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I reviewed Marshall’s first ever party speaker and it sounds as beautiful as it looks – but at some cost
4:00 am | October 16, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Tags: | Comments: Off

Marshall Bromley 750: two-minute review

Expectations are undoubtedly weighing heavily on the Marshall Bromley 750, which is the very first party speaker that the audio specialist has released.

Why? Well first of all, Marshall has had a pretty impressive run in 2025, nailing its typical Bluetooth speaker launches, like the Kilburn III, but also new product categories, like home theater. But also, Marshall’s first party speaker comes with a hefty price tag to match its hefty form factor. Specifically, it will set you back $1,299 / £899 / AU$1,799.

So, can the Bromley 750 maintain Marshall’s momentum in 2025 while also competing with the best party speakers around in spite of its considerable cost? Well yes, actually, it succeeds on both counts. Here’s why.

First of all, let’s talk sound – probably the most important aspect of any speaker! The Bromley 750 sounds as you’d expect. With its 500W of Class D amplification, you’ll get almighty bass output, but especially in Dynamic listening mode, you’ll still be treated to clear, defined mids and expressive, controlled treble.

One of the most interesting additions the Bromley makes is its sound character control. This lets you adjust audio on a scale of Dynamic to Loud. When you lean more towards a dynamic configuration, you’ll get a pleasingly nuanced, detailed listen, even in the absence of LDAC or aptX.

However, if you swing things the other way, there’s more of an emphasis on raw power. Bass is ramped up and you’ll get a less analytical listen, but this is very useful if you need maximum loudness for a giant outdoor area, for instance.

Whether you’re using Bluetooth, 3.5mm, or USB-C audio, you’ll be able to adapt EQ to suit your personal needs and taste – something I expect from all the best Bluetooth speakers. However, this doesn’t work with the XLR/6.35mm combo ports, which otherwise function without a hitch and offer delay/reverb effects via the speaker’s physical controls.

Perhaps my main criticism of the Bromley 750, though, is that its app is sort of disappointing. You can’t remotely adapt EQ for the speaker or alter sound characteristics, and there’s simply not that much to experience in there. That’s a shame given that the Marshall Heston 120 made great use of its revamped, feature-rich companion app.

Elsewhere, though, there’s still a lot to love about the Bromley 750. I was a big fan of its adjustable lighting, its impeccable 40-hour battery life and its high quality finish to name a few things.

Ultimately, the Marshall Bromley 750 makes for a fantastic debut in the party speaker world. It is expensive, even compared to some similarly-sized rivals, and app controls could be better. Still, this thing offers addictive audio, beautiful lighting, and plenty of playtime. As a result, I’d recommend it to those who have the cash.

Marshall Bromley 750 light active

(Image credit: Future)

Marshall Bromley 750 review: price and release date

  • $1,299 / £899 / AU$1,799
  • Launched in September 2025

The Marshall Bromley 750 released in September 2025 and is the audio specialist’s first ever party speaker. It has a list price of $1,299 / £899 / AU$1,799, meaning it's pretty pricey, but it is constructed of premium materials and delivers extensive battery life alongside powerful audio.

Marshall Bromley 750 review: specs

Weight

52.7lbs / 23.9kg

Dimensions

25.7 x 16.3 x 14 inches / 652 x 413 x 355mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm, USB-C, RCA, 2x XLR/6.35mm combo jacks

Battery life

40 hours

Speaker drivers

2x 10-inch 150W woofers, 2x 5.25-inch 50W mid-rangers, 2x 1-inch 7W tweeters, 2x 0.8-inch 14W tweeters

Waterproofing

IP54

Person plugging microphone into the Marshall Bromley 750

(Image credit: Future)

Marshall Bromley 750 review: features

  • Multiple ports, including XLR/6.35mm slots for karaoke / instruments
  • Entertaining range of lighting options
  • Impressive 40 hour battery life

The Marshall Bromley 750 is a versatile party speaker, and offers a range of connectivity options to help you keep things fresh. Of course, there’s Bluetooth 5.3, but there’s also USB-C and 3.5mm ports for wired listening.

Interestingly, though, if you look at the reverse side of the Bromley, you can also discover RCA ports for keyboards and turntables, as well as XLR/6.35mm combo ports for microphones and electro-acoustic guitars.

One of my colleagues performed Mama’s Broken Heart by Miranda Lambert using a mic, and it sounded great. The speaker has delay and reverb effects on-board too, and these worked very nicely indeed. The only other thing worth noting about this is that you can’t alter EQ while using the XLR/6.35mm combo ports, which some may hope for.

My favorite feature of the Marshall Bromley 750 is certainly its integrated stage lights. There are three different modes – an ambient setting, and two dynamic alternatives that react differently depending on audio output. The lights look absolutely fantastic, and really help to further immerse listeners in the music. You can also trigger a burst of strobe lighting by pressing the ‘M’ button.

Speaking of the ‘M’ button, its function can be altered in the Marshall app. But this isn’t the shiny new version of the app used by the Marshall Heston 120 soundbar: its the older variant. Unfortunately, the app feels a little underbaked. You can alter volume, listen to an Auracast broadcast, or adjust the standby timeout, but that’s about it.

I wish the app enabled EQ adjustment – something that you can access with physical controls. The app also omits control over the reverb and delay effects for karaoke and instrument use. It would also be good to have control over the new sound character feature – which enables you to tailor audio more towards a ‘dynamic’ or ‘loud’ style.

Back to the positives, though, and I have to say that the Bromley 750’s battery life is excellent. 40 hours of playtime for a speaker of this size? That’s phenomenal. A similar-sized rival like the JBL PartyBox 720 is capable of up to 15 hours, which is fairly standard – that really puts the Bromley’s massive playtime into perspective.

On top of that, the Bromley 750 has a replaceable battery, which means that even if your 40 hours of play run out, you can substitute another one in to extend the party. There’s no multi-speaker pairing, which some may miss, but otherwise there are a lot of features to enjoy on Marshall’s debut party speaker.

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Marshall Bromley 750 replaceable battery half ejected

(Image credit: Future)

Marshall Bromley 750 review: sound quality

  • Mighty 500W power output
  • Meaty yet regimented bass performance
  • Sound character control works great

The Marshall Bromley 750 isn’t necessarily the most powerful party speaker on the market, but believe me, it can get plenty loud enough for just about any setting.

I brought the speaker to the parking lot outside Future Labs and listened to some house tunes with my friends, and it was almost as if I threw my own mini-rave. In fact, one colleague inside the office noted that they could hear the Bromley while using ANC headphones – pretty impressive, right?

But it's one thing being powerful, and another sounding great. Luckily, the Bromley 750 does both.

When bumping Can’t Resist by Jamback, the high-pitched percussion cut through with intent, never sounding harsh, even at high volumes. Vocals in the mid range weren't obscured in the mix, either, even with the track’s deep bass pumping throughout. The rapid kick drum never sounded lethargic and low-frequency output was both textured and impactful. The speaker’s ability to reach down to 20Hz means that it can also handle sub bass with finesse.

Similarly, with Unknown Territory by Kolter, high-pitched percussive elements were expressive yet controlled, while the bass sounded seriously meaty – but also well-regimented. Spacey synths were also well separated, enabling a decently nuanced listen, even in the absence of higher-resolution audio codecs like LDAC or aptX.

The sound character control function works very well on the Bromley, and makes it a versatile speaker for more lowkey indoor occasions or busy outdoor gatherings. At the music testing room at Future Labs, I tuned into Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz – it's only right to listen to some Rock on a Marshall speaker, after all.

Here, I set the dial almost entirely towards ‘Dynamic’. With this setting, bass was balanced, not overbearing, giving vocals the space to sound clear and defined. Now, when I tried cranking up loudness to the three-quarter mark and beyond, bass was too smothering for the setting, resulting in a more compressed, one-dimensional quality.

But again, this isn’t the sort of situation where you’ll need to depart too far from dynamic listening. And even outdoors or in large indoor spaces, you'll likely be able to keep the dial somewhere between Loud and Dynamic, where audio still sounds fantastic. Even if you do set loudness to the max, you’ll still be treated to almighty bass, and get all the power you need for use in a huge, busy outdoor environment.

One more thing – the Bromley 750 has an impressive soundstage thanks to the use of Marshall’s 360-degree true stereophonic sound. This works well, and creates a wide, well-adjusted sound from almost any listening angle.

  • Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Marshall Bromley 750 with microphone

(Image credit: Future)

Marshall Bromley 750 review: design

  • Classic Marshall look is a hit once again
  • Beautiful lights and physical controls
  • Very hefty, but handle makes it easy enough to transport

If you’ve read my Marshall Kilburn III review – or basically any piece about Marshall products – you’ll know that I typically love the way the audio specialist designs its products. And the story remains the same for the Bromley 750, which looks brilliant as well.

I adore the premium speaker grille and the way its shimmering lights beam behind it. I’m also partial to the faux-leather exterior, luxurious physical controls, and easily accessible connectivity ports.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room – the Bromley is one hefty lad. Yep, at 52.7lbs / 23.9kg, you may not think this thing is the easiest to lug around. But luckily, the Bromley is equipped with a suitcase-style handle and wheels, meaning you can roll it around to wherever you want to place it. Wheeling it rarely felt clunky, making it easy enough to transport.

On top of that, the Bromley has handles on either side if you need to lift it up some stairs, as I did.

Another aspect of design worth discussing is the Bromley 750’s IP54 rating. This means that it has some limited dust protection, as well as shielding against water splashes from any direction.

Now, is an IP54 rating anything special? Well, perhaps not. But still, for a speaker of this kind, it's certainly in-line with the competition. And it still goes a step further than many thanks to a drainage function, which dislodges any excess moisture in the case of a particularly rainy day, for instance.

  • Design score: 5/5

Power buttton and control knobs on the Marshall Bromley 750

(Image credit: Future)

Marshall Bromley 750 review: value

  • Comes at quite the cost
  • But does offer plenty of quality in return for investment
  • Repairability can likely boost longevity too

The Marshall Bromley 750 is by no means cheap. It has a list price of $1,299 / £899 / AU$1,799, meaning that it will be a real investment – even compared to some rivals in this weight and size class.

For instance, the JBL PartyBox 720, which was released at around the same time, is not only more powerful than the Bromley 750, but cheaper too – $200 / £100 / AU$300 cheaper, to be exact.

In fairness, though, Marshall offers slightly better protection against the elements, much better battery life, and a more luxurious look than its rival from JBL. Is that worth the extra cash? Well, that will just depend on your needs and preferences.

Even if the Bromley is expensive, a couple of things make it well worth the investment. First of all, it's an absolute beauty. This thing is a statement piece – you won’t necessarily have to wheel it away to your garage for future use. It could conceivably fit into a living room set up for personal listening and for aesthetic purposes.

Secondly, the Bromley 750 is repairable, with Marshall offering authorized repair services as well as spare parts for its first party speaker. Pair that with the replaceable battery, and this model feels well protected against future wear and tear.

Of course, this is also an excellent-sounding, fairly feature-rich party speaker, so even if the price tag is high, you’ll get oodles of quality for the spend.

  • Value score: 4/5

Handle on the Marshall Bromley 750

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Marshall Bromley 750?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

I wish the app had more controls, but the lighting, connectivity options, and 40 hour battery life are excellent.

4.5/5

Sound quality

Powerful, regimented bass, effective sound character control, solid instrument separation.

4.5/5

Design

Mesmerizing lighting, luxurious exterior, splashproof with drainage system in place.

5/5

Value

Some more powerful rivals can cost less, but you get premium build and playtime in return.

4/5

Buy it if...

You’re a regular party host
If you’re someone that loves to throw a good party every now and then, the Bromley 750 could be a great investment. Awesome audio, buckets of power, and karaoke capabilities… what more could you ask for?

You love the Marshall look
If you’re a fan of the Marshall aesthetic, then you’ll almost certainly be rocking with the Bromley 750 as well. With an attractive faux leather exterior, high-quality grille, and gorgeous lighting, you’re in for a treat with this one.

Don't buy it if...

You’re looking for the ultimate value pick
The Bromley 750 is an expensive beast, and a few similar-sized rivals are available for a little less too. Of course, you’re getting almost unbeatable battery life and fantastic build quality here, but you’ll have to assess whether that’s worth the additional spend over competitors.

You’re a little low on space
If you don’t have a healthy portion of space, the Bromley 750 may be overkill for you. At 25.7 inches / 652mm tall and 16.3 inches / 413mm wide, this thing will require some serious room – and with a weight of 52.7lbs / 23.9kg, it's pretty heavy too.

Marshall Bromley 750 review: also consider

Marshall Bromley 750

JBL PartyBox 720

LG xboom Stage 301

Price

$1,299 / £899 / AU$1,799

$1,099.95 / £799.99 / AU$1,495

$299.99 / £299.99 / AU$449

Weight

52.7lbs / 23.9kg

68.3lbs / 31kg

14.7lbs / 6.7kg

Dimensions

25.7 x 16.3 x 14 inches / 652 x 413 x 355mm

16.4 x 37.1 x 16 inches / 416 x 942 x 406mm

12.3 x 12.2 x 11.1 inches / 312 x 311 x 282mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm, USB-C, RCA, 2x XLR/6.35mm combo jacks

Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm, 2x XLR jacks

Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm, 6.3mm (mic/guitar) USB (MP3 playback)

Battery life

40 hours

15 hours

12 hours

Speaker drivers

2x 10-inch 150W woofers, 2x 5.25-inch 50W mid-rangers, 2x 1-inch 7W tweeters, 2x 0.8-inch 14W tweeters

2x 9-inch woofers, 2x 1.25-inch dome tweeters

2x 2.5-inch midrange drivers; 1x 6.5-inch woofer

Waterproofing

IP54

IPx4

IPX4

JBL PartyBox 720
OK, we’ve not reviewed this one just yet (watch this space though), but it's one of the obvious rivals to the Bromley 750, so it's worth a comparison. The PartyBox 720 has much more in-your-face multicolored lighting, as opposed to the more ambient style of the Bromley 750 – some will like that, others may find it overbearing. As I mentioned earlier, this model is more powerful, yet still cheaper than the Bromley, though that comes at the cost of no dustproof rating and a significantly smaller (yet still solid) battery life.

LG xboom Stage 301
Here's something a little different (and significantly cheaper). The LG xboom Stage 301 is a wedge-style Bluetooth speaker that offers deep yet clean bass output, effective AI-assisted audio output, and immersive dual-bar lighting. It also supports karaoke and DJ modes. If you don't quite need all the power of the Bromley 750, this could be a strong smaller option for you. Read our full LG xboom Stage 301 review.

How I tested the Marshall Bromley 750

Handles on the Marshall Bromley 750

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested across the course of one week
  • Used indoors at Future Lab and outdoors in a parking lot
  • Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the Marshall Bromley 750 across the course of one week, spending most of my time with it at the music testing space at Future Labs, but I also spent a while with it in the parking lot as well.

During the testing period, I spent hours on end blasting tunes from a variety of genres, with bass-heavy bangers and legendary rock ballads as starring players. I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which is standard practice for me when trialing audio gear, but I also tuned into some songs from my personal library.

When listening to music, I typically used Tidal, but I also tried bumping some tunes from my library on Spotify in light of the recent lossless update. I listened at a variety of angles and volumes, exhausted all of the lighting options, and messed around with the Bromley’s karaoke and instrument capabilities.

  • First reviewed: October 2025
  • Read more about how we test
Nanoleaf LED face mask review: fantastic value for money, but only by cutting some corners
1:30 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: | Comments: Off

Nanoleaf LED face mask: One minute review

Light therapy is all the rage, with claimed benefits to reduce fine lines, acne and even skin conditions like rosacea, and a new brand has entered the fray in famed smart lighting brand, Nanoleaf. The immersive lighting brand’s all-new LED light therapy face mask offers seven light therapy modes (red, green, blue, cyan, yellow, purple and white), offering deeper penetration with near-infrared light (NIR).

There are perhaps quite a few better-suited parties than a smart home brand to wrangle the complex world of beauty, and that might just show in the soft landing of Nanoleaf’s first-ever LED light therapy face mask. Don’t get me wrong; I liked the device, but some refinements to its offering could have nudged it into a slightly higher score.

For instance, it lacks the cool product identity of Shark’s CryoGlow LED face mask, but it also doesn’t quite match up in the specs department. I’ll go more into depth in the performance section of this review, but in short, Nanoleaf’s light technology is just shy of recommended peak performance wavelengths across the board, and features some colored light therapies that haven’t been extensively studied that I wouldn’t want to evaluate without some research to refer to.

Nanoleaf LED face mask

(Image credit: Future)

That being said, being a tech-first company does come with certain benefits, and Nanoleaf has clearly given some thought to how we use our devices. Unlike the CryoGlow and several other hard-shelled LED face masks on the market, Nanoleaf opts for a flexible silicone mask with cutouts for the eyes, nose and mouth, making it comfortable to wear and more easily portable.

Plus, you can detach the remote (which doubles as the battery housing), which means you can easily stow the mask in a suitcase when traveling, and it won’t bend or bruise as a result of being squeezed into your hand luggage.

As for the results; they’re not dramatic, but neither are the results I’ve seen from higher-grade LED face masks. If you want a value-focused LED mask, Nanoleaf will deliver, with some added frills you might not want or need. It’s a solid travel-friendly backup to a pricier model, too, if you’re an avid light therapy fan; but if you want to maximize results, you’re best off stretching your budget for a more effective mask.

Nanoleaf LED face mask

(Image credit: Future)

Nanoleaf LED face mask review: Price and availability

  • Announced and released in early 2025
  • Costs $249 / £129 / AU$249
  • Affordable among LED face masks

The Nanoleaf LED light therapy face mask has a list price of $249.99 / £129.99 AU$249, though it’s worth highlighting that it's often listed at $199.99 in the US (which was its pre-tariff pricing). It can be purchased directly from Nanoleaf as well as third-party retailers such as Amazon.

Out of the box, the Nanoleaf LED light therapy face mask comes with eye socket cushions, the rechargeable controller, the charging cable, and velcro straps.

Nanoleaf is offering a much more affordable mask than much of its competition by cutting some corners when it comes to specs. My recommendations for the product are to use it as an entry point into light therapy, or as a travel-friendly stand-in for a more expensive and fully featured mask; that said, its US price is a little steep.

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Nanoleaf LED face mask

(Image credit: Future)

Nanoleaf LED face mask review: Design

  • Flexible silicon
  • Detachable remote
  • Face fit will vary

Made from medical-grade silicone, Nanoleaf’s LED light therapy face mask offers a flexible form factor that’s nice and lightweight at just 258g. In use, it’s fairly comfortable; I found the eye holes to be too narrow and the mouth cutout to be too low, but for some, this won’t be an issue. The face fit otherwise is relatively good, though it’s pretty far from my chin.

The mask comes with silicone eye-socket cushions, which make the mask slightly more wearable and help to block out as much light as possible to protect your eyes during use; though some still seeps around. Its adjustable velcro head straps are fairly effective for keeping the mask in place, although if you have particularly silky hair or a lack thereof, it can slide around a little too much for my liking.

On the underside of the mask are its 108 four-wick LED bulbs (432 LEDs total), which work across the mask's various light therapy programs to deliver results.

As the controller houses a lithium-ion battery, much like those for many light therapy masks, it’s unsuitable to be stowed in hold luggage during flights. This is where Nanoleaf’s understanding of tech-related lifestyle requirements is a benefit – you can unplug the controller to carry it in your hand luggage and stow the mask itself in your hold bag, making this one of the best LED face masks for travel.

  • Design score: 3.5/5

Nanoleaf LED face mask

(Image credit: Future)

Nanoleaf LED face mask review: How it works

Nanoleaf’s LED light therapy mask has seven preset light therapy routines that address different skincare goals. However, it’s worth highlighting that there are very specific color wavelengths that have been studied and identified as potentially beneficial in skincare, those being blue (415nm), red (633nm), and NIR (830nm). In Nanoleaf’s LED face masks, these three treatments all fall just outside of the recommended range for peak performance. That doesn’t mean they won’t work, but as a budget mask, you shouldn’t expect it to provide quite as good results as a pricier model with better LEDs.

The only other direct color included is green, and the rest are combinations of these primary LEDs. These settings, including green, lack clinical evidence for efficacy and studies into potential risks, so use at your discretion. The mask is FDA-cleared, however, meaning it has been approved as safe for use by US regulators, but not for its efficacy.

Nanoleaf claims the mask offers the following treatments and benefits, each paired with an 850nm wavelength NIR:

Lights, wavelengths and benefits

Red

640nm

Stimulates collagen production and improves circulation to promote skin repair and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

Green

520nm

Soothes sensitive skin, minimizes redness, and boosts lymphatic flow to reduce swelling.

Blue

460nm

Evens skin tone by reducing pigmentation of scars and age spots.

Yellow

640nm + 525nm


Calms irritation and redness to promote a refreshed, brighter complexion.

Cyan

460nm + 525nm

Kills bacteria and reduces oil production to treat and prevent breakouts.

Purple

640nm + 460nm

Combines red and blue light benefits to promote overall skin healing and reduce general skin imperfections.

White

640nm + 525nm + 460nm

Stimulates cellular activity across multiple layers of the skin to allow deeper penetration of skincare products, maximizing their effectiveness.

Nanoleaf recommends using the mask for 5-10 minutes three to five times per week, depending on your skin’s needs, and says that with consistent use, “a noticeable improvement in skin texture and tone should be visible after 4 to 6 weeks.”

Nanoleaf LED face mask

(Image credit: Future)

Nanoleaf LED face mask review: Performance

  • Various treatments for different skin needs
  • Battery life sufficient
  • Decent results, but needs consistency

I tried two full cycles of Nanoleaf’s face mask in my testing: the blue and red light treatments, so I had a more solid comparison point against Shark’s Cryoglow. Worth highlighting up front is that these results are never permanent; all light therapy masks require continued regular use to reap the benefits.

Its red light therapy for inflammation reduction seems promising, and if that’s your priority, this more affordable mask might just be the best way to treat fine lines and wrinkles. After a 4-week cycle with four treatments per week, I noticed some small improvements to fine lines and repair to skin damage.

Blue light, for me, didn’t seem to work nearly as well, and I’d say overall there are better masks that offer more immediate results for acne sufferers; for me, I think my skin benefits from having room to breathe during treatment, which this skin-tight model doesn’t afford. After four weeks of use, my acne didn’t show any discernable changes as it had with the Shark Cryoglow, but there are of course ample outside factors that color results here.

As I’m writing this review I’m trying out the Cyan mode, as oily, acne-prone skin remains my biggest skincare challenge, but it’s too early to say if I’m seeing any significant results; however once again I feel the mask’s closeness to my skin might just negate any benefits from the light therapy here, as I’m often more oily after a treatment than before.

Where the Nanoleaf loses the most points is in comfort. It’s made of malleable silicone, which does make it more travel-friendly, but it’s a lot less enjoyable to wear. It gets a little warm under there, and especially given that I did some of my testing through sticky UK summer heat, that has made for some unpleasant me-time. It’s a bit loose around the jaw, too, and the velcro straps do slip around some.

Nanoleaf LED face mask

As you can see, the mask sits naturally about 1cm lower on my face than where it should (Image credit: Future)

The eye holes are also too small, meaning the light can leak out a fair amount, which isn’t the best thing for your eyes. Add to that the fact that, for my face at least, the holes don’t quite line up, particularly around my mouth, and this ill-fitting design can lead to further discomfort.

Battery life, at least, is more than sufficient; it lasts around three hours (enough for around 15 10-minute treatments) on a full charge, and recharges in just over an hour.

Despite some moderate results from treatment and mild discomfort, Nanoleaf’s mask is, at its price point, a solid performer and a great choice for those first-time light therapy users.

  • Performance score: 4/5

Nanoleaf LED face mask review: scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

A fairly affordable mask for its relatively good specs.

4.5/5

Design

Not the most comfortable, but travels well.

3.5/5

Performance

Noticeable results, but not peak effectiveness

4/5

Nanoleaf LED face mask: Should I buy it?

Buy it if...

You’re looking for a travel-friendly mask

With its detachable battery and controller unit, Nanoleaf’s LED face mask is much easier to travel with than some alternatives.

You’re on a budget

Nanoleaf’s LED face mask is a great budget option, especially if you can find it on sale.

Don't buy it if...

You want peak power and performance

With some of the light therapies falling outside of recommended wavelengths, you’re not getting peak performance from this mask, though it’s by no means bad.

You want a relaxing spa companion

Sure, beauty is pain, but I’m not sure self-care needs to be uncomfortable, and this mask can run pretty hot, and may not fit your face comfortably.

Nanoleaf LED face mask

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested

I tried two full treatment cycles using Nanoleaf’s LED face mask with the scientifically backed Red and Blue light therapies in order to assess how well it performed over time.

Through my daily use, I was able to consider the comfort, design features and benefits for the device, but I also compared it against my experience with the Shark CryoGlow.

I’ve been testing beauty products for four years, informing myself on the latest trends and research in order to provide reliable, relatable recommendations based on my in-person experience.

First reviewed October 2025

Our Xiaomi 15T Pro video review is out
1:12 am |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Xiaomi launched the 15T and 15T Pro in late September, possibly confusing a lot of people since it also introduced the 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max literally the day after that. Anyway, the 15T and 15T Pro are basically the Xiaomi branded flagship killer-like devices, which is what the T series has always been. The fact that they now seem like they're two generations behind the current flagships can't help, we assume - the new top of the line models were both launched earlier than usual and Xiaomi decided to skip the number 16 in order to align its naming convention with...

I tested Epson’s top portable projector, and it’s got a fun design but average performance
12:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Theater Projectors Televisions | Tags: | Comments: Off

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus: One minute review

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus follows up on last year's Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22 portable projector, but this time, Epson is leaning far more into the lifestyle aspect of the design with a more extensive fabric wrap, colorful LED underlighting, and a funky monopod stand.

Under the hood, the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus offers a sizable upgrade over the EF22 thanks to the 4K projection system, but otherwise still uses the same 3LCD tech and has the same 1,000 ISO lumens brightness spec.

It’s nice to see the 4K resolution since larger images really benefit from it. But picture quality with the Lifestudio Flex Plus otherwise isn’t terribly impressive, with weak contrast, minor ghosting and motion hiccups, and a brightness level that really requires a dark room.

As for the rest of the package, having only one HDMI port is a limiting factor and the built-in Sound by Bose speakers provide just average sound quality. And even though the stand allows for flexible aim, it doesn’t offer anything that other examples of the best projectors with built-in stands don’t.

While the $999 price tag puts the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus on the affordable side for a 4K projector, it still has to square off against the oft-discounted price of the brighter, more colorful JMGO N1S Pro 4K and the slightly brighter, slightly more expensive, but more versatile Hisense M2 Pro.

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Price & release date

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus tilted up on table showing colored lights

The Lifestudio Flex Plus has built-in lighting that can change colors and lets it do double-duty as a mood lamp (Image credit: Future)
  • Release date: September 2025
  • MSRP: $999.99 / £1,149.99 / around AU$1,536

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus has just launched, and it lands with a retail price of $999.99. Given its newness, it’s unlikely to see any considerable discounts in the near term. This puts it in a tough spot as it has to face off against pricier rivals like the JMGO N1S Pro 4K, which has a retail price of $1,999 but has seen discounts as low as $1,099 since its launch.

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Specs

Screen sizes supported:

30-150 inches

Brightness (specified):

1.000 Lumens

HDR support:

HDR10, HLG

Display technology:

RGB LED, 3LCD

Smart TV:

Google TV

Connections:

1x HDMI (with eARC), 3.5mm audio out, USB-A, USB-C (supports 100/140W PD input)

Dimensions (H x W x D):

7.5 x 7.5 x 9.7 inches (190 x 190 x 246mm)

Weight:

8.8 pounds (4kg)

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Design & features

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus rear panel showing ports

Ports include HDMI with eARC and USB-C for powering the projector with a portable battery pack (Image credit: Future)
  • All-in-one system
  • Integrated stand with a unique lamp feature
  • Quick, automatic adjustments

Epson has attempted to make the Lifestudio Flex Plus a bit more than a simple piece of tech. While the main portion of the projector is a little box that’s pretty typical of lifestyle projectors, it sits on a unique pole stand that allows for flexible aim and raises it to showcase the bottom-mounted LED lamp.

With taps on the top of the projector, the lamp switches its lighting scheme, offering some fun and colorful light shows or settling into a basic white. It’s a kind of fun gimmick, though with ambient light being the enemy of dimmer projectors, it’s also an odd choice. Even more odd, there’s no controlling the LED lamp with the remote, so you’ll have to touch the projector if you want to turn it off while watching.

The projector has a stylish design with a fabric wrap on its lower half and a wood-grain top, leaning more into accent furniture than a typical piece of tech. Still, it looks a little awkward standing on its monopod leg.

The stand is functional with a sturdy base, easy rotation, and a 105-degree vertical tilt. This lets you aim the projector straight up to project on ceilings (though it requires moving a small plastic panel on the rear that doesn’t serve much purpose other than aesthetics). The stand can also tilt down slightly if you need to project from a high-up place.

While it’s nice to have an integrated stand, this one doesn’t prove as helpful as some of the others I’ve seen lately. The Hisense M2 Pro’s stand, for instance, provides similar vertical shifting but also allows the projector to flip upside-down, which is even more convenient for projecting from high places than having the ability to tilt down, as it can avoid keystone adjustment.

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus can make it easy to get up and running. It has automatic focus, keystone adjustment, and obstacle avoidance. This squares the image with the wall and crops it into the available space on your wall or screen. Cropping the image this way isn’t entirely ideal, as it sacrifices resolution and overall brightness in the process, but it’s quick and convenient if you move the projector around often.

Though the Lifestudio Flex Plus doesn’t have an internal battery, it does encourage portability with its small size and ability to run off a USB-C charger battery pack with 100-140W of USB PD output.

The projector features an eye-protection feature to avoid harming anyone’s eyes, pets included, if they walk in front of the projector’s path. While many projectors have similar features, on the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus, they are quick to activate and conveniently pause video playback so you don’t miss a beat.

The Lifestudio Flex Plus integrates Google TV for easy streaming, and with Wi-Fi 6, it can get a consistent, high-speed connection. Google TV was generally responsive during my testing, though it had the occasional hitch when loading up video. The system includes its own stereo speakers as well for a complete all-in-one package.

If you don’t want to rely on the Lifestudio Flex Plus’s built-in streaming and speakers, the projector’s single HDMI port supports HDMI eARC to send out audio. There’s a 3.5mm audio port on the back as well, and a USB-A port to play back local media. If you plan to connect a game console to the projector, ALLM is supported, which automatically switches the projector to a low-latency Game picture mode.

The Lifestudio Flex Plus comes with a basic remote. It has the standard Google TV control wheel, which makes navigation pretty simple. Brightness and volume controls are on their own pill-shaped buttons that make them easier to locate. There are also a few app shortcut buttons and an input-selection shortcut, though that might as well just be a shortcut to HDMI. The remote doesn’t include any backlighting, which makes it harder to use in a dark home theater environment.

  • Design & features score: 4/5

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Picture quality

  • 4K resolution
  • Limited brightness, color gamut, and contrast
  • Some motion handling issues

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is a fine projector, but it doesn’t offer a remarkable home theater experience. With a brightness level that hits just 1,000 lumens, it’s simply not up to the task of delivering a dazzling picture, and it especially struggles with ambient light. To make the most of the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus, you’ll need to turn out the lights and get blackout curtains or use it at night.

Even in the right conditions, picture quality with the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is still just average, though its 4K picture has impressive detail. Color looks fairly natural, though the projector’s color gamut isn’t as wide as with some triple-laser models I’ve tested in recent years. The plus side is that, with Epson’s 3LCD tech, there are none of the rainbow artifacts you’ll find with DLP projectors.

Blacks on the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus are rather elevated. When watching relatively dark movie scenes, it fails to reach very dark levels, even with active contrast enabled. This harms the overall experience as dark scenes simply lack richness, and letterboxing is all too visible.

The projector also suffers a bit from ghosting. This doesn’t rear its head much in brighter scenes, but it shows up in darker ones. Watching Warfare, it cropped up big time after the IED explosion during the team’s first evac attempt, with the soldiers moving through the explosion of dirt and sand, followed by ghosting trails that made the scene a blur.

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus projected movie images

The projector's Google TV smart TV interface (Image credit: Future)

Motion interpolation is enabled by default on the Lifestudio Flex Plus. This can be useful in some limited contexts, such as panning shots, but it makes for unnatural motion from people and inaccurate smoothing in animation. Though it’s generally better with the feature disabled, the projector can stutter from time to time during panning shots, even with just light motion.

The mixed projection experience is matched by the middling Sound by Bose speakers. They can put out enough volume to get by in a 150-square-foot room without distortion. But, they suffer from the typical TVwq speaker issue: if the volume gets loud enough to hear the dialogue, the action and music are too loud. Conversely, if the action and music are at the right volume, the dialogue becomes too quiet to hear clearly.

  • Picture quality score: 3/5

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus review: Value

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus with remote control on table

Epson's remote control is serviceable but lacks backlighting (Image credit: Future)
  • High price tag
  • Price is still competitive for category
  • Performance equivalent to competition

The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus puts everything you need for a modest home theater into a single, $1,000 package. Its performance is generally good, and while that would have gone a long way a couple of years ago, the portable projector space has gotten incredibly competitive since then.

Rivals from JMGO, Xgimi, Hisense, and Dangbei provide a ton of new options, while older projectors have had discounts. Some of these offer similar features and higher brightness without costing much more, and that reality hurts the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus’s value.

  • Value score: 3/5

Should I buy the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus?

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus on table pointing down

The monopod stand provides upward and downward tilt motion (Image credit: Future)
Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design and features

Fun design with a useful stand that makes it easy to aim at a wall or ceiling. It’s an all-in-one device as well, giving you speakers and a streaming platform. While it has its own DC power adapter, it can also run on USB-C power

4/5

Picture and sound quality

Natural-looking color and a 4K resolution. But the brightness and color gamut are underwhelming, an an elevated black level limits contrast. Sound quality too is just average

3/5

Value

While it’s nice to get an all-in-one package, the picture and sound quality isn’t impressive compared to some recent competitors that fall in the $1,000-$1500 price range

3/5

Buy it if...

You struggle with rainbow artifacts
If you look at projectors and see a frequent blend of rainbow colors, you’re experiencing a common issue with DLP projection technologies. Epson’s 3LCD tech avoids this issue entirely. View Deal

You like the style
The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus puts its best foot forward with a kind of fun and funky look. It’s part projector, part party lamp. View Deal

You want a projector that can run off USB-C power
While USB-C ports are becoming widespread, very few projectors have used it. The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is one of the few to let you power it from USB-C, giving you a convenient option for pairing it with a portable battery pack, even if most won’t be able to run it for very long.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You don’t have a dark viewing space
Limited brightness holds the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus back. If you want a good viewing experience, you’ll need a very dark space, and even then the contrast on this model is weak. View Deal

You want vivid colors
Color on this projector looks natural, but triple laser projectors have a big edge when it comes to color gamut coverage, which especially benefits 4K HDR content. You can find similar models with triple laser tech at competitive prices. View Deal

Your projector placement is strict
This projector’s automatic software adjustments are useful for frequent repositioning, but it doesn’t have optical zoom or lens shift, so you’ll sacrifice resolution and brightness if you can’t set the projector in the ideal spot and have to instead rely on its software correction. View Deal

Also consider

Comparison: projectors

Epson LifeStudio Flex Plus

Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22

Anker Nebula Mars 3

JMGO N1S Pro 4K

Price:

$999

$999

$1,049

$1,099

Screen sizes supported:

90 to 130 inches

30 to 100 inches

30 to 200 inches

85 to 180 inches

Brightness (specified):

1,000 ISO lumens

1,000 ISO lumens

1,000 lumens

2,400 ANSI lumens

HDR support

HDR10, HLG

HDR10, HLG

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

HDR10, HLG

Optical technology:

3LCD, LED

3LCD, LED

LED DLP

RGB laser DLP

Smart TV:

Google TV

Google TV

Android TV

Google TV

Connections:

1x HDMI (with ARC), 1x 3.5mm

1x HDMI (with ARC), 1x 3.5mm

1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm

HDMI x2 (1 w/ eARC), USB-A (powered), 3.5mm

JMGO N1S Pro 4K

With its far brighter and more colorful picture, the JGMO N1S Pro 4K is a serious threat to the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus. It may have a list price double that of the Epson, but recent discounts bring it to a much more competitive $1,099.

Read our JMGO N1S Pro 4K reviewView Deal

Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22

A predecessor to the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus, the EF22 is still flexible, equally as bright, and has mostly similar picture quality. It may not offer 4K resolution, but as an older model, it should be easy to find at a discount.

Read our Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22View Deal

Anker Nebula Mars 3

If the USB-C capabilities of the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus catch your attention, then the Anker Nebula Mars 3 may be even further up your alley. Instead of convenient charging for on-the-go use, it has its own built-in battery. For home theater use, it falls a bit behind, though, with just 1080p resolution and a mono speaker.

Read our Anker Nebula Mars 3 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus

Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus projector on table pointing up

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
  • Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
  • I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both with a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, both HDR and non-HDR.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

Honor Robot Phone teased ahead of full unveiling in March
11:02 pm | October 15, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Honor made the Magic8 and Magic8 Pro official today, and during the same event the brand also teased an upcoming device which it's calling the Robot Phone. This will be fully unveiled at MWC in Barcelona in early March next year. Until then, we get the teaser video below, and if you've been wondering what makes this a "robot phone", it's a gimbal camera that heavily resembles that of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 - only this one is integrated into a phone, of course. Take a look for yourself: So, it's a robot phone - or, better put, the Honor Robot Phone - because the camera moves in a way...

Realme GT 8 series release date revealed, performance and battery details teased
9:31 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Realme officially revealed when we can expect the Realme GT 8 series. The Chinese launch is set for October 21 at 3:00 PM local time. In addition to the release date, Realme also teased some impressive specs. Unfortunately, the teaser talks about the GT 8 Pro only, so we don't know which features will transfer over to the vanilla GT 8 as well. In any case, the Pro is expected to come with a larger battery, new charging capabilities, and a slimmer and lighter body. Realme GT 8 series teaser posters The GT 8 Pro's battery will be upgraded from 6,500 mAh in the GT 7 Pro to 7,000...

I found the best online photo book service for value if you want high-quality prints for a low price
8:57 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Cameras Computers Gadgets Photography | Comments: Off

Once Upon photo book review

Once Upon is a photo book service designed around making photo book creation as accessible as possible. The idea is that having the Once Upon app on your phone will make it easier to build a photo book as things happen, rather than as an afterthought.

This “quicker and easier” approach means the photo book options on offer are fairly limited compared to other photo book services I’ve tested, as Once Upon only offers square books in two sizes: medium, which measures 20 x 20cm, or large, which is 27 x 27cm.

Both options are available in hardcover, with an additional softcover option for the medium size.

Prices start from $19 / £16 / AU$35 for a 20-page medium photo book with a softcover, rising to $25 / £21 / AU$45 for a hardcover.

Additional silk matte or semi-gloss pages can be added at a cost of $0.85 / 42p / AU$1.40. The larger photo book starts at $35 / £26 / AU$55, with extra pages costing $1.05 / 62p / AU$1.70 each, which is cheaper than many of the services in our best photo books guide.

In total, the cost for my large 28-page hardcover photo book with silk matte paper came to £30.96 (about $42 / AU$65), but I got it for £28.22 thanks to a 25% discount that was available at the time.

The shipping cost was perfectly reasonable, and it should be in the US and Australia too, as Once Upon also has manufacturing sites in those regions. There’s an estimated production and delivery timeline of five to seven days in the UK, potentially rising to 10 business days in the US and Australia.

There’s no option to expedite, but this is an acceptable turnaround and quicker than some photo book providers, which can take a couple of weeks depending on where the book’s manufactured.

In this photo book’s case, I placed the order on a Tuesday afternoon and received the finished article the following Monday, which is an impressive turnaround of four working days.

The Once Upon photo book sits open on a page featuring a large image of a tree in front of a colorful aurora sky.

(Image credit: Future)

As the brand's ethos is centered around it, it made sense to use the Once Upon app on my iPhone to create this photo book, but I experimented with the browser-based app, too.

Both offer the same features; however, the app provided helpful tips in the form of pop-ups as I started building my photo book.

These included general hints about how to drag, drop, and swap photos, along with important tips like warning me to check that nothing important was positioned over the crease when I applied a photo across a spread.

I could tell from the outset that this photo book service is tailored toward those who want to keep things simple. There was a grand total of two layouts on offer for the front cover, which consisted of having the title at the top or the bottom.

It was fortunate I wanted the outer cover to be black, as Once Upon only offers black or white.

There was the option to crop and rotate the cover image, with portrait, landscape, and square presets with fixed ratios, but that was the closest I got to fine-tuning anything.

Needless to say, this isn’t the photo book service for you if you want to have any creative input.

The Once Upon photo book sits open on the title page.

(Image credit: Future)

When I tried to add our TechRadar twist to the front cover, I found there were only three editable elements: the cover image, title, and subtitle.

The features are so stripped back that I wasn’t even able to change up the font of the subtitle. I wasn’t exactly spoiled for choice when it came to the title font either, as there was a choice of just four styles to choose from.

While I can appreciate the allure of a simple design process, some flexibility is needed to ensure you can adjust the composition of your images.

The fixed ratios of the cropping tool and inability to tweak a photo’s position within its frame meant that our two-page spread of a rocky seascape was cut short, spoiling the shot.

One function I haven’t often seen from other photo book services is the ability to copy a page spread to other books I’m working on.

Rearranging the spreads was pretty easy, too, as I just needed to hold down the tab on the top right of the spread before dragging and dropping.

When adding photos, they’re automatically arranged by the date they were taken, rather than the date they were uploaded. This may not be a problem if you’re creating a memory book of all your holiday snaps, but if you’re collating photos taken on different dates, it could prove irritating.

The Once Upon photo book sits open on a two-page spread featuring a pebble beach and cliffs.

(Image credit: Future)

Unlike other photo book builders, like the one from Mixbook, for example, images cannot be uploaded to an album first, and I couldn’t even select a layout before adding photos to the spread.

I could upload my photos to the spread one at a time or in batches, and they’d be arranged into a layout for me.

They also appeared in an image list at the bottom of the page, but it proved to be redundant, as I wasn’t able to drag and drop them onto the page; I could only select each photo to see the same options I’d get by clicking on the photo itself a smidge further up the page.

When I did want to swap photos, I could do so simply by dragging and dropping them within the two-page spread, though I could see this leapfrog approach getting a little tedious if I needed to swap more than a couple. As was the case with the cover photo, only basic image adjustments were available.

I had to repeatedly click on the layout button for the photos to cycle through different preset arrangements, of which there were only around ten, though there were technically a few more if I hit the mirror button to change what appears on the left or right page.

The Once Upon photo book sits open on a spread of two dark-colored portraits.

(Image credit: Future)

While some may appreciate this simplicity, I really didn’t enjoy not being able to compare the different layouts easily.

The basic features and restrictive layouts definitely weren’t my cup of tea, but they do at least keep the process of creating a photo book simple and make the Once Upon app easy to master.

I was pleased with how simple and efficient it was to share my Once Upon photo book, as it’s always nice to have the option to build a photo book with others, especially after a big event or holiday.

After I’d shared the link or QR code, I could see a list of active co-creators once they’d created an account. I also had the option to remove co-creators if required, and there was a simple but useful security feature that deactivated the shared link and generated a new one, offering more control over who has access to the project.

The book builder easily handled two people working on the photo book simultaneously. It took around a second to show the changes made by my co-creator, and it didn’t falter when new pages or photos were being added simultaneously.

The Once Upon photo book is displayed on a tabletop. The cover is a satin-finished black, with a large image of a tree in front of a colorful aurora sky.

(Image credit: Future)

My first impression of the finished Once Upon photo book was positive. The book arrived in good condition, and the colors of the aurora on the cover photo really popped.

Directly comparing the outer cover of the Once Upon photo book against the others we’ve reviewed revealed that the black of the book's outer cover lacks depth, has a slight yellow hue to it, and is a tiny bit streaky upon closer inspection.

All this being said, the front cover looks nice enough overall, and is satisfactory considering it cost less than £30 and was printed in the UK.

The Once Upon photo book lies on its side on a table, with the spine turned toward the camera.

(Image credit: Future)

I was fairly happy with the paper quality overall. The paper didn't feel overly thin, but in lighter areas, I could see some show-through from black text and darker images from the opposite side of the page.

On the plus side, the satin finish performed as advertised – I didn’t need to wear museum-grade gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints on the dark cover or the book's pages, which is a bigger advantage than you may think.

The printed photos look satisfyingly crisp and bright, and are of a much higher standard than the printed results from the SnapFish photo book.

I was very pleased to see that there was minimal posterization, which was notable in quite a few of the photobooks we’ve received, particularly in shots showing subtle color gradients in the sky.

In fact, the print quality in this Once Upon book has been the most comparable to our photo book from top-of-the-class Blurb I’ve seen so far, which is high praise indeed.

The Once Upon photo book sits on top of the Blurb photo book. Both pages show a two-page spread of the same image of a pebble beach and cliffs.

The print quality in our Once Upon book (top) was pleasingly similar to the results from our favorite photo book from Blurb. (Image credit: Future)

But as eye-catching as the print quality was, other elements of the photo looked unnatural due to the automatic image improvements that had been applied.

In places, these caused our images to look overly enhanced, especially those featuring black clothing or dark backgrounds, which were overexposed to compensate.

The color accuracy of our shots was also affected by the auto enhancement, as the colors became a little too vivid, and may have been more so if I’d opted for semi-gloss, as the silk matte paper is advertised as delivering toned-down colors in comparison.

The Once Upon photo book sits open on a spread of two black and white portraits.

(Image credit: Future)

This isn’t glaringly obvious, but it was noticeable when I compared them directly against our other photo books and the original photographs.

These enhancements probably won’t cause any issues when applied to sunny holiday snaps or everyday photos, but it’s worth bearing this in mind if your photos feature a lot of dark elements.

Fortunately, this automatic image improvement is voluntary, and it’s easy to request that the shots in the photo book aren’t enhanced in pre-production by unticking a box at the editing stage.

The Once Upon photo book sits on top of the Blurb photo book. Both pages show a two-page spread of the same image of a pebble beach and cliffs.

The automatically enhanced prints from Once Upon book (top) didn't look true to life, but still looked great quality, even when compared to the Blurb photo book. (Image credit: Future)

In essence, Once Upon isn’t going to be the photo book service for you if you want to have any creative input.

It is, however, a great choice if you’re looking for a service that’ll make the decisions for you, as all you really need to do is pop your photos and captions in, and enjoy your low-cost photo book with fantastic print quality once it arrives.

Should I buy the Once Upon photo book?

Ease of use

As promised, it was really straightforward to create a basic photo book in the Once Upon app. The entire process is simple from start to finish, enabling you to create a photo-filled book from your smartphone.

5 / 5

Editing tools

To say the app was lacking in design tools would be a major understatement. Customization was severely limited, meaning you simply can't unleash your creativity with this photo book service.

2 / 5

Print quality

Automatic enhancements aside, the prints were clear and vibrant, with minimal posterization. Plus, the material finish proved delightfully resistant to fingerprints.

4.5 / 5

Value

While the Once Upon photo book service has its flaws, the quality of the prints is fantastic for the price, and superior to many of the more expensive photo book services we've tested so far.

4 / 5

Buy it if…

You want high-quality prints for less
While not perfect, the print quality was pretty darn impressive, and not far off the results from the more expensive photo book that’s currently the top choice in our buying guide.

You want your photo book fingerprint-free
Though marks may well build up over time, the finish on this photo book was noticeably more forgiving than the others I’ve tested, as the outer cover and pages didn’t collect fingerprints during my evaluation process.

You want a super simple design process
Creating a photo book on the Once Upon app is about as far from complex as you can get, as all you need to do is upload your photos and click a button to cycle through layout options.

Don't buy it if…

You want to get creative
While the basic design process may prove beneficial to some, it can feel incredibly restrictive if you want any control over composition and layout.

You want reliable automatic enhancements
It’ll probably work perfectly well for sunny holiday snaps, but the auto image enhancement didn’t play well with our darker photos, so there’s a risk of some photos looking overexposed.

You want high-quality paper
The print quality is great, but the show-through of darker elements from the other side of the page was disappointing. Plus, the images would look even sharper if the paper were of a higher spec.

Once Upon photo book review: also consider

Blurb
If you want better color accuracy, and you’ve got a bit more to spend, then it’s well worth considering a photo book from Blurb. The app-based designer offers precise and flexible design tools, and the prints were detailed and vibrant, while still looking true to life, making this a particularly good choice for creatives wanting to showcase their work. If you’d like to learn more, take a look at our full Blurb review.

Printerpix
If you’re keen to avoid complex design processes, but want a little more creative freedom, then Printerpix is the service for you. There are 163 layouts and 18 themes to choose from, and adding elements and photos was as simple as dragging and dropping, so it’s easy to customize the design. The printed result was also pleasing, though we did notice some posterization with subtle color blends. For more information, read our full Printerpix review.

How I tested the Once Upon photo book

  • I created a photo book from scratch to recreate our TechRadar photo book
  • I explored the Once Upon app, testing the different features and tools
  • I ordered a photo book and assessed the quality of the finished product

I explored the Once Upon app on my iPhone and the web browser on my MacBook. I assessed how easy the creation process was, starting with a blank canvas and using the tools available to recreate our TechRadar photo book. Recreating an existing design is important so that we can assess how capable the different services are when faced with different requirements.

I ordered my completed photo book and evaluated the finished product against the collection of photo books we’ve already tested, paying close attention to quality, print finish, alignment, and making notes of any imperfections.

Apple announces new iPad Pro models with the M5 chip
8:19 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Apple today announced updates to its iPad Pro series, which includes the 13-inch and the 11-inch models. Both models will now get all of Apple's latest chips, which include the new M5, the N1, as well as the C1X. The M5 is a brand new chip being launched alongside today, and will also be making an appearance on the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the Apple Vision Pro. It has up to a 10-core CPU layout with up to 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores. Much like with the M4, Apple once again claims that the performance cores in the M5 are the world's fastest CPU cores. It's combined...

Apple upgrades 14″ MacBook Pro, Vision Pro to M5 chip
7:48 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Following a teaser from earlier today, Apple announced its 14” MacBook Pro with the brand-new M5 chip. It’s joined by the Apple Vision Pro, which also gets the new chip, replacing the Apple M2 found in the launch model. MacBook Pro 14”with M5 chip The new M5 MacBook Pro 14” promises some sizeable gains over the outgoing base M4 variant. It features a 10-core CPU with 4x performance units and 6x efficiency units, alongside an all-new 10-core GPU that includes a Neural Accelerator in each core. Apple claims 3.5x faster performance for AI workflows, compared to the M4 model and a 6x...

Apple M5 is official and it’s entirely optimized for AI
7:18 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Today Apple introduced the updated MacBook Pro and Vision Pro, both of which have the new M5 chip inside. This delivers "over 4x the peak GPU compute performance for AI" compared to its predecessor, the M4. It has a Neural Accelerator in each of its GPU cores. It's built using third-gen 3nm technology, and its CPU apparently features "the world's fastest performance core". The CPU itself has up to 10 cores, of which four are performance cores and six are efficiency cores. Together, they deliver up to 15% better multithreaded performance compared to the M4. The M5 also has an almost...

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