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The Narwal Freo Z10 robovac mopped my home better than it vacuumed and that’s not its only quirk
2:44 am | July 15, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Narwal Freo Z10: Two-minute review

I’ve tested quite a few brands of robot vacuums in the last decade, but this is my first Narwal. I was quite excited to try it out as I’ve read good things about the company’s previous robot vacuums from TechRadar’s other reviewers. That includes our Narwal Freo Z Ultra review, where it “smashed [its] mopping tests”.

The Narwal Freo Z10, a slightly cheaper version of the Freo Z Ultra, is very much cut from the same cloth – it too is a fantastic mop but, like its more expensive sibling, carpets are not its forte. Actually, I will go so far as to say that vacuuming in general isn’t its forte.

It’s 15,000 Pa suction looks good on paper, but it took two consecutive vacuum runs at its highest suction setting for it to pass my vacuuming tests. And that’s just hard floors. It struggles even more on carpets, although if you are patient, it will clean about 80% of hair off the fibers, but that’s not a lot considering there are other robot vacuums I’ve tested recently that do a better job.

The other big issue with the vacuuming is the self-cleaning of the onboard dustbin. Even though I can hear it say “self-cleaning started” and it makes the appropriate noises, dust and debris from several vacuuming sessions just kept compacting inside the onboard bin to a point where I had to pull out the hair and dirt myself to increase suction.

And while its anti-tangle brushes do what they promise, I found that the hair strands it invariably misses sucking up from hard floors get collected by the mop pads as clumps that I have to pick up myself.

So while I question the Freo Z10’s vacuuming prowess, I can’t fault its mopping – and the evidence is there to see in the color of the dirty mop water. The kind of tiles I have in my apartment require high waterflow rates, and the Narwal Freo Z10’s Wet Mopping setting was perfect – however, this mode guzzles water. I had to refill the clean water every time I did a full-home cleaning. If you have wood floors, though, you shouldn’t need to worry as the lower water settings will treat the planks kindly.

While I didn’t mind refilling fresh water in the middle of a cleaning session, I can’t quite forgive how basic the map in the app is. It can be edited, of course, but that’s fiddly to do if your rooms aren’t precisely placed squares or rectangles.

Even that is a small issue compared to my experience with single-room cleaning. This defaults to the Customized Mode option in the app and I think it's badly named. The assumption would be that you can set up custom cleans here (those are, in fact, saved as Shortcuts, by the way), but you have to keep editing it for every room clean you want to do – your living room may not need as much cleaning as your dining room, for example, and switching from one to the other means you’re constantly editing that mode.

Then there’s the Freo Mind automatic cleaning mode which, in theory, uses AI to determine the best clean for the room or full house, but oh boy, does it get it wrong most of the time. During my testing, it invariably cleaned my living room multiple times before moving on to do just a basic cleaning in the rest of the apartment. In one such session, it mopped the living room four times, the dining room twice, while the entry hallway and the home office got just a single mop!

The one really good thing about the Freo Z10 is its intelligent use of detergent. It automatically takes some only when it thinks a floor space needs deeper mopping. This automatic detergent use happens in the Freo Mind mode and I could tell when it was using the soap by keeping an eye on the dirty-water tank for suds after each room’s mopping was done over multiple sessions.

Despite its excellent mopping capabilities, it’s hard to get over the fact that the onboard dustbin doesn’t self-empty properly and the app isn’t well thought out either. For just a robot mop, it’s priced too high.

Branding on the top of the Narwal Freo Z10 robot

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Narwal Freo Z10 review: Price & availability

  • First shown at CES in January 2025; released April 2025
  • Available in the US and Australia, but not in the UK
  • List price: $1,099 / AU$1,999

Despite being cheaper than the flagship Narwal Freo Z Ultra (which retails for $1,499/ AU$2,499), I can’t really say that the Freo Z10 is ‘affordable’ at its full price of $1,099 / AU$1,999. I can’t even say it’s competitively priced because it’s not quite the efficient cleaner I was hoping it would be.

The only other robot vacuum cleaner that comes in at this price point that I would recommend is the Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni (£799 / AU$1,749), but it isn’t widely available and it's got no detergent dispenser. This cheaper Deebot even beats out the Freo Z10 in terms of performance too, vacuuming and mopping well, although the Narwal is the better mop despite boasting higher suction (15,000 Pa vs 11,000 Pa).

If you want more intelligent features, which the Freo Z Ultra can provide, you’re obviously going to need to spend more. For example, the Dreame L40 Ultra available in the US and the UK with 11,000Pa suction has a list price of $1,499.99 / £999 (unavailable in Australia), but take it up a notch and the 12,000Pa Dreame X40 Ultra with detachable mop pads will set you back a whopping $1,899 / £1,299 / AU$2,799. Similarly, the Eufy Omni S1 Pro, with its interesting slimline design but with a maximum of 8,000Pa of suction costs $1,499 / £1,499 / AU$2,699.

Of course, as with any all-in-one robot vacuum, you will also need to take into consideration the ongoing cost of maintaining the Freo Z10. Replacement dust bags will cost you $19.99 in the US for a set of two, while it’s AU$29.99 for a set of three Down Under. Similarly, when it comes to replacing the mop pads, a pair will cost you $19.99 / AU$39.95. That said, each dust bag will last you up to 120 days and the mop pads a lot longer.

What you might require more frequently will be the detergent, which will set you back $29.99 / AU$59.95 for the 19.6oz/580ml pack. Again, I say ‘might’ need frequently – this will depend on how often the machine thinks it needs to use soap on your hard floors. So that 19.6oz/580ml bottle might well last months.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Narwal Freo Z10 cleaning around a chair leg on a tiled floor

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Narwal Freo Z10 review: specs

Suction power:

15,000Pa

Onboard bin capacity:

Up to 1L (compressed)

Dust bag capacity:

2.5L

Clean water tank capacity:

4.5L

Dirty water tank capacity:

4L

Reservoir capacity:

N/A

Mop lift:

12mm

Noise level:

up to 55dB

Battery capacity:

5,200mAh

Runtime:

up to 210 minutes

Charging time:

up to 2.5 hours

Dimensions (L x W x H):

Robot = 355 x 350 x 107.7 mm; base station = 431 x 426.8 x 461.5 mm

Weight:

Robot = 4.6kg; base station = 11.3kg

Narwal Freo Z10 review: Design

  • Curvy but solid base station
  • Robot tucks right inside base station
  • Features a detergent dispenser

The Freo Z10 robot vacuum isn’t very different from other vacuum bots, featuring a small turret on top to house some of its sensors, and it's quite similar to the one supplied with the Narwal Freo Z Ultra. The main difference between the two siblings is that the Freo Z10 lacks the camera that the Ultra model has.

I do love the curvaceous look of the base station, though, which is unique to the Freo line. It’s quite different.

What I didn’t expect is how heavy the whole thing would be to take out of the box it came in. You see, the robot is already tucked inside the base station in the packaging, so you’re essentially trying to lift about 11 kilos in one go out of the box. Other robot vacuums come with various parts packed separately, making them easier to set up out of the box.

Well, if you’re prepared to haul out a heavy machine, the rest of the setup is simple. You just need to fit the cleaning tray inside the base station, slip the robot in, then attach the base station extension ramp.

Compared to some other robot vacuums I’ve tested recently, the Freo Z10's base station is broad, so be sure you have enough space around it for the robot to safely maneuver in and out of the base station.

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Narwal Freo Z10 robot outside its base station

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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The lid of the Narwal Freo Z10 base station open to reveal the water tanks

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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The water tanks inside the Narwal Freo Z10 base station

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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The dust bag and detergents inside the Narwal Freo Z10 base station

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

What sets the Freo Z10 apart from many other brands is that it has two side brushes rather than just one. Both feature two tufts of bristles, but one has them placed closer together, while the other is further apart.

The side brushes turn at different speeds sometimes, depending on what the Freo Z10's DirtSense technology is telling it, or if it’s along a room edge. On paper, the varying speeds should help it push hair and dirt more effectively towards the central bar brush under the robot, but in reality, that doesn’t work as well as I had hoped (more on this in the Performance section).

The central bar brush is anti-tangle and, in the six weeks I’ve used the Freo Z10, I’ve never had to clean it. It pulls everything into a small onboard dustbin that, unlike other such robovacs, doesn’t have a lid, but the filter can be taken off for cleaning.

While it’s supposed to self-empty each time it finishes a vacuum run, I found that dirt just kept compacting inside and I had to manually pull it all out via the two holes (one facing the bar brush, the other towards the base station) as it was beginning to affect the suction.

The mop pads are slightly triangular in shape to help them get into corners, which they do better than most of the rounded mop pads on other similar robovacs.

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The cover lying beside the Narwal Freo Z10 robot

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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The onboard dust bin cavity inside Narwal Freo Z10 robot

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

The curvaceous base station features a deep cavity that practically engulfs the entire robot when it’s docked, something I haven't seen on any other brand of robot vacuum I've tested. I like that the bot is barely visible, it's a clean aesthetic.

As with similar models, the base station has the capability of emptying out the onboard dustbin into a 2.5L dust bag which, incidentally, is supposed to compact the dirt to accommodate about 3L. As I’ve mentioned though, the self-empty did not work for me and the dust bag remains nearly empty even after six weeks of use at the time of writing.

Beside the cavity for the dust bag is space to fit a bottle of detergent and one comes in the box – the Freo Z10 will automatically take detergent only when it’s needed, which is an intelligent function I appreciate.

On the top of the base station are a few buttons that allow you to control the robot without needing to reach for your phone each time. And under the top cover are two plastic tanks – one for clean water and the other for the dirty mop water.

With some silver accents on the white unit, the Freo Z10 is a well-designed robot vacuum – I just wish it performed as good as it looks.

• Design score: 4 / 5

The undercarriage of the Narwal Freo Z10

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Narwal Freo Z10 review: Performance

  • Excellent mopping and good obstacle avoidance
  • High suction on paper doesn’t translate in performance
  • Auto-emptying of dustbin doesn’t work; mops get washed even when not used

Starting off with using the Narwal Freo Z10 was a wonderful experience – it connected to my home’s Wi-Fi instantly and was set up within a minute, ready to map my apartment.

Mapping took about six minutes for the one-bedroom space, but I have to admit I wasn’t quite enamored with the final map that was created (more on this later in the App Control section).

The test space for this review, which measures approximately 40sqm, includes wall-to-wall carpet in the bedroom, with the rest being tiled floors throughout.

The Freo Z10’s first cleaning run was fantastic! It did a decent enough job on the carpet (although I have tested others that did slightly better), but I was thrilled with how well it mopped.

Vacuuming

My initial vacuum run with the Freo Z10 was satisfactory, so I went into full testing mode with high expectations from its 15,000 Pa of suction.

It has four vacuum settings – Quiet, Normal, Strong and Super Powerful – and you can choose to have it vacuum up to three times in a single session. One thing I have to note right up front: even on the Strong setting, the Freo Z10 is comparatively very quiet. It’s only when you switch to Super Powerful that it truly makes its presence felt.

In my testing, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the Quiet and Normal settings as it barely sucked up anything – hair strands and visible dust remained on the hard floors and carpets looked untouched. Strong, though, is fine for hard floors, although I found it needed to be set to Super Powerful for the best possible vacuum on carpets.

Case in point: while performing TechRadar’s standard tests of vacuuming oats and tea on carpets and hard floors, I found that the Freo Z10 needed two sessions in the highest suction setting to pick up all the oats from tiles, but I could still see some tea on the tiles (to be fair it’s tea from a bag, so fine particles). I also sprinkled some talcum powder to test suction of very fine particles and it wasn’t able to do a good job even after two passes. I had to use my Dyson V15s Detect Submarine to clean the remaining tea and talcum powder off the tiles.

It was a similar experience on carpets, although here it even struggled to clean up the larger oats pieces too. In the bedroom, where my hair collects on the carpet fibers each day, it managed to clean about 80% of the strands, so a little disappointing compared to the Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni and the Roborock Qrevo Edge I've previously tested in the same area.

Long story short, I’m really not impressed with the Freo Z10’s vacuuming prowess, but it works in a pinch if you need a quick job done before guests arrive – provided the onboard dustbin isn't already full to reduce overall suction.

Mopping

Interestingly the Freo Z10 robot doesn’t have a water reservoir onboard – it just goes back to the doc to repeatedly wet its mop pads. Despite that I was quite impressed with how well it mopped – a pleasant relief after seeing its lack of vacuuming strength.

Its slightly triangular mop pads can manage to get into corners, but temper your expectations for corner cleaning as there's just not enough pressure exerted on the edges of the mop pads to be effective. On the rest of the floor though, the 8 Newtons of pressure it exerts can mop up dried and wet stains well, although the waterflow rate you choose will determine how well.

On the kind of tiles I have in my apartment, the Wet Mopping option was best for dried-up dusty stains and wet sauce spills. A single run was good enough to clean up the former but I found it sometimes needed to be run twice in an area to clean up the latter. It's a slightly different story if there's dried sauce spills on the floor – three turns in the Wet Mopping mode did the trick during my testing, although it will depend on what exactly it's cleaning up.

The 6-week-old washed mop pads of the Narwal Freo Z10

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

For everyday mopping, however, I found the Normal waterflow option to work well and, if you have wood floors, the Low setting will treat them kindly.

One thing to note though: the Freo Z10 guzzles water much more than other robot vacuums I've tested, particularly on the Wet Mopping mode, and I had to refill the clean-water tank every time it did a full-house mop. It's not a deal breaker because it really does a good job.

Another thing to keep in mind about its mopping is related to its lack of vacuuming: because it doesn't always pick up all the hair or fur from a floor, I found the mop pads gather the strands and leave them on the floor as damp clumps. Not ideal at all and that means it's hard to recommend it for households with pets.

Complementing the mopping is the Freo Z10's obstacle avoidance. It's the first robot vacuum that I've tested that was able to avoid cables in its path. While it tried to swallow up a very slim Lightning cable for an iPhone, it easily avoided three other USB-C cables I put in its path while testing.

Anything a little bigger and that's an even easier job for the Freo Z10 to avoid. Footwear, slim furniture legs, even little tea-light holders (I have a floor-height shelf under my entertainment unit that most robovacs climb onto) are all left in peace. However, beware the sock on the floor – the Freo Z10 will try and swallow little booties or no-show socks, like practically every other robot vacuum.

Its navigation is a mixed bag, though. It's fine as long you don't move things around after its map has been created, but shift a chair even a little bit and it does tend to get confused.

I noticed this first when I left a large package in a corner that was cleaned on a previous run. While it avoided banging into the box, it moved around it a few times to figure out it couldn't get to that space it had previously roamed. To test this again, I moved my living room chairs a little (just by a couple of inches) and, lo and behold, the precise back and forth movement the Freo Z10 usually employs was messed up and that also meant it went around in circles a few times before getting back to its dock after its job was done.

It never got lost during my testing, but it definitely doesn't quite like things out of place.

Base station performance

Like many other similar robovacs, the Freo Z10's base station is multipurpose, requiring minimal human intervention and, for the most part, that's true. All you need to do is remember to refill the clean water as needed and empty out the dirty so it doesn't begin to grow its own little ecosystem.

It's mop washing is arguably the best I've seen in any robot vacuum. Even after six weeks of use, the mop pads still look quite pristine despite the color of the dirty water being, well, very dirty. I was impressed with the Deebot T30 Omni's washing, but this surpasses even that. Narwal's use of hot-water washing and hot-air drying is very effective indeed.

This could perhaps be attributed to the fact that the mops get washed even if they didn't get used. Every time I did a vacuum-only run (whether it was a single room or the full house), the mops always got washed. I hadn't experienced this with the previous robovacs I'd tested, so it took me by surprise. This also meant that the base station was consuming more power than was necessary as the hot-air drying can take a few hours.

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The clogged onboard dust bin of th eNarwal Freo Z10

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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The clogged onboard dust bin of th eNarwal Freo Z10

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Another feature I appreciate here is the 'disinfecting' of the bin and dust bag. It uses hot air to keep things dry so as to avoid growing bacteria and fungus inside and, after weeks of use, there's no smell anywhere to indicate otherwise.

Now, I can forgive the excessive mop washing I suppose but, as I've already mentioned, the lack of self-emptying of the robot's dustbin is worrying. Where most robot vacuums return to their docks to repeatedly empty their bins in the middle of a vacuum run, the Freo Z10 doesn't – it waits till the job is finished to do so. I can hear the robovac say "self-cleaning started" and the base station suction can be heard but, obviously, no emptying takes place and this subsequently starts affecting the suction power of the bot.

Maintenance of the unit involves needing to refill and clean out the tanks and, every few days, washing and drying the filter on the bin of the bot. What should be minimal intervention, however, also included emptying the bin myself after a few uses, which is far from ideal.

Narwal Freo Z10 vacuuming oats on a colorful rug

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Battery life

Narwal says that the Freo Z10's 5,200mAh battery will run up to 210 minutes on a single charge, but that of course depends on what settings you use.

Despite having it set to max suction (Super Powerful in the app) and at the highest waterflow rate, I found the Freo Z10 could do a single full-house vacuum-then-mop session without needing to go back to the mains to charge.

It needed to top up when it was set to 2x vacuum and 2x mop in the Meticulous cleaning pattern.

The Freo Z10 runs all the way down to about 5% before making its way back to the base station and, in my case, juices up till it's about 45% to complete a job if may have left unfinished.

So when it comes to battery life, I really can't complain.

• Performance score: 3 / 5

Narwal Freo Z10 review: app control

  • Basic map that's fiddly to edit
  • Able to save plenty of Shortcut routines
  • Freo Mind AI mode is not efficient

If there's one thing all robot vacuums have in common is a subpar app experience. I've said this before with the Ecovacs app and a colleague has complained about it with Dreame too. The only brand that has a wonderful, albeit over-the-top, app experience is Roborock.

Sadly the Narwal Freo app can't compete with Roborock and is even more disappointing than the Ecovacs Home app.

Now, don't get me wrong, it's perfectly functional, but the map is very basic and if your home isn't divided into near-perfect squares and rectangles that align well, it's hard to edit the map to accommodate rooms perfectly. In my case, I couldn't edit the entry hallway in my apartment to the correct size, which I was able to do in the Roborock and Ecovacs apps.

That's not a deal breaker, to be honest, and the Narwal Freo app actually does one thing better than Ecovacs – offer a Shortcuts list that accessible from the device's home page. You can set up several routines in this list and it makes for quick and easy access for frequently used cleaning runs (for example, carpet-cleaning only or after-dinner cleaning).

Screenshots from the Narwal Freo app

(Image credit: Narwal)

What's confusing is a Customized Mode within the app that it defaults to when you pick a room or zone cleaning. While I can see why it's there, it's rather annoying as you constantly have to edit that one option for each room or zone clean.

Case in point: I clean my dining room more often than the rest of the apartment but each run has different requirements. I might have set it to do a vacuum-then-mop session one afternoon, but the next time I might want just mopping and I have to edit the Customized Mode for each. The next day I might need to vacuum my bedroom only (which is carpeted) and I have to delve into the Mode to change things.

It doesn't take long, but when using it every day or two, it does become rather annoying. Other brands have a more seamless room or zone cleaning app experience in my opinion.

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Screenshots from the Narwal Freo app

(Image credit: Narwal)
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Screenshots from the Narwal Freo app

(Image credit: Narwal)

Like other premium robot vacuums released in the last year or two, the Freo Z10 also features an AI mode called Freo Mind. In theory, this automatically picks the best cleaning option for your home based on previous sessions but, in reality, I found it to be very inefficient.

In the six weeks of testing, it has cleaned my dining room more than any other space in the apartment, but it doesn't leverage that knowledge. Instead, it chooses to do multiple cleaning sessions in my living room, which hardly ever gets dirty (the dining room is where everyone congregates), but does maybe one or two cleans elsewhere.

This means it's using up its battery life, so chances are it will take the entire day to finish cleaning a home when set to Freo Mind as it will need to repeatedly charge itself. It will also require you to refill the clean water repeatedly if it mops one space multiple times.

After trying out Freo Mind a few times, I gave up on it and never went back – Narwal will need to work on it to make it a little more efficient.

• App score: 3.5 / 5

Narwal Freo Z10 robot outside its base station

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Should I buy the Narwal Freo Z10?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

It's not cheap, but compared to similar options, it's well priced. However, taking its overall performance into account, it's an expensive mop.

3.5 / 5

Design

It's a well-designed, sturdy robot vacuum with a curvaceous base station that I'm personally fond of.

4 / 5

Performance

While its mopping and obstacle avoidance are good, the basic task of vacuuming isn't its best attribute. Moreover, the lack of self-emptying is concerning.

3 / 5

App control

With a fiddly map, an annoying Custom mode and subpar Freo Mind performance, the Narwal Freo app needs work.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if...

Mopping is important to you

If there's anything the Narwal Freo Z10 does better than many other robot vacuums, it's mop. Moreover, its mop washing is one of the best I've seen.

You have a lot of things lying around the house

Home owners with clutter on the floor will appreciate the Freo Z10's obstacle avoidance. Sure, it might swallow up a tiny Lego piece, but it's one of the few robovacs I've tested that doesn't get tangled up in cables.

Don't buy it if...

You want good vacuuming prowess

Mopping might be the Freo Z10's forte, but the basic task of vacuuming is questionable, especially since I found the self-emptying isn't what it's advertised to be. If you have pets, you'll want to look elsewhere for a better robot vacuum.

You want an efficient robot vacuum

The whole idea behind a premium robovac is automated cleaning, but Narwal's Freo Mind isn't the best option to use, so you will need to set up several routines. Moreover, constantly washing mops even when they haven't been used isn't the best consumption of power.

You want a seamless app experience

Most robovacs don't have a good app, but Narwal's Freo is arguably one of the most basic ones I've used.

Narwal Freo Z10 review: Alternatives

Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni

If you can find the Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni where you live, I think it's one of the best-value robot vacuums you can get, and it's often discounted too. It has all the essential features of a premium robovac, and an interesting design as well, and performs well for a bot that has a maximum of 11,000Pa of suction
Read my in-depth Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni review

Narwal Freo Z Ultra

If it's a Narwal you have your heart set on, you might be better off spending the extra cash on the Z Ultra as it performed better in our tests. While vacuuming carpets isn't its thing, it still aced its mop tests.
Read our in-depth Narwal Freo Z Ultra review

How I tested the Narwal Freo Z10

  • Used three times a week for six weeks
  • Set up different custom routines and performed room cleans
  • Tried different suction and waterflow settings

Narwal Freo Z10 on a carpet

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

As previously. mentioned, I tested the Narwal Freo Z10 in an apartment with mixed flooring, which gave me a good opportunity to assess both vacuuming and mopping prowess.

I tried all four suction modes and the different waterflow rates for both options, I set up various Shortcuts (or custom routines) and tried room cleaning too. I also delved into the settings in the app to adjust various options, particularly for the base station, and repeatedly checked the dirty-water tank for detergent use.

I also conducted TechRadar's standard tests for both vacuuming and mopping, scattering oats and tea from a bag onto both a carpet and tiles, and allowing a dollop of ketchup to dry.

I've previously tested several robot vacuums, including two in 2025 prior to the Freo Z10, giving me plenty of experience to compare performance and user experience.

Read more about how we test vacuums

[First tested July 2025]

I tested the Viltrox 16mm F1.8 and it’s now my go-to ultra-wide prime for landscape and astrophotography
6:55 pm | July 14, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Camera Lenses Cameras Computers Gadgets | Comments: Off

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: one-minute review

It’s not often that a lens grabs you by the scruff of the neck and demands attention, but that’s exactly what the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE does. This unassuming lens, which doesn’t benefit from Viltrox’s Pro or LAB series labels, is one of the most impressive lenses I’ve used in a long time. It’s not the best, it’s not the most expensive, but it is unbelievably impressive for several reasons.

That’s a bold statement if ever I’ve made one; but this lens, which is perfect for landscapes and astrophotography, is incredibly well-priced, produces excellent image quality, and offers professional-level build quality and features. How Viltrox has managed to pull off creating a lens of this quality at this price point is beyond me.

The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE costs just $464 / £533 / AU$899, which is an incredible price for such a well-built, weather-sealed lens offering professional performance and excellent image quality. Sony's own Sony FE 16mm f/1.8 G is a direct competitor, and it costs a whopping $848 / £849 / AU$1,799, so the Viltrox undoubtedly offers excellent value for money – and the Viltrox is a far superior lens in almost every way, despite being larger and heavier than the Sony.

What’s more, the Sony version relies heavily on lens corrections, while the Viltrox is optically excellent without the need for corrections. I appreciate that many modern lenses rely on lens corrections to achieve their excellent image quality (and compact size), but you simply cannot beat near-perfect images in terms of sharpness, distortion, and aberrations straight out of camera.

The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 is one of the best Sony lenses designed for full-frame cameras, plus it is also available for Nikon Z mount. There's no word on future versions yet, such as for L-mount.

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Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE attached to a Sony A7R III with a hand turning the manual focus ring

(Image credit: James Abbott)
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Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE front element

(Image credit: James Abbott)
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Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE aperture click controls

(Image credit: James Abbott)
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Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE controls

(Image credit: James Abbott)
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Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE attached to a Sony A7R III viewed from above

(Image credit: James Abbott)

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE specs

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE specs

Type:

Wide-angle prime

Mount:

Sony E / Nikon Z

Sensor:

Full-frame

Focal length:

16mm

Max aperture:

f/1.8

Minimum focus:

10.6 inches / 27cm

Filter size:

77mm

Dimensions:

3.35 x4.06 inches / 85.2 x 103mm

Weight:

19.4oz / 550g

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Design

  • Compact yet heavy design
  • Weather sealed
  • Excellent handling

We’ve already covered the price of this lens, and you’d normally expect build quality to take a hit at such a competitive price point, but that's certainly not the case here. The 16mm f/1.8 features an all-metal body and weather-sealing, giving it an undeniably premium look and feel. This is emphasized further by the color digital screen that displays lens information – more about that later.

The 16mm f/1.8 is quite a hefty beast in terms of weight due to its construction at 19.4oz / 550g, but it’s fairly compact at 3.35 x 4.06 inches / 85.2 x 103mm, and balances well with Sony full-frame and APS-C mirrorless cameras.

This is in contrast to the Sony FE 16mm f/1.8 G, which is much smaller and lighter at 2.91 x 2.95 inches / 73.8 x 75mm with a weight of 10.7oz / 304g, but it’s an optically inferior lens alongside being much more expensive.

That construction comprises 15 elements in 12 groups, including four ED glass and three aspherical lenses. The optical design aims to deliver sharpness, detail and high contrast while minimizing distortion, and it achieves this as we’ll discuss in the performance section.

The front element is standard in its design rather than bulbous, which is great, and it features an HD Nano multilayer coating including water-resistant antifouling coatings.

Image 1 of 3

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE screen detail showing lens settings

(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 2 of 3

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE aperture ring

(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 3 of 3

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE control details

(Image credit: James Abbott)

The filter thread is 77mm, which is average for wide-angle lenses, which typically range from 67mm to 82mm. This means you can use both circular and square filters for astrophotography and landscape photography.

The minimum focusing distance of the lens is 10.6 inches / 27cm, which is great for landscape photographers who want to use focus stacking to achieve pin-sharp images from front to back.

In terms of controls, you get a nice wide manual-focusing ring, a manual aperture ring that can be set to stepped or stepless operation via the switch on one side of the lens, two customizable Fn buttons and an AF/MF switch.

There’s also a USB-C port on the lens mount so that you can connect it to the Viltrox Lens app via Bluetooth to update firmware, customize the Fn buttons, and customize the digital screen’s welcome screen.

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Performance

  • Fantastic image quality
  • Impressive sharpness at f/1.8
  • Excellent corner sharpness

This is a fast and wide prime, which means it has excellent light-gathering capabilities for astrophotography. The combination of such a wide field of view and a fast f/1.8 aperture draw in huge amounts of light.

Of course, f/1.4 would be better, but that would require the lens to be much larger and heavier. The focal length is also great for landscapes, which can benefit greatly from the image quality the 16mm f/1.8 is capable of producing.

The image quality produced by this lens is fantastic, with excellent sharpness across the frame, even in the corners, wide open at f/1.8. This aperture produces the most vignetting as you’d expect; this almost disappears as you stop down to f/2.8 and is completely gone at f/4.

There is an Adobe Lightroom Lens Profile that can deal with this and the tiny, pretty much negligible amount of barrel distortion that’s present. There’s also only minimal chromatic aberration, so this is an optically impressive lens.

Image 1 of 6

Photo of a radio telescope taken with the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens at night

(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 2 of 6

Photo of a harbour at night with stars in the sky taken with the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens

(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 3 of 6

Photo of a radio telescope and full moon taken with the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens

(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 4 of 6

Photo of a seascape taken with the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens

(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 5 of 6

Photo of rocks in the sea taken with the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens

(Image credit: James Abbott)
Image 6 of 6

Photo of mudflats and water taken with the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens

(Image credit: James Abbott)

Sharpness is great wide open and increases incrementally up to the sweet spot of the lens, which is f/8. Sharpness drops slightly at f/11, and at f/16 you begin to see diffraction coming into play, and while f/16 is perfectly usable for landscape photography, diffraction is too high at f/22, so this setting is best avoided.

The color digital screen is a feature we’re seeing more on Viltrox lenses, and it’s a unique and pretty neat feature. It simply shows the focus distance, aperture setting and the active Fn control, and I find it most useful when I’ve manually focused on a point and need to replicate that focus distance quickly.

Autofocus isn’t the fastest. It takes the lens around 0.5 seconds to lock onto subjects when stopped down, and about 0.25 seconds wide open. This isn’t great, but since this is a lens that you wouldn’t typically use for action subjects, it’s not a huge issue.

Autofocus is driven by an SMT stepping motor, which is quiet but just about audible. AF is absolutely fine for landscape photography, while astrophotographers will exclusively use manual focus for precise focusing on stars.

Should you buy the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE?

Buy it if...

You’re on a budget

The professional-quality lens comes in at an enthusiast-level price, making it the perfect choice for anyone on a budget.

You shoot astrophotography

With an ultra-wide-angle field of view for capturing more of the night sky and a fast maximum aperture, this is a great lens for astrophotography.

You want excellent image quality

The image quality produced by the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE is fantastic – arguably amazing considering the competitive price of the lens.

Don't buy it if...

You’d like a faster lens

While f/1.8 is perfectly adequate for astrophotography, there are wide-angle lenses available with faster maximum apertures.

You’d prefer more versatility

Primes are known to offer the best image quality and faster maximum apertures for astrophotography, but zoom lenses are more versatile due to their variable focal lengths.

You don’t shoot with Sony or Nikon cameras

This lens is only available in Sony E and Nikon Z mounts, so if you use any other camera system, there’s no option available for you.

How I tested the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE

  • I tested the lens over a couple of months
  • I used it to capture landscapes and astrophotography
  • I tested it with a Sony A7R V

I tested the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE over several weeks attached to an unforgiving Sony A7R V, shooting landscapes and astrophotography. I took photos at a range of aperture settings to test sharpness, distortion and aberrations.

I shot most images simply to see how the lens performed in different situations, while others were shot specifically to be able to compare the results to those from other lenses.

With 30 years of photographic experience and 17 years working as a photography journalist, I’ve used many of the cameras and lenses that have been released in that time. As a working photographer, I aim to test cameras and lenses from a photographer’s point of view.

  • First reviewed July 2025
Allstate Identity Protection review
3:52 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

Our series on identity theft protection apps will evaluate the features, pricing options, competition, and also the overall value of using each app. However, these are not full hands-on reviews since evaluating identity theft protection apps is almost impossible. It would require several months of testing, purposefully hacking accounts to see if the protection app works, handing over personally identifiable information, performing multiple credit checks, and risking exposure of the reviewer’s personally identifiable information.

It happens suddenly, catching you off guard like a thief in the night. Picture this chilling scenario: you stroll into the local bank, casually swiping your card at the ATM to deposit a check, and your heart sinks as the screen flashes an error — your account is inaccessible. An anxious pit forms in your stomach as you pull out your phone and scroll through your Twitter feed. To your horror, you see that someone has hijacked your account, spewing links to malicious sites to your unsuspecting followers. Panic sets in as you realize the magnitude of the situation.

Determined to regain control, you rush to your bank, where you find a comfortable chair in the office of your banker, hoping for answers. But instead, she delivers the crushing news: your loan application has been denied because your credit score is in shambles. The sense of violation and confusion is overwhelming; where do you even begin to untangle the mess of identity theft?

Identity theft is one of those unfortunate realities of modern life, an experience that makes your stomach drop and anxiety soar. However, there is a silver lining amidst this dark cloud: a reliable name in the insurance industry — yes, that Allstate with the comforting “Good Hands” ads — offers a comprehensive identity theft protection app that shines with remarkably unique features.

Allstate Identity Protection stands out with its proactive approach, providing you with real-time alerts for social media monitoring. If your account is hacked, you receive an immediate notification, enabling you to act swiftly before a small breach becomes a full-blown crisis. With a safety net of up to $500,000 in insurance protection, you can navigate the murky waters of identity theft with a bit of peace of mind (though some competitors offer up to $1 million).

But what sets Allstate apart is its coverage of not just your credit cards or checking accounts, but also your student loans and retirement accounts. This all-encompassing protection shows that they understand the multifaceted nature of modern finances. While it may not boast the most powerful features compared to other identity theft solutions, the value for the price makes it an enticing option. In fact, you'd find it a worthy investment even at a higher monthly fee, granting you the confidence to reclaim your identity and restore your peace of mind. In a world where cyber threats loom large, having Allstate by your side is like having a trusted guardian, ready to protect what matters most: your good name.

Pricing

(Image credit: Allstate)

Allstate Identity Protection: Plans and pricing

Allstate Identity Protection, which is offered and serviced by InfoArmor, Inc.—a subsidiary of The Allstate Corporation—provides a comprehensive suite of identity protection plans designed to safeguard your personal information and assist in the recovery process in the event of identity theft. With an understanding that each individual and family has unique needs, Allstate Identity Protection offers both individual and family plans available across several tiers, each tailored with distinct features and pricing to cater to a variety of requirements.

Among the options available, the Essentials Plan is an excellent starting point for individuals and families looking to secure their identities. Typically priced at about $9.99 per month for individuals and $18.99 per month for families, this plan features essential identity monitoring services along with financial fraud protection. Customers benefit from one-bureau credit monitoring and access to 24/7 full-service remediation support, ensuring help is always available when needed. Additionally, the plan includes lost wallet assistance and significant reimbursement coverage, offering up to $1 million in identity theft expense reimbursement and up to $50,000 in stolen funds reimbursement.

For those seeking enhanced protection, the Premier Plan offers a step up with a monthly cost of around $17.99 for individuals and $34.99 for families. This tier builds upon the Essentials Plan by adding features such as financial account transaction monitoring and social media monitoring, which are crucial in today’s digital landscape. Furthermore, users benefit from stolen tax refund advances and increased coverage for stolen funds reimbursement, which can go up to $500,000, giving families added peace of mind.

The most robust option available is the Blue Plan, usually priced around $19 per month for individuals and $36 per month for families. This comprehensive plan includes family digital safety tools and a cybersecurity toolkit featuring antivirus software and a virtual private network (VPN). Additional benefits include robocall and ad blockers, three-bureau credit monitoring with credit lock/freeze assistance, and an amplified stolen funds reimbursement of up to $1 million, as well as up to $1 million coverage for stolen 401(k) funds. Such extensive features make the Blue Plan an exemplary choice for those who demand maximum protection.

All plans share common features designed to provide proactive monitoring and support. Customers receive dedicated 24/7 remediation specialists who can assist with identity theft issues, along with identity theft expense reimbursement and privacy management tools to help individuals maintain control over their personal information.

It's important to keep in mind that discounts may be available for Sam's Club members, and potential price increases may occur after the first year of service. Additionally, these identity protection plans are often offered as employer benefits, making it convenient for employees to access these essential services.

For the most current and accurate information regarding features and pricing, it is always recommended to visit the official Allstate Identity Protection website, where you can find detailed descriptions of each plan and make an informed decision that best suits your identity protection needs.

Mobile App

(Image credit: Allstate)

Allstate Identity Protection: Interface

We hope you have a strong appreciation for the color blue, as Allstate Identity Protection prominently features a deep, calming shade of blue on both their website and mobile app. This color choice not only enhances brand recognition but also conveys a sense of trustworthiness and security, which is crucial in the realm of identity protection.

The interface adopts a no-frills approach, reminiscent of TurboTax, prioritizing straightforward navigation over elaborate design. Users will find essential categories such as credit monitoring, Dark Web monitoring, and alerts for financial transactions clearly laid out, making it easy to access the most important features.

The mobile app places a significant emphasis on alerts, actively engaging users with questions about potentially suspicious transactions. This proactive stance is beneficial, but it could be improved. For those unfamiliar with identity protection, the app might benefit from more guided experiences. In contrast, we believe that incorporating wizards and status indicators, similar to those offered by Norton LifeLock, would provide a smoother experience. Such features can help users navigate the complexities of identity protection with ease, offering step-by-step guidance and a clearer understanding of their security status, particularly for beginners.

Overall, while Allstate Identity Protection has a solid foundation, enhancing the user experience with more intuitive design elements and interactive tutorials could make it an even more valuable tool for safeguarding personal identity.

Features

(Image credit: Allstate)

Allstate Identity Protection: Features

The comprehensive identity protection platform, Allstate Identity Protection, provides a carefully designed suite of tools for safeguarding families and individuals against evolving identity theft and cybercrime threats. The sophisticated nature of modern fraud techniques makes having a trustworthy identity protection service essential for everyone.

The key benefit of this feature includes Identity Monitoring, which thoroughly examines multiple sources across the dark web along with public databases for your Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses, and financial account information. Through this proactive system, you receive instant alerts when your sensitive information appears anywhere without authorization. Your swift action, enabled by this system, becomes crucial to stop fraud attempts from becoming serious security threats.

The security framework of Allstate Identity Protection includes Financial Transaction Monitoring and Credit Monitoring, which provide constant oversight of bank accounts, credit cards, and credit reports through its higher-tier plans that cover all three major credit bureaus. Such monitoring features enable you to detect quickly any suspicious transactions or unauthorized account openings that indicate potential financial fraud. Through its careful approach, you can easily track your financial condition.

The restoration process for identity theft victims receives full support from Allstate Identity Protection through its Full-Service Identity Restoration service. If identity theft strikes you the company provides a dedicated Privacy Advocate to oversee the complete restoration process. The process involves working with creditors to freeze your credit and resolve any fraudulent accounts that have been opened. The expert management of identity theft recovery processes through the dedicated Privacy Advocate helps you avoid excessive emotional strain while simplifying the recovery process.

The financial security of Allstate customers is strengthened through Identity Theft Expense Reimbursement, which offers coverage exceeding $1 million based on plan selection and Stolen Funds Reimbursement benefits. These essential features protect your out-of-pocket expenses from identity theft incidents by covering legal fees and lost wages during the resolution process and financial losses from stolen funds. Such extensive financial protection ensures you will recover better from identity theft incidents.

The digital environment requires cybersecurity tools, which higher-tier plans provide as essential features that include Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), password managers, antivirus protection, and browsing safety tools. The security resources operate to defend your devices and online actions from malware attacks, phishing attempts, and data breaches, which helps decrease the chances of your information being stolen.

The Family Digital Safety features of Allstate provide web filtering, screen time management, and location tracking tools for family protection. The features prove most beneficial to parents who want to build safer digital spaces for their kids. Parents can use the system to detect cyberbullying and block inappropriate content while having better control over their children's digital activities. Many plans include Senior Family Coverage, which provides specialized support through an Elder Fraud Center because older adults face higher scam vulnerability.

Through Allstate Digital Footprint, you gain the power to see where your personal data exists across the web and how different companies use this information. The available transparency allows you to handle your privacy settings effectively, which enables you to regain control over your online presence while reducing data exploitation risks.

Allstate Identity Protection provides users with multi-layered security through its combination of monitoring and cybersecurity tools, along with expert restoration services and complete financial reimbursement to protect against identity and cyber threats in the modern world. Through Allstate, you gain peace of mind because your personal information now holds greater value than ever.

Allstate Identity Protection: The competition

Allstate Identity Protection operates within a highly competitive landscape, characterized by several strong contenders vying for market share through the provision of robust identity theft protection and comprehensive cybersecurity services. Among the most notable competitors is LifeLock, a subsidiary of NortonLifeLock. LifeLock is well-regarded for its extensive monitoring capabilities, which span across major credit bureaus, the dark web, and various personal data sources. It boasts high insurance coverage limits for stolen funds, often making it a preferred choice for consumers seeking peace of mind. Additionally, LifeLock offers expert restoration services to assist users in rectifying identity theft issues. However, potential customers should consider the pricing structure, which can become steep following introductory offers, making it essential for users to evaluate the long-term cost against the benefits provided.

Another significant player in the identity protection arena is Aura. Aura has carved out a niche for itself with a holistic, all-in-one approach to security. In addition to identity and credit monitoring, it frequently includes features such as a virtual private network (VPN), password manager, and antivirus software, delivering comprehensive protection for digital assets. A standout feature of Aura is its family plans, which can accommodate multiple adults and offer unlimited coverage for children at competitive prices, providing significant value compared to some rivals. Aura also features substantial identity theft insurance, enhancing its appeal for families and individuals alike.

IdentityForce, a company under TransUnion, is another formidable competitor, especially recognized for its advanced fraud monitoring capabilities and dedicated attention to social media risk. Their services encompass exhaustive credit monitoring across all major bureaus, along with comprehensive restoration services that help clients restore their identities. IdentityForce also places a strong emphasis on alerts and proactive measures to minimize risks, making it a wise choice for consumers who lead an increasingly digital lifestyle.

IDShield, often associated with LegalShield, distinguishes itself by offering unlimited consultations with identity theft experts and focusing on legal support in the event of identity theft. This service is particularly appealing for individuals seeking legal guidance and resolution options should their identity be compromised. IDShield is praised for its transparent pricing model and a strong emphasis on social media scanning, ensuring that clients receive vigilant protection across various digital platforms.

Other noteworthy contenders include Experian IdentityWorks. Leveraging its status as a major credit bureau, Experian provides robust credit monitoring features, giving users an added layer of assurance regarding their credit health. Identity Guard utilizes advanced artificial intelligence to deliver enhanced monitoring and alerts, hoping to proactively safeguard users against burgeoning identity theft threats.

In addition, less prominent but still viable options like ID Watchdog Premium cater to those affected by pre-existing identity theft issues, providing specialized assistance in remediation. Zander Insurance is highlighted for its affordability, providing essential identity protection services without breaking the bank.

Allstate Identity Protection: Final verdict

If your primary objective is to find the best identity theft protection app available, regardless of price, then Allstate Identity Protection may not be your top contender. However, when you consider the overall value it provides—especially with added features like social media monitoring and Dark Web oversight, along with comprehensive identity theft insurance—Allstate Identity Protection presents a compelling option.

While it might not eclipse the capabilities of industry leaders like Norton LifeLock or IdentityForce in terms of sheer strength and breadth of features, it still offers a well-rounded package that can effectively safeguard your personal information. Its focus on monitoring social media platforms allows for timely notifications in case of any suspicious activity, while its Dark Web monitoring can alert you to any potential threats lurking online. This holistic approach to identity protection is indeed noteworthy.

Moreover, Allstate Identity Protection includes identity theft insurance coverage, which adds an extra layer of security and peace of mind for users. Even if you ultimately opt for one of the more robust services, trying out Allstate Identity Protection could provide valuable insights into whether you need this type of coverage and what specific features matter most to you.

In summary, while Allstate Identity Protection may not have the power or extensive capabilities of some of its competitors, it remains an attractive option, particularly given its feature set at this price point. It’s a practical choice for individuals who value proactive monitoring and comprehensive support without breaking the bank.

We've also highlighted the best identity theft protection

I watched Netflix’s Too Much and calling it Lena Dunham’s new version of Girls doesn’t do it justice
10:00 am | July 10, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Netflix Streaming | Comments: Off

I know what you’re thinking – why isn’t Girls getting rebooted like every other TV show these days? Why isn’t Lena Dunham contorting herself to make that happen? Isn’t everything else she works on going to be Girls 2.0? It’s understandable that her new Netflix series, Too Much, will be compared to the show that launched her career to global heights, but it’s a lazy contrast.

You see, I am not a Girls fan. Aside from brief flashbacks of Dunham’s character Hannah spaced out on drugs while wearing a string vest that wasn’t hers, much of the show’s scenes blur into one hazy hallucination for me. That’s not to say the hit TV show was a bust in my eyes – far from it – but 17-year-old me wasn’t ready to embrace the messy reality of womanhood when Girls first aired in 2012.

Aged 30 in 2025, I couldn’t have fallen harder for Too Much. Set in my back garden of London, Jessica (Megan Stalter) takes the opportunity to move to the city for work after her ex-boyfriend, who she’s still not over, proposes to a popular influencer. It’s not the most original lead-in to a new Netflix show like this, but it’s the springboard for something even better.

Lena Dunham lays on Megan Stalter's lap on a white couch in plastic wrap

(Image credit: Netflix)

No matter your opinions on Dunham or her work, she’s able to remain effortlessly relevant in a way that’s absolutely astounding. The script and situations feel fresh without ever venturing into laughable territory, incorporating 2020s culture like Instagram reels and TikTok beauty hacks with successful irony. Trust me, you’ve never wanted to own a hairless dog who wears bespoke turtleneck jumpers more.

Where Dunham has largely stepped behind the camera (aside from a few stray appearances), Megan Stalter’s Jessica is a flawless replacement. We’ve known she’s a comedy queen in the making since her role on Hacks, but Too Much is her circus ring for the performance of a lifetime. Jessica might question her choices every 0.5 seconds, but she never truly sacrifices her sense of self, unashamedly returning to the things that give her joy in darker moments. She’s a typical 2020s twentysomething and proud of it, and that in turn makes us feel better about the ways we’ve adapted cliché and overdramatic habits.

Clearly Stalter is our star here, but the rest of the ensemble cast is just as chaotically fleshed-out, and we want to sink our teeth into all of them. Even better is the frankly insane level of celebrity cameos, popping out more frequently than a teenager’s acne. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but Naomi Watts’ diabolically unfazed British housewife Ann has to cinch it for me. Keep a close eye on every episode, though – I won’t spoil it, but there’s a particularly good cameo in episode 9 that might remind you of a character they’ve played before.

There are a few downsides, but regardless of how Too Much tackled its subject, they were bound to be there. Jessica’s fixation on her ex-boyfriend becomes as tiring as it is in the show as we experience watching it ourselves, with the stereotypes of her new London chums not doing anyone any favours either. Roll the two together too frequently and the show becomes its namesake, but sadly, Jessica needs to wade through the worst to learn her lessons.

Too Much isn’t an in-depth exploration of what it means to love and live as a young woman in a new decade, and it doesn’t have to be. In hindsight, Girls was heralded as exactly that for its time and place, but to judge Too Much in the same way is to miss the raw emotion and humanity on display here. It’s never slacking on the chaotic front, and going with the emotions and bad decisions in real-time is what makes Dunham’s show feel like a new take on something we’ve seen before. Sometimes you’ve just got to make your peace with the fact your life has resulted in eating cold instant noodles at 1am, and that’s okay.

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I opened the case file on the new Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and it was all black and white
8:39 pm | July 9, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: | Comments: Off

The day was a real cooker as I approached the Brooklyn Navy Yard, site of the Samsung Unpacked event that would feature the new Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and the latest addition to the foldable family, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE.

I’d heard whispers about the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE; rumblings from the street, you might say. We knew it would be a cheaper version of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but how was Samsung going to pull it off? What corners would be cut? What features would get left out in the cold?

I couldn’t concentrate on cold; it was too hot outside. I waited through the Galaxy Z Fold 7 announcement. Did the suit on stage really misspeak and say it would cost $199.99? I guess some prices are too high even for Samsung’s own people to swallow.

I sat through the Galaxy Z Flip 7 announcement, thinking I’d made a huge mistake. I put my partners on the trail of the Flip 7 and the even more expensive Fold 7. I figured my time slumming it with Motorola’s base model Razr would make me the right gumshoe to sniff out the details on the cheap new Flip FE.

Then I saw the bezel on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 cover display and I felt the green monster — jealousy — breathing down my neck.

Fine, I thought, you can’t have every phone. Sometimes you have to let the good ones go if it means saving a buck or two. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 has looks, sure, but those come at a high price: $1,099.99. That’s too rich for my blood.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: price and specs

Two Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE devices one partially closed one fully closed both showing the Calendar app

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Starts at $899 / £849 / AU$1,499 for 8GB RAM / 128GB storage
  • Cheaper than Galaxy Z Flip 6, but still very pricey

Finally, the moment of truth arrived. The Samsung rep faked a retreat then stepped back to the front of the stage with that old chestnut: and one more thing… it was the Galaxy 7 Flip FE. My quarry. I finally had my eyes on the prize. But what exactly was I seeing?

Samsung laid it out in black and white – literally. That was the first thing I noticed about the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. It came in black or white. Shiny, glossy, like 88 ivories ready to be played. No other colors.

I grabbed my notebook. This couldn’t be right, could it? For a Galaxy FE? I flipped back a few months to the Galaxy Tab S10 FE, Samsung’s iPad Air competitor. Didn’t that tablet come in blue? The blood drained from my head. The room started to go dark.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE phones in blue, mint, graphite and yellow

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE in rich colors (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

I flipped back even further to the Galaxy S24 FE. Mint! I have it in mint, and I know there was a blue. Was this a dream? Some sawbones once told me that dreams are often in black and white, but I don’t pay much attention to doctors.

Why would the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE be available only in black and white? I may have a long memory for Samsung’s favorite hues, but Samsung only has its eye on one dame… the Apple iPhone 16e.

Samsung used to show up at the bargain table wearing bright colors like it was Easter Sunday. Then Apple reminded the world that every day can be a funeral, and the iPhone 16e launched in black and white – the first monochromatic iPhone I can recall since the iPhone 3GS.

If I had to guess, I’d say that’s why Samsung changed its FE look. I would also guess that the overpriced iPhone 16e is the reason Samsung priced the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE like a premium flagship, not a bargain phone. The Flip 7 FE will start at $899.99. I gasped when Samsung flashed the number.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE showing Galaxy AI settings

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 specs

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 FE

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

Motorola Razr 2025

Price at launch:

$899 / £849 / AU$1,499

$1,099.99 / £1,049 / AU$1,799

$699.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,199

Dimensions (folded):

85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm

85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm

88.1 x 74 x 15.9

Dimensions (unfolded):

165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm

165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm

171.3 x 74 x 7.3mm

Weight:

187g

187g

188g

Main display:

6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED

(1080 x 2640), 120Hz refresh rate, 2,600 nits peak brightness

6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED

(1080 x 2640), 120Hz refresh rate, 2,600 nits peak brightness

6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED

(1080 x 2640), 1-120Hz refresh rate, 3,000 nits peak brightness

Cover display::

3.4-inch Super AMOLED

(720 x 748), 60Hz refresh rate, 2,600 nits peak brightness

3.4-inch Super AMOLED

(720 x 748), 60Hz refresh rate, 1,600 nits peak brightness

3.6-inch AMOLED

(1056 x 1066), 90Hz refresh rate, 1,700 nits peak brightness

Chipset:

Samsung Exynos 2400

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy

Mediatek Dimensity 7400X

RAM:

8GB

12GB

8GB

Storage:

128GB / 256GB / 512GB

128GB / 256GB / 512GB

256GB / 512GB

OS:

Android 16 / OneUI 8

Android 15 / OneUI 7

Android 15

Primary camera:

50MP f/1.8

50MP f/1.8

50MP f/1.7

Ultrawide camera:

12MP f2.2

12MP f2.2

13MP f/2.2

Inner Camera

10MP f2.2

10MP f/2.2

32MP f/2.4

Battery:

4,000 mAh

4,000 mAh

4,500 mAh

Charging:

25W wired, 15W wireless

25W wired, 15W wireless

30W wired, 15W wireless

Colors:

White, Black

Yellow, Silver Shadow, Mint, Blue, Black, White, Peach

Pantone's Gibraltar Sea, Spring Bud, Lightest Sky, Parfait Pink

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: design

Two Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE devices open and closed both shown from the side

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • Same dimensions and weight as Galaxy Z Flip 6
  • Only comes in black and white

I headed to the hands-on tables and sidled up next to Lance, who was parked in front of the gorgeous, mint green Galaxy Z Fold 7. The room was filled with tables and shmoes like me, looking for a scoop.

All I saw were bright colors, but my target had none of that. I was looking for the colorless suspect in the center of it all: the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE.

The massive warehouse was decked out in more color than I could comprehend. There was bright graffiti covering one corner. OLED TVs showed off Samsung’s commitment to ecology in bright green and poison-dart frog orange.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 with NYC on the cover display showing the statue of liberty

A more colorful Galaxy Z Flip 7 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

After a tour of the gigantic space, I found my FE back near where I started. There were three on a table: two black and one white. These were the only Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE phones in the room.

Clearly, Samsung didn't expect a big crowd for its so-called bargain.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE from side

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE open held from the side

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE from bottom showing USB-C port

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE in white with a black cover display

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE closed with widgets on the cover screen and open showing the back of a black Flip 7 FE

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE in black closed with time on the cover display and open with the Now Brief screen showing

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: display

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE in black with a color photo of a pug wearing heart shaped glasses on the cover display

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • You'll be jealous when you see the Flip 7's cover display
  • Inner screen is large but not as big as a Moto Razr or Flip 7

Frankly, I don't blame them. It's hard to work up a sweat over a cheap phone that costs $900, even on a hot day like today. With a good sale happening, I can get two Motorola Razr phones for the same price – one for work and another for the weekend.

After a few minutes with the Flip 7 FE I’m onto Samsung’s jig. The FE is the exact same size and weight as the Galaxy Z Flip 6. It’s got the same screens, inside and out, down to the pixel.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE partially open

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

To be fair, the Flip 7 FE can get brighter, but that’s according to Samsung. I’ll let my folks in Future Labs run tests at the clubhouse before I declare this phone the winner.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE almost seems designed to disappoint. No colors. No big cover screen. No Snapdragon inside – this phone runs on the Exynos 2400 that flummoxed Galaxy S24 buyers who weren't in the US. It even has less RAM than the Galaxy Z Flip 7: eight gigabytes instead of 12.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: cameras

Two Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE with the cover display on one showing the camera screen with the author taking his own photo

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
  • 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra wide
  • Same camera specs as Galaxy Z Flip 7 (and Flip 6)

I check out the cameras – not bad? At least it keeps the same shooters as the normal Flip7. There’s a 50MP wide cam that’s a solid option for selfies, and I can see my kisser in the cover screen with the Flip 7 FE closed.

At least the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE doesn't seem to be a downgrade in that department. I'll need to take it for a spin to be sure, but the cameras look identical to what the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is packing.

Two Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE devices stacked closed and shown from the side

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: final word

Two closed Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 devices in white and black on top of each other showing Samsung logo on hinge

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Why not just keep the Galaxy Z Flip 6 around at a discount? Samsung feeds me a line and I chew on it, but I don't swallow. It said the Z Flip 6 couldn't run DeX, but the Exynos in the Z Flip 7 will make it happen. A likely story, since the Flip 6 and the Galaxy S24 had the same chips.

But what about the Flip 7 FE? It's unclear what it can and can't do.

I can't imagine anyone picking the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE over a Galaxy Z Flip 7, except by accident. I'll need to spend some quality time with this phone before I can write its full review story, but my gut tells me if last year's phone gets a discount, steer folks toward an older, more colorful Flip 6 before sending them after this black-and-white 'bargain.'

Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic review: A Galaxy Watch Ultra that’s dressed to impress
5:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness Smartwatches | Tags: | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic: One-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is different from its predecessors. The Classic series crops up every two years like clockwork, and all feature that rotating bezel, which serves as a way to interact with the watch.

However, while the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and Watch 4 Classic bear a resemblance to their namesake mainline entries in the Galaxy Watch series, the Watch 8 Classic draws more from the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra.

This new influence means the body is a whole different shape to the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, which has slimmed down by 11% to become the thinnest Galaxy Watch yet. The Classic is still chunky, and features the Ultra’s programmable Quick Button in addition to the rotating bezel. The Quick Button can be programmed and used in many different ways, from starting your most-used workout to opening music controls. The rotating bezel also allows you to scroll through apps, lists, and messages without using the touchscreen.

These two features, combined with voice commands aided by the Google Gemini AI assistant, mean you have lots of different ways to interact with the watch, which is great. The bezel feels smooth in use, and it feels very natural to use the wheel to scroll through long passages of text and lists of apps alike.

Other new features include sleep apnea detection, a new Running Coach with 160 running plans to recommend and track, useful redesigned software (including new at-a-glance app collection displays and a minimalist widget called a Now Bar, which lives on your watch face when a task is running in the background) and of course, that previously mentioned AI assistant. It’s also got Samsung’s existing suite of features, such as a BioActive heart rate sensor, sleep coach recommendations, accurate body composition, and lots more.

I’ve tested the watch for around a week alongside the Samsung Galaxy Watch8, and can confirm it's the full package inside an attractive but thick and chunky casing. It's great, but I do prefer the slender Galaxy Watch8 for day-to-day and active wear.

Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic: Price and availability

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

(Image credit: Future)
  • Bluetooth-only model starts at $499 / £449 / AU$899
  • LTE model is $549 / £499 / AU$999
  • Pre-orders available July 9

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is available for pre-order now priced at $499.99 / £449 / AU$899 for the Bluetooth-only model. Considering the mainline Watch8 is available for $150 / £100 cheaper, you’re paying for the upgraded stainless steel body, the rotating bezel, and the added Quick Button. LTE connectivity is available for an additional $50 / £50 / AU$100.

This certainly isn’t a small price increase between editions, and it's a big jump from the previous-generation Classic as well: the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic started at $399 / £369 / AU$699, although that was a smaller-sized 43mm model, whereas, like the Ultra, the Classic 8 is a one-size-fits-all 46mm.

  • Value score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Design

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

(Image credit: Future)
  • The rotating bezel is back
  • Added Quick Button
  • Redesigned UI/software

The Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic only comes in a single size, 46mm, where 40mm and 44mm options are offered with the mainline Samsung Galaxy Watch 8. This is a watch for bigger wrists only, as it’s also thick and chunky due to the added height and heft from the bezel. However, the machined bezel is a lovely design, and intuitive to use when scrolling through options on the watch.

It looks and feels like a Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, especially with the addition of the Quick Button – so if you liked that design, you’ll also like this one. The Watch8 Classic's display is tied with the 8 for the brightest yet, at 3,000 nits. You also get double the internal storage of the standard Samsung Galaxy Watch8 – 64GB, instead of the standard 8’s 32GB.

As mentioned above, the Quick Button can be programmed for different purposes, and the bezel is used like the digital crowns on the best Apple Watches in that you use it to cycle through options, but the real magic is in the redesigned UI, which I love.

At-a-glance views now offer more information on your limited display, while a new watch face widget called the Now Bar, an idea borrowed from the best Samsung phones, allows tasks running in the background – like Timers and Workouts – to have a small presence on your regular watch face. It works very well in practice, and I loved using it.

My main design concern, other than the limited size options and thickness of the watch, is the Dynamic Lug system, which is borrowed from the Galaxy Watch Ultra. I mentioned in my Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 review that I found it fiddly, especially as a man with short nails.

However, it does mean there’s less case movement during exercise, and the watches (in white and black) look snappy with the leather-effect strap provided. If you’re keen to use it for exercise, especially swimming, it may also behoove you to pick up a silicone one, further inflating the price of the watch as you’ll need to buy this separately.

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Features

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic advanced running metrics

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tons of third-party apps
  • Powerful wellness metrics
  • New hardware features like the Antioxidant Index

Aside from the design differences, many of the new features on offer are the same as the ones described in my Samsung Galaxy Watch8 review, but I’ll repeat them here. Sleep apnea detection is added to Samsung’s extensive suite of sleep-tracking features, which also includes sleep coaching, snore detection, and Energy Score.

A new Running Coach helps calibrate your running and can recommend one of 160 different training plans, intelligently switching between plans on the fly based on your performance. The new Antioxidant Index detects the level of the beneficial antioxidant carotenoids in your body, found in leafy greens and orange vegetables: if this score is low, you likely need to eat more vegetables.

Gemini on the Samsung Galaxy Watch, the first of its kind, is a headline feature here, and based on my time with the watch, it seems to work well in practice. I normally used it as a standard Google Assistant for hands-free texting, but every now and again it did something smart enough to really impress. For example, I asked it for directions to the nearest Sainsbury's supermarket, and the watch automatically brought up Google Maps with turn-by-turn directions already plugged in. Sweet.

All of this is added to Samsung’s existing suite of health tracking, fitness, and lifestyle features, which are further enhanced by third-party apps from Wear OS. These include advanced fitness features like dual-frequency GPS to better calculate runs, hikes, and rides, TrackBack to stop you getting lost, and body composition analysis to determine your ratio of fat to muscle to bone.

This is surprisingly accurate: we tested Samsung’s feature against a smart scale with favorable results.

  • Features score: 5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Performance

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic

(Image credit: Future)
  • Great wellness metrics
  • Programmable Action button & satisfying bezel rotation
  • Battery life still frustrates

The Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic’s rotating bezel, plus its programmable Quick button (not an Action button a la the Apple Watch Ultra) offer more interaction options than the Samsung Galaxy Watch8, and the watch is all the better for it. The Watch8 Classic’s rotating bezel spins back and forth with satisfying tactile clicks, used to scroll between tiles and up and down lists in grid view.

The Quick button allows you to set two functionalities to a short press and a long press: I used a short press for Google Gemini and a long press to automatically start a running workout. These two functions were for my most-used apps. I found the Quick button useful and intuitive, but I ended up doing this in the first place as I didn’t find saying “Hey Google” always brought up Gemini, as I found speech recognition struggled to pick up the wake-word. However, once the app was active, it had no problems interpreting my requests, usually simple things I would already use the voice assistant for, such as texting brief message responses.

However, I did use more complex prompts on occasion, such as asking it to recommend good walks within five miles of my location, and Gemini had no problem doing so. Some requests, such as asking it about my sleep, simply pull up the corresponding app (in this case, Samsung Health) and the correct tile within that app (in this case, sleep scores).

Wellness metrics were great. I tested the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 against the Garmin Venu X1 in a detailed test which you can read about here, but I also ran with the Galaxy Watch8 Classic and got a similar reading. The strap provided is a leather-look exterior with a silicon underside, so I felt like I could exercise with the watch without changing straps – which is a good thing too, as the new quick release strap is actually more fiddly to use with short nails than first thought. A colleague with long nails agreed it wasn’t easy, and required a very firm press to release.

The Watch8 Classic wasn’t as comfortable to wear as the vanilla Watch8, largely down to the bulkier profile. You can see both watches compared above, but the bigger bezel changes the shape of the Watch, causing it to shift around due to how lightweight it was. During the run, I had to stop and tighten the strap a notch beyond how I’d wear it normally, because I could feel it shifting around on my wrist. Because it’s so lightweight for its size, however, I was ok with wearing it overnight, allowing Samsung’s smorgasbord of sleep information to come into play.

Sleep, exercise and recovery metrics alike were detailed and full of actionable, useful information: not always a given, as many smartwatches are content to merely throw more stats at you without context as to what they meant or how to improve them. My only gripe is the battery, which is still too short, and the watch took over 100 minutes to charge from 10% to full.

  • Performance score: 5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

Relatively expensive considering the price of the standard Galaxy Watch8

3.5/5

Design

Bulky, but the rotating bezel is a winner

4.5/5

Features

A wealth of metrics, hardware tricks and third-party apps.

5/5

Performance

Interactive and comprehensive with great wellness metrics.

4/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic: Should I buy?

Weather report on Samsung watch

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

You want a chunky watch

That bezel adds a lot of height to the overall watch.

You want a statement piece

There’s no denying with all its stainless steel and classic bezel, that this watch looks lovely on wrist.

You want a fitness companion

This watch is packed with comprehensive, actionable exercise and recovery insights.

Don't buy it if...

You dislike sleeping in chunky watches

Unless you’re going to also spring for a Galaxy Ring, you’re better off getting the slimmer Watch8 series.

You’re an iPhone user

Almost self-explanatory, but you’ll be far better off with an Apple Watch Ultra.

You already own and love the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

There’s almost nothing the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic can do that last year’s Ultra can’t, with more battery life left over than the Classic.

Also consider

Samsung Galaxy Watch8

The mainline Watch8 is slimmer, cheaper and offers the same great functionalities.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch8 review here

OnePlus Watch 3

Now available in two sizes, the onePlus is another chunky steel Wear OS watch that will appeal to fans of this one.

Read our full OnePlus Watch 3 review

How I tested

I wore the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic for a week, trying all the features, draining the battery down to its fullest, and completing multiple workouts. I tested its running GPS against a top Garmin watch, tried the health features such as the Antioxidant Index, composed prompts for the on-wrist Gemini assistant and downloaded third-party apps onto the watch such as Strava and Spotify.

Samsung Galaxy Watch8 review: Unequivocally the best mainline Galaxy Watch in ages
5:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness Smartwatches | Tags: | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy Watch8: One minute review

Every time I try a big-name smartwatch these days, I’m slightly disappointed. Not because they’re bad devices (they’re certainly not) but because all too often, they tend to be very similar to their predecessors with very incremental, minor changes, such as a new software feature or slightly brighter screen, which isn’t the most exciting thing to write about.

However, not so this year. Samsung has decided to buck the trend with a comprehensive redesign, extending from its hardware to its software. The watch itself is thinner with a brighter screen and bigger battery (although battery life is still allegedly the same), keeping the round display but adopting a Watch Ultra-style metal cushion in an attempt to give Samsung watches a distinctive brand identity

In the software stakes, there are several useful updates that change how you use the watch day-to-day. A Now Bar widget allows you to quickly access the task you’re currently running in the background (such as a timer or workout) from the watch face screen, while at-a-glance views are more useful thanks to a nifty redesign. On-device Gemini has also been added out of the box, allowing you to complete complex multi-step tasks with a simple audio request, such as “find the best gym nearby and ask Julie if she wants to join it”.

There's also a running coach, which analyses your form and performance during a 12-minute test run and assigns you one of 160 running performance plans, switching you from plan to plan if you repeatedly exceed its expectations (or don’t perform as expected). A new antioxidant index measures the level of carotenoids, a beneficial antioxidant, using your thumb as another metric to indicate general health. Sleep apnea detection has also landed, just like this year’s crop of the best Apple Watches.

This is all in addition to the other features present on other watches: heart rate, advanced sleep algorithms, body composition, third-party apps, social features, music control, 32GB storage and more. Samsung’s eighth iteration of its Galaxy Watch series is the most comprehensive change I’ve seen from the company in years, sporting plenty of genuinely useful improvements.

Having lived with the watch for a week, it performs up to expectations: it's fast, accurate and looks great, although I didn't use the on-watch AI for anything much more sophisticated than the usual Assistant functionalities, preferring the larger format of my phone's screen for anything more detailed. The wellness metrics were comparable to a top Garmin watch too, and surprisingly, I preferred the slimmer Watch8 to the bulkier Watch8 Classic.

Samsung Galaxy Watch8: Specifications

Component

Samsung Galaxy Watch8 (40mm)

Samsung Galaxy Watch8 (44mm)

Price

From $349.99 / £319 / AU$649

From $399.99 / £349 / AU$699

Dimensions

42.7 x 40.4 x 8.6mm

46.0 x 43.7 x 8.6mm

Weight

30g

34g

Case/Bezel

Armor Aluminum

Armor Aluminum

Display

1.3-in super AMOLED

1.5-in super AMOLED

GPS

GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo

GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo

Battery Life

Up to 30 hours

Up to 40 hours

Connection

Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3

Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3

Water Resistance

5ATM

5 ATM

Samsung Galaxy Watch8: Price and availability

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

(Image credit: Future)
  • 40mm Bluetooth model starts at $349.99 / £319 / AU$649
  • 44mm model starts at $399.99 / £349 / AU$699
  • Available to pre-order July 9

The Samsung Galaxy Watch8 series is available to pre-order now. Prices start at $349.99 in the US, £319 in the UK for the 40mm Bluetooth model, rising to £369 for the LTE-enabled version, and AU$649 in Australia, rising to AU$749 for the LTE model. The 44mm Bluetooth-only version starts at $399 in the US, £349 in the UK and AU$699 in Australia.

This is a slight price rise from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, which started from $299.99 / £289 / AU$549 when it was released last year.

  • Value score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch8: Design

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

(Image credit: Future)
  • Slimmer new cushion shape
  • 3000-nit brightness
  • Software revamp

Let’s talk about some of the new changes. First and foremost, the display is still perfectly round, but the casing no longer hugs that shape to create a cylinder. Instead, it’s a squarish cushion designed to emulate the shape of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. Samsung representatives have mentioned that it’s an instantly recognizable brand identity, in the same way you see a ‘squircle’ watch with a digital crown and immediately understand it as an Apple Watch.

The most surprising thing about the redesign is that where the Ultra looks awkward and boxy at times, the Galaxy Watch8 looks good. This is partially down to the watch being 11% thinner than its predecessor, and a whole lot thinner than the Ultra or the other new kid on the block, the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, as you can see above. It’s a lovely minimalist design, and I like it a lot. The display is brighter now, capable of up to 3,000 nits, and the battery is 8% larger to accommodate.

There’s also less case movement on-wrist now, thanks to the Dynamic Lug system ported over from the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Getting the straps on and off using this system was a bit more fiddly than anticipated, especially if you have short nails like mine, but it’s hard to deny the watch was an incredibly snug and comfortable fit, even during runs.

The UI has also received an upgrade. A Now Bar, similar to those on the best Samsung phones, pops up on the watch face when a task is running in the background such as Timer or Workout. It's a satisfyingly slender widget showcasing a piece of information, like the time remaining, which you can tap to balloon it to full-screen. At-a-glance app views and collections have also received a revamp, emphasizing usability. I loved all of these changes, especially the Now Bar; it’s such a simple concept executed wonderfully.

  • Design score: 5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch8: Features

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

(Image credit: Future)
  • Gemini on wrist
  • Advanced new health features
  • Running Coach with 160 plans

First and foremost, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is the first watch with Google Gemini on-wrist out of the box. It’s finally here, and as you might expect, it’s very handy when it comes to performing simple tasks. My demonstration involved simple requests, such as starting a 20-minute running workout, but also more complex examples – such as the aforementioned “find the best gym near me and text Julie” prompt.

It has the potential to be transformative in the way we interact with smartwatches going forward, but I'll be honest, I rarely used it beyond simple assistant features. In its most useful instance during my week of everyday wear, I asked Gemini to show me directions to the nearest supermarket on my watch, at which point it promptly called up Google maps. That I found very cool indeed: it's likely to change how we use our smartwatches in small ways.

Another new feature I can’t wait to get stuck into is the new Running Coach. After inputting your goals and completing a 12-minute test run, you’ll be assigned one of 160 different running plans, ranging from a first 5K to a complete marathon. If your performance looks like you’ll outperform your goal at any point, Samsung Health will switch you to another running plan that more closely matches your capabilities.

Other new health features include the Antioxidant Index, which detects the level of a single antioxidant, carotenoids, in your blood to give you an indication of whether you’ve eaten enough fruit and vegetables to support a healthy diet using your thumb. I got to try this: sadly, my carotenoid levels were not up to scratch, though I don’t have any way of verifying the reading.

Otherwise, the watch is still packing all its existing health and fitness credentials and plenty of robust hardware and software features. Hardware features such as the camera viewfinder and body composition sensor are all present and correct, as are Samsung’s app drawer and the litany of third-party apps the watch, which uses Samsung’s One UI Watch 6 skin of Wear OS, is capable of accommodating.

  • Features score: 5/5

Samsung Galaxy Watch8: Performance

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Garmin Venu X1 worn during run on separate wrists

(Image credit: Future)
  • Battery life performed as described, albeit sluggish charging
  • Excellent running metrics
  • Gemini on-wrist is a fun addition

I wore this watch pretty much constantly until the battery was completely drained, sleeping and exercising in it, and I can confirm after several short workout sessions (one 25-minute run, and a few automatically-detected walks), the battery gave up after around 25 hours with the always-on display on. That’s as described by Samsung, and longer than your average Apple Watch, but still far shorter than most of the best running watches.

When it comes to its workout performance, I was impressed. I tested the Watch8 against the Garmin Venu X1, and its metrics fell comfortably within the margin of error to suggest sufficient accuracy for both watches. It really is a great running watch; it fits flush on the wrist, doesn’t move around, remains super comfortable, and shows consistently useful information.

Even after my run finished, Samsung Health highlighted issues it thought I could improve upon, and recommended me specific drills as an action plan to address them. That, in particular, is a wonderful addition to Samsung Health, and it’s great to see some actionable insights rather than the watch simply throwing more stats without context into the mix.

I found sleep tracking with the Watch8 to be accurate, at least as far as sleep duration goes, and its slim profile ensured comfort overnight. During my testing, I woke up in the middle of the night with a cough, and Samsung correctly identified my time spent awake. Samsung’s Sleep Animal feature, gleaned from historic data from the Samsung Galaxy Ring and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7, offered me the light-sleeping Nervous Penguin profile.

The much-hyped on-watch Gemini feature was fine, though I certainly feel like I’m becoming numb to AI notification summaries and simple voice-command tasks these days, even if this is the first on-watch representation of Google’s Gemini AI Assistant. In fact, this has come to the Samsung Galaxy Watch series even before the Google Pixel Watch. Perhaps we’ll all have to reorient the way we feel about AI when we’re wearing it on our bodies, and it’s nice at least to have the option to ask Gemini to start a workout instead of swiping through tiles, and you can do some cool things with notifications.

One notable gripe I had with the watch, hand-in-hand with the lackluster battery, was the disappointing charge time. Using the Watch8’s proprietary charger, I started charging the watch from 0% at 08:18am. It took until 10:12am to completely fill the gauge, almost two hours.

Samsung Galaxy Watch8: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You’re a Samsung phone user

The latest iteration of the Galaxy Watch knocks it out of the park.

You want a slim watch

Rather than the bulky Ultra or Classic, the sleek and light mainline Watch8 looks positively elegant.

You want Gemini on-wrist.

At present, this is one of the very first watches with on-wrist Gemini via Wear OS 6.

Don't buy it if...

You value battery life

At a piddly 30 hours with a two-hour charge time, you’ll be taking the watch on and off quite often.

You’re an iPhone user

Get an Apple Watch, you know the drill.

You want the rotating bezel

For my money, the Watch8 looks better slim. However, if you simply must go for the addition of the rotating bezel, the Watch8 Classic is also available. View Deal

Also consider

OnePlus Watch 3

One of the best alternative Android watches

Read our full OnePlus Watch 3 review

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

A weighty, powerful watch and the best Samsung watch for active people.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra review

How I tested

I wore the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 for a week, draining the battery down completely and charging back up to full. I slept with it on, paired it with a Samsung phone, and tried all the features such as antioxidant index and on-wrist Gemini. I completed multiple GPS workouts, comparing the results to a top Garmin watch for accuracy.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 might just be the perfect foldable, and sets a standard for others to follow
5:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Phones Samsung Galaxy Phones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: One-minute review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the closest thing to a tech inflection point we have at the moment. It's by far the best large-screen foldable ever made – super-thin, super-light, exquisitely made, undeniably powerful, and full of AI smarts – and goes straight to the top of our list of the best foldable phones you can buy.

It's Samsung's first foldable to almost entirely not underdeliver on cameras, featuring the line's first-ever 200-megapixel camera. This feels like more than progress; it's a folding phone revolution.

I like it so much that I find myself frantically searching for weaknesses. I probe each part looking for a place where Samsung may have miscalculated and, with very few exceptions, I can't find any weaknesses.

If I had to pinpoint where Samsung trips up, it would be in two areas: the removal of the digitizing layer, which leaves the Galaxy Z Fold 7 unable to work with the S Pen, and the price, which now flirts with $2,000 in the US. That's a lot to spend for any phone, though in fairness this really is like two devices in one – a flagship phone and 8-inch tablet – and so you might be able to justify the outlay.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: price and specs

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $1,999.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,899, which is $100 more than the previous model in the US, and AU$150 more in Australia – there's no price hike for buyers in the UK. The base model comes with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. At the time of writing, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is on preorder now, and ships from July 25. It's available in Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow, and Jetblack, plus a Samsung online-exclusive Mint.

Those prices make the Galaxy Z Fold 7 one of the most expensive foldables you can buy – in the US it now costs $100 more than a similarly configured Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, for instance. There will be deals, especially for trade-ins, so look out for those.

I agree, this is a lot to pay for a smartphone, but the Z Fold 7 is not just a phone. It's also a tablet, yet so thin and light that someone glancing at it in your hand might have no idea it's a two-in-one. The question is, are you willing to pay more for something that is truly special?

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 specs

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Dimensions (folded):

72.8 x 158.4 x 8.9mm

Dimensions (unfolded):

143.2 x 158.4 x 4.2mm

Weight:

215g

Main display:

8-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED

(2184 x 1968), 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (1~120Hz)

Cover display::

6.5-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED

2X Display(2520 x 1080, 21:9), 120Hz adaptive refresh rate (1~120Hz)

Chipset:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Mobile Platform for Galaxy

RAM:

12GB / 16GB (1TB only)

Storage:

256GB / 512GB / 1TB

OS:

Android 16 / One UI 8

Primary camera:

200MP f1.7

Ultrawide camera:

12MP f2.2

Telephoto

3x 10MP f2.4

Cover Camera:

10MP f2.2

Inner Camera:

10MP f2.2

Battery:

4,400mAh

Charging:

30 mins with 25W adapter (wired)

Colors:

Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow and Jetblack [Samsung.com Exclusive] Mint

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: design

  • Super-thin unfolded, and almost as thin as a standard smartphone when folded
  • Weighs less than the single-screen Galaxy S25 Ultra
  • Excellent materials and construction
  • Hinge mechanism is pleasingly stiff and strong

If you think the pace of smartphone and flagship innovation feels somewhat ho-hum, you probably haven't seen or touched the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

This is one of the best design upgrades I've seen in a while, not because it's radically different to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 that came before it, because it isn't, but because it's so much better in all the ways that truly matter.

I'll start with the physical specs, because they're the most remarkable thing about of this new handset, especially when compared with the Z Fold 6 and, yes, even the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Unfolded, the Z Fold 7 is just 4.2mm thick – that's 1.4mm thinner than the Z Fold 6. Folded, the Z Fold 7 is 8.9mm, 3.2mm thinner than the Z Fold 6 and only 0.7mm thicker than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Think about that: this foldable, which when folded is hiding a gorgeous 8-inch display, is almost imperceptibly thicker than a single-screen flagship device.

Even the weight is impressive. Between versions, Samsung shed a whopping 24 grams, and the Fold 7 is even 3 grams lighter than the S25 Ultra. Yep – two screens, and it's still lighter than the flagship.

Perhaps that shouldn't be so surprising. When I hold the Z Fold 7 up to the S25 ultra, the foldable is smaller than the Ultra, which is 162.8mm x 77.6mm, while the Z Fold 7, when folded, is 158.4mm x 72.8mm.

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Carrying the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is now like holding a secret. At a glance, it looks like a standard, 6.5-inch smartphone. It's not until you take a closer look that you notice the seam down one edge and the hinge on the opposite side.

Size and weight aside, the phone feels good in my hand because of the excellent materials. Its Armor Aluminum frame is covered, front and back, with Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2. A substantial, pill-shaped three-camera array sticks out of the back. Whenever I put the phone down camera-side-first, it tips at an awkward angle. I guess that's the price I have to pay for a better imaging system.

On the top edges when you're holding the phone (there are two when it's folded) are a pair of microphone holes, a vent, and a SIM slot (yes, this phone still uses a nanoSIM card, along with a multi-eSIM option).

The bottom edges feature more microphone holes, a speaker slot (its stereo pair are along the top edge of the cover screen), and the USB-C data and charging port. The tolerances here are quite something – the USB port appears to just barely fit in the space.

The only buttons are the long volume rocker and the power / fingerprint reader / Gemini button.

The foldable screen hinge, which has been shrinking over each Z Fold generation, is the thickness of an average No. 2 pencil, and its subtlety and unobtrusiveness further help it pull off the 'standard flagship' masquerade.

Samsung has reengineered the hinge, and it's noticeable. The phone is firmly closed when folded (magnets inside help with that) and has considerable, but not overly resistant, tension as you open it and it snaps into position as a fully flat 8-inch tablet.

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Yes, it can handle the water (but not dust or sand). (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
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Unfolding the phone you're greeted with a flexible display surrounded by a roughly 2mm, forgiving raised border that keeps the Fold 7 from making a metallic snapping sound when you close it.

There's still a crease, but it's far less pronounced than what you see on the Z Fold 6. That's due in part to the new teardrop-shaped screen fold hidden in the redesigned hinge, meaning the thin, flexible screen curves into a perhaps more forgiving teardrop shape when the phone is folded. This is likely what accounts for how it can more easily unfold to a nearly perfectly flat plane. I can only see whatever minimal crease remains at certain odd angles, and more so when the screen is off. To the touch, it's barely perceptible.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is IP48-rated, which means it can handle a sustained dunk in fresh water (not salt water!), but I would keep it away from dust and sand. I ran my device under a tap with no ill effects.

  • Design score: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: displays

  • The main display is now 8 inches
  • There's a noticeable punch hole for the camera
  • The cover display is also larger

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

A wider and taller Z Fold means not one, but two bigger screens. The cover display is now a 6.5-inch 21:9 display that is finally indistinguishable from a standard flagship phone display.

Where the Z Fold 6 has a 968 x 2376 resolution, the Z Fold 7 cover screen is an expansive 2520 x 1080, 422ppi, 1-to-120Hz AMOLED 2X screen. It has a punch-hole for the 10MP selfie camera, but it does not feature an under-the-screen fingerprint reader – that's integrated with the power button (and works quite nicely, as does unlocking with your face).

It's a lovely, bright screen that's now wide enough to more easily accommodate a more usable virtual keyboard, and fully serviceable when you don't want to unfold and use the main display.

Like the cover display, the main display is larger this year. It's now an 8-inch display, up from the Z Fold 6's 7.6 inches. It's also got more pixels, jumping from 2160 x 1856 to 2184 x 1968. It's still QXGA+ and supports the dynamic 1-to-120Hz refresh rate.

While that display size now matches Apple's iPad mini, the sixth-generation mini's 8-inch screen has an aspect ratio of 3:2, while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is now 5:6. This makes the Z Fold 7 more of a square as compared to the iPad's slightly rectangular display.

In practice, this means that on the Z Fold 7 some videos and games may have larger black borders at the top and bottom. It doesn't bother me, but you might want to see what Netflix looks like on the phone before placing your order.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The main screen is big, bright, and responsive. It was useful in bright sunlight, and all motion looked fluid and smooth. I left it on the default setting, which lets the system adjust the refresh rate on the fly, up to 120Hz and down to 1Hz, which is not as energy efficient as locking in at 60Hz. Both screens are rated for a max brightness of 2,500 nits.

In Future Labs testing and with HDR enabled we got up to 2,245 nits on the main screen and 2,060 nits on the cover screen. Those are admirable numbers, and mean you shouldn't have any trouble viewing these displays in direct sunlight.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

There's no digitizing layer in the foldable display, but you can still use an analog capacitive stylus to draw on and navigate the screen (Image credit: Future)

To achieve the 4.2mm thickness, Samsung made some changes to the panel configuration, most notably dropping the digitizing layer that, in the Z Fold 6, offered support for specially tipped S Pens. I was initially pretty upset about this, but I did find that I could still draw with my finger – it's not as precise, but it's not terrible, and I can still use my finger to mark up images for Generative Editing and Sketch to Image. My doodles for the latter are not as good as those drawn with an S Pen, but the screen had no trouble interpreting my rough sketch and transforming it into a very realistic mouse.

I can report, though, that while the S Pen or any digitizing stylus will not work, a classic dumb, capacitive-compliant stylus – one you can buy for six bucks on Amazon – does work with the display. It won't record pressure or angle, but it makes it a lot easier to draw.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW

That punch hole is larger than before, but with good reason (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The other thing you might notice on this new Galaxy Fold 7 display is the noticeably larger camera punch hole. It's not only bigger in order to accommodate a better, 10MP camera (it was just 4MP on the Fold 6); the hole is also no longer covered with pixels, so it remains visible at all times. It's positioned a tiny bit more centrally along the top edge than the punch hole on the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold's flexible display, on which the equally large hole is positioned towards the far-right corner and is maybe a bit more out of sight.

These things aside, I love this big, multi-tasking screen, which has room for a couple of apps, or larger-screen views of favorite apps like Weather and Maps. It's also a nice canvas for Gemini Live, which makes the most of the larger space.

I also enjoyed drawing on it, streaming shows on Netflix, and playing action games.

The benefit of a flexible screen is that the Galaxy Fold 7 doesn't have to be only flat or folded – it can also be 'L' shaped, which I found useful when I was checking over an interview transcription, which I recorded and used AI to transcribe on the Fold. A 90-degree fold also proved useful for watching videos on one half of the screen while the rest of the Fold served as a steady base.

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Try the Fold 7 at a 90-degree fold! (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
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  • Displays score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: cameras

  • 200MP sensor is the upgrade the Fold line needed
  • Main-display camera is no longer an afterthought
  • The cameras are capable of some beautiful photography

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

There was nothing much wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6's camera array. It has a nice 50MP lens, a 10MP, and a 3x optical zoom 10MP, but I was very aware that this was a flagship-class phone with a flagship-level price, and it bothered me that the best camera array was reserved for Samsung's Ultra line.

That is no longer the case. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a new camera system, with two notable upgrades and one disappointment.

Here's the full camera system:

  • 200MP wide
  • 12MP ultra-wide
  • 10MP 3x telephoto
  • 10MP cover-screen
  • 10MP main-screen

The big news here is the new 200MP sensor that, while similar to what's found in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, has been reengineered to fit into the Z Fold 7's super-slim frame.

Like most high-megapixel smartphone cameras, this one defaults to a 12MP shot, combining (or pixel-binning) the information from multiple pixels for better clarity, contrast, and colors. It does a nice job, but there is a very good reason to shoot at the full 200MP (it's easy to do – you just select between 12MP, 50MP, or 200MP): doing so lets you crop into almost any picture detail without losing clarity.

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200MP of information means you can crop in on an image, without losing detail to get your perfect composition (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
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You can see some of my sample photos above. While the detail is excellent, I did notice that I probably need to stand a bit more still if I plan to crop in on these huge, full-resolution images. No matter what, though, I love that this sensor, with all the versatility it affords, is included.

While there's now closer parity between the Galaxy Ultra and this Galaxy Fold, the latter can perform a trick that's impossible with the S25 Ultra: you can shoot selfies with the main camera using the 'Cover Screen Preview' setting. This means that if you unfold the phone and choose that option in the camera app, you can use the cover screen as a viewfinder and control for the main, wide-angle, and telephoto lenses. I used the setting to take a 200MP selfie – I would show it to you, but the clarity is so good it's horrifying.

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I used all the camertas in a range of scenarios to capture these images. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
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I'm also pleased that the main-screen camera is now a full 10MP – 4MP for selfies and even video calls seemed a bit anemic. The tradeoff for that better camera is a bigger punch-hole in the flexible display, and one that isn't covered with pixels when not in use. I think future Z Folds should shift this camera closer to one of the bezels.

The 12MP wide-angle has a solid 120-degree field of view, enough for some truly dramatic shots, but I think its macro capabilities are far more impressive. Look at the detail in the flowers below. Leave aside the excellent color accuracy – just look at the drama inside these blossoms, and in particular the ants transiting the petals. Well done on this lens, Samsung.

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The macro photography capabilities are quite good (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
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I'm less impressed with the zoom lens; not because it's bad, but it remains underpowered for a flagship. While the S25 Ultra has a nice 10MP 5x optical zoom, the now more ultra-y Fold 7 only gets a 10MP 3x optical zoom. Yes, I am fully aware of the Space Zoom options that go up to 30x, but that's a digital assist, and drags in way too much artificial information for my tastes. When I want zoom, I like it to be optical all the way.

The 3x optical zoom does a nice job, and it's definitely useful, just not as strong as I had hoped. In situations where you want to get closer to a subject you might instead choose to shoot with the 200MP main camera at full resolution and then crop in on the detail you want – at least you know the visual information will all be real, and not partially digitally generated.

I was also pleased with low-light photography and videography. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 shoots high-quality video up to 8K 30fps, though many video editors still can't handle that video resolution.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Overall, I think this is a great camera system, especially because Samsung's ProVisual Engine is finally doing a decent job of maintaining visual fidelity (unless you choose less-real presets).

The colors in all my shots are good and accurate – I'm impressed with how the cameras handle challenging Manhattan street shots that are so full of detail and riotous colors.

They also did well with backlit shots where a bright Manhattan sky might have overwhelmed the foreground – I think the Z Fold 7 found a decent balance. When I tapped on the sky to adjust the exposure in favor of the sky I got better cloud detail, but also surprisingly accurate blue sky color. Nothing is too saturated, and this I consider a victory.

Portrait mode does a nice job on people and objects, such as in my image of planter in the main gallery above, where it had a lot of detail to handle and acquitted itself nicely. It’s not perfect – some small leaves got lost – but I’m still pleased with the result.

  • Cameras score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Software and AI

  • The phone will ship with Android 16
  • There's deeper Google Gemini integration
  • Gemini Live fills the main screen

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW

Using Maps on the main screen is one of may favorite things to do with the Fold. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

In the software space, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a harbinger of releases to come. It's the first flagship to release with Android 16, well ahead of the next big Pixel launches – including, we expect, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold – on August 20, and it also has the latest Samsung software in the form of One UI 8.

That former landmark is by Google design, with the tech giant rearranging its development flow to ensure that its big partners have these new releases in time for their latest flagship phones. As for the latter, Samsung just seems to be getting faster and more efficient at updating and improving its own Android overlay.

Both platforms are also infused with AI in the form of Samsung's Galaxy AI and Google's Gemini, though where one ends and the other begins may not always be obvious.

Broadly, Android is now as polished and useful as Apple's iOS. It has many of the same features, including Live Updates in widgets, Quick Share (so much like AirDrop), and endless customization. It's also a fantastic partner for the Fold because the platform is optimized for the larger 8-inch screen, so things like mail, weather, and maps all appear built for the flexible display. Even Google Gemini Live is right at home on the Galaxy Z Fold 7's main display.

One UI 8 brings things like the Now Bar and Now Brief, a compendium of all the things you need to know at any point in the day. It's well designed, accessible, and relatively useful. I check it because the Now Bar is always greeting me on my lock screen with a "Good morning!", "Good afternoon!" or "Good evening!" and it almost seems rude not to acknowledge it by digging into the details of my Brief.

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Gemini Live is right at home on the big Main screen. It can look at what's on your Fold, and what you show it through the camera (Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)

When I tap to open it, I see a weather forecast, a calendar of events, news of interest, and music. I can choose to add more elements from my phone, which I assume might make the Brief more useful.

There is, of course, a lot of AI on this phone. Google handles the Circle to Search and Gemini side, and the rest of the AI found on the phone is Samsung Galaxy AI.

At any point I can long-press the home-screen button to launch a Circle to Search task. After the press, I use my finger to circle something on the screen that Google Search can look at and offer results related to.

New here is the ability for Circle to Search to work in games. I used it while playing the racing game Asphalt 9 and PUBG. It works, but it's not necessarily intuitive to bring up the home button and press it during gameplay. On the other hand, I do appreciate not having to leave the game or even capture a screenshot. I just long-press, circle, and Google Search does the rest. When I'm done, I return to the race.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

You can ask Circle to Search about almost anything you circle on the screen, including this sketch I did with my finger. The results are hilarious (Image credit: Future)

Gemini is summoned by a long press of the power button. It has all the strength of Gemini 2.5 Flash on the web, and also Gemini Live. Gemini Live works in full-screen mode on the large main display, but I find it more useful when you share your screen with Gemini Live and it then operates in the background, offering insights based on what it can see on-screen and the questions you ask it.

You can also just have Gemini look through the camera and see your world, and ask it what it sees – unless you want everyone to hear your Gemini Live conversation, this would be a good time to invest in some Galaxy Buds Pro 3 headphones if you plan to be out and about with the Z Fold 7.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

You can use Object Erase to remove objects from your photos… (Image credit: Future)

Other Galaxy AI-powered features remain, and are little changed from the last time I tested them on a Fold. I can use Sketch to Image to instantly add photo-realistic elements to existing photos – I added a mouse to my coffee table, although as I've mentioned it's a bit harder to sketch the right image idea without an S Pen.

It's also easy to remove unwanted objects from images and replace them with the right background. This, depending on the size of the object, is generally effective, though there do seem to be more steps than in Apple's Clean Up. On the Fold, I scribble on what I want to remove (it can be multiple objects), hit the erase icon, and the phone removes them, but I also have to hit 'Generate' to replace the background. My iPhone 16 Pro Max does both in one step.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

…and Sketch to Image to add objects (Image credit: Future)

Drawing Assist, which lets you turn rough doodles into much higher-quality artwork and is another feature that benefited from S Pen support, also still works, and may come in even more handy now that you'll likely be forced to use your fingertip to make your rough sketch.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

(Image credit: Future)

Galaxy AI's reach extends to video, and I used Audio Eraser to clean up the sound on a video shot in the heart of New York City's Times Square. The capabilities more or less match those in Apple's Audio Mix tool, although how the tools pinpoint which extraneous sounds to target differs quite a bit. Audio Eraser focuses on crowd noise, voices, and wind, and the results were good, though my voice did end up sounding just a tiny bit robotic, although not dissimilar from the results I got with Audio Mix the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

I am, naturally, only scratching the surface of Android 16, One UI, and their AI capabilities, which also include things like Live Translation, Text Translation, and Chat Assist. Overall, though, this is a platform I could easily love. If you're already an Android fan, Android 16 will be a welcome upgrade. If you've used a Galaxy before, One UI will be instantly familiar but also improved. The AI is deeply embedded but never intrusive. It looks and feels the way I thought Apple Intelligence would on an iPhone, and how I hope it will look and feel when Apple eventually delivers the updated Siri.

  • Software and AI score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Performance and Battery

  • Custom Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor
  • Plenty of RAM and strong overall performance
  • Battery is still 4,400mAh, but all-day battery life is real

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Not only does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 pack Qualcomm's best silicon, it's a customized chip produced just for Samsung's latest foldable: the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Samsung. The difference between the standard Elite and the Samsung version is small but notable: most reports put the 8 Elite's max clock speed on its 2-core cluster at 4.32GHz. On the Galaxy Z Fold 7, according to Geekbench 6, it's running at 4.47GHz. The six-core cluster is running at 3.53Ghz, which is the same speed as the standard 8 Elite.

Samsung backs this powerful, AI-ready silicon with 12GB of RAM for the 256GB Z Fold 7. The 1 TB model gets 16GB of memory.

I ran Geekbench 6 three times for both the CPU and GPU, and the numbers are impressive. This is the first time in memory that an Android phone's multicore performance has beaten the latest flagship iPhone; in this case the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Here are my average numbers:

  • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
  • Single-core Avg: 2,512
  • Multi-core Avg: 8,986.67
  • OpenCL: 17,391

    iPhone 16 Pro Max
  • Single-core: 2,892
  • Multi-core: 8,327
  • GPU Metal Score 33,001

Yes, Samsung (really Qualcomm) beat Apple on the multi-core scores. It may look like Apple handily beat Qualcomm on the GPU side, but those numbers (OpenCL versus Metal) are not directly comparable. What matters here, though, is the performance, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has power to spare.

I found it fast and fun for everything from web browsing to video games and video editing.

I tried stressing out the system by opening 51 tabs in Chrome and Gemini Live, which is probably a more resource-intensive operation. A funny side note here: when I allowed Gemini Live to view my screen and asked it how many browser tabs I had open, it said "10." I tried to guide it to the number listed next to the microphone icon, and it said "11". When I pointed out its error, Gemini Live apologized and said it had no idea why it made that mistake.

I wasn't done pushing the system, so I also launched PUBG. The game opened without issue, I started to play (quickly, to my delight, finding an ultralight aircraft to fly around the island) and the phone never skipped a beat (the back got a little warm). I even used Circle to Search to learn more about a car I found.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Put another way, this is a thin, light, and very powerful system, and it's ready to multitask like the private productivity wonder it is. Plus, there's now true differentiation between the Fold 7 and its little sibling, the Galaxy Flip 7, which runs the ostensibly less powerful Samsung Exynos 2500 processor. That's a fun little foldable phone with a full-screen cover that can accommodate Gemini Live, but it's not about getting things done. And that's the beauty of the Z Fold 7: with its now standard flagship-sized cover screen and even larger 8-inch main screen, it's the perfect blend of pocket-sized power and portability.

Audio performance out of the stereo speakers is loud but also clear. Do not expect booming bass, but if you want the Fold 7 to power a party via your Spotify playlist – which, yes, you can summon through Gemini – the Fold 7 has you covered.

Battery life for the 4,400mAh battery is rated by Samsung at 24 hours of video playback. However, in mixed use, battery life is anecdotally between 12 and 18 hours in my tests. Future Labs, which runs a more rigorous and intense web-browsing rundown, got just under 11 hours. This is a case where your mileage will vary, but I think you can expect a full workday of battery life.

The Qi wireless charging is supported, and while the phone only ships with a charging cable and not the adapter, I was able to charge the phone to 50% in 30 minutes using a 45W charger.

Connectivity on the T-Mobile 5G network was solid, and, in my neighborhood, better than what I get from Verizon. I'm also happy to report that the phone supports WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

  • Performance and Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7?

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 REVIEW

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The most expensive foldable out there, but it might also be worth it

4 / 5

Design

Excellent, slim and light design that still feels elegant and solid.

5 / 5

Display

Two fantastic and now larger screens. The crease is almost gone, but so is support for an S Pen.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Better than the best Qualcomm chip on other Androids, and the performance knocked our socks off.

5 / 5

Software

Android 16! One UI 8! So much AI. It may sound like a lot, but it's a winning combination.

4.5 / 5

Cameras

The 200MP sensor is a major upgrade, and overall photography is excellent. We would have liked a 5x optical zoom.

4.5 / 5

Battery

Really good battery life

4.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a powerful yet gorgeous foldable
There are other super-thin foldables out there, but not all are globally available. Samsung has led the way with the form factor, and really defines foldable design for the modern era.

You wanted a foldable and the best camera
Samsung has finally put an Ultra-level camera in its best foldable, and it will make a difference in your photography.

You want a foldable that looks like a regular phone
When it's folded you get to stare at the Galaxy Z Fold 7's lovely 6.5-inch 2:19 cover screen, which is indistinguishable from a standard smartphone.

You want productivity-ready power
The Z Fold 7's Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Samsung is faster than any other 8 Elite out there. It's ready for anything.

You want Android 16 now
You don't have to wait for the next Pixel to get Android 16 – the Z Fold 7 is more up-to-date than most other Android handsets.

Don't buy it if...

You want a cheap foldable phone
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of the most expensive smartphones on the market.View Deal

You want a tough phone
Even with refinements in design, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn't a phone to weather the elements. View Deal

You want the best telephoto camera
A 3x zoom is fine but it can't stand up to the 5x optical zoom of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: Also consider

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is, to my mind, the best, most widely available folding phone on the market, but it may not satisfy your foldable itch in every aspect. Here are some other worthy choices.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
If Samsung's One UI software has never appealed to you, then consider Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which has the most Android-y Android software available. It also boasts a bigger main display and a fetching flat-sided design.

Read our Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review

OnePlus Open
The OnePlus Open offers a slightly different foldable phone experience, with a cover display that looks more like a normal smartphone, yet yields a sizable inner display. A solid specs sheet completes the package, though the phone is getting a little long in the tooth.

Read our full OnePlus Open review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 specs

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

OnePlus Open

Price at a launch:

$1,899 / £1,749 / AU$1,199

$1,699 / £1,599

Dimensions (unfolded):

155.2 x 150.2 x 5.1mm (unfolded), 155.2 x 77.1 x 10.5mm (folded)

153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8mm (unfolded), 153.4 x 73.3 x 11.7mm (folded)

Weight:

257g

239g (black); 245g (green)

Main display:

8-inch Super Actua display

2076 x 2152 / 1080 x 2424 pixels

7.82 inches (2440 x 2268)

Cover display::

6.3-inch Actua display

6.31 inches (2484 x 1116)

Chipset:

Google Tensor G4

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

RAM:

16GB

16GB LPDDR5X

Storage:

256GB / 512GB

512GB UFS 4.0

OS:

Android 14

Android 14 with Oxygen OS 13.2

Primary camera:

48MP main

48MP (wide)

Ultrawide camera:

10.5MP ultrawide

48MP (ultrawide 114°)

Telephoto

10.8MP 5X zoom

64MP (3x telephoto)

Cover Camera:

10MP

20MP; 32MP

Inner Camera

8MP f/2.0

Battery:

4,650mAh

4,805mAh

Charging:

30W (wired)

67W SUPERVOOC (proprietary)

Colors:

Porcelain, Obsidian

Emerald Dusk (green); Voyager Black

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

  • Review test period: one week
  • Testing included: everyday use, including web browsing, social media, photography, gaming, streaming video, and music playback
  • Tools used: Geekbench 6, and Nit-brightness-testing system

I carried the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 with me everywhere and used it as often as possible for everyday productivity, entertainment, and creativity tasks.

I spent a lot of time with the UI and with all the AI, as well as myriad systems and third-party apps.

I played games like Asphalt 9 and PUBG, and watched streaming video content.

I handled it with as much care as I give any other smartphone, but did also purposely ran it under water.

I did my own battery performance testing, but also relied on Future Labs for its lab-based results.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2025

Well, I just found the best earbuds for noise-cancellation I’ll ever test (probably)
4:23 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: | Comments: Off

OnePlus Buds 4: Two-minute review

It’s easy to dismiss earbuds made by smartphone companies as a cheap add-on made to sell alongside a handset, a job made easier by the fact that many are. But the OnePlus Buds 4 shows that this isn’t always the case.

Let me speak plain: these earbuds are really good for ANC. Some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds around, then? Absolutely, but that's not the end of the story – if it were, you'd be right to utter 'So, why the four-star review, not five?' and I'll get to that, I promise.

The OnePlus Buds 4 are the successors to last year’s OnePlus Buds 3, but with a little of the DNA of the OnePlus Buds Pro 3. And these new fourth-gen buds are independent from OnePlus phones to such a degree that they weren’t actually released alongside any flagship handset from the company (though their launch did coincide with some new cheaper Nord 5 phones from the brand).

I appreciate it when companies do what OnePlus has done here: create buds that focus on offering a few key superb selling points that beat the competition. It ensures it’s easy to compare them positively to other buds, and makes my job of writing an intro that much easier!

One such department on the OnePlus Buds 4 is the Active Noise Cancellation, or ANC. Once the most important arms-race of any headphone maker, though now slightly forgotten in the reverse arms-race of open earbuds, ANC is still an important feature for many buyers… and the Buds 4 have easily the best noise cancelling performance in any earbuds or headphones I’ve tested at this price. It absolutely eradicates background sound, no matter how noisy, and you’d have to buy buds for double the price to get something competitive.

The design of the buds also needs to be commended. You might not be able to tell from photos, but these earbuds themselves are perhaps the lightest I’ve ever tested at under 5g (I haven’t gone through every review I’ve written to check, but quite a few!) and they’re really comfortable as a result. The case is also really small, and equally lightweight (see above, about me having written too many reviews to check these against every one). Sometimes, fantastic design isn’t a funky look or weird features or LEDs, but the meat-and-potatoes of a light, comfortable wear.

You’re getting a (mostly) fantastic feature set from the OnePlus Buds 4 too, again one of the best selections of extras in any buds I’ve tested at this price. I won’t go through them all, as I’ve already exceeded my word count in the Features section talking about them, but goodies like a listening test, Spatial Audio and high-res listening are all working well.

But wait! I haven’t mentioned how the things sound yet! That isn’t because it’s bad, just that the features and design are so great I got distracted. Like the Buds 3, there's a strong focus on bassy booming sound, but it’s much better balanced this time around. Music is punchy and exciting, with plenty of customization options to take it further.

The main issue I had with the OnePlus Buds 4? It's a big one I'm afraid: the app had a ton of connectivity problems, which really affected my experience with the buds. I need to preface this statement by saying that I used the buds before their official release and it’s very possible that by the time they are in your ears, these software kinks will be ironed out, but it's also important for me to be honest in my write ups – and this was my experience. I have tested myriad sets of earbuds, and if it was challenging to me, it will surely be for any owner.

Some buyers will also find the price increase over the OnePlus Buds 3 hard to swallow, but the significant uptick in ANC efficacy justifies it.

OnePlus Buds 4 review: Price and release date

The OnePlus Buds 4 on a window sill.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Unveiled in June 2025, officially launched July 8, 2025
  • Costs $129.99 / £119 (roughly AU$200)
  • Price hike over predecessor

The OnePlus Buds 4 became available on July 8 2025, alongside a Nord-y line-up of phones from the company’s affordable line of Androids.

TechRadar was provided with the buds’ UK price prior to launch: £119, and they've been released in the US for $129.99, which means in Australia they'll set you back around AU$200 or just above.

Many buyers will probably get these buds for free, though, as OnePlus likes to offer gadgets like this for free if you buy its mobiles.

It’s worth pointing out that this price is a noticeable hike from the $99 / £89 / AU$179 price point of the previous-gen buds, but is still far south of the $179 / £199 (roughly AU$400) price of the Buds 3 Pro.

At that price, I could hear arguments for these counting as cheap earbuds, and other points in favor of these being mid-rangers. Either way, there are lots of rivals at this price point, and you can find them described in the Competition section below.

OnePlus Buds 4 review: Specs

Drivers

11mm woofer + 6mm tweeter

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life (ANC off)

11 hours (buds) 45 hours (case)

Weight

4.73g (buds) 40g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

IP55

OnePlus Buds 4 review: Features

The OnePlus Buds 4 in a man's hands.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Amazing noise cancellation
  • …but we need to talk about the app
  • 6/24 hour battery life (ANC on)

When I first turned on the OnePlus Buds 4’s Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), I was in a busy gym – it’s a great test case due to all the noises going on (and the music they play at my local is absolutely awful). I was absolutely floored by how much background sound the buds removed, which I’ll aptly summarize simply as ‘basically all of it’.

This is on the buds’ High ANC mode, which uses an algorithm to automatically adapt for wherever you are. There’s also a moderate and low, and also an Auto which… also chooses between those three automatically. You’ve also also got a Transparency mode to block out ambient noise but allow loud nearby ones, and yet another adaptive mode which selects between Transparency and standard noise cancellation. If you’ve been keeping count, that’s three different auto modes.

Using the HeyMelody app was a pain. It never remembered the buds between listening sessions so I kept having to re-add them, which was hard when it could only detect them about 50% of the time. And when it could and I pressed ‘Connect’, I wouldn’t get taken through the the app pages where I could control the buds. Oh no.

Instead a pop-up would appear telling me that I can find more settings for the earbuds by going to my phone’s Bluetooth settings. Okay, good to know. But pressing ‘Cancel’ just hides the pop-up so I need to press ‘Connect’ again, and pressing ‘Go’ just takes me to my phone’s Bluetooth settings. It took me ages to figure out I’d need to go to this menu (not a page in HeyMelody, I should add), and then select the headphones, and then press ‘Earbud functions’ which would take me back to HeyMelody. It’s an absolutely infuriating and long-winded process and I can’t imagine that this is actually how it’s meant to function.

The OnePlus Buds 4 on a window sill.

(Image credit: Future)

It’s a shame because you really do need to use the HeyMelody app as most of the Buds 4's features are within it – and because those features are some of these earbuds' biggest draws.

You’ve got OnePlus 3D Audio, the company’s version of Spatial Audio. You’ve got an equalizer, which offers a 6-band custom mode or three presets along with a separate bass booster called BassWave. You’ve got the ability to set up ways to control your phone camera with the buds, toggles for High-Res mode, a find-my-earbuds function and, most importantly Golden Sound.

Golden Sound combines two tests we infrequently see in earbuds: an ear canal scan and a listening test, which together create a custom sound profile to enhance your music. I was impressed to see results which back ups hat I’ve independent learnt about my ears (one being better than the other) and the created sound profile did mark an improvement on the buds’ sound (albeit a smaller improvement than on some other buds which also have this test).

Some other features of the Buds 4, like a live translation feature, are exclusive to owners of a OnePlus phone.

Throughout testing, the connection between my phone and the buds was flawless, with the Bluetooth never dropping once. That wasn’t the case with the app itself, as I’ve already said, and every time I plugged the buds in it defaulted to their Transparency ANC mode, so I’d have to open up the app and change it.

With all these features, and more to list in the Sound Quality section, there’s a knock-on effect. The OnePlus Buds 4 battery life is fine, but nothing to write home about, and it can suffer if you’re using all the features.

The buds have a battery life of 11 hours… with ANC switched off. Turn it on and that drops by nearly half to 6 hours, and using LHDC codec drops it even further by about an hour. The case itself has quite a bit of gas in the tank as it starts at 45 hours of listening time, dropping to 24 with ANC and 22 with LHDC.

Those are all OnePlus’ figures but my own testing backed them up. With ANC but without LHDC, I’d get just over 6 hours of listening time on one charge.

  • Features score: 3.5/5

OnePlus Buds 4 review: Design

The OnePlus Buds 4 on a window sill.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Incredibly light case and buds
  • Fiddly touch controls
  • Black or green color options

Banish the thought of the square-cased OnePlus Buds 3; in the Buds 4, the company has borrowed the case design of the Buds Pro 3. That means it’s a pebble-shaped container that opens horizontally to reveal the top of the buds.

The case weighs 40g, so it’s very lightweight, and it’s certainly one of the smallest I’ve seen recently, clocking in at 65.4 x 52.4 x 25.3mm according to the very-specific figures OnePlus provided TechRadar.

I did find it a bit fiddly to get the buds back into the case at times, frequently putting the wrong one in the gaps. It’s probably only a concern to people who identify as klutzes, so I can’t list it as a ‘Con’, but it’s worth pointing out.

The OnePlus Buds 4 in a man's hands.

(Image credit: Future)

Like the buds themselves, the case comes in green or black. As someone who’s tested loads of OnePlus tech over the years, I’ve got to say the colors are very… ‘OnePlus-y’.

The buds weigh 4.73g so they’re incredibly lightweight. They use a stem design like previous buds from the company, so they consist of a body which stays wedged in your ear with a rubber tip, and a small stem that dangles down

Both buds have a stem that you can stroke up or down to change the volume. I found these really hard to use, as a light touch wouldn’t be triggered, and a hard one would invariably dislodge the buds in my ears. I quickly figured that it was better to stick to using my phone for volume controls. The actual double-tap controls worked a lot better though.

The buds are IP55 rated which means they’re protected against dust ingress, and can survive against low-pressure water jets. Yes, that includes sweat and rain, but I wouldn’t wear them during a water fight or while you swim.

  • Design score: 4/5

OnePlus Buds 4 review: Sound quality

  • 11mm+6mm drivers, dual DAC
  • Emphasis on bassy sound
  • Supports Hi-Res Audio, LHDC

The OnePlus Buds 4in a man's ear.

(Image credit: Future)

OnePlus has absolutely stuffed the Buds 4 full of audio-specific features.

Take, for example the drivers: each has two, an 11mm woofer for bass and 6mm tweeter for the higher stuff. There’s also a dual DAC solution, offering a separate one for each driver, so let each specialise. Buds 3 Pro users might be getting some Deja vu right now.

If you’re picking up what I’m putting down, you will have noticed that I’ve referenced plenty of bass features. Like the previous-gen buds, these models offer absolutely loads of bass – they’re punchy and exciting, but crucially it’s not as lopsidedly-balanced as the last-gen buds.

Vocal lines, guitar rhythms, piano harmonies are all crystal clear and defined, with the buds’ new focus on dynamic balance ensuring other parts of music can cut through the bass surprisingly well.

Listeners who like finely-balanced audio may still find the Buds 4’s heavy bass off-putting (even though you can strip lots of the excess away using the app’s EQ), but if you don’t mind a bit of oomph, the buds are fantastic.

The buds also support streaming High-Res audio via the Hi-Res Audio Wireless standard, the LHDC 5.0 Bluetooth codec and offer a sampling rate of 192Hz.

  • Sound quality: 4/5

OnePlus Buds 4 review: Value

The OnePlus Buds 4 in a man's hands.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Good value at full price
  • Great value on sale
  • Incredible value as bundle gift

I mentioned before that you may be receiving these as a pre-order or buying bonus with a phone, and if that’s the case… yep, a 100% discount is pretty good value for money!

In a hypothetical situation in which you’re buying these at full price, they’re still really good value for money due to the stand-out features. You’d be hard-pressed to get buds for cheaper with ANC, a feature set or a design like this.

However, if you don’t mind compromising in a few areas, you can definitely get buds for under $100/£100/AU$200 which equal the Buds 4 in most departments – if not the ANC.

  • Value: 4/5

Should I buy the OnePlus Buds 4?

The OnePlus Buds 4 in a man's hands.

(Image credit: Future)
OnePlus Buds 4 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

A fantastic feature set and top-notch ANC are a little hard to use thanks to the app experience.

3.5/5

Design

Incredibly lightweight buds that you'll forget are in your ear.

4/5

Sound quality

Heavy bass that doesn't obscure the rest of your music and is energetic and punchy.

4/5

Value

They're not too expensive and the entire package could cost twice as much without it being a rip-off.

3.5/5

Buy them if…

You need top-of-the-line ANC
I can't stress just how impressive the OnePlus Buds 4 noise cancellation is. If you hate background sound, buy it.

You have a OnePlus phone
A few features of the Buds 4 are exclusive to OnePlus users, so if you have such a phone, you're getting a little extra out of the purchase.

You want lightweight buds
Some earbuds are a pretty noticeable presence in your ear, for better or worse. The OnePlus buds certainly aren't that.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You're not a bass fan
While not as overwhelming as on last year's model, the Buds 4 certainly offer lots of bass which isn't for everyone.

You want earbuds for long journeys
When you switch on all of its features, the OnePlus Buds 4 don't really last all that long.

OnePlus Buds 4 review: Also consider

OnePlus Buds 4

Nothing Ear

Earfun Free Pro 3

OnePlus Buds 3

Drivers

11mm + 6mm

11mm

7mm

10.4mm + 6mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life

11 hours (buds) 45 hours (case)

5.2 hours (buds); 24 hours (case)

7.5 hours (buds) 25.5 hours total (with case)

10 hours (buds) 44 hours (case)

Weight

4.73g (buds) 40g (case)

4.62g (buds); 51.9g (case)

41.5g total

4.8g (buds) 40.8g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.3

Waterproofing

IP55

IP54

IPX5

IP55

Nothing Ear
These similar-priced earbuds also offer loads of bass and a top-end feature set that's comparable. The battery life is even worse but a few unique features may clinch the deal.

See our full Nothing Ear review

Sony WF-C710N
You could save a little money and buy these Sony buds, which have a stem-less design. They too have great ANC and some useful features, including from Sony's impressive suite, and their battery life is also much better/

See our full Sony WF-C710N review

How I tested the OnePlus Buds 4

  • Tested for 14 days
  • Tested at home, in the office and on walks

The testing and writing period of the OnePlus Buds 4 took roughly two weeks, most of which were testing and a few of which were writing.

I used the buds alongside my Realme Android phone and the apps I used included Spotify, Tidal, YouTube, Netflix and various games. I tested at home, around my neighborhood, at the gym and on public transport.

For TechRadar I've tested plenty of other earbuds including the previous-gen OnePlus Buds 3, and have other reviewed other gadgets from the company including the buds' contemporary smartphones.

  • First reviewed in July 2025
How McAfee+ Identity Protection Changed My Digital Habits
5:41 pm | July 8, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

Protecting your digital identity has become increasingly important. With the rise of sophisticated cyber threats, such as phishing scams, identity theft, and data breaches, choosing a robust identity protection service is essential for safeguarding your personal information.

This review offers a comprehensive analysis of McAfee identity protection, examining its key features, effectiveness in preventing identity theft, and overall value to consumers. Key aspects covered include the service's monitoring capabilities, real-time alerts, recovery support, and user-friendly interface. Additionally, we'll explore how McAfee+ compares to other identity protection services on the market.

By the end of this review, you will have a clearer understanding of whether McAfee Identity Protection is the right solution for you in securing your sensitive information and maintaining your online peace of mind.

McAfee+: Plans and pricing

The McAfee Essential plan, often referred to as a "starter" plan within the McAfee Total Protection suite, is designed to provide a solid foundation of security for individuals with multiple devices. Priced at an introductory offer of $39.99 for the first year (with renewal prices typically higher), it offers protection for up to five devices, compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and ChromeOS. This plan includes McAfee's award-winning antivirus and scam detection, ensuring real-time defense against malware, ransomware, and phishing attempts.

In addition to core antivirus protection, the Essential plan enhances online privacy with a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which often includes unlimited data usage, particularly when auto-renewal is enabled. Users also benefit from identity monitoring that alerts them if their personal information appears on the dark web. The plan includes a password manager (True Key) for secure login management and Safe Browse capabilities to warn against risky websites. Furthermore, it provides Personal Data Cleanup (scan only) to help identify where your data may be exposed on data broker sites and Online Account Cleanup (scan only) to locate old online accounts linked to your personal information. The McAfee Protection Score included in this plan helps users gauge their overall cybersecurity health. While the Essential plan offers a robust range of essential security and privacy features, it lacks the more extensive identity theft coverage and full-service data cleanup found in higher-tier McAfee+ plans.

In contrast, the McAfee+ Advanced Individual plan presents a much more comprehensive security package. Typically priced at an introductory fee of around $89.99 for the first year, this plan is more than double the cost of the Essential plan. The most significant upgrade is its coverage for unlimited devices (for one user), ensuring that all household devices are protected. Beyond the features of the Essential plan, the Advanced plan significantly enhances identity protection. It includes full-service Personal Data Cleanup, where McAfee actively assists in removing your information from data broker sites rather than merely scanning and alerting you. Furthermore, it provides $1 million in identity theft coverage and restoration services, enhanced bank and credit card transaction monitoring, and 1-bureau credit monitoring with monthly scores. The ability to initiate a security freeze in the event of suspected identity theft adds layer of security, making the McAfee+ Advanced Individual plan ideal for users who prioritize comprehensive identity and financial safety alongside robust device protection.

Lastly, the McAfee+ Advanced Family plan offers a comprehensive solution designed to protect the entire household (up to six users), extending beyond devices to include robust identity and privacy features. Its introductory price typically starts around $119.99 for the first year, though this can vary slightly depending on the retailer and current promotions.

This family plan offers unlimited device coverage for all compatible household devices, including Windows PCs, Macs, Android devices, iOS devices, and Chromebooks. A key differentiator for the family plan is the inclusion of Parental Controls (McAfee Safe Family), allowing parents to manage their children's online activities, set screen time limits, filter content, track locations, and view activity reports.

Beyond device security, the McAfee+ Advanced Family plan offers significant identity protection features. These include identity monitoring with alerts for personal information found on the dark web, as well as advanced tools such as bank and credit card transaction monitoring, along with 1-bureau credit monitoring that includes monthly credit scores. The financial protection is substantial, boasting up to $2 million in identity theft coverage and restoration services (an increase from the individual plan's $1 million coverage). This plan also allows users to place a security freeze on their credit if suspicious activity is suspected.

To enhance online privacy, the McAfee+ Advanced Family plan features an unlimited Secure VPN for safe browsing on public Wi-Fi. It includes full-service Personal Data Cleanup, where McAfee actively helps in removing personal information from data broker sites. Additionally, the Scam Detector, powered by McAfee Smart AI, identifies and warns against risky texts, emails, and videos. Meanwhile, the password manager (True Key) ensures secure login credentials. Safe Browse (WebAdvisor) blocks dangerous websites and downloads, further contributing to comprehensive cybersecurity. Lastly, the McAfee Protection Score tracks the overall cybersecurity health of the family, making the McAfee+ Advanced Family plan an ideal choice for families seeking comprehensive digital protection and peace of mind.

McAfee+: Features

McAfee+ is a comprehensive cybersecurity suite developed by McAfee that offers a variety of features to enhance your digital safety. Below are some key features included in the McAfee+ plans:

Antivirus and Antimalware: McAfee+ provides real-time protection against viruses, malware, spyware, ransomware, and other malicious threats. It scans your system to detect potential threats, preventing them from causing harm. Unlike many online identity protection suites, this feature is essential for personal security.

Firewall Protection: A built-in firewall monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic, protecting your device from unauthorized access and blocking suspicious connections.

Web Protection: This feature helps safeguard your online activities by blocking malicious websites, phishing attempts, and dangerous downloads. It also scans email attachments and instant messages for potential threats, making it especially useful for children online.

Identity Theft Protection: McAfee+ helps protect your personal information from being compromised by monitoring potential identity theft risks. This may include features like credit monitoring, social security number tracking, and alerts for suspicious activity. McAfee’s Identity Theft Protection service monitors over 40 data broker sites to identify whether your personal information has been compromised.

Safe Browsing: McAfee+ provides secure browsing extensions or plugins for popular web browsers. These tools warn you about unsafe websites in search results and block harmful ads or pop-ups.

Credit Monitoring: Depending on the selected plan, credit bureau monitoring looks for threats to your identity and monitors the Dark Web for associated risks.

Password Manager: This unique tool securely stores your login credentials and assists in creating strong, unique passwords for each website or application you use.

Secure VPN: McAfee+ includes a virtual private network (VPN) feature that encrypts your internet connection and anonymizes your online activities, adding an extra layer of privacy and security.

System Optimization Tools: McAfee+ also offers system optimization tools to improve your device’s performance by cleaning up unnecessary files, managing startup programs, and optimizing system settings.

Parental Controls: McAfee+ products include parental control features that allow you to monitor and restrict your child's online activities, block inappropriate content, and set usage time limits.

Overall, McAfee+ provides a robust suite of tools designed to enhance your cybersecurity and protect your personal information online.

McAfee+: Support

As would be expected from a veteran provider, McAfee offers numerous methods for support. On the direct side, there is 24/7 phone support, although we would have liked to see the number more prominently featured as we had to go through multiple screens to find it. There is a virtual assistant, and we did find a chat to a real person available 24/7 for English speaking countries (and 9am to 6 pm on business days for the rest of the world). We did not find an email, or a support portal as alternate methods for direct contact.

There are some options on the self support as well. We found a Support Home page, with a search bar, which had jump offs to YouTube videos, a FAQ, and related articles. There are also links to McAfee social media sites, including a Twitter feed that is active with recent updates, but it was not reassuring to find the link to the Facebook site coming up as “This page is not available.”

McAfee+: Competition

While McAfee+ provides a comprehensive security suite, several outstanding alternatives offer similar, if not enhanced, protection tailored to your specific needs and budget.

One of the top contenders is Bitdefender, which consistently earns high marks for its impressive malware detection capabilities in independent lab tests. In addition to its robust antivirus protection, Bitdefender boasts a feature-rich package that includes parental controls, a secure VPN, scam protection, and a comprehensive firewall. Its user-friendly interface and streamlined performance make it an excellent choice for families seeking extensive security without a steep price point. Moreover, Bitdefender offers a unique feature called "Vulnerability Assessment," scanning for potential security risks on your devices, further fortifying your online safety.

Norton 360 is another widely acclaimed option, often regarded as a gold standard in digital security. It encompasses a full suite that extends beyond basic antivirus functions, with many of its plans including features such as automatic cloud backup, a secure VPN, parental controls, and even identity theft protection. This makes Norton 360 an ideal choice for users looking for a holistic security solution. Moreover, it is equipped with advanced features like a password manager and dark web monitoring, ensuring that users are not only protected from current threats but also alerted to potential future risks. Norton also proudly offers a "100% Virus Protection Promise," reassuring users of its commitment to effective malware defense.

For those interested in a robust solution that includes a free tier, Avast One is an excellent option. Its free version is notably feature-rich, providing robust ransomware protection, a secure VPN, tracker blockers, and a built-in firewall. Furthermore, Avast’s reasonably priced premium upgrades offer even more sophisticated tools, such as advanced malware protection and a system cleanup feature, catering to a broad range of users with diverse budgets and requirements.

Other noteworthy alternatives include TotalAV, recognized for its superior web protection and system optimization tools. TotalAV not only helps shield against malware but also enhances system performance, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a more responsive computer experience alongside security. On the other hand, Malwarebytes is a household name recognized for its effective malware removal capabilities; its premium version provides real-time protection against a variety of online threats, making it an excellent complement to any primary antivirus.

Finally, consider solutions like Surfshark Antivirus, which is often bundled with the popular Surfshark VPN. This combination offers a substantial advantage in terms of privacy and security when browsing the internet. Similarly, Trend Micro is also a strong contender, offering comprehensive security features that include ransomware protection, Pay Guard for secure online transactions, and a social media privacy scanner, appealing to users who prioritize multifaceted protection.

In summary, while McAfee+ remains a solid choice, exploring these alternatives may lead to discovering a solution that better meets your specific security requirements and budgetary constraints.

McAfee+: Final verdict

McAfee+ provides a strong option for personal security and identity protection. We appreciate the variety of subscription tiers, the multitude of features, the support center, and the availability of 24/7 phone support. However, there are some areas that could be improved: the pricing is only available on an annual basis, the lowest tier lacks credit monitoring, there is only one method for direct support, and overall, the pricing tends to be on the expensive side. Nonetheless, when it comes to trusting a provider with your personal information, McAfee's longstanding reputation built over the years is a significant advantage.

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