accessed from a dial on the top plate. The low light performance isn't the best, considering the price, but it will be an upgrade from the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A

Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix TZ99 review

How I tested the Canon PowerShot Elph 360 HS A

I tested a full production model over the course of a week
I tried the camera in a range of lighting conditions, including low light
Images were viewed at 100% on-screen and processing applied to assess detail extraction possibilities.

I ensured the camera was tested in some of the harshest lighting conditions it could be presented with, to see how it coped at the extremes of its design. I took it into the dark interior of a castle, which relied heavily on fluorescent lights, creating pools of contrast. I used the camera at every ISO setting and, although I could not alter the aperture, I used every focus length to test the sharpness continuity.

I shot in Auto Mode, Creative Shot Mode, and Program Mode to explore how these impacted the user experience. I used the Low light Mode and compared the images to those where I had applied more manual control over the exposure settings.

I then processed some sample images to see how much detail could be recovered from the shadows, although the shots that appear here are unedited out-of-camera Jpeg.

First reviewed January 2026

I watched The Muppet Show on Disney+ and found it charming but old-fashioned –luckily, Sabrina Carpenter mostly saves the day

5:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Disney Plus Gadgets Streaming | Tags: Sesame Street | Comments: Off

I'm not just a Muppet Show fan; I've idolized Jim Henson for most of my life. Few shared his creative gifts. He was prolific and smart and used puppetry to tell stories in new and novel ways that we'd never seen before, and have scarcely seen since his untimely death in 1990.

Henson's Muppets helped make Sesame Street possible, a show I grew up watching in the 1960s and early 1970s. The original The Muppets Show, which aired from 1976 to 1981, expanded the Muppets' world and reach, introducing a new cast of characters to work with the original leader and (adult in the room) Kermit the Frog (voiced by Jim Henson).

Aimed at a more mixed audience consisting of families, The Muppet Show, set in the vaudevillian-style Muppet Theatre, offered a blend of cornball jokes and winks at the more adult audience. From the start, the mayhem revolved around a line of starry celebrity guests. Half the fun was seeing how these sometimes button-downed stars would act among the all-puppet cast.

The Muppet Show Special Event on Disney+ — The Muppet Show special event will stream on Disney+ soon. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

Their apparent acceptance of these fabric creations as real helped the audience accept them and their antics as well. There were few shows I looked forward to more each week than The Muppet Show. It was appointment viewing for my family. I know I laughed and watched with fascination at all of Henson's incredible creations and how they extended the state of puppet art and artistry.

By the time the show went off the air, I was in high school and perhaps a little less interested in the Muppets (or perhaps I was just feeling the natural peer pressure to be less interested). Also, the Muppets had graduated to films, first with the incredible The Muppet Movie, the 1979 breakthrough film, which finally merged the Muppet Show and Sesame Street puppet casts, and it's just about perfect.

No other subsequent Muppet film quite reached those heights, though The Muppets Take Manhattan was at least memorable and I have a fondness for 2011's Muppet Movie revival.

The Muppets returned to television briefly in 2015 with the poorly received The Muppets. which tried, without success, to do for the Muppets what The Office did for corporate life. It failed.

By contrast, the new The Muppet Show is a largely faithful recreation of the original show. It is, at times, a charming and nostalgic trip back. Seeing each character, like Scooter, Fozzie the Bear, Gonzo, Beeker, and others, feels like reuniting with old friends.

Kermit remains a strong central presence, and his interplay with the self-involved Miss Piggy is as dysfunctional as ever.

For devoted Henson fans, it's not always easy to listen to the slightly different voice characterizations of Kermit over the years. Steve Whitmire did it for decades after Henson unexpectedly died. In recent years, it's been Matt Vogel. Like Whitmire before him, Vogel does his best to sound like Henson. It's close, but also distracting if you know the original. New fans will not have this problem.

Don't call it a reboot

While the structure of this 'Special Event' largely follows a format set up during the second season of the original show, there is a nod here that this is, on some level, a sentimental return after a long hiatus.

As the camera pans over Muppet Theatre's backstage lighting, The Rainbow Connection plays gently on a piano in the background. We see Kermit walking past black and white photos of the original show's iconic celebrity guests. The scene shifts to a close-up of Kermits' coffee cup, and then the camera pulls back to reveal Rowlf playing the piano beside him.

"Rowlf, have you been playing this whole time?" Kermit asks before Rowlf responds: "Well, what did you think it was, some kind of sentimental montage in your head?" That forth-wall-breaking and quick shift of tone from sentiment to humor is classic Muppet Show.

Rowlf and Kermit — The Muppets Show special event is almost the same as the original series. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

The rest of the format is a virtual duplicate of the original show. There's a short bit between the celebrity guest – in this case, Sabrina Carpenter – and one or more of the Muppets, this time Miss Piggy. It, like most of the bits, is more likely to elicit a groan than outright laughs. After the iconic, giant yellow The Muppet Show curtain drops down, Kermit pops out of "O" in "Show" and enthusiastically announces: "It's the Muppet Show!"

While the show is mostly bits and musical performances, there is a storyline running through the episode in which Kermit, in an effort to please everyone, has wildly overbooked the show. Everyone is so excited to be back that they all want to participate. That returns later to inspire the show's most inspired bit.

The Studio star Seth Rogen executive produces the show, and while his brand of sharp adult humor is in short supply here, Kermit's opening monologue does sound like it might have Rogen's fingerprints on it: "We are so excited to be back on the very stage where it all started, and then ended, and then is maybe starting again, depending on how tonight goes."

The old Peanut Gallery

The Muppet Show Special Event on Disney+ Waldorf, Statler — Waldorf and Statler are back in the peanut gallery. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

Statler and Waldorf sit in their usual box and make cranky commentary that sounds right at home in a vaudeville show. The joke about the Muppets being broke might be funnier if we didn't know that Disney now owns the Muppets franchise.

Carpenter's performance of Manchild in an old-west saloon populated by Muppets is affecting mainly because of Carpenter's talents and considerable charm. The physical humor is vintage Muppets, though some parents might wonder at the violence (she hits one puppet over the head with a bottle).

There's a live audience populated with humans and Muppets who provide live applause. However, I can't tell whether the laughter is also real, a laugh track, or being prompted by the audience handlers, compelling people to laugh.

The Muppet Show Special Event on Disney+ Seth Rogen and Fozzie Bear — Rogen makes a brief appearance in The Muppet Show. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

Rogen does appear, though he's cut from the show and is ultimately relegated to the audience.

Gonzo also appears but feels underused in his daredevil bits.

There's a Bridgerton-inspired "Pigs in Wigs" segment that falls flat. Piggy's cutting comments just sound mean, and the banter falls somewhere between confusing and uncomfortable. The recasting of Pepe the Prawn as Missy Piggy's lover is a funny sight gag, but as is often the case, the writers seem unsure what to do with Pepe beyond the initial gag.

At one point, Miss Piggy asks, "What is happening here?" and I kind of had the same question.

The less said about the all-rat performance of The Weekend's Blinding Lights, the better. it reminding me a bit of one of those Kids' Bop renditions of popular songs and not in a good way.

Saved in the end

The Muppet Show Special Event on Disney+ Pepe the Prawn and Miss Piggy — Pepe the Prawn and Miss Piggy during the *Bridgerton*-inspired "Pigs in Wigs" act. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

As the show starts to come apart at the seams, Kermit apologetically tells Carpenter that they're "still working out a few kinks," to which Carpenter replies: "That's alright, I love a kink." It's one of a handful of nods to the adult audience that I think it's safe to assume will sail over most kids' heads.

Maya Rudolph also appears as an audience member who falls in love with a large blue Muppet. She's also at one point declared dead. Don't worry, it's all played for laughs, though I do wonder if kids watching will be momentarily concerned as their parents are horrified.

The Muppet Show Special Event on Disney+ Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker — Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker during the Muppet Labs segment. (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

I enjoyed the Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker Muppet Labs segment, but again, Beaker's eyes popping out might frighten younger children.

The Kemit-Sabrina Carpenter Islands in the Stream duet is particularly affecting, until Miss Piggy shows up, sabotages it, but ultimately completes the performance. This is in keeping with a show where everything goes wrong.

The Muppet Show Special Event on Disney+ Scooter and Gonzo — Scooter and Gonzo (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

By and large, this Muppets special event felt like a show trying desperately to find its footing, that is, until the finale, which I found surprisingly touching.

Kermit can't put on every promised act and leaves the Muppet crew feeling frustrated. Then he stands on stage and says, "I can't say the show has gone exactly as we planned....maybe we're a little rusty...I hope you at least enjoyed some of it." It sounds almost too honest, too real.

Kermit doesn't announce another act. Instead, he starts singing acapella Queen's Don't Stop Me Now. Rawlf joins in on piano and then the entire Muppets cast joins in. It becomes the most joyous number of the entire show, and, if I'm being honest, it was the first thing in the new The Muppets show that left me wanting more.

Verdict

The Muppet Show Special Event on Disney+ Miss Piggy, Lew Zealand, Kermit — Miss Piggy, Lew Zealand, Kermit (Image credit: Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

The Muppets Show revival is not the best version of the show that's ever existed. It's far from the worst, either. The cornball vaudeville vibe was part of its original charm, but I just don't know if it's smoothly translated into 2026.

I think the writing might need to be updated a bit as Rogen and company figure out where the show and its audience live. This is an audience raised on social video and with humor that's much smarter than what was presented in 1976, or this show 50 years later.

As Carpenter proved, celebrity star power will still help carry the day, but the core of the show remains the puppets. If jokes and performances aren't as sharp and knowing, or just as charismatic as Carpenter's, we may not see future episodes.

Disney+'s The Muppet Show special event streams to subscribers globally on February 4, 2026.

I reviewed the Yamaha True X Surround 90A Dolby Atmos soundbar, and its spatial positioning is as good as it gets — but boy does it come at a price

1:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Soundbars Televisions | Tags: Dolby Atmos, DTS, UK, US | Comments: Off

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: two minute review

The Yamaha True X Surround 90A is a 5.1.2-channel soundbar system enters into a competitive world of soundbar surround solutions that’s been dominated by the likes of Samsung, JBL and Sonos for the past few years. While it’s an impressive system, its price and a few little setbacks hold it back from beating the best soundbars.

The Surround 90A has a good number of features, such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro-3D support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for music streaming, and a good number of sound modes. While it has a strong number of connections too, it’s a shame that its HDMI passthrough doesn’t support 4K at 120Hz, a feature I’ve come to expect at this price level.

Sound performance of the Surround 90A is excellent overall. It delivers exceptional power and detail, rendering surround effects with real clarity and mapping sound with pinpoint accuracy. And for music, it delivers a wide soundstage with plenty of clarity and balance. It’s a shame though that while speech is mostly good, it can get lost at times, and the Surround 90A’s compact rear speakers can struggle in the overall mix against the other powerful soundbar and sub. Still, it’s mostly impressive.

The Surround 90A is a premium-looking soundbar, with a metal finish and fabric grille giving it a premium feel. It’s on the weighty side, but feels well-built as a result. While its subwoofer performs well, it’s a shame Yamaha couldn’t take cues from Samsung’s impressive small but mighty subwoofer on the Samsung HW-Q990F to keep the size down. The rear speakers feel premium enough, but a bigger, better-performing pair of speakers would have been more desirable.

Initial setup of the Surround 90A can be confusing at first, with the pairing of the rear speakers and HDMI settings feeling a bit cumbersome in comparison to seamless setup from Samsung or JBL. Once you're set up, however, controlling the Surround 90A and adjusting settings is simple and intuitive, and inputting commands feels smooth.

The Surround 90A’s biggest setback however is its price. At $3,499 for the full system, or $2,799 for just the soundbar and subwoofer, the Surround 90A is significantly pricier than rival soundbars such as the Samsung HW-Q990F, JBL 1300Mk2 or even a full Sonos system consisting of a Sonos Arc Ultra, Sonos Sub 4 and two Sonos Era 100 speakers – and while it does outshine some of these soundbars in performance, it doesn’t do so enough to justify the large price gap.

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Prices & release date

Yamaha True X Surround 90A front left side of soundbar — (Image credit: Future)

Released in November 2025
US price: $3,499 (full system), $2,700 (soundbar & sub only)
UK price: £2,199, but very limited availability

The Yamaha True X Surround 90A is the brand’s 2025 flagship soundbar surround system, sitting above the In the US, it is available as the full system with the optional rear speakers, priced at $3,499, or as just the soundbar and sub, priced at $2,799.

It's also available in the UK for £2,199, but I've been told it's only available through retailer Sevenoaks, and only in its physical retail store. (That's singular – there's one store.)

Since its release in late 2025, prices have remained the same. This does put it at the premium end of the soundbar system market.

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Specs

Dimensions	Soundbar: 1180 x 85 x 143mm (46.4 x 3.3 x 5.6in), Subwoofer: 241 x 378 x 414 mm (9.4 x 14.8 x 16.2in), Rear speakers: 88 x 220 x 88 (3.4 x 8.6 x 3.4in)
Speaker channels	5.1.2
Connections	1x HDMI eARC, 1x HDMI in, 1x digital optical output, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Auro-3D
Dolby Atmos / DTS:X	Yes / Yes
Sub included	Yes
Rears included	Yes (standard in UK, optional is US)

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Features

Yamaha True X Surround 90A ports — (Image credit: Future)

Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro 3D support
Control via MusicCast app
4K HDMI passthrough, but no 120Hz support

The Yamaha True X Surround 90A offers 5.1.2 channels, a step-down compared to similarly priced rivals such as the Samsung HW-Q990F, which delivers 9.1.4 channels. The soundbar unit itself consists of 19 drivers, however, with seven making up the front left and right and center channels and the remaining 12(!) making up the height channels. Yes, that's six speakers per height channel.

The rear speakers come with two front facing drivers each (note no up-firing drivers on these) backed by two passive radiators and finally, the subwoofer uses a 17cm main driver.

In terms of connections, the True X Surround 90A has an HDMI eARC port and HDMI In that supports 4K and both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ passthrough but unfortunately not 120Hz for gaming (again something the HW-Q990F has), optical out and USB which is used for updates only.

The Surround 90A supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for movies and music and is the first soundbar to support Audo-3D, an Atmos alternative. Auro-3D actually gets its own button on the supplied remote, listed as “3D Music”, a sound mode which uses Auro-3D as an upmixer for stereo content.

Other sound modes include Straight, Surround:AI and All. There is also a Stereo sound mode option for those looking for a more traditional sound profile for stereo tracks.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both supported for music streaming, including direct support for streaming services including Spotify, Amazon Music HD, Deezer and QuBoz. Other streaming services such as Tidal can be linked and controlled via the MusicCast app. There’s also AirPlay 2 support, but no Google Cast.

Speaking of the MusicCast app, this is where EQ and volume adjustments for each speaker can be made, as well as features such as Clear Voice and Bass Extension can be activated.

One thing that is missing is a room calibration feature, something I’d have expected on a soundbar of this price. Again, it’s something the Samsung HW-Q990F and Sonos setups offer, and would have been a nice addition to a premium soundbar.

Features score: 4 / 5

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Performance

Yamaha True X Surround 90A soundbar on stand in front of LG TV — (Image credit: Future)

Exceptional accuracy and detail
Impressive power and control
Rear speakers can struggle in the mix

While the Surround 90A may not have the features of its rivals, it certainly has the performance. The Surround 90A makes full use of every one of its 5.1.2 channels to deliver a brilliant overall sonic experience.

The Surround 90A’s real strength first comes in its positional accuracy. Watching The Mask, as the titular character tears around in the form of a tornado, the sound is accurately mapped to each channel, moving around the soundbar in-sync with the movie. Other sound effects such as ricocheting bullets and a runaway cartoon clock are delivered with accurate directionality by the Surround 90A’s units.

Watching The Batman, the screeching of tyres and blaring car horns of passing traffic during the Batmobile chase again follow across the front and rear channels with real precision. While the ‘Straight’ sound mode delivers a solid overall experience, the AI skeptic in me was surprised to find that I liked using the Surround:AI mode, which created an even more specific positional feel, with a greater soundstage.

Power is another one of the Surround 90A’s strengths. The bass response from the subwoofer is impactful and powerful, accurately delivering the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine in The Batman. Bass also feels very tightly controlled, as each tone change of the Batmobile’s thunderous engine was crystal clear and tightly rendered by the Surround 90A subwoofer.

Yamaha True X Surround 90A in front of the LG G5, with The Mask on screen — (Image credit: Future)

The Surround 90A’s soundstage is wide and immersive. Watching the Darkstar flight test sequence in Top Gun: Maverick, the sound of the wind whipping past the cockpit and the creaking of the metal plates made me feel like I was inside the cockpit myself.

Dolby Atmos effects are well presented, as the sound of jets flying overhead is authentically delivered. Height channels can actually be adjusted in the MusicCast app, which allows you to find the sweet spot for your room, despite the lack of auto room calibration.

I found speech to be delivered well overall, especially when it came to vocals in music. Watching The Sound of Music, Julie Andrew’s vocals in songs like Do Re Mi or My Favorite Things are crystal clear, powerful and beautifully rendered.

I found in some scenes that voices could get a bit lost, though. The Batmobile chase from The Batman has limited speech, but I found with soundbars such as the Samsung HW-Q990F, it was still clear. With the Surround 90A, this dialogue was harder to pick up in the mix.

Another setback was the rear speakers. While they delivered solid detail throughout my testing, not having an up-firing speaker on each speaker felt like a missed opportunity. It meant Atmos height effects weren’t as clear as I’d found on HW-Q990F or Sonos setups with Era 300 rear speakers. I also found the rear speakers needed a volume boost in the MusicCast app and even then, they sometimes got lost in the mix.

Moving onto music, the Surround 90A is excellent. First playing Bad Bunny’s Baile INoLVIDABLE in Dolby Atmos, the Surround 90A delivers a wide soundstage with precise detail. The percussion, horns and vocals are all delivered with real clarity and plenty of room-filling power.

Switching to stereo tracks such as Dir en Grey’s Un Deux, the crashing drums, powerful guitars and bass and Kyo’s soaring vocals all have plenty of punch. Activating the 3D Music sound setting adds another layer to the track, widening the soundstage and creating a dome-like effect and making everything feel bigger.

The Surround 90A is great with more delicate genres too such as jazz. All throughout the bass from the subwoofer is delivered with excellent, precise timing.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Design

Yamaha True X Surround 90A front LED display — (Image credit: Future)

Premium materials and finish
Solidly built
Bulky subwoofer

The Surround 90A’s main soundbar unit measures in at 1180 x 85 x 143mm (46.4 x 3.3 x 5.6in) making it an average size for a large soundbar nowadays. The subwoofer itself is on the bulkier side at 241 x 378 x 414 mm (9.4 x 14.8 x 16.2in) and despite the power and control it delivers, the HW-Q990F proves that a smaller sub can still deliver equally impressive performance.

Finally, the rear speakers, called the WS-X30A, which can be used as individual Bluetooth speakers, measure in at 88 x 220 x 88 (3.4 x 8.6 x 3.4in).

The main soundbar itself is made with a burnished, black metal that is weighty, clocking in at 11kg (24.3lbs). It has a clear front LED display where current sources can be easily read and a fabric grille. All these combine to make for a premium looking soundbar that feels its price tag.

The subwoofer is made of a more traditional plastic finish and clocking it at 12.7kg (28lbs) plus its bulky dimensions, it’s not the easiest to store out of sight.

The rear speakers themselves have a nice fabric material that again feels premium, and are of a portable size if you're inclined to use them as Bluetooth speakers elsewhere.

Design & build score 4 / 5

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Setup & usability

Image 1 of 2

Yamaha True X Surround 90A subwoofer — (Image credit: Future)

Image 2 of 2

Yamaha True X Surround 90A rear speakers — (Image credit: Future)

MusicCast app for control
Initial setup can be fiddly
HDMI settings needed to be adjusted

I found the initial setup of the Surround 90A to be a mixed bag. While turning on the soundbar and connecting it to the subwoofer was simple enough, connecting and setting the rear speakers was a bit trickier.

They have to be put into pairing mode after holding the connect button for three seconds, this button is then pressed again to select whether said speaker is the left or right rear, and then it needs to be registered in a menu which is accessed on the TV itself.

Once this was done, I also found the TV source (HDMI eARC) wasn’t working. Diving into the same settings menu, I discovered I had to turn on HDMI Control and Pass-through in the HDMI settings menu.

The LG G5 I used for testing and the connected Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player then worked through the soundbar. This was not the same plug-in-and-play approach I found with the Samsung HW-Q990F.

Once everything is connected, you can either use the supplied remote control for basic operation – changing sound mode, volume, source – or the partner MusicCast app.

Once the soundbar was paired, control through the MusicCast app was intuitive, where EQ and volume levels including height channels could be easily changed. Even streaming music and connecting an associated streaming app was easy.

Setup & usability score: 3.5 / 5

Yamaha True X Surround 90A review: Value

Yamaha True X Surround 90A remote — (Image credit: Future)

Pricey compared to competition
Missing some features expected at this price
Good overall performance

The Surround 90A’s biggest downfall is its price tag. At $3,499 for the full system, it’s a premium priced soundbar system and much pricier than rival soundbars such as the Samsung HW-Q990F ($1,699), JBL Bar 1300Mk2 ($1,699) and even a Sonos setup of the Sonos Arc Ultra, Sonos Sub 4 and two Sonos Era 100 speakers, totaling $1,976.

While the Surround 90A’s overall performance is impressive, with great power, control and accuracy for both movies and music, it doesn’t justify the performance gap with bars like the Samsung HW-Q990F, which I found had better height channels thanks to its more robust rear speakers.

While it is brilliant for music, it’ll be tough to justify the price gap between it and a full Sonos system, especially if said Sonos system features Sonos Era 300s as rears.

Value score: 3 / 5

Should I buy the Yamaha True X Surround 90A?

Yamaha True X Surround 90A with person's hand touching display — (Image credit: Future)

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Wi-Fi streaming and Auro-3D support, but 4K HDMI passthrough is limited to 60Hz	4 / 5
Performance	Impressive power, accuracy and detail but voices are occasionally quiet and rear speakers can struggle for scale.	4.5 / 5
Design	Very premium, solidly built and sleek design but subwoofer is rather bulky.	4 / 5
Setup & usability	Intuitive control app but initial setup can be fiddly and HDMI settings need to be adjusted.	3.5 / 5
Value	Much pricier than rivals and despite impressive performance, not strong enough to justify price gap.	3 / 5

Buy it if

You want a powerful, detailed soundbar
The Surround 90A delivers serious power with hefty bass and impressive detail with a wide soundstage and pinpoint precision.View Deal

You want a premium looking soundbar
The Surround 90A is made of a burnished metal that is reassuringly solid and sleek. Its rear speakers (Bluetooth units in their own right) also look great. View Deal

You want a soundbar for music
Whether its stereo or Atmos music streaming, the Surround 90A delivers. Its wide soundstage helps to create an expansive listening experience that gives music room to breathe. View Deal

Don't buy it if

You want the best value flagship soundbar
The Surround 90A is significantly pricier than other flagship soundbar systems such as the Samsung HW-Q990F and JBL 1300MK2: and it doesn't have the superior performance to justify the price gap. View Deal

You want the best soundbar for gaming
The Surround 90A has one HDMI input and although it supports 4K passthrough, it doesn't support 4K 120Hz. Look to the Samsung HW-Q990F for this. View Deal

You want the most complete surround sound experience
The Surround 90A delivers very good overall sound that's powerful and accurate. Its rear speakers however can get drowned out and voices can sometimes be quiet. View Deal

Also consider

	Yamaha True X Surround 90A	JBL Bar 1300MK2	Samsung HW-Q990F	LG S95AR
Price	$3,499 (full system), $2,700 (soundbar + sub) / £2,199	$1,699.95 / £1,299.99 / AU$2,299.95	$1,999 / £1,699 / AU$2,099	$1,699.99 (about £1,260 / AU$2,610)
Dimensions	Soundbar: 1180 x 85 x 143mm (46.4 x 3.3 x 5.6in), Subwoofer: 241 x 378 x 414 mm (9.4 x 14.8 x 16.2in), Rear speakers: 88 x 220 x 88 (3.4 x 8.6 x 3.4in)	Soundbar: 40.6 x 2.3 x 5.4 inches / 1030 x 58 x 136mm; subwoofer: 12.4 x 10.9 x 10.8 inches / 315 x 277 x 275mm; surround speakers: 8 x 2.3 x 5.4 inches / 202 x 58 x 136mm	Soundbar: 48.5 x 2.8 x 5.4 inches / 1232 x 70.8 x 138 mm; subwoofer: 9.8 x 10.0 x 9.8 inches / 249 x 251.8 x 249 mm; surround speakers: 5.1 x 8.0 x 5.5 inches / 129.5 x 201.3 x 140.4mm	Soundbar: 49.2 x 2.5 x 5.3 inches / 1250 x 63.5 x 134.6mm; subwoofer: 7.9 x 16 x 15.9 inches / 200 x 406 x 404mm; surround speakers: 6.3 x 8.8 x 5.6 inches / 160 x 223.5 x 142mm
Speaker channels	5.1.2	11.1.4	11.1.4	9.1.5
Connections	1x HDMI eARC, 1x HDMI in, 1x digital optical output, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Auro-3D	1x HDMI eARC, 3x HDMI in, digital optical, USB (playback US-only), Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3 (surround speakers use 5.4)	1x HDMI eARC, 2x HDMI 2.1 in, digital optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3	1x HDMI eARC, 1x HDMI in, digital optical, USB
Dolby Atmos / DTS:X	Yes / Yes	Yes / Yes	Yes / Yes	Yes / Yes
Sub included	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rear speakers included	Yes (UK as standard, optional version in the US	Yes	Yes	Yes

JBL Bar 1300MK2
The JBL Bar 1300MK2's has detachable rear speakers, plenty of power and accuracy and three HDMI inputs for devices. While actual performance between the JBL and the Yamaha Surround 90A is close, the 1300MK2 is significantly cheaper and has more features on offer.

Read our full JBL 1300MK2 reviewView Deal

Samsung HW-Q990F
One of the best value soundbar systems on the market, the HW-Q990F delivers an immersive, powerful home cinema experience and has tons of great features including 4K 120Hz passthrough. While the Yamaha may have better musical performance, it's again much pricier than the HW-Q990F and doesn't have the performance or features to justify the price gap.

Read our full Samsung HW-Q990F review View Deal

How I tested the Yamaha True X Surround 90A?

Yamaha True X Surround 90A soundbar beneath the LG G5 OLED, which is showing The Sound of Music on screen — (Image credit: Future)

Tested in TechRadar's TV testing lab
Tested with movies, including 4K Blu-ray, and music streamed over Wi-Fi
Tested over a week

The Yamaha True X Surround 90A was connect to the LG G5 OLED TV and Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player for the duration of my testing.

I first started with some casual listening to establish the best sound modes for critical viewing. For movies, I landed on Standard and Surround: AI and for music, I used 3D Music.

Once I began my critical testing, I used reference scenes from movies I use to test sound on the best TVs and other soundbars. These include The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick and The Sound of Music, among a few other discs.

For music testing, I used Tidal for both Stereo and Atmos music. I listened to q wide variety of genres including Metal, Jazz, R'n'B and Pop.

First reviewed: January 2025
Read more about how we test

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is so good you can’t tell it’s a remake of a game from more than twenty years ago

6:00 pm | February 2, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: RPG | Comments: Off

If you could condense every RPG ever made down to its core components, stir them into a hearty stew, and then feast on the resulting concoction you’d get Dragon Quest VII – the most RPG to ever RPG.

Its grand plot takes our heroes – a plucky band of budding upstarts hungry to explore the wider world – on an adventure across not only the globe, but through time too as they seek to defeat a great evil that has brought terror to their land. They’ll develop their skills in their chosen class (or Vocation as the DQ series prefers to call them), and use their abilities to battle a wide variety of monsters in turn-based combat.

As trope-fuelled as it gets, I nevertheless found I simply couldn’t put Dragon Quest VII Reimagined down – to that point that several times during this review process my TV had to check if I was still there as it had been on for so long.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: February 5, 2026

It helps that the story and characters are utterly engaging, but that was true for the original. Reimagined knocks things up a few pegs by boasting a litany of excellent quality of life updates that would make anyone forget the original released over 25 years ago.

While still turn-based, the combat has had a major tune up. With powerful ‘Let Loose’ effects, auto-battle options, the ability to speed up animations, or even take out enemies in the overworld before a fight can break out, the combat of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined feels faster while accessible.

You can still experience the meatiness of grinding through turn-based bout after turn-based bout, but in those moments when you’re tired of weaker foes you can much more easily power through to the next objective than you could in similar RPGs.

There’s also a tweak to the Vocation system. Moonlighting, when unlocked, lets you choose two jobs at once. This not only creates opportunities for more creative builds, but also makes it less of a slog to unlock the higher-tier vocations which ask you to first master lower-tier ones.

Of course I can’t ignore Dragon Quest VII Reimagined’s most noticeable glow up: the aesthetics. Many a 2D game has lost its charm in the transition to 3D, but with its toyish diorama-like look Reimagined bucks this trend by heaping the charm on by the shovel load. To call it beautiful is an understatement, and yet – as is so true for every way this title has been ‘reimagined’ – the graphical changes feel true to the original's stylings, which were of course provided by the late great Akira Toriyama.

If you love classic RPGs, or if you’ve never quite gelled with them: play Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. You won’t regret it, I promise you.

In with the old, in with the new

I touched on several of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined’s reworks in my intro, but let’s go into some of them in a little more depth – starting with one I didn’t mention yet: custom difficulty options.

You can, of course, choose the basic Easy, Normal, and Hard difficulties when you boot up this game, but you could instead tweak different settings to suit your challenge preferences.

For me that’s making enemies stronger, my characters’ attacks weaker, but keeping progression at a normal pace – landing my difficulty as a sort-of Hard-lite. Though, I have now slowed down my progression to make the game a little more challenging – with the settings menu letting you make tweaks anytime during your playthrough.

Then let's talk combat. I thought I’d feel auto-battling is a cheat, but it only serves to make those easier mob fights feel like less of a slog than I’ve found they can be in other turn-based RPGs. We’ve all been there – wishing an enemy wouldn’t spawn because we’re tired of the same-old fights we’ve mastered – and with auto-battle, I can just use these moments to quickly grab a drink or snack while still progressing my adventure.

Just a word of advice: tougher fights will always warrant full player control.

Precise controls will let you prepare your synergies, and let you choose when to activate your Let Loose ability – rather than the auto-battler just firing off as soon as possible. When characters are sufficiently ‘worked up’ – I’m not 100% sure what causes this (it was probably explained in some text I skipped through) – they can let off a powerful effect and still take an action on their turn.

Best bit

Dragon Quest VII screenshots — (Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SQUARE ENIX)

I adore the monster designs in the Dragon Quest series. Despite being undeniably monstrous, I love the quirkiness every enemy is imbued with through its animations, name, and stylings. It plays very well into the child-like wonder of this game, and every new encounter made me chuckle.

This gimmick, especially when combined with moonlighting – which gives you two options when letting loose for greater versatility – can turn the tide of a battle, and has saved me from a pinch or two without making bouts feel trivial (an ideal sweet-spot).

What these improvements do mean is Dragon Quest VII Reimagined feels a lot more accessible than other titles in this genre.

Given its slower pace, turn-based gameplay is generally quite accessible as players can take five seconds to five hours to decide and input a move (and there’s no Expedition 33-esque parry mechanic to fuss over between your turns). At the same time this slower pace can transform into a grind that not everyone enjoys, which is why some classic remakes have turned to something different like with Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined finds its sweet spot by instead offering these tools like battle speed-up, auto battle, instant victories and moonlighting to keep everything that makes turn-based excellent, while eliminating as many of its deficiencies as possible.

A critical hit!

To make matters better, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined only has one major fault and that’s I wish finding tablet fragments felt more special in the early game.

Things do pick up eventually, but at first too many pieces are simply found on the floor of people’s homes. I wish more of these supposedly rare artifacts would be treated with respect – locked behind a mini boss fight, or puzzle, or side mission.

As it stands, the loop of Reimagined’s first 10-or-so-hours can become repetitive when you reexplore lands in the present day after saving them in the past – as you simply wander around, searching every home and talking to strangers until someone gives you the broken stone you’re seeking.

I’d also say the game can feel a bit too easy at times – especially after unlocking moonlighting and extra party members. This was even after I slowed myself down by going to full-on Hard mode. I did still find bouts that posed a challenge, but I had to be careful to not over-level with auto-battle and make fights easier than I wanted.

Otherwise I’d say Dragon Quest VII Reimagined hits the mark in so many ways. The combat is well-tuned, the music is a delight, and I’ve already gushed about the visuals but know that I could say I love them a hundred times more.

This is the quintessential RPG experience, and one everyone should experience – I’d especially recommend it to my fellow Nintendo Switch 2 players, this was the console I reviewed it on, and it shone in both handheld and docked mode.

Should you play Dragon Quest VII Reimagined?

Play it if…

You’re an RPG purist
Even with its reimagined elements this title feels true to the original version and its genre in a way that purists will adore.

You’re not an RPG purist
This title threads the needle of genuinely appealing to both newcomers and genre fanatics. If you hate RPGs, I genuinely think Reimagined could be what converts you.

You have a Switch 2
I’m sure this title is excellent on its other platforms, but I felt it really shone on the Nintendo Switch 2, and might have cemented itself as one of the system’s must-play games.

Don’t play it if…

You hate cuteness and cliché
I found the style, monsters and story of Reimagined to be undeniably charming with a healthy dollop of silliness, though I did speak to some who didn’t vibe with this game to quite the same level as me.

You want something short
As with many others in the RPG genre, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined will keep you hooked for a long while. Things are a tad speedier than the original thanks to elements like auto-battle, but if you’re a fan of shorter experiences this ain’t it.

Accessibility

The pace of turn-based action already allows for more accessible gameplay than more action-packed titles, but Dragon Quest VII Reimagined does boast a few specific accessibility tools such as all of its dialogue being written out on screen, and there being a handful of colorblind modes that should help with the odd puzzle section.

How I tested Dragon Quest VII Reimagined

I played Dragon Quest VII Reimagined on my Nintendo Switch 2, predominantly in docked mode but I did still spend plenty of time with this title in handheld mode while I travelled. Otherwise I used mostly standard hardware, except for relying on my 8bitdo Ultimate 2 controller for a lot of my docked experience.

On my Amazon QLED TV the visuals looked absolutely gorgeous, and he iconic Dragon Quest soundtrack came through my Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar and Sub Mini setup nicely too. Though both elements they still shone through on the Switch 2’s LCD and in-built speakers.

Throughout my whole testing process I didn’t experience any noticeable performance issues – everything ran as smoothly as I could want.

First reviewed February 2026

I tested the Oukitel Industry RT10 – this rugged tablet is packed with features, but it’s a shame you need a specialist app for the built-in barcode scanner

4:05 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: CPU, RAM | Comments: Off

Oukitel Industry RT10: 30-second review

The Oukitel Industry RT10 is the latest in the company's line of rugged tablets, and with a large 11" FHD screen, tough design, 5G connectivity and a barcode scanner built in, it instantly looks set to impress.

Sure enough, getting started with the tablet is straightforward, and once Android 15 has run through the final stages of setup, you can delve straight into the usual Google Workspace applications.

The large screen is instantly pleasing with a relatively decent brightness that makes it clear to see in bright conditions. The resolution for this size of screen is, however, limited to FHD. So, while the screen is pleasing to look at, the resolution is relatively low, resulting in workflow applications such as Google Docs and Sheets feeling a little more cramped on screen than you might expect for the size of the screen.

The touchscreen is good and responsive, and while that responsiveness is affected by moisture, through the test, it proved to be solid in performance. The only other slight quirk with the screen is that the surface is quite reflective, so while the display is clear, those reflections can be troublesome out in the field.

In use, the Google apps all work smoothly, as does browsing the internet both through the WiFi signal and when connected to a 5G network using a Vodafone SIM.

While general performance is good, as soon as the mid-range MTK Dimensity 7400X processor is pushed, the performance starts to drop off. Adobe Lightroom runs fine and is generally fast, but as you start to push the system with complex video edits in CapCut or playing graphically intensive games, you will start to see the limits of this tablet. Straight CapCut edits with footage shot on the phone, however, are fluid enough.

Where this tablet really excels is with its rugged credentials. It survived some time underwater, being dropped, and left out in the rain with no adverse effects on performance or functionality.

The battery life was also exceptionally good, with the 25,000mAh battery keeping the tablet powered for several days between charges with mid to heavy use. There's also a dedicated barcode scanner on the side unit. This has been designed to work with dedicated industry apps and isn't an out-of-the-box solution. Essentially, Oukitel has supplied the industry hardware; you need to provide the software solution for your business.

If you need a robust tablet for work and don't need cameras or huge amounts of processing power for anything more than evaluating documents, getting online, and sending back site images, the Oukitel Industry RT10 is one of the best rugged tablets in its price range.

Oukitel Industry RT10: Price and availability

How much does it cost? $1299 / £949 RRP
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? You can get it directly from the Oukitel website

The Oukitel RT10 Industry is currently available directly from the manufacturer's website here - retail price is $1299 / £949, but it's currently on sale for $999 / £730 until February 16.

Value: 4 / 5

Oukitel Industry RT10: Specifications

CPU: MediaTek Dimensity 7400X
Graphics: Mali-G615 MP2
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB
Left Ports: USB-A, RJ45
Right Ports: USB-C, SIM tray
Connectivity: 5G, WiFi 6, NFC, Fingerprint reader
Audio: Unspecified (likely mono or stereo)
Camera: Rear: 64MP + 20MP + 5MP / Front: 32MP
Size: Approx. 11-inch screen; weight TBC
OS Installed: Android 15

Oukitel Industry RT10: Design

Robust
Touch Screen
Bar Code Scanner built in

As you'd expect from a rugged tablet, the design and build all support this device being used in situations that would ordinarily see any other tablet break. The outer edges are reinforced with rubberised plastic, and the overall design mixes metal panelling and tough plastic to ensure a robust build designed to be ready for any environment.

While most tablets are slimline and feature a stylish, minimalistic look, the Oukitel Industry RT10 is somewhat more bulky. The mix of rubber, metal, and plastic enables a far easier grip on the exterior and ensures that, whatever the weather, you'll always have a good purchase on the casing. When it comes to size, it measures 266.5 × 178 × 22.5 mm and weighs 1.28 kg, substantially more than most.

While my review sample arrived as just the tablet, as with previous iterations of the Industry RT range, there will be cases and other accessories available. A row of Pogo Pin contacts along the base makes it likely that a keyboard will also be an optional accessory.

The front of the RT10 is dominated by the large 11" screen with FHD resolution. Whilst this is lower than most modern tablets, it's around average for this style of tablet.

Taking a look around the tablet body, on the first of the longer edges, there's a USB-C port for data and charging alongside a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones; both of these ports are covered by a rubber flap to stop water ingress. Next to these are the TF/MicroSD and SIM card slot.

On the other side is the barcode scanner, microphone, two multifunctional buttons that you can assign your own apps or functions to, volume up and down, and the power/biometric fingerprint button.

On top, there's a LAN port, which is unusual for a tablet but reinforces the industrial use, and a USB Type-A port. Finally, on the side is the POGO pin contact interface for connection to accessories such as a keyboard.

On the back of the tablet are two large speakers, an industrial fingerprint scanner, again, as with the barcode scanner, dedicated software is required, a main camera, a macro camera, and a night vision camera.

There's also an NFC contact point for wireless communication between devices.

While the tablet is large and bulky, it is comfortable to hold, and in the box, along with the tablet, is a metal handle that can be easily attached.

Design: 3.5 / 5

Oukitel Industry RT10: Features

This is a tablet that has a focus on industrial use, with barcode and finger print scanners, cameras, a battery, LAN ports, and SIM card compatibility, fulfilling a feature set that will be required by anyone working on site. The tablet is also IP68/IP69K certified, so if you get caught in the rain or even drop this tablet into a puddle, it's fully waterproof.

Taking a look at the hardware, inside the heart of this RT10 is a Dimensity 7300 SoC CPU, coupled with a Mali-G615 MC2 GPU. This combo is decidedly mid-range, so while it should provide the power required for work-based apps, for anything that requires more graphics or processing power, it is likely to struggle.

The CPU and GPU combo is backed by 16GB of 3200 MHz RAM and 512GB of internal storage, and you can boost this with a 1TB MicroSD card.

One of the big features of this tablet is the battery capacity at 25,000mAh, which will keep this tablet running without issue for a full day's work and performed impressively throughout the test. This battery also supports up to 33W fast charging.

Connectivity is a major factor in this tablet. As well as WiFi 6, it also supports 5G with a SIM inserted. Through this test, I utilised a data SIM with unlimited data and no cap to maximise the full potential of the tablet.

As well as the more standard features of a tablet computer, the RT10 includes a few additions that tailor it to industry. These include the fingerprint scanner on the back, the barcode scanner on the side, and the RJ45 Ethernet port at the top. This means that if you're gathering on-site data or running industrial software, this tablet is designed to easily integrate into your workflow and bespoke software.

Supporting the hardware is an array of three cameras, main, macro, and night vision, which again have been designed for data capture, on-site images, and recording, rather than for content creation.

Features: 4 / 5

Oukitel Industry RT10: Performance

Disk Speed Read: 2032 MB/s
Disk Speed Write: 449 MB/s
Geekbench CPU Multi: 3161
Geekbench CPU Single: 1021
Geekbench GPU: 2504
Solar Bay: N/A
Slingshot: 7165
Slingshot Extreme: 5361
Wild Life Extreme Overall: 3296
Wild Life Overall: 3303
Steel Nomad Overall: 359

While other rugged tablets are a blend of consumer and industrial, with simply the rugged outer shell differentiating them from standard devices, the RT10 is very different when it comes to some of those added extras such as the scanners and ethernet port.

The design and aesthetics are, however, very stereotypical of the genre, with large rubberised corners and a mix of metal and plastic that make it heavier and bulkier than its consumer equivalents.

It feels solid, and throughout the test I dropped, submerged, and left it in the rain, all of which had little effect on the actual working of the device. It is simply designed to withstand a lot more than most. However, as so often with the design of these rugged tablets and phones, there's just a bit too much styling. The metal grids that protect the speakers on the back are a catch-all for mud and grit, and even after a good clean, it was nearly impossible to fully rid them of dirt.

While the mud encrusted on the back doesn't affect performance, it just feels like a bit of an oversight for something that's designed to be used outdoors.

The exterior has a few additional features that make it very handy, including a large camping-style light on the back. This kicks out plenty of illumination and is great for ambient lighting. It's similar to the lights that have been appearing on the backs of rugged smartphones over the past few years and is a welcome addition.

The array of cameras is also useful and very functional. It's worth noting that there's a professional edge to these, while they're good, they're designed for documentation rather than creative endeavour. Essentially, they're fine for taking images on site, and quickly enhancing those images using Lightroom was all smooth, with the CPU and GPU handling the image data without issue.

Likewise, the video quality is OK, with definition and clarity looking good in bright conditions, but struggling under lower light. The footage can appear grainy and lack detail. Again, in bright conditions, the quality is good enough for site visits and recording rather than content creation.

While shooting video, I was interested to see how the tablet would handle light video editing using CapCut. As the application is highly optimised, editing footage shot on the tablet was smooth, and effects could be applied with ease. This footage was all HD, so far from taxing the mid-level processor.

Moving to more everyday use, the tablet handled Google Docs and Sheets with ease. It's a bit of a shame that the screen is limited to FHD resolution, as while that does make everything nice and easy to read, it doesn't offer much screen real estate for navigating documents.

Through daily use, the battery life stood out. As I shot video and images, edited, browsed the internet, and answered emails, the battery slowly depleted. But used over an average working day, it should be more than enough to last several days between charges under intensive use.

Some of the more industry-focused features, such as the barcode scanner on the side and finger print scanner on the back, will need compatible software in order to function. Unfortunately, there's nothing installed on the tablet by default that enables this feature and most off the shelf apps tried wouldn't recognise the scanners as a more bespoke solution is required.

Overall, for a rugged tablet, the focus here is very much on industry, with solid all-round performance when it comes to computing power and additional specialist features that will appeal in certain sectors.

Performance: 3.5 / 5

Oukitel Industry RT10: Final verdict

There are plenty of rugged tablets on the market, many offering individual features that stand out to very specific market sectors. The RT10 is a great example of a rugged tablet with a very defined audience, with the barcode scanner on the side and finger print scaner for security on the base, which, with the correct app installed, enables fast scanning and data collection.

The fact that it has a decent array of cameras, mid-range processing power, and a LAN port, as well as the ability to utilise both WiFi and cellular networks, makes it an extremely versatile option for a multitude of industries.

While throughout the week of use, there were plenty of features I liked about this tablet, I was disappointed by the lack of screen resolution. While the screen is bright and crisp, at this size, it makes the contents appear overly large, resulting in Google Docs and Sheets feeling bigger on screen than they need to be. That said, it does have the side effect of making everything very easy to read and edit.

The barcode scanner is a major feature of the tablet, but with no app installed or option to activate it in available apps, it looks to be a feature that needs to be integrated into custom applications or enterprise-level software. During the review, I tried several standard solutions but was unable to get the scanner to activate.

Likewise, the computing performance is mid-range, but for a tablet aimed at the commercial sector, the fact that it handles workflow apps smoothly while struggling a bit with higher-end graphic processing isn't an issue.

For more intensive apps, such as Lightroom and CapCut, that use images and video shot on the tablet, it handles the data with ease. Essentially, if you're recording on-site imagery, this is a great solution if you're wanting a rugged tablet for content creation then it's not.

If you need a rugged tablet that can be used in the field, withstands more than most, has a dedicated barcode reader, LAN port, and a battery life that far exceeds the longevity of most tablets, then this is a great option.

Should you buy an Oukitel Industry RT10?

Value	Relatively expensive for the processing power, but has features that few other tablets offer	4 / 5
Design	Standard tough design that's a little overstated with the rear metal panels	3.5 / 5
Features	Excellent range of features with the battery and dedicated scanner, although software integration is needed	4 / 5
Performance	Average tablet performance and a platform that's primed for business-tuned software solutions	3.5 / 5
Overall	Niche tablet designed to integrate with your company's dedicated software platforms	4 / 5

Buy it if...

You work outdoors and on job-sites
As a rugged tablet fully focused on professional use, the Oukitel Industry RT10 delivered long battery life, robust reliability, and full connectivity when working in remote or changeable environments.

You rely on data capture
One of the most interesting features of the Industry RT10 is the built-in barcode scanner - and it also capably handles file transfers, while the hardware ports mean you don't need to carry extra gear.

Don't buy it if...

You're working on pro-grade photos and videos
Unfortunately, this tablet lacks a high-resolution, color accurate display and powerful image processing for professional work.

You're looking for simple inventory solution
The barcode scanner instantly makes you think this could be an out-of-the-box solution for inventory. However, custom software is required to utilize the feature.

We reviewed the best rugged laptops and the best rugged phones - see what passed the drop-test

I tested the HP OmniBook 7 and I don’t think there’s a better mid-range laptop — but it’s not exactly cheap

3:08 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: Australia, Battery Life, UK, US | Comments: Off

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch: Two-minute review

The HP OmniBook 7 14-inch AI Laptop, to give it its full name, is an everyday workhorse with an elegant and upmarket design, setting it apart from much of the competition.

Its minimalist appearance is certainly fetching. The absence of any superfluous details makes it better-looking than your average workaday laptop, as does the light gray body, which contrasts well with the darker keycaps.

Not only does the OmniBook 7 look good, but it also feels good. The finish of both the entire unit and the keys is super smooth, and contributes to the laptop rivalling some of the best laptops out there.

Build quality is also impressive: both the base and the lid are sturdier than those on many other laptops I’ve tested. This feat is all the more impressive given just how light and thin the OmniBook 7 is — although it's a little thicker underneath than its slender sides might lead you to believe.

Most of the essential ports are present and correct. There are two USB-A and two USB-C ports. The latter are used for charging the OmniBook 7, and they also support external monitor connections. An HDMI port is also available for this purpose, and is an increasingly rare sight on modern laptops. However, I wasn’t thrilled with the ordering of many of the OmniBook 7’s ports, with the locations of the USB and HDMI ports being particularly inconvenient.

Three-quarter view of HP OmniBook 7 14-inch open on black desk with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

The general performance of the OmniBook 7 is impressive. It can handle light productivity and multi-tab browsing with ease, and can stream ultra-HD content without stuttering or buffering. I did notice a few minor slowdowns when performing certain media actions, but these were negligible.

For a laptop with no dedicated GPU, the OmniBook 7 surprised me with just how competent it is at gaming. You certainly won’t be getting high frame rates in AAA titles, even at modest settings, but Cyberpunk 2077 ran in a passable state that allowed for some casual playtime. I’ve certainly experienced my fair share laptops with similar integrated graphics that fail to reach even this low bar.

Some fan noise was apparent at times, even when moderate loads were undertaken. However, I didn’t find it loud to the point of distraction, and temperatures never exceeded lukewarm.

The display is also excellent. Its 1920 x 1200 resolution complements the 14-inch canvas very well, with the interface being clear and sharp. Colors are vibrantly rendered, too, and the deep contrast was very welcoming. I noticed some reflections on screen, but they didn’t obscure content prohibitively.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the OmniBook 7, though, is its battery life. It lasted an incredible 26 hours during our movie playback test, a time that ranks among the very best in the sector. It was also quick to fully recharge, taking just over two hours.

The starting price of the OmniBook 7 is high, in some territories more than others, but we’ve seen it on sale for significantly less (in UK markets, at least). And considering how it just about gets everything right, even exceeding expectations in some areas, the OmniBook 7 is one the best mid-range laptops around right now.

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Price & Availability

Close-up of webcam on HP OmniBook 7 14-inch with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Starts from $949 / £699 / AU$2,499
Prices vary according to region
Expensive compared to some rivals

The HP OmniBook 7 14-inch starts from $949 / £699 / AU$2,499 and is available now. Configurability varies across regions, with the US seemingly only getting one model, which features an Intel Core Ultra 5, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.

This certainly isn’t cheap; however, we’ve seen sizable reductions on variants in the UK and Australia which make them much better value. It’s more expensive than the HP OmniBook 5, but that model is significantly down on power compared to the 7.

It’s also cheaper, at least in some regions, than the Dell 16 Plus. This is another fine laptop, featuring a similarly lightweight yet sturdy design, as well as great performance and a high-quality display. It’s a larger device with a full-size keyboard, so it might be a better choice for those looking for more productivity pedigree. Like the OmniBook 7, though, it has integrated graphics, which means weak gaming and creative performance compared to laptops with dedicated GPUs.

Value: 4 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) review: Specs

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) Specs
HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025)	US	UK	Australia
Price:	$949	£699	AU$2,499
CPU:	Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (up to 4.8GHz, 12 cores)	Intel Core 5 220H (up to 4.9GHz, 12 cores)	Intel Core Ultra 5 225H (up to 4.9GHz, 14 cores)
GPU:	Intel Graphics (integrated)	Intel Graphics (integrated)	Intel Arc 130T (integrated)
Memory:	16GB LPDDR5	24GB LPDDR5	32GB LPDDR5
Storage:	512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD	1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD	512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD
Display:	14-inch 2K (1920 x 1200), IPS, anti-glare	14-inch 2K (1920 x 1200), IPS, anti-glare	14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800), UWVA
Ports:	2x USB-C (1x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, USB Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4a), 2x 1 USB-A (1x 10Gbps, 1x 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio	2x USB-C (1x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, USB Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4a), 2x 1 USB-A (1x 10Gbps, 1x 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio	2x USB-C (1x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, USB Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4a), 2x 1 USB-A (1x 10Gbps, 1x 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio
Battery (WHr):	68Wh	68Wh	68Wh
Wireless:	Intel Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3	Intel Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Camera:	5MP IR with privacy shutter	5MP IR with privacy shutter	5MP IR with privacy shutter
Weight:	3.12lbs (1.42kg)	3.12lbs (1.42kg)	3.12lbs (1.42kg)
Dimensions:	12.36 x 8.92 x 0.59in (314 x 226.6 x 15mm)	12.36 x 8.92 x 0.59in (314 x 226.6 x 15mm)	12.36 x 8.92 x 0.59in (314 x 226.6 x 15mm)

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Design

Close-up of keyboard on HP OmniBook 7 14-inch with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Premium, elegant design
Strong build quality
Impractical port locations

In line with many of HP’s modern laptops, the design of the OmniBook 7 is best described as minimalist. The light silver colorway is sensible but less austere than other monochromatic rivals, while the darker keyboard shade provides a pleasing contrast. And like a great deal of Windows laptops in general, the OmniBook 7 emulates the pristine appeal of the best Macbooks — and I have to say, it’s largely successful on this front.

Complimenting its light colorway are its thin dimensions. This is especially evident on the sides of the unit, which help to disguise the somewhat thicker underside. Ultimately, though, the OmniBook 7 is still thinner and lighter than many other 14-inch laptops.

Strange as it is to say, I also admired the corners of the OmniBook 7, which are rounder than most. The same is true of the keycaps, and together these elements help to soften the OmniBook 7’s appearance even further.

Build quality is commendable, too. Despite the lightweight construction, both the body and the lid are remarkably sturdy. The hinge of the latter operates smoothly, and I experienced next to no wobbling when open. However, I wish it reclined a little further; the somewhat limited angle might be a problem for those wishing to place the OmniBook 7 on a stand.

Close-up of touchpad on HP OmniBook 7 14-inch — (Image credit: Future)

While the materials used in the OmniBook 7 aren’t as premium as those employed in high-end laptops, they don’t feel cheap; the body has a silky smooth finish, while the keycaps have a slightly grainy texture that enhances their tactility. They’re also backlit, which I pretty much consider an essential feature in a laptop keyboard.

You’ll find the usual connectivity options on the OmniBook 7. There’s a USB-A port on each side and two USB-C ports on the right. Also on the right is an HDMI port, while on the left you’ll find a 3.5mm combo audio jack as well.

The ordering of these ports is somewhat inconvenient. The USB-C ports are close to the middle of the unit — not an ideal place for the power cable to extend from. Also, the HDMI port is placed ahead of the USB-A port, which could result in crossing cables if both are occupied simultaneously.

It’s also a shame that the OmniBook 7 misses out on extra ports, such as an SD card reader, but given the compact nature of the unit, this is somewhat forgivable.

Design: 4.5 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Performance

Close-up of left-side ports on HP OmniBook 7 14-inch, on a black desk with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Excellent general performance
Surprisingly capable for light gaming
Vivid, high-contrast display

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) benchmarks:

3DMark Night Raid: 16,266; Fire Strike: 3,692; Steel Nomad: 345; Solar Bay 6,232; Solar Bay Unlimited: 6,281; Solar Bay Extreme: 748; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 753;
GeekBench 6.5 (Single-core): 2,324; (Multi-core): 10,247; GPU (Vulkan): 19,853; GPU (OpenCL): 19,874
Geekbench AI (Single Precision): 2,753; (Half Precision): 1,206; (Quantized): 5,732
Cinebench R23 (Multi Core): 9,305
Cinebench R24 (Single Core): 99; (Multi Core): 555
CrossMark: Overall: 1,604; Productivity: 1,536; Creativity: 1,779; Responsiveness: 1,341;
Passmark: Overall: 4,778; CPU: 21,287; 2D Graphics: 699; 3D Graphics: 3,443; Memory: 2,393; Disk: 35,104
BlackMagicDisk: Read: 3,927MB/s; Write: 3,311MB/s
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 25 hours and 57 minutes

The OmniBook 7 is a very capable all-round performer. It can handle the kinds of tasks you’d typically demand from a mid-range laptop. Light productivity is dispatched with aplomb, while the 16GB of RAM helps to facilitate browsing with multiple tabs open.

It streamed video at high resolutions with little buffering, although I did experience a small amount of lag when performing common actions, such as playing and pausing content, or when toggling full screen mode. However, such instances were too minor to cause frustration.

What surprised me most of all about the OmniBook 7 was its gaming performance. Despite lacking a dedicated GPU, it managed to run demanding titles, such as Cyberpunk 2077. Granted, it was far from the smoothest experience, hitting less than 30fps on average at the High preset with Ray Tracing disabled. But it sufficed for a quick and casual session. What’s more, it remained admirably cool and quiet throughout.

Close-up of right-side ports on HP OmniBook 7 14-inch, on a black desk with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

More impressive was the WUXGA display. It might fall short of many other laptops with sharper resolutions, but given the 14 inches of real estate on offer, is beautifully crisp and clear. Brightness and color reproduction are also excellent, as is the deep contrast. I did notice some reflections, but these were never prominent enough to disrupt the viewing experience.

The keyboard in the OmniBook 7 is mostly competent. The spacing between the keys is generous, while the short travel and light actuation allow for quick, snappy typing. However, while I found them satisfying to hit, they lack the dampening of some of the best keyboards around. Also, the lack of extra keys, such as a navigation cluster and a number pad, might hamper those looking for serious productivity pedigree.

I found no such drawbacks with the touchpad in the OmniBook 7. It feels superb and translates inputs precisely. I also found it to be the perfect size: small enough to avoid encroaching on wrist space when typing, yet large enough to make navigation and gesturing easy.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Battery Life

Rear three-quarter view of HP OmniBook 7 14-inch open on black desk with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Best-in-class battery life
Quick to charge

The battery life of the OmniBook 7 is remarkable. When I ran a movie on a continuous loop unplugged, it lasted just shy of 26 hours. This is one of the best scores we’ve seen, and eclipses other laptops known for their longevity.

The charging time is also impressive, taking just over two hours to go from empty to full.

Battery Life: 5 / 5

Should I buy the HP OmniBook 7 14-inch?

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	Starting prices are high, especially in some regions. We have, however, seen some huge discounts.	4 / 5
Design	Super light and thin, with sleek looks and a premium feel. Port locations are a little impractical, though.	4.5 / 5
Performance	Brilliant general and multitasking performance, and the excellent display makes content pop. It's even capable of some light gaming.	4.5 / 5
Battery Life	Simply unbeatable; it can playback a video for over a full day. It's also quite quick to charge.	5 / 5
Total	The HP OmniBook 7 does everything you could want from a mid-range laptop, and more. If you find it on sale (as we have), it's hard to beat for value.	4.5 / 5

Buy the HP OmniBook 7 14-inch if...

You want great everyday performance
The OmniBook 7 is quick enough for all your general tasking and entertainment needs. It’s even capable of some light gaming, despite not having a dedicated GPU.

You want a great battery life
The OmniBook 7 can last for hours and hours before it runs out of juice. It’s among the most enduring laptops on the market.

Don't buy it if...

You want serious gaming performance
Although I was impressed by how well it ran AAA titles, its lack of dedicated graphics inevitably puts it leagues behind what the best gaming laptops can achieve.

You’re particular about cable management
The ordering of the ports along both sides of the OmniBook 7 is somewhat impractical, especially when the power adapter is connected to one of the USB-C ports.

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) review: Also Consider

HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025)
It might be a step down from the OmniBook 7, but we were very impressed with the OmniBook 5 when we reviewed it. In particular, we were enthralled by its display and battery life — two areas where the OmniBook 7 shines even brighter. Its overall performance was somewhat disappointing, but considering its very competitive pricing, these flaws are somewhat forgiven.

Read our full HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025) review.

Dell 16 Plus
The Dell 16 Plus shares many of the same traits with the OmniBook 7, including a lightweight yet solid design, great performance, and a pleasing display. However, since it's larger, it has the advantage of a full-size keyboard which includes a number pad, handy for those with productivity in mind. Again, like the OmniBook 7, it lacks graphical prowess due to the integrated graphics it’s saddled with, so avid gamers and creators should look elsewhere.

Read our full Dell 16 Plus review.

How I tested the HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025)

Top-down view of HP OmniBook 7 14-inch closed on black desk — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for several days
Used for productivity, entertainment, browsing
Plentiful laptop reviewing experience

I tested the HP OmniBook 7 for several days, during which time I used it for light productivity tasks, streaming content, gaming, and general browsing.

I ran our suite of benchmarks, which test every facet of a laptop's performance. I also ran a movie on a continuous loop to test battery life.

I have reviewed countless laptops in my time, ranging from budget and mid-range efforts to top-tier machines designed for high-end gaming and other intensive workloads. I've also reviewed a plethora of other computing devices, including desktops and tablets.

First reviewed: January 2026
Read more about how we test

Dyson’s new wet cleaner tackles spills and messes with ease — but for me, it isn’t quite exceptional enough to justify that price tag

11:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances Vacuums | Tags: AU, UK, US | Comments: Off

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene: two-minute review

The Clean+Wash Hygiene is the second in Dyson's hard floor cleaner line. Like its range-mate, the Dyson WashG1, it stands out for not using suction at all, but instead harnessing a mixture of 'agitation, hydration and separation' to get your hard floors squeaky clean.

The absence of suction means this cleaner is significantly lighter than most true wet-dry vacuums, and it also means it can operate relatively quietly. On test, I couldn't see a compromise in performance, either: I was very impressed with how effectively the Clean+Wash Hygiene picked up all kinds of messes, including chunky particles like oats, using just its cleverly designed roller.

Liquid waste is separated from solid, and one USP here is that all the waste is stored in the floorhead itself. Dyson says this is good news for longevity, because there are no pipes to get grimy or blocked up. I did find the emptying process a little fiddly, and the floorhead was drippier than other hard floor cleaners I've used.

There's a self-clean cycle that runs fresh water through the system. It will likely require you to empty the dirty water tank and refill the clean one mid-cycle, but otherwise it's effective at removing dirt from the roller. Dyson has also added hot air drying here – it's noisy but again, effective. Even after the muckiest of cleaning task, my roller looked good-as-new afterwards.

Bar some minor quibbles, I was impressed with this cleaner. Whether it's worth the asking price is another thing – I've tested some of the best wet-and-dry vacuums on the market, and there's little that stands out as truly exceptional here, unfortunately.

That's the short version; read on for my full Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review.

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review: price & availability

List price: £429.99
Available: Now in the UK, US and AU to follow
Launched: December 2025

The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene went on sale in the UK in December 2025, at a list price of £429.99. It's due to become available in the US and in Australia in 2026, but I don't have any specifics or pricing yet – based on UK pricing, it might be around $600 / AU$850.

That's in the premium band for a hard floor cleaner, and although the build quality is excellent and plenty of thought has clearly gone into the design, I don't think it does quite enough to justify the price tag. For that kind of money I'd expect to see the option of suction, and special features like dirt detection, automatic adjustment, and even foam / steam functions.

Value for money score: 3 out of 5

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene specs

Cleaner size (H x L x W):	43.1 x 9.6 x 11 inches / 109.6 x 24.4 x 28cm
Dock size (H x L x W):	9.4 x 11 x 10.1 inches / 24 x 28 x 25.7cm
Weight (empty):	8.4lbs / 3.8kg
Clean water tank volume:	0.75L
Dirty water tank volume:	0.52L
Max runtime:	45 mins
Dock cable length:	5.9ft / 1.8m

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review: design

Streamlined and relatively lightweight, and can lie flat
Waste is stored in the floorhead, and separated into solids and liquids
Self-clean function and hot air drying on the dock

The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene is a lightweight hard floor cleaner with a handful of interesting design features. Rather surprisingly given this brand's heritage, there's no suction here – instead, it uses hydration and agitation to remove dirt from hard flooring.

The roller spins at speed, and is continually fed with fresh water, as the dirty stuff is scraped off. It can handle mixed solid-and-liquid spills, and to a certain extent also dust and other dry debris (although it won't be as effective as a regular stick vacuum here).

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene floorhead — (Image credit: Future)

The roller is densely packed with fibers to make it as absorbent as possible, and Dyson has added wiry bristles that stick out a bit, for extra scrubbing power. There's also an anti-tangle comb behind the roller to prevent hair wrap. On one side the roller goes right up close to the edge of the floorhead, but on the other there's a decent chunk of casing. The roller can be removed for rinsing as required.

One of the areas where Dyson tends to shine in its floorcare range is maneuverability, but I didn't find the Clean+Wash Hygiene quite as nimble as I expected. Don't get me wrong, it's far from cumbersome – it's streamlined in design and pivots smoothly, but it felt a little less agile than something like the Dyson WashG1. I was impressed that it could lie completely flat to the ground, until the whole thing is just 4.44 inches / 11.3cm tall. A small wheel on the back of the handle helps it maneuver smoothly in this mode.

The dirty water compartment is integrated into the floorhead itself – similar to the mopping floorhead on the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine. The thinking is that because the dirt has nowhere to really travel, there's no tubing to get clogged up. Liquid ends up in a dirty water tank, and solid waste is filtered out into a separate tray. The two compartments are removed as one, but getting them apart and then back together again is a little fiddly compared to other wet-dry vacuums I've tested... not to mention messier.

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene screen and controls — (Image credit: Future)

There are three hydration modes to choose from, and a Boost mode to add extra water for tackling dried-on dirt. Dyson proudly claims the 750ml clean water tank will cover an area of 350 sqm, leaving such a fine sheen of moisture that your floors will be dry within 60 seconds. There are no other special modes, such as automated setting adjustment.

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene dock — (Image credit: Future)

One major upgrade on the Clean+Wash Hygiene compared to the WashG1 is that Dyson has introduced hot air drying on the dock. So after mopping, you run a self-clean cycle which runs fresh water over the roller. Then it's dried using wafts of warm (185F / 85C) air, saving you from having to remove it and put it out somewhere to dry.

Design score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene review: performance

Efficient, relatively quiet cleaning of liquid and solid spills
Floorhead a little drippy, and self-clean cycle uses a lot of water
Mop drying rather noisy but effective

I started by filling up the clean water and embarking on a whole-floor clean. The roller saturated fairly quickly without any pre-wetting, and left a very light, even sheen of water on my vinyl flooring. It's easy to toggle modes, and the screen spells out remaining cleaning time so you'll never unexpectedly run out of battery.

Because there's no suction, it's relatively quiet in operation, and the runtimes are long too. The Clean+Wash Hygiene can last up to 45 minutes per charge.

Cleaning

To assess its capabilities more closely, I tested how the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene handled a range of tricky cleaning challenges. I started with soy sauce mixed with oats. It gobbled up all the oats in one forward and backward pass in Med mode – impressive, given there's no suction here.

Then I decided it was time to bring out the big guns. I smeared maple syrup, crunchy peanut butter and Marmite (a super-sticky, viscous spread) on a vinyl floor. This time it struggled a bit. I unleashed Boost mode, and it took about 20 seconds of back-and-forth to clear the mess. That's a decent result – this test is purposefully very tricky. Plus, there was no sticky residue left behind.

Like every wet-and-dry cleaner I'm aware of, this machine is only suitable for perfectly flat floors. It can't deal with uneven surfaces such as flagstones, and it won't get into the cracks between tiles either – although it does do a better job of this than some, thanks to those bristles in the roller.

Maintenance

After my mopping session, it was time to clean out the waste. Although I see the logic in separating liquid from solid waste, and I acknowledge the potential long-term maintenance benefits, the emptying process does feel fiddlier than usual.

Unlike on the WashG1, you can't get your hand inside the dirty water tank to clean it out. The design of the tank also makes it very difficult to see when it's filling up, although it will inform you on screen.

I also found the floorhead had a tendency to drip or leak dirty water when handled. No wet-dry vacuum is perfect in this respect, but this Dyson machine seems especially bad for it, perhaps because the waste compartments are relatively complicated in design, with lots of separate elements.

Next, I embarked on a self-clean cycle. This starts by flushing the system with fresh water to get rid of lingering dirt. Almost immediately, the machine paused and asked me to refill the clean water tank. After relaunching, it paused again and asked me to empty the dirty water.

I'd recommend doing both these things before launching a self-clean cycle, and again afterwards, to avoid annoying disruptions. The process uses more than half a tank of fresh water, so it'll almost certainly be required.

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene with floorhead dismantled — (Image credit: Future)

Flushing complete, the dock then begins to dry the roller with hot air. This part is surprisingly noisy too, although it only lasts around half an hour. (On other machines I've used, the drying lasts longer but is much quieter, and on some advanced models you have the option of short-and-noisy or long-and-quiet.) Afterwards, I inspected the roller and it was almost completely dry, with no dirt to speak of.

Performance score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene: Scorecard

Attribute	Notes	Rating
Value	Well-built and solid quality, but little in terms of features to justify the premium price.	3 / 5
Design	Streamlined, lightweight and can lie flat. Slightly fiddly and messy waste disposal setup.	3.5 / 5
Performance	Effective at cleaning solid and liquid spills, even without suction. Self-clean works well too.	4 / 5

How I tested the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene

I used the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene for a couple of weeks on my hard floors. Aside from day-to-day use, I ran a series of dedicated cleaning tests to see how it coped with different kinds of messes, including liquid-solid spills, sticky and viscous substances. I compared my findings with other hard floor cleaners, and assessed if this model offered strong value for money.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed January 2026

I tested Dyson’s impossibly compact new vacuum, and it was a revelation – here’s why

9:30 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances Vacuums | Comments: Off

Dyson PencilVac: two-minute review

The Dyson PencilVac looks nothing like any vacuum I've seen before. All the mechanisms – the motor, filters, battery, and even the dust cup – are hidden within the handle, which measures just 1.5 inches / 3.8cm in diameter. That isn't the only unique thing about the PencilVac: the floorhead is also very quirky, with its four, fluffy, conical rollers rotating in opposite directions to lift dirt and buff your floors clean.

In use, it's the most nimble vacuum I've tested. The head appears to hover across the floor; it can be used forwards or backwards, and lie completely flat to the ground. With a bit of practice, you can make the floorhead do figure eights.

Those fluffy rollers are specifically meant for use on hard flooring – there's nothing to agitate carpet fibers to release trapped dirt. The suction power is in line with what I'd expect for a hard floor-specific vacuum, too: a relatively low 55AW of power, when most of the best Dyson vacuums have at least double that.

That power proved plenty to whisk away dog hair and dust from my hard floors, however. I could see it was doing a good job, because lasers installed in the front and back of the floorhead do a stellar job of illuminating any lingering dirt.

There are a couple more compromises for that ultra-streamlined, super-light build. The battery life is rather limited, topping out at 30 minutes per charge. The dust bin is small, too, although air compression helps maximize the amount you can fit into the physical space.

Dyson Pencilvac — (Image credit: Future)

The only issue I think is a genuine mistake on Dyson's part is that the floorhead comes to a slight point, which means it can't sit flush to a wall. This makes it really tricky to get a thorough edge clean. It's extra-annoying here given the emphasis on maneuverability and thoroughness of coverage. This shape is dictated by the tapering rollers, which are designed to prevent hair wrap, but I've found Dyson's Motorbar and Fluffy floorheads do this perfectly well without the need for a tapering roller.

It's a relatively minor complaint in what is a genuinely impressive feat of engineering – and a useful one at that. If you have mostly hard floors and want a nimble, lightweight vacuum that will and highlight hidden dust as you clean, you'll struggle to find something better than this. Read on for my full Dyson PencilVac review.

Dyson PencilVac review: price & availability

List price: US TBC / £429.99 / AU$949
Available: US TBC / UK 10 Dec / Australia August 2025
Launched: Summer 2025

The PencilVac was announced in June 2025 and went on sale in Australia in August. A UK launch followed in December 2025. At time of writing, it isn't yet available in the US. At the list price it costs £429.99 / AU$949 (discounted to AU$798 at time of writing). That's equivalent to around $590 in the US, although actual pricing is unknown.

That puts the PencilVac in the premium price bracket for vacuums. You're paying extra for the unique design here (and a little bit for the Dyson name). In terms of specs such as suction power, runtime, and even special features and accessories, it doesn't compare favorably to other models on the market. However, if you want something ultra-light and maneuverable, there's nothing else like it (for now, at least...). The build quality is excellent, as I'd expect from Dyson.

Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Dyson PencilVac specs

Weight (no attachments):	2.1lbs / 0.94kg
Weight (with wand and main floorhead):	4lbs / 1.8kg
Bin size:	0.08L
Max runtime:	30 mins
Charge time:	2hrs
Size (H x W x L):	46.5 x 6.3 x 8.9in / 118 x 15.9 x 22.6cm
Max suction:	55AW
Modes:	Eco, Med, Boost
Dock size (H x W x L):	10 x 10 x 11.5in / 25.5 x 25.4 x 29.3cm
Dock cable length:	5.4ft / 1.6m

Dyson PencilVac review: design

Lightweight, compact build, with all mechanisms hidden in handle
Extremely maneuverable, can be used either way around
Small dust cup, but uses air compression to maximize space

The design here is unique. There's no visible battery, motor, filter, or dust cup section. Instead, all that is packed within the wand, which measures 1.5 inches / 3.8cm in diameter. To achieve that, Dyson has had to re-engineer its motor to one that's incredibly compact – the Hyperdymium 140k motor is just 1.1 inches / 2.8cm wide, and hidden entirely within the handle.

The PencilVac in general is very lightweight, at 4lbs / 1.8kg (by comparison, the V8 is 5.5 lbs / 2.5kg with wand and floorhead attached), and extremely nimble.

The battery forms the top section of the wand, and can be removed and swapped. Moving down you'll find the controls – there are just two buttons: an On/Off, and a second button to switch modes (Eco, Med and Boost; there's no auto-adjustment here). A small screen displays the mode you're using and how much time you have left on the clock.

Move down further and you'll find the dust cup behind a transparent casing; this allows you a view as it fills up. Rather unusually, the dust collects at the top of the bin section. Not surprisingly, the capacity is rather limited, at 0.08L (most of Dyson's stick vacuums have a 0.8L bin). However, the PencilVac apparently uses air to squish down the particles, so that they take up as little room as possible. As such, Dyson says that this cup will hold up to five times its physical volume.

To empty the bin, you remove the floorhead and slide the whole casing down. The dust and dirt then shoots out of the bottom. This process is straightforward and works well, although I did find particles got stuck in and around the bin casing.

At the end of the wand you'll find the new Fluffycones floorhead – another unique part of the PencilVac. This a kind of hybrid between the All Floors Cones Sense floorhead introduced with the Dyson V16 Piston Animal, and the Fluffy cleaner head that made its debut with the Dyson V15 Detect.

Instead of having one or two tube-shaped rollers, the Fluffycones head has four conical ones. The tapering shape is designed specifically as a way to deal with long hair: rather than becoming tangled around the brush roll, the strands should make their way down to the small end of the cone where they drop off in a clump, and can be vacuumed up in a single pass. It's an idea that Dyson first used in its Hair screw tool.

However, unlike the All Floors Cones Sense head, the rollers here are entirely covered with soft, fluffy fabric. This is perfect for use on hard floors, where it can get right up close to the flat surface without risking scratches. It isn't well-suited to carpet, though, because there's nothing to agitate the fibers and release embedded dirt.

Dyson has also added a green laser to both the front and back of the Fluffycones floorhead. This is designed to highlight specks of dirt that might otherwise be missed.

The cones extend a little way past the hard plastic casing, and rotate in opposite directions, which means the PencilVac can pick up debris when pushed forwards and when pulled backwards. In fact, because it's basically symmetrical, you can use it either way around.

Since the "wand" contains all the inner mechanisms, the PencilVac isn't quite as versatile as a traditional stick vacuum. You can't remove the wand part and use it like a hand vacuum. However, you can swap out the floorhead for a detail tool. There was one included with my review model: a "Rotating combi-crevice tool" that can be used like a traditional Crevice tool, or with the brush section engaged to sweep up dirt (NB: it doesn't actually rotate).

Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson PencilVac review: performance

Excellent and very efficient pickup on hard floor, even in Eco mode
Not designed for use on carpet, and not sucky enough for ingrained dirt
Laser light is effective and useful

So how does the Dyson PencilVac perform in practice? The first thing to emphasize is how comfortable it is to use. Although it takes a moment to get used to the different grip – you hold this cleaner like a broom, rather than like a traditional stick vacuum – it's very light in the hand and maneuvers incredibly well. You can use it forwards or backwards, and the floorhead pivots with ease. With the detail tool attached, it's also super easy to clean up high or in tight spaces.

Unfortunately, the design of the floorhead isn't quite as impressive. Since it comes to a slight point at the front, it can't sit flush to a wall. This was one of my main complaints with the similarly shaped All Floors Cones Sense floorhead, and it's no less annoying here. If you can't approach an edge side-on, it's tricky to achieve a thorough clean. This kind of vacuum should be perfect for the stairs, say... except the reality is that using the PencilVac to clean along all those straight edges is a nightmare.

This isn't the most powerful Dyson vacuum – you're getting a maximum 55AW of suction, where most Dyson stick vacs have double that. Also, the design of the floorhead doesn't lend itself to being ultra-sucky, either. Usually, the casing around the edges would descend to the floor around all four edges, creating a "vacuum" (in the original sense of the word) underneath. That isn't the case here. And because the rollers are soft all over, there's nothing to agitate embedded dust.

None of that is an issue if you're just using the PencilVac on hard flooring, which is its intended use. You don't need a ton of suction to clean hard floors, because all the dust and dirt is sat right there on the surface. But if you're seeking something for carpet, or even a vacuum that will pull the dirt from the cracks and crevices in your floorboards, this isn't it.

To get a more objective view of how well the PencilVac cleans, I ran a series of tests using dry, loose tea (to represent fine particles) and a dry couscous/oat mix (to represent chunky debris) on the large tiles of my kitchen floor. The results were very impressive: the vacuum picked up everything in a single pass, even on the lowest Eco mode. There was minimal pinging of large particles, and the fact that the head cleans from both sides meant I could clear the spillage in half the time.

In general use, the PencilVac was a dream to use in my kitchen. The Fluffycones head seemed to hover across floors, moving smoothly and with minimal effort on my part, whisking away dirt and pet hair as it went. The lasers did a great job of illuminating dust in dingy areas, and I could easily direct the vacuum into tight corners – down the side of a sofa, for example. The only annoyance was that awkwardly angled floorhead.

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Dyson PencilVac being used on carpet — (Image credit: Future)

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Dyson PencilVac being used on a canvas mat — (Image credit: Future)

Although this vacuum isn't really built for carpets, I still ran my standard carpet tests to see how it would cope. It pulled up a decent amount of chunky debris in a single forward pass in Medium mode, although it did flick other bits about.

Medium mode wasn't enough to pull many of the flecks of fine dry tea from my mid-pile carpet, and even after several passes I could still see a shadow where the tea had been sprinkled.

I also decided to try the PencilVac on the canvas-style mat in my kitchen. It pulled up a good amount of debris, and there was less pinging than there had been on the carpet. It's certainly capable of pulling surface dirt from this kind of flooring, and perfectly fine for everyday cleaning.

Performance score: 4 out of 5

Dyson PencilVac review: battery life

Promises 30 mins in Eco, 20 in Medium, and 5 in Boost
2 hours recharge time
Battery removable and swappable

The main compromise you're making for the lightweight, compact build is a smaller battery. Larger, heavier Dyson vacuums last over an hour in their lowest-powered mode, but the runtimes on the PencilVac are much shorter. Dyson promises 30 minutes in Eco mode, 20 in Medium and 5 in the most powerful Boost mode. The battery recharges in a relatively speedy 2 hours.

Medium mode is the one I'd typically default to, and it lasted for 18 minutes at the power (less than Dyson's listed specs). That's really quite short for a middle mode, although it did give me enough time to clean three bathrooms, a large kitchen and utility room, so maybe it isn't too much of an issue. I'd also say that for hard flooring, Eco mode will actually usually be sucky enough for most situations.

I've been testing vacuums for a while now, and with the PencilVac I missed having a dirt-detecting Auto mode, although I can see why it wasn't included here. I'm pleased to see that despite the battery taking a different format, it's still removable and replaceable, which should help with the longevity of the PencilVac overall.

Battery life score: 3.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Dyson PencilVac?

Attribute	Notes	Rating
Value	Premium bracket – mainly because of the innovative, unique design.	3.5 / 5
Design	Almost impossibly streamlined and nimble – the only real annoyance is the angled floorhead.	4.5 / 5
Performance	Not designed for carpet, but excellent pickup on hard flooring. Dirt-illuminating lasers are useful and effective.	4 / 5
Battery life	Relatively short (as required by the streamlined design). Recharge is fairly speedy.	3.5 / 5

How I tested the Dyson PencilVac

I used the Dyson PencilVac regularly for a couple of months, to get a general feel for its performance and usefulness. I also ran specific cleaning tests including chunky particles (dry couscous/oat mix) and fine particles (dry, loose tea) on my hard floor, thin mats and carpet. I compared my findings with other vacuums I've tested, and assessed if it offered strong value for money.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

First reviewed November 2025

The Razer BlackShark V3 gaming headset might blend in with Razer’s existing crowd, but the second you set it up, you just know it’s something special

7:00 pm | February 1, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Tags: Red Dead Redemption | Comments: Off

Razer BlackShark V3: One-minute review

The Razer BlackShark V3 wireless gaming headset is a truly fantastic piece of kit, which has finally convinced me to move on from the same headset I've been using for years. The sleek black design strays from the tacky-looking appearance of a lot of gaming headsets without losing the iconic branding of Razer products, but it never feels garish.

Controls on both earcups are straightforward and easy to use, too, giving you all the power you need in one convenient place rather than having to mess around with additional software. Plus, with 70 hours of battery life when fully charged, you're able to sink into all your favourite games with no threat of interruption.

Its crystal clear audio when gaming, paired with the outstanding microphone quality, makes it the only headset you need for your gaming setup too rather than needing platform-specific products.

The detachable microphone also makes it adaptable to suit your style, whether you're playing with friends over Discord or roaming around in-game while listening to some tunes. It's hard to want to use another headset once you've spent time with the BlackShark V3, which is high praise coming from a creature of comfort who doesn't like to change their peripherals often.

Razer BlackShark V3 wireless headset — (Image credit: Future)

Razer BlackShark V3: Price and availability

List price: $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$350
Not exactly a budget-friendly headset, but quality makes it worth investing
Has almost identical features to the (more expensive) BlackShark V3 Pro

The Razer BlackShark V3 wireless headset launched in July 2025, so a reasonable two years after the previous version: the BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed. Having also used the V2 HyperSpeed in the past, I can safely say those two years of extra baking time definitely paid off, and there are some noticeable differences to make the additional $20/£20 cost worthwhile. Such as a new set of Razer Triforce Titanium 50mm Drivers, a lightweight ergonomic design which really feels as if it's putting comfort first, and a shiny new HyperClear Super Wideband 9.9mm Mic to make sure none of your audio gets missed.

Compared to other premium wireless gaming headsets on the market, like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro 7P Gen 2 or Astro A20 X, the BlackShark V3 isn't an extortionately priced product. In fact, the $149.99 price tag is a reasonable ask for what you're getting, considering how many premium wireless gaming headsets fall closer to the $200 mark.

It's not an eyewatering asking price compared to something like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite, yet it still feels like a worthy upgrade if you're used to rocking budget-friendly gaming headsets. Having launched alongside the Razer BlackShark V3 X Hyperspeed, a tempting $99/£99/AU$179.95 headset, you may be convinced to cut costs and go for something that sounds almost identical in name. But you'd be doing yourself a complete disservice in doing so, which I need you to trust me on.

Razer BlackShark V3: Specs

	Razer BlackShark V3
Price	$149.99 / £149.99 / AU$350
Weight	9.5oz / 270g
Compatibility	Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mobile
Connection type	2.4 GHz Wireless / USB Wired / Bluetooth
Battery life	Up to 70 hours
Features	THX Spatial Audio, detachable Razer HyperClear Super Wideband 9.9mm mic,
Software	Razer Audio

Razer BlackShark V3: Design and features

Black design is more elegant than RGB-intense gaming headsets
Super lightweight design for long-term comfort
Despite its middle-ground price tag, it definitely feels like a high-end product

The Razer BlackShark V3 wireless gaming headset looks practically identical to the other Razer BlackShark V3 sets: the V3 Pro and the V3 X HyperSpeed. It's got a sleek black design with subtle Razer branding on the earcups and headband, which I appreciate since so many gaming headsets would take any opportunity to shove colours and logos in your face, which is somewhere I found the Astro A20 X fell short, since its design verged on slightly too in-your-face. But it doesn't need an interesting or quirky design to be a good product. In fact, it's a perfect example of something being so simple yet so incredibly satisfying.

Both the headband and the earcups have firm cushioning and padding, and aren't made of that horrible glossy material a lot of cheaper headsets use, similar to a headset like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, which boasts a similar build quality and black design. The headband used a breathable, almost netted fabric, and each earcup is made from breathable Sportsweave memory foam. Since the headset almost prides itself on being for esports, these elements have clearly been carefully designed to cater to being comfortable for competitive players. But for more casual gamers like me, they just feel like a nice treat.

Despite the firmness of the cushioning on both the headband and earcups, I was surprised at how comfortable they were in use. Usually, firmer earcups make wearing glasses when gaming uncomfortable as they push the arms into the side of your head, so I was shocked when I never experienced this discomfort.

All the controls you need are located on the ear cups too, which reduces the need for external software if you don't fancy downloading, with the left featuring all the important buttons like a textured power button alongside a smooth mic mute, so there's no chance of pressing the wrong thing when wearing the set.

Razer BlackShark V3 wireless headset lying down on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future)

In addition, a dial on the front of the ear cup is where you control your audio level, which is far easier to use than a scroll wheel on the bottom - something that most of the headsets I've used in the past specialise in. Now that I've had the convenience of a larger dial, I never want to go back to relying on these wheels, which are so easily knocked and altered.

The left cup is specifically for optimising your audio setup to suit what you're playing. Here, you've got a configurable roller which you can use for footsteps scaling in games like Battlefield 6 or Arc Raiders, game-chat balancing so you can sort out your game audio and Discord audio without having to open your audio mixer, and mic monitoring. This convenient wheel is accompanied by a smart switch button, too, in case you need to change your connection in an instant. Basically, the entire headset has been designed to make your life a lot easier and give you more game time rather than wasting precious minutes on sorting your peripherals.

Razer BlackShark V3 wireless headset lying down on a wooden surface with the microphone pointing up — (Image credit: Future)

The mic plugs into the right ear cup, too, which in itself boasts a sturdy build quality and matches the same sleek black design of the rest of the headset. If I had one complaint, it would be that the size of the foam cover is quite large, and it does feel pretty invasive given the short length of the mic as a whole.

That, and you can't conveniently store the microphone on or around the headset if you don't want to use the mic - you're at the mercy of your own ability to keep it safe when unplugged. Again, if you're used to the convenience of a compact headset like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, then this may be a frustration. But these are such minor inconveniences that were almost instantly outweighed by the joy of using the headset.

Razer BlackShark V3: Performance

Seamless setup, which means you can jump straight into use
Might as well be noise-cancelling
Customisable to suit whatever sort of gamer you are, competitive or not

Given I'd been using the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headset until now, which I really praised as my holy grail, I thought the audio quality of a cheaper headset wouldn't be as impressive, and I couldn't be more mistaken. In fact, it's hard to express how impressive the sound quality of this mid-range headset really is without you hearing it for yourself.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headset is by no means of bad quality. In fact, I was amazed by it when I first tested it and kept using it long after. However, I often found myself frustrated by all the wires that accompany it. After meeting the BlackShark V3, I feel as though I've got all the same sound quality as the Arctis Nova Pro with the satisfaction of a wireless headset.

From the second you set it up and start using the BlackShark V3, you're met with rich, deep audio, whether that's in-game or if you're just listening to some tunes while you do something else. For music-oriented games like Sword of the Sea and Herdling, two games I played during my testing of the BlackShark V3, the clear audio and almost noise-cancelling capabilities (though not actually part of the design) helped me to really sink into the game and experience each and every note in their soundtracks.

Even just watching YouTube videos or listening to in-game dialogue feels more intense, especially given the headset's ability to block out external audio without being completely noise-cancelling. The memory foam earcups really help in this regard, and they really help you from getting distracted by any noise around you.

This is also helped by the almost 70-hour battery life when fully charged, since you're rarely interrupted by those tedious beeps that remind you to plug it in. Battery life is a huge selling point with wireless headsets, which is another place the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, or any SteelSeries headset for that matter, becomes a close competitor with the BlackShark V3. If you do find yourself listening to these obnoxious reminders, what makes the Razer BlackShark V3 wireless headset worth investing in alone is the fact that a 15-minute charge provides you with an additional 6 hours of battery life.

Razer BlackShark V3 wireless headset's dongle on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future)

You don't need to do any sort of additional setup to get an incredibly solid performance from the headset, though the option is there if you want it, courtesy of the additional Razer Audio software you can download. I don't usually bother with messing around with many settings, especially since I don't often find myself needing to enhance my audio to hear things like footsteps or distant gunshots, but it felt rude not to at least try it out in a game of Arc Raiders.

So, I downloaded the Razer Audio app and started playing around, and was once again pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to take your audio customisation that one step further. Paired with the configurable wheel, it feels as if the Razer BlackShark V3 headset really has been designed to enhance your gaming. Even though the packaging blatantly says it's an esports headset, all these details and ways to make your gaming experience that little bit easier by utilising all the audio cues of other players certainly reinforce that factor.

Although you can use Razer Synapse to customise things like your EQ settings and play around with THX Spatial Audio, the dedicated audio app definitely feels easier to use. Plus, having it conveniently on your phone rather than a desktop means you can more seamlessly customise your settings across platforms rather than having one setup on PC, and then others programmed in the app for console.

Razer BlackShark V3 wireless headset lying down on a wooden surface with the ear cups facing toward the camera — (Image credit: Future)

The buttons are incredibly well-positioned on both earcups, too. Unless you're a frequent connection switcher or a competitive gamer, you rarely need to use the left cup. And, the added texture on the power button makes using the buttons a breeze rather than having to go through that awkward fiddly phase of hitting the wrong thing when you change your headset, and you're not quite used to where everything is. Yes, I'm definitely projecting, but it's one of those little things that you don't really appreciate until you experience it.

Its impressive performance doesn't stop at its stellar button placement and crystal clear audio either. The 9.9mm HyperClear Super Wideband detachable mic offers astounding quality given its mid-range price tag, so much so that I actually received compliments on the "noticeable upgrade" compared to my old headset when jumping into a Discord call with my friends.

Should I buy the Razer BlackShark V3?

Buy it if...

You find that comfort is key to a good session
The BlackShark V3 wireless gaming headset has been designed to be just as comfortable as it is impressive. If you often find yourself tethered to your setup for hours on end, having a comfortable headset is a must, and not once did I find any part of the headset uncomfortable, even as someone who wears glasses when gaming.View Deal

You're looking for a way to really get the most out of your audio
If you've ever been intimidated by all the additional software that comes with gaming headsets these days, the Razer BlackShark V3 and Razer Audio app do everything they can to make it more accessible. It's got all the flourishes you need to really make the most of the headset without being inundated with options and not knowing where to start. View Deal

You feel like your current headset isn't offering you the richest sound quality
What separates a good headset from a great headset is its audio quality, so if you're underwhelmed with what you're currently receiving, the BlackShark V3 is bound to impress with its audio quality. Even without tampering with any of the sound settings, this headset is built to offer you crystal clear audio from the moment it is fresh out of the box and switched on. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You constantly jump in and out of calls, but don't want a massive mic in your face
It's hard to advise against the BlackShark V3, but the fact that there isn't any way to keep the mic safe and sound on the headset could definitely put some players off. If you like the convenience of how a SteelSeries mic tucks into the earcup, or a Turtle Beach headset mic slides neatly up the side of the headband, this set might feel like more of an inconvenience.View Deal

Also consider...

Still not sold on the Razer BlackShark V3 wireless gaming headset? Here's how it compares to two similar sets.

	Razer BlackShark V3 wireless	Astro A20 X	SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5
Price	$149.99 / £149.99 / AU$350	$179.99 / £169.99 / AU$349.99	$129.99 / £129.99 / AU$139.95
Weight	9.5oz / 270g	10.23oz / 290g	9.5oz / 266g
Compatibility	PS5, Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mobile	PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, Android, iOS	PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Mobile
Connection type	2.4 GHz Wireless / USB Wired / Bluetooth	Bluetooth / Lightspeed Wireless / Wired USB-C	Wireless (2.4GHz via dongle), Wired (USB-C), Bluetooth 5.3
Battery life	Up to 70 hours	40 hrs (default lighting), 90hrs (RGB off)	Up to 60 hours
Features	THX Spatial Audio, detachable Razer HyperClear Super Wideband 9.9mm mic,	Detachable 48kHz / 16 bit omni microphone, Lightsync RGB, Playsync Base	360-degree spatial audio, retractable ClearCast 2.X mic
Software	Razer Audio	Logitech G Hub (PC) / Logitech G app (mobile)	SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Companion App (mobile), SteelSeries GG

Astro A20 X
The Astro A20 X is a similarly priced product to the BlackShark V3, but it packs a bit more personality in its design through its RGB. If you don't fancy its flashy appearance, turning the RGB off ensures a battery life of up to 90 hours, beating the BlackShark, and this headset also boasts impressive audio quality alongside a fantastic detachable microphone.

For more information, check out our full Astro A20 X review.View Deal

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5
The quality of gaming audio that the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 offers is what makes it a suitable competitor against the BlackShark. With this SteelSeries headset, you're also getting a crystal clear mic, alongside a plethora of customisation options to ensure you're getting the very best out of your audio.

For more information, check out our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 review.View Deal

How I tested the Razer BlackShark V3

Compared with my beloved SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headset
Used every day for gaming and other media
Mic tested in Discord calls and Google meets

As soon as I realised just how quality the BlackShark V3 was, I ditched my old SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headset. So, for two weeks, I've relied on this bit of kit to carry me through all sorts of adventures in games like Sword of the Sea, Once Upon a Katamari, and even made the most of its customization in a couple of rounds in Arc Raiders. Outside of gaming, it's also accompanied me for hours upon hours of Spotify sessions and the odd evening watching Netflix. If anything, these almost all-nighters definitely put the battery life to the test, too.

I also spent around 10 hours testing the BlackShark V3 with the PS5 in a decent session of Red Dead Redemption 2. I will admit, I wasn't jumping in for the fast, gunslinging combat, so I can't comment on how immersive that is. But, I must say the BlackShark V3 is phenomenal when it comes to showing off the natural sound design. Birdsong is clear as day with this headset, and I could've quite happily spent a lot longer riding around on my horse and tracking down every bird I could hear - something that I'd missed out on entirely when just relying on my TV's default speakers.

To test the microphone, I used the BlackShark V3 for meetings, voice calls, and multiplayer games like Peak, R.E.P.O., Outlast Trials, and shouting at my friends over Discord. Although I'd already put my old SteelSeries headset to one side, I did dust it off for a quick comparison, alongside my wireless Razer Kraken Hello Kitty and Friends edition Bluetooth headset, and they just don't compare.

First reviewed December 2025-January 2026.

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro: Two minute review

Usually, when I review a product with a brand-new feature, I use that function for about a week before the novelty wears off. The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro may not be the best earbuds I’ve ever tested, but I’ve been using its key selling point constantly over the testing period, and that at least says something.

Are they a pair of open earbuds? Or are they a pair of standard workout headphones? Yes and yes – these new hearables from Anker’s audio-visual sub-brand Soundcore do both. The bud’s body is adjustable in relation to its loop: you can have them as standard sports buds, or raise the bud somewhat so it’s further out of your ear. Ta-da, you have open earbuds.

In theory, you get the best of both worlds. Put them in open-ear mode and you enjoy your listening while still hearing what’s going on around you. Flick them into standard mode and you can hear your music with no distractions from outside, thanks in part to ANC turning on.

When I first reported on the buds, I guessed that they could be the best fitness earbuds of the year – it’s safe to say I was cautiously optimistic about them. The function is useful: I’d run along a busy road in open mode and close it when I reached a quieter park, or keep it open when cycling to the gym and close it when I got there.

A home-run, then? Not quite – these are the first earbuds I’ve ever seen trying out a form factor like this, and myriad teething problems plague the buds. I don’t think they are the best fitness headphones of the year any more, but it’s still a valiant effort.

Take, for example, the design. The buds aren’t that far from your ear when in open mode, so don’t let in nearly as much sound as rivals. But due to having AirPods-style tip-less ends, the Aerofits aren’t fully in your ear when in ANC mode, and so don’t actually cancel that much sound.

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The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro in a man's hand, in open mode. — (Image credit: Future)

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The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro in a man's hand, in ANC mode. — (Image credit: Future)

The loop material is also quite flimsy, so the buds wobble a lot, and the buttons are hard to press when in ANC mode (but, admittedly, very easy in open mode).

You need to play around in the settings to get the best of the Aerofit 2 Pro too. The default EQ preset, Soundcore Signature, goes for a misshapen V-shaped sound profile which sounds pretty wonky; go into the equalization menu straight away. The Intelligent Noise Cancellation feature also gets in the way, by messing with your sound constantly; turn this off too.

You probably wouldn’t be buying adjustable buds like this if you weren’t okay with some tweaking, though; just know that you’ll have to be doing it quite a bit.

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Specifications

Component	Value
Water resistant	IP55
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds), 34 hours (total)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 6.1
Weight	11g / Charging case: 109g
Driver	11.8mm

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Price and availability

The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro case. — (Image credit: Future)

Released on January 6, 2026
Priced at $179.99 / £179.99 (roughly AU$350)
Paying a premium for the novelty

Anker unveiled the Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro at CES 2026 in the first week of the year, and put them on sale immediately after. Perfect for your new year’s fitness resolution.

The earbuds cost $179.99 / £179.99 (roughly AU$350, but they don’t seem to have joined Soundcore’s line-up in Australia). That’s the official price, but mere weeks after release, I’ve seen them discounted by $30 in the US and £10 in the UK.

As open earbuds go, that price is on the higher side of things, but you’re paying to be the first to test this novel kind of tech.

It’s a little higher than the launch price of the first Aerofit Pro, but that device plummeted in price over two years, and we could see the new model drop to similar lows over time.

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Design

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The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro in a man's ear, in open mode. — (Image credit: Future)

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The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro in a man's ear, in ANC mode. — (Image credit: Future)

Easy to switch between open- and closed-ear fit
Weak loop and heavy earpiece affect wear
IP55 protection, comes in black, white or purple

I’ve already described the Aerofit 2 Pro’s transforming gimmick; but how does it work? Basically, the sports loop connects to the driver housing via a connector that can be moved around five different settings; each one results in a different angle for the earpiece to sit at, relative to your ear. At the furthest extent, said headshell sits right in your ear, and at the opposite extent it’s hovering high above it. The first two are ANC (in-ear) mode, the latter two open mode, and the middle one is something in between.

I was skeptical about this, but functionally it works really well. Quickly I became adept at opening or closing the buds while they were in my ear, and in no time I was doing so without breaking my stride while on a run. Unfortunately, basically everything about this design (other than the ease of switching) poses problems.

The key one problem is the loop, made out of a thin silicone which just isn’t rigid enough to hold the earbuds in place. When I was running or working out with the buds, I often found that the battery-bearing counterweights would wobble. It was especially noticeable when in ANC mode. They never fell out, but it was an annoying sensation.

This is exacerbated by the buds’ weight. At 11g each, they’re the heaviest than any other open earbuds I remember testing.

The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro on a ledge. — (Image credit: Future)

The tip-less design brings with it another problem: the sound leakage on these things, especially in open mode, is significant. Your gym peers will definitely hear what you’re listening to.

Each bud has a button. No, not a sensor or an area you tap and pray something happened: an honest-to-God area that you press in and hear a satisfying ‘click’. Lovely. It’s really easy and simple to use when the bud is in open mode, however when in ANC mode, I found that the pressure needed to press the button instead just pushed it into my ear.

Now that I’m complaining about things: the material used for the end of the bud is a dirt magnet. When it’s in the case or ear it’s fine, but when I put the buds in my pocket or dropped them on the floor, they quickly picked up fluff and particles that were quite hard to clean off. That’s all to say: excuse the review images, I tried my best.

This section is already far too long, but let’s briefly touch on the case. It’s certainly on the big side, even for sports-hook earbuds, and it weighs 109g (including the buds). It has some neat touches: an LED bar gives you an indication of how much charge you have left, and the case also facilitates wireless charging.

Design score: 3.5/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Features

The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro in a man's hand. — (Image credit: Future)

Little noise is cancelled due to design and the ANC algorithm
Battery life is 7 / 34 hours with ANC on
Several app features including handy EQ presets

Why have I been calling one form of the Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro ‘ANC mode’? That’ll be because when you’re at these extensions, noise cancellation will turn on, ostensibly stopping as much surrounding sound as possible from entering your ears. An anti-open-ear mode, so to speak.

However, the Aerofit run into the same problem as the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC: there’s no rubbery ear tip to create a natural sound-blocking seal, and so the noise cancellation is fighting an impossibly steep uphill battle from the outset. It doesn’t win the battle, and it’s very easy to hear surrounding sounds in this mode – I can hear myself typing this sentence over fairly loud music. It’s not a totally lost cause, and sounds are made quieter, but there’s little meaningful difference between open mode and ANC mode.

ANC mode may do more harm than it’s worth, though, because of Soundcore’s adjustable ANC. This is designed to automatically adjust noise cancellation and many earbuds have similar modes, but on the Soundcore, it had too dramatic an effect on the sound. Frequently, I’d hear dramatic shifts in listening volume or sound profile, and sometimes the volume wouldn’t be able to go very high to compensate for the ANC. On my first run with the buds, I was frustrated with how quiet the max volume was – until I realized it was the noise cancellation running amok. Thankfully this mode can be turned off.

Soundcore puts the battery life of the buds at 7 hours in open-ear mode and 5 hours with ANC turned on. My testing suggests these figures could be a little conservative, so I’m not going to knock the buds like I normally would with 5-hour listening time buds.

The Soundcore app brings a few extra features to the earbuds. These include the ability to customize what the touch controls do, a low-latency and a Spatial Audio mode, an equalizer and the ability to make ANC toggling manual instead of automatic.

The equalizer has a healthy selection of presets, most of which make meaningful adjustments to the sound, and there’s also an eight-band custom option too. I particularly like the Volume Booster preset, which doesn’t exactly sound fantastic, but it gives the buds that extra ‘oomph’ that you need with open buds when venturing somewhere noisy.

Pairing the buds to my phone was quick and easy, however I did have the occasional stuttering and connection dropping problems during testing.

Features score: 3/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Sound performance

Single 10.8mm driver
Music sounds lifeless
Lovely, high max volume

There’s a custom-built 11.8mm driver in each of the Aerofits. Their most impressive feature, though, may be the support for Bluetooth 6.1, which is more advanced than most smartphones you’d be pairing the buds with. That pairs with Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification and a support for LDAC.

When I first started listening to the Aerofit 2 Pro, I was in a quiet home and listening on ANC mode, and I was impressed by a few aspects. There’s decent spacing between instruments, and enough detail to hear the timbre of instruments. Lovely, and unexpected for fitness earbuds like these. However I made the critical mistake of listening to the Soundcore Signature EQ preset for much of my testing period.

This doesn’t sound great: it elevates treble, mutes bass and drops mids almost entirely, like V-shaped sound profile with a lop-sided ‘V’. Uncle Kracker’s In A Little While had distorted guitar that sounded like a fan with a scrap of paper stuck in it, while the chorus of Five More Minutes by The War and Treaty sounded like a duet between vocals and a lawnmower. And treble was far too prominent: Don McCloskey’s First In Flight was constantly jump-scaring me with brass stings.

However, jumping into the EQ preset menu let me salvage my listening experience; I’d recommend buyers to switch straight to ‘Balanced’, or one of the genre-based EQs if you only listen to one kind of music. Balanced levels out that ‘V’ into much more of a flat line, so you can enjoy the high-quality audio without any line or instrument being overwritten.

Max volume for the buds is pretty loud, especially on Volume Booster, but the auto-ANC mode can put a pretty significant upper limit; turn this off.

Sound performance score: 4/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: Value

The Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro next to their case. — (Image credit: Future)

Novelty form factor aside, the Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro go for quite a high price, compared to other open earbuds you’d be considering. These aren’t a budget option by any stretch of the imagination – I’d go so far as to call them premium, given that relatively few options exist above the $/£200 threshold.

All considered, it feels a little hard to recommend them for the price – you’re paying for the privilege of testing a new form factor of headphone, not for an especially competitive feature set or sound quality. You're not being ripped off exactly, but it's not a competitive price.

If you can find the Aerofit 2 Pro discounted, though, they’d be well worth considering. They don’t even need an especially meaty price cut; the minor discount already available is a good start.

Value score: 3.5/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro review: scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	The Aerofit's price matches some premium alternatives.	3.5/5
Design	The two-in-one design and switching works well; some other elements don't.	3.5/5
Features	The ANC doesn't work too well and the battery life isn't fantastic, although the app brings some nice additions.	3/5
Sound	Play around with the settings enough, and you can get detailed, expansive audio that'll surprise you compared to other fitness buds.	4/5

Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro: Should I buy?

The Huawei FreeClip 2 buds in a case, leaning on a zippo lighter. — (Image credit: Future)

Buy them if...

The 2-in-1 gimmick appeals
Think you want buds that switch between open and standard sports earbuds? You won't be disappointed by how Anker does it.

You want treble-first sound
The Aerofit aren't bassy buds, and they'll appeal to people who prefer hearing lyrics, spoken words or guitar solos.

You appreciate wireless charging
We don't see wireless charging available on many earbuds cases, especially sports-specific ones. If you like the feature, the Aerofit have you covered.

Don't buy them if...

You have noise that needs cancelling
Even in ANC mode, the noise cancellation of the Aerofit isn't competitive.

You won't use the 2-in-1 design
You're paying a premium for the novel form factor of the Aerofit. If you don't think you'll use it enough, other options will give you more value for money.

Also consider

Component	Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro	Shokz OpenFit 2+	Huawei FreeArc
Water resistant	IP55	IP55	IP57
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds), 34 hours (total)	11 hours (earbuds), 48 hours (total)	7 hours (earbuds), 23 hours (total)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 6.1	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.2
Weight	11g / Charging case: 109g	9.4g / Charging case: 56g	8.9g / Charging case: 67g
Driver	11.8mm	17.3mm	17mm x 12mm

Shokz OpenFit 2+

Our favorite open earbuds right now come from Shokz, and they offer the full package: a stable fit, great sound quality and a solid feature set. Best of all, they either match or undercut the Soundcore depending on where you live.

Read our full Shokz OpenFit 2+ review

Huawei FreeArc

Want an affordable alternative? The Huawei FreeArc cost half the price of the Soundcore, and have fantastic sound. The case is small and the buds fit well.

Read our full Huawei FreeArc review

How I tested

I tested the Anker Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro for just over two weeks in order to write this review. During this time, they were paired with my Android smartphone.

In that time, I used the Soundcore on runs, at the gym and on cylces. But because of their dual-purpose design, also treated them as my everyday headphones in that time, so I listened at home, on public transport, and on walks around my neighborhood. Most of the testing was done on Spotify, YouTube and Prime Video's apps.

I've tested plenty of open earbuds for TechRadar over the last few years, as the audio segment has emerged, as well as countless other earbuds and headphones.